Compline (Night Prayer)

Introduction

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.

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.

Psalm 90 (91) The protection of the Most High

He will shade you with his wings; you will not fear the terror of the night.

He who lives under the protection of the Most High

dwells under the shade of the Almighty.

He will say to the Lord:

“You are my shelter and my strength,

my God, in whom I trust.”

For he will free you from the hunter’s snare,

from the voice of the slanderer.

He will shade you with his wings,

you will hide underneath his wings.

His faithfulness will be your armour and your shield.

You will not fear the terror of the night,

nor the arrow that flies by day;

nor the plague that walks in the shadows,

nor the death that lays waste at noon.

A thousand will fall at your side,

at your right hand ten thousand will fall,

but you it will never come near.

You will look with your eyes

and see the reward of sinners.

For the Lord is your shelter and refuge;

you have made the Most High your dwelling-place.

Evil will not reach you,

harm cannot approach your tent;

for he has set his angels to guard you

and keep you safe in all your ways.

They will carry you in their arms

in case you hurt your foot on a stone.

You walk on the viper and cobra,

you will tread on the lion and the serpent.

Because he clung to me, I shall free him:

I shall lift him up because he knows my name.

He will call upon me and for my part, I will hear him:

I am with him in his time of trouble.

I shall rescue him and lead him to glory.

I shall fill him with length of days

and show him my salvation.

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 shade you with his wings; you will not fear the terror of the night.

Reading	Apocalypse 22:4-5

They will see the face of the Lord, and his name will be marked on their foreheads. There will be no more night: they will not need sunlight or lamp-light, because the Lord God himself will shine upon them. And they will reign for ever and ever.

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.

Let us pray.

Today we have celebrated the mystery of the Christ’s resurrection, and so now we humbly ask you, Lord, that we may rest in your peace, far from all harm, and rise rejoicing and giving praise to you.

Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

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

A M E N

	Salve Regina

Hail to you, O Queen, mother of loving kindness,

our life, our happiness, our hope.

Hear us cry out to you,

children of Eve in our exile.

Hear as we sigh, with groaning and weeping

in this life, this valley of tears.

Come then, our Advocate, turn towards us

the gaze of your kind and loving eyes.

And show us Jesus, the blessed fruit of your womb,

when at last our exile here is ended.

How to Read the Bible

Pastor’s Column

27^th Sunday Ordinary Time

October 4, 2009

Having a goal to read the whole bible is a good one, but many people begin in Genesis and get stuck in Leviticus! Much of the Old Testament is exciting reading, but mixed in are parts that one ought to skip. One good way to read the bible is with a good Catholic commentary in one hand and the bible in the other. Two that I can recommend would be the Navarre Bible series and the Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture.

The best place to begin a plan of reading the Bible is with one of the four gospels. This year we are reading Mark at Sunday Mass. Mark is a short gospel full of detailed eyewitness accounts of Jesus. One might also want to read from the New Testament letters. Following the Sunday and daily readings (printed in the bulletin) is an excellent way to follow the Scriptures.

When we read Scripture, the Lord speaks to us. It is not necessary or even desirable to read fast or simply to get through the book! The bible can be read profitably by thinking of it like sipping a fine wine or enjoying a good meal. Slowing down the reading process can yield big rewards. One method we can use is known as lectio divina..

We begin by reading the whole passage, or until we encounter a word or phrase that has meaning for us. Stop at that word, phrase, or paragraph and turn it over in your mind. You might want to highlight that word or phrase in your bible.

Next, we meditate on the passage. Perhaps we may form a picture of the scene in our minds. We might place ourselves in the scene with Jesus. We listen as the Lord speaks. Begin to notice the little details in the passage. What is he saying to me? What meaning does this passage have in my life?

After this, we pray more deeply with the passage. This is where we respond to God. What will I say to God, who has spoken to me in this Scripture passage? I might talk to God about what I have read, and how it may affect my life. In this way, we begin to recognize the voice of God as he speaks through the Scriptures to our soul.

Finally, we may enter a phase knows as contemplation. In this step, we can dwell further on the word silently, praying that we might be more disposed to putting into practice what we have read and what God has said to us, and we to him.

Father Gary