Compline During Lent

During Lent we keep the tradition of nearly 800 years of singing special antiphons during Compline. Since they are the treasure of the Order we continue to sing them in Latin. Here is a glimpse into Compline at our monastery.

Obviously, it's not the Nun's Story! In fact, you can see Sr. Maria coming in the middle of the Office after having been called out to care for one of our elderly sisters!

What you hear first is the Short Responsory: In Manus Tuas. Then we sing the antiphon Evigilia then the Nunc Dimittis and the Evigilia is repeated.

The In Manus is sung every evening during the week but on Saturday and Sunday the In Pace is sung in it's place during the first 4 weeks of Lent. Every evening for the first 2 weeks of Lent the Evigilia is the antiphon for the Nunc Dimittis. During week 3&4 the Salva nos is sung and during week 5&6 the O Rex is sung.

The words of the antiphon are:Evigila super nos aeterne Salvator, ne nos apprehendat callidus tentator:quia tu factus es nobis sempiternus adiutor.

(Watch over us, eternal Saviour, that the cunning temptor not lay hold of us: for you have been our helper forever.)