Sunday, February 9, 2014

1949 Completorii Libellus

It is amazing the deals you can find on the internet these days.  I recently procured the 1949 Completorii Libellus (Compline Booklet) for a mere $9.00 (US)!  It is in pristine condition.  The volume is leather bound, and there isn't so much as a scratch on it.  The pages, made of a lesser quality and heavier stock than I am used to seeing in liturgical books from this era, are slightly yellowed from age.  But other than that, it is in mint condition.


The booklet is entirely in Latin, and contains the Office of Compline for the entire liturgical year, including the various chants for feasts of the sanctorale and temporale.  There are proper tones for chanting the Te lucis hym for various feasts of Our Lord, the Blessed Mother, and the Dominican Saints.  In addition, all of the chant is provided for the proper hymns and antiphons that are prayed during Lent, Passiontide, Paschaltide, Ascensiontide and the feast of the Most Holy Trinity.

Interestingly, this edition contains the preces for Compline, which I didn't realize had survived the revisions of St. Pius X.  After the Salve nos is prayed, the preces are prayed as follows:


Lord have mercy.   Christ have mercy.  Lord have mercy.

Then is said in silent:
Our Father...
Followed by:
And lead us not into temptation.  .  But deliver us from evil.

.  In peace I will lie down.  .  And sleep comes at once.

After this is said:

I believe in God, the father almighty....  And life everlasting.  Amen.

.  Vouchsafe, O Lord this night.  .  To keep us without sin.


With the inclusion of book into my library, I am officially beginning to pray the entire office of Compline in Latin.  It is something that I have been intending to do for some time now, and this handy booklet is just what I needed to get started.