What is Compline?
Compline is the Church's last prayer of the day, prayed before going to sleep. It is short (about ten minutes), quiet and almost the same every night: a confession, a few psalms of trust, a short reading, the Song of Simeon (Nunc Dimittis) and prayers for protection through the night.
Where Compline comes from
The name comes from the Latin completorium, "completion": the prayer that completes the day. It was one of the monastic hours and is already described in the Rule of Saint Benedict in the sixth century.
The first Books of Common Prayer did not keep Compline as a separate service; some of its texts, like the Nunc Dimittis, passed into Evening Prayer. Many twentieth-century prayer books brought it back, including the American 1979 Book of Common Prayer, Common Worship in England and the ACNA 2019 Book of Common Prayer.
The shape of Compline
- An opening blessing asking for a quiet night and a perfect end
- A short confession of the day's sins
- Psalms of trust, traditionally Psalms 4, 31, 91 and 134
- A brief reading from Scripture
- The response "Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit"
- Prayers and collects for the night
- The antiphon "Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping" and the Nunc Dimittis
- A closing blessing
Why pray Compline
Compline hands the day back to God. Its words barely change, so after a few weeks they can be prayed almost from memory, in the dark if need be. Many people use the confession as a short review of the day.
Praying Compline in Ordo
Ordo shows Compline for every prayer book that prints it, with the texts of that book. If your book has no Compline, the list of offices for the day simply does not include it.
Frequently asked questions
When should I pray Compline?
Just before going to sleep, after Evening Prayer and the evening's activities. It is meant to be the last thing you say before rest.
What is the difference between Evening Prayer and Compline?
Evening Prayer is a full office with appointed psalms and two readings that change every day. Compline is shorter, mostly fixed, and focused on rest, protection and trust.
Can I pray Compline without praying the other offices?
Yes. Compline is a good first office for many people precisely because it is short and the same every night.
Pray today's office
Ordo sets out today's office for the prayer book you choose. Free on iPhone, Android and the web.