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 30

Refrain: You brought me up, O Lord, from the dead.

1 I will exalt you, O Lord,
because you have raised me up ♦
and have not let my foes triumph over me.

2 O Lord my God, I cried out to you ♦
and you have healed me.

3 You brought me up, O Lord, from the dead; ♦
you restored me to life from among those that go down to the Pit.

4 Sing to the Lord, you servants of his; ♦
give thanks to his holy name.

5 For his wrath endures but the twinkling of an eye,
his favour for a lifetime. ♦
Heaviness may endure for a night,
but joy comes in the morning. R

6 In my prosperity I said,
‘I shall never be moved. ♦
You, Lord, of your goodness,
have made my hill so strong.’

7 Then you hid your face from me ♦
and I was utterly dismayed.

8 To you, O Lord, I cried; ♦
to the Lord I made my supplication:

9 ‘What profit is there in my blood,
if I go down to the Pit? ♦
Will the dust praise you or declare your faithfulness?

10 ‘Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me; ♦
O Lord, be my helper.’ R

11 You have turned my mourning into dancing; ♦
you have put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness;

12 Therefore my heart sings to you without ceasing; ♦
O Lord my God, I will give you thanks for ever.

Refrain: You brought me up, O Lord, from the dead.

Lord, you hide your face
when we trust in ourselves;
strip us of false security
and re-clothe us in your praise,
that we may know you
as the one who raises us from death,
as you raised your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Psalm 32

Refrain: Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord.

1 Happy the one whose transgression is forgiven, ♦
and whose sin is covered.

2 Happy the one to whom the Lord imputes no guilt, ♦
and in whose spirit there is no guile.

3 For I held my tongue; ♦
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all the day long.

4 Your hand was heavy upon me day and night; ♦
my moisture was dried up like the drought in summer. R

5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you ♦
and my iniquity I did not hide.

6 I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ ♦
and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

7 Therefore let all the faithful make their prayers to you
in time of trouble; ♦
in the great water flood, it shall not reach them.

8 You are a place for me to hide in;
you preserve me from trouble; ♦
you surround me with songs of deliverance. R

9 ‘I will instruct you and teach you
in the way that you should go; ♦
I will guide you with my eye.

10 ‘Be not like horse and mule which have no understanding; ♦
whose mouths must be held with bit and bridle,
or else they will not stay near you.’

11 Great tribulations remain for the wicked, ♦
but mercy embraces those who trust in the Lord.

12 Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord; ♦
shout for joy, all who are true of heart.

Refrain: Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord.

Give us honest hearts, O God,
and send your kindly Spirit
to help us confess our sins
and bring us the peace of your forgiveness;
in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 150

Refrain: Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

1 Alleluia.
O praise God in his holiness; ♦
praise him in the firmament of his power.

2 Praise him for his mighty acts; ♦
praise him according to his excellent greatness. R

3 Praise him with the blast of the trumpet; ♦
praise him upon the harp and lyre.

4 Praise him with timbrel and dances; ♦
praise him upon the strings and pipe. R

5 Praise him with ringing cymbals; ♦
praise him upon the clashing cymbals.

6 Let everything that has breath ♦
praise the Lord.
Alleluia.

Refrain: Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

God of life and love,
whose Son was victorious over sin and death,
make us alive with his life,
that the whole world may resound with your praise;
through 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.

1 Samuel 16.14-end

Now the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. And Saul’s servants said to him, ‘See now, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. Let our lord now command the servants who attend you to look for someone who is skilful in playing the lyre; and when the evil spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will feel better.’ So Saul said to his servants, ‘Provide for me someone who can play well, and bring him to me.’ One of the young men answered, ‘I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is skilful in playing, a man of valour, a warrior, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence; and the Lord is with him.’ So Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, ‘Send me your son David who is with the sheep.’ Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a kid, and sent them by his son David to Saul. And David came to Saul, and entered his service. Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armour-bearer. Saul sent to Jesse, saying, ‘Let David remain in my service, for he has found favour in my sight.’ And whenever the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand, and Saul would be relieved and feel better, and the evil spirit would depart from him.

Canticle

The following, or another suitable canticle, may be said or sung

Refrain:

AllMany waters cannot quench love;
neither can the floods drown it. Alleluia.

1Set me as a seal upon your heart, ♦
as a seal upon your arm;

2For love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave; ♦
its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame.

3Many waters cannot quench love, ♦
neither can the floods drown it.

4If all the wealth of our house were offered for love, ♦
it would be utterly scorned.

cf Song of Solomon 8.6, 7

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.

AllMany waters cannot quench love;
neither can the floods drown it. Alleluia.

Scripture Reading

One or more readings appointed for the day are read.

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

Luke 8.1-3

Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources.

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:

All After the Sabbath, towards the dawn of the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene went to the tomb.

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:

All After the Sabbath, towards the dawn of the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene went to the tomb.

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

Almighty God,
whose Son restored Mary Magdalene
      to health of mind and body
and called her to be a witness to his resurrection:
forgive our sins and heal us by your grace,
that we may serve you in the power of his risen life;
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.