Anglican Service Book (1991) In the
Anglican tradition, Compline was originally merged with
Vespers to form
Evening Prayer in the
Book of Common Prayer. The United States
Episcopal Church's
Book of Offices of 1914, the
Church of England's 1928
proposed prayer book, the
Scottish Episcopal Church's 1929
Scottish Prayer Book, the
Anglican Church of Canada's 1959/1962 prayer book, and also the 2004 version of the
Book of Common Prayer for the
Church of Ireland, along with the 2009
Daily Prayer book of the
Church in Wales, restored a form of compline to Anglican worship. Several contemporary liturgical texts, including the American 1979
Book of Common Prayer, the Anglican Church of Canada's
Book of Alternative Services, and the Church of England's
Common Worship, provide modern forms of the service. A traditional form is provided in the 1991
Anglican Service Book. The
Common Worship service consists of the opening sentences, the confession of sins, the psalms and other Bible lessons, the canticle of Simeon, and prayers, including a benediction. There are authorized alternatives for the days of the week and the seasons of the Christian year. As a public service of worship, like
Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer, compline may be led by a layperson, quite similar to Lutheran use. ==Compline in Byzantine usage== , Wisconsin, US Compline is called literally, the
after-supper (
Greek (
τὸ)
Ἀπόδειπνον ,
Slavonic повечеріе, Povecheriye), has two distinct forms which are quite different in length
Small Compline and
Great Compline. Both forms include a
canon, typically those found
Octoechos to the
Theotokos, although alternative canons are used on certain
forefeasts, afterfeasts and days during the
Paschaltide. A further exception is on days when the liturgy to the saint(s) of the day is displaced by, e.g., by a newly canonized or locally venerated saint (or icon), the displaced canon is used and after that are inserted the
stichera prescribed for
vespers. The Office always ends with a mutual asking of forgiveness. In some traditions, most notably among the
Russians, Evening Prayers (i.e., Prayers Before Sleep) are read at the end of compline. It is an ancient custom, practiced on the
Holy Mountain and in other monasteries, for everyone present at the end of compline to venerate the
relics and
icons in the church, and receive the priest's blessing.
Small Compline Small compline is prescribed for most nights of the year. It is presided over by a single priest without a deacon. The liturgy is composed of three Psalms (50, 69, 142), the
Small Doxology, the
Nicene Creed, the Canon followed by
Axion Estin, the
Trisagion,
Troparia for the day,
Kyrie eleison (40 times), the Prayer of the Hours, the Supplicatory Prayer of Paul the Monk, and the Prayer to Jesus Christ of
Antiochus the Monk. Following these are the mutual forgiveness and final blessing by the priest and the priest's reciting of a
litany. Before an
all-night vigil, compline in the Greek tradition precedes great vespers, being read during the great incensing, while in Russian tradition it simply follows little vespers.
Great Compline Great Compline is a penitential daily office which is served on the following occasions: • Tuesday and Thursday nights of
Cheesefare Week, the week proceeding
Great Lent • Monday through Thursday nights of Great Lent • Friday nights of Great Lent • Monday and Tuesday of
Holy Week • Monday through Friday during the lesser Lenten seasons:
Nativity Fast,
Apostles' Fast, and
Dormition Fast • The Eves of certain
Great Feasts, as a part of the All-Night Vigil:
Nativity,
Theophany, and
Annunciation. Unlike Small Compline, Great Compline has portions of the liturgy which are chanted by the Choir and during Lent the
Prayer of St. Ephraim is said with prostrations. During the First Week of Great Lent, the
Great Canon of
Saint Andrew of Crete is divided into four portions and read on Monday through Thursday nights. Due to the penitential nature of Great Compline, it is not uncommon for the priest to hear
Confession during or immediately following the liturgy. Great Compline is composed of three sections, each beginning with the call to prayer, "O come, let us worship…":
First Part :Psalms 4, 6, and 12; Glory…, etc.; Psalms 24, 30, 90; then the hymn "God is With Us" and troparia, the Creed, the hymn "O Most holy Lady Theotokos", the Trisagion and Troparia of the Day,
Kyrie eleison (40 times), "More honorable than the cherubim…" and the Prayer of
St. Basil the Great.
Second Part :Psalms 50, 101, and the
Prayer of Manasses; the Trisagion, and Troparia of Repentance,
Kyrie eleison (40 times), "More honorable than the cherubim…" and the Prayer of St. Mardarius.
Third Part :Psalms 69, 142, and the Small Doxology; then the Canon followed by
Axion Estin, the
Trisagion, the hymn "O Lord of Hosts, be with us…",
Kyrie eleison (40 times), the Prayer of the Hours, "More honorable than the cherubim…", the
Prayer of St. Ephraim, Trisagion (this depends on tradition, it is not always recited here), the Supplicatory Prayer of Paul the Monk to the
Theotokos, and the Prayer to Jesus Christ of Antiochus the Monk. Then the mutual forgiveness. Instead of the normal final blessing by the priest, all prostrate themselves while the priest reads a special intercessory prayer. Then the litany and the veneration of icons and relics. ==Oriental Christian usages==