Learn the Office 3.1: Compline

At Compline the same psalms are to be repeated every day: that is, the fourth, the ninetieth, and the hundred thirty-third.

Rule of St Benedict ch 18

Compline is the easiest hour to learn as it is the same every day.  It is also the perfect way of ending your day.

About Compline

Said last thing in the evening, this hour teaches us how to deal with the darkness that inevitably surrounds us in this world, and above how to prepare ourselves for death, of which sleep is a symbol.

The structure of Compline is described in St Benedict’s Rule in Chapters 17 and 18, however over time the hour has been elaborated somewhat with the addition at the beginning of a new ‘opening section’ that includes a short reading warning of the dangers of the night and an examination of conscience and confession of sins; at the end with a Marian antiphon and prayer.

Compline basically splits into five sections:

• the first reminds us that we are participants in spiritual warfare, and asks us to reflect on where we have fallen during the day, and commit to repentance;
• the psalms particularly remind us of the help God gives us as we fulfill our duty to worship him;
• the hymn, chapter, response and prayers all ask for God's help in getting through the night;
• a final antiphon (and prayer) for Our Lady;
• in a monastery, this would be followed by the abbot sprinkling the monks with holy water, usually while the relevant verses of Psalm 50 are chanted. At home, no reason, it seems to me, why you can't use some holy water to bless yourself and recite the verse Asperges me hyssopo (from Psalm 50).

 Then the Great Silence falls....

Getting started

You can find Compline in the psalter section of the Diurnal, starting at page 256. It is very similar (though not identical) to the traditional Roman Rite version of Compline for Sundays.

A good way to get started is to follow this video - note though that there are some changes you need to make when saying it by yourself, as noted below (and in the post on Diurnal shortcuts and traps).

You could also try following along with the monks of Le Barroux.

Following Compline in your book

The table below gives you the key words (in Latin) that start each section of Compline, in the first column.

The relevant page numbers in the Monastic Diurnal (MD) and Antiphonale Monasticum (AM) are in the last column. 

The notes column provides advice on the rubrics (note that gestures and postures are optional in private recitation).

If you are familiar with the traditional Roman Office, the table is probably all you need, as the Benedictine version is very similar to Sunday Compline in the 1962 Office (or daily Compline in the pre 1911 Office).  The key differences are that the psalms are said without antiphon, and the Nunc Dimittis is not said (except during the Triduum).

For those who are familiar with the 1970 Liturgy of the Hours or are complete beginners, I would recommend working your way through the links on the Office components (second column) if you haven't already.

There are also links to notes on the psalms of the hour, to help you learn the Latin and get a deeper sense of their meaning.

KEY WORDS	OFFICE COMPONENT (with links to rubrics notes)	NOTES	PAGE
Jube Domne/Pray father, a blessing	Blessing and short lesson	Kneel for the blessing, stand for the reading.	MD 256 AM 167
Adjutorium nostrum/Our help…	Versicle	+	MD 257 AM 167
Confiteor/I confess	Examen and confession (or Pater Noster in silence)	Use formula for éxta chorum’/out of choir.  Bow.	MD 258-9 AM 167-9
Converte nos Deus (Convert us O Lord)	Versicle	+ Stand	MD 259 AM 169
Deus in adjutorium/O Lord come to my aid	Opening prayers	Stand
Cum invocarem/When I cried (Ps 4)	Psalms without antiphons	Sit after the half of the first verse has been sung; stand for the doxology ‘Gloria Patri...’ which is added to the end of each psalm.	MD 260 AM 169
Qui habitat/He that dwelleth (Ps 90)			MD261 AM 169
Ecce Nunc/Come now, bless the Lord (Ps 133)			MD 262 AM 170
Te Lucis ante Terminum/To Thee before the close of day	Hymn	Stand. Hymn tones varies with season, feast and day	MD 263 AM 170-172
Tu autem Domine	Chapter		MD 263 AM 1762
Custodi nos Domine	Versicle		MD 263 AM  172
Kyrie eleison	Closing prayers including the collect and final blessing	Note that the litany is not doubled (or trebled). Stand or knell (in Lent and Advent) Bow for Pater Noster, collect and blessing.	MD 264-5 AM 172 (omit the section labelled ‘Preces’, not used in the 1962 Office)
[Antiphon of the season]	Marion antiphon, versicle and collect	Simple tones used weekdays; solemn for Saturdays, Sundays and feasts. Said kneeling except Saturdays, Sundays and Eastertide.	MD 265-69 AM 173-180

And for the next part in this series, on Prime, continue on here.