Night Prayer (compline) - Oct 10

Paulinus, Bishop of York, Missionary, 644
Thomas Traherne, Poet, Spiritual Writer, 1674

The Lord almighty grant us a quiet night and a perfect end. Amen.

Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth.

Reflection on the day

Confession
Most merciful God, I confess to you, before the whole company of heaven
that I have sinned in thought, word and deed and in what I have failed to do.
Forgive my sins, heal me by your Spirit and raise me to new life in Christ. Amen.

O God, make speed to save us. O Lord, make haste to help us.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.
Alleluia.

Before the ending of the day, Creator of the world, we pray
That you, with steadfast love, would keep your watch around us while we sleep.
From evil dreams defend our sight, from fears and terrors of the night;
Tread underfoot our deadly foe that we no sinful thought may know.
O Father, that we ask be done through Jesus Christ, your only Son;
And Holy Spirit, by whose breath our souls are raised to life from death.

Psalm 16
The Lord is at my right hand; I shall not fall.

Preserve me, O God, for in you have I taken refuge;
I have said to the Lord, You are my lord, all my good depends on you.
All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land,
upon those who are noble in heart.
Though the idols are legion that many run after,
their drink offerings of blood I will not offer,
neither make mention of their names upon my lips.
The Lord himself is my portion and my cup;
in your hands alone is my fortune.
My share has fallen in a fair land; indeed, I have a goodly heritage.

I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel,
and in the night watches he instructs my heart.
I have set the Lord always before me;
he is at my right hand; I shall not fall.
Wherefore my heart is glad and my spirit rejoices;
my flesh also shall rest secure.
For you will not abandon my soul to Death,
nor suffer your faithful one to see the Pit.
You will show me the path of life;
in your presence is the fullness of joy and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.

Give to us, Lord Christ, the fullness of grace,
your presence and your very self,
for you are our portion and our delight, now and for ever.

1 Peter 5.8,9
Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil is prowling round like a roaring lion, seeking for someone to devour. Resist him, strong in the faith.

Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
For you have redeemed me, Lord God of truth.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Keep me as the apple of your eye. Hide me under the shadow of your wings.

The Nunc Dimittis (Song of Simeon)

Save us, O Lord, while waking, and guard us while sleeping, 
that awake we may watch with Christ and asleep may rest in peace.

Now, Lord, you let your servant go in peace: your word has been fulfilled.
My own eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the sight of every people;
A light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.

Save us, O Lord, while waking, and guard us while sleeping, 
that awake we may watch with Christ and asleep may rest in peace.


A time of Intercessions and thanksgiving

The Collect
God our Saviour,
who sent Paulinus to preach and to baptise, and so to build up your Church in this land:
grant that, inspired by his example, we may tell all the world of your truth,
that with him we may receive the reward you prepare for all your faithful servants;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

In peace we will lie down and sleep; for you alone, Lord, make us dwell in safety.
Abide with us, Lord Jesus, for the night is at hand and the day is now past.

As the night watch looks for the morning, so do we look for you, O Christ.

Come with the dawning of the day and make yourself known in the breaking of the bread.

The Lord bless us and watch over us;
the Lord make his face shine upon us and be gracious to us;
the Lord look kindly on us and give us peace. Amen.

The Cell: Mental illness

Trapped in a cell, not of walls, but of mind;
Invisible to those outside,
Unbreakable to those within.
The sunny days that only you can see
As trapped within my life, gloom is my reality,
And where you see hope;
I see only more of the same.
You give me anti-psychotics but fail to see - 
The way that psychosis and your, many, diagnoses,
are really anti-me.
But there's a tunnel,
created with despair,
and death.

I'm free!

In memory of a man who proved that mental illness is indeed a terminal disease and on a day that is World Mental Heath day I find his death to be a stark reminder of the tragedies that accompany mental health issues

dona eis requiem

Daily Office - Oct 10

Paulinus, Bishop of York, Missionary, 644

Thomas Traherne, Poet, Spiritual Writer, 1674

Psalm 113

Alleluia.

Give praise, you servants of the Lord, O praise the name of the Lord.

Blessed be the name of the Lord, from this time forth and for evermore.

From the rising of the sun to its setting let the name of the Lord be praised.

The Lord is high above all nations and his glory above the heavens.

Who is like the Lord our God, that has his throne so high,

yet humbles himself to behold the things of heaven and earth?

He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ashes,

To set them with princes, with the princes of his people.

He gives the barren woman a place in the house 

and makes her a joyful mother of children.

Alleluia.

Psalm 115

Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to your name give the glory,

for the sake of your loving mercy and truth.

Why should the nations say, ‘Where is now their God?’

As for our God, he is in heaven; he does whatever he pleases.

Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.

They have mouths, but cannot speak; eyes have they, but cannot see;

They have ears, but cannot hear; noses have they, but cannot smell;

They have hands, but cannot feel; feet have they, but cannot walk;

not a whisper do they make from their throats.

Those who make them shall become like them and so will all who put their trust in them.

But you, Israel, put your trust in the Lord; he is their help and their shield.

House of Aaron, trust in the Lord; he is their help and their shield.

You that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; he is their help and their shield.

The Lord has been mindful of us and he will bless us;

may he bless the house of Israel; may he bless the house of Aaron;

May he bless those who fear the Lord, both small and great together.

May the Lord increase you more and more, you and your children after you.

May you be blest by the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.

The heavens are the heavens of the Lord, but the earth he has entrusted to his children.

The dead do not praise the Lord, nor those gone down into silence;

But we will bless the Lord, from this time forth for evermore.

Alleluia.

2 Chronicles 29.20-end

Then King Hezekiah rose early, assembled the officials of the city, and went up to the house of the Lord. They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats for a sin-offering for the kingdom and for the sanctuary and for Judah. He commanded the priests the descendants of Aaron to offer them on the altar of the Lord. So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests received the blood and dashed it against the altar; they slaughtered the rams and their blood was dashed against the altar; they also slaughtered the lambs and their blood was dashed against the altar. Then the male goats for the sin-offering were brought to the king and the assembly; they laid their hands on them, and the priests slaughtered them and made a sin-offering with their blood at the altar, to make atonement for all Israel. For the king commanded that the burnt-offering and the sin-offering should be made for all Israel.

 He stationed the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, harps, and lyres, according to the commandment of David and of Gad the king’s seer and of the prophet Nathan, for the commandment was from the Lord through his prophets. The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. Then Hezekiah commanded that the burnt-offering be offered on the altar. When the burnt-offering began, the song to the Lord began also, and the trumpets, accompanied by the instruments of King David of Israel. The whole assembly worshipped, the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; all this continued until the burnt-offering was finished. When the offering was finished, the king and all who were present with him bowed down and worshipped. King Hezekiah and the officials commanded the Levites to sing praises to the Lord with the words of David and of the seer Asaph. They sang praises with gladness, and they bowed down and worshipped.

Then Hezekiah said, ‘You have now consecrated yourselves to the Lord; come near, bring sacrifices and thank-offerings to the house of the Lord.’ The assembly brought sacrifices and thank-offerings; and all who were of a willing heart brought burnt-offerings. The number of the burnt-offerings that the assembly brought was seventy bulls, one hundred rams, and two hundred lambs; all these were for a burnt-offering to the Lord. The consecrated offerings were six hundred bulls and three thousand sheep. But the priests were too few and could not skin all the burnt-offerings, so, until other priests had sanctified themselves, their kindred, the Levites, helped them until the work was finished—for the Levites were more conscientious than the priests in sanctifying themselves. Besides the great number of burnt-offerings there was the fat of the offerings of well-being, and there were the drink-offerings for the burnt-offerings. Thus the service of the house of the Lord was restored. And Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced because of what God had done for the people; for the thing had come about suddenly.

John 13.31-end

When he had gone out, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, “Where I am going, you cannot come.” 

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples,ct if you have love for one another.’

Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, where are you going?’ Jesus answered, ‘Where I am going, you cannot follow me now; but you will follow afterwards.’ Peter said to him, ‘Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.’ Jesus answered, ‘Will you lay down your life for me? Very truly, I tell you, before the cock crows, you will have denied me three times.

The Collect

God our Saviour,

who sent Paulinus to preach and to baptize,

and so to build up your Church in this land:

grant that, inspired by his example,

we may tell all the world of your truth,

that with him we may receive the reward

      you prepare for all your faithful servants;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever. Amen.