Morning Prayer (Matins) in Traditional Language

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				Morning Prayer from
				*The Book of Common Prayer*
				Saturday, 31 January 2026
				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 144

		1		Blessed be the Lord my strength * who teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight;

		2		My hope and my fortress, my castle and deliverer, my defender in whom I trust * who subdueth my people that is under me.

		3		Lord, what is man, that thou hast such respect unto him * or the son of man, that thou so regardest him?

		4		Man is like a thing of nought * his time passeth away like a shadow.

		5		Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down * touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.

		6		Cast forth thy lightning, and tear them * shoot out thine arrows, and consume them.

		7		Send down thine hand from above * deliver me, and take me out of the great waters, from the hand of strange children;

		8		Whose mouth talketh of vanity * and their right hand is a right hand of wickedness.

		9		I will sing a new song unto thee, O God * and sing praises unto thee upon a ten-stringed lute.

		10		Thou hast given victory unto kings * and hast delivered David thy servant from the peril of the sword.

		11		Save me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children * whose mouth talketh of vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of iniquity.

		12		That our sons may grow up as the young plants * and that our daughters may be as the polished corners of the temple.

		13		That our garners may be full and plenteous with all manner of store * that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets.

		14		That our oxen may be strong to labour, that there be no decay * no leading into captivity, and no complaining in our streets.

		15		Happy are the people that are in such a case * yea, blessed are the people who have the Lord for their God.
				Psalm 145

		1		I will magnify thee, O God, my King * and I will praise thy Name for ever and ever.

		2		Every day will I give thanks unto thee * and praise thy Name for ever and ever.

		3		Great is the Lord, and marvellous worthy to be praised * there is no end of his greatness.

		4		One generation shall praise thy works unto another * and declare thy power.

		5		As for me, I will be talking of thy worship * thy glory, thy praise, and wondrous works;

		6		So that men shall speak of the might of thy marvellous acts * and I will also tell of thy greatness.

		7		The memorial of thine abundant kindness shall be shewed * and men shall sing of thy righteousness.

		8		The Lord is gracious, and merciful * long-suffering, and of great goodness.

		9		The Lord is loving unto every man * and his mercy is over all his works.

		10		All thy works praise thee, O Lord * and thy saints give thanks unto thee.

		11		They shew the glory of thy kingdom * and talk of thy power;

		12		That thy power, thy glory, and mightiness of thy kingdom * might be known unto men.

		13		Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom * and thy dominion endureth throughout all ages.

		14		The Lord upholdeth all such as fall * and lifteth up all those that are down.

		15		The eyes of all wait upon thee, O Lord * and thou givest them their meat in due season.

		16		Thou openest thine hand * and fillest all things living with plenteousness.

		17		The Lord is righteous in all his ways * and holy in all his works.

		18		The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him * yea, all such as call upon him faithfully.

		19		He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him * he also will hear their cry, and will help them.

		20		The Lord preserveth all them that love him * but scattereth abroad all the ungodly.

		21		My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord * and let all flesh give thanks unto his holy Name for ever and ever.
				Psalm 146

		1		Praise the Lord, O my soul; while I live will I praise the Lord * yea, as long as I have any being, I will sing praises unto my God.

		2		O put not your trust in princes, nor in any child of man * for there is no help in them.

		3		For when the breath of man goeth forth he shall turn again to his earth * and then all his thoughts perish.

		4		Blessed is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help * and whose hope is in the Lord his God;

		5		Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that therein is * who keepeth his promise for ever.

		6		Who helpeth them to right that suffer wrong * who feedeth the hungry.

		7		The Lord looseth men out of prison * the Lord giveth sight to the blind.

		8		The Lord helpeth them that are fallen * the Lord careth for the righteous.

		9		The Lord careth for the strangers; he defendeth the fatherless and widow * as for the way of the ungodly, he turneth it upside down.

		10		The Lord thy God, O Sion, shall be King for evermore * and throughout all generations.


				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: Genesis 17.1-22 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant. And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her. Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year. And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

				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: Matthew 27.1-10 When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; And gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me.

				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

				Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities, and in all our dangers and necessities stretch forth thy right hand to help and defend us; 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.

© The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England, 2000-2004
All of the official Common Worship publications are available from Church House Publishing.

Daily Prayer

Morning Prayer (Matins) in Traditional Language

Psalm 144

Psalm 145

Psalm 146

First Reading: Genesis 17.1-22

Second Reading: Matthew 27.1-10