Great Compline Prayer One
The final service our Daily Lenten Journey will review is unique to Great Lent. Although the Small Compline is ‘part’ of our regular evening prayers as individuals, the Great Compline is ONLY offered during Great Lent, and it is offered normally in the Church.
The term ‘compline’ is a translation of the Greek word meaning “after dinner’ and as such is the first of the prayers after Vespers. The service is standard, meaning unlike Orthros and Vespers, there are no ‘parts’ that change from one calendar day to another.
Great Compline is like Small Compline, but still quite different. There are hymns unique only to Great Compline, and therefore unique to Great Lent. The service is different enough you can’t really say ‘added’ so I suggest if you haven’t attended Great Compline yet, you should.
The service is almost exclusively done by the chanter with the main exception of three prayers offered by the priest. The priest also offers incense, and the service ends with traditional petitions for peace and health. We will begin with the first of three prayers by the priest.
Lord, Lord, who have delivered us from every arrow that flies by day, deliver us from anything that lurks about in darkness. Accept the lifting of our hands as an evening sacrifice. Make us worthy to traverse the time of night blamelessly, untouched by evil, and redeem us from every disturbance and fear caused by the devil. Grant contrition to our souls and concern to our minds about the accounting at your awesome and just judgment. Nail down our bodies with your fear, and deaden our earthly members, so that even in the quiet of our slumber we may be enlightened by the contemplation of your ordinances. Keep away from us every indecent fantasy and harmful desire. Awaken us in the time of prayer rooted in the faith, and thriving in your instructions; through the good will and goodness of your only begotten Son with whom you are blessed, together with your all holy, good, and life giving Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
Many of the themes of this prayer were covered in our recent discussion of the silent prayers of Vespers. Today, pay attention to the phrase, “Redeem us from every disturbance and fear caused by the devil.” This prayer expects the coming night will be fraught by fear from the devil.
We have prayed to be kept safe during Vespers and during our private prayers. This prayer does that as well. For me the unique expectation of disturbance and fear is what ‘jumps out’ for me today. Instead, the prayer turns our attention to the ‘fear’ of God, not the devil.
Even if you are new to Orthodoxy, or if you are ‘seasoned’ in the Church, then you probably have already realized the devil works overtime during Great Lent. All our fasting, all our extra prayers, all our almsgiving gets the devil’s attention, so he tries to make us afraid.
It is also why the Church ‘adds’ more services and why people attend more services during Great Lent. It is the reason this year’s Daily Lenten Journey is focused on prayer, both private and communal in the Church. If the devil is going to work overtime, we must work harder.
We are working so much harder that a traditionally person prayer like the Small Compline is brought into the Church and offered communally with extra prayers. We benefit from the grace of God and the presence of our brothers and sisters. Together we fight fear with faith.
Today, I invite you to fight fear with faith. Ask God to redeem you from the fear you have allowed in your heart. Today, I invite you to pay more attention to God and less attention to the fear that wells up in your heart in the quite of the night. Today, I invite you….Happy praying.
