Vespers

The service of Vespers has a history about as long as Complin, and the simple reason for this is that Vepsers formed out of Complin. This was the case until the time of St. Benedict (c. 480-543) when he separated the two offices. St. Benedict also gave the office its name, vespera, and this has stuck through the centuries. During its early years Vespers was known by another name, Lucernarium or des lumieres: of the lights.1

These names have their roots in the candles that were lighted during the office. There was another name given to Vespers in the sixth century, hora incensi, this has to do with the custom of burning incense at this hour, during the lighting of the candles. Vespers, historically, is supposed to be a solemn office since it took place in the evening. The idea of incense in Vepsers can be seen in TLH Vepsers by the versicle, "Let my prayer rise before Thee as incense."2 Though the lighting of candles and the burning of incense also has its roots in the evening sacrifice of the Jewish sacrificial system.1

Another great sacrifice is on the minds of those in attendance at Vespers, viz. the sacrifice of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Besides this, which should always be on our minds when we pray, is His great testament left us in His Body and Blood in the Eucharist; at about the same hour that Vepsers is prayer our Lord was with the Disciples in the upper room. For this reason Vepsers is connected with the Eucharist, and a lot of the Psalms for Vepsers can be easily associated with the Eucharist. Psalms 112-117 were done in the upper room, and Psalms 119-131 were sung during the procession to the Temple.3

The Psalms for Vespers are done much differently than the ones for Complin even though they used to be one office. Benedict laid out in simple terms how Vespers should be done in chapter seventeenth of his Rule, "Let the office of Vespers be ended with four psalms and antiphons; after these psalms a lesson is to be recited, next a responsory, the Ambrosian hymn (TLH 564), a verse, the canticle from the Gospel (Nunc Dimittis), the litany, the Lord's Prayer, and the collects."4 The Psalms are not the same for every time it is prayed, but they cycle through Psalms 109-147 by groups of four. This is the way that St. Benedict explained it many centuries ago. Benedict states in his rule chapter eighteenth, "Let Vespers be sung daily with the singing of four psalms. Let these psalms begin with the 110th to the 147th, excepting those which are set aside for the other Hours; namely, from the 118th to the 128th, and the 134th, and the 143rd. All the rest are to be said at Vespers; and as the psalms fall three short, those of the aforesaid psalms which are found to be longer, are to be divided; namely, the 139th, the 144th, and the 145th. But because the 117th is short, let it be joined to the 116th."4
Sources:
1 The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XV. Copyright © 1912 by Robert Appleton Company. Online Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. Knight. Nihil Obstat, October 1, 1912. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15381a.htm
2 The Lutheran Hymnal, © 1941 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis MO
3 Commentary on the Roman Breviary: Vespers. Published online by the Confratirnity of Ss. Peter & Paul © 2005. (Accessed online @ http://www.breviary.net/comment/commenthoursvesp.htm)
4 St. Benedict of Nursia, The Rule of St. Benedict; Chapters XVII & XVIII, trans. Rev. Boniface Verheyen (Accessed online @ http://www.ccel.org/b/benedict/rule2/rule.html)