After saying Night Prayer (aka Compline) for so many years, I kinda sorta, more or less had most of the psalms, readings, and concluding prayers by heart.
Except for one thing: remembering which antiphons,psalms, readings, and prayers go with each night of the week. So I made up a little cheat sheet which gives just the first few words of each element. I can use this as a prompt to remind me and get me started. For example, last night I looked at my cheat sheet and saw this for Monday:
Ant. O Lord our God, unwearied...
PS 86 Turn your ear, Lord and give answer...
Reading: 1 Thess. 5 God has destined us...
Prayer: Lord give our bodies...
With just those little prompts I was able to recite the entire thing from memory. (obviously we all know the Canticle of Simeon by heart already, right? So no need for a prompt there.)
Why does it matter to me to be able to do Compline by heart? Well, I like to keep my breviary downstairs because that's where I usually do all the other hours. But I do Night Prayer in my bedroom. With the cheat sheet on the nightstand, there's no need to lug the breviary around. I know I could just use my cell phone or tablet by my bed, but it's supposed to be a good idea to not view back lit screens close to bed time.
Furthermore, a little scripture memory work isn't a bad thing.
One of these day's I"ll write up my entire Compline Cheat Sheet in bloggable form and put it on a tab so that any of you who are interested can print it.
Do you have any psalms memorized, whether from Night Prayer or any other hour? I'm pretty good with the psalmody of Sunday week I, although I sometimes get bogged down in the Canticle from Daniel. ("Wait...was it frost and chill or dew and rain, praise the Lord?')
Oh, and let's make this a Q&A for any and all questions about how to pray the Liturgy of the Hours. Put your questions in the comments below, and if I don't get right back to you, likely as not some other smart reader will.
Except for one thing: remembering which antiphons,psalms, readings, and prayers go with each night of the week. So I made up a little cheat sheet which gives just the first few words of each element. I can use this as a prompt to remind me and get me started. For example, last night I looked at my cheat sheet and saw this for Monday:
Ant. O Lord our God, unwearied...
PS 86 Turn your ear, Lord and give answer...
Reading: 1 Thess. 5 God has destined us...
Prayer: Lord give our bodies...
With just those little prompts I was able to recite the entire thing from memory. (obviously we all know the Canticle of Simeon by heart already, right? So no need for a prompt there.)
Why does it matter to me to be able to do Compline by heart? Well, I like to keep my breviary downstairs because that's where I usually do all the other hours. But I do Night Prayer in my bedroom. With the cheat sheet on the nightstand, there's no need to lug the breviary around. I know I could just use my cell phone or tablet by my bed, but it's supposed to be a good idea to not view back lit screens close to bed time.
Furthermore, a little scripture memory work isn't a bad thing.
One of these day's I"ll write up my entire Compline Cheat Sheet in bloggable form and put it on a tab so that any of you who are interested can print it.
Do you have any psalms memorized, whether from Night Prayer or any other hour? I'm pretty good with the psalmody of Sunday week I, although I sometimes get bogged down in the Canticle from Daniel. ("Wait...was it frost and chill or dew and rain, praise the Lord?')
Oh, and let's make this a Q&A for any and all questions about how to pray the Liturgy of the Hours. Put your questions in the comments below, and if I don't get right back to you, likely as not some other smart reader will.
