Anglican Matins Service
[version 15.JAN.14]
PRELUDE
THREE-FOLD HANDBELL, GONG, OR CHIMES
CANTOR'S INTROIT
OPENING HYMN
MORNING PRAYER READINGS
INVOCATION
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid, purify the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love You, and worthily magnify Your holy Name, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hear what our Lord Jesus Christ said: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Of these two commandments consist the Law and the Prophets.
Almighty and everliving God, who by Your Holy Apostle has taught us
to make prayers and petitions, and to give thanks for your people....
We humbly request that You most mercifully accept our contributions, and
to receive these prayers of ours, which we proclaim to Your Sublime
Magnificence, imploring You to continually inspire the Universal Church
with Your Spirit of truth, unity, and concord. Grant that all those who
confess Your holy Name may agree in the truth of Your Holy Word, and
live in peace and godly love.
We ask You also to direct and guide the hearts of all Christian rulers,
that they courageously and impartially administer justice of reward and
punishment to all those deserving such, and for the maintenance of Your
true religion and virtue.
Give grace, Heavenly Father, to all bishops and other ministers, that
they may - both by their lives and doctrine - elevate Your living Word
and appropriately administer Your holy Sacraments.
To all Your people give Your heavenly grace, especially to this
congregation here present, that - with meek heart and grateful reverence
- they may hear and receive Your holy Word, truly serving You in
holiness and righteousness all the days of their lives.
We most humbly ask You of Your goodness, Lord, to comfort and assist all
those who - in this transitory life - are in trouble, sorrow, need,
sickness, or any other adversity.
We also bless Your holy Name for all Your servants departed this life
with reverent faith in You, requesting You to grant them continual
activity in Your love and service, and to give us grace to follow their
good examples, that with them we may be participants in Your heavenly
kingdom.
Grant this, Father, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.
You who truly and earnestly repent because of your sins, and are in love and benevolence with your neighbors, intending perfection, following the commandments of God, and walking from now on in His holy ways: Draw near with faith, and for your edification, make your heartfelt confession to Almighty God, devoutly kneeling.
Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of all humanity: We acknowledge and lament our many sins and wickedness, which we - from time to time - most grievously have committed by thought, word, and action.....against Your Divine Majesty, provoking most justly Your furious indignation against us. We do earnestly repent, and are sincerely sorry for our misdoings. The remembrance of them is obnoxious to us, the burden of them is intolerable. Have mercy on us, have mercy on us, most merciful Father, for Your Son our Lord Jesus Christ's sake, forgive us all our past misdoings, and grant that we may continually serve and please You in increasing santification, to the honor and glory of Your Name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
May Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, who of His great mercy has promised forgiveness against sins to all those who with desperate repentance and genuine faith turn to Him, have mercy on us, pardon, and rescue us away from all our sins, confirm and strengthen us in all worthy fruits of the Spirit, and bring us to everlasting life, though Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
All glory be to You, Almighty God our heavenly Father, because You in
Your tender mercy gave Your only Son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon a
cross for our redemption; who made (by that one oblation of Himself
once offered) a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice for the sins of
those destined for salvation, and did prepare His apostles to realize
that ultimate passover sacrifice of Himself at His Last Supper before
crucifixion.
On the night in which He was betrayed, He took bread, and when He had
given thanks, Our Manna From Above and Bread of Life broke it and gave
it to His disciples saying, 'Take and eat; this is My body which is
given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.' Likewise, He took the
cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them saying, 'Drink of
this, all of you. This is my blood of the new covenant, which is to be
shed for you and for many, for the remission against sins. Do this
whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.'
Wherefore, Lord and heavenly Father, according to the example of Your dearly loved Son our Savior Jesus Christ, we Your humble servants celebrate the gospel of Your paschal mystery with these Your holy gifts which we have available as a reverent spiritual means of access to the sacred Presence of Your Son - having in mind His blessed kindness and precious sacrifice, His mighty resurrection and glorious ascension, giving You deepest thanks for the innumerable benefits procured for us by Him. We most humbly beg You, merciful Father, to hear us, and of Your almighty goodness, guarantee that You bless and hallow these gifts of bread and wine....that we, receiving them as we contemplate Christ's sacrificial death and resurrection, may become one with His most blessed body and blood in the Spirit. We earnestly desire Your fatherly goodness to mercifully accept this communion of praise and thanksgiving, earnestly imploring You to purge us and Your entire penitential church against the full blame of our iniquities among other benefits of Christ's passion. We present our souls and bodies to be a living, holy, and reasonable sacrifice to You as we humbly receive the most precious body and blood of Your Son Jesus Christ, be filled with Your grace and heavenly benediction, and made one with Him, that He may live in us, and we in Him. And although we are unworthy, because of our many sins, to offer to You any sacrifice, we beg You to accept this our righteous responsibility and service - not in view of our merits, but pardoning our offenses, through Jesus Christ our Lord.....by whom, and with whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, be all everlasting honor and glory, Almighty Father. Amen.
We do not presume to come to Your table, merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in Your indescribably great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under Your table. But You are the same Lord, whose intention is to have mercy. Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat Your flesh of the Bread of Life from Heaven, and drink Your blood of the Water of Life, that through Your perfect, one-time and once-for-all atonement of Yourself for us, our sinful bodies are made clean by Your body, and our souls washed through Your shed blood, that we may always live in You and You in us. Amen.
Almighty and everliving God, we most heartily thank You that You have
promised to feed us, who have conscientiously received holy sacraments -
the spiritual food and drink of the blessed elements of Your Son our
Savior Jesus Christ - and are thus assured of Your favor and goodness
towards us, that we are genuine members incorporated into the mystical
body of Your Son, which is the blessed company of His faithful people,
and are also heirs through hope of Your everlasting kingdom by the
merits of His most precious atonement.
We humbly request You, heavenly Father, so to assist us with Your grace,
that we may continue in Your holy fellowship, and do all good works You
have prepared for us to perform through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom -
with You and the Holy Spirit - be all honor and glory, now and forever.
Amen.
'God so loved the world, that He gave his only-conceived Son, so that
all who believe in Him will not be destroyed, but have eternal life.'
(John 3:16)
'You are already made clean by the word I have spoken to you.' (John 15:3)
The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord. And the blessing of God Almighty - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - be among you and remain with you always. Amen.