Monday 16 December 2019
Monday of the 3rd 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
Christ, thou who art the light and day,
Who chasest nightly shades away,
Thyself the Light of Light confessed,
And promiser of radiance blest:
O holy Lord, we pray to thee,
Throughout the night our guardian be;
In thee vouchsafe us to repose,
All peaceful till the night shall close.
O let our eyes due slumber take,
Our hearts to thee forever wake:
And let thy right hand from above
Shield us who turn to thee in love.
O strong defender, hear our prayers,
Repel our foes and break their snares,
And govern thou thy servants here,
Those ransomed with thy life-blood dear.
Almighty Father, this accord
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord,
Who with the Holy Ghost and thee
Doth reign through all eternity.
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Psalm 85 (86)
A poor man's prayer in time of trouble
“Blessed be God, who comforts us in all our sorrows” (2 Cor 1:3-4).
You, Lord God, are slow to anger, abounding in love.
Turn your éar, O Lórd, and give ánswer *
for Í am póor and néedy.
Preserve my lífe, for Í am fáithful; *
save the sérvant who trústs in yóu.
You are my Gód, have mércy on me, Lórd, *
for I crý to you áll the day lóng.
Give jóy to your sérvant, O Lórd, *
for to yóu I líft up my sóul.
O Lórd, you are góod and forgíving, *
full of lóve to áll who cáll.
Give héed, O Lórd, to my práyer *
and atténd to the sóund of my vóice.
In the dáy of distréss I will cáll *
and súrely yóu will replý.
Among the góds there is nóne like you, O Lórd; *
nor wórk to compáre with yóurs.
All the nátions shall cóme to adóre you *
and glórify your náme, O Lórd:
for you are gréat and do márvellous déeds, *
yóu who álone are Gód.
Shów me, Lórd, your wáy †
so that Í may wálk in your trúth. *
Guide my héart to féar your náme.
I will práise you, Lord my Gód, with all my héart *
and glórify your náme for éver;
for your lóve to mé has been gréat: *
you have sáved me from the dépths of the gráve.
The próud have rísen agáinst me; †
rúthless men séek my lífe; *
to yóu they páy no héed.
But yóu, God of mércy and compássion, *
slów to ánger, O Lórd,
abóunding in lóve and trúth, *
túrn and take píty on mé.
O gíve your stréngth to your sérvant *
and sáve your hándmaid’s són.
Shów me a sígn of your fávour †
that my fóes may sée to their sháme *
that you consóle me and gíve me your hélp.
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.
You, Lord God, are slow to anger, abounding in love.
Psalm-prayer
God of mercy and goodness, when Christ called out to you in torment, you heard him and gave him victory over death because of his love for you. We already know the affection you have for us; fill us with a greater love of your name and we will proclaim you more boldly before men and happily lead them to celebrate your glory.
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Short Reading
1 Thessalonians 5:9-10
God chose us to possess salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us in order that we might live together with him, whether we are alive or dead when he comes.
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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, give our bodies restful sleep;
and let the work we have done today
be sown for an eternal harvest.
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.