Morning Prayer (Matins) in Contemporary Language

¶ Morning Prayer on Saturday
Saturday, 21 September 2019
Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist

Preparation

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

One or more of the following is said or sung:
a prayer of thanksgiving (page 109),
a suitable hymn,
or A Song of God’s Praise

1O God, you are my God; eagerly I seek you; ♦
my soul is athirst for you.

2My flesh also faints for you, ♦
as in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.

3So would I gaze upon you in your holy place, ♦
that I might behold your power and your glory.

4Your loving-kindness is better than life itself ♦
and so my lips shall praise you.

5I will bless you as long as I live ♦
and lift up my hands in your name.

6My soul shall be satisfied, as with marrow and fatness, ♦
and my mouth shall praise you with joyful lips,

7When I remember you upon my bed ♦
and meditate on you in the watches of the night.

8For you have been my helper ♦
and under the shadow of your wings will I rejoice.

9My soul clings to you; ♦
your right hand shall hold me fast.

Psalm 63.1-9

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 49

Refrain: Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.

1 Hear this, all you peoples; ♦
listen, all you that dwell in the world,

2 You of low or high degree, ♦
both rich and poor together.

3 My mouth shall speak of wisdom ♦
and my heart shall meditate on understanding.

4 I will incline my ear to a parable; ♦
I will unfold my riddle with the lyre. R

5 Why should I fear in evil days, ♦
when the malice of my foes surrounds me,

6 Such as trust in their goods ♦
and glory in the abundance of their riches?

7 For no one can indeed ransom another ♦
or pay to God the price of deliverance.

8 To ransom a soul is too costly; ♦
there is no price one could pay for it,

9 So that they might live for ever, ♦
and never see the grave.

10 For we see that the wise die also;
with the foolish and ignorant they perish ♦
and leave their riches to others.

11 Their tomb is their home for ever,
their dwelling through all generations, ♦
though they call their lands after their own names.

12 Those who have honour, but lack understanding, ♦
are like the beasts that perish. R

13 Such is the way of those who boast in themselves, ♦
the end of those who delight in their own words.

14 Like a flock of sheep they are destined to die;
death is their shepherd; ♦
they go down straight to the Pit.

15 Their beauty shall waste away, ♦
and the land of the dead shall be their dwelling.

16 But God shall ransom my soul; ♦
from the grasp of death will he take me. R

17 Be not afraid if some grow rich ♦
and the glory of their house increases,

18 For they will carry nothing away when they die, ♦
nor will their glory follow after them.

19 Though they count themselves happy while they live ♦
and praise you for your success,

20 They shall enter the company of their ancestors ♦
who will nevermore see the light.

21 Those who have honour, but lack understanding, ♦
are like the beasts that perish.

Refrain: Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.

Save us from envy, God our Redeemer,
and deliver us from the chains of wealth,
that, ransomed through your Son,
we may inherit the crown of everlasting life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 117

Refrain: Alleluia.

1 O praise the Lord, all you nations; ♦
praise him, all you peoples.

2 For great is his steadfast love towards us, ♦
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.
Alleluia.

Refrain: Alleluia.

Gracious God,
we praise you for your faithfulness
and pray that every nation may find your blessing
in the face 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.

1 Kings 19.15-21

Then the Lord said to him, ‘Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram. Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. Whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall kill; and whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill. Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.’

So he set out from there, and found Elisha son of Shaphat, who was ploughing. There were twelve yoke of oxen ahead of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle over him. He left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, ‘Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.’ Then Elijah said to him, ‘Go back again; for what have I done to you?’ He returned from following him, took the yoke of oxen, and slaughtered them; using the equipment from the oxen, he boiled their flesh, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out and followed Elijah, and became his servant.

Canticle

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

Refrain:

AllThe Lord has anointed me
and sent me to bring good news to the oppressed. Alleluia.

1The Spirit of the Lord is upon me ♦
because he has anointed me.

2He has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, ♦
to bind up the broken-hearted,

3To proclaim liberty to the captives, ♦
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

4To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour, ♦
to comfort all who mourn,

5To give them a garland instead of ashes, ♦
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit,

6That they may be called oaks of righteousness, ♦
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

7For as the earth puts forth her blossom, ♦
and as seeds in the garden spring up,

8So shall the Lord God make righteousness and praise ♦
blossom before all the nations.

9You shall be called priests of the Lord; ♦
they shall speak of you as ministers of our God.

Isaiah 61.1-3, 11, 6a

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.

AllThe Lord has anointed me
and sent me to bring good news to the oppressed. Alleluia.

Scripture Reading

One or more readings appointed for the day are read.

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

2 Timothy 3.14-17

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.

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

Your salvation is near to those who fear you;
that glory may dwell in our land.
AllYour salvation is near to those who fear you;
that glory may dwell in our land.
Mercy and truth have met together;
righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
AllThat glory may dwell in our land.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.
AllYour salvation is near to those who fear you;
that glory may dwell in our land.

from Psalm 85

Gospel Canticle

The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah) is normally said,
or the Te Deum Laudamus (A Song of the Church) (page 636) may be said

Refrain:

AllYou did not choose me but I chose you
and I appointed you to go out and bear fruit, the fruit that shall last. Alleluia.

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 did not choose me but I chose you
and I appointed you to go out and bear fruit, the fruit that shall last. Alleluia.

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

¶ Our homes, families, friends and all whom we love
¶ Those whose time is spent caring for others
¶ Those who are close to death
¶ Those who have lost hope
¶ The worship of the Church

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

O Almighty God,
whose blessed Son called Matthew the tax collector
to be an apostle and evangelist:
give us grace to forsake the selfish pursuit of gain
      and the possessive love of riches
that we may follow in the way of your Son Jesus Christ,
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.