one verse which served as a response, alternately with the verses of the
psalms, which were sung by the cantors, readings taken from the Old and
the New Testaments and, later on, from the works of the Fathers and
Doctors; litanies, supplications, prayers for divers members of the
Church, clergy, faithful, neophytes and catechumens; for emperors,
travellers; the sick; and generally for all the necessities of the
Church, and even for Jews and for heretics. It is quite easy to find
these essentials in our modern Matins" (Dom Cabrol, _Cath.
Encyclopedia_, art. "Matins").

Matins on account of its length and position in the Breviary is the most
important part of the daily Office. And, on account of the variety and
beauty of its elements, is considered the most remarkable.

The prayer _Pater Noster_ begins the Office. It is the Lord's
prayer, _divina institutions formata_, when Christ told His
Apostles "_Sic vos orabitis_" (St. Matt. vi. 9). It is the most
excellent of all prayers, being most excellent in its author, its form,
its depth of meaning, its effects. The prayer consists of a preface,
"Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy Kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." And in the body of the
prayer are seven petitions--three for the honour and glory of God, in
and by ourselves, and four for our own wants, spiritual and temporal.
Very excellent matter on the greatest of prayers is to be found in the
_Catechism of the Council of Trent_ (translation, Duffy, Dublin)
and in _A Lapide_ (St. Matt. vi.). Writers on liturgy say that the
recitation of the _Pater Noster_ as the opening prayer of Matins
was _not obligatory_ until the beginning of the twelfth century. It
is said that the monks were wont to say a _Pater Noster_ at each
altar in the church before entering their stalls for Office recitation.