12.49am on Monday 8 June 2026

Morning Prayer (Matins) in Traditional Language


Please note: Daily Prayer provided by the official Church of England web site, © The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England, 2002-2004.

 

  Morning Prayer from
    The Book of Common Prayer
    Sunday, 7 June 2026
The First Sunday after Trinity
  The introduction to the service is used on Sundays, and may be used on any occasion. If the Introduction is not used, the service begins with the opening responses.
  Introduction
   
  The minister may use a seasonal sentence before using one or more of the penitential sentences.
   
  The minister introduces the service
     
    Dearly beloved [brethren],
    the Scripture moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge
       and confess our manifold sins and wickedness;
     
    [and that we should not dissemble nor cloak them before
       the face of almighty God our heavenly Father;
    but confess them with an humble, lowly, penitent and
       obedient heart;
    to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same
       by his infinite goodness and mercy.
    And although we ought at all times humbly to acknowledge
       our sins before God;
    yet ought we most chiefly so to do,
    when we assemble and meet together
    to render thanks for the great benefits that we have
       received at his hands,
    to set forth his most worthy praise,
    to hear his most holy word,
    and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary,
    as well for the body as the soul.]
     
    Wherefore I pray and beseech you,
    as many as are here present,
    to accompany me with a pure heart, and humble voice,
    unto the throne of the heavenly grace, saying [after me]:
     
    (or)
     
    Beloved, we are come together in the presence of almighty God and of the whole company of heaven to offer unto him through our Lord Jesus Christ our worship and praise and thanksgiving; to make confession of our sins; to pray, as well for others as for ourselves, that we may know more truly the greatness of God's love and shew forth in our lives the fruits of his grace; and to ask on behalf of all men such things as their well-being doth require.
     
    Wherefore let us kneel in silence, and remember God's presence with us now.
   
All
  Almighty and most merciful Father,
    we have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep.
    We have followed too much the devices and desires
       of our own hearts.
    We have offended against thy holy laws.
    We have left undone those things
       which we ought to have done;
    and we have done those things
         which we ought not to have done;
    and there is no health in us.
    But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders.
    Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults.
    Restore thou them that are penitent;
    according to thy promises declared unto mankind
       in Christ Jesu our Lord.
    And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake,
    that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life,
    to the glory of thy holy name.
  Amen.
   
  A priest says
     
    Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
    who desireth not the death of a sinner,
    but rather that he may turn from his wickedness and live;
    and hath given power, and commandment, to his ministers
    to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent,
    the absolution and remission of their sins:
    he pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent
       and unfeignedly believe his holy gospel.
    Wherefore let us beseech him to grant us true repentance,
       and his Holy Spirit,
    that those things may please him which we do at this present;
    and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy;
    so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy;
    through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All
  Amen.
   
  or other ministers may say
     
    Grant, we beseech thee, merciful Lord,
    to thy faithful people pardon and peace,
    that they may be cleansed from all their sins,
    and serve thee with a quiet mind;
    through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All
  Amen.
   
All
  Our Father, which art in heaven,
    hallowed be thy name;
    thy kingdom come;
    thy will be done,
    in earth as it is in heaven.
    Give us this day our daily bread.
    And forgive us our trespasses,
  as we forgive them that 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.
  Morning Prayer
   
  The introduction to the service is used on Sundays, and may be used on any occasion. If the Introduction is not used, the service begins with the opening responses.
   
  These responses are used
     
    O Lord, open thou our lips
All
  and our mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
     
    O God, make speed to save us.
All
  O Lord, make haste to help us.
     
    Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Ghost;
All
  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
    world without end. Amen.
     
    Praise ye the Lord.
All
  The Lord's name be praised.
     
Venite, exultemus Domino  
     
1
  O come, let us sing unto the Lord :
    let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.
     
2
  Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving :
    and shew ourselves glad in him with psalms.
     
3
  For the Lord is a great God :
    and a great King above all gods.
     
4
  In his hand are all the corners of the earth :
    and the strength of the hills is his also.
     
5
  The sea is his, and he made it :
    and his hands prepared the dry land.
     
6
  O come, let us worship, and fall down :
    and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
     
7
  For he is the Lord our God :
    and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
     
[8
  Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts :
    as in the provocation,
         and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness;
     
9
  When your fathers tempted me :
    proved me, and saw my works.
     
10
  Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said :
    It is a people that do err in their hearts,
       for they have not known my ways.
     
11
  Unto whom I sware in my wrath :
    that they should not enter into my rest.]
   
Psalm 95
     
    Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
    and to the Holy Ghost;
    as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
    world without end. Amen.
     
Psalmody  
   

Psalm 38

  
 

  
1
 Put me not to rebuke, O Lord, in thine anger *
 neither chasten me in thy heavy displeasure.
  
 
  
2
 For thine arrows stick fast in me *
 and thy hand presseth me sore.
  
 
  
3
 There is no health in my flesh, because of thy displeasure *
 neither is there any rest in my bones, by reason of my sin.
  
 
  
4
 For my wickednesses are gone over my head *
 and are like a sore burden, too heavy for me to bear.
  
 
  
5
 My wounds stink, and are corrupt *
 through my foolishness.
  
 
  
6
 I am brought into so great trouble and misery *
 that I go mourning all the day long.
  
 
  
7
 For my loins are filled with a sore disease *
 and there is no whole part in my body.
  
 
  
8
 I am feeble, and sore smitten *
 I have roared for the very disquietness of my heart.
  
 
  
9
 Lord, thou knowest all my desire *
 and my groaning is not hid from thee.
  
 
  
10
 My heart panteth, my strength hath failed me *
 and the sight of mine eyes is gone from me.
  
 
  
11
 My lovers and my neighbours did stand looking upon my trouble *
 and my kinsmen stood afar off.
  
 
  
12
 They also that sought after my life laid snares for me *
 and they that went about to do me evil talked of wickedness, and imagined deceit all the day long.
  
 
  
13
 As for me, I was like a deaf man, and heard not *
 and as one that is dumb, who doth not open his mouth.
  
 
  
14
 I became even as a man that heareth not *
 and in whose mouth are no reproofs.
  
 
  
15
 For in thee, O Lord, have I put my trust *
 thou shalt answer for me, O Lord my God.
  
 
  
16
 I have required that they, even mine enemies, should not triumph over me *
 for when my foot slipped, they rejoiced greatly against me.
  
 
  
17
 And I, truly, am set in the plague *
 and my heaviness is ever in my sight.
  
 
  
18
 For I will confess my wickedness *
 and be sorry for my sin.
  
 
  
19
 But mine enemies live, and are mighty *
 and they that hate me wrongfully are many in number.
  
 
  
20
 They also that reward evil for good are against me *
 because I follow the thing that good is.
  
 
  
21
 Forsake me not, O Lord my God *
 be not thou far from me.
  
 
  
22
 Haste thee to help me *
 O Lord God of my salvation.
  
 
   
  At the end of each psalm these words are said or sung
   
  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
  and to the Holy Ghost;
  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
  world without end. Amen.
   
  Old Testament Reading  
   

First Reading: Deuteronomy 6.10-end

And it shall be, when the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not,
And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full;
Then beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.
Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;
(For the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.
Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.
Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee.
And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the Lord: that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers.
To cast out all thine enemies from before thee, as the Lord hath spoken.
And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord our God hath commanded you?
Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh’s bondmen in Egypt; and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand:
And the Lord shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes:
And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers.
And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.
And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us.

   
  Te Deum Laudamus  
   
  Either the Te Deum Laudamus (as follows) or Benedicite, omnia opera is said or sung.
   
  We praise thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
  All the earth doth worship thee, the Father everlasting.
  To thee all angels cry aloud, the heavens and all the powers therein.
  To thee cherubin and seraphin continually do cry,
  Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth;
  Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory.
  The glorious company of the apostles praise thee.
  The goodly fellowship of the prophets praise thee.
  The noble army of martyrs praise thee.
  The holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge thee:
  the Father of an infinite majesty;
  thine honourable, true and only Son;
  also the Holy Ghost the Comforter.
   
  Thou art the King of glory, O Christ.
  Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
  When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man,
       thou didst not abhor the Virgin's womb.
  When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death,
       thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
  Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.
  We believe that thou shalt come to be our judge.
  We therefore pray thee, help thy servants,
       whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
  Make them to be numbered with thy saints in glory everlasting.
   
  O Lord, save thy people and bless thine heritage.
  Govern them and lift them up for ever.
  Day by day we magnify thee;
  and we worship thy name, ever world without end.
  Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin.
  O Lord, have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us.
  O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us, as our trust is in thee.
  O Lord, in thee have I trusted; let me never be confounded.
   
  New Testament Reading  
   

Second Reading: Acts 22.22 – 23.11

The crowd gave Paul audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.
And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air,
The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.
And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?
When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.
Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.
And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.
Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.
On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.

 

And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.

And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth.
Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?
And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God’s high priest?
Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.
But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.
And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided.
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.
And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees’ part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.
And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle.
And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.

   
  Benedictus  
   
  Either The Benedictus (as follows) or Jubilate Deo (Psalm 100) is said or sung.
   
 
1
  Blessed be the Lord God of Israel :
  for he hath visited, and redeemed his people;
   
 
2
  And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us :
  in the house of his servant David;
   
 
3
  As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets :
  which have been since the world began;
   
 
4
  That we should be saved from our enemies :
  and from the hands of all that hate us;
   
 
5
  To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers :
      and to remember his holy covenant;
       
 
6
  To perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham :
      that he would give us,
       
 
7
  That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies :
      might serve him without fear,
       
 
8
  In holiness and righteousness before him :
      all the days of our life.
       
 
9
  And thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest :
      for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
       
 
10
  To give knowledge of salvation unto his people :
      for the remission of their sins;
       
 
11
  Through the tender mercy of our God :
      whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us;
       
 
12
  To give light to them that sit in darkness,
         and in the shadow of death :
      and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
     
Luke 1.68-79
   
  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
  and to the Holy Ghost;
  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
  world without end. Amen.
   
  The Apostles' Creed  
   
All
  I believe in God the Father almighty,
    maker of heaven and earth:
  and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord,
    who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
    born of the Virgin Mary,
    suffered under Pontius Pilate,
    was crucified, dead, and buried.
    He descended into hell;
    the third day he rose again from the dead;
    he ascended into heaven,
    and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty;
    from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
    I believe in the Holy Ghost;
    the holy catholic Church;
    the communion of saints;
    the forgiveness of sins;
    the resurrection of the body,
    and the life everlasting.
    Amen.
     
  Prayers  
     
    The Lord be with you.
All
  And with thy spirit.
     
    Let us pray.
     
    Lord, have mercy upon us.
All
  Christ, have mercy upon us.
    Lord, have mercy upon us.
     
All
  Our Father, which art in heaven,
    hallowed be thy name;
    thy kingdom come;
    thy will be done,
    in earth as it is in heaven.
    Give us this day our daily bread.
    And forgive us our trespasses,
    as we forgive them that trespass against us.
    And lead us not into temptation;
    but deliver us from evil. Amen.
     
    O Lord, shew thy mercy upon us.
All
  And grant us thy salvation.
     
    O Lord, save the King.
All
  And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.
     
    Endue thy ministers with righteousness.
All
  And make thy chosen people joyful.
     
    O Lord, save thy people.
All
  And bless thine inheritance.
     
    Give peace in our time, O Lord.
All
  Because there is none other that fighteth for us,
  but only thou, O God.
     
    O God, make clean our hearts within us.
All
  And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.
     
  Three Collects are said.
     
The Collect of the Day  
     
    O God, the strength of all them that put their trust in thee, mercifully accept our prayers; and because through the weakness of our mortal nature we can do no good thing without thee, grant us the help of thy grace, that in keeping of thy commandments we may please thee, both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All
  Amen.
     
     
The Collect for Peace  
     
    O God, who art the author of peace and lover of concord,
    in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life,
    whose service is perfect freedom;
    defend us thy humble servants in all assaults of our enemies;
    that we, surely trusting in thy defence,
    may not fear the power of any adversaries;
    through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord.
All
  Amen.
     
The Collect for Grace  
     
    O Lord, our heavenly Father,
    almighty and everlasting God,
    who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day;
    defend us in the same with thy mighty power;
    and grant that this day we fall into no sin,
    neither run into any kind of danger,
    but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance,
    to do always that is righteous in thy sight;
    through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All
  Amen.
     
  The order for the end of the service may include:
     
  hymns or anthems
    a sermon
    further prayers (which may include prayers from here)
     
  This prayer may be used to conclude the service
     
    The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
    and the love of God,
    and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost,
    be with us all evermore.
All
  Amen.
   

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