Compline

Easter Season (Easter Sunday, Vespers I—Pentecost Sunday, Compline)

Introduction

I confess to almighty God, to blessed Mary ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the Archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and to all the Saints, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word and deed: through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore I beseech blessed Mary ever Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and all the Saints, to pray for me to the Lord our God.

May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

May the almighty ✠ and merciful Lord grant us pardon, absolution and remission of our sins. Amen.

Psalmody

Psalm 57

• If in very deed you speak justice: * judge right things, ye sons of men.
• For in your heart you work iniquity: * your hands forge injustice in the earth.
• The wicked are alienated from the womb; they have gone astray from the womb: * they have spoken false things.
• Their madness is according to the likeness of a serpent: * like the deaf asp that stoppeth her ears:
• Which will not hear the voice of the charmers; * nor of the wizard that charmeth wisely.
• God shall break in pieces their teeth in their mouth: * the Lord shall break the grinders of the lions.
• They shall come to nothing, like water running down; * he hath bent his bow till they be weakened.
• Like wax that melteth they shall be taken away: * fire hath fallen on them, and they shall not see the sun.
• Before your thorns could know the brier; he swalloweth them up, * as alive, in his wrath.
• The just shall rejoice when he shall see the revenge: * he shall wash his hands in the blood of the sinner.
• And man shall say: If indeed there be fruit to the just: * there is indeed a God that judgeth them on the earth.

• Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
• As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Psalm 58

• Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; * and defend me from them that rise up against me.
• Deliver me from them that work iniquity, * and save me from bloody men.
• For behold they have caught my soul: * the mighty have rushed in upon me:
• Neither is it my iniquity, nor my sin, O Lord: * without iniquity have I run, and directed my steps.
• Rise up thou to meet me, and behold: * even thou, O Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel.
• Attend to visit all the nations: * have no mercy on all them that work iniquity.
• They shall return at evening, and shall suffer hunger like dogs: * and shall go round about the city.
• Behold they shall speak with their mouth, and a sword is in their lips: * for who, say they, hath heard us?
• But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them: * thou shalt bring all the nations to nothing.
• I will keep my strength to thee: for thou art my protector: * my God, his mercy shall prevent me.
• God shall let me see over my enemies: slay them not, * lest at any time my people forget.
• And scatter them by thy power; * and bring them down, O Lord, my protector:
• For the sin of their mouth, and the word of their lips: * and let them be taken in their pride.
• And for their cursing and lying they shall be talked of, when they are consumed: * when they are consumed by thy wrath, and they shall be no more.
• And they shall know that God will rule Jacob, * and all the ends of the earth.
• They shall return at evening and shall suffer hunger like dogs: * and shall go round about the city.
• They shall be scattered abroad to eat, * and shall murmur if they be not filled.
• But I will sing thy strength: * and will extol thy mercy in the morning.
• For thou art become my support, * and my refuge, in the day of my trouble.
• Unto thee, O my helper, will I sing, for thou art God my defence: * my God my mercy.

• Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
• As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Psalm 27

• Unto thee will I cry, O Lord: my God, be not thou silent to me: * lest if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.
• Hear, O Lord, the voice of my supplication, when I pray to thee; * when I lift up my hands to thy holy temple.
• Draw me not away together with the wicked; * and with the workers of iniquity destroy me not:
• Who speak peace with their neighbour, * but evils are in their hearts.
• Give them according to their works, * and according to the wickedness of their inventions.
• According to the works of their hands give thou to them: * render to them their reward.
• Because they have not understood the works of the Lord, and the operations of his hands: * thou shalt destroy them, and shalt not build them up.
• Blessed be the Lord, * for he hath heard the voice of my supplication.
• The Lord is my helper and my protector: * in him hath my heart confided, and I have been helped.
• And my flesh hath flourished again, * and with my will I will give praise to him.
• The Lord is the strength of his people, * and the protector of the salvation of his anointed.
• Save, O Lord, thy people, and bless thy inheritance: * and rule them and exalt them for ever.

• Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
• As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Nunc Dimittis

Canticle of Simeon (Luke 2:29–32)

• Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, ✠ * according to thy word in peace;
• Because my eyes have seen * thy salvation,
• Which thou hast prepared * before the face of all peoples:
• A light to the revelation of the Gentiles, * and the glory of thy people Israel.

• Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
• As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Antiphon

The earth * trembled and was still when God arose in judgment, alleluia.

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation: But deliver us from evil. Amen.

Psalm 75

• In Judea God is known: * his name is great in Israel.
• And his place is in peace: * and his abode in Sion:
• There hath he broken the powers of bows, * the shield, the sword, and the battle.
• Thou enlightenest wonderfully from the everlasting hills. * All the foolish of heart were troubled.
• They have slept their sleep; * and all the men of riches have found nothing in their hands.
• At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, * they have all slumbered that mounted on horseback.
• Thou art terrible, and who shall resist thee? * from that time thy wrath.
• Thou hast caused judgment to be heard from heaven: * the earth trembled and was still,
• When God arose in judgment, * to save all the meek of the earth.
• For the thought of man shall give praise to thee: * and the remainders of the thought shall keep holiday to thee.
• Vow ye, and pay to the Lord your God: * all you that are round about him bring presents.
• To him that is terrible, even to him who taketh away the spirit of princes: * to the terrible with the kings of the earth.

• Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
• As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Prayer

Look down, we beseech thee, O Lord, on this thy family, for which our Lord Jesus Christ did not hesitate to be delivered up into the hands of wicked men, and to suffer the torment of the Cross.

Who with thee liveth and reigneth, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.