Saturday Compline

Night prayer for life

The last Hour, the night prayer of the week―even the night prayer of life.  Tonight the Church varies the usual theme of Compline (repentance) and introduces a beautiful Psalm of thanksgiving.

Thus there are two principal themes to the prayer, which make us think of the end of our life:  1) a Miserere:  I picture myself lying on my deathbed, feeling all the pains of the death agony, and I repent for my whole life (Ps. 87); 2) a Te Deum: I rise to fervent prayer of thanks for all God's favours (Ps. 102).

Psalm 87.  Domine, Deus

My soul is sad even unto death

This Psalm is the despairing plea of a sick man nearing the hour of death.  It is probably the gloomiest of all the Psalms.  Pouring out his lamentation over and over, the psalmist does not manage to overcome his sufferings at all; neither does he manage to rise to a thought of trust and confidence in God.  His song ends on heavy note, still lamenting God's bitter wrath.

For us, the Psalm is an expression of our final agony and the torture of contrition on our deathbed.

 Gravity of the affliction

Dómine, Deus salútis meæ : * in die clamávi, et nocte coram te.
2  Intret in conspéctu tuo orátio mea : * inclína aurem tuam ad precem meam :
3  Quia repléta est malis ánima mea : * et vita mea inférno appropinquávit.
4  Æstimátus sum cum descendéntibus in lacum : * factus sum sicut homo sine adjutório, inter mórtuos liber.
5  Sicut vulneráti dormiéntes in sepúlcris, quorum non es memor ámplius : * et ipsi de manu tua repúlsi sunt.
6  Posuérunt me in lacu inferióri : * in tenebrósis, et in umbra mortis.
7  Super me confirmátus est furor tuus : * et omnes fluctus tuos induxísti super me.
8  Longe fecísti notos meos a me : * posuérunt me abominatiónem sibi.

O Lord God of my salvation, * I have cried in the day, and in the night before thee.
2  O let my prayer enter into thy presence, * incline thine ear unto my calling;
3  For my soul is full of evils, * and my life draweth nigh unto hell.
4  I am counted as one of them that go down into the pit, * and I am even as a man that hath no strength, cast off among the dead.
5  Like unto them that are slain, and lie sleeping in the grave, who are out of remembrance, * and are cut away
from thy hand.
6  They have laid me in the lowest pit, * in a place of darkness, and in the shadow of death.
7  Thine indignation lieth hard upon me, * and thou hast vexed me with all thy storms.
8  Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me, * and made me to be abhorred of them.

 Plea for help

9  Tráditus sum, et non egrediébar : * óculi mei languérunt præ inópia.
10  Clamávi ad te, Dómine, tota die : * expándi ad te manus meas.
11  Numquid mórtuis fácies mirabília : * aut médici suscitábunt, et confitebúntur tibi?
12  Numquid narrábit áliquis in sepúlcro misericórdiam tuam, * et veritátem tuam in perditióne?
13  Numquid cognoscéntur in ténebris mirabília tua, * et justítia tua in terra obliviónis?

9  I was delivered up and came not forth : * my sight failed for very trouble.
10  All the day I have cried unto thee, O Lord, * I have stretched forth my hands unto thee.
11  Dost thou shew wonders among the dead? * or shall physicians raise up the dead again, that they may praise thee?
12  Shall any one in the grave shew thy mercy? * or thy truth in destruction?
13  Shall thy wondrous works be known in the dark? * and thy righteousness in the land of the forgotten?

 Renewed plea and description of misery

14  Et ego ad te, Dómine, clamávi : * et mane orátio mea prævéniet te.
15  Ut quid, Dómine, repéllis oratiónem meam : * avértis fáciem tuam a me?
16  Pauper sum ego, et in labóribus a juventúte mea : * exaltátus autem, humiliátus sum et conturbátus.
17  In me transiérunt iræ tuæ : * et terróres tui conturbavérunt me.
18  Circumdedérunt me sicut aqua tota die : * circumdedérunt me simul.
19  Elongásti a me amícum et próximum : * et notos meos a miséria.

13  Unto thee have I cried, O Lord; * and early shall my prayer come before thee.
14  Lord, why abhorrest thou my prayer, * and hidest thou thy face from me?
15  I am in misery, and in labours even from my youth up ; * and being exalted have been humbled and troubled.
16  Thy wrathful displeasure goeth over me, * and thy terrors have troubled me.
17  They came round about me like water all the day, * and compassed me together on every side.
18  My friend and neighbour hast thou put away from me, * and from misery hid mine acquaintances out of my sight.

Psalm 102

God's fatherly goodness

This Psalm is a magnificent song of praise, probably a song of thanks for deliverance from exile.  But the psalmist ranges far beyond this simple theme and thanks God for all his mercies and favours to the chosen people.

Psalm 102. i. Benedic, anima mea

Praise for God's mercy

Bénedic, ánima mea, Dómino : * et ómnia, quæ intra me sunt, nómini sancto ejus.
2  Bénedic, ánima mea, Dómino : * et noli oblivísci omnes retributiónes ejus.
3  Qui propitiátur ómnibus iniquitátibus tuis : * qui sanat omnes infirmitátes tuas.
4  Qui rédimit de intéritu vitam tuam : * qui corónat te in misericórdia et miseratiónibus.
5  Qui replet in bonis desidérium tuum : * renovábitur ut áquilæ juvéntus tua.

Bless the Lord, O my soul; * and all that is within me, praise his holy Name.
2  Bless the Lord, O my soul, * and forget not all his benefits:
3  Who forgiveth all thy sin, * and healeth all thine infirmities;
4  Who saveth thy life from destruction, * and crowneth thee with mercy and loving-kindness;
5  Who satisfieth thy desire with good things, * thy youth shall be renewed as the eagle's.

God's mercy towards his people

6  Fáciens misericórdias Dóminus : * et judícium ómnibus injúriam patiéntibus.
7  Notas fecit vias suas Móysi, * fíliis Israël voluntátes suas.
8  Miserátor, et miséricors Dóminus : * longánimis et multum miséricors.
9  Non in perpétuum irascétur :  * neque in ætérnum comminábitur.
10  Non secúndum peccáta nostra fecit nobis : * neque secúndum iniquitátes nostras retríbuit nobis.

6  The Lord executeth righteousness * and judgment for all them that are oppressed with wrong.
7  He shewed his ways unto Moses, * his works unto the children of Israel.
8  The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, * longsuffering, and of great goodness.
9  He will not alway be chiding; * neither keepeth he his anger for ever.
10  He hath not dealt with us after our sins; * nor rewarded us according to our wickednesses.

God's mercy towards weak humanity

11  Quóniam secúndum altitúdinem cæli a terra : * corroborávit misericórdiam suam super timéntes se.
12  Quantum distat ortus ab occidénte : * longe fecit a nobis iniquitátes nostras.

11  For according to the height of the heaven above the earth; * so great is his mercy also toward them that fear him.
12  As far as the east is from the west; * so far hath he removed our iniquities from us.

Psalm 102. ii.  Quomodo miseretur

13  Quómodo miserétur pater filiórum, misértus est Dóminus timéntibus se : * quóniam ipse cognóvit figméntum nostrum.
14  Recordátus est quóniam pulvis sumus : * homo, sicut fœnum dies ejus, tamquam flos agri sic efflorébit.
15  Quóniam spíritus pertransíbit in illo, et non subsistet : * et non cognóscet ámplius locum suum.
16  Misericórdia autem Dómini ab ætérno, * et usque in ætérnum super timéntes eum.
17  Et justítia illíus in fílios filiórum, * his qui servant testaméntum ejus.
18   Et mémores sunt mandatórum ipsíus, * ad faciéndum ea.

13  Yea, like as a father pitieth his own children, even so is the Lord merciful unto them that fear him : * for he knoweth whereof we are made.
14  He remembereth that we are but dust : * the days of man are but as grass, as the flower of the field so shall he flourish.
15  For as soon as the wind goeth over it, it is gone; * and the place thereof shall know it no more.
16  But the merciful goodness of the Lord endureth for ever, * and for evermore upon them that fear him.
17  And his righteousness upon children's children; * even upon such as keep his covenant,
18  And think upon his commandments * and to the keeping thereof.

Heaven and earth, bless ye the Lord!

19  Dóminus in cælo parávit sedem suam : * et regnum ipsíus ómnibus dominábitur.
20  Benedícite Dómino, omnes Angeli ejus : * poténtes virtúte, faciéntes verbum illíus, ad audiéndam vocem sermónum ejus.
21  Benedícite Dómino, omnes virtútes ejus : * minístri ejus, qui fácitis voluntátem ejus.
22  Benedícite Dómino, ómnia ópera ejus : * in omni loco dominatiónis ejus, bénedic, ánima mea, Dómino.

19  The Lord hath prepared his seat in heaven, * and his kingdom shall rule over all.
20  O bless the Lord, all ye angels of his, * ye that are mighty in strength, and fulfil his commandment, even ye that hearken unto the voice of his word.
21  O bless the Lord, all ye his hosts; * ye servants of his that do his pleasure.
22  O bless the Lord, all ye works of his, * in all places of his dominion, bless thou the Lord, O my soul.