Welcome
God has been worshipped in this place through the prayers and praises of countless generations. Worship lies at the heart of our life as Christians and we express our theology and belief through our liturgy. It is through these liturgical patterns of words and actions that we are formed and transformed.
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What is Choral Matins?
Choral Matins at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is the first service in our daily pattern of worship. As Christians, we know that God is with us at all times and in all places. Morning and evening are times set aside to pray. This morning prayer service brings us closer to God in three ways: through the singing of songs of praise, reading the Bible, and praying for ourselves and others.
Everyone present participates by being with God in worship, using silence and adoration, words and music. The ways in which we participate in this service may feel strange at first – as it invites us to use much more of ourselves than our voices. Each person has his or her individual part to offer. Some words are said by the ministers, some are sung by the choir; everyone is asked to pray them with heart and mind and strength.
You are invited to say the text in bold in English.
Please stand as the Minister, at the West End of the Cathedral, sings
Let us pray.
Please remain standing to sing the
Hymn
The Minister welcomes the People, and introduces the
General Confession
Let us kneel, humbly to confess our sins unto almighty God:
Please kneel or sit, according to your custom
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 Jesus 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.
The Priest pronounces the
Absolution
The People respond
Amen.
Please remain standing whilst the Minister and Choir sing the
Preces & Responses
O Lord, open thou our lips.
And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.
O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
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.
Praise ye the Lord.
The Lord’s Name be praised.
Thomas Tallis (d.1585)
Please sit as the Choir sings the
Psalm
PSALM 39 vv 1–7
Dixi, Custodiam.
I said, I will take heed to my ways: that I offend not in my tongue. I will keep my mouth as it were with a bridle: while the ungodly is in my sight. I held my tongue, and spake nothing: I kept silence, yea, even from good works; but it was pain and grief to me. My heart was hot within me, and while I was thus musing the fire kindled: and at the last I spake with my tongue. Lord, let me know mine end, and the number of my days: that I may be certified how long I have to live. Behold, thou hast made my days as it were a span long; and mine age is even as nothing in respect of thee: and verily every man living is altogether vanity. For man walketh in a vain shadow, and disquieteth himself in vain: he heapeth up riches, and cannot tell who shall gather them.
Please stand for
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.
Please sit for the
Please stand as the Choir sings
The Lamentations of Jeremiah
De lamentatione Ieremiae prophetae: Ghimel. Migravit Iuda propter afflictionem ac multitudinem servitutis, habitavit inter gentes, nec invenit requiem. Daleth. Omnes persecutores eius apprehenderunt eam inter angustias. Viae Sion Lugent, eo quod non sint qui veniant ad solemnitatem. Omnes portae ejus destructae, sacerdotes eius gementes, virgines eius squalidae, et ipsa oppressa amaritudine. He. Facti sunt hostes eius in capite, inimici illius locupletati sunt; quia Dominus locutus est super eam propter multitudinem iniquitatum eius: parvuli eius ducti sunt captivi ante faciem tribulantis. Ierusalem, Ierusalem, convertere ad Dominum Deum tuum.
(From the lament of Jeremiah the prophet: Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude; she dwells among the heathen, she finds no rest. All her persecutors overtook her within the straits. The ways of Sion mourn, because none comes to the solemn assembly. All her gates are desolate, her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she herself is in bitterness. Her adversaries are become the head, her enemies prosper; for the Lord has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions; her children are gone into captivity before the adversary. Jerusalem, return to the Lord your God. )
Thomas Tallis (d.1585)
Service in C; Charles Villiers Stanford (1852–1924)
Please sit for the
Please stand as the Choir sings
Benedictus
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel: for he hath visited, and redeemed his people;
and hath raised up a mighty salvation for us: in the house of his servant David;
as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets: which have been since the world began;
that we should be saved from our enemies: and from the hands of all that hate us;
to perform the mercy promised to our forefathers: and to remember his holy covenant;
to perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham: that he would give us;
that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies: might serve him without fear;
in holiness and righteousness before him: all the days of our life.
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;
to give knowledge of salvation unto his people: for the remission of their sins,
through the tender mercy of our God: whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us;
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.
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.
Plainsong
Please remain standing to say the
Apostles’ Creed
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.
The Minister and Choir sing the
Suffrages & Responses
The Lord be with you.
And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
Please kneel or sit, according to your custom
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Our 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. Amen.
O Lord, shew thy mercy upon us.
And grant us thy salvation.
O Lord, guide and defend our rulers.
And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.
Endue thy Ministers with righteousness.
And make thy chosen people joyful.
O Lord, save thy people.
And bless thine inheritance.
Give peace in our time, O Lord.
Because there is none other that fighteth for us, but only thou, O God.
O God, make clean our hearts within us.
And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.
The Minister intones the
Collect of the Day
O Lord God, who seest that we put not our trust in any thing that we do; Mercifully grant that by thy power we may be defended against all adversity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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. Amen.
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. Amen.
Thomas Tallis (d.1585)
Please sit as the Choir sings the
Anthem
Salvator mundi, salva nos, qui per crucem et sanguinem redemisti nos: auxiliare nobis, te deprecamur, Deus noster.
(O Saviour of the world, who by your cross and blood has redeemed us: save us and help us, we beseech you our Lord.)
Thomas Tallis (d.1585)
Please stand whilst the Preacher moves to the Pulpit for the
Sermon
The Revd S. T. R. Gamble, B.A., M.Th., Ph.D.
Prebendary of Maynooth
Please be seated for the Sermon. At the end, the Preacher will conclude with a prayer, during which the congregation will stand.
The Minister says
Let us pray.
Please kneel or remain seated for the
Prayers
At the end, all say
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all, evermore. Amen.
Please stand to sing the
Hymn
During the hymn, a collection of money is made. You can donate online by tapping the Support Us button in the bottom right.
Please remain standing for the
Blessing
The Minister and Choir sing the
Dismissal
The Lord be with you.
And with thy spirit.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Please remain standing as the Choir and Clergy depart.
Please remain at your seat for the duration of the
Organ Voluntary
Acknowledgements
Developed by Clark Brydon.
Material in this service is reproduced from The Book of Common Prayer, © RCB 2004.
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