In the modern world, faith has lost its primary significance for humanity, so many people have no idea what services are held in the temples, what they consist of and so on. It is necessary to correct this state of affairs and to understand what the all-night vigil or what it is called "all-night service".
What is the all-night vigil in the church?
Among all the services that are performed in the Orthodox Church, one can distinguish the all-night vigil held before the great holidays and Sundays and lasts from evening until sunrise. Depending on the time zone, it can begin at 4-6 pm. In the history of the formation of Christianity, one can find information that sometimes the follow-up of the All-Night Vigil was performed as a token of gratitude to the Lord for deliverance from various ills or victory in wars. The peculiarities of this service include the following:
- After Vespers, consecration of bread, vegetable oil, wine and wheat can take place. This is due to the fact that these products were previously consumed by monks before worship.
- The full follow-up of the all-night vigil includes reading during the morning the excerpts from the Gospel and singing the great thanksgiving, where the person expresses his gratitude to the Lord for the day he lived and asks for help to be shielded from his sins.
- During the service, the anointing of believers is conducted with oil.
What is the difference between Vespers from the All-Night Vigil?
Many believers ask this question, but in fact everything is simple, the all-night vigil unites two services: vespers and matins. It is worth noting that vespers before the holidays are held not ordinary, but great. Describing the features of the all-night vigil, it is important to mention that during this service many works are performed by the church choir, which adds a special beauty to the action.
What services does the all-night vigil service consist of?
Divine services are traditionally held on the eve of church holidays and Sundays. The composition of the all-night vigil is as follows: vespers, matins and the first hour. There are times when worship can begin with a great evening, which will go on into the vespers. Such a scheme is necessarily used before Christmas and Baptism. In some churches, after the service is over, clergymen hold confessions, where people can repent of their sins.
How is the all-night vigil?
Such worship is able to free the person's soul from negativity and bad thoughts, and also to place oneself to accepting gracious gifts. Vigil worship symbolizes the history of the Old and New Testaments. There is a certain structure for conducting worship.
- The beginning of the all-night vigil is called the Great Vespers, which serves as a depiction of the main Old Testament stories. The Royal Gates open and the creation of the Holy Trinity of the world is celebrated .
- After that, the psalm is sung, which glorifies the wisdom of the Creator. During this, the priest censes the temple and the believers.
- After the closing of the Royal Gates, which symbolizes the committing of the first sin by Adam and Eve, prayer is performed before them. The poems "Lord, calling to You, hear me" are sung, which remind people of their plight after the fall.
- The sticheron dedicated to the Mother of God is read, and during this the priest comes out from the northern doors of the altar and enters the Royal doors, which personifies the appearance of the Savior.
- The structure of the all-night vigil implies a transition to utrene, which means the time of the New Testament. Of particular importance is the polyelement - the solemn part of the divine service, during which the Lord's mercy is glorified for the gift of the Savior.
- The Gospel dedicated to the feast is solemnly read, and the canon is performed.
How long is the all-night vigil?
In the modern world, such worship lasts, in most cases, about 2-3 hours. This reduction is probably due to the fact that not all people can withstand a long service in the church. Finding out how long the all-night vigil in the church lasts, it is worth pointing out that earlier this worship lasted longer, as it began in the evening and was held until the morning. Hence its name arose. The longest all-night vigil held in our time is Christmas.