chalk on paper, Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany
Penitential Rite
Luke will serve as “all.”
Officiant:
Friends, it is in vain that we rise up so early, and go so late to rest, and eat the bread of anxiety: for God gives sleep to his beloved.
Dear God,
thank you for all that is good,
for our creation and for our humanity,
for the stewardship you have given us of this planet Earth,
for the gifts of life and of one another,
for your love, which is unbounded and eternal.
Let us come to God as one from whom no secrets are hidden, to ask for forgiveness and peace.
Those designated sing a chorale:
Wer hat dich so geschlagen?
St. John Passion BWV 245, no. 11
by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750),
after Heinrich Isaac (c. 1450–1517),
“Innsbruck [O Welt], ich muß dich lassen”
Translation from Z. Philip Ambrose, J.S. Bach: Texts of the Complete Vocal Works with English Translation and Commentary.
Used by generous permission.
Philip will sing verse 1; Hannah M. will sing verse 2.
Wer hat dich so geschlagen,
Mein Heil, und dich mit Plagen
So übel zugericht’?
Du bist ja nicht ein Sünder
Wie wir und unsre Kinder,
Von Missetaten weißt du nicht.
Who hath thee now so stricken,
My Savior, and with torments
Such ill upon thee laid?
For thou art not a sinner
Like us and all our children,
From evil-doing thou art free.
Ich, ich und meine Sünden,
Die sich wie Körnlein finden
Des Sandes an dem Meer,
Die haben dir erreget
Das Elend, das dich schläget
Und das betrübte Marterheer.
I, I and my transgressions,
Which to the grains are likened
Of sand beside the sea,
These have in thee awakened
The sorrow that doth strike thee
And this most grievous host of pain.
❦
Officiant:
We have wounded your love.
All:
O God, heal us.
Officiant:
We stumble in the darkness.
All:
Light of the world, transfigure us.
Officiant:
We forget that we are your home.
All:
Spirit of God, dwell in us.
Officiant:
Eternal Spirit, living God,
in whom we live and move and have our being,
all that we are, have been, and shall be is known to you,
to the very secret of our hearts
and all that rises to trouble us.
Living flame, burn into us,
cleansing wind, blow through us,
fountain of water, well up within us,
that we may love and praise in deed and in truth.
May the God of Love have mercy on us, pardon us, and set us free. Know that you are forgiven and be at peace. May God strengthen us in all goodness and keep us in life eternal.
All:
Amen
Opening Sentences
Hannah M. will serve as “all.”
Those designated sing the Compline hymn:
Te Lucis ante Terminum
(Sarum Rite Plainchant, Festal Tone)
Hannah M. will sing verses 1 and 3; Philip will sing verse 2.
Before the end of the light,
we beg you, creator of all,
that you, with familiar mercy,
might be the leader of our care.
Let troubled dreams withdraw to the distance.
Silence our enemy
and all deceptions of the night,
that our bodies may rest secure.
Be present, omnipotent father,
through the Lord, Jesus Christ,
who with you forever
reigns with the Holy Spirit.
Psalmody
The psalms are sung antiphonally. You are invited to join either the “leader” or the “responder” part (with your microphone muted).
Hannah M. will sing the opening antiphon.
Antiphon: Have mercy on me, Lord, and hear my prayer.
Psalm 4 (Coverdale)
Hannah M. will serve as leader and Luke will serve as responder.
Leader:
Hear me when I call, O God of my right-eousness *
Responder:
thou hast set me at liberty when I was in trouble; have mercy upon me, and hearken un-to my prayer.
Leader:
O ye sons of men, how long will ye blaspheme mine hon-our *
Responder:
and have such pleasure in vanity, and seek af-ter leas-ing?
Leader:
Know this also, that the Lord hath chosen to himself the man that is god-ly *
Responder:
when I call upon the Lord, he will hear me.
Leader:
Stand in awe, and sin ◊ not: commune with your own heart, and in your chamber, and be still *
Responder:
Offer the sacrifice of righteousness and put your trust in the Lord.
Leader:
There be many that say, *
Responder:
“Who will shew us an-y good?”
Leader:
Lord, lift thou up *
Responder:
the light of thy counte-nance up-on us.
Leader:
Thou hast put gladness in my heart *
Responder:
since the time that their corn, and wine, and oil increased.
Leader:
I will lay me down in ◊ peace, and take my rest *
Responder:
for it is thou, Lord, only, that makest me dwell in safe-ty.
Leader:
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, *
Responder:
and to the Ho-ly Ghost,
Leader:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, *
Responder:
world with-out end. A-men.
Psalm 81 (NZPB)
Hannah M. will serve as leader and Philip will serve as responder.
Leader:
Sing out with joy to God our strength *
Responder:
shout in triumph to the God of Ja-cob.
Leader:
Raise a song and sound the hand-drum *
Responder:
the tune-ful harp with the lute.
Leader:
Blow the trumpet in the new moon *
Responder:
and at the full moon on our fest-ival.
Leader:
For this was made a statute or Is-rael *
Responder:
and a law of the God of Ja-cob,
Leader:
which was imposed as a duty on Jo-seph *
Responder:
when he came out of the land of E-gypt.
Leader:
“I eased your shoulders from the burden *
Responder:
and your hands were freed from the load.
Leader:
You called to me in trouble and I saved ◊ you:
I answered you in the thun-
Responder:
but put you to the test at the wa-ters of Mer-ibah.
Leader:
Hear, O my people, and I will ad-mon-ish you: *
Responder:
O Israel, if only you would lis-ten.
Leader:
There shall be no strange god a-mong you, *
Responder:
nor shall you worship an a-li-en god.
Leader:
I am the Lord your ◊ God, who brought you out of the land of E-gypt: *
Responder:
open wide your mouth and I shall fill it.
Leader:
But my people would not hear my voice, *
Responder:
and Israel would not o-bey me.
Leader:
So I left them in their stubbornness of heart *
Responder:
to follow their own de-vi-ces.
Leader:
O, that my people would lis-ten to me, *
Responder:
and that Israel would walk in my ways.
Leader:
I would soon put down their en-emies *
Responder:
and turn my hand a-gainst their ad-versaries.
Leader:
Those who hate me would cringe before me *
Responder:
and their fate would be sealed for ever.
Leader:
But Israel I would feed with the finest wheat-flour *
Responder:
and satisfy them with hon-ey from the rock.”
Leader:
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, *
Responder:
and to the Ho-ly Spir-it,
Leader:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, *
Responder:
world with-out end. A-men.
Philip will sing the ending antiphon.
Antiphon: Have mercy on me, Lord, and hear my prayer.
Short Reading
Philip will serve as leader and Luke will serve as “all.”
The leader chants the reading:
Matthew 17:1–5 (NABRE)
Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
Responsories
Those designated sing the Transfiguration hymn:
O Nata Lux
(Sarum Rite Plainchant, Mode 2)
The verses will be sung by:
- Hannah M.
- Philip
- Philip
- Luke
- Luke
- Hannah M.
Hannah M.
O Light born of Light,
Jesus, redeemer of the world,
gentle one, come down to receive
the prayers and praises we lay before you.
Philip
O you who once took on flesh
for the sake of the lost,
make us members
of your blessed body.
Philip
Your face brighter than the sun,
your clothing white as snow,
on the mountain, you revealed yourself
to witnesses as creator.
Luke
Gathering the ancient prophets
together with your students,
you cave them divine faith
that you are God.
Luke
The Father’s voice from heaven
called you his own Son;
we, your friends, recognize you by our hearts
as the king of glory.
Hannah M.
Grant, we pray, that we may shine
with respect to our practice of kindness,
so that we may sail upon our good deeds
toward the joy of heaven.
Hannah M. will serve as leader and Philip will serve as “all.”
All sing an aleatoric responsory:
Epitaph
Text by Sarah Williams; music by F.J. Haydn (details)
- Hannah M. sings the melody once, ending on “oo.”
- All join in the unison “oo” while Philip repeats the melody, ending on “oo.”
- Everyone sings the melody, starting at different times and moving at different speeds, ending by returning to “oo.”
- Once everyone is singing “oo,” gradually fade into silence.
Prayers
Hannah M. will serve as leader and Luke will serve as “all.”
The leader begins the Lord’s Prayer:
All continue silently until “and lead us not …”:
… 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 then conclude:
A moment of silence is kept.
The leader begins the collects:
Philip will serve as leader and Luke will serve as “all.”
Leader:
Leader:
O most mighty and merciful God,
in this time of grievous sickness,
we flee unto thee for succour.
Deliver us, we beseech thee, from our peril;
give strength and skill to all those who minister to the sick;
prosper the means made use of for their cure;
and grant that, perceiving how frail and uncertain our life is,
we may apply our hearts unto that heavenly wisdom
which leadeth to eternal life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All:
Leader:
Keep watch, dear Lord,
with those who work, or watch, or weep this night,
and give your angels charge over those who sleep.
Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary,
bless the dying, soothe the suffering,
pity the afflicted, shield the joyous;
and all for your love’s sake.
All:
Leader:
Be present, Spirit of God,
within us, your dwelling place and home,
that this house may be one where
all darkness is penetrated by your light,
all troubles calmed by your peace,
all evil redeemed by your love,
all pain transformed in your suffering,
and all dying glorified in your risen life.
All:
Leader:
Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord,
and by thy great mercy defend us
from all perils and dangers of this night;
through Jesus Christ our savior,
who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit
for ever and ever.
All:
After the collects, we will keep a moment of silence to call to mind our concerns, reflections, intentions, and reasons for thankfulness. Those who wish to share them aloud will be invited to do so.
❦
Those designated sing a hymn:
Conditor Alme Siderum
(Dominican Chant)
Translated by John Mason Neale (1818–1866)
The verses will be sung by:
- Philip
- Hannah M.
- Philip
- Luke
- Hannah M.
Canticle
The canticle is sung antiphonally. You are invited to join either the “leader” or the “responder” part (with your microphone muted).
Philip will serve as leader and Hannah M. will serve as responder.
Nunc Dimittis: Luke 2:29–32
Leader:
Lord, you now have set your ser-vant free *
Responder:
to go in peace as you have pro-mised,
Leader:
For with my eyes I have seen *
Responder:
your sal-va-tion,
Leader:
→ which you have pre-pared *
Responder:
before the sight of all peo-ple:
Leader:
A light to shine through all na -tions *
Responder:
and the glory of your peo-ple,Isra-el.
Leader:
Glo -ry be to the Fa-ther, and to the Son, *
Responder:
and to the Ho-ly Spi-rit,
Leader:
As it was in the be-gin-ning, is now, *
Responder:
and will be fore-ver. A-men.
Benediction
Luke will serve as “all.”
Those designated sing the Marian antiphon:
Salve, Regina
(Gregorian Chant, Solemn Tone)
Hannah M. will sing part A; Philip will sing part B.
Hail, Queen, mother of mercy;
Our light, our sweetness, and our hope, hail!
We cry out to you, we exiles, children of Eve.
We sigh for you, groaning and weeping, in this valley of tears.
Ah! Therefore, our advocate,
those merciful eyes of yours—turn them to us.
And Jesus, the blessed fruit of your womb—after this exile,
point him out to us.
O gentle, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
It is traditional to end Compline with a few moments for silent reflection.