Pour symboliser la Chute de l'homme, les Portes Royales sont fermées. Le diacre sort du sanctuaire et se tient devant les Portes Royales fermées, comme Adam devant les portes scellées du Paradis et entonne la Grande Litanie, demandant la Paix d'en-haut.
During the chanting of these verses the deacon censes the church once more. This entire period of the divine service, beginning with the opening of the Royal Gates, through the petitions of the Great Ectenia and the chanting of the psalms, represents the miserable state of mankind to which it was subjected by the fall of our forefathers into sin. With the fall all the deprivations, pains and sufferings we experience came into our lives. We cry out to God, ''"Lord, have mercy"'' and request peace and salvation for our souls. We feel contrition that we heeded the ungodly counsel of the Devil. God is asked for the forgiveness of our sins and deliverance from troubles, and all hope in his mercy is placed in God. The censing at this time signifies the sacrifices of the Old Testament and the people's own prayers as well, which are offer to God.
The Old Testament verses of these psalms of ''"Lord, I have cried"'' are alternated with New testament hymns composed in honor of the saint or feast of the day. The last verse is called the Theotokion, or Dogmatikon, since it is sung in honor of the Mother of God, and in it is set forth the dogma on the [[incarnation]] of the Son of God from the Virgin Mary.
During the chanting of the Theotokion the Royal Gates are opened, and the Vespers Entry is made. At this time the choir chants a hymn to the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ: ''"O Gladsome Light"''. In the hymn, the Son of God is called the ''Gentle Light that comes from the Heavenly Father'', because He came to this earth not in the fullness of divine glory but in the gentle radiance of this glory. This hymn also says that only with reverent voices, and not with sinful mouths, can He be worthily exalted and the necessary glorification be accomplished. The entry reminds the faithful how the Old Testament righteous, in harmony with the promise of God that was manifest in prototypes and prophecies, expected the coming of the Saviour, and how He appeared in the world for the salvation of the human race. The censer at the entry signifies that our prayers, by the intercession of our Lord the Saviour, are offered to God like incense. It also signifies the presence of the Holy Spirit in the church. The blessing with the sign of the Cross shows that by means of the [[Cross]] of the Lord the doors into Paradise are opened again.
Christ is praised as the Light which illumines man's darkness, the Light of the world and of the Kingdom of God which shall have no evening.
At this time, the prokeimenon is chanted, and on the more important feasts there are readings selections from the Scriptures in which there is a prophecy or a prototype which relates to the event being celebrated, or in which edifying teachings are set forth, which relate to the saint commemorated that day.
Les vêpres finissent avec la lecture de la prière de St Syméon. Cette prière est suivie de la lecture du Trisagion et du Notre Père puis d'un chant de salutation à la Theotokos, ''"Ô Mère de Dieu et Vierge Marie, réjouis-toi..."'' ou du tropaire de la fête, et enfin par le chant répété trois fois du psalmiste : "''Béni soit le Nom du Seigneur, dès maintenant et à jamais."'' Le Psaume 33 est alors chanté jusqu'au verset, ''"Mais ceux qui cherchent le Seigneur ne manqueront de rien."'' Alors suit la bénédiction du prêtre :'' "Que les bénédictions du Seigneur soit sur vous, par Sa grâce et son amour des hommes, maintenant et toujours et dans les siècles des siècles."''
L'office mène à la méditation des paroles de Dieu et la glorification de son amour des hommes. Il nous prépare au sommeil de la nuit et à l'aube du nouveau jour qui vient. La veille de la Divine Liturgie, il commence le mouvement vers la plus parfaite communion avec Dieu dans les Saints Mystères.
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