Compline, or Night Prayer, is the last prayer of the Church’s day, prayed just before going to sleep. Its name comes from the Latin completorium, “completion”: it completes the day and hands the night over to God. It is short, about ten to fifteen minutes, quiet and deeply peaceful, which makes it the easiest hour of the Liturgy of the Hours for beginners. Below is what Compline is, its order step by step, the traditional psalms and texts, the antiphons to Our Lady that end it, and a simple Compline you can pray at home tonight.
What is Compline?
Compline grew out of the bedtime prayers of the early monks. St. Benedict, in his Rule (about 530), set the same three psalms for Compline every night: Psalms 4, 90 and 133. In monasteries, Compline is followed by the “great silence,” which lasts until morning.
Compline has a different mood from Vespers. Vespers gives thanks for the day; Compline looks honestly at the day’s sins, asks for protection through the night and, like old Simeon, places our life in God’s hands. Sleep is a small image of death, so Compline also prepares us, night after night, for a holy death.
The order of Compline
In the Liturgy of the Hours used today, Night Prayer has this order:
- Opening verse: “O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me,” with the Glory Be.
- Examination of conscience and an act of sorrow, such as the Confiteor.
- Hymn.
- Psalmody: one or two psalms with their antiphons.
- Short reading from Scripture.
- Responsory: “Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.”
- The Gospel canticle, the Nunc dimittis, with its antiphon.
- Concluding prayer.
- Blessing: a short prayer for a quiet night and a holy death.
- Antiphon to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Today’s Liturgy of the Hours has a different psalm for each night of the week:
| Night | Psalms (Douay-Rheims numbering in brackets) |
|---|---|
| Saturday | Psalm 4 and Psalm 134 (133) |
| Sunday | Psalm 91 (90) |
| Monday | Psalm 86 (85) |
| Tuesday | Psalm 143 (142) |
| Wednesday | Psalm 31 (30) and Psalm 130 (129) |
| Thursday | Psalm 16 (15) |
| Friday | Psalm 88 (87) |
The hymn: Te lucis ante terminum
The traditional hymn of Compline is the ancient Latin Te lucis ante terminum, “To you before the close of day.” This English version is from Gahan’s Manual of Catholic Piety:
Before the closing of the day,
Creator, we thee humbly pray,
That for thy wonted mercy’s sake,
Thou us into protection take.
May nothing in our minds excite
Vain dreams and phantoms of the night;
Our enemy repress, that so
Our bodies no uncleanness know.
In this, most gracious Father, hear,
Through Christ thy equal Son, our prayer;
Who, with the Holy Ghost and Thee,
Doth live and reign eternally. Amen.
The psalms of Compline
These are the three psalms St. Benedict appointed for every night, in the Douay-Rheims translation.
Psalm 4: “In peace in the selfsame I will sleep”
When I called upon him, the God of my justice heard me: when I was in distress, thou hast enlarged me. Have mercy on me: and hear my prayer.
O ye sons of men, how long will you be dull of heart? why do you love vanity, and seek after lying?
Know ye also that the Lord hath made his holy one wonderful: the Lord will hear me when I shall cry unto him.
Be angry, and sin not: the things you say in your hearts, be sorry for them upon your beds.
Offer up the sacrifice of justice, and trust in the Lord: many say, Who sheweth us good things?
The light of thy countenance O Lord, is signed upon us: thou hast given gladness in my heart.
By the fruit of their corn, their wine and oil, they are multiplied.
In peace in the selfsame I will sleep, and I will rest:
For thou, O Lord, singularly hast settled me in hope.
Psalm 90: “He that dwelleth in the aid of the most High”
Psalm 90 (91 in modern Bibles) is the great psalm of God’s protection, with its promise that we will not fear “the terror of the night.”
The praise of a canticle for David. He that dwelleth in the aid of the most High, shall abide under the protection of the God of Jacob.
He shall say to the Lord: Thou art my protector, and my refuge: my God, in him will I trust.
For he hath delivered me from the snare of the hunters: and from the sharp word.
He will overshadow thee with his shoulders: and under his wings thou shalt trust.
His truth shall compass thee with a shield: thou shalt not be afraid of the terror of the night.
Of the arrow that flieth in the day, of the business that walketh about in the dark: of invasion, or of the noonday devil.
A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand: but it shall not come nigh thee.
But thou shalt consider with thy eyes: and shalt see the reward of the wicked.
Because thou, O Lord, art my hope: thou hast made the most High thy refuge.
There shall no evil come to thee: nor shall the scourge come near thy dwelling.
For he hath given his angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy ways.
In their hands they shall bear thee up: lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Thou shalt walk upon the asp and the basilisk: and thou shalt trample under foot the lion and the dragon.
Because he hoped in me I will deliver him: I will protect him because he hath known my name.
He shall cry to me, and I will hear him: I am with him in tribulation, I will deliver him, and I will glorify him.
I will fill him with length of days; and I will shew him my salvation.
Psalm 133: “In the nights lift up your hands”
Behold now bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord: Who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.
In the nights lift up your hands to the holy places, and bless ye the Lord.
May the Lord out of Sion bless thee, he that made heaven and earth.
“Into thy hands”: the responsory
The short responsory of Compline takes the words of Psalm 30, which Jesus prayed on the Cross (Luke 23:46):
Into thy hands I commend my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, the God of truth.
The Nunc dimittis (Canticle of Simeon)
The high point of Compline is the song of Simeon, who held the infant Jesus in the Temple and was ready to depart in peace. It is framed by this antiphon:
Salva nos, Domine, vigilantes, custodi nos dormientes: ut vigilemus cum Christo, et requiescamus in pace.
Save us, Lord, while we are awake; protect us while we sleep; that we may keep watch with Christ and rest with him in peace.
The English is our translation of the Latin antiphon.
Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace;
Because my eyes have seen thy salvation,
Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples:
A light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
The concluding prayer and blessing
One of the classic concluding prayers of Compline asks God to fill our home with his angels:
Visit, we beseech thee, O Lord, this habitation, and drive away from it all the snares of the enemy; let thy holy angels dwell therein to preserve us in peace; and may thy blessing be upon us for ever; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Then comes the short blessing, in Latin:
Noctem quietam et finem perfectum concedat nobis Dominus omnipotens. Amen.
May the almighty Lord grant us a quiet night and a perfect end. Amen.
The Marian antiphons
Compline ends with an antiphon to Our Lady, often sung even when the rest of the hour is said. The traditional antiphon changes with the season:
| Season | Antiphon |
|---|---|
| Advent to February 2 | Alma Redemptoris Mater (“Loving Mother of the Redeemer”) |
| February 2 to Holy Week | Ave Regina caelorum (“Hail, Queen of heaven”) |
| Easter to Pentecost | Regina caeli (“Queen of heaven, rejoice”) |
| Ordinary Time | Salve Regina (“Hail, Holy Queen”) |
In today’s Liturgy of the Hours the Regina caeli is used in Easter Time, and outside Easter any of the Marian antiphons may be chosen.
Alma Redemptoris Mater, in Gahan’s English verse:
Mother of Jesus, heaven’s open gate,
Star of the Sea, support the falling state
Of mortals: thou, whose womb thy maker bore,
And yet, strange thing! a virgin as before;
Who didst from Gabriel’s hail! the news receive,
Repenting sinners by thy prayers relieve.
Ave Regina caelorum, in Latin:
Ave, Regina cælorum,
ave, Domina angelorum,
salve radix, salve porta
ex qua mundo lux est orta.
Gaude, Virgo gloriosa,
super omnes speciosa,
valde, o valde decora,
et pro nobis Christum exora.
Regina caeli is prayed through Easter Time; see the Regina Caeli prayer. The Salve Regina is the Hail Holy Queen, the antiphon most often sung at the end of Compline.
A simple Compline to pray at home
This short form keeps the traditional shape of Night Prayer and takes about ten minutes. You can pray it alone or as a family, at the bedside.
- Opening: Make the Sign of the Cross. “O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me.” Glory Be.
- Examination of conscience: a minute of silence to look back on the day: where did I love God and others, and where did I fail? Then pray the Confiteor or an Act of Contrition.
- Psalm: Psalm 4 or Psalm 90 (above).
- Responsory: “Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.”
- Nunc dimittis: with the antiphon “Save us, Lord, while we are awake…”
- Prayer: “Visit, we beseech thee, O Lord, this habitation…” (above).
- Blessing: “May the almighty Lord grant us a quiet night and a perfect end. Amen.”
- Marian antiphon: the Hail Holy Queen, or the antiphon of the season.
Then keep silence, and go to sleep in peace.
Frequently asked questions
What does Compline mean?
It comes from the Latin completorium, “completion,” because it completes the day’s prayer. It is also called Night Prayer.
What time is Compline prayed?
Just before going to bed, whatever the hour. It is the last prayer of the day, even after midnight.
What is the difference between Compline and Vespers?
Vespers is Evening Prayer, prayed around sunset at the end of the working day, and its canticle is the Magnificat. Compline is Night Prayer, prayed right before sleep, and its canticle is the Nunc dimittis. See Vespers.
Can lay people pray Compline?
Yes. Compline is a lovely first step into the Liturgy of the Hours for individuals, couples and families.
Is Compline the same as night prayers?
Compline is the Church’s official Night Prayer. “Night prayers” can also mean personal and family prayers before bed, which can be prayed alongside it. See our Catholic night prayers.
More about the Liturgy of the Hours
- Nunc Dimittis (Canticle of Simeon)
- The four Marian antiphons
- Psalm 88 (the darkest psalm)
- Psalm 17 (Keep me as the apple of your eye)
- Psalm 134 (Bless the Lord through the night)
- Psalm 86 (Incline your ear, O Lord)
- Psalm 143 (Teach me to do your will)
- Psalm 4 (In peace I will lie down and sleep)
- Psalm 31 (Into your hands I commend my spirit)
- Psalm 16 (You are my inheritance)
- Psalm 91 (psalm of protection)
- Presentation of the Lord (Candlemas)
- The Magnificat
- Liturgy of the Hours: a beginner’s guide
- Vespers (Evening Prayer)
- Lauds (Morning Prayer)
- Catholic night prayers
- Hail Holy Queen
- Guardian Angel prayer
Texts and sources
- Scripture: Psalm 4:2–10; Psalm 90:1–16 (91); Psalm 133:1–3 (134); Psalm 30:6 (31:5); Luke 2:29–32, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- Hymn Te lucis ante terminum, the prayer “Visit, we beseech thee” and Alma Redemptoris Mater in English: William Gahan, The Complete Manual of Catholic Piety, public domain (Project Gutenberg).
- Ave Regina caelorum, Latin text, public domain (Latin Wikisource).
- Rule of St. Benedict, chapter 18.
- The English translations of the antiphon Salva nos and the blessing Noctem quietam are our own.