Welcome to Westminster Abbey. Daily prayer has been offered in this place for over a thousand years, and your participation in today's service is warmly welcomed. At Matins most of the service is sung by the choir on our behalf. We participate through our presence and our listening, that the words and the music might become a prayer within us and lift us to contemplate God's beauty and glory.

The service always includes one or more psalms. These ancient prayers, taken from the Old Testament, reflect the full range of human emotions and experiences; from the depths of anger, resentment, and abandonment to the heights of ecstatic joy and praise. They were used by Jesus, and have always been at the heart of the Church's daily prayer.

Please join in saying the words printed in bold type.

The church is served by a hearing loop. Users should turn their hearing aid to the setting marked T.

Photography, filming, and sound recording are not allowed in the Abbey during services. Please ensure that mobile telephones and other electronic devices are silent.

The service is sung by the Choir of Westminster Abbey.

Following the service a collection will be taken; the money from today's services will be divided equally between The Queen's Commonwealth Trust International and the work of the Abbey. The Queen's Commonwealth Trust supports Young Leaders in the Commonwealth who are transforming their communities.

Order of Service

All stand as the choir and clergy enter

The officiant says a Sentence of Scripture

The officiant and choir sing the Responses

Music: Philip Radcliffe (1905–96)

All sit. The choir sings Venite exultemus Domino

All remain seated. The choir sings Psalm 15

Lord, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle : or who shall rest upon thy holy hill?
Even he, that leadeth an uncorrupt life : and doeth the thing which is right, and speaketh the truth from his heart.
He that hath used no deceit in his tongue, nor done evil to his neighbour : and hath not slandered his neighbour.
He that setteth not by himself, but is lowly in his own eyes : and maketh much of them that fear the Lord.
He that sweareth unto his neighbour, and disappointeth him not : though it were to his own hindrance.
He that hath not given his money upon usury : nor taken reward against the innocent.
Whoso doeth these things : shall never fall.

All stand

Chant: Edward Hopkins (1818–1901)

All sit for the first Lesson, Jeremiah 38: 1–6a

Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah was saying to all the people, Thus says the Lord, Those who stay in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but those who go out to the Chaldeans shall live; they shall have their lives as a prize of war, and live. Thus says the Lord, This city shall surely be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon and be taken. Then the officials said to the king, 'This man ought to be put to death, because he is discouraging the soldiers who are left in this city, and all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man is not seeking the welfare of this people, but their harm.' King Zedekiah said, 'Here he is; he is in your hands; for the king is powerless against you.' So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king's son, which was in the court of the guard, letting Jeremiah down by ropes.

Here ends the first lesson.

All stand. The choir sings Benedicite omnia opera

O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord :
   praise him and magnify him for ever.
O ye angels of the Lord,
O ye heavens, bless ye the Lord :
  praise him and magnify him for ever.
O ye waters that be above the firmament,
O all ye powers of the Lord, bless ye the Lord :
   praise him and magnify him for ever.
O ye sun and moon,
O ye stars of heaven,
   praise him and magnify him for ever.
O ye showers and dew,
O ye winds of God,
O ye fire and heat, bless ye the Lord :
   praise him and magnify him for ever.
O ye winter and summer,
O ye dews and frosts,
O ye frost and cold,
O ye ice and snow, bless ye the Lord :
   praise him and magnify him for ever.
O ye nights and days, praise him;
O ye light and darkness,
O ye lightnings and clouds, bless ye the Lord :
   praise him and magnify him for ever.
O let the earth bless the Lord :
   yea, let it praise him and magnify him for ever.
O ye mountains and hills,
O all ye green things upon the earth,
O ye wells,
O ye seas and floods, bless ye the Lord :
   praise him and magnify him for ever.
O ye whales and all that move in the waters,
O all ye fowls of the air,
O all ye beasts and cattle,
O ye children of men, bless ye the Lord :
   praise him and magnify him for ever.
O let Israel bless the Lord :
   praise him and magnify him for ever.
O ye priests of the Lord,
O ye servants of the Lord, bless ye the Lord :
   praise him and magnify him for ever.
O ye spirits and souls of the righteous,
O ye holy and humble men of heart, bless ye the Lord :
   praise him and magnify him for ever.
O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, bless ye the Lord :
   praise him and magnify him for ever.

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.

Morning Service in G, Francis Jackson (1917–2022)

All sit for the second Lesson, Philippians 1: 1–11

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God's grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that on the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

Here ends the second lesson.

All stand. The choir sings Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel

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.

Chant: Thomas Attwood (1765–1838)

All face east to say together 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.

Let us pray.

All kneel or sit. The officiant and choir sing the Lesser Litany; the Lord's Prayer and the Responses

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.

The officiant sings the Collects; of the day, of Lent, for Peace, for Grace:

We beseech thee, almighty God, look upon the hearty desires of thy humble servants, and stretch forth the right hand of thy majesty, to be our defence against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent; create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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.

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.

Music: Philip Radcliffe

The officiant says the Prayers; for the Royal Family, and for the Members of the Order of the Bath

Almighty God, the fountain of all goodness, we humbly beseech thee to bless our most gracious Sovereign Lord King Charles, Queen Camilla, William Prince of Wales, the Princess of Wales, and all the Royal Family: endue them with thy Holy Spirit; enrich them with thy heavenly grace; prosper them with all happiness; and bring them to thine everlasting kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

God save our Gracious Sovereign, and all the Members of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath living and departed. Amen.

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.

All stand as the choir and clergy depart

Music after the service

Psalm Prelude Set 2 no 2, Herbert Howells (1892–1983)

Those who wish to may sit for the remainder of the organ voluntary