The traditional form of Evening Prayer is Such benedictions have been used found in the Book of Common regularly practised both in the Prayer. Christian East and West.
The service of Evensong with Benediction One of the most generally popular is lead by the choir and includes sung services in the Catholic Church is Psalms of the day, readings from Benediction of the Blessed scripture, Canticles (the Magnificat Sacrament, commonly referred and Nunc Dimitis), one or more anthems and other prayers. to as Benediction and known in France as Salut and in Evensong is a particularly Germany as Segen. It is beautiful service, which also the custom of some engages the aesthetic as well Anglo-Catholic churches as the spiritual senses. It combines to hold this service, and at time for quiet reflection with the St Michael's it is well beloved of measured cadences of traditional the choir and congregation. Prayer Book language and the beauty It is ordinarily an afternoon or of choral singing. At St Michael’s, the evening devotion and consists in music for this service includes some the singing of certain hymns or of the finest works of the English and litanies, or canticles, before the European Sacred Choral Tradition. Blessed Sacrament, which is exposed upon the altar in a Benediction includes the hymns monstrance and is surrounded O Salutaris Hostia and Tantum Ergo, set with candles. At the end, the either to Plainsong or composed. From priest or deacon, his shoulders the earliest church, Christians adopted enveloped in a humeral veil, takes ceremonial benedictions into their the monstrance into his hands and liturgical worship, particularly at with it makes the sign of the cross the end of a service. in silence over the kneeling congregation.