Sunday, May 06, 2012
Fifth Sunday of Easter

First Reading:
Psalm:
Second Reading:
Gospel:

Acts 9:26-31
Psalm 22:26-28, 30-32
1 John 3:18-24
John 15:1-8

Separate me from myself and from all that is not you, in order to unite and incorporate me with you. Empty me of myself and of all things, destroy me utterly, in order to fill me with yourself and to form and establish yourself in me. Cause me henceforth to be a perfect image of yourself; just as you are a most perfect image of your Father.

-- St. John Eudes

Regina Coeli

This prayer, which dates from the twelfth century, is substituted for the Angelus during Easter Season.

In Latin

In English

Regina coeli, laetare, alleluia: Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia. Resurrexit sicut dixit, alleluia. Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.

V. Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, Alleluia,

R. Quia surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia.

Oremus: Deus qui per resurrectionem Filii tui, Domini nostri Iesu Christi, mundum laetificare dignatus es: praesta, quaesumus, ut per eius Genetricem Virginem Mariam, perpetuae capiamus gaudia vitae. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum.

R. Amen.

Queen of Heaven rejoice, alleluia: For He whom you merited to bear, alleluia, Has risen as He said, alleluia. Pray for us to God, alleluia.

V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.

R. Because the Lord is truly risen, alleluia.

Let us pray: O God, who by the Resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, granted joy to the whole world: grant we beseech Thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may lay hold of the joys of eternal life. Through the same Christ our Lord.

R. Amen.

Office of Readings

INVITATORY

The Invitatory may be said for the first ‘hour’ recited in the day.

Lord, + open my lips.
– And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

Ant. The Lord is risen, alleluia.

Psalm 95
A call to praise God

Encourage each other daily while it is still today (Hebrews 3:13).

Come, let us sing to the Lord *
   and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us.
Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving *
   and sing joyful songs to the Lord.

Ant. The Lord is risen, alleluia.

The Lord is God, the mighty God, *
   the great king over all the gods.
He holds in his hands the depths of the earth *
   and the highest mountains as well.
He made the sea; it belongs to him, *
   the dry land, too, for it was formed by his hands.

Ant. The Lord is risen, alleluia.

Come, then, let us bow down and worship *
   bending the knee before the Lord, our maker.
For he is our God and we are his people, *
   the flock he shepherds.

Ant. The Lord is risen, alleluia.

Today, listen to the voice of the Lord: †
Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did
   in the wilderness, *
when at Meriba and Massah
   they challenged me and provoked me, *
Although they had seen all of my works.

Ant. The Lord is risen, alleluia.

Forty years I endured that generation. *
I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray
and they do not know my ways.”
So I swore in my anger, *
“They shall not enter into my rest.”

Ant. The Lord is risen, alleluia.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. The Lord is risen, alleluia.

If the Invitatory is not said, then the following is used:

God, + come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

HYMN

Christ the Lord is ris’n today;
Christians, haste your vows to pay;
Offer you your praises meet
At the Paschal Victim’s feet.
For the sheep the Lamb has bled,
Sinless in the sinner’s stead;
Christ, the Lord, is ris’n on high,
Now he lives no more to die!

Christ, the Victim undefiled,
Man to God has reconciled;
When in strange and awful strife
Met together death and life;
Christians, on this happy day
Haste with joy your vows to pay.
Christ, the Lord, is ris’n on high,
Now he lives no more to die!

Christ, who once for sinners bled,
Now the firstborn from the dead,
Throned in endless might and power,
Lives and reigns forevermore.
Hail, eternal Hope on high!
Hail, our King of Victory!
Hail, our Prince of life adored!
Help and save us, gracious Lord.

Tune: Victimae Paschali Laudes 77.77 D
Music: Traditional, alt.
Text: Victimae Paschali Laudes, Wipo, eleventh century

Or:

The day of resurrection!
Earth spread the news abroad;
The Paschal feast of gladness,
The Paschal feast of God.
From death to life eternal,
From earth to heaven’s height
Our Savior Christ has brought us,
The glorious Lord of Light.

Our hearts be free from evil
That we may see aright
The Savior resurrected
In his eternal light;
And hear his message plainly,
Delivered calm and clear:
“Rejoice with me in triumph,
Be glad and do not fear.”

Now let the heav’ns be joyful,
And earth her song begin,
The whole world keep high triumph
And all that is therein;
Let all things in creation
Their notes of gladness blend,
For Christ the Lord has risen,
Our joy that has no end.

Tune: Ellacombe or Aurelia 76.76 D
Music: (Ellacombe) Wurtemburg Gesangbuch, 1784, adapted in the Mainz Gesangbuch, 1833, and further adapted in the St. Gall Gesangbuch, 1863; (Aurelia) S. S. Wesley, 1810-1876
Text: John Mason Neale, 1818-1866, adapted by Anthony G. Petti

Ant. 1 Alleluia, the stone was rolled back from the entrance to the tomb, alleluia.

Psalm 1
There are two ways a man may take

They are happy who, putting all their trust in the cross, have plunged into the water of life (from an author of the second century).

Happy indeed is the man *
who follows not the counsel of the wicked;
nor lingers in the way of sinners *
nor sits in the company of scorners,
but whose delight is the law of the Lord *
and who ponders his law day and night.

He is like a tree that is planted *
beside the flowing waters,
that yields its fruit in due season *
and whose leaves shall never fade;
and all that he does shall prosper. *
Not so are the wicked, not so!

For they like winnowed chaff *
shall be driven away by the wind.
When the wicked are judged they shall not stand, *
nor find room among those who are just;
for the Lord guards the way of the just *
but the way of the wicked leads to doom.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm Prayer

Lord, you are the fullness of life, of holiness and of joy. Fill our days and nights with the love of your wisdom, that we may bear fruit in the beauty of holiness, like a tree watered by running streams.

Ant. Alleluia, the stone was rolled back from the entrance to the tomb, alleluia.

Ant. 2 Alleluia, woman, who is it you are looking for? Why do you seek the living among the dead? alleluia.

Psalm 2
The Messiah, king and conqueror

The rulers of the earth joined forces to overthrow Jesus, your anointed Son (Acts 4:27).

Why this tumult among nations, *
among peoples this useless murmuring?
They arise, the kings of the earth, *
princes plot against the Lord and his Anointed.
“Come let us break their fetters, *
come, let us cast off their yoke.”

He who sits in the heavens laughs; *
the Lord is laughing them to scorn.
Then he will speak in his anger, *
his rage will strike them with terror.
“It is I who have set up my king *
on Zion, my holy mountain.”

I will announce the decree of the Lord:

The Lord said to me: “You are my Son. *
It is I who have begotten you this day.
Ask and I shall bequeath you the nations, *
put the ends of the earth in your possession.
With a rod of iron you will break them, *
shatter them like a potter’s jar.”

Now, O kings, understand, *
take warning, rulers of the earth;
serve the Lord with awe *
and trembling, pay him your homage
lest he be angry and you perish; *
for suddenly his anger will blaze.

Blessed are they who put their trust in God.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm Prayer

Lord God, you gave the peoples of the world to be the inheritance of your only Son; you crowned him as King of Zion, your holy city, and gave him your Church to be his Bride. As he proclaims the law of your eternal kingdom, may we serve him faithfully, and so share his royal power forever.

Ant. Alleluia, woman, who is it you are looking for? Why do you seek the living among the dead? alleluia.

Ant. 3 Alleluia, do not weep, Mary; the Lord has risen from the dead, alleluia.

Psalm 3
I am safe in the Lord’s keeping

Christ fell asleep in death, but he rose from the dead, for God was his deliverer (Saint Irenaeus).

How many are my foes, O Lord! *
How many are rising up against me!
How many are saying about me: *
“There is no help for him in God.”

But you, Lord, are a shield about me, *
my glory, who lift up my head.
I cry aloud to the Lord. *
He answers from his holy mountain.

I lie down to rest and I sleep. *
I wake, for the Lord upholds me.
I will not fear even thousands of people *
who are ranged on every side against me.

Arise, Lord; save me, my God, *
you who strike all my foes on the mouth,
you who break the teeth of the wicked! *
O Lord of salvation, bless your people!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm Prayer

Lord God, you heard the cry of your Son when he was oppressed and saved him from the sleep of death. Arise, Lord, help your Church. Be its shield so that it may hold up its head and radiate the glory of the resurrection.

Ant. Alleluia, do not weep, Mary; the Lord has risen from the dead, alleluia.

My whole body rejoices, alleluia.
– With all my strength I will praise my God, alleluia.

READINGS

FIRST READING

From the book of Revelation
18:21-19:10

The wedding feast of the Lamb

A powerful angel picked up a stone like a huge millstone and hurled it into the sea and said:

   “Babylon the great city
      shall be cast down like this, with violence,
      and nevermore be found!
   No tunes of harpists and minstrels,
      of flutists and trumpeters,
      shall ever again be heard in you!
   No craftsmen in any trade
      shall ever again be found in you!
   No sound of the millstone
      shall ever again be heard in you!
   No light from a burning lamp
      shall ever again shine out in you!
   No voices of bride and groom
      shall ever again be heard in you!
   Because your merchants were the world’s nobility,
      you led all nations astray by your sorcery.

   “In her was found the blood of prophets and saints and of all who were slain on the earth.”

After this I heard what sounded like the loud song of a great assembly in heaven. They were singing:

         “Alleluia!
   Salvation, glory and might belong to our God,
      for his judgments are true and just!
He has condemned the great harlot
      who corrupted the earth with her harlotry.
   He has avenged the blood of his servants
      which was shed by her hand.”

Once more they sang “Alleluia!” And as the smoke began to rise from her forever and ever, the four and twenty elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God seated on the throne and sang, “Amen! Alleluia!”

A voice coming from the throne cried out:

   “Praise our God, all you his servants,
      the small and the great, who revere him!”

Then I heard what sounded like the shouts of a great crowd, or the roaring of the deep, or mighty peals of thunder, as they cried:

         “Alleluia!
   The Lord is king,
      our God, the Almighty!
   Let us rejoice and be glad,
      and give him glory!
   For this is the wedding day of the Lamb;
      his bride has prepared herself for the wedding.
   She has been given a dress to wear
      made of finest linen, brilliant white.”

(The linen dress is the virtuous deeds of God’s saints.)

The angel then said to me: “Write this down: Happy are they who have been invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” The angel continued, “These words are true; they come from God.” I fell at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “No, get up! I am merely a fellow servant with you and your brothers who give witness to Jesus. Worship God alone. The prophetic spirit proves itself by witnessing to Jesus.”

RESPONSORY
Revelation 14:2; 19:6; 12:10; 19:5

I heard a voice from heaven
like the roar of mighty thunder:
The Lord our God reigns for ever;
– now the salvation and power and authority of Christ have come, alleluia.

A voice from the throne proclaimed:
Praise God, all you saints;
praise him, all you who revere him, both great and small.
– Now the salvation and power and authority of Christ have come, alleluia.

SECOND READING

From a sermon by Saint Maximus of Turin, bishop
(Sermo 53, 1-2. 4: CCL 23, 214-216)

Christ is the day

Christ is risen! He has burst open the gates of hell and let the dead go free; he has renewed the earth through the members of his Church now born again in baptism, and has made it blossom afresh with men brought back to life. His Holy Spirit has unlocked the doors of heaven, which stand wide open to receive those who rise up from the earth. Because of Christ’s resurrection the thief ascends to paradise, the bodies of the blessed enter the holy city, and the dead are restored to the company of the living. There is an upward movement in the whole of creation, each element raising itself to something higher. We see hell restoring its victims to the upper regions, earth sending its buried dead to heaven, and heaven presenting the new arrivals to the Lord. In one and the same movement, our Savior’s passion raises men from the depths, lifts them up from the earth, and sets them in the heights.

Christ is risen. His rising brings life to the dead, forgiveness to sinners, and glory to the saints. And so David the prophet summons all creation to join in celebrating the Easter festival: Rejoice and be glad, he cries, on this day which the Lord has made.

The light of Christ is an endless day that knows no night. Christ is this day, says the Apostle; such is the meaning of his words: Night is almost over; day is at hand. He tells us that night is almost over, not that it is about to fall. By this we are meant to understand that the coming of Christ’s light puts Satan’s darkness to flight, leaving no place for any shadow of sin. His everlasting radiance dispels the dark clouds of the past and checks the hidden growth of vice. The Son is that day to whom the day, which is the Father, communicates the mystery of his divinity. He is the day who says through the mouth of Solomon: I have caused an unfailing light to rise in heaven. And as in heaven no night can follow day, so no sin can overshadow the justice of Christ. The celestial day is perpetually bright and shining with brilliant light; clouds can never darken its skies. In the same way, the light of Christ is eternally glowing with luminous radiance and can never be extinguished by the darkness of sin. This is why John the evangelist says: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never been able to overpower it.

And so, my brothers, each of us ought surely to rejoice on this holy day. Let no one, conscious of his sinfulness, withdraw from our common celebration, nor let anyone be kept away from our public prayer by the burden of his guilt. Sinner he may indeed be, but he must not despair of pardon on this day which is so highly privileged; for if a thief could receive the grace of paradise, how could a Christian be refused forgiveness?

RESPONSORY

The Lord in all his beauty has been raised above the stars,
and his splendor shines forth among the clouds of heaven
– where his name shall be praised for ever, alleluia.

From the heights of heaven he goes forth
and to those heights he returns.
– Where his name shall be praised for ever, alleluia.

If the Optional Vigil is not celebrated the Office continues with the Te Deum.

OPTIONAL VIGIL

CANTICLES

Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord who has risen from the dead; through his cross joy came into the world, alleluia.

Canticle I: Isaiah 63:1-5
The Lord alone has triumphed over the enemy

By the blood of the Lamb they defeated the dragon (see Revelation 12:11).

Who is this that comes from Edom, *
in crimsoned garments, from Bozrah—
This one arrayed in majesty, *
marching in the greatness of his strength?

“It is I, I who announce vindication, *
I who am mighty to save.”
Why is your apparel red, *
and your garments like those of the wine presser?

“The wine press I have trodden alone, *
and of my people there was no one with me.
I trod them in my anger, *
and trampled them down in my wrath;
their blood spurted on my garments; *
all my apparel I stained.

For the day of vengeance was in my heart, *
my year for redeeming was at hand.
I looked about, but there was no one to help, *
I was appalled that there was no one to lend support;
so my own arm brought about the victory *
and my own wrath lent me its support.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Canticle II: Hosea 6:1-6
The Lord is compassionate; he desires mercy and not sacrifice

On the third day Christ rose from the dead in accordance with the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:4)

Come, let us return to the Lord, †
for it is he who has rent, but he will heal us; *
he has struck us, but he will bind our wounds.

He will revive us after two days; †
on the third day he will raise us up, *
to live in his presence.

Let us know, let us strive to know the Lord;
as certain as the dawn is his coming, *
and his judgment shines forth like the light of day!

He will come to us like the rain, *
like spring rain that waters the earth.

What can I do with you, Ephraim? *
What can I do with you, Judah?
Your piety is like a morning cloud, *
like the dew that early passes away.

For this reason I smote them through the prophets, *
I slew them by the words of my mouth;
for it is love that I desire, not sacrifice, *
and knowledge of God rather than holocausts.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Canticle III: Zephaniah 3:8-13
In the end the remnant of Israel will be saved

Isaiah proclaimed this about Israel: Though the Israelites be as numerous as the sands of the sea, only a remnant will be saved (Romans 9:27).

Wait for me, says the Lord, *
against the day when I arise as accuser;
for it is my decision to gather together the nations, *
to assemble the kingdoms,

in order to pour out upon them my wrath, *
all my blazing anger;
for in the fire of my jealousy *
shall all the earth be consumed.

For then I will change and purify *
the lips of the peoples,
that they all may call upon the name of the Lord, *
to serve him with one accord;

from beyond the rivers of Ethiopia †
and as far as the recesses of the North, *
they shall bring me offerings.

On that day *
you need not be ashamed
of all your deeds, *
your rebellious actions against me;

for then will I remove from your midst *
the proud braggarts,
and you shall no longer exalt yourself *
on my holy mountain.

But I will leave as a remnant in your midst *
a people humble and lowly,
who shall take refuge in the name of the Lord: *
the remnant of Israel.

They shall do no wrong *
and speak no lies;
nor shall there be found in their mouths *
a deceitful tongue;
they shall pasture and couch their flocks *
with none to disturb them.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord who has risen from the dead; through his cross joy came into the world, alleluia.

THE HOLY GOSPEL

+ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
24:35-53

Was it not right for Christ to suffer in this way and rise from the dead?

The disciples recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of baked fish; he took it and ate it in front of them. He said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures.

And he said to them, “Thus it is written that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold I am sending the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Then he led them out as far as Bethany, raised his hands, and blessed them. As he blessed them he parted from them and was taken up to heaven. They did him homage and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the temple praising God.

A homily on the Gospel may be given

TE DEUM

You are God: we praise you;
You are the Lord: we acclaim you;
You are the eternal Father:
All creation worships you.

To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,
Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:
   Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
   heaven and earth are full of your glory.

The glorious company of apostles praise you.
The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.

Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you:
   Father, of majesty unbounded,
   your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,
   and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.

You, Christ, are the king of glory,
the eternal Son of the Father.

When you became man to set us free
you did not shun the Virgin’s womb.

You overcame the sting of death,
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.
We believe that you will come, and be our judge.

Come then, Lord, and help your people,
bought with the price of your own blood,
and bring us with your saints
to glory everlasting.

V. Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance.
R. Govern and uphold them now and always.
V. Day by day we bless you.
R. We praise your name for ever.
V. Keep us today, Lord, from all sin.
R. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
V. Lord, show us your love and mercy;
R. for we put our trust in you.
V. In you, Lord, is our hope:
R. and we shall never hope in vain.

The concluding part of the hymn may be omitted.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let us pray.

God our Father,
look upon us with love.
You redeem us and make us your children in Christ.
Give us true freedom
and bring us to the inheritance you promised.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

Or:

Almighty ever-living God,
constantly accomplish the Paschal Mystery within us,
that those you were pleased to make new in Holy Baptism
may, under your protective care, bear much fruit
and come to the joys of life eternal.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

ACCLAMATION

Let us praise the Lord.
– And give him thanks.

Lauds

INVITATORY

The Invitatory may be said for the first ‘hour’ recited in the day.

Lord, + open my lips.
– And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

Ant. The Lord is risen, alleluia.

Psalm 95
A call to praise God

Encourage each other daily while it is still today (Hebrews 3:13).

Come, let us sing to the Lord *
   and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us.
Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving *
   and sing joyful songs to the Lord.

Ant. The Lord is risen, alleluia.

The Lord is God, the mighty God, *
   the great king over all the gods.
He holds in his hands the depths of the earth *
   and the highest mountains as well.
He made the sea; it belongs to him, *
   the dry land, too, for it was formed by his hands.

Ant. The Lord is risen, alleluia.

Come, then, let us bow down and worship *
   bending the knee before the Lord, our maker.
For he is our God and we are his people, *
   the flock he shepherds.

Ant. The Lord is risen, alleluia.

Today, listen to the voice of the Lord: †
Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did
   in the wilderness, *
when at Meriba and Massah
   they challenged me and provoked me, *
Although they had seen all of my works.

Ant.The Lord is risen, alleluia.

Forty years I endured that generation. *
I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray
and they do not know my ways.”
So I swore in my anger, *
“They shall not enter into my rest.”

Ant. The Lord is risen, alleluia.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. The Lord is risen, alleluia.

If the Invitatory is not said, then the following is used:

God, + come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

HYMN

Jesus Christ is ris’n today, Alleluia
Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
Who did once upon the cross, Alleluia!
Suffer to redeem our loss, Alleluia!

Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!
Unto Christ our heav’nly King, Alleluia!
Who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
Sinners to redeem and save, Alleluia!

But the pains which he endured, Alleluia!
Our salvation have procured, Alleluia!
Now He rules eternal King, Alleluia!
Where the angels ever sing, Alleluia!

Praise to God the Father sing, Alleluia!
Praise to God the Son, our King, Alleluia!
Praise to God the Spirit be, Alleluia!
Now and through eternity, Alleluia!

Tune: Easter Hymn 77.77 with alleluia
Music: Lyra Davidica, 1708
Text: I. Latin Carol, para. In Lyra Davidica, 1708, alt Stanzas 2,3, The Compleat Psalmodist, 1749, alt. St. 4, William Reynolds, 1860

Or:

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Ye sons and daughters, let us sing!
The King of Heav’n, the glorious King,
O’er death today rose triumphing.
Alleluia!

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
That Easter morn, at break of day,
The faithful women went their way
To seek the tomb where Jesus lay.
Alleluia!

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
An angel clad in white they see,
Who sat, and spoke unto the three,
“Your Lord doth go to Galilee.”
Alleluia!

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
On this most holy day of days,
To God your hearts and voices raise,
In laud and jubilee and praise.
Alleluia!

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
And we with Holy Church unite,
As evermore is just and right,
In glory to the King of light.
Alleluia!

Tune: O Filii et Filiae 88.88 with alleluias.
Music: Seventeenth Century French Proper Melody
Text: Jean Tisserand, d. 1495
Translation: John Mason Neale, 1818-1866, alt.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Whoever thirsts will drink freely of life-giving water, alleluia.

Psalm 63:2-9
A soul thirsting for God

Whoever has left the darkness of sin yearns for God.

O God, you are my God, for you I long; *
for you my soul is thirsting.
My body pines for you *
like a dry, weary land without water.
So I gaze on you in the sanctuary *
to see your strength and your glory.

For your love is better than life, *
my lips will speak your praise.
So I will bless you all my life, *
in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul shall be filled as with a banquet, *
my mouth shall praise you with joy.

On my bed I remember you. *
On you I muse through the night
for you have been my help; *
in the shadow of your wings I rejoice.
My soul clings to you; *
your right hand holds me fast.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm Prayer

Father, creator of unfailing light, give that same light to those who call to you. May our lips praise you; our lives proclaim your goodness; our work give you honor, and our voices celebrate you for ever.

Ant. Whoever thirsts will drink freely of life-giving water, alleluia.

Ant. 2 Worship the Lord who made the heavens and the earth, springs of water and the mighty sea, alleluia.

Canticle: Daniel 3:57-88, 56
Let all creatures praise the Lord

All you servants of the Lord, sing praise to him (Revelation 19:5).

Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord. *
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord. *
You heavens, bless the Lord.
All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord. *
All you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Sun and moon, bless the Lord. *
Stars of heaven, bless the Lord.

Every shower and dew, bless the Lord. *
All you winds, bless the Lord.
Fire and heat, bless the Lord. *
Cold and chill, bless the Lord.
Dew and rain, bless the Lord. *
Frost and chill, bless the Lord.
Ice and snow, bless the Lord. *
Nights and days, bless the Lord.
Light and darkness, bless the Lord. *
Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord.

Let the earth bless the Lord. *
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Mountains and hills, bless the Lord. *
Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord.
You springs, bless the Lord. *
Seas and rivers, bless the Lord.
You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord. *
All you birds of the air, bless the Lord.
All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord. *
You sons of men, bless the Lord.

O Israel, bless the Lord. *
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord. *
Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord. *
Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord.
Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael, bless the Lord. *
Praise and exalt him above all forever.

Let us bless the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. *
Let us praise and exalt him above all forever.
Blessed are you, Lord, in the firmament of heaven. *
Praiseworthy and glorious and exalted above all forever.

Ant. Worship the Lord who made the heavens and the earth, springs of water and the mighty sea, alleluia.

Ant. 3 The saints will rejoice in glory, alleluia.

Psalm 149
The joy of God’s holy people.

Let the sons of the Church, the children of the new people, rejoice in Christ, their King (Hesychius).

Sing a new song to the Lord, *
his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in its maker, *
let Zion’s sons exult in their king.
Let them praise his name with dancing *
and make music with timbrel and harp.

For the Lord takes delight in his people. *
He crowns the poor with salvation.
Let the faithful rejoice in their glory, *
shout for joy and take their rest.
Let the praise of God be on their lips *
and a two-edged sword in their hand,

to deal out vengeance to the nations *
and punishment on all the peoples;
to bind their kings in chains *
and their nobles in fetters of iron;
to carry out the sentence pre-ordained; *
this honor is for all his faithful.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm Prayer

Let Israel rejoice in you, Lord, and acknowledge you as creator and redeemer. We put our trust in your faithfulness and proclaim the wonderful truths of salvation. May your loving kindness embrace us now and for ever.

Ant. The saints will rejoice in glory, alleluia.

READING
Acts 10:40-43

God raised up Jesus on the third day and granted that he be seen, not by all, but only by such witnesses as had been chosen beforehand by God—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commissioned us to preach to the people and to bear witness that he is the one set apart by God as judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets testify, saying that everyone who believes in him has forgiveness of sins through his name.

RESPONSORY

Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on us, alleluia, alleluia.
– Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on us, alleluia, alleluia.

You have risen from the dead,
– alleluia, alleluia.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
– Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on us, alleluia, alleluia.

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

Ant. Whoever lives in me and I in him will yield much fruit, says the Lord, alleluia.

Luke 1:68-79
The Messiah and his forerunner

Blessed + be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old †
that he would save us from our enemies, *
from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear, *
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High; *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Whoever lives in me and I in him will yield much fruit, says the Lord, alleluia.

INTERCESSIONS

Christ is the Lord of life, raised up by the Father; in his turn he will raise us up by his power. Let us pray to him, saying:
Christ our life, save us.

Lord Jesus, light shining in the darkness, you lead your people into life, and give our mortal nature the gift of holiness,
– may we spend this day in praise of your glory.
Christ our life, save us.

Lord, you walked the way of suffering and crucifixion,
– may we suffer and die with you, and rise again to share your glory.
Christ our life, save us.

Son of the Father, our master and our brother, you have made us a kingdom of priests for our God,
– may we offer you our joyful sacrifice of praise.
Christ our life, save us.

King of glory, we look forward to the great day of your coming in splendor,
– that we may see you face to face, and be transformed in your likeness.
Christ our life, save us.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

(Gathering our prayer and praises into one, let us offer the prayer Christ himself taught us:)

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

God our Father,
look upon us with love.
You redeem us and make us your children in Christ.
Give us true freedom
and bring us to the inheritance you promised.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

Or:

Almighty ever-living God,
constantly accomplish the Paschal Mystery within us,
that those you were pleased to make new in Holy Baptism
may, under your protective care, bear much fruit
and come to the joys of life eternal.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

DISMISSAL

May the Lord bless + us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
– Amen.

Daytime Prayer

INTRODUCTION

God, + come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

HYMN

Alleluia! sing to Jesus!
His the scepter, his the throne;
Alleluia! his the triumph,
His the victory alone:
Hark! the songs of peaceful Sion
Thunder like a mighty flood;
Jesus, out of ev’ry nation,
Has redeemed us by his Blood.

Alleluia! not as orphans
Are we left in sorrow now;
Alleluia! He is near us,
Faith believes nor questions how:
Though the cloud from sight received him,
When the forty days were o’er
Shall our hearts forget his promise,
“I am with you evermore”?

Alleluia! Bread of angels,
Thou on earth our food, our stay;
Alleluia! here the sinful
Flee to thee from day to day:
Intercessor, friend of sinners,
Earth’s Redeemer, plead for me,
Where the songs of all the sinless
Sweep across the crystal sea.

Alleluia! King eternal,
Thee, the Lord of lords we own;
Alleluia! born of Mary,
Earth thy footstool, heav’n thy throne:
Thou within the veil has entered,
Robed in flesh, our great High Priest;
Thou on earth both Priest and Victim
In the Eucharistic feast.

Tune: Hyfrydol 87.87 D
Music: R. H. Prichard, 1811-1887
Text: William Chatterton Dix, 1837-1898

PSALMODY

Ant. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Psalm 118
Song of joy for salvation

This Jesus is the stone which, rejected by you builders, has become the chief stone supporting all the rest (Acts 4:11).

I

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, *
for his love endures for ever.

Let the sons of Israel say: *
“His love endures for ever.”
Let the sons of Aaron say: *
“His love endures for ever.”
Let those who fear the Lord say: *
“His love endures for ever.”

I called to the Lord in my distress; *
he answered and freed me.
The Lord is at my side; I do not fear. *
What can man do against me?
The Lord is at my side as my helper: *
I shall look down on my foes.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord *
than to trust in men:
it is better to take refuge in the Lord *
than to trust in princes.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

II

The nations all encompassed me; *
in the Lord’s name I crushed them.
They compassed me, compassed me about; *
in the Lord’s name I crushed them.
They compassed me about like bees; †
they blazed like a fire among thorns. *
In the Lord’s name I crushed them.

I was hard-pressed and was falling *
but the Lord came to help me.
The Lord is my strength and my song; *
he is my savior.
There are shouts of joy and victory *
in the tents of the just.

The Lord’s right hand has triumphed; *
his right hand raised me.
The Lord’s right hand has triumphed;
I shall not die, I shall live *
and recount his deeds.
I was punished, I was punished by the Lord, *
but not doomed to die.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

III

Open to me the gates of holiness: *
I will enter and give thanks.
This is the Lord’s own gate *
where the just may enter.
I will thank you for you have answered *
and you are my savior.

The stone which the builders rejected *
has become the corner stone.
This is the work of the Lord, *
a marvel in our eyes.
This day was made by the Lord; *
we rejoice and are glad.

O Lord, grant us salvation; *
O Lord, grant success.
Blessed in the name of the Lord *
is he who comes.
We bless you from the house of the Lord; *
the Lord God is our light.

Go forward in procession with branches *
even to the altar.
You are my God, I thank you. *
My God, I praise you.
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; *
for his love endures for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm Prayer

Lord God, you have given us the great day of rejoicing: Jesus Christ, the stone rejected by the builders, has become the cornerstone of the Church, our spiritual home. Shed upon your Church the rays of your glory, that it may be seen as the gate of salvation open to all nations. Let cries of joy and exultation ring out from its tents to celebrate the wonder of Christ’s resurrection.

Ant. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

At the other hours, the complementary psalmody is used.

MIDMORNING

READING
See 1 Corinthians 15:3b-5

Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures; he was buried and, in accordance with the Scriptures, rose on the third day; he was seen by Cephas, then by the Twelve.

The Lord is risen, alleluia.
– He has appeared to Simon, alleluia.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let us pray.

God our Father,
look upon us with love.
You redeem us and make us your children in Christ.
Give us true freedom
and bring us to the inheritance you promised.
We ask this through our Christ our Lord.
– Amen.

Or:

Almighty ever-living God,
constantly accomplish the Paschal Mystery within us,
that those you were pleased to make new in Holy Baptism
may, under your protective care, bear much fruit
and come to the joys of life eternal.
Through Christ our Lord.
– Amen.

ACCLAMATION

Let us praise the Lord.
– And give him thanks.

MIDDAY

READING
Ephesians 2:4-6

God is rich in mercy; because of his great love for us he brought us to life with Christ when we were dead in sin. By this favor you were saved. Both with and in Christ Jesus he raised us up and gave us a place in the heavens.

The disciples rejoiced, alleluia.
– When they saw the risen Lord, alleluia.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let us pray.

God our Father,
look upon us with love.
You redeem us and make us your children in Christ.
Give us true freedom
and bring us to the inheritance you promised.
We ask this through our Christ our Lord.
– Amen.

Or:

Almighty ever-living God,
constantly accomplish the Paschal Mystery within us,
that those you were pleased to make new in Holy Baptism
may, under your protective care, bear much fruit
and come to the joys of life eternal.
Through Christ our Lord.
– Amen.

ACCLAMATION

Let us praise the Lord.
– And give him thanks.

MIDAFTERNOON

READING
Romans 6:4

Through baptism into Christ’s death we were buried with him, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live a new life.

Stay with us, Lord, alleluia.
– For evening draws near, alleluia.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let us pray.

God our Father,
look upon us with love.
You redeem us and make us your children in Christ.
Give us true freedom
and bring us to the inheritance you promised.
We ask this through our Christ our Lord.
– Amen.

Or:

Almighty ever-living God,
constantly accomplish the Paschal Mystery within us,
that those you were pleased to make new in Holy Baptism
may, under your protective care, bear much fruit
and come to the joys of life eternal.
Through Christ our Lord.
– Amen.

ACCLAMATION

Let us praise the Lord.
– And give him thanks.

Vespers

INTRODUCTION

God, + come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

HYMN

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
The strife is o’er, the battle done;
Now is the victor’s triumph won:
O let the song of praise be sung.
Alleluia!

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
On the third morn he rose again,
Glorious in majesty to reign:
O let us swell the joyful strain:
Alleluia!

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
O risen Lord, all praise to thee,
Who from our sins has set us free,
That we may live eternally:
Alleluia!

Tune: Victory 888 with alleluias
Music: G.P. da Palestrina, 1588 adapted with alleluias by W.H. Monk, 1861
Text: Cologne, 1695
Translation: Francis Pott, 1861, alt.

Or:

Christ Jesus lay in death’s strong bands
For our offenses given:
But now at God’s right hand he stands
And brings us life from heaven;
Therefore let us joyful be,
And praise the Father thankfully
With songs of Alleluia.
Alleluia.

How long and bitter was the strife
When life and death contended,
The victory remained with life,
The reign of death was ended:
Stripped of power, no more it reigns,
And empty form alone remains.
Death’s sting is lost for ever.
Alleluia.

So let us keep this festival
To which Our Lord invites us,
The Savior who is joy of all,
The Sun that warms and lights us:
By his grace he shall impart
Eternal sunshine to the heart;
The night of sin has ended.
Alleluia.

Tune: Christ lag in Todesbanden
87.87.787 with alleluia
Music: Walther’s Gesangbuchlein, 1524
Text: Martin Luther, 1483-1546, based on Victimae Paschali laudes
Translation: Richard Massie, 1800-1887, adapted by Anthony G. Petti

Or:

Ad cenam Agni providi,
stolis salutis candidi,
post transitum maris Rubri
Christo canamus principi.

Cuius corpus sanctissimum
in ara crucis torridum,
sed et cruorem roseum
gustando, Deo vivimus.

Protecti paschae vespero
a devastante angelo,
de Pharaonis aspero
sumus erepti imperio.

Iam pascha nostrum Christus est,
agnus occisus innocens;
sinceritatis azyma
qui carnem suam obtulit.

O vera, digna hostia,
per quam franguntur tartara,
captiva plebs redimitur,
redduntur vitae praemia!

Consurgit Christus tumulo,
victor redit de barathro,
tyrannum trudens vinculo
et paradisum reserans.

Esto perenne mentibus
paschale, Iesu, gaudium
et nos renatos gratiae
tuis triumphis aggrega.

Iesu, tibi sit gloria,
qui morte victa praenites,
cum Patre et almo Spiritu,
in sempiterna saecula. Amen.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 The Lord is risen and is seated at the right hand of God, alleluia.

Psalm 110:1-5, 7
The Messiah, king and priest

Christ’s reign will last until all his enemies are made subject to him (1 Corinthians 15:25).

The Lord’s revelation to my Master: †
“Sit on my right: *
your foes I will put beneath your feet.”

The Lord will wield from Zion †
your scepter of power: *
rule in the midst of all your foes.

A prince from the day of your birth †
on the holy mountains; *
from the womb before the dawn I begot you.

The Lord has sworn an oath he will not change. †
“You are a priest for ever, *
a priest like Melchizedek of old.”

The Master standing at your right hand *
will shatter kings in the day of his great wrath.

He shall drink from the stream by the wayside *
and therefore he shall lift up his head.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm Prayer

Father, we ask you to give us victory and peace. In Jesus Christ, our Lord and King, we are already seated at your right hand. We look forward to praising you in the fellowship of all your saints in our heavenly homeland.

Ant. The Lord is risen and is seated at the right hand of God, alleluia.

Ant. 2 He has rescued us from the power of darkness and has brought us into the kingdom of his Son, alleluia.

Psalm 114
The Israelites are delivered from the bondage of Egypt

You too left Egypt when, at baptism, you renounced that world which is at enmity with God (Saint Augustine).

When Israel came forth from Egypt, *
Jacob’s sons from an alien people,
Judah became the Lord’s temple, *
Israel became his kingdom.

The sea fled at the sight: *
the Jordan turned back on its course,
the mountains leapt like rams *
and the hills like yearling sheep.

Why was it, sea, that you fled, *
that you turned back, Jordan, on your course?
Mountains, that you leapt like rams, *
hills, like yearling sheep?

Tremble, O earth, before the Lord, *
in the presence of the God of Jacob,
who turns the rock into a pool *
and flint into a spring of water.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm Prayer

Almighty God, ever-living mystery of unity and Trinity, you gave life to the new Israel by birth from water and the Spirit, and made it a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a people set apart as your eternal possession. May all those you have called to walk in the splendor of the new light render you fitting service and adoration.

Ant. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and has brought us into the kingdom of his Son, alleluia.

Ant. 3 Alleluia, our God is king; glory and praise to him, alleluia.

Canticle: See Revelation 19:1-7
The wedding of the Lamb

The following canticle is said with the Alleluia when Evening Prayer is sung; when the Office if recited, the Alleluia may be said at the beginning and end of each strophe.

Alleluia.
Salvation, glory, and power to our God: *
(Alleluia.)
his judgments are honest and true. *
Alleluia (alleluia).

Alleluia.
Sing praise to our God, all you his servants, *
(Alleluia.)
all who worship him reverently, great and small. *
Alleluia (alleluia).

Alleluia.
The Lord our all-powerful God is King; *
(Alleluia.)
Let us rejoice, sing praise, and give him glory. *
Alleluia (alleluia).

Alleluia.
The wedding feast of the Lamb has begun, *
(Alleluia.)
and his bride is prepared to welcome him. *
Alleluia (alleluia).

Alleluia.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
(Alleluia.)
and to the Holy Spirit: *
Alleluia (alleluia).

Alleluia.
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
(Alleluia.)
and will be for ever. Amen. *
Alleluia (alleluia).

Ant. All power is yours, Lord God, our mighty King, alleluia.

READING
Hebrews 10:12-14

Jesus offered one sacrifice for sins and took his seat forever at the right hand of God; now he waits until his enemies are placed beneath his feet. By one offering he has forever perfected those who are being sanctified.

RESPONSORY

The Lord is risen, alleluia, alleluia.
– The Lord is risen, alleluia, alleluia.

He has appeared to Simon,
– alleluia, alleluia.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
– The Lord is risen, alleluia, alleluia.

CANTICLE OF MARY

Ant. I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you, says the Lord, alleluia.

Luke 1:46-55
The soul rejoices in the Lord

My + soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, †
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior *
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed: †
the Almighty has done great things for me, *
and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel *
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you, says the Lord, alleluia.

INTERCESSIONS

With joy in our hearts, let us call upon Christ the Lord, who died and rose again, and lives always to intercede for us:
Victorious King, hear our prayer.

Light and salvation of all peoples, send into our hearts the fire of your Spirit,
– as we proclaim your resurrection.
Victorious King, hear our prayer.

Let Israel recognize in you her longed-for Messiah,
– and the whole earth be filled with the knowledge of your glory.
Victorious King, hear our prayer.

Keep us in the communion of your saints,
– and grant us rest from our labors in their company.
Victorious King, hear our prayer.

You have triumphed over death, your enemy; destroy in us the power of death,
– that we may live only for you, victorious and immortal Lord.
Victorious King, hear our prayer.

Savior Christ, you were obedient even to accepting death, and were raised up to the right hand of the Father,
– in your goodness welcome your brothers and sisters into the kingdom of your glory.
Victorious King, hear our prayer.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

(Gathering our prayer and praises into one, let us offer the prayer Christ himself taught us:)

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

God our Father,
look upon us with love.
You redeem us and make us your children in Christ.
Give us true freedom
and bring us to the inheritance you promised.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

Or:

Almighty ever-living God,
constantly accomplish the Paschal Mystery within us,
that those you were pleased to make new in Holy Baptism
may, under your protective care, bear much fruit
and come to the joys of life eternal.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

DISMISSAL

May the Lord bless + us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
– Amen.

Compline

INTRODUCTION

God, + come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

Examination of Conscience

A brief examination of conscience may be made. In the communal celebration of the Office, a Penitential Rite using the formulas of the Mass may be inserted here.

[I confess to almighty God
and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have greatly sinned,
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done and in what I have failed to do,

And, striking their breast, they say:

through my fault, through my fault,
through my most grievous fault;

Then they continue:

therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin,
all the Angels and Saints,
and you, my brothers and sisters,
to pray for me to the Lord our God.

The absolution by the Priest follows:

May almighty God have mercy on us,
forgive us our sins,
and bring us to everlasting life.
– Amen.]

HYMN

At the Lamb’s high feast we sing
Praise to our victorious King,
Who has washed us in the tide
Flowing from his wounded side;
Praise the Lord, whose love divine
Gives his sacred blood for wine,
Gives his body for the feast,
Christ the victim, Christ the priest.

Where the Paschal blood is poured,
Death’s dark angel sheathes his sword;
Israel’s host in triumph go
Through the waves that drown the foe.
Christ the Lamb whose blood was shed,
Paschal victim, Paschal bread;
Let us with a fervent love
Taste the manna from above.

Mighty Victim from on high,
Pow’rs of hell now vanquished lie;
Sin is conquered in the fight:
You have brought us life and light;
Your resplendent banners wave,
You have risen from the grave;
Christ has opened Paradise,
And in him all men shall rise.

Easter triumph, Easter joy,
Sin alone can this destroy;
Souls form sin and death set free
Glory in their liberty.
Hymns of glory, hymns of praise
Father unto you we raise;
Risen Lord, for joy we sing;
Let our hymns through heaven ring.

Tune: Salzburg 77.77 D
Music: Jacob Hintze, 1622-1702
Text: Ad regias Agni dapes
Translation: Robert Campbell, 1814-1868, adapted by Geoffrey Laycock

Or:

God who made the earth and heaven,
    Darkness and light;
You the day for work have giv’n
    For rest the night.
May your angel guards defend us,
Slumber sweet your mercy send us,
Holy dreams and hope attend us,
    All through the night.

And when morn again shall call us
    To run life’s way,
May we still whate’er befall us,
    Your will obey.
From the pow’r of evil hide us,
In the narrow pathway guide us,
Never be your smile denied us
    All through the day.

Guard us waking, guard us sleeping,
    And, when we die,
May we in your mighty keeping
    All peaceful lie.
When the last dread call shall wake us,
Then O Lord, do not forsake us,
But to reign in glory take us
With you on high.

Melody: Ar Hyd Y Nos 84.84.88.84
Music: Welsh Carol
Text: st 1 Reginald Heber, 1783-1826; st. 2 William Mercer, 1811-1876; st. 3 Richard Whately, 1787-1863

PSALMODY

Ant. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Psalm 91
Safe in God’s sheltering care

I have given you the power to tread upon serpents and scorpions (Luke 10:19).

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High *
and abides in the shade of the Almighty
says to the Lord: “My refuge, *
my stronghold, my God in whom I trust!”

It is he who will free you from the snare *
of the fowler who seeks to destroy you;
he will conceal you with his pinions *
and under his wings you will find refuge.

You will not fear the terror of the night *
nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the plague that prowls in the darkness *
nor the scourge that lays waste at noon.

A thousand may fall at your side, *
ten thousand fall at your right,
you, it will never approach; *
his faithfulness is buckler and shield.

Your eyes have only to look *
to see how the wicked are repaid,
you who have said: “Lord, my refuge!” *
and have made the Most High your dwelling.

Upon you no evil shall fall, *
no plague approach where you dwell.
For you has he commanded his angels, *
to keep you in all your ways.

They shall bear you upon their hands *
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
On the lion and the viper you will tread *
and trample the young lion and the dragon.

Since he clings to me in love, I will free him; *
protect him for he knows my name.
When he calls I shall answer: “I am with you,” *
I will save him in distress and give him glory.

With length of life I will content him; *
I shall let him see my saving power.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

READING
Revelation 22:4-5

They shall see the Lord face to face and bear his name on their foreheads. The night shall be no more. They will need no light from lamps or the sun, for the Lord God shall give them light, and they shall reign forever

RESPONSORY

Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit, alleluia, alleluia.
– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit, alleluia, alleluia.

You have redeemed us, Lord God of truth.
– Alleluia, alleluia.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit, alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL CANTICLE

Ant. Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace, alleluia.

Luke 2:29-32
Christ is the light of the nations and the glory of Israel

Lord, + now you let your servant go in peace; *
your word has been fulfilled:

my own eyes have seen the salvation *
which you have prepared in the sight of every people:

a light to reveal you to the nations *
and the glory of your people Israel.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace, alleluia.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let us pray.

Lord,
we have celebrated today
the mystery of the rising of Christ to new life.
May we now rest in your peace,
safe from all that could harm us,
and rise refreshed and joyful,
to praise you throughout another day.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
– Amen.

BLESSING

May the all-powerful Lord
grant us a restful night
and a peaceful death.
– Amen.

Antiphon or song in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Queen of heaven, rejoice, alleluia.
The Son whom you merited to bear, alleluia,
has risen as he said, alleluia.
Pray for us to God, alleluia.

Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia!
For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia!

Or:

Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia,
quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia,
resurrexit sicut dixit, alleluia;
ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.

Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, alleluia.
Quia surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia.

Or:

Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy,
our life, our sweetness, and our hope.
To you do we cry,
poor banished children of Eve.
To you do we send up our sighs
mourning and weeping in this vale of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
your eyes of mercy toward us,
and after this exile
show us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving,
O sweet Virgin Mary.

Or:

Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with you!
Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.

Or:

Salve, Regina, mater misericordiae;
vita, dulcedo et spes nostra, salve,
Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Evae.
Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes
in hac lacrimarum valle.

Eia ergo, advocata nostra,
illos tuos misericordes occulos
ad nos converte.
Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,
nobis post hoc exilium ostende.
O clemens, o pia, o dulcis Virgo Maria.

Or:

Loving mother of the Redeemer,
gate of heaven, star of the sea,
assist your people who have fallen yet strive to rise again.
To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator,
yet remained a virgin after as before.
You who received Gabriel’s joyful greeting,
have pity on us poor sinners.

Information: St. Eadbert

Feast Day:	May 6
Born:	7th century England
Died:	6 May 698

Interactive Saints for Kids

Blessed Francois De Montmorency Laval

Feast Day: May 06
Born: 1623 :: Died: 1708

Blessed Francois was the first bishop of Quebec City, Canada.

He was the third son of Michelle de Péricard and Huges de Laval, a soldier. Francois was born at Montigny-sur-Avre, a small town in Normandy, France. His was an old, well respected and religious family, so Francois received a good, Catholic education.

He studied with the Jesuits at La Fleche from the age of eight and when he was quiet young felt God calling him to become a priest. Then he went to a Jesuit college in Paris to complete his preparation for the priesthood and Francois became a priest in May, 1647. He was consecrated a bishop on December 8, 1658, and arrived in New France in 1659.

Bishop Laval had a missionary spirit and accepted the new way o life of his people. Francois also bravely took on the difficult job of organizing the Church in Canada which was still mission territory. Bishop Laval asked the Jesuit missionaries to care for the spiritual needs of the native people.

He opened new parishes for the French-speaking Catholics. He started the seminary of Quebec in 1663. This was of great importance because a good seminary would train future priests to care for God's people, the Church. He also started the Catholic school system all over Canada

Bishop Laval loved the people of his vast territory. He was a caring and prayerful bishop and built the cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. He boldly spoke to the civil authorities about the harmful affects of smuggling alcohol to the Indian tribes. Because of this he made many enemies.

In 1688, he retired and went to live as a hermit at a seminary in Quebec. He was replaced by Bishop de Saint-Vallier. Bishop Laval spent the last twenty years of his life doing works of charity to help the poor and encouraging people become more holy. He died in 1708 in Quebec, Canada and many miracles took place when people prayed at his tomb.

John
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	John 15
1.	I AM the true vine; and my Father is the husbandman.	Ego sum vitis vera, et Pater meus agricola est.	εγω ειμι η αμπελος η αληθινη και ο πατηρ μου ο γεωργος εστιν
2.	Every branch in me, that beareth not fruit, he will take away: and every one that beareth fruit, he will purge it, that it may bring forth more fruit.	Omnem palmitem in me non ferentem fructum, tollet eum, et omnem qui fert fructum, purgabit eum, ut fructum plus afferat.	παν κλημα εν εμοι μη φερον καρπον αιρει αυτο και παν το καρπον φερον καθαιρει αυτο ινα πλειονα καρπον φερη
3.	Now you are clean by reason of the word, which I have spoken to you.	Jam vos mundi estis propter sermonem quem locutus sum vobis.	ηδη υμεις καθαροι εστε δια τον λογον ον λελαληκα υμιν
4.	Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in me.	Manete in me, et ego in vobis. Sicut palmes non potest fere fructum a semetipso, nisi manserit in vite, sic nec vos, nisi in me manseritis.	μεινατε εν εμοι καγω εν υμιν καθως το κλημα ου δυναται καρπον φερειν αφ εαυτου εαν μη μεινη εν τη αμπελω ουτως ουδε υμεις εαν μη εν εμοι μεινητε
5.	I am the vine; you the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing.	Ego sum vitis, vos palmites : qui manet in me, et ego in eo, hic fert fructum multum, quia sine me nihil potestis facere.	εγω ειμι η αμπελος υμεις τα κληματα ο μενων εν εμοι καγω εν αυτω ουτος φερει καρπον πολυν οτι χωρις εμου ου δυνασθε ποιειν ουδεν
6.	If any one abide not in me, he shall be cast forth as a branch, and shall wither, and they shall gather him up, and cast him into the fire, and he burneth.	Si quis in me non manserit, mittetur foras sicut palmes, et arescet, et colligent eum, et in ignem mittent, et ardet.	εαν μη τις μεινη εν εμοι εβληθη εξω ως το κλημα και εξηρανθη και συναγουσιν αυτα και εις το πυρ βαλλουσιν και καιεται
7.	If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask whatever you will, and it shall be done unto you.	Si manseritis in me, et verba mea in vobis manserint, quodcumque volueritis petetis, et fiet vobis.	εαν μεινητε εν εμοι και τα ρηματα μου εν υμιν μεινη ο εαν θελητε αιτησεσθε και γενησεται υμιν
8.	In this is my Father glorified; that you bring forth very much fruit, and become my disciples.	In hoc clarificatus est Pater meus, ut fructum plurimum afferatis, et efficiamini mei discipuli.	εν τουτω εδοξασθη ο πατηρ μου ινα καρπον πολυν φερητε και γενησεσθε εμοι μαθηται

1. I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2. Every branch in me that bears not fruit he takes away: and every branch that bears fruit, he purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3. Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken to you.

HILARY. He rises in haste to perform the sacrament of His final passion in the flesh (such is His desire to fulfill His Father's commandment) and therefore takes occasion to unfold the mystery of His assumption of His flesh, whereby He supports us, as the vine does its branches: I am the true vine.

AUG. He says this as being the Head of the Church, of which we are the members, the Man Christ Jesus; for the vine and the branches are of the same nature. When He says, I am the true vine, He does not mean really a vine; for He is only called so metaphorically, not literally, even as He is called the Lamb, the Sheep, and the like; but He distinguishes Himself from that vine to whom it is said, How you are turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine to me (Jer 11:21). For how is that a true vine, which when grapes are expected from it, produces only thorns?

HILARY. But He wholly separates this humiliation in the flesh from the form of the Paternal Majesty, by setting forth the Father as the diligent husbandman of this vine: And My Father is the husbandman.

AUG. For we cultivate God, and God cultivates us. But our culture of God does not make Him better: our culture is that of adoration, not of plowing: His culture of us makes us better. His culture consists in extirpating all the seeds of wickedness from our hearts, in opening our heart to the plow, as it were, of His word, in sowing in us the seeds of His commandments, in waiting for the fruits of piety.

CHRYS. And forasmuch as Christ was sufficient for Himself, but His disciples needed the help of the Husbandman, of the vine He says nothing, but adds concerning the branches, Every branch in Me that bears not fruit, He takes away. By fruit is meant life, i.e. that no one can be in Him without good works.

HILARY. The useless and deceitful branches He cuts down for burning.

CHRYS. And inasmuch as even the best of men require the work of the husbandman, He adds, And every branch that bears fruit, He purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit. He alludes here to the tribulations and trials which were coming upon them, the effect of which would be to purge, and so to strengthen them. By pruning the branches we make the tree shoot out the more.

AUG. And who is there in this world so clean, that he cannot be more and more changed? Here, if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. He cleans then the clean, i.e. the fruitful, that the cleaner they be, the more fruitful they may be. Christ is the vine, in that He said, My Father is greater than I; but in that He said, I and My Father are one, He is the husbandman; not like those who carry on an external ministry only; for He gives increase within.

Thus He calls Himself immediately the cleanser of the branches: Now you are clean through the word, which I have spoken to you. He performs the part of the husbandman then, as well as of the vine. But why does He not say, you are clean by reason of the baptism wherewith you are washed? Because it is the word in the water which cleans. Take away the word, and what is the water, which but water.

Add the word to the element, and you have a sacrament. Whence has the water such virtue as that by touching the body, it cleans the heart, but by the power of the word, not spoken only, but believed? For in the word itself the passing sound is one thing, the abiding virtue another. This word of faith is of such avail in the Church of God that by Him who believes, presents, blesses, sprinkles the infant, it cleanses that infant, though itself is unable to believe.

CHRYS. You are clean through the word which I have spoken to you, i.e., you have been enlightened by My doctrine, and been delivered from Jewish error.

4. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in me.
5. I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing.
6. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done to you.

CHRYS. Having said that they were clean through the word which He had spoken to them, He now taught them that they must do their part.

AUG. Abide in Me, and I in you: not they in Him, as He in them; for both are for the profit not of Him, but them. The branches do not confer any advantage upon the vine, but receive their support from it: the vine supplies nourishment to the branches, takes none from them: so that the abiding in Christ, and the having Christ abiding in them, are both for the profit of the disciples, not of Christ; according to what follows, As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can you, except you abide in Me.

Great display of grace! He strengthens the hearts of the humble, stops the mouth of the proud. They who hold that God is not necessary for the doing of good works, the subverters, not the asserters, of free will, contradict this truth. For he who thinks that he bears fruit of himself, is not in the vine; he who is not in the vine, is not in Christ; he who is not in Christ, is not a Christian.

ALCUIN. All the fruit of good works proceeds from this root. He who has delivered us by His grace, also carries us onward by his help, so that we bring forth more fruit. Wherefore He repeats, and explains what He has said: I am the vine, you are the branches. He that abides in Me, by believing, obeying, persevering, and I in Him, by enlightening, assisting, giving perseverance, the same, and none other, brings forth much fruit.

AUG. But lest any should suppose that a branch could bring forth a little fruit of itself, He adds, For without Me you can do nothing. He does not say, you can do little. Unless the branch abides in the vine, and lives from the root, it can bear no fruit whatever. Christ, though He would not be the vine, except He were man, yet could not give this grace to the branches, except He were God.

CHRYS. The Son then contributes no less than the Father to the help of the disciples. The Father changes, but the Son keeps them in Him, which is that which makes the branches fruitful. And again, the cleansing is attributed to the Son also, and the abiding in the root to the Father who begot the root. It is a great loss to be able to do nothing, but He goes on to say more than this: If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, i.e. shall not benefit by the care of the husbandman, and withers, i.e., shall lose all that it desires from the root, all that supports its life, and shall die.

ALCUIN. And men gather them, i.e., the reapers, the Angels, and cast them into the fire, everlasting fire, and they are burned.

AUG. For the branches of the vine are as contemptible, if they abide not in the vine, as they are glorious, if they abide. One of the two the branch must be in, either the vine, or the fire: if it is not in the vine, it will be in the fire.

CHRYS. Then He shows what it is to abide in Him. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you shall ask what you will and it shall be done to you. It is to be shown by their works.

AUG. For then may His words be said to abide in us, when we do what He has commanded, and love what He has promised. But when His words abide in the memory and are not found in the life, the branch is not accounted to be in the vine, because it derives no life from its root. So far as we abide in the Savior we cannot will any thing that is foreign to our salvation.

We have one will, insofar as we are in Christ, another, insofar as we are in this world And by reason of our abode in this world, it sometimes happens that we ask for that which is not expedient, through ignorance. But never, if we abide in Christ, will He grant it us, Who does not grant except what is expedient for us. And here we are directed to the prayer, Our Father. Let us adhere to the words and the meaning of this prayer in our petitions, and whatever we ask will be done for us.

8. Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall you be my disciples.

CHRYS. Our Lord showed above, that those who plotted against them should be burned, inasmuch as they abode not in Christ: now He shows that they themselves would be invincible, bringing forth much fruit; Herein is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit: as if He said, If it appertains to My Father's glory that you bring forth fruit, He will not despise His own glory. And he that brings forth fruit is Christ's disciple: So shall you be My disciples.

THEOPHYL. The fruit of the Apostles are the Gentiles, who through their teaching were converted to the faith, and brought into subjection to the glory of God.

AUG. Made bright or glorified; the Greek word may be translated in either way. In Greek it signifies glory; not our own glory, we must remember, as if we had it of ourselves: it is of His grace that we have it; and therefore it is not our own but His glory. For from whom shall we derive our fruitfulness, but from His mercy preventing us.

Wherefore He adds, As My Father has loved Me, even so love I you. This then is the source of our good works. Our good works proceed from faith which works by love: but we could not love unless we were loved first: As My Father has loved Me, even so love I you. This does not prove that our nature is equal to His, as His is to the Father's, but the grace, whereby He is the Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. The Father loves us, but in Him.

CHRYS. If then I love you, be of good cheer; if it is the Father's glory that you bring forth good fruit, bear no evil. Then to rouse them to exertion, He adds, Continue you in My love; and then shows how this is to be done: If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love.

Catena Aurea John 15

Christ Taking Leave of the Apostles

Duccio di Buoninsegna

1308-11
Tempera on wood, 50 x 53 cm
Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Siena

Note the chair in that painting! Cathedra!

Catholic

Almanac:

Sunday, May 6
Liturgical Color: White
Today is the annual day of commemoration in remembrance of members of the Swiss Guard who died protecting the pope. On this day new members are received into the Guard, swearing their allegiance to the Holy Father.

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for: May 06, 2012
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: Almighty ever-living God, constantly accomplish the Paschal Mystery within us, that those you were pleased to make new in Holy Baptism may, under your protective care, bear much fruit and come to the joys of life eternal. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RECIPES

Chocolate Pecan Pie

ACTIVITIES

PRAYERS

Prayers for the Easter Season

Easter: May 1st

Fifth Sunday of Easter Old Calendar: Fourth Sunday after Easter

I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you (Jn 15:5-7).

Click here for commentary on the readings in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

Sunday Readings
The first reading taken from the the Acts of the Apostles 9:26-31 is about St. Paul's first visit to Jerusalem after his conversion.

The second reading is from the first Letter of John 3:18-24. In today's verses the Beloved Disciple is urging his readers to believe firmly in Jesus Christ the Son of God, and to love their neighbor with a practical love, a love which will help him in his corporal and spiritual needs.

The Gospel is from St. John 15:1-8. The words of consolation and encouragement which our Lord spoke to his Apostles on Holy Thursday night were intended to console and encourage all his followers for all time. They encourage and console us today, and we need encouragement to persevere on the road to heaven. Living a truly Christian life is never easy. We have always the attraction of the world, and the temptations by the agents of evil, to make that life less easy still. But in our own day these difficulties have increased a hundredfold. The attractions of this world have been multiplied by the increased comforts, pleasures and means of self-indulgence which science and technology have put within our reach. Human nature, always inclined to choose the easiest way out, has been given so many means of escape from the strain of self-control that even for a fervent Christian it is frequently very difficult to avoid these worldly allurements.

Having the ordinary comforts of life and the possession of some of this world's goods is not wrong or anti-Christian, but the natural temptation is to get more and more of these comforts and riches, and the point is soon reached where this becomes the only purpose in life. When this sad stage is arrived at, God and our future life are forgotten; this world becomes our idol and our prison. The temptations which the agents of evil put in Christ's way are also multiplied today. The communications media are now very technically improved and perfected and can be, and sometimes are, a means for good. Unfortunately, more frequently, they are the channels of bad example. The evil deeds of men have more "news value" than their good deeds. And it is so much easier to follow the bad example! Permissiveness, rejection of authority, glorification of unlawful sexual indulgence, drug addiction, and other such crimes are placed before the minds and the eyes of the youth of today, and are unfortunately copied by far too many.

It is indeed hard to swim against the current; it is so much more pleasant to allow oneself to be carried along without effort by the rushing tide. But when there are rocks and shoals ahead, the thoughtless and ease-seeking swimmer will end in grief. Our Lord has warned us today, as he warned his first followers, to abide in him, to remain closely united with him, as is the branch to the vine, if we hope to bear fruit worthy of heaven. He promises us that if we remain closely united to him, that is, if we strive daily to keep his commandments, he will be ever ready to answer our requests, and to heed all our prayers. The sincere prayer today of every man who is trying to lead a Christian life is for the grace to overcome the allurements of the world, the flesh and the devil. Let us take courage, then. Christ has promised to remain beside us during life if only we stay close to him. While we remain healthy branches of the vine, Christ, we will be on the road to heaven. Our daily tasks, our work as well as our prayer, our recreation as well as our rest, our joys as well as our sorrows, will give glory to God and prove that we are worthy to be called disciples of Christ.

Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: John 15:1-8

“Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit.” (John 15:5)

How comforting it is to know that we do not walk alone through this life! No matter how isolated or weak we may feel, the truth is that Jesus is with us and will never abandon us. With Jesus as “the vine,” we can be assured that we will receive everything we need to nourish and sustain us. With the Father as the “vine grower,” all the circumstances of our lives—both pleasant and difficult— become his instruments as he prunes us and molds us into his image.

As an example of the effect that abiding in Christ can have, consider the early church as St. Luke describes it in today’s first reading. Where did Saul receive the courage not only to forego his former persecution of the church but to become one of its foremost apostles? His personal encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus changed him radically, but there were still layers of pride, prejudice, and fear that God had to strip away so that he could become more and more effective. More than likely, this pruning process was difficult, but Saul embraced it because the treasure of intimacy with Christ was so precious to him.

Think also of the disciples in Jerusalem when Saul attempted to join them. How did they overcome their fear and mistrust of their onetime persecutor? Again, they let the Lord lead them, guide them, and prune them where necessary. Certainly this was not an easy thing to do, but they came to trust that God could bring life from death, and so they were able to take the risk.

God is deeply committed to us, just as he was to those first believers. If we try our best to stay connected with him during our days, he will prune us as well. It won’t always be enjoyable, but it will be fruitful! Our lives will never be the same; they will keep getting better and better and better.

“Heavenly Father, make my heart one with you and your Son, so that I may bear fruit that brings you glory and honor.”

Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion

(Acts 9:26-31; Psalm 22:26-28,30-32; 1 John 3:18-24; John 15:1-8)

1. In the first reading we find Saul speaking “boldly in the name of the Lord.” In what ways have you been willing to boldly tell others of Christ, e.g., at work, in your neighborhood, or in everyday encounters with other people? Where does this boldness come from?

2. In the Responsorial Psalm, we read: “Let the coming generation be told of the Lord that they may proclaim to a people yet to be born the justice of the Lord.” In what ways have you been willing to boldly tell members of your family how Jesus satisfied the justice of God by dying on the cross for our sins?

3. The second reading encourages us to love “not in word or speech but in deed and truth.” How well do you regard other members of your parish as your brothers and sisters in Christ? In what ways do you show it? Discuss some possible ways you can reach out to others in your parish or your community.

4. In the Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples that he will “prune” the vine (us) so that we will bear more fruit. How has the pruning by the Lord allowed your faith and your good works to grow?

5. In the article, we hear these words: “With the Father as the ‘vine grower,’ all the circumstances of our lives—both pleasant and difficult— become his instruments as he prunes us and molds us into his image.” In what ways have the “pleasant and difficult” circumstances of your life allowed your heavenly Father to prune you and “mold” you, so that you become more and more like his beloved Son? What steps can you take to increase your openness to this pruning?

6. Take some time now to pray and ask the Father to prune you so that you can “bear much fruit.” Use the prayer at the end of the meditation as the starting point.

A Christian Pilgrim

TO ABIDE IN JESUS EACH DAY, AS HE ABIDES IN US

(A biblical refection on THE FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER – May 6, 2012)

Gospel Reading: John 15:1-8

First Reading: Acts 9:26-31; Psalms: Ps 22:26-28,30-32; Second Reading: 1Jn 3:18-24

The Scripture Text

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that is may bear more fruit. You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, he is the bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in Me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. If you abide in Me, any words abide in you, as whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. (Jn 15:1-8 RSV)

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me” (Jn 15:4).

This one verse sums up our call as Christians – to abide in Jesus each day, as He abides in us, and so bear the fruit of His life within us. What does it mean to abide? Abiding has to do with remaining, continuing, staying in a place. There is a sense of permanence in abiding, a sense of stability.

Jesus asks us to stay with Him continually throughout the day, in the midst of all that is going on in our lives. His analogy of the vine and the branches illustrate this point beautifully. The branch does not decide to detach itself from the vine at various points in the day. It remains connected to the vine, or it will die.

The same is true for us. Jesus promises that if we abide in Him by turning to Him often throughout the day, He will spur us on and empower us to be His disciples. Jesus’ abiding in us brings forth the love, joy, kindness, and patience that He is looking for. We do not have to produce this fruit by our own unaided efforts at being good. Rather, the life of Jesus abiding in us will come pouring out of us as we abide in Him.

As we abide in Jesus day after day, our Father in heaven will prune and shape us, so that we continually bear more fruit. When Saint Paul was first converted, he was not instantly the great apostle that he came to be. The Lord molded and shaped Paul, using times like his forced return to a quiet life in Tarsus (Acts 9:30) to give him a fuller understanding of the Gospel. Similarly, as we abide in Jesus, the Father purifies us of patterns of selfishness and sin that block the fruits of the Spirit from coming forth in our lives.

Short Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for living in me. Make me more deeply aware of Your presence in me. Help me to abide in You today. I want to lift my thoughts to you often and listen to your voice. Prune and cleanse me, Lord Jesus, so that I may bear fruit for Your Kingdom. Amen.

A Christian Pilgrim

LORD JESUS, THERE IS NO LIFE APART FROM YOU

[SUNDAY, 6 MAY 2012]

Gospel Reading: John 15:1-8

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that is may bear more fruit. You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, he is the bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in Me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. If you abide in Me, any words abide in you, as whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. (Jn 15:1-8 RSV)

Prayer: How often, Jesus, I have thought that I could do something on my own, that I had to bear burdens with my own power. It is impossible to bear any fruit apart from You. There have been moments of success and moments of pleasure, when I have thought I had achieved something, but then came the knowledge that all without You is ashes.

There is no life, apart from You. Renew in me the life that only You can give to those who remain close to You, who live in You.

I pray You to dwell in me and work in me the work that You want done. For any fruit that is born through me is started by You and brought to fulfillment by You. I am useless and barren without Your life in me. Thank You for this day and for Your coming into the world through me. Amen.

The prayer is taken from Fr. Killian Speckner OFMConv., THE PRAYERS OF FATHER KILLIAN – A Franciscan Missionary’s Guide to Daily Devotion, Paraclete Press, 1986.

Marriage = One Man and One Woman

Til' Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for May 6, 2012:

“Let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.” (1Jn 3:18) Saying “I love you” is good. Being true to your words is better. Showing your love by doing something nice or sacrificing for your beloved is true love. What act of love can you do today?

Sunday Scripture Study

Fifth Sunday of Easter - Cycle B

May 6, 2012

Click here for USCCB readings

Opening Prayer

First Reading: Acts 9:26-31

Psalm: 22:26-28, 30-32

Second Reading: 1 John 3:18-24

Gospel Reading: John 15:1-8

The setting for this Sunday’s Gospel is just after the Last Supper discourse in the upper room (John 13:1—14:31). It is speculated that, after leaving the upper room, this part of Jesus’ discourse may have been delivered at the Temple gates (where there was an elaborate engraving of grapes and vines), or in the vineyard near the Kidron Valley, on the way to the Mount of Olives, where the Garden of Gethsemane was located.

In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel is often spoken of as a vine or a vineyard (Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 80:9-17; Jer 2:21, 5:10-11; Ez 15:2-8, 17:5-10; 19:10-14; Hosea 10:1, etc.), as did Jesus (Mt 21:33-46).

This Gospel reading, however, is much more personal than previous uses of this figure since Jesus speaks of himself as the vine and we, his members, as the branches. St. Paul also uses a similar idea in his description of the true Israel as the body of Christ (Rom 12:4-5; 1 Cor 3:9, 12:12-26; Eph 4:15-16). Thus our spiritual survival is dependent upon our connection to him—and to one another.

Jesus is talking about two kinds of branches with a different kind of pruning for each. Those branches that are not bearing fruit are to be cut off all together, as they are useless and only serve to draw nourishment away from the fruitful branches. The fruitful branches are also pruned, but it is because they are already productive and pruning makes then even more so.

QUESTIONS:

If the fruitful vine branches were human lives, what kinds of things are being pruned away? What pain would be associated with pruning? What tools? What spiritual fruit?

Jesus repeats “remain in me”, “love” and “bear fruit”. How are these words related? What is the “fruit that will remain” (verse 16)?

How do verses 9 and 12 tie together? How is love the essential dynamic of the Christian life (1 Cor 13)? How does your relationship with Jesus change once you start practicing his example of love?

As a branch on Christ’s vine, how would you describe the fruit in your life: Grade A-1? Juicy? Green? Wormy? Why?

Specifically, how would you rate yourself on laying down your life for your friends (verse 13)?

Catechism of the Catholic Church: §§ 308, 755, 787, 1108, 1988, 2074

“For Christ’s Word in the first place cleanses us from errors, by instructing us (cf. Titus 1:9)…secondly, it purifies our hearts of earthly affections, filling them with desire for heavenly things…; finally, his Word purifies us with the strength of faith, for “he cleansed their hearts by faith (Acts 15:9).” ~St. Thomas Aquinas

May 6, 2012

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Reading 1 Acts 9:26-31

Responsorial Psalm Ps 22:26-27, 28, 30, 31-32

Reading 2 1 Jn 3:18-24

Gospel Jn 15:1-8

Regina Coeli

In Latin

In English

Blessed Francois De Montmorency Laval

Daily Readings for: May 06, 2012
(Readings on USCCB website)

RECIPES

ACTIVITIES

PRAYERS

Meditation: John 15:1-8

Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion

May 6, 2012

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Reading 1 Acts 9:26-31

Responsorial Psalm Ps 22:26-27, 28, 30, 31-32

Reading 2 1 Jn 3:18-24

Gospel Jn 15:1-8

Regina Coeli

In Latin

In English

Blessed Francois De Montmorency Laval

Daily Readings for: May 06, 2012(Readings on USCCB website)

RECIPES

ACTIVITIES

PRAYERS

Meditation: John 15:1-8

Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion

Daily Readings for: May 06, 2012
(Readings on USCCB website)