Swa swa Godes ǽ ús bebyt þæt we sceolon ealle þa ðing þe us gesceotað of úres geares teolunge Gode þa teoðunge syllan, swa we sceolon eac on ðisum teoðing-dagum urne lichaman mid forhæfednysse Gode to lofe teoðian. We sceolon ús gearcian on eallum ðingum swa swa Godes þenas, æfter þæs apostoles tæcunge, on micclum geðylde, and on halgum wæccum, on fæstenum, and on clænnysse modes and lichaman; forði læsse pleoh bið þam cristenum men þæt he flæsces bruce, þonne he on ðissere halgan tide wífes bruce. {180} Lætað aweg ealle saca, and ælc geflitt, and gehealdað þas tid mid sibbe and mid soðre lufe; forðon ne bið nan fæsten Gode andfenge butan sibbe. And doð swa swa God tæhte, tobrec ðinne hlaf, and syle ðone oþerne dæl hungrium men, and læd into þinum huse wǽdlan, and ða earman ælfremedan men, and gefrefra hí mid þinum godum. Þonne ðu nacodne geseo, scryd hine, and ne forseoh ðin agen flæsc. Se mann þe fæst buton ælmyssan, hé deð swilce hé sparige his mete, and eft ett þæt hé ǽr mid forhæfednysse foreode; ac þæt fæsten tælð God. Ac gif ðu fæstan wille Gode to gecwemednysse, þonne gehelp ðu earmra manna mid þam dæle ðe ðu þe sylfum oftihst, and eac mid maran, gif ðe to onhagige. Forbúgað idele spellunge, and dyslice blissa, and bewepað eowre synna; forðon ðe Crist cwæð, "Wá eow þe nu hlihgað, ge sceolon heofian and wepan." Eft he cwæð, "Eadige beoð ða ðe nu wepað, forðon ðe hi sceolon beon gefrefrode." We lybbað mislice on twelf monðum: nu sceole we ure gymeleaste on þysne timan geinnian, and lybban Gode, we ðe oðrum timan us sylfum leofodon. And swa hwæt swa we doð to gode, uton dón þæt butan gylpe and idelre herunge. Se mann þe for gylpe hwæt to góde deð, him sylfum to herunge, næfð he ðæs nane mede æt Gode, ac hæfð his wite. Ac uton dón swa swa God tæhte, þæt ure godan weorc beon on ða wisan mannum cuðe, þæt hí magon geseon ure gódnysse, and þæt hí wuldrian and herigan urne Heofenlican Fæder, God Ælmihtigne, seðe forgilt mid hundfealdum swa hwæt swa we doð earmum mannum for his lufon, seðe leofað and rixað á butan ende on ecnysse. Amen. {167} THE FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT. Ductus est Jesus in desertum a Spiritu: et reliqua. I would expound to you this gospel which has just now been read before you, but I fear that ye cannot understand the great depth of this gospel as it is fitting. Now I pray you to be patient in your thoughts till, with God's assistance, we can read over the text.