Cantica Gaudia

Season of Lent: Thursday Compline

Confession: Father eternal, giver of light and grace,
we have sinned against you and against our neighbour,
in what we have thought,
in what we have said and done,
through ignorance, through weakness,
through our own deliberate fault.
We have wounded your love,
and marred your image in us.
We are sorry and ashamed,
and repent of all our sins.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
who died for us,
forgive us all that is past;
and lead us out from darkness
to walk as children of light. Amen.

Psalm: Ascribe to the Lord, you gods,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his Name;
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders;
The Lord is upon the mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice;
The voice of the Lord is a voice of splendor.

Reading: What is this wondrous mystery
unfolding within me?
I have no words to name it,
for that One is above all praise,
transcends all words
my reason sees what as happened,
wishes to explain,
yet can find no words to tell you.
What it sees is invisible,
simple, pure,
unbounded in its majesty.
I have seen the totality,
received not in essence
but by participation.
As when you light a flame from a flame,
the whole flame you receive.

The Lord’s Prayer: Abba our God,
Whom the heavens disclose,
May your name be held holy,
Your authority come.
May your longing be fulfilled
As in heaven, so on earth.
Give us today the bread of tomorrow,
And cancel our debts
As we have already forgiven our debtors.
Do not draw us in
To sinful enticement,
But set us free
From the grip of evil;
For authority and power and glory
Are yours alone, for ever.  Amen.

Prayer:  Give me a constant trust in the royalty of my spirit, a trust so high that I dare not live beneath myself. Give me, as well, the vision of what my spirit is, your breath and very self in me. Amen.

Blessing: Bless to us, O God, the moon that is above us, the earth that is beneath us, the friends who are around us, your image deep within us. Amen.