Vespers (Evening Prayer) is part of the Divine Office, also known as the Liturgy of the Hours, the Church’s daily prayer. Prayed in the evening, Vespers offers praise and thanksgiving through psalms, Scripture, and intercessions, sanctifying the close of the day.

Vespers is a fifteen-minute prayer service of hymns, readings, and intercessions done every evening by priests and sisters, but more and more laity is joining them. It is a special prayer because it is said by people all around the world and every hour throughout the day, due to time changes, the hours are prayed. In the Liturgy of the Hours, the Church fulfills Jesus’ command to “pray always” (Luke 18:1; see also 1 Thessalonians 5:17). Through this prayer, the people of God sanctify the day by continual praise of God and prayers of intercession for the needs of the world.

Evening Prayer (Vespers) begins with the Sign of the Cross, a call for God’s help, and a hymn appropriate to the liturgical season. It continues with the Psalmody, consisting of psalms and a New Testament canticle, each introduced by an antiphon and followed by a brief moment of silence.
A Scripture reading is then proclaimed, followed by a short responsory. The heart of Evening Prayer is the Gospel Canticle, the Magnificat (Canticle of Mary), prayed with special reverence and introduced by an antiphon.
The prayer continues with intercessions for the Church and the world, the Lord’s Prayer, and a concluding prayer. The celebration ends with a blessing and dismissal, sending the faithful forth in peace.