What is Compline?
July 5, 2008
Q: What is that service that sometimes happens after Koinonia … Compline?
A: Compline is an ancient monastic service that is one of the Hourly Offices, prayers to be said throughout the day. The practice of daily prayer goes all the way back to the Old Testament and continued in the early Church into today.
Anglicans are generally familiar with Morning and Evening Prayer. Other Hourly Offices include:
Lauds – Dawn/Sunrise
Prime – 6:00 A.M. (Start of the day)
Terce – 9:00 A.M. (Third Hour of the day)
Sext – 12:00 Noon (Sixth Hour of the Day
None – 3:00 P.M. (Ninth Hour of the day)
Vespers – Dusk/Sunset
Compline – Just prior to retiring for the day
The offices other than Morning and Evening Prayer are often known as the “Little Offices” and are shorter than Morning or Evening Prayer.
The Order for the Hourly Offices can be found on the CommonPrayer.org Web site along with information on the hourly offices according to Anglican use.
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