I Will Lie Down This Night

This book provides an excellent illustration of how night prayer a.k.a. compline speaks to our everyday life. It does so in contemporary spiritual terms, e.g. several quotes are Celtic or sound Celtic, while building an understanding of a very traditional prayer. The illustrations and the layout of the book complement the content.The chapters discuss nighttime rituals and fear, the oral nature of contact in darkness, the need for companionship, facing the "naked" truth, sheltering, blessing, waiting in hope - each discussed in terms of the every day experiences of raising a child (or being raised). This experience is interwoven with a parallel understanding of the words and attitudes of night prayer.The final section provides materials for night prayer, a variation on the formal liturgical form. It consists of: 1) a choice of two opening prayers 2) quiet reflection 3) a choice of two pentitential prayers 4) a choice of five psalms or canticles 5) a hymn (the one mistep on production - not making the breaks between the hymns obvious) 6) a Marian invocation 7) a choice of three closing prayers.Many of the texts of the night prayer were used within the chapters introducing the concepts of night prayer. The night prayer has been shortened, simplified and rearranged, but the various parts are very traditional. The format for night prayer given here has distinct advantages - (1)the parts are unchanging except by personal choice giving the ready possibility of memorizing and internalizing the prayers (2) the prayer is short enough to fit easily into one schedule so it can actually be prayed rather than remaining good intentions (3) the choices fit well within the context of the book so that choices are limited to psalms/canticles which one can easily relate to one's own day.Highly recommended as a viable introduction to praying the psalms.