"The chief reason for Christ's coming was so that we should know how much God loves us,
and knowing this be on fire with love for him who loved us first, and for our neighbour at the bidding
and after the example of him who became our neighbour by loving us when we were not his neighbours[D1] but had wandered far from him".
Christ came that we should know how much God loves us,
that we might truly love Him and our neighbour as He bids us and shows us by His example,
for He became a loving neighbour to us even before we acknowledged Him.
"Moreover, all inspired scripture written before the Lord's coming was written to foretell that coming,
and all that was later committed to writing and ratified by divine authority speaks of Christ and teaches us to love".
All of the ancient Scriptures foretell His coming and all subsequent writings speak of Him and teach us to love.
"It is clear therefore that upon these two commandments, love of God and of our neighbour,
depend not only the whole of the law and the prophets, which was all that made up holy scripture when the Lord spoke these words,
but also all the divinely inspired books which were later written for our salvation and handed down to us".
And therefore, everything that is written - the whole of the law and the prophets that foretell His coming, and alone existed at that time,
together with all subsequent Scriptures depend upon the two commandments of love of God and of our neighbour.
I hope I may have managed to interpret and express the meaning that is wrapped in such complex construction!
With my love in Our Lord,
William.
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Hi, William,
Thank you for successfully editing of these lines from the Reading from St. Augustine.
On Wed. 25th we were 'elevated' in the usual Augustinian in mind and heart but at this point I was stumped by the second paragraph.
For the moment, I was adrift in the long sentences.
My comment was, "I can’t unravel these lines".
Your Editing makes very good sense of it.
You could be guaranteed a Proof Reading carear for your retirement.
I hope you did not burn midnight light when so other exciting thing have afoot.
Thank you.
Yours ...
Donald
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Wednesday, 25 August 2010 Night Office
First Nocturn: 1 Timothy 1:1-20
Second Nocturn:
From the writings of Saint Augustine of Hippo (De catechizandis rudibus I, 6.8: CCL 46,124.126-128)
Speak that by hearing those whom you address may believe, and that belief may give them hope, and hope inspire them to love