Thursday 5 December 2019
Thursday of the 1st week of Advent
Compline (Night Prayer)
(today)
The Compline after First or Second Vespers of a Sunday may be substituted for the Compline of a weekday.
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INTRODUCTION
O God, come to our aid.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.
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Examination of Conscience
This is an excellent moment for an examination of conscience. In a communal celebration of Compline, one of the penitential acts given in the Missal may be recited.
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Hymn
Now that the daylight dies away,
By all thy grace and love,
Thee, Maker of the world, we pray
To watch our bed above.
Let dreams depart and phantoms fly,
The offspring of the night,
Keep us, like shrines, beneath thine eye,
Pure in our foe’s despite.
This grace on thy redeemed confer,
Father, co-equal Son,
And Holy Ghost, the Comforter,
Eternal Three in One.
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Psalm 15 (16)
The Lord, my inheritance
“God raised up Jesus, freeing him from the pains of death” (Acts 2:24).
My body shall rest in safety.
Presérve me, Gód, I take réfuge in yóu. †
I sáy to the Lórd: ‘Yóu are my Gód. *
My háppiness líes in yóu alóne.’
He has pút into my héart a márvellous lóve *
for the fáithful ónes who dwéll in his lánd.
Those who chóose other góds incréase their sórrows. †
Néver will I óffer their ófferings of blóod. *
Néver will I táke their náme upon my líps.
O Lórd, it is yóu who are my pórtion and cúp; *
it is yóu yoursélf who áre my príze.
The lót marked óut for me is mý delíght: *
welcome indéed the héritage that fálls to mé!
I will bléss the Lórd who gíves me cóunsel, *
who éven at níght dirécts my héart.
I kéep the Lórd ever ín my síght: *
since hé is at my ríght hand, Í shall stand fírm.
And so my héart rejóices, my sóul is glád; *
éven my bódy shall rést in sáfety.
For yóu will not léave my sóul among the déad, *
nor lét your belóved knów decáy.
You will shów me the páth of lífe, †
the fúllness of jóy in your présence, *
at your ríght hand háppiness for éver.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
My body shall rest in safety.
Psalm-prayer
Lord Jesus, uphold those who hope in you and give us your counsel, so that we may know the joy of your resurrection and deserve to be among the saints at your right hand.
Or:
Father, in the mysterious plan of your love, you offered your Son the bitter cup of death, and yet you would not let your Holy One know decay, but opened to him the way of life. Help us to look for happiness in you alone and to share one day the glory of your Son’s resurrection.
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Short Reading
1 Thessalonians 5:23
May the God who gives us peace make you completely his, and keep your whole being, spirit, soul, and body, free from all fault, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Short Responsory
Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.
– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.
You have redeemed us, Lord God of truth.
– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.
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Canticle
Nunc Dimittis
Christ is the light of the nations and the glory of Israel
Save us, Lord, while we are awake; protect us while we sleep; that we may keep watch with Christ and rest with him in peace.
At lást, all-pówerful Máster, †
you give léave to your sérvant *
to go in péace, accórding to your prómise.
For my éyes have séen your sálvation *
which you have prepáred for all nátions,
the líght to enlíghten the Géntiles *
and give glóry to Ísrael, your péople.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
Save us, Lord, while we are awake; protect us while we sleep; that we may keep watch with Christ and rest with him in peace.
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Let us pray.
Lord our God,
restore us again by the repose of sleep
after the fatigue of our daily work,
so that, continually renewed by your help,
we may serve you in body and soul.
Through Christ our Lord,
Amen.
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The Lord grant us a quiet night and a perfect end.
Amen.
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Marian Anthem
Alma Redemptoris Mater
Mother of Christ! Hear thou thy people’s cry,
Star of the deep, and portal of the sky!
Mother of him who thee from nothing made,
Sinking we strive, and call to thee for aid:
Oh, by that joy which Gabriel brought to thee,
Thou Virgin first and last, let us thy mercy see.
Alma Redemptóris Mater,
quæ pérvia cæli porta manes,
et stella maris,
succúrre cadénti,
súrgere qui curat, pópulo;
tu quæ genuísti, natúra miránte,
tuum sanctum Genitórem,
Virgo prius ac postérius,
Gabriélis ab ore
sumens illud Ave,
peccatórum miserére.
Copyright © 1996-2019 Universalis Publishing Limited: see www.universalis.com. Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible are published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc, and used by permission of the publishers. Text of the Psalms: Copyright © 1963, The Grail (England). Used with permission of A.P. Watt Ltd. All rights reserved.