The Order for Compline

The Lord Almighty grant us a quiet night and a perfect end.

People Amen.
 

 
Officiant Our help is in the Name of the Lord;
People Who hath made heaven and earth.

Officiant Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.

Silence may be kept.

Almighty God, our heavenly Father:
We have sinned against thee,
through our own fault,
in thought, word, and deed,
and in those things which we have left undone.
(For these offenses we are truly sorry and we humbly repent.)
For the sake of thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ,
forgive us all our offenses;
and grant that we may serve thee in newness of life,
to the glory of thy Name. Amen.

Officiant

May the Almighty God grant us forgiveness of all our sins, amendment of life, and the grace and comfort of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

The Officiant then says

    O God, make speed to save us.
People O Lord, make haste to help us.

Officiant Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,*
    and to the Holy Ghost:
People As it was in the beginning,
    is now, and ever shall be,*
    world without end. Amen.
 

Officiant Praise ye the Lord.
People The Lord's Name be praised.

 
or, except in Lent, all may say,
    Alleluia

One or more of the following Psalms are sung or said.

Psalm 4 Cum invocarem

Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness:*
    thou hast set me at liberty when I was in trouble;
    have mercy upon me, and hearken unto my prayer.
O ye sons of men, how long will ye blaspheme mine honor,*
    and have such pleasure in vanity, and seek after falsehood?
Know this also, that the Lord has chosen unto himself the man that is godly;*
    when I call upon the Lord he will hear me.
Stand in awe, and sin not;*
    commune with your own heart, and in your chamber, and be still.
Offer the sacrifice of righteousness,*
    and put your trust in the Lord.
There be many that say,*
    Who will show us any good?
Lord, lift thou up*
    the light of thy countenance upon us.
Thou hast put gladness in my heart;*
    yea, more than when their corn and wine and oil increase.
I will lay me down in peace, and take my rest;*
    for it is thou, Lord, only, that makest me dwell in safety.
 

Psalm 31 In te, Domine, speravi

In thee, O Lord, have I put my trust; let me never be put to confusion; *
    deliver me in thy righteousness.
Bow down thine ear to me;*
    make haste to deliver me.
And be thou my strong rock, and house of defense,*
    that thou mayest save me.
For thou art my strong rock, and my castle:*
    be thou also my guide, and lead me for thy Name's sake.
Draw me out of the net that they have laid privily for me;*
    for thou art my strength.
Into thy hands I commend my spirit;*
    for thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth.
 

Psalm 91 Qui habitat

Whoso dwelleth under the defense of the Most High,*
    shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say unto the Lord,
Thou art my hope, and my stronghold; *
    my God, in him will I trust.
For he shall deliver thee from the snare of the hunter,*
    and from the noisome pestilence.
He shall defend thee under his wings,
and thou shalt be safe under his feathers; *
    his faithfulness and truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Thou shalt not be afraid for any terror by night, *
    nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
For the pestilence that walketh in darkness,*
    nor for the sickness that destroyeth in the noon-day.
A thousand shall fall beside thee,
and ten-thousand at thy right hand;*
    but it shall not come nigh thee.
Yea, with thine eyes shalt thou behold,*
    and see the reward of the ungodly.
For thou, Lord, art my hope;*
    thou hast set thine house of defense very high.
There shall no evil happen unto thee,*
    neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
For he shall give his angels charge over thee,*
    to keep thee in all thy ways.
They shall bear thee in their hands, *
    that thou hurt not thy foot against a stone.
Thou shalt go upon the lion and adder:*
    the young lion and the dragon
    shalt thou tread under thy feet.
Because he hath set his love upon me,
therefore will I deliver him;*
    I will set him up, because he hath known my Name.
He shall call upon me, and I will hear him;*
    yea, I am with him in trouble;
    I will deliver him, and bring him to honor.
With long life will I satisfy him,*
    and show him my salvation.
 

Psalm 134 Ecce nunc

Behold now, praise the Lord,*
    all ye servants of the Lord;
Ye that by night stand in the house of the Lord,*
    even in the courts of the house of our God.
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary,*
    and praise the Lord.
The Lord that made heaven and earth*
    give thee blessing out of Zion.
 

At the end of the Psalms is sung or said

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.
 

The following, or some other suitable passage of scripture, is read

Thou, Lord, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy Name; leave us not, O Lord, our God. Jeremiah 14:9

People Thanks be to God.

The following, or another hymn suitable for the evening may be sung.

Te lucis ante terminum

To thee before the close of day,
    Creator of the world, we pray
That, with thy wonted favor, thou
    Would'st be our guard and keeper now.

From all ill dreams defend our sight,
    From fears and terrors of the night;
Withhold from us our ghostly foe,
    That spot of sin we may not 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.

Latin, c. 7th cent.
 

Then follows

V. Into thy hands I commend my spirit.
R. For thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth.
V. Keep me as an apple of an eye;
R. Hide me under the shadow of thy wings.

V. Lord, have mercy upon us.
R. Christ have mercy upon us.
V. Lord, have mercy upon us.

Officiant and People

Our Father, who art in heaven,
    hallowed be thy Name,
    thy kingdom come,
    thy will be done,
        on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
    as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.

Officiant O Lord, hear my prayer;
People And let my cry come unto thee.
Officiant Let us pray.

The Officiant then says the following, or some other suitable collect.

Visit, we beseech thee, O Lord, this habitation: Drive far from it all snares of the enemy; let thy holy angels dwell herein to preserve us in peace, and let thy blessing be ever upon us. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Silence may be kept. Intercessions and thanksgivings may be offered.

The service concludes with the following Antiphon and Nunc dimittis, which is sung or said by all.

Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping;*
    that awake we may watch with Christ,
    and asleep we may rest in peace.

In Easter Season, add Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, *
    according to thy word;
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, *
    which thou hast prepared before the face of all people,
To be a light to lighten the Gentiles, *
    and to be 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.

Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping; *
    that awake we may watch with Christ,
    and asleep we may rest in peace.

In Easter Season, add Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
 

 
Officiant Let us bless the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.

The Officiant concludes

The Almighty and merciful Lord, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost bless us and keep us. Amen.

The traditional Marian anthems may be found on pages 730-732.