While crux of Christian worship is established upon the celebration of the Eucharist, monastic communities developed the practice of praying the Hours based on the traditional prayer times found in Judaism. This practice was established in early Coptic and Syriac communities, spreading across Eastern and Western Christianity. The response was that each compiled their own Book of Hours according to their practices and traditions. With the rise of laity finding interest in praying the Hours, many either find difficulty in coming together for corporate worship or cannot find the time to complete each Hour. Thus, several church traditions – most notably Catholicism and Orthodoxy – have developed abbreviated prayer sets modeled after the Hours.
As the formal publication of the Aifreann na hÉireann and second edition of the Portús na hÉireann draws near, an abbreviated version of the Hours of Matins and Vespers will be published as “Morning Prayer” and “Evening Prayer” respectively. These will be published in English and Irish, using the KJV and Bedell Bible as the source for the psalms. Each will also be published once per week during the month of December, to honor the birth of our Lord Christ Jesus and the celebration of Christmas.
Invitatory
Priest: O God, make speed to save us.
People: O LORD, make haste to help us.
Priest: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
People: Amen.
A Collect for the Hour of Matins
O God, help us all
Who praises you as Three
And confesses to you as One
With sacred hymns;
Who reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Another
You are, O LORD, the illuminator of darkness, creator of the elements, and forgiver of sins: Your mercy, O LORD, is great upon those who seek you with so much heart; may your majesty, O LORD, hear us in the morning and blot out our sins, which are not hidden from you, who reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
148
Laudate Dominum
Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise him in the heights. Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created. He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass. Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps: Fire, and hail; snow, and vapours; stormy wind fulfilling his word: Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars: Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl: Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth: Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children: Let them praise the name of the Lord: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven. He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the Lord.
149
Cantate Domino
Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints. Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation. Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand; To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.
150
Laudate Domino
Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.
A Collect for After the Laudate Psalms
We praise you, O LORD, and with your saints: We ask that you support us as you hear our prayers, who reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Another
O LORD, God of all souls, we adore you and pray that we may endure safely through this solemn vigil, just as darkness turns into light and the sun shines at noon; Savior of the World, who reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Priest: O God, make speed to save us.
People: O LORD, make haste to help us.
Priest: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
People: Amen.
A Collect for After the Psalms
Let angels, virtues, stars, powers, praise you, O LORD: Let those things which owe you their origin give service and exult you in praise, that they may sing to you in harmony with the universe, and that your will may be done on earth as it is in heaven; Let your favor be upon your people, we pray O LORD, that by exulting you with our joined forces, we may remain as one, armed with your Word which you speak, and our lives always contemplating your truth and salvation, which you have shown in your surpassing greatness; We praise you, O LORD, we display our praise with thanks; We praise you with lute and harp, with drum and dance, with strings and pipe, with sounding cymbals, that we may always receive your mercy, O Christ, Savior of the world, who reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Gospel
The Gospel According to St. Luke
Luke 24:1–8
But on the first day of the week, at early in the morning, they came to the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared. They found the stone rolled back from the sepulcher, but going in, they did not find the body of the LORD Jesus. It came to pass, as they were astonished in their mind at this, behold, two men stood by them, in shining apparel. The women were afraid and bowed down their countenance towards the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here but has risen.” Remember how he told you, when he was still in Galilee saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. Then they remembered his words.
People: Amen, thanks be to God.
A Collect for After the Gospel
May the spiritual songs and delightful hymns we sing to you, O Christ, please your majesty, as we offer our spiritual sacrifice, who lives and reigns with the eternal living Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Another
In the light of dawn, with the risen Creator, let us rejoice in the LORD, who conquered death, where we may be able to look over our sins, and let us walk in the newness of life, who lives and reigns with the eternal living Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Common Prayer
Priest: Remember not the iniquities of our bygone ways and let your mercy come before us quickly.
People: For we have become exceeding poor.
Priest: Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name. LORD, deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake. Do not give up to the beasts the soul that confesses to you. Forget not the souls of your poor forever. Look upon your covenant, O LORD, who reigns now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
For our sins
Priest: O God, come to our aid.
People: O LORD, make haste to help us.
Priest: Make haste, O LORD, to deliver us from all our sins, who reigns now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
For those to be baptized
Priest: Save your people, O LORD, and bless your heritage.
People: Rule them and lift them up forever.
Priest: Have mercy, O LORD, on your catholic church, which you have redeemed in your holy blood, who reigns now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
For the clergy
Priest: Arise, O LORD, and go into your eternal peace, you and the ark of your holiness.
People: Your priests will be clothed with justice and your saints exalted.
Priest: Let all your saints rejoice in you, O LORD, who places their hope in you in all truth, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
For the people and their leaders
Priest: The LORD will give strength to his people;
People: The LORD blesses his people in peace.
For the martyrs
By the virtue of your eternal name, Almighty God, we pray you to make us companions of martyrs and of all your saints by the merits of your saints, equal in faith, vigorous in devotion, and like in passion, to make us equal in the resurrection of the fortunate, who reigns now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
For the penitents
Priest: Have mercy on me, O God,
People: Your second great mercy.
Priest: Grant us, O LORD, pardon to those who ask you out of faith your second great mercy, O God, who reigns now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Symbol of Faith
Priest and People: We believe in God, the Father almighty, unseen, creator of creatures seen and unseen. We believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our LORD, almighty God, conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, born from the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate; who was crucified, died, and was buried; He descended into Hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there He will come to judge the living and the dead. We believe in the Holy Spirit, almighty God, of one substance with the Father and Son. The holy catholic church, the forgiveness of sins, communion of saints, and the resurrection of the dead. We believe in life after death, and eternal life in the glory of Christ. All these things we believe in God. Amen.
Divine Prayer
Priest: As taught by divine instruction and guided by divine institution, we dare to say:
Priest and People: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name; your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our substantial bread. Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Keep us from falling into temptation and deliver us from evil. Amen.
Priest: For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory of the Father, and the Son, and Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thank you very much. I love this form of Celtic Morning Prayer