READINGS: EASTER WEDNESDAY I

Invitatory Psalm & BACK


Psalm 104: Hebrew English     Then BACK

ὁ δὲ θεὸς καὶ τὸν κύριον ἤγειρεν - Ἁλληλουϊά. — καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐξεγερεῖ διὰ τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ - Ἁλληλουϊά.

Even Years: Acts 2:22-41

22 ἄνδρες Ἰσραηλῖται, ἀκούσατε τοὺς λόγους τούτους: Ἰησοῦν τὸν ναζωραῖον,

ἄνδρα ἀποδεδειγμένον ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ εἰς ὑμᾶς δυνάμεσι καὶ τέρασι καὶ σημείοις οἷς ἐποίησεν δι' αὐτοῦ ὁ θεὸς ἐν μέσῳ ὑμῶν, καθὼς αὐτοὶ οἴδατε,

23 τοῦτον τῇ ὡρισμένῃ βουλῇ καὶ προγνώσει τοῦ θεοῦ ἔκδοτον διὰ χειρὸς ἀνόμων προσπήξαντες ἀνείλατε,

24 ὃν ὁ θεὸς ἀνέστησεν λύσας τὰς ὠδῖνας τοῦ θανάτου, καθότι οὐκ ἦν δυνατὸν κρατεῖσθαι αὐτὸν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ:

25 δαυὶδ γὰρ λέγει εἰς αὐτόν,

προορώμην τὸν κύριον ἐνώπιόν μου διὰ παντός, ὅτι ἐκ δεξιῶν μού ἐστιν ἵνα μὴ σαλευθῶ.
26 διὰ τοῦτο ηὐφράνθη ἡ καρδία μου καὶ ἠγαλλιάσατο ἡ γλῶσσά μου, ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἡ σάρξ μου κατασκηνώσει ἐπ' ἐλπίδι:
27 ὅτι οὐκ ἐγκαταλείψεις τὴν ψυχήν μου εἰς ᾅδην, οὐδὲ δώσεις τὸν ὅσιόν σου ἰδεῖν διαφθοράν.
28 ἐγνώρισάς μοι ὁδοὺς ζωῆς, πληρώσεις με εὐφροσύνης μετὰ τοῦ προσώπου σου.

29 ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, ἐξὸν εἰπεῖν μετὰ παρρησίας πρὸς ὑμᾶς περὶ τοῦ πατριάρχου δαυίδ,

ὅτι καὶ ἐτελεύτησεν καὶ ἐτάφη καὶ τὸ μνῆμα αὐτοῦ ἔστιν ἐν ἡμῖν ἄχρι τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης:

30 προφήτης οὖν ὑπάρχων, καὶ εἰδὼς ὅτι ὅρκῳ ὤμοσεν αὐτῷ ὁ θεὸς ἐκ καρποῦ τῆς ὀσφύος αὐτοῦ καθίσαι ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ,

31 προϊδὼν ἐλάλησεν περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὅτι οὔτε ἐγκατελείφθη εἰς ᾅδην οὔτε ἡ σὰρξ αὐτοῦ εἶδεν διαφθοράν.

32 τοῦτον τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀνέστησεν ὁ θεός, οὗ πάντες ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν μάρτυρες.

33 τῇ δεξιᾷ οὖν τοῦ θεοῦ ὑψωθεὶς τήν τε ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου λαβὼν παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς

ἐξέχεεν τοῦτο ὃ ὑμεῖς [καὶ] βλέπετε καὶ ἀκούετε.

34 οὐ γὰρ δαυὶδ ἀνέβη εἰς τοὺς οὐρανούς, λέγει δὲ αὐτός,

εἶπεν [ὁ] κύριος τῷ κυρίῳ μου,
κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου
35 ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου.

36 ἀσφαλῶς οὖν γινωσκέτω πᾶς οἶκος Ἰσραὴλ ὅτι καὶ κύριον αὐτὸν καὶ Χριστὸν ἐποίησεν ὁ θεός, τοῦτον τὸν Ἰησοῦν ὃν ὑμεῖς ἐσταυρώσατε.

37 ἀκούσαντες δὲ κατενύγησαν τὴν καρδίαν, εἶπόν τε πρὸς τὸν Πέτρον καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς ἀποστόλους, τί ποιήσωμεν, ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί;

38 Πέτρος δὲ πρὸς αὐτούς, μετανοήσατε, [φησίν,] καὶ βαπτισθήτω ἕκαστος ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς ἄφεσιν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ὑμῶν,

καὶ λήμψεσθε τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος:

39 ὑμῖν γάρ ἐστιν ἡ ἐπαγγελία καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις ὑμῶν καὶ πᾶσιν τοῖς εἰς μακρὰν ὅσους ἂν προσκαλέσηται κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν.

40 ἑτέροις τε λόγοις πλείοσιν διεμαρτύρατο, καὶ παρεκάλει αὐτοὺς λέγων, σώθητε ἀπὸ τῆς γενεᾶς τῆς σκολιᾶς ταύτης.

41 οἱ μὲν οὖν ἀποδεξάμενοι τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ ἐβαπτίσθησαν,

καὶ προσετέθησαν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ψυχαὶ ὡσεὶ τρισχίλιαι.

Odd Years: 1 Peter 2:11-25

οἵ ποτε οὐ λαὸς νῦν δὲ λαὸς θεοῦ,
οἱ οὐκ ἠλεημένοι νῦν δὲ ἐλεηθέντες.
     ἀγαπητοί, παρακαλῶ ὡς παροίκους καὶ παρεπιδήμους
     ἀπέχεσθαι τῶν σαρκικῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν,
     αἵτινες στρατεύονται κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς:
τὴν ἀναστροφὴν ὑμῶν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἔχοντες καλήν,
ἵνα, ἐν ᾧ καταλαλοῦσιν ὑμῶν ὡς κακοποιῶν,
ἐκ τῶν καλῶν ἔργων ἐποπτεύοντες
δοξάσωσιν τὸν θεὸν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐπισκοπῆς.

     ὑποτάγητε πάσῃ ἀνθρωπίνῃ κτίσει διὰ τὸν κύριον:
     εἴτε βασιλεῖ ὡς ὑπερέχοντι,
     εἴτε ἡγεμόσιν ὡς δι' αὐτοῦ πεμπομένοις
     εἰς ἐκδίκησιν κακοποιῶν ἔπαινον δὲ ἀγαθοποιῶν:
          ὅτι οὕτως ἐστὶν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ,
          ἀγαθοποιοῦντας φιμοῦν τὴν τῶν ἀφρόνων ἀνθρώπων ἀγνωσίαν:
     ὡς ἐλεύθεροι,
     καὶ μὴ ὡς ἐπικάλυμμα ἔχοντες τῆς κακίας τὴν ἐλευθερίαν,
     ἀλλ' ὡς θεοῦ δοῦλοι.

     πάντας τιμήσατε, τὴν ἀδελφότητα ἀγαπᾶτε,
     τὸν θεὸν φοβεῖσθε, τὸν βασιλέα τιμᾶτε.
     οἱ οἰκέται ὑποτασσόμενοι ἐν παντὶ φόβῳ τοῖς δεσπόταις,
          οὐ μόνον τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς καὶ ἐπιεικέσιν ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς σκολιοῖς.
     τοῦτο γὰρ χάρις εἰ διὰ συνείδησιν θεοῦ ὑποφέρει τις λύπας πάσχων ἀδίκως.
     ποῖον γὰρ κλέος εἰ ἁμαρτάνοντες καὶ κολαφιζόμενοι ὑπομενεῖτε;
     ἀλλ' εἰ ἀγαθοποιοῦντες καὶ πάσχοντες ὑπομενεῖτε, τοῦτο χάρις παρὰ θεῷ.

εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ ἐκλήθητε, ὅτι καὶ Χριστὸς ἔπαθεν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν,
ὑμῖν ὑπολιμπάνων ὑπογραμμὸν ἵνα ἐπακολουθήσητε τοῖς ἴχνεσιν αὐτοῦ:
     ὃς ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ ἐποίησεν οὐδὲ εὑρέθη δόλος ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ:
     ὃς λοιδορούμενος οὐκ ἀντελοιδόρει,
     πάσχων οὐκ ἠπείλει,
     παρεδίδου δὲ τῷ κρίνοντι δικαίως:
     ὃς τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν αὐτὸς ἀνήνεγκεν ἐν τῷ σώματι αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ ξύλον,
     ἵνα ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ἀπογενόμενοι τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ ζήσωμεν:
     οὗ τῷ μώλωπι ἰάθητε.
ἦτε γὰρ ὡς πρόβατα πλανώμενοι, ἀλλὰ ἐπεστράφητε νῦν
ἐπὶ τὸν ποιμένα καὶ ἐπίσκοπον τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν.

Even Years: Origen, Commentary on Romans, Book 4:7 (PG 14, 985-988—no Greek)

Si consurrexistis cum Christo, quae sursum sunt quaerite, ubi Christus est in dextera Dei sedens; quae sursum sunt sapite, non quae super terram, quia qui haec agit, hic se ostendit credere in eum qui suscitavit Iesum Dominum nostrum a mortuis, et huic vere fides reputatur ad iustitiam. Neque enim possiblile est ut habenti in se aliquid iniustitiae possit iustitia reputari, etiam si credat in eum qui suscitavit Dominum Iesum a mortuis. Iniustitia namque cum iustitia nihil potes habere commune, sicut nec lux cum tenebris, nec vita cum morte. Ita ergo et credentibus quidem Christo, nec tamen deponentibus veterem homnem cum actibus suis iniustis, fides reputari non potest ad iustitiam.

Simili autem modo possumus dicere, quia sicut iniusto non potest iustitia reputari, ita nec impudico pudicitia, nec iniquo aequitas, nec avaro liberalitas, nec impio pietas reputari potest, donec vetusta vitiorum indumenta non abiicit, et novum se induit hominem, qui secundum Deum creatus est, et renovatur in ignitione Dei ad imaginem eius qui creavit eum.

Propterea enim et in sequentibus adiungit et dicit de Domino Iesu: Qui traditus est, inquit, propter peccata nostra, et resurrexit propter iustificationem nostram; ut ostendat quia ea pro quibus Christus traditus est, etiam nos abhorrere debeamus, et abiicere. Si enim propter peccata nostra traditum eum credimus, quomodo non alienum nobis et inimicum ducitur omne peccatum, pro quo Redemptor noster traditus memoratur in mortem? Nam si nobis aliqua rursum societas cum peccato, aut amicitia fiat, ostendimus quod nihil ducamus mortem Christi Iesu, amplectentes et sequentes ea quae ille expurgnavit et vicit

Traditus est ergo propter peccata nostra, et resurrexit propter iustificationem nostram. Etenim si consurreximus cum Christo, qui est iustitia, et in novitate vitae ambulamus, et secundum iustitiam vivimus, surrexit nobis Christus ad iustificationem nostram. Si vero nondum deposuimus veterem hominem cum actibus suis, sed in iniustitia vivimus, audeo dicere quod nondum nobis resurrexit Christus ad iustificationem, nec traditus est propter peccata nostra. Si enim hoc credo, quomodo illud amo, pro quo ille pertulit mortem? Si hoc credo quod ille ad iustificationem meam surrexit, quomodo mihi iniustitia placet? Iustificat ergo eos Christus tantummodo qui novam vitam exemplo resurrectionis ipsius susceperunt, et vetusta iniustitiae atque iniquitatis indumenta velut causam mortis abiiciunt

Iustificati igitur ex fide, pacem habeamus ad Deum per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum, per quem et accessum habemus per fidem in gratiam istam in qua stamus, et gloriamur in spe gloriae Dei Sed ut diligentius sensum perspiciamus Apostoli, quid sibi velit pacis nomen, et eius pacis quae per Dominum nostrum Christum est, perquiramus.

Pax dicitur ubi nemo dissidet, nemo discordat, ubi nihil hostile, nihil barbarum geritur. Nos ergo qui aliquando fuimus inimici Dei, sequentes hostem et tyrannum diabolum, nunc si illius arma proiicimus, et signum Christi et crucis eius vexilla suscipimus, pacem utique habemus ad Deum, sed per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum qui nos per hostiam sanguinis sui reconciliavit Deo Si quis ergo habet pacem ad Deum, et reconciliatus est per sanguinem Christi, ultra non contingat ea quae inimica sunt Deo.

Odd Years: Ambrose—attributed, Easter homily, 35:6-9 (PL 17 [ed. 1879], 696-697)
Quam felicitatem reparatae salutis Paulus recolens clamat: Sicuti per Adam mors intravit in hunc mundum, ita et per Christum salus restituta est mundo; et iterum: Primus homo de terra terrenus, secundus homo de coelo coelestis. Et adiiciens ait: Sicut portavimus imaginem terreni, id est, vetusti hominis in crimine, sic portemus imaginem coelestis, id est, suscepti, redempti, reparati; ac purificati hominis salutem teneamus in Christo, quia idem ipse Apostolus ait: Initium Christus, id est, auctor resurrectionis et vitae; deinde hi qui sunt Christi, id est, qui in forma puritatis eius viventes, de spe resurectionis eius securi erunt, cum ipso coelestis promissi gloriam possessuri, sicut ipse Dominus in Evangelio ait: Qui, inquit, me secutus fuerit, non peribit: sed transiet de morte ad vitam. Paul rejoices that we are restored to spiritual health and cries out: As through Adam death came into this world, so through Christ salvation was restored to the world, and again: The first man was from the earth, earthly, the second man is from heaven, heavenly. And he adds: As we have borne the image of the man of the earth, that is, of the old sinful nature, so let us bear the image of the man of heaven, that is, let us hold fast in Christ to the nature that is saved, accepted, redeemed, restored and purified. For Paul says: First there is Christ, that is, the author of resurrection and life; then those who are Christ's, that is, those who live in imitation of his purity, those who live in unshakeable hope because of his resurrection, those who are to possess with him the glory promised to us in heaven. As the Lord himself says in the Gospel: He who has followed me will not perish, but will pass from death to life.
Ita Salvatoris passio, vitae humanae salus est. Ad hoc enim pro nobis mori voluit, ut nos in eum credentes perpetuo viveremus. Voluit pro tempore fieri quod nos sumus, ut nos aeternitatis eius promissionem indepti, cum eodem perpetuo viveremus. Thus the passion of the Saviour is salvation for mankind. This was why he willed to die for us, that we should believe in him, and live for ever. He willed to become for a time what we are, so that we should receive the promise of his eternity and live with him for ever.
Haec, inquam, illa est coelestium myteriorum gratia, hoc paschae donum, haec optabilis anni festivitas, haec exordia gignentium rerum. Hinc vitalis lavacri sacrae Ecclesiae editi puerperio infantes, parvulorum simplicitate renati, balatu innocentis perstrepunt conscientiae. Hinc casti patres, pudicae etiam matres novellam per fidem stirpem prosequuntur innumeram. Hinc sub fidei arbore ab utero fontis innocui cereorum splendet ornatus. Hinc coelestis meriti sanctificantur munere, et sacramenti spiritalis celebri mysterio saginantur. Hinc unius plebis gremio beatae Ecclesiae nutrita fraternitas, unicae divinitatis substantiam, ac virtutis trium nomen adorantes, psalmum annuae festivitatis cum Propheta concelebrant: Hic est dies quem fecit Dominus, exsultemus et laetemur in eo. This is the feast of the year for which we long, the beginnings of life-giving realities. Here is given us the grace of the heavenly mysteries, the gift of the Pasch. In this feast infants come to birth in the bath of life of holy Church; they are reborn with the simplicity of babes and cry out with the voice of an innocent conscience. Here chaste fathers and pure mothers present by faith a new family beyond numbering. In this feast the baptismal font, the womb which begets pure life, is ablaze with the light of candles under the cross, the tree of faith. Here men are sanctified by the gift of heavenly grace and fed by the spiritual sacrament, the sacred mystery. Here the Church, gathered in brotherhood and unity, is nourished. Adoring the substance of the one Godhead and the powerful name of the three persons, they join with the Prophet in singing the psalm of the annual feast: This is the day which the Lord made. Let us be glad and rejoice in it.
Quis, inquam, dies? Nempe ille qui attribuit vivendi principium, lucis exordium, auctor luminis, id est, ipse Dominus Iesus Christus, qui de sementipso ait: Ego sum, inquit, dies: qui per diem ambulat, non offendit, it est, qui Christum in omnibus sequitur, per eius vestigia usque ad aeternae lucis solium transmeavit; sicut ipse Patrem pro nobis adhuc in corpore constitutus orat dicens: Pater, volo ut ubi ego sum, ibi sint et hi qui in me crediderunt; ut sicut tu in me, et ego in te, ita et illi maneant in nobis. What is this day? It is he who is the source of life, the beginning of brightness, the author of life—our Lord Jesus Christ, who said of himself: 'I am the day: he who walks by daylight does not stumble.' That is to say, if a man follows Christ in all things, he will cross over in Christ's steps to the very throne of eternal light. While Christ was still in this bodily life, he prayed to the Father for us in these words: Father, I desire that those who have believed in me may be with me where I am, that even as you are in me, and I in you, so they too may remain in us.

Te Deum [English]
Prayer