Evening Service
Another special service for the Nativity. Again, I didn't catch the name of it. Service is at 6pm (no morning service).
I want to apologize for not catching the name of the service. There are a series of liturgies specific to this season. Seems I remember from last year that the services are long (if put end to end); and so they are split up over several days. But this description doesn't do justice to them.
There are services for the Nativity of Jesus, and services specific to Joseph and Mary … with specific times that these are appropriate (before, during, and after Christmas). But, like fast days and feast days, keeping informed is often (it seems to me) a matter of being at church when the special services are announced (and sometimes special songs or responsorial inserts are handed out as we walk into the temple the day of the service, or services).
This morning's service (the 24th) was St. Basil's Liturgy; I had suspected as much from my readings … and this was confirmed by The Father after the service). For this evening's service (the 24th), there were two special handouts … and Hannah brought a book into the chapel that I hadn't picked up on the way in "so I could follow along" (the special parts were in the back).
So: There's basically a Saturday evening service (which sometimes combines part of the Sunday morning service) … and a Sunday morning service (within which, on special days, there are add - on services from the back of the same book). These are Vespers (evening), Vesperal Liturgy (the combined service) and The Divine Liturgy (the communion service / Sunday mornings). Then for very special days there are other prayers thrown in (like the services we've been having for the Nativity).
And so, tonight (Sunday, the 25th) at 6pm there are "vespers" (the evening service) with additional prayers appropriate for the season. And if this particular service has a special name (and I'm pretty sure it does); then, I'm not the one to ask what that would be.
(note: The service is called "Vespers for the Synaxis of Mary". 12/25, admin)
Freely Ye Have Received Freely Give