Summary of the Law
Matthew 22:34-40 (KJV)
34When the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.
35Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
36Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38This is the first and great commandment.
39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
The first half of our Gospel for tomorrow morning, these verses from Matthew are commonly called the Summary of the Law. In the first, Jesus is quoting Deuteronomy 6:5, “... thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” In the second commandment he quotes from Leviticus 19:18, “... thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” (KJV).
It is to me the essence of the Gospel, such an essential part of our liturgy that I was appalled in 1976 to open the newly arrived Book of Common Prayer (Proposed) and discover that it had been omitted from the entrance rite in The Holy Eucharist: Rite Two. Taking some liberties with the rubrics, which didn’t say not to, my practice was to add it back into the entrance rite, using the form from Mark 12 that is authorized in the Penitential Order: Rite Two (page 351). That proved unnecessary though, because the rubric at page 359 authorizes precisely that as the introduction to the confession of sin, which then dovetails beautifully:
Confession of Sin
A Confession of Sin is said here if it has not been said earlier. On
occasion, the Confession may be omitted.
One of the sentences from the Penitential Order on page 351 may be said.
A Confession of Sin is said here if it has not been said earlier. On
occasion, the Confession may be omitted.
One of the sentences from the Penitential Order on page 351 may be said.
Jesus said, "The first commandments is this: Hear, O Israel:
The Lord your God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your
God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your
mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: Love
your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment
greater than these." Mark 12:29-31
The Lord your God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your
God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your
mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: Love
your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment
greater than these." Mark 12:29-31
The Deacon or Celebrant says
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Silence may be kept.
Minister and People
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Silence may be kept.
Minister and People
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.
May this Sabbath be such an occasion of blessing to God, self, and neighbor, however, that the Confession may be omitted.
RSF&PTL
TW+