Saturday 11 April 2020
Holy Saturday
Compline (Night Prayer)
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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.
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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 90 (91)
The protection of the Most High
“Behold, I have given you power to tread under foot both serpents and scorpions” (Lk 10:19).
He will conceal you with his wings; you will not fear the terror of the night.
He who dwélls in the shélter of the Most Hígh *
and abídes in the sháde of the Almíghty
sáys to the Lórd: ‘My réfuge, *
my strónghold, my Gód in whom I trúst!’
It is hé who will frée you from the snáre *
of the fówler who séeks to destróy you;
hé will concéal you with his pínions *
and únder his wíngs you will find réfuge.
You will not féar the térror of the níght *
nor the árrow that flíes by dáy,
nor the plágue that prówls in the dárkness *
nor the scóurge that lays wáste at nóon.
A thóusand may fáll at your síde, *
tén thousand fáll at your ríght,
yóu, it will néver appróach; *
his fáithfulness is búckler and shíeld.
Your éyes have ónly to lóok *
to sée how the wícked are repáid,
yóu who have said: ‘Lórd, my réfuge!’ *
and have máde the Most Hígh your dwélling.
Upon yóu no évil shall fáll, *
no plágue appróach where you dwéll.
For yóu has he commánded his ángels, *
to kéep you in áll your wáys.
They shall béar you upón their hánds *
lest you stríke your fóot against a stóne.
On the líon and the víper you will tréad *
and trámple the young líon and the drágon.
Since he clíngs to me in lóve, I will frée him; *
protéct him for he knóws my náme.
When he cálls I shall ánswer: ‘I am wíth you,’ *
I will sáve him in distréss and give him glóry.
With léngth of lífe I will contént him; *
I shall lét him see my sáving pówer.
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.
He will conceal you with his wings; you will not fear the terror of the night.
Psalm-prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, when tempted by the devil, you remained loyal to your Father whose angels watched over you at his command. Guard your Church and keep us safe from the plague of sin so that we may remain loyal to the day we enjoy your salvation and your glory.
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Short Reading
Apocalypse 22:4-5
They will see the Lord face to face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. It will never be night again and they will not need lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will be shining on them. They will reign for ever and ever.
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Short Responsory
Christ humbled himself for us and, in obedience, accepted death, even death on a cross. Therefore God raised him to the heights and gave him the name which is above all other names.
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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.
Visit this house, we pray you, Lord:
drive far away from it all the snares of the enemy.
May your holy angels stay here and guard us in peace,
and let your blessing be always upon us.
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
Ave Regina Caelorum
Hail, Queen of heaven, beyond compare,
To whom the angels homage pay;
Hail, Root of Jesse, Gate of Light,
That opened for the world’s new Day.
Rejoice, O Virgin unsurpassed,
In whom our ransom was begun,
For all your loving children pray
To Christ, our Saviour and your Son.
Ave, Regína cælórum,
ave, Dómina angelórum,
salve, radix, salve, porta,
ex qua mundo lux est orta.
Gaude, Virgo gloriósa,
super omnes speciósa;
vale, o valde decóra,
et pro nobis Christum exóra.
Copyright © 1996-2020 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.