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 30 (31) |
|---|
| Trustful prayer in time of adversity |
| O God, protect me; be my refuge. |
| In you, Lord, I put my trust: may I never be put to shame. In your justice, set me free, Turn your ear to me, make haste to rescue me. Be my rampart, my fortification; keep me safe. For you are my strength and my refuge: you will lead me out to the pastures, for your own name’s sake. You will lead me out of the trap that they laid for me – for you are my strength. Into your hands I commend my spirit: you have redeemed me, Lord God of truth. 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. |
| O God, protect me; be my refuge. |
| Psalm 129 (130) |
|---|
| Out of the depths |
| Out of the depths I have cried to you, Lord. |
| Out of the depths I have cried to you, Lord: Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears listen out for the voice of my pleading. If you took notice of our transgressions, Lord – Lord, who would be left? But with you is forgiveness, and for this we revere you. I rely on you, Lord, my spirit relies on your promise; my soul hopes in the Lord, more than the watchman for daybreak. More than the watchman for daybreak, let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is kindness and abundant redemption. He himself will redeem Israel from all its transgressions. 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. |
| Out of the depths I have cried to you, Lord. |
| Reading | Ephesians 4:26-27 |
|---|---|
| Be angry if you must, but do not sin: do not let your anger outlast the sunset: do not give the Devil his chance. | |
| 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. Lord Jesus Christ, you lay a gentle yoke upon those who follow you. Meek and humble, you give them a light burden to carry. Receive the work and the prayers we have offered to you today; and give us rest, to make us more eager to serve you, who live and reign for ever and ever, Amen. |
|
| May the almighty Lord grant us a quiet night and a perfect end. |
| A M E N |
From: Romans 6:12-18
Liberation from Sin
[15] What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace?
By no means! [16] Do you not know that if you yield yourselves to any one as
obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which
leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? [17] But thanks
be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from
the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, [18] and,
having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.
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Commentary:
12-13. Our body, while forming one substance with our soul, is also an instru-
ment (like a pen in the hand of a writer) which can be used either to do works
of justice and piety or to enter into combat against the spirit. True, it is a “mortal
body”, but, St John Chrysostom comments, “It is not in any sense an evil thing,
because it can be a weapon of holiness and righteousness [...]. Our body stands
between vice and virtue. It is a weapon we can freely put to one use or the other.
The soldier who fights to defend his country uses the same weapons as the
criminal who makes an attempt on the life of his fellow citizens [...]. And so the
body can be an instrument of good or evil depending on what the soul chooses:
it is not naturally disposed to either course” (”Hom. on Rom”, 11).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.