04.12.08
Compline
For the past few months my inner prayer when I listen to it has been “Lord God, Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” I couldn’t place where I’d heard it, but at the monastery my heart leapt as a similar prayer was said a number of times and then I noticed it at our Church after the Canon of Saint Andrew Thursday night. “Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father who takes away the sins of the world.” I just did a search and found through Wikipedia that it is a variation of the doxology of the angels’ Glory to God in the Highest announcing the birth of Christ that goes back to the early Greek Church. The article then goes on to explain the Latin changes the song underwent and gives the English version of that.
Literal English Translation (from St. Andrew Daily Missal 1952)
- Glory to God in the highest.
- And on earth peace to men of good will.
- We praise Thee.
- We bless Thee.
- We adore Thee.
- We glorify Thee.
- We give thanks to Thee for Thy great Glory.
- O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father almighty.
- O Lord the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
- O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father.
- Thou who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
- Thou who takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer.
- Thou who sittest at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.
- For Thou only art Holy.
- Thou only art the Lord.
- Thou only, O Jesus Christ, art Most High.
- With the Holy Ghost, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
-
Doxology
Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will to all people.
We praise you, we bless you, we worship you, we glorify you, we give thanks to you for your great glory.
Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father, almighty Lord,
the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit.
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father who take away the sin of the world,
have mercy upon us, you who take away the sins of the world.
Receive our prayer, you who sit at the right hand of the Father, and have mercy upon us.
For you only are holy, only you are Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Each evening we bless you, and we praise your name forever and to the ages of ages.
Lord, you have been our refuge from generation to generation.
I said: Lord, have mercy upon me; heal my soul, for I have sinned against you.
Lord, to you have I fled; teach me to do your will, for you are my God.
For you are the source of life, and in your light we shall see light.
Continue your mercy to those who know you.
Lord, grant to keep us this night without sin. Blessed are you, Lord, God of our fathers.
Your name is praised and glorified from all ages. Amen.
Let your mercy, Lord, lighten upon us, as our trust is in you.
Blessed are you, Lord, teach me your commandments.
Blessed are you, Master, teach me your commandments.
Blessed are you, Holy One, enlighten me in your commandments.
Your mercy, Lord, endures forever; turn not away from the works of your own hands.
To you belongs praise, to you belongs worship, to you belongs glory, to the Father
and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Now I see the Doxology is part of the Orthodox Compline service, and that’s probably where I got it from. It’s nice when the prayers start to soak in.
David Bryan said,
April 12, 2008 at 3:07 pm
This is one of the reasons I miss Orthros; St. Antony’s in Tulsa (and most other non-Russian, Eastern-Rite parishes) have that instead of third and sixth hour on Sunday morning before liturgy. That doxology is sung, obviously, towards the end of Orthros, and if one were to come to Orthros at St. Antony’s one would pick up quite quickly on the fact that that particular hymn, in the particular tone in which they sang it there, was a parish favorite, it being the most commonly-used one (so my Lebanese godfather tells me).
Andrea Elizabeth said,
April 12, 2008 at 7:53 pm
Maybe you can sing it for me at Church.
I’ll have to get Lori to remind me of the tune we sang at the Monastery. Do we at St. Barbara’s sing/chant it at any other service besides after the Canon of St. Andrew during Lent? Maybe that’s why it’s been in my head for a couple of months, make that a month and a fourth!
Prayer Routine « Andrea Elizabeth’s Wordpress Blog said,
April 14, 2008 at 2:31 pm
[...] Next I’d like to learn more about the content of the prayers services and if it varies. And remember to look up Orthros which David Bryan mentioned in the comments on Compline. [...]