The Decalogue

This week's "Pondering" will be short as it is more informative.

One of the promises of the godparents at baptism is that they will make sure that once the child knows the Lord's Prayer, the Apostles Creed, and the Ten Commandments they will bring them to be confirmed. Now, of course, they are going to hear the Lord's Prayer and the Creeds at Holy Communion and when doing Morning and Evening Prayer. But when do they hear the Ten Commandments? Do you know them?  I do, but all bets are off that they would be in the correct order.

In later Books of Common Prayer, the rubric to say the Decalogue once a month is not there. In fact, even the 1928 changed how it was done previously. Before the 1928 BCP, the prayer books from 1552 to 1892 had the Decalogue read at every Eucharistic service. However, in the 1892 American BCP, the rubric changed to at least "once on each Sunday." And in the 1928 BCP, the rubric now reads that it must be said at least once a month. Don't get me wrong, once a month is great. Part of Cranmer's original intent, as best as can be ascertained, is the use of the Decalogue at the beginning of the service was to add a corporate preparatory penitential act. This differed from the Sarum Mass which had the preparatory penitential acts done solely by the priests at the foot of the altar.

Since we find ourselves in a penitential season, I think it is fitting that the Ten Commandments be recited for the Sundays in Lent. Not only does this prepare us to enter further into Lent, and to receive these Holy Mysteries, but it also helps our children to hear the Ten Commandments to to recite them with the Body of Christ. And who knows, maybe I can even learn to memorize them in the correct order. 

God's Peace,

Fr. Aaron