Posted on 02/13/2003 7:35:58 PM PST by neocon
Introduction
V/. Deus X in adjutórium méum inténde. R/. Dómine, ad adjuvándum me festína. Glória Pátri, et Fílio, * |
V/. O God, X come to my assistance. R/. O Lord, make haste to help me. Praise the Fáther, the Són, and the Holy Spírit |
A brief examination of conscience is made,
followed by an act of contrition such as:
Confíteor Deo omnipoténti quia peccávi nimis cogitatióne, verbo, ópere, et omissióne: (et, percutientes sibi pectus, dicunt:) mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. (Deinde prosequuntur:) Ideo precor beátam Maríam semper Vírginem, omnes Angelos et Sanctos, oráre pro me ad Dóminum Deum nostrum. |
I confess to almighty God, that I have sinned through my own fault: (strike breast) in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do; and I ask blessed Mary, ever virgin, all the angels and saints, to pray for me to the Lord our God. |
Psalmody
Psalm 4
Antiphon: Misérere míhi, Dómine, et exáudi oratiónem méam. Cum invocárem exaudívit me Déus justítiæ méæ: * Fílii hóminum úsquequo grávi córde? * Et scitóte quóniam mirificávit Dóminus sánctum súum: * Irascímini, et nolíte peccáre: Signátum est super nos lúmen vúltus túi Dómine: * In páce in idípsum * dórmiam et requiéscam. Glória Pátri, et Fílio, * Antiphon: Misérere míhi, Dómine, et exáudi oratiónem méam. |
Antiphon: Háve mércy, Lórd, and héar mý práyer. When I cáll, ánswer me, O Gód of jústice; * O mén, how lóng will your héarts be clósed, * It is the Lórd Who grants fávors to thóse whom He lóves; * Fear Him; do not sín: pónder on your béd and be stíll. * "What can bríng us háppiness?" mány sáy. * You have pút into my héart a gréater jóy * I will líe down in péace and sléep comes at ónce * Práise the Fáther, the Són, and the Holy Spírit Antiphon: Háve mércy, Lórd, and héar mý práyer. |
Psalm 90(91)
Antiphon: Scápulis súis obumbrábit tíbi: non timébis a timóre noctúrno. Qui hábitat in adjutório Altíssimi, * Quóniam ípse liberávit me de láqueo venántium, * Scúto circúmdabit te véritas éjus: * Cádent a látere túo mílle, Verúmtamen óculis túis considerábis: * Non accédet ad te málum: * In mánibus portábunt te: * Quóniam in me sperávit, liberábo éum: * Longitúdine diérum replébo éum: * Glória Pátri, et Fílio, * Antiphon: Scápulis súis obumbrábit tíbi: |
Antiphon: Hé will concéal you with his wíngs; you will not féar the térror of the níght. He who dwélls in the shélter of the Most Hígh * It is Hé Who will frée you from the snáre * You will not féar the térror of the níght * A thóusand may fáll at your síde, * Your éyes have ónly to lóok * Upon yóu no évil shall fáll, * They shall béar you upón their hánds * Since he clíngs to Me in lóve, I will frée him; * With léngth of lífe I will contént him; * Praise the Fáther, the Són, and the Holy Spírit Antiphon: Hé will concéal you with his wíngs; |
Psalm 133(134)
Antiphon: In nóctibus benedícite Dóminum. Ecce nunc benedícite Dóminum, * Qui státis in dómo Dómini, * In nóctibus extóllite mánus véstras in sáncta, * Benedícat te Dóminus ex Síon, * Glória Pátri, et Fílio, * Antiphon: In nóctibus benedícite Dóminum. |
Antiphon: Bléss the Lórd through the níght. O cóme, bléss the Lórd, * Lift up your hánds to the hóly pláce, * May the Lórd bléss you from Síon, * Praise the Fáther, the Són, and the Holy Spírit Antiphon: Bléss the Lórd through the níght. |
Reading and Responsory
1 Peter 5:8-9a
Frátres: Sóbrii estóte, et vigiláte: quia adversárius véster diábolus, tamquam léo rúgiens, círcuit, quærens quem dévoret: cúi resístite fórtes in fíde. R/. In mánus túas, Dómine, * Comméndo spíritum méum. |
Brothers: Be calm but vigilant, because your enemy the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand up to him, strong in faith. R/. Into Your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. |
Gospel Canticle
Luke 2:29-31
(Nunc dimíttis, The Canticle of Simeon)
Antiphon: Lúmen ad revelatiónem géntium, et glóriam plébis túæ Ísrael. Nunc dimíttis X sérvum túum, Dómine * Quia vidérunt óculi méi * salutáre túum: Lúmen ad revelatiónem géntium, * Glória Pátri, et Fílio, * Antiphon: Lúmen ad revelatiónem géntium: |
Antiphon: Chríst is the líght of the nátions and the glóry of Ísrael, His péople. Lord, X nów You let Your sérvant go in péace; Mý own eyes have séen the salvátion A líght to revéal You to the nátions Praise the Fáther, the Són, and the Holy Spírit Antiphon: Chríst is the líght of the nátions |
Prayer
Vísita, quæsumus Dómine, habitatiónem istam, et omnes insídias inimíci ab ea longe repélle: Ángeli tui sancti hábitent in ea, qui nos in pace custódiant; * et benedíctio tua sit super nos semper. Per Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum Fílium tuum: R/. Amén. |
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 our Lord, Jesus Christ, Your Son, R/. Amen. |
Marian Anthem
Sálve, Regína, * máter misericórdiæ: Víta, dulcédo, et spes nóstra, sálve. Ad te clamámus, éxules, fílii Hévæ. Eia ergo, Advocáta nóstra, Et Jésum, O cleméns: V/. Ora pro nóbis, sáncta Déi Génitrix. * |
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. Turn then, most gracious Advocate, And after this, our exile, show unto us O clement, V/. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, |
Conclusion
V/. X Divínum auxílium máneat sémper nobíscum. R/. Amén. |
V/. X May the Divine Assistance be always with us. R/. Amen. |
So, to serve as an introduction to the Liturgy of the Hours, I have put together a (slightly) simplified Office of Compline, which is fairly easily memorized, and can be said in bed, with the lights out, just before falling asleep, if desired. Since music is a great mnemonic aid, I have pointed the texts of the Latin Psalmody for use with Gregorian mode VIII-G (with incipit). The English Psalm texts are of the Grail translation, approved for liturgical use in the US and the UK, and are pointed for use with the Gelineau, Bevenot, or Murray tones. (It should be noted that the goal of the Grail translation was to preserve the rhythm and emphasis of the original Hebrew.)
This version of Compline will not satisfy the canonical requirement encumbent upon those in Holy Orders or living the consecrated life. I put it forth only as an informal means of introduction to the Liturgy of the Hours for those who have little acquaintance with this great source of spiritual riches in the heritage of the Church. My hope is that by doing so Christians who find this simple hour of prayer fruitful will be encouraged to a deeper participation in the Liturgy of the Hours.
I suspect it would.
You'd be surprised at how few priests celebrate the Liturgy of the Hours outside a communal setting.
It's fairly close, but if you notice, I've omitted the Hymn, altered the text of the Confiteor for private recitation, did not include any variations in the antiphons, used the processional antiphon for Candlemas for the Canticle of Simeon, and did not include the alternative Marian Anthems Regina Coeli, Alma Redemptoris Mater, etc., which are meant to vary by the seasons. My intent in these simplifications was to aid memorization.
Also, in the revised breviary, there are only two psalms to be said every evening, with a different pair for each day of the week, and there are "psalm-prayers" added between them. This gives a greater exposure to Scripture, which is all to the good, and the other variations are also commendable, but they militate against memorization.
You'd be surprised at how few priests celebrate the Liturgy of the Hours outside a communal setting.
I'm sorry to say that it would not surprise me. The interest expressed to me by FR friends in the Liturgy of the Hours resulted from a remark I made that the priests who are currently the source of scandal in the Church must have first abandoned their prayer life, starting probably with their requirement to say their office.
I know how very busy the religious life is for a diocesan priest these days, but any active apostolate which does not spring from a life of prayer is unlikely to yield much fruit. My wish would be to see the priests of a parish follow the example of the cathedral canons of St. Augustine, and recite the office together, and on Sundays restore the practice of a public celebration of Solemn Vespers (Evensong to the Anglicans) for the benefit of the laity.
Boy is it terrific to have you back!
A little Flannery O'Connor humor there ... ;-)
My mom is a third order Carmelite ...
God bless her! The Carmelites have played an important role in my life. When I attended an advanced studies program at an Episcopal boarding school, which had mandatory chapel, there was within walking distance a Carmelite monastery I could go to for Sunday Mass. When I visited the concentration camp at Dachau, where nearly 2000 Polish Catholic priests were worked/starved to death, I was overwhelmed by the oppressive spirit which informed that place, and was grateful for the Carmelite chapel I could spend half an hour in afterwards to recover my inner peace. Not to mention, of course, the great contributions of the Carmelite Saints, Theresa of Avila and John of the Cross, to those who would progress in the spiritual life.
It's a wonderful way to keep bringing your mind back to God during the day.
One of the most important things lost in modern life is the "Little Hours" of Terce, Sext, and None, which served to break up, for the laity as well as for the professed monks, the working day into three-hour intervals. Labora is important, but ora must always be foremost. (A Benedictine reference, there.)
I can use my ping list to get you going.
Many thanks. I'm very pressed for time just now, so I won't be able to post for a while. God bless!
Sure, an' 'tis nice 'o ye t' say dat, colleen.
I won't be able to spend much time at FR, though. I live in the Archdiocese of Boston, and am a cantor at a church in the Diocese of Manchester (NH), so you can imagine what life is like just now. Now that we're back in Ordinary Time until Lent, the choir obligations are not quite so demanding, but we generally do a Latin Ordinary for Lent, and I'm trying to introduce the Mass setting Orbis Factor, or at least the Kyrie from it to them. I'd also like to have them learn the Angus Dei from Mass XV, which has some very beautiful melismatic word-painting in the middle.
I've not been blessed with robust health, so that too will keep me away from FR.
Very best wishes to you all!
thank you for posting this, neocon
I will add you to my rosary list and pray that your health will not be an impediment to your work. I can tell you are a soldier.
God Bless.
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