Reading 1
Sir 1:1-10

All wisdom comes from the LORD
and with him it remains forever, and is before all time
The sand of the seashore, the drops of rain,
the days of eternity: who can number these?
Heaven’s height, earth’s breadth,
the depths of the abyss: who can explore these?
Before all things else wisdom was created;
and prudent understanding, from eternity.
The word of God on high is the fountain of wisdom
and her ways are everlasting.
To whom has wisdom’s root been revealed?
Who knows her subtleties?
To whom has the discipline of wisdom been revealed?
And who has understood the multiplicity of her ways?
There is but one, wise and truly awe-inspiring,
seated upon his throne:
There is but one, Most High
all-powerful creator-king and truly awe-inspiring one,
seated upon his throne and he is the God of dominion.
It is the LORD; he created her through the Holy Spirit,
has seen her and taken note of her.
He has poured her forth upon all his works,
upon every living thing according to his bounty;
he has lavished her upon his friends.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5

R. (1a) The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
The LORD is king, in splendor robed;
robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
And he has made the world firm,
not to be moved.
Your throne stands firm from of old;
from everlasting you are, O LORD.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed:
holiness befits your house,
O LORD, for length of days.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.

Gospel
Mk 9:14-29

As Jesus came down from the mountain with Peter, James, John
and approached the other disciples,
they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them.
Immediately on seeing him,
the whole crowd was utterly amazed.
They ran up to him and greeted him.
He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?”
Someone from the crowd answered him,
“Teacher, I have brought to you my son possessed by a mute spirit.
Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down;
he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid.
I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.”
He said to them in reply,
“O faithless generation, how long will I be with you?
How long will I endure you? Bring him to me.”
They brought the boy to him.
And when he saw him,
the spirit immediately threw the boy into convulsions.
As he fell to the ground, he began to roll around
and foam at the mouth.
Then he questioned his father,
“How long has this been happening to him?”
He replied, “Since childhood.
It has often thrown him into fire and into water to kill him.
But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
Jesus said to him,
“‘If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith.”
Then the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!”
Jesus, on seeing a crowd rapidly gathering,
rebuked the unclean spirit and said to it,
“Mute and deaf spirit, I command you:
come out of him and never enter him again!”

Shouting and throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out.
He became like a corpse, which caused many to say, “He is dead!”
But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up.
When he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private,
“Why could we not drive the spirit out?”
He said to them, “This kind can only come out through prayer.”

Compline (Night Prayer)

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
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.

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.

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 85 (86)
A poor man's prayer in time of trouble
Lord God, you are full of mercies, patient and true.
Turn your ear to me, Lord, and hear me, for I am poor and destitute. Keep my life safe, for I am faithful; O God, save your servant, who trusts in you. Take pity upon me, O Lord, for I call to you all the day long. Make your servant’s heart glad, for to you, O Lord, I have raised it. For you, Lord, are gentle and mild: you are kind to all those who call on you. Let your ears hear my prayer, O Lord! Turn to the voice of my pleading! In my time of trouble I call on you, for you, O Lord, will hear me. No other god is like you, O Lord, and nothing compares with your works. All people – all nations you made – will come and worship before you; they will give glory to your name. For you are great, you work wonders: you alone are God. O Lord, teach me your paths, and I will come to your truth. Make my heart simple and guileless, so that it honours your name. I will proclaim you, Lord my God, and give you praise with all my heart. I will give glory to your name for ever, for your great kindness is upon me: you have rescued me from the deepest depths. O God, the proud rise against me, in the meetings of the powerful they seek my life: they do not keep you in their sight. And you, Lord, are a God of compassion, full of mercies, patient and true. Look upon me, have mercy upon me, give your strength and protection to your servant your servant, the child of your handmaid. Give me a sign of your goodness, let my enemies see it and be confounded; because you, O Lord, have helped me and given me comfort. 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.
Lord God, you are full of mercies, patient and true.

Reading	1 Thessalonians 5:9-10
God chose that we should receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us; so that, asleep or awake, we should still live with him.

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 faithfulness. - 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.

Canticle	Nunc Dimittis
Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace.
Now, Master, you let your servant go in peace. You have fulfilled your promise. My own eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all peoples. A light to bring the Gentiles from darkness; the glory of your people Israel. 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.
Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace.

Prayer
Let us pray. Give our bodies rest, Lord, to restore them; and let the seeds sown by our labours today grow and yield an eternal harvest. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

May the almighty Lord grant us a quiet night and a perfect end.

A M E N

An antiphon to Our Lady should be recited here.

Mk 9:14-29
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
14	And presently all the people, seeing Jesus, were astonished and struck with fear: and running to him, they saluted him.	et confestim omnis populus videns eum stupefactus est et adcurrentes salutabant eum
15	And he asked them: What do you question about among you?	et interrogavit eos quid inter vos conquiritis
16	And one of the multitude, answering, said: Master, I have brought my son to thee, having a dumb spirit.	et respondens unus de turba dixit magister adtuli filium meum ad te habentem spiritum mutum
17	Who, wheresoever he taketh him, dasheth him: and he foameth and gnasheth with the teeth and pineth away. And I spoke to thy disciples to cast him out: and they could not.	qui ubicumque eum adprehenderit adlidit eum et spumat et stridet dentibus et arescit et dixi discipulis tuis ut eicerent illum et non potuerunt
18	Who answering them, said: O incredulous generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him unto me.	qui respondens eis dicit o generatio incredula quamdiu apud vos ero quamdiu vos patiar adferte illum ad me
19	And they brought him. And when he had seen him, immediately the spirit troubled him and being thrown down upon the ground, he rolled about foaming.	et adtulerunt eum et cum vidisset illum statim spiritus conturbavit eum et elisus in terram volutabatur spumans
20	And he asked his father: How long time is it since this hath happened unto him? But he sad: From his infancy.	et interrogavit patrem eius quantum temporis est ex quo hoc ei accidit at ille ait ab infantia
21	And oftentimes hath he cast him into the fire and into the waters to destroy him. But if thou canst do any thing, help us, having compassion on us.	et frequenter eum et in ignem et in aquas misit ut eum perderet sed si quid potes adiuva nos misertus nostri
22	And Jesus saith to him: If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.	Iesus autem ait illi si potes credere omnia possibilia credenti
23	And immediately the father of the boy crying out, with tears said: I do believe, Lord. Help my unbelief.	et continuo exclamans pater pueri cum lacrimis aiebat credo adiuva incredulitatem meam
24	And when Jesus saw the multitude running together, he threatened the unclean spirit, saying to him: Deaf and dumb spirit, I command thee, go out of him and enter not any more into him.	et cum videret Iesus concurrentem turbam comminatus est spiritui inmundo dicens illi surde et mute spiritus ego tibi praecipio exi ab eo et amplius ne introeas in eum
25	And crying out and greatly tearing him, he went our of him. And he became as dead, so that many said: He is dead.	et clamans et multum discerpens eum exiit ab eo et factus est sicut mortuus ita ut multi dicerent quia mortuus est
26	But Jesus taking him by the hand, lifted him up. And he arose.	Iesus autem tenens manum eius elevavit illum et surrexit
27	And when he was come into the house, his disciples secretly asked him: Why could not we cast him out?	et cum introisset in domum discipuli eius secreto interrogabant eum quare nos non potuimus eicere eum
28	And he said to them: This kind can go out by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.	et dixit illis hoc genus in nullo potest exire nisi in oratione et ieiunio
29	And departing from thence, they passed through Galilee: and he would not that any man should know it.	et inde profecti praetergrediebantur Galilaeam nec volebat quemquam scire

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