Angelus

Catholic night prayers before sleep

Before sleep, Catholics place the day in God’s hands: they ask forgiveness, pray to Our Lady and commend themselves to their guardian angel. These are the traditional prayers, in the order many families pray them.

Before you start, you can go back over the day for a few quiet minutes with the evening examen. In Angelus it’s the suggested prayer after 9:30 PM.

The prayers

  1. Sign of the Cross

    In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

  2. Act of Contrition

    O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.

  3. Our Father

    Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

  4. Hail Mary

    Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

  5. Glory Be

    Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

  6. Hail, Holy Queen

    Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

  7. Angel of God

    Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.

  8. Jesus, Mary and Joseph

    Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, assist me in my last agony. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul in peace with you.

Compline: the Church’s night prayer

The Church has its own night prayer: Compline, or Night Prayer, the last hour of the Liturgy of the Hours. Priests, religious and many lay people pray it every night.

It opens with a short examination of conscience, then a hymn, one or two psalms and a short reading. It ends with the Canticle of Simeon (Luke 2:29-32), a prayer and an antiphon to Our Lady, such as the Hail, Holy Queen. Its texts are in the breviary.

What the Liturgy of the Hours is

Common questions

What is a good night prayer?
Any of the prayers above, prayed slowly. If you only have a minute, pray the Act of Contrition and place yourself in God’s hands; many add a Hail Mary or the Angel of God.
What is the most powerful night prayer?
No prayer works like a charm: God hears every sincere prayer. The Church’s own night prayer is Compline, and one of the shortest is Jesus’ last word on the cross: “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46).
Is there a night prayer for the family?
These prayers are made to be prayed together: one person leads and everyone answers. With young children, Little Prayer Stories has a bedtime routine with prayers and stories.
Can I pray in bed?
Yes. Kneeling helps some people focus, but God hears a night time prayer prayed lying down just as well.

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