Morning Prayer (Matins) in Contemporary Language

¶ Morning Prayer
Epiphany Season
Saturday, 10 January 2026
William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1645 [Commemoration]

Preparation

O Lord, open our lips
Alland our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Your light springs up for the righteous
Alland all the peoples have seen your glory.

One or more of the following is said or sung:

this or another prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Sovereign God,
king of the nations,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
From the rising of the sun to its setting
your name is proclaimed in all the world.
As the Sun of Righteousness dawns in our hearts
anoint our lips with the seal of your Spirit
that we may witness to your gospel
and sing your praise in all the earth.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
AllBlessed be God for ever.

a suitable hymn, or Jubilate – A Song of Joy

1O be joyful in the Lord, all the earth; ♦
serve the Lord with gladness
and come before his presence with a song.

2Know that the Lord is God; ♦
it is he that has made us and we are his;
we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.

3Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise; ♦
give thanks to him and bless his name.

4For the Lord is gracious; his steadfast love is everlasting, ♦
and his faithfulness endures from generation to generation.

Psalm 100

AllGlory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.

This opening prayer may be said

The night has passed, and the day lies open before us;
let us pray with one heart and mind.

Silence is kept.

As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever.
AllAmen.

The Word of God

Psalmody

The appointed psalmody is said.

Psalm 97

Refrain: You, Lord, are most high over all the earth.

1 The Lord is king: let the earth rejoice; ♦
let the multitude of the isles be glad.

2 Clouds and darkness are round about him; ♦
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

3 Fire goes before him ♦
and burns up his enemies on every side. R

4 His lightnings lit up the world; ♦
the earth saw it and trembled.

5 The mountains melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, ♦
at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.

6 The heavens declared his righteousness ♦
and all the peoples have seen his glory. R

7 Confounded be all who worship carved images
and delight in mere idols. ♦
Bow down before him, all you gods.

8 Zion heard and was glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoiced, ♦
because of your judgements, O Lord.

9 For you, Lord, are most high over all the earth; ♦
you are exalted far above all gods. R

10 The Lord loves those who hate evil; ♦
he preserves the lives of his faithful
and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

11 Light has sprung up for the righteous ♦
and joy for the true of heart.

12 Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, ♦
and give thanks to his holy name.

Refrain: You, Lord, are most high over all the earth.

Most high and holy God,
enthroned in fire and light,
burn away the dross of our lives
and kindle in us the fire of your love,
that our lives may reveal the light and life
we find in your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalm 149

Refrain: Sound praises to the Lord, all the earth.

1 Alleluia.
O sing to the Lord a new song; ♦
sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful.

2 Let Israel rejoice in their maker; ♦
let the children of Zion be joyful in their king.

3 Let them praise his name in the dance; ♦
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and lyre.

4 For the Lord has pleasure in his people ♦
and adorns the poor with salvation. R

5 Let the faithful be joyful in glory; ♦
let them rejoice in their ranks,

6 With the praises of God in their mouths ♦
and a two-edged sword in their hands;

7 To execute vengeance on the nations ♦
and punishment on the peoples;

8 To bind their kings in chains ♦
and their nobles with fetters of iron;

9 To execute on them the judgement decreed: ♦
such honour have all his faithful servants.
Alleluia.

Refrain: Sound praises to the Lord, all the earth.

Glorious and redeeming God,
give us hearts to praise you all our days
and wills to reject the world’s deceits,
that we may bind the evils of our age
and proclaim the good news of salvation
in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Each psalm or group of psalms may end with

AllGlory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.

If there are two Scripture readings, the first may be read here, or both may be read after the canticle.

Baruch 3.9 - 4.4

Hear the commandments of life, O Israel;
   give ear, and learn wisdom!
Why is it, O Israel, why is it that you are in the land of your enemies,
   that you are growing old in a foreign country,
that you are defiled with the dead,
   that you are counted among those in Hades?
You have forsaken the fountain of wisdom.
If you had walked in the way of God,
   you would be living in peace for ever.
Learn where there is wisdom,
   where there is strength,
   where there is understanding,
so that you may at the same time discern
   where there is length of days, and life,
   where there is light for the eyes, and peace.

Who has found her place?
   And who has entered her storehouses?
Where are the rulers of the nations,
   and those who lorded it over the animals on earth;
those who made sport of the birds of the air,
   and who hoarded up silver and gold
in which people trust,
   and there is no end to their getting;
those who schemed to get silver, and were anxious,
   but there is no trace of their works?
They have vanished and gone down to Hades,
   and others have arisen in their place.

Later generations have seen the light of day,
   and have lived upon the earth;
but they have not learned the way to knowledge,
   nor understood her paths,
   nor laid hold of her.
Their descendants have strayed far from her way.
She has not been heard of in Canaan,
   or seen in Teman;
the descendants of Hagar, who seek for understanding on the earth,
   the merchants of Merran and Teman,
   the story-tellers and the seekers for understanding,
have not learned the way to wisdom,
   or given thought to her paths.

O Israel, how great is the house of God,
   how vast the territory that he possesses!
It is great and has no bounds;
   it is high and immeasurable.
The giants were born there, who were famous of old,
   great in stature, expert in war.
God did not choose them,
   or give them the way to knowledge;
so they perished because they had no wisdom,
   they perished through their folly.

Who has gone up into heaven, and taken her,
   and brought her down from the clouds?
Who has gone over the sea, and found her,
   and will buy her for pure gold?
No one knows the way to her,
   or is concerned about the path to her.
But the one who knows all things knows her,
   he found her by his understanding.
The one who prepared the earth for all time
   filled it with four-footed creatures;
the one who sends forth the light, and it goes;
   he called it, and it obeyed him, trembling;
the stars shone in their watches, and were glad;
   he called them, and they said, ‘Here we are!’
   They shone with gladness for him who made them.
This is our God;
   no other can be compared to him.
He found the whole way to knowledge,
   and gave her to his servant Jacob
   and to Israel, whom he loved.
Afterwards she appeared on earth
   and lived with humankind.

She is the book of the commandments of God,
   the law that endures for ever.
All who hold her fast will live,
   and those who forsake her will die.
Turn, O Jacob, and take her;
   walk towards the shining of her light.
Do not give your glory to another,
   or your advantages to an alien people.
Happy are we, O Israel,
   for we know what is pleasing to God.

or Jeremiah 31.10-17

Canticle

A Song of the New Jerusalem, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 31 (page 582) or number 36 (page 587), may be said

Refrain:

AllAbove you the Holy One arises,
and above you God’s glory appears. Alleluia.

1Arise, shine out, for your light has come, ♦
the glory of the Lord is rising upon you.

2Though night still covers the earth, ♦
and darkness the peoples;

3Above you the Holy One arises, ♦
and above you God’s glory appears.

4The nations will come to your light, ♦
and kings to your dawning brightness.

5Your gates will lie open continually, ♦
shut neither by day nor by night.

6The sound of violence shall be heard no longer in your land, ♦
or ruin and devastation within your borders.

7You will call your walls, Salvation, ♦
and your gates, Praise.

8No more will the sun give you daylight, ♦
nor moonlight shine upon you;

9But the Lord will be your everlasting light, ♦
your God will be your splendour.

10For you shall be called the city of God, ♦
the dwelling of the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 60.1-3, 11a, 18, 19, 14b

AllGlory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.

AllAbove you the Holy One arises,
and above you God’s glory appears. Alleluia.

Scripture Reading

One or more readings appointed for the day are read.

The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence.

Matthew 23.1-12

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practise what they teach. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. They love to have the place of honour at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and to be greeted with respect in the market-places, and to have people call them rabbi. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father—the one in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.

A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow

O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;
Alllet the whole earth tremble before him.
Tell it out among the nations that the Lord is King.
AllO worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
Tell out his salvation from day to day.
AllLet the whole earth tremble before him.
Declare his glory among the nations
and his wonders among all peoples.
AllO worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;
let the whole earth tremble before him.

from Psalm 96

Gospel Canticle

The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah) is normally said, or A Song of the Blessed (page 606) may be said

Refrain:

AllThis is the Christ, the Chosen of God,
the one who will bring healing to the nations.

1Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, ♦
who has come to his people and set them free.

2He has raised up for us a mighty Saviour, ♦
born of the house of his servant David.

3Through his holy prophets God promised of old ♦
to save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all that hate us,

4To show mercy to our ancestors, ♦
and to remember his holy covenant.

5This was the oath God swore to our father Abraham: ♦
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

6Free to worship him without fear, ♦
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.

7And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, ♦
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,

8To give his people knowledge of salvation ♦
by the forgiveness of all their sins.

9In the tender compassion of our God ♦
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,

10To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, ♦
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Luke 1.68-79

AllGlory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.

Refrain:

AllThis is the Christ, the Chosen of God,
the one who will bring healing to the nations.

Prayers

Intercessions are offered
¶ for the day and its tasks
¶ for the world and its needs
¶ for the Church and her life

Prayers may include the following concerns from the cycle on pages 364–365

¶ The unity of the Church
¶ The peace of the world
¶ The healing of the sick
¶ The revelation of Christ to those from whom his glory is hidden
¶ All who travel

A form of prayer found on page 379 may be used.

These responses may be used

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer

(or)

Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.

Silence may be kept.

The Collect of the day is said

O God,
who by the leading of a star
manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth:
mercifully grant that we,
who know you now by faith,
may at last behold your glory face to face;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
AllAmen.

The Lord’s Prayer is said

Believing the promises of God,
as our Saviour taught us, so we pray

AllOur Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.

(or)

Believing the promises of God,
let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us

AllOur 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.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

The Conclusion

May Christ, who sends us to the nations,
give us the power of his Spirit.
AllAmen.

Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.
AllThanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.