![]() Psalmody – Psalm 4 – This is an evening song of consolation in affliction, composed by David in his flight from Absalom. Let hearts, with Christ, their vigil keep.ĥ. ![]() Saturday and Sunday, Solemnities, and during the Octave of Christmas and Easter Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.Īs it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,Ĥ. Hebdomadary: O God, come to my assistance.ĭoxology (sung together by both sides while bowing) It is customary to make the Sign of the Cross at the beginning of the versicle which begins the Divine Office. Saint Benedict prescribes it to begin every Office as a prayer-a petition for grace. This verse can be found in the sayings of the Desert Fathers as an effective prayer against temptation and distractions. We begin Compline with Psalm 70:2 as the opening verse. Versicles are short verses whose first half is said (chanted) by an individual and whose other half is answered by the choir. Hebdomadary intones the introductory verse (Psalm 70:2). The monks step out from their choir stalls, still facing the sanctuary.ģ. The abbot uses a clacker at his place in choir to sound the beginning of Compline. As the bell tolls, the monks stand and face the Blessed Tabernacle.Ģ. Contrition, plea for protection, and deep confidence are the chief ideas involved.ġ. The blessing at the very beginning is a crisp but thoughtful summary of these two ideas: “May Almighty God grant us a restful night and a happy death.”įor a historical-redemptive background for our prayer, we have the agony of Jesus at Gethsemane, and consequently, we can pray Compline for the Gethsemane in our own life and in that of. It contains many striking thoughts on this point. As man thinks of death almost spontaneously on going to sleep, Compline becomes also the night prayer of life, a prayer for a happy death. Sleep too is a symbol, a figure of death. How many sins indeed night enfolds in its darkness! And for this very reason the Christian prays at night for protection against the powers of hell, for himself and all. And is it not true that the enemy lays his snares under cover of darkness? It is as though when night falls, hell disgorged all its inmates upon the earth, to prey upon. I would stress the point once again, that in liturgical prayer we think not only of ourselves, but also of for whom “night” is falling, whether the night of trial, of sin, or of death. The Christian, being a child of light, is afraid of this darkness, and like a little chick it scurries beneath the wings of the hen to escape Satan, the wheeling hawk. Night is the mantle of the Prince of this world. The darkness we recognize as the devil’s trademark. ![]() This thought of night and of darkness predominates in Compline. The opposite of light, night with its darkness, is also a favorite image in the liturgy and the Bible for the sinister powers of hell. ![]() Such thoughts as these recur frequently in this hour. Christ is the divine Sun, the Christian is a child of this Sun. Both in Holy Scripture and in the liturgy, the sun and light are favorite comparisons and figures for the Godhead, for Christ, and the divine life. The hour begins straightway, without any introductory prayer, pauses a while for an examination of conscience and an act of contrition. Benedict himself, and can be called the ideal night prayer. After Compline until the following morning after Lauds/Mass is a period of the “great silence” when monks do not talk (unless an emergency occurs).Ĭompline is a masterpiece of composition, the work of St. Finally, after a short pause for reflection, the abbot or prior gives a knock at which time the community and guests come forward for the blessing with holy water. Compline concludes with the ringing of the Regina Coeli during the Easter season or the Angelus during the rest of the liturgical year. Next comes the hymn, psalmody, a reading and responsorial, and closing prayer. Like Lauds (morning prayer) and Vespers (evening prayer), Compline begins with a call to prayer and praise as the hebdomidary intones the introductory verse “O God, come to my assistance” with the monks responding “O Lord, make haste to help me.” This is immediately followed by the “Glory be to the Father” for which we bow. From the Latin word completorium, Compline completes the day of praying the Divine Office (Liturgy of the Hours). ![]() Compline at the Monastery of Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Compline (Night Prayer) atĬompline (or Night Prayer) is the last prayer of the monastic day. ![]()
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