This is the final installment of our series on the Divine Office.
Previous parts in this series:
Part 1: Introduction to the traditional Divine Office
Part 2: Matins
Part 3: Lauds
Part 4: Prime
Part 5: Terce, Sext, and None
Part 6: Vespers
In
the fifth part of this series, while describing the little hours of
Terce, Sext, and None, I mentioned the connection between the hours
of the Divine Office and the events of the Passion. Another author
connected the eight hours of the Divine Office with the stages of the
human life. Matins, sung before dawn, represents the womb. Lauds
represents our birth. Prime represents youth. Terce represents early
adulthood. Sext represents maturity. None represents middle age.
Vespers represents the elderly years. Finally, at the end of the day,
we sing Compline, which represents death and our passage to eternal
life.
Compline
has uncertain origins, though it has existed in some form since at
least the fourth century. Like Prime, the text is mostly the same
every day. Nothing in Compline is proper to the day, only the day of
the week. Thus, Compline is the easiest hour of the Divine Office for
common people to learn and offer as a private devotion.
The
hour of Compline traditionally begins with the prayer Aperi
Domine, but not with the Our Father or Hail Mary. The opening
rites of Compline originated in Benedictine monasteries from as early
as the sixth century. Monks would gather in the chapter house for a
reading from scripture, before processing into the chapel, examining
their consciences, confessing their sins, and finally beginning the
office of Compline. Thus, Compline begins with a short reading from
scripture, similar in both form and origin to the short reading from
the Office of the Chapter at Prime. Like the readings at Matins, it
is preceded by a blessing.
Noctem
quiétam et finem perféctum concédat nobis Dóminus omnípotens.
Amen. |
May
almighty God grant us a quiet night and a perfect end. Amen. |
The
short reading at the beginning of Compline is 1 Peter 5:8-9, a
reminder to always be on guard against the devil and keep our souls
pure. Jesus said, in Matthew 24:43, “But know this ye, that if the
goodman of the house knew at what hour the thief would come, he would
certainly watch, and would not suffer his house to be broken open.”
The Rule of St. Benedict says, “Day by day remind yourself that you
are going to die.” We must always be prepared and fight against the
devil. Thus, at Compline every day, we read the warning that St.
Peter gave in his first epistle.
Fratres:
Sóbrii estóte, et vigiláte: quia adversárius vester diábolus
tamquam leo rúgiens círcuit, quærens quem dévoret: cui
resístite fortes in fide.
Tu
autem, Dómine, miserére nobis.
Deo
grátias. |
Brethren:
Be sober and watch: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring
lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist ye,
strong in faith.
But
thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
Thanks
be to God. |
Next
is the examination of conscience and confession of sin. To begin, we
implore God's divine help in the words of Psalm 123:8. This is the
same verse that we say before the Confiteor at the Prayers at
the Foot of the Altar at Mass. We bless ourselves with the Sign of
the Cross as we ask for God's help.
Adiutórium
nóstrum ☩ in nómine Dómini.
Qui
fecit cælum et terram. |
Our
help is ☩ in the name of the Lord,
Who
made heaven and earth. |
Before
we can devoutly confess our sins, we must take some time to prepare
ourselves. We must think about God, how good he has been to us, and
how much we have hurt him in return. Furthermore, we must call to
mind the specific sins we have committed, be sorry for them, and
strive to never repeat them. Contrition for sins is a decision, not
an emotion. To prepare ourselves to confess our sins, we say one Our
Father silently. Alternatively, we can take some time to silently
examine our conscience to help us identify and be contrite for the
sins that we have committed. Many great examinations of conscience
have been written to help with this process. My personal favorite is
the examination of conscience from Saint Augustine's Prayer Book,
published by the Order of the Holy Cross.
The
Confiteor is then said, not sung. If Compline is offered in
choir by a priest, then the Confiteor is said in the same
manner as at the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar at Mass. The priest
says the Confiteor confessing to “all the saints, and to
you, brethren” (“omnibus sanctis, et vobis, fratres”), and then
the other people present say the Misereatur. The others then
say the Confiteor, confessing to “all the saints, and to
you, Father” (“omnibus sanctis, et tibi, Pater”), and the
priest says the Misereatur. If there is no priest present, the
Confiteor is said as follows. Like at Mass, we strike our
breasts three times at the words “mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima
culpa.”
Confíteor
Deo omnipoténti, beátæ Maríæ semper Vírgini, beáto Michaéli
Archángelo, beáto Ioánni Baptístæ, sanctis Apóstolis Petro
et Paulo, et ómnibus Sanctis, quia peccávi nimis, cogitatióne,
verbo et ópere: mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa. Ideo
precor beátam Maríam semper Vírginem, beátum Michaélem
Archángelum, beátum Ioánnem Baptístam, sanctos Apóstolos
Petrum et Paulum, et omnes Sanctos, oráre pro me ad Dóminum Deum
nostrum.
Misereátur
nostri omnípotens Deus, et dimíssis peccátis nostris, perdúcat
nos ad vitam ætérnam. Amen.
Indulgéntiam,
☩ absolutiónem et remissiónem peccatórum nostrórum tríbuat
nobis omnípotens et miséricors Dóminus. Amen. |
I
confess to almighty God, to blessed Mary ever Virgin, to blessed
Michael the Archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy
Apostles Peter and Paul, and to all the Saints, that I have sinned
exceedingly in thought, word and deed: through my fault, through
my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore I beseech
blessed Mary ever Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel, blessed
John the Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and all the
Saints, to pray for me to the Lord our God.
May
almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us
to everlasting life. Amen.
May
the almighty ☩ and merciful Lord grant us pardon, absolution and
remission of our sins. Amen. |
This
opening rite of confessing our sins is concluded with Psalm 84:5,
asking God once more for his mercy and for help in resisting
temptation. At this verse, we make a small Sign of the Cross with our
thumb on our breast, praying that our heart may be turned to God.
Convérte
nos ✠ Deus, salutáris noster.
Et
avérte iram tuam a nobis. |
Convert
us, ✠ O God our savior.
And
turn off thy anger from us. |
Now,
we finally make the Sign of the Cross and sing the familiar opening
verse that begins every hour of the Divine Office. Like at every
hour, during Septuagesima and Lent, the word “alleluia” is
replaced with “Praise be to thee, O Lord, King of eternal glory.”
Deus
☩ in adjutórium meum inténde.
Dómine,
ad adjuvándum me festína.
Glória
Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto. Sicut erat in princípio,
et nunc, et semper, et in sǽcula sæculórum. Amen. Allelúia. |
O
God, ☩ come to my assistance.
O
Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory
be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was
in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen. Alleluia. |
Three
psalms with one antiphon are sung at Compline, like at the little
hours. The psalms and antiphon depend only on the day of the week.
During Paschaltide, the antiphon for every day is, “Alleluia,
alleluia, alleluia.” Psalms 4, 90, and 133 have been sung at
Compline for more than a thousand years. These three psalms are now
sung at Compline on Sundays and first and second class feasts.
Psalm
4 is addressed by King David to all sinners. It tells us to trust and
hope in God as we go to sleep, saying, “The things you say in your
hearts, be sorry for them upon your beds,” and, “The light of thy
countenance, O Lord, is signed upon us...In peace in the selfsame I
will sleep and I will rest.” Psalm 90 sings of God's protection in
times of hardship. It begins, “He that dwelleth in the aid of the
Most High, shall abide under the protection of the God of heaven,”
and later says, “For he hath given his angels charge over thee: to
keep thee in all thy ways.” Finally, Psalm 133 is a short psalm of
praise to God and the last of the fifteen Gradual Psalms used in
Jewish Temple worship. It concludes with the verse, “May the Lord
out of Sion bless thee, he that made heaven and earth.” These three
psalms form a beautiful conclusion to the Church's great feasts and
prepare us for the passage to eternal life.
After
the three psalms and their antiphon, the hymn Te lucis ante
terminum is sung. This beautiful
hymn is attributed to St. Ambrose.
Te
lucis ante términum,
Rerum
Creátor, póscimus,
Ut
pro tua cleméntia
Sis
præsul et custódia.
Procul
recédant sómnia,
Et
nóctium phantásmata;
Hostémque
nóstrum cómprime,
Ne
polluántur córpora.
Præsta,
Pater piíssime,
Patríque
compar Únice,
Cum
Spíritu Paráclito
Regnans
per omne sǽculum.
Amen. |
Before
the ending of the day,
Creator
of the world, we pray
That
with thy wonted favor thou
Wouldst
be our guard and keeper now.
From
all ill dreams defend our eyes,
From
nightly fears and fantasies;
Tread
under foot our ghostly foe,
That
no pollution we may know.
O
Father, that we ask be done,
Through
Jesus Christ, thine only Son;
Who,
with the Holy Ghost and thee,
Doth
live and reign eternally.
Amen. |
In
this hymn, we pray for protection during the night from any
temptation to sin. This also
shows Compline's symbolism of the end of our life. It
is followed by the invariable
capitulum of Compline,
a cry for God's protection in the words of Jeremiah 14:9.
Tu
autem in nobis es, Dómine, et nomen sanctum tuum invocátum est
super nos: ne derelínquas nos, Dómine, Deus noster.
Deo
grátias. |
But
thou, O Lord, art among us, and thy name is called upon by us:
forsake us not, O Lord our God.
Thanks
be to God. |
The
first twenty-five chapters of the Prophecy of Jeremiah are written in
very poetic Hebrew, calling the Jews to repentence and faithfulness
to God. Jeremiah warned the Jews of the impending fall of Jerusalem
and Babylonian exile, which happened at the end of his ministry in
586 BC. We
may hear his prophecy today as a call to repentence and faithfulness
to prepare for our inevitable judgment. Thus, this verse calling upon
God is sung at Compline every day.
Next,
to continue preparing our souls for the passage to eternal life, we
sing a
short responsory, which is taken
from Psalm 30:6. These were also the final words that our Lord said
on the Cross before he died.
In
manus tuas, Dómine, comméndo spíritum meum.
In
manus tuas, Dómine, comméndo spíritum meum.
Redemísti
nos, Dómine, Deus veritátis.
Comméndo
spíritum meum.
Glória
Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.
In
manus tuas, Dómine, comméndo spíritum meum. |
Into
thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Into
thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
For
thou hast redeemed us, O Lord, God of truth.
I
commend my spirit.
Glory
be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
Into
thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. |
What
better way to prepare ourselves for death than with the words that
Jesus Christ used to prepare for his death? Before his Crucifixion,
Jesus said to his disciples at the Mount of Olives, “But of that
day and hour no one knoweth, not the angels of heaven, but the Father
alone” (Matthew 24:36). We must always be prepared to die and face
God's judgment. Thus, at the end of each day, the Church gives us
this hour of Compline to prepare ourselves for our inevitable death.
After confessing our sins and adoring God with psalms, we unite
ourselves to our crucified Lord and entrust our souls to him. After
the responsory, we sing Psalm 16:8 as a versicle and response.
Custódi
nos, Dómine, ut pupíllam óculi.
Sub
umbra alárum tuárum prótege nos.
|
Keep
us, Lord, as the apple of thine eye.
Protect
us under the shadow of thy wings. |
Next
is the third and final canticle of the New Testament. In the morning,
at Lauds, we sing the Benedictus, Zechariah's hymn of praise
at St. John the Baptist's circumcision. In the evening, at Vespers,
we sing the Magnificat, our Blessed Mother's hymn of praise
when she visited Elizabeth. Finally, at night, at Compline, we sing
the Nunc dimittis or
Canticle of Simeon,
the priest Simeon's hymn of
praise when he saw our Lord.
It is taken from Luke
2:29-32. At Compline, the
Canticle of Simeon is
preceded and followed by an invariable antiphon, asking yet again for
God's protection. We make
the Sign of the Cross at the first line of the canticle.
(The asterisk marks where to
alter the pitch when singing.)
Salva
nos, Dómine, vigilántes, custódi nos dormiéntes; ut vigilémus
cum Christo, et requiescámus in pace.
2:29
Nunc dimíttis ☩ servum tuum, Dómine, * secúndum verbum tuum
in pace:
2:30
Quia vidérunt óculi mei * salutáre tuum,
2:31
Quod parásti * ante fáciem ómnium populórum,
2:32
Lumen ad revelatiónem Géntium, * et glóriam plebis tuæ Israël.
Glória
Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto.
Sicut
erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, * et in sǽcula sæculórum.
Amen.
Salva
nos, Dómine, vigilántes, custódi nos dormiéntes; ut vigilémus
cum Christo, et requiescámus in pace. |
Protect
us, Lord, while we are awake and safeguard us while we sleep; that
we may keep watch with Christ, and rest in peace.
2:29
Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, ☩ * according to thy
word in peace;
2:30
Because my eyes have seen * thy salvation,
2:31
Which thou hast prepared * before the face of all peoples:
2:32
A light to the revelation of the Gentiles, * and the glory of thy
people Israel.
Glory
be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
As
it was in the beginning, is now, * and ever shall be, world
without end. Amen.
Protect
us, Lord, while we are awake, and safeguard us while we sleep;
that we may keep watch with Christ, and rest in peace. |
The
Gospel according to St. Luke describes Simeon as a “just and
devout” man. God promised him that before his death, he would see
Jesus Christ. Forty days after Jesus's birth, Mary and Joseph brought
him to the Temple of Jerusalem, in obedience to Jewish law. Simeon
took the baby Jesus in his arms and was filled with joy, singing this
hymn of praise to God. As we
prepare ourselves for death at Compline, we unite ourselves with
Simeon's fervent desire to see our Lord Jesus Christ face to face.
This
is followed by the invariable collect of Compline. This
collect is relatively recent, dating from the thirteenth century.
As always, anyone
who is not a priest introduces it with “Domine, exaudi orationem
meam” instead of “Dominus vobiscum.”
Dóminus
vobíscum.
Et
cum spíritu tuo.
Orémus.
Vísita,
quǽsumus, Dómine, habitatiónem istam, et omnes insídias
inimíci ab ea lónge repélle: Ángeli tui sancti hábitent in
ea, qui nos in pace custódiant; et benedíctio tua sit super nos
semper.
Per
Dóminum nostrum Iesum Christum, Fílium tuum: qui tecum vivit et
regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti Deus, per ómnia sǽcula
sæculórum.
Amen. |
The
Lord be with you.
And
with thy spirit.
Let
us pray.
Visit,
we beseech thee, O Lord, this dwelling, and drive far from it the
snares of the enemy; let thy holy angels dwell herein to preserve
us in peace, and let thy blessing be always upon us.
Through
Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee,
in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.
Amen. |
“Visit,
we beseech thee, O Lord, this dwelling.” We pray that God may
always be with us. Even as we sleep, we wish for God to be with us in
our bedrooms. Whether we are at church, at home, or travelling, we
always pray for God's presence. We pray that God and his angels may
preserve us and our homes from any temptation to sin or anything that
could possibly separate us from God's grace. Once again, at the end
of the day, we strive to prepare ourselves for death. Our ultimate
hope must be to perservere to the end of our lives and die in God's
grace. Finally, we pray to
God, “Let thy blessing be always upon us.”
Compline
concludes with “Dominus vobiscum” (or “Domine, exaudi orationem
meam”) and “Benedicamus Domino,” like the other hours of the
Divine Office. However,
unlike the other hours, there is no prayer for the souls in
purgatory. Instead, there is one final blessing, said “slowly and
gravely.” We bless
ourselves with the Sign of the Cross as this blessing is said.
Benedícat
et custódiat nos omnípotens et miséricors Dóminus, ☩ Pater,
et Fílius, et Spíritus Sanctus.
Amen. |
The
almighty and merciful Lord, ☩ the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit, bless us and keep us.
Amen. |
Finally,
the Divine Office for the day is concluded with the final
antiphon of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
This is one of four hymns to
the Blessed Virgin Mary, each with a corresponding versicle,
response, and prayer, depending on the season. The hymn praises our
Blessed Mother and asks for her intercession. When
our Lord was dying on the Cross, he said to his beloved apostle, St.
John, “Behold your Mother” (John 19:27). Thus,
as our final act of preparation for the night and for our death, we
entrust ourselves to the intercession of our Blessed Mother. St.
Bonaventure, a theologian of the thirteenth century, said, “Men do
not fear a powerful hostile army as the powers of hell fear the name
and protection of Mary.” The intercession of the Blessed Virgin
Mary is essential in uniting ourselves to God. Veneration of Mary is
a beautiful and fitting end to the day's liturgy. The final antiphon
of the Blessed Virgin Mary is commonly sung kneeling before the altar
or before a statue of Mary.
From
the First Sunday of Advent until the feast of the Purification of the
Blessed Virgin Mary on February 2, the final antiphon is the Alma
Redemptoris Mater. It was
written in the eleventh century by
Blessed Hermann Contractus.
In popular culture, it is mentioned in Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury
Tales.
Alma
Redemptóris Mater, quæ pérvia cæli porta manes,
et
stella maris, succúrre cadénti,
Súrgere
qui curat, pópulo: tu quæ genuísti,
Natúra
miránte, tuum sanctum Genitórem,
Virgo
prius ac postérius, Gabriélis ab ore
Sumens
illud Ave, peccatórum miserére.
|
Mother
of Christ, hear thou thy people's cry
Star
of the deep and Portal of the sky!
Mother
of him who thee from nothing made.
Sinking
we strive and call to thee for aid:
O,
by what joy which Gabriel brought to thee,
Thou
Virgin first and last, let us thy mercy see. |
After
the feast of the Purification until the Wednesday of Holy Week, the
Ave Regina Caelorum
is sung. Its author is
unknown, but it has existed since at least the twelfth century.
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. |
Hail,
O Queen of heaven, enthroned!
Hail,
by Angels Mistress owned!
Root
of Jesse, Gate of morn,
Whence
the world's true Light was born:
Glorious
Virgin, joy to thee,
Loveliest
whom in heaven they see:
Fairest
thou, where all are fair,
Plead
with Christ our sins to spare. |
No
final antiphon of the Blessed Virgin Mary is sung during the Sacred
Triduum. From Easter through Friday of the Octave of Pentecost, the
Regina Coeli
is sung. Like the Ave
Regina Caelorum, its
author is unknown, but it has existed since the twelfth century.
There is a legend that St. Gregory the Great heard angels singing the
first three lines of this hymn one Easter morning in Rome, and then
he added the fourth line himself.
Regína
cæli, lætáre, allelúia;
Quia
quem meruísti portáre, allelúia,
Resurréxit,
sicut dixit, allelúia:
Ora
pro nobis Deum, allelúia. |
O
Queen of heaven rejoice! alleluia:
For
he whom thou didst merit to bear, alleluia,
Hath
arisen as he said, alleluia.
Pray
for us to God, alleluia. |
Finally,
from the Saturday of the Octave of Pentecost until the next First
Sunday of Advent, the Salve Regina
is sung. It is traditionally
attributed to Blessed
Hermann Contractus in the eleventh century, the author of the Alma
Redemptoris Mater. The
Salve Regina
is also said at the end of the Holy Rosary.
Salve,
Regína, mater misericórdiæ;
vita,
dulcédo et spes nóstra, salve.
Ad
te clamámus éxsules fílii Hevæ.
Ad
te suspirámus geméntes et flentes
In
hac lacrimárum valle.
Eia
ergo, advocáta nostra,
illos
tuos misericórdes óculos ad nos convérte.
Et
Iesum, benedíctum fructum ventris tui,
nobis
post hoc exsílium osténde.
O
clemens, o pia, o dulcis Virgo María. |
Hail
holy Queen, Mother of mercy,
our
life, our sweetness, and our hope.
To
thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve.
To
thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping
In
this valley of tears.
Turn
then, most gracious advocate,
thine
eyes of mercy toward us.
And
after this our exile show unto us
the
blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O
clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. |
After
the final antiphon of the Blessed Virgin Mary and its versicle,
response, and prayer,
we make the Sign of the Cross and say one last blessing. This is also
one of the blessings used before a reading in the third nocturn of
Matins.
Divínum
auxílium ☩ máneat semper nobíscum.
Amen. |
May
the divine assistance ☩ remain always with us.
Amen.
|
The
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Apostles' Creed are traditionally said
after Compline. After that,
we retire to our rooms and go to sleep. We
have been prepared through the ancient and beautiful hour of Compline
to sleep peacefully in God's grace and to one day have eternal rest
with him. St.
Benedict ordered that silence be observed after Compline until the
next morning. This is known as the “Grand Silence,” and it is
still observed in most religious communities and seminaries. Proverbs
18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”
Thus
ends the Divine Office and the day's liturgy. In
the hours of Matins, Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, and
Compline, the Catholic Church has offered her highest worship and her
sacrifice of praise to almighty God. Throughout the day, we have
adored and praised God in the Psalms, begged God's mercy and
forgiveness, prayed for our needs for that day, honored
our Blessed Mother and the saints, and united ourselves to the Holy
Sacrifice of the Mass, the climax of each day's worship. The
Divine Office has nourished and sustained the Catholic Church since
ancient times. Thus, it is the solemn duty of every priest, deacon,
subdeacon, monk, friar,
nun, and religious brother or sister of the holy Church to offer the
Divine Office every day. In addition, it is praiseworthy for every
Catholic to join the Church in offering the Divine Office. There
is a link in the sidebar to Divinum Officium, a website that has the
entire Mass and Divine Office in Latin and English for each day (also
in German, French, Italian, Hungarian, and Polish).
In any case, we must always
strive respond to St. Paul's
command in 1 Thessalonians 5:17—Pray
without ceasing!
New
terms
-
Nunc
dimittis
or
Canticle of Simeon
– The hymn of praise of the priest Simeon when he saw our Lord,
taken from Luke 2:29-32, sung at Compline every day.
-
final
antiphon of
the Blessed Virgin Mary
– One of four hymns to the Blessed Virgin Mary depending on the
season, sung at the end of Compline.
-
Alma
Redemptoris Mater
– The final antiphon of the Blessed Virgin Mary from the First
Sunday of Advent to the feast of the Purification of the Blessed
Virgin Mary on February 2.
-
Ave
Regina Caelorum
– The final antiphon of the Blessed Virgin Mary from February 3 to
Wednesday of Holy Week.
-
Regina
Coeli
– The final antiphon of the Blessed Virgin Mary during
Paschaltide.
-
Salve
Regina
– The final antiphon of the Blessed Virgin Mary during the season
after Pentecost.