Morning Prayer (Matins) in Contemporary Language

¶ Morning Prayer
from All Saints’ Day until
the day before the First Sunday of Advent
Friday, 7 November 2025
Willibrord of York, Bishop, Apostle of Frisia, 739 [Lesser Festival]

Preparation

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

Your faithful servants bless you.
AllThey make known the glory of your kingdom. Alleluia.

One or more of the following is said or sung:

this or another prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Sovereign God,
ruler and judge of all,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
In the darkness of this age that is passing away
may the light of your presence which the saints enjoy
surround our steps as we journey on.
May we reflect your glory this day
and so be made ready to see your face
in the heavenly city where night shall be no more.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
AllBlessed be God for ever.

a suitable hymn, or A Song of Trust in God

1As the deer longs for the water brooks, ♦
so longs my soul for you, O God.

2My soul is athirst for God, even for the living God; ♦
when shall I come before the presence of God?

3My tears have been my bread day and night, ♦
while all day long they say to me, ‘Where is now your God?’

4Now when I think on these things, I pour out my soul: ♦
how I went with the multitude
and led the procession to the house of God,

5With the voice of praise and thanksgiving, ♦
among those who kept holy day.

6Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul, ♦
and why are you so disquieted within me?

7O put your trust in God; ♦
for I will yet give him thanks,
who is the help of my countenance, and my God.

Psalm 42.1-7

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.

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 16

Refrain: The Lord is at my right hand; I shall not fall.

1 Preserve me, O God, for in you have I taken refuge; ♦
I have said to the Lord, ‘You are my lord,
all my good depends on you.’

2 All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land, ♦
upon those who are noble in heart.

3 Though the idols are legion that many run after, ♦
their drink offerings of blood I will not offer,
neither make mention of their names upon my lips.

4 The Lord himself is my portion and my cup; ♦
in your hands alone is my fortune.

5 My share has fallen in a fair land; ♦
indeed, I have a goodly heritage. R

6 I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel, ♦
and in the night watches he instructs my heart.

7 I have set the Lord always before me; ♦
he is at my right hand; I shall not fall.

8 Wherefore my heart is glad and my spirit rejoices; ♦
my flesh also shall rest secure.

9 For you will not abandon my soul to Death, ♦
nor suffer your faithful one to see the Pit.

10 You will show me the path of life;
in your presence is the fullness of joy ♦
and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.

Refrain: The Lord is at my right hand; I shall not fall.

Give to us, Lord Christ,
the fullness of grace,
your presence and your very self,
for you are our portion and our delight,
now and for ever.

Psalm 149

Refrain: Sound praises to the Lord, all the earth.

1 Alleluia.
O sing to the Lord a new song; ♦
sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful.

2 Let Israel rejoice in their maker; ♦
let the children of Zion be joyful in their king.

3 Let them praise his name in the dance; ♦
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and lyre.

4 For the Lord has pleasure in his people ♦
and adorns the poor with salvation. R

5 Let the faithful be joyful in glory; ♦
let them rejoice in their ranks,

6 With the praises of God in their mouths ♦
and a two-edged sword in their hands;

7 To execute vengeance on the nations ♦
and punishment on the peoples;

8 To bind their kings in chains ♦
and their nobles with fetters of iron;

9 To execute on them the judgement decreed: ♦
such honour have all his faithful servants.
Alleluia.

Refrain: Sound praises to the Lord, all the earth.

Glorious and redeeming God,
give us hearts to praise you all our days
and wills to reject the world’s deceits,
that we may bind the evils of our age
and proclaim the good news of salvation
in 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.

Isaiah 3.1-15

For now the Sovereign, the Lord of hosts,
   is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah
support and staff—
   all support of bread,
   and all support of water—
warrior and soldier,
   judge and prophet,
   diviner and elder,
captain of fifty
   and dignitary,
counsellor and skilful magician
   and expert enchanter.
And I will make boys their princes,
   and babes shall rule over them.
The people will be oppressed,
   everyone by another
   and everyone by a neighbour;
the youth will be insolent to the elder,
   and the base to the honourable.

Someone will even seize a relative,
   a member of the clan, saying,
‘You have a cloak;
   you shall be our leader,
and this heap of ruins
   shall be under your rule.’
But the other will cry out on that day, saying,
‘I will not be a healer;
   in my house there is neither bread nor cloak;
you shall not make me
   leader of the people.’
For Jerusalem has stumbled
   and Judah has fallen,
because their speech and their deeds are against the Lord,
   defying his glorious presence.

The look on their faces bears witness against them;
   they proclaim their sin like Sodom,
   they do not hide it.
Woe to them!
   For they have brought evil on themselves.
Tell the innocent how fortunate they are,
   for they shall eat the fruit of their labours.
Woe to the guilty! How unfortunate they are,
   for what their hands have done shall be done to them.
My people—children are their oppressors,
   and women rule over them.
O my people, your leaders mislead you,
   and confuse the course of your paths.

The Lord rises to argue his case;
   he stands to judge the peoples.
The Lord enters into judgement
   with the elders and princes of his people:
It is you who have devoured the vineyard;
   the spoil of the poor is in your houses.
What do you mean by crushing my people,
   by grinding the face of the poor? says the Lord God of hosts.

Canticle

A Song of the New Creation, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 28 (page 579), number 46 (page 598) or number 47 (page 599), may be said

Refrain:

AllI will make a way in the wilderness,
and rivers in the desert. Alleluia.

1‘I am the Lord, your Holy One, ♦
the Creator of Israel, your King.’

2Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, ♦
a path in the mighty waters,

3‘Remember not the former things, ♦
nor consider the things of old.

4‘Behold, I am doing a new thing; ♦
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

5‘I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert, ♦
to give drink to my chosen people,

6‘The people whom I formed for myself, ♦
that they might declare my praise.’

Isaiah 43.15, 16, 18, 19, 20c, 21

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.

AllI will make a way in the wilderness,
and rivers in the desert. Alleluia.

Scripture Reading

One or more readings appointed for the day are read.

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

Matthew 4.1-11

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ But he answered, ‘It is written,
“One does not live by bread alone,
   but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” ’

Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,
“He will command his angels concerning you”,
   and “On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” ’
Jesus said to him, ‘Again it is written, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” ’

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour; and he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! for it is written,
“Worship the Lord your God,
   and serve only him.” ’
Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

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

I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord,
Allmy lips shall proclaim your faithfulness.
The heavens bear witness to your wonders;
AllI will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.
The assembly of your saints proclaims your truth;
Allmy lips shall proclaim your faithfulness.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.
AllI will sing for ever of your love, O Lord,
my lips shall proclaim your faithfulness.

from Psalm 89

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:

AllChrist gave them as a light to the nations
that his salvation might reach to the ends of the earth. 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:

AllChrist gave them as a light to the nations
that his salvation might reach to the ends of the earth. 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 364–365

¶ The saints on earth, that they may live as citizens of heaven
¶ All people, that they may hear and believe the word of God
¶ All who fear the winter months
¶ All sovereigns and political leaders, that they may imitate the righteous rule of Christ
¶ All who grieve or wait with the dying

A form of prayer found on page 384 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

God, the Saviour of all,
you sent your bishop Willibrord from this land
to proclaim the good news to many peoples
and confirm them in their faith:
help us also to witness to your steadfast love
      by word and deed
so that your Church may increase
      and grow strong in holiness;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
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

Uniting our prayers with the whole company of heaven,
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)

Uniting our prayers with the whole company of heaven,
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

May Christ, who has opened the kingdom of heaven,
bring us to reign with him in glory.
AllAmen.

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