This month we will start looking at another one of our daily offices, a service that can be done at home as part of a personal devotion or at church as a non-communion service. Like Compline this service can be done spoken or chanted, with chanting be a part of the services design. This service is the service of Matins, found on pages 219-228 of the Lutheran Service Book. Matins comes from a Latin word meaning “of the morning.” Traditionally, this service was prayed sometime between midnight and dawn and is the longest of the daily offices.

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The service begins with some opening responsories from Psalm 51:15 “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise.” As well, Psalm 70:1 “Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O Lord, make haste to help me!”, followed by a Gloria Patri and seasonal refrain, one for Advent that focuses on Christ’s Kingship, and one for Lent that focuses on Christ as the sacrificial lamb for our salvation.

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The service continues with the service of the Word, which like the Divine service, starts with a psalm or psalm song which is a psalmody. In this service the psalmody is the Venite (Ve-ni-te) which is a Latin word mean “to come,” again the Latin titles are the first word in Latin for that part of the Liturgy. The Venite comes from Psalm 95:1-7, a Psalm of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. The Venite is sandwiched between the Antiphons. The Antiphon is a short sentence or Psalm verse that is spoken or sung responsively. Antiphon means opposite voice. There is a common one in the hymnal or a seasonal one which can be found in the Altar book or supplemental resources.

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The service continues with the option for another Psalm to be spoken or chanted and an office hymn. In this service already, you see how much the Word is at the forefront of the worship. Remember worship is singing back to God what He has done and spoken first to us.

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Christ blessings

Rev. David J. Walsh