Matins

In illo témpore : Dixit Jesus pharisæis et scribis parábolam istam : Homo quidam hábuit duos fílios : et dixit adolescéntior ex illis patri : Pater, da mihi portiónem substántiæ, quæ me contíngit.  Et réliqua.

At that time : Jesus spake this parable unto the scribes and Pharisees : A certain man had two sons, and the younger of them said to his father : Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me.  And so on, and that which followeth.

Vides, quod divínum patrimónium peténtibus datur.  Nec putes culpam patris, quod adolescentióri dedit.  Nulla Dei regno infírma ætas : nec fides gravátur annis.  Ipse certe se judicávit idóneum, qui popóscit.  Atque útinam non recessísset a patre, impediméntum nescísset ætátis.  Sed posteáquam domum pátriam derelínquens péregre proféctus est, cœpit egére.  Mérito ergo prodégit patrimónium, qui recéssit ab Ecclésia.

See how the divine patrimony is given to them that seek it.  And think not that the father was at fault because he gave the portion of inheritance to his younger son.  In the kingdom of God there is no weakness of age, neither is faith given increase because of years.  He who asked was deemed ready to receive.  And if he had not left his father he would have found his age no hindrance.  But after he had left his father's house, he went into a far country, and began to be in want.  He who hath left the Church can well be said to have wasted his patrimony.

V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis.
R.  Deo grátias.

V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R.  Thanks be to God.

On Feastdays having an Office of Nine Lessons during Lent, the Te Deum is said after the conclusion of the Ninth Lesson.

R.  Pater, peccávi in cælum, et coram te : jam non sum dignus vocári fílius tuus : * Fac me sicut unum ex mercenáriis tuis.
V.  Quanti mercenárii in domo patris mei abúndant pánibus, ego autem hic fame péreo!  Surgam, et ibo ad patrem meum, et dicam ei.
R.  Fac me sicut unum ex mercenáriis tuis.

R.  Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son : * Make me as one of thy hired servants.
V.  How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!  I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him.
R.  Make me as one of thy hired servants.

Péregre proféctus est in regiónem longínquam.  Quid longínquius, quam a se recédere : nec regiónibus, sed móribus separári : stúdiis discrétum esse, non terris ; et quasi interfúso luxúriæ sæculáris æstu, divórtia habére sanctórum?  Etenim qui se a Christo séparat, exsul est pátriæ, civis est mundi.  Sed nos non sumus ádvenæ atque peregríni, sed cives sumus Sanctórum, et doméstici Dei.  Qui enim erámus longe, facti sumus prope in sánguine Christi.  Non invideámus de longínqua regióne remeántibus : quia et nos fúimus in regióne longínqua, sicut Isaías docet.  Sic enim habes : Qui sedébant in regióne umbræ mortis, lux orta est illis.  Régio ergo longínqua, umbra est mortis.

He took his journey into a far country.  How much farther can a man go than to abandon his own better self?  This is a separation accomplished not by distance but by change of disposition ; thus he forsaketh, not his country, but his morals ; then is he cut off from holy things by the raging seas of his worldly passions.  Yea, he that turneth his back on Christ, is an exile from the fatherland, and a citizen of the world.  But we are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God : since we who sometimes were afar off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ.  Let us not look askance at them who are returning from far country.  We too have once been there, but, as saith Isaiah : They that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.  And that far country of the Parable of the Prodigal Son is the valley of the shadow of death.

V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis.
R.  Deo grátias.

V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R.  Thanks be to God.

R.  Vidi Dóminum fácie ad fáciem : * Et salva facta est ánima mea.
V.  Et dixit mihi : Nequáquam vocáberis Jacob, sed Israël erit nomen tuum.
R.  Et salva facta est ánima mea.

R.  I have seen the Lord face to face : * And now my life is preserved in the sight of the Lord.
V.  And he said unto me : Thy name shall be no more called Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name.
R.  And now my life is preserved in the sight of the Lord.

Nos autem, quibus spíritus ante fáciem Christus est Dóminus, in umbra vívimus Christi.  Et ídeo dicit Ecclésia : In umbra ejus concupívi, et sedi.  Ille ígitur vivéndo luxurióse, consúmpsit ómnia ornaménta natúræ.  Unde tu, qui accepísti imáginem Dei, qui habes similitúdinem ejus, noli eam irrationábili fœditáte consúmere.  Opus Dei es : noli ligno dícere, Pater meus es tu : ne accípias similitúdinem ligni, quia scriptum est : Símiles illis fiant qui fáciunt ea.

But we, to whom the Lord Christ is the breath of life, live in the shadow of Christ.  Therefore the Church saith : I sat down under his shadow with great delight.  But the prodigal son by riotous living wasted all the endowments of nature.  Take warning, O thou who hast received the image of God, and art made in his likeness, lest thou destroy the same by sensual defilement.  Thou art the handiwork of God ; say not to the stock of a tree : Thou art my father : lest thou grow into the likeness of the same, as it is written : They that make them are like unto them.

V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis.
R.  Deo grátias.

V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R.  Thanks be to God.

R.  Cum audísset Jacob quod Esau veníret contra eum, divísit fílios suos et uxóres, dicens : Si percússerit Esau unam turmam, salvábitur áltera. * Líbera me, Dómine, qui dixísti mihi : * Multiplicábo semen tuum sicut stellas cæli, et sicut arénam maris, quæ præ multitúdine numerári non potest.
V.  Dómine, qui dixísti mihi, Revértere in terram nativitátis tuæ : Dómine, qui pascis me a juventúte mea.
R.  Líbera me, Dómine, qui dixísti mihi.
V.  Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.
R.  Multiplicábo semen tuum sicut stellas cæli, et sicut arénam maris, quæ præ multitúdine numerári non potest.

R.  When Jacob heard that Esau was come against him, he divided his sons and wives, saying, If Esau smite the one company, then shall the other escape. * Deliver me, O Lord, for thou didst promise : * I will make thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.
V.  O Lord, which saidst unto me, Return into thy country, thou, O Lord, who hast fed me all my life long unto this day.
R.  Deliver me, O Lord, for thou didst promise.
V.  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R.  I will make thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

The Office of Matins ends after the Third Respond.  The Te Deum is not said, and Lauds normally follows immediately, beginning with the Opening Versicles.  Otherwise, the Conclusion of Matins is read, according to the Rubrics.

Conclusion of Matins
 

Lauds

Ad Bened. Ant:  Vadam ad patrem meum, * et dicam ei : Pater, fac me sicut unum ex mercenáriis tuis.

Ant. on Bened:  I will go to my father, * and will say unto him: Father, make me as one of thy hired servants.

Ferial Preces

Oremus.
Da, quæsumus, Dómine, nostris efféctum jejúniis salutárem : ut castigátio carnis assúmpta, ad nostrárum vegetatiónem tránseat animárum.  Per Dóminum.

Let us pray.
Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord, that this our abstinence may so work in us to good effect : that we, who now do submit ourselves to the mortifying of the flesh, may be profited thereby to the quickening of our souls.  Through.

COMMEMORATIONS, if there be any

SUFFRAGE OF ALL SAINTS if it is said

CLOSING VERSICLES AND THAT WHICH FOLLOWETH