Compline Prayers Offered After Dinner

(+ means we make the Sign of The Cross.)

+Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us!

(During Easter Season: Christ is Risen from the Dead…..) (3x)

+Holy God! Holy and Mighty! Holy and Immortal! Have mercy on us. (3 x)

+Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen.

O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, cleanse us of our sins. O Master, forgive our transgressions. O Holy One, come to us and heal our infirmities for Your name's sake.

Lord have mercy! Lord have mercy! Lord have mercy!

+Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen.

+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.

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us!

Amen. Lord have mercy! (12 x)

+Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen.

+Come, let us adore the King our God.

+Come, let adore and bow down before Christ, our King and our God.

+Come, let us adore and bow down to the only Lord Jesus Christ, our King and God.

Psalm 50

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to Your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned; and done that which is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified in Your sentence and blameless in Your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and as a sinner my mother conceived me.

Behold, You desire truth in the inward being. Teach me wisdom in my secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Fill me with joy and gladness; let the bones which You have broken rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O god, and put a new and right spirit in me. Cast me not away from Your presence, and take not Your Holy Spirit from me. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will return to You. Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of Your deliverance. O Lord, open my lips, and

4 my mouth shall proclaim Your praise. For You have no delight in sacrifice; were I to give a burnt offering, You would not be pleased. The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. Do good to Zion in Your good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, then will You delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on Your altar. Have mercy on me, O God.

Psalm 69

O God come to my assistance! O Lord, hasten to help me! Shame and disgrace upon those who seek my life! Let them turn back and be confounded who wish me evil! Let them now turn in shame who jeer at me: "Well done! Well done!" But let all who search for You be glad and rejoice in You, and let those who love Your salvation, O God, always say: "The Lord be exalted!" As for me, I am wretched and poor: God shall be my help. You are indeed my help and my salvation, O Lord: tarry not!

Psalm 142

O Lord listen to my prayer; in Your truth give heed to my request and in Your justice hear me, and enter not into

5 judgment with Your servant since of all the living none is just before You. The enemy has pursued my soul, he has crushed my life into the ground; he has forced me to dwell in darkness like those long dead. My spirit was overwhelmed with grief and within me my heart was troubled. Remembering the days of old, I meditated on all Your deeds, I thought of the works of Your hands. I stretched out my hands to You; like a parched land my soul longed for You. Listen to me without delay, O Lord; my spirit has failed me. Turn not Your face away from me, nor let me sink in the pit like the others. Grant that I may hear Your love at dawn for I have placed my hope in You. O Lord, let me know which way I shall go, for I have lifted up my soul to You. Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies: it is to You that I have fled. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; may Your good Spirit lead me over level ground. For the sake of Your name, O Lord, You will keep me alive. In Your saving bounty, you will deliver my soul from oppression, and in Your loving kindness, You will destroy my enemies, and bring to naught all those who grieve my soul, for I am Your servant.

Doxology

+Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, and good will to men.

Lord God, heavenly King, Almighty God and Father, with the Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, and the Holy Spirit. We praise You, we bless you, we worship You, we glorify You, we thank You for Your great glory.

+Lord God, Lamb of King, Son of the Father, You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. You take away the sins of the world, hear our prayer. You are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.

For You alone are holy, You alone are the Lord Jesus Christ for the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Extend Your mercy upon those who confess You. Deign, O Lord, to keep us this night without sin.

+Blessed are You, O Lord, God of our Fathers: praised and glorified is Your name for ever. Amen.

O Lord, let Your mercy rest upon us, for we have set our hope in You.

+Blessed are You, O Lord: teach me Your commandments

+Blessed are You, O Master: make understand Your commandments.

+Blessed are You, O Holy One: enlighten me with Your laws

Oh Lord, You have been our refuge from one generation to the next. I said: Lord have mercy on me, heal my soul, for I have sinned against you. Oh Lord, I have fled to You, teach me to do Your will, for You O Lord, are my God. In You is the source of life and in Your light we will see light. Keep on loving those who know You. .

The Creed (Symbol of Faith)

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth and all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten, born of the Father before all ages. Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten, not made, of one essence with the Father, through whom all things were made; Who for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and of

8 the Virgin Mary, and became man. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered, and was buried. And He arose on the third day according to the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father; And He shall come again with glory, to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the Father, Who, together with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, Who spoke through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I expect the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

It is truly proper to glorify you, who have borne God, the ever-blessed and immaculate, and the Mother of our God. More honorable than the cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the seraphim, who a virgin gave birth to God the Word. You, truly the Theotokos, we magnify!

O God of our Fathers who always deals with us according to Your everlasting

9 compassion, do not withdraw Your mercy from us, but through the prayers of our Fathers, guide our lives along the ways of peace.

O Christ God, Your Church, crimsoned with the blood of Your martyrs all over the world as with a cloak of murex and porphyry, cries out to You: "Send Your mercy upon Your people, grant peace to Your fold, and extend Your great compassion upon our souls."

+Glory to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

O Christ, with the saints grant rest to the souls of Your servants, in a place where there is no pain, no sorrow, nor mourning, but everlasting life.

Now and ever and forever. Amen.

Through the prayers of all the saints, and the Theotokos, grant us Your peace, O Lord, and have mercy on us, for You alone are merciful.

O Christ, our God, who at all times and places is worshipped and glorified, both in heaven and on earth: Long- suffering, generous in mercy and rich in compassion, loving to the just and

10 merciful to the sinner: You who calls all men and women to repentance through the promises of blessing to come: Direct our lives in the way of Your Commandments. Sanctify our souls, purify our bodies, set our minds right, cleanse our thoughts. Deliver us from all affliction, wrath, danger, and need: Surround us with you holy angels, so that, guided and guarded in their camp, we may reach the oneness of the Faith and the knowledge of Your unutterable glory. For You are blessed now and forevermore. Amen.

Lord have mercy! Lord have mercy! Lord have mercy!

+Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit now and ever and for evermore. Amen.

More honorable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim; who a virgin gave birth to God the Word, you truly the Theotokos, we magnify.

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us!

Prayer to the Theotokos

O Lady, Bride of God, virginal, pure, immaculate, blameless, without stain or disgrace, who through Your birth-giving brought together our fallen state and the things of heaven: O only hope of the hopeless, help of the oppressed, ready protection of those who flee to you and refuge of all Christians; despise me not a wretched sinner, who have defiled myself with unclean thoughts, words and deed, and in my slothfulness have become a slave to the passions of life. since you are the Theotokos, who is the Lover of Mankind, have mercy, have compassion of me a sinner and prodigal son; accept this prayer from my impure lips, and with the power of Your maternity, beg Your Son, my Lord and my God, to open for me the depths of his loving kindness, forgive me countless sins, convert me to true repentance, and make me faithful to his commands: O You who are compassionate, be my constant companion. In this present life, be with me as an intercessor, guiding me to salvation. At the hour of my death, be with me to embrace my poor soul and to keep away the dreadful sight of the wicked devils. On the terrible day of judgment, deliver me from eternal punishment and make me heir of Your

12 son's glory, through the grace and the love for mankind of Your Son our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. + To Him and to his eternal Father, and to his All-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, we send up glory, honor and adoration, now and for evermore. Amen.

Now that we are about to go to sleep, grant us, O Master, the repose of our souls and body. Preserve us against the dark slumber of sin and against any impure satisfaction that roams around in the darkness of night; quiet the assaults of our passions, arrest the darts that the evil one insidiously throws at us, still the commotions of our flesh, and calm all earthly and worldly feelings with us. Grant us, Lord, a watchful mind, innocent thoughts, a sober heart, gentle sleep free from evil dreams. At the hour of prayer, arouse us, strong in the practice of Your commands and ever-mindful of Your desires. Give us the grace to sing Your glory throughout the night: To praise, bless and glorify Your all-honorable and magnificent name, +Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and for evermore. Amen

Most glorious, ever-virgin and blessed Theotokos, commend our prayers to Your Son, our God, and ask Him to save our souls through Your intercession.

The Father is my hope, the Son my refuge, the Holy Spirit my protection: All- Holy Trinity, glory to You!

+Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, Have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

This prayer service is strictly for private devotional purposes. It has not been approved by the Liturgical Commissions of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic or the Metropolia of Pittsburgh.

Compline is the prayer of the night after dinner. This version assumes a priest is not present, and is structured for domestic use. Any errors or omissions are strictly the responsibility of the editor. This booklet is not the official position of the Bishop of Passaic or the pastor or St. Mary’s Byzantine Catholic Church.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

This prayer was adopted from http://www.ocf.org/OrthodoxPage/prayer s/Compline.html, to whom we are vastly indebted. This website is an outstanding

source for various Eastern Christian prayers.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

St. Mary Byzantine Catholic Church 1900 Brooks Blvd. Hillsborough NJ Ph.: 908-725-0615

Adult Education Series Ed: Deacon Mark Koscinski CPA D.Litt.