Book of Common Prayer

Do Not Grieve Over The Dead In Christ. We Will Rise Together To Be With Him Forever

¹³ And we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, concerning the ones falling-asleep^[a], in-order-that you may not grieve as indeed the others— the ones not having a hope. ¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose-up, so also^[b] God will bring with Him the ones having fallen asleep through^[c] Jesus. ¹⁵ For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we— the ones living, the ones remaining^[d] until the coming of the Lord— will in-no-way precede the ones having fallen asleep. ¹⁶ Because^[e] the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shouted-command^[f], with a voice of an archangel^[g], and with a trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise-up first. ¹⁷ Then we— the ones living, the ones remaining— will be snatched-up^[h] together^[i] with them in the clouds^[j] to meet the Lord in the air. And so we shall always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ So then, be encouraging^[k] one another with these words.

But Do Not Merely Put On a Show of Righteousness For Others

6 “But take-heed not to do your righteousness^[a] in-front-of people so-as to be seen^[b] by them. Otherwise indeed, you do not have a reward with your Father in the heavens.

Don’t Give Money To Glorify Yourself. Give Without Thinking of Yourself At All

² “So whenever you do almsgiving^[c], do not trumpet it before you as-indeed the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the lanes^[d] so that they may be glorified by people. Truly I say to you, they are receiving their reward^[e] in full. ³ But while you are doing almsgiving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your almsgiving may be in secret. And your Father, the One seeing in secret, will reward you.

Don’t Pray To Impress Others. Always Pray As If Alone With Your Heavenly Father

⁵ “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. Because standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the wide-roads, they love to pray so that they may make-an-appearance^[f] to people. Truly I say to you, they are receiving their reward in full. ⁶ But whenever you pray, enter into your inner-room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father, the One in secret. And your Father, the One seeing in secret, will reward you.

Don’t Display Yourself As Fasting. Fast In Secret

¹⁶ “And whenever you fast, do not be like the sad-faced hypocrites. For they disfigure^[a] their faces so that they may appear to people as ones fasting. Truly I say to you, they are receiving their reward in full. ¹⁷ But while you are fasting, anoint your head and wash your face ¹⁸ so that you may not appear to people as one fasting, but to your Father, the One in secret. And your Father, the One seeing in secret, will reward you.