Morning Prayer (Matins) in Contemporary Language

Blessed are you, creator of all,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As your dawn renews the face of the earth
bringing light and life to all creation,
may we rejoice in this day you have made;
as we wake refreshed from the depths of sleep,
open our eyes to behold your presence
and strengthen our hands to do your will,
that the world may rejoice and give you praise.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
AllBlessed be God for ever.

after Lancelot Andrewes (1626)

or a suitable hymn,

or A Song of God’s Glorious Name

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 119.57-80

Refrain: I know, O Lord, that your judgements are right.

57 You only are my portion, O Lord; ♦
I have promised to keep your words.

58 I entreat you with all my heart, ♦
be merciful to me according to your promise.

59 I have considered my ways ♦
and turned my feet back to your testimonies.

60 I made haste and did not delay ♦
to keep your commandments. R

61 Though the cords of the wicked entangle me, ♦
I do not forget your law.

62 At midnight I will rise to give you thanks, ♦
because of your righteous judgements.

63 I am a companion of all those who fear you, ♦
those who keep your commandments.

64 The earth, O Lord, is full of your faithful love; ♦
instruct me in your statutes. R

65 You have dealt graciously with your servant, ♦
according to your word, O Lord.

66 O teach me true understanding and knowledge, ♦
for I have trusted in your commandments.

67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, ♦
but now I keep your word.

68 You are gracious and do good; ♦
O Lord, teach me your statutes. R

69 The proud have smeared me with lies, ♦
but I will keep your commandments with my whole heart.

70 Their heart has become gross with fat, ♦
but my delight is in your law.

71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted, ♦
that I may learn your statutes.

72 The law of your mouth is dearer to me ♦
than a hoard of gold and silver. R

73 Your hands have made me and fashioned me; ♦
give me understanding, that I may learn your commandments.

74 Those who fear you will be glad when they see me, ♦
because I have hoped in your word.

75 I know, O Lord, that your judgements are right, ♦
and that in very faithfulness you caused me to be troubled.

76 Let your faithful love be my comfort, ♦
according to your promise to your servant. R

77 Let your tender mercies come to me, that I may live, ♦
for your law is my delight.

78 Let the proud be put to shame, for they wrong me with lies; ♦
but I will meditate on your commandments.

79 Let those who fear you turn to me, ♦
even those who know your testimonies.

80 Let my heart be sound in your statutes, ♦
that I may not be put to shame.

Refrain: I know, O Lord, that your judgements are right.

God our comforter,
send your Holy Spirit
to reveal your hidden mercy
even in our failures and troubles;
for the sake of 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.

Job 22

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:
‘Can a mortal be of use to God?
   Can even the wisest be of service to him?
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous,
   or is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless?
Is it for your piety that he reproves you,
   and enters into judgement with you?
Is not your wickedness great?
   There is no end to your iniquities.
For you have exacted pledges from your family for no reason,
   and stripped the naked of their clothing.
You have given no water to the weary to drink,
   and you have withheld bread from the hungry.
The powerful possess the land,
   and the favoured live in it.
You have sent widows away empty-handed,
   and the arms of the orphans you have crushed.
Therefore snares are around you,
   and sudden terror overwhelms you,
or darkness so that you cannot see;
   a flood of water covers you.

‘Is not God high in the heavens?
   See the highest stars, how lofty they are!
Therefore you say, “What does God know?
   Can he judge through the deep darkness?
Thick clouds enwrap him, so that he does not see,
   and he walks on the dome of heaven.”
Will you keep to the old way
   that the wicked have trod?
They were snatched away before their time;
   their foundation was washed away by a flood.
They said to God, “Leave us alone”,
   and “What can the Almighty do to us?”
Yet he filled their houses with good things—
   but the plans of the wicked are repugnant to me.
The righteous see it and are glad;
   the innocent laugh them to scorn,
saying, “Surely our adversaries are cut off,
   and what they left, the fire has consumed.”

‘Agree with God, and be at peace;
   in this way good will come to you.
Receive instruction from his mouth,
   and lay up his words in your heart.
If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored,
   if you remove unrighteousness from your tents,
if you treat gold like dust,
   and gold of Ophir like the stones of the torrent-bed,
and if the Almighty is your gold
   and your precious silver,
then you will delight in the Almighty,
   and lift up your face to God.
You will pray to him, and he will hear you,
   and you will pay your vows.
You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you,
   and light will shine on your ways.
When others are humiliated, you say it is pride;
   for he saves the humble.
He will deliver even those who are guilty;
   they will escape because of the cleanness of your hands.’

Canticle

A Song of the Word of the Lord, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 35 (page 586), may be said

Refrain:

AllReturn to the Lord, who will have mercy,
to our God, who will richly pardon. Alleluia.

1Seek the Lord while he may be found, ♦
call upon him while he is near;

2Let the wicked abandon their ways, ♦
and the unrighteous their thoughts;

3Return to the Lord, who will have mercy; ♦
to our God, who will richly pardon.

4‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, ♦
neither are your ways my ways,’ says the Lord.

5‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, ♦
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

6‘As the rain and the snow come down from above, ♦
and return not again but water the earth,

7‘Bringing forth life and giving growth, ♦
seed for sowing and bread to eat,

8‘So is my word that goes forth from my mouth; ♦
it will not return to me fruitless,

9‘But it will accomplish that which I purpose, ♦
and succeed in the task I gave it.’

Isaiah 55.6-11

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.

AllReturn to the Lord, who will have mercy,
to our God, who will richly pardon. Alleluia.

Scripture Reading

One or more readings appointed for the day are read.

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

Romans 10.1-10

Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. I can testify that they have a zeal for God, but it is not enlightened. For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that ‘the person who does these things will live by them.’ But the righteousness that comes from faith says, ‘Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?” ’ (that is, to bring Christ down) ‘or “Who will descend into the abyss?” ’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say?
‘The word is near you,
   on your lips and in your heart’
(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.

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

Lord, you will guide me with your counsel
and afterwards receive me with glory.
AllLord, you will guide me with your counsel
and afterwards receive me with glory.
For I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
AllAnd afterwards receive me with glory.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.
AllLord, you will guide me with your counsel
and afterwards receive me with glory.

from Psalm 73

Gospel Canticle

The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah) is normally said,
or A Song of Redemption (page 620) may be said

Refrain:

AllYou show mercy to our ancestors,
and remember your holy covenant.

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:

AllYou show mercy to our ancestors,
and remember your holy covenant.

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 362–363

¶ The social services
¶ All who work in the criminal justice system
¶ Victims and perpetrators of crime
¶ The work of aid agencies throughout the world
¶ Those living in poverty or under oppression

One of the forms of prayer found on pages 362–371 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

Lord, you have taught us
that all our doings without love are nothing worth:
send your Holy Spirit
and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of love,
the true bond of peace and of all virtues,
without which whoever lives is counted dead before you.
Grant this for your only Son Jesus Christ's sake,
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

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)

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

The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil,
and keep us in eternal life.
AllAmen.

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