William Law, Priest, 1761

The Collect:

Rite I:
Almighty God, whose servant William Law taught us to hear and follow your call to a devout and holy life: Grant that we, loving thee above all things and in all things, may seek thy purpose and shape our actions to thy will, that we may grow in all virtue and be diligent in prayer all the days of our lives, through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all honor and glory now and for ever. Amen.

Rite II:
Almighty God, whose servant William Law taught us to hear and follow your call to a devout and holy life: Grant that we, loving you above all things and in all things, may seek your purpose and shape our actions to your will, that we may grow in all virtue and be diligent in prayer all the days of our lives, through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with you and the Holy Spirit be all honor and glory now and for ever. Amen.

First Lesson: 2 Peter 1:3–11

³His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants in the divine nature. ⁵For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, ⁶and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, ⁷and godliness with mutualaffection, and mutual affection with love. ⁸For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹For anyone who lacks these things is short-sighted and blind, and is forgetful of the cleansing of past sins. ¹⁰Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble. ¹¹For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you.

Psalm: Psalm 1

¹ Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of
                            the wicked, *
       nor lingered in the way of sinners,
       nor sat in the seats of the scornful!
² Their delight is in the law of the Lord, *
       and they meditate on his law day and night.
³ They are like trees planted by streams of water,
  bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; *
       everything they do shall prosper.
⁴ It is not so with the wicked; *
       they are like chaff which the wind blows away.
⁵ Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when
                            judgment comes, *
       nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.
⁶ For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, *
       but the way of the wicked is doomed.

Gospel: Matthew 6:1-8

¹ ‘Beware of practising your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

² ‘So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. ³But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

⁵ ‘And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. ⁶But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

⁷‘When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

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