Vespers is a service of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Eastern Orthodox, Coptic orthodox, Roman Catholic and Eastern Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican liturgies. The word for this fixed prayer time comes from the Greek ἑσπέρα and the Latin vesper, meaning "evening".

What does vesper stand for?

A vesper is an evening song. It also refers to evening prayers, and then it's usually plural as vespers. Whether it's a church service or a jazz band at sunset, if it's in the evening, it's a vesper.

What happens during vespers?

Vespers, also called Evening Prayer, takes place as dusk begins to fall. Evening Prayer gives thanks for the day just past and makes an evening sacrifice of praise to God (Psalm 141:1). ... Vespers opens with the singing or chanting of the words Deus, in adiutorium meum intende.