Morning Prayer (Matins) in Traditional Language

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				Morning Prayer from
				*The Book of Common Prayer*
				Sunday, 22 December 2024 The Fourth Sunday in Advent
				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.


				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: Isaiah 32.1-8 Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken. The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly. The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful. For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the Lord, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail. The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right. But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.

				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: Revelation 22.6-end And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God. And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

				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 Lord, raise up (we pray thee) thy power, and come among us, and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness, we are sore let and hindered in running the race that is set before us, thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us; through the satisfaction of thy Son our Lord, to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be honour and glory, world without end. Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever.
		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

First Reading: Isaiah 32.1-8

Second Reading: Revelation 22.6-end