The hymns and prayers of the Hours are intimately linked to the time of day, but also to our human experiences at that time of day. Compline is served in the evening, after supper, when the sun is fully set and our own biological rhythms are slowing down. The service invites us to silence, repentance and forgiveness - in fact, when done in the context of a parish or monastery, it concludes with a rite of forgiveness similar to that done as we enter into Lent on Forgiveness Sunday. After the Compline service, the monastics and faithful would retreat to their beds in the darkness and quiet.
Far from mandating NO tv, NO YouTube, NO electricity immediately following your evening meal, Fr Yuri and Fr Geoffrey suggest reasonable ways to mark this threshold between the busy-ness of our lives (with its bright lights, both natural and artificial, activity, food and entertainment) and entering into a reflective and meditative mood, putting both ourselves and our devices and our homes to bed. No doubt this will transform your spiritual life and relationship with God, but also... you'll get a better sleep!
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