READINGS: EASTER SUNDAY V

Invitatory Psalm & BACK


Psalm 1: Hebrew English     Then BACK
Psalm 2: Hebrew English     Then BACK
Psalm 3: Hebrew English     Then BACK

וַיַּעֲלֹז לִבִּי - הַלְלוּ יָהּ — וּמִשִּׁירִי אֲהוֹדֶנּוּ - הַלְלוּ יָהּ

Even Years: Acts 16:16-40 16 ἐγένετο δὲ πορευομένων ἡμῶν εἰς τὴν προσευχὴν παιδίσκην τινὰ ἔχουσαν πνεῦμα πύθωνα ὑπαντῆσαι ἡμῖν, ἥτις ἐργασίαν πολλὴν παρεῖχεν τοῖς κυρίοις αὐτῆς μαντευομένη. 17 αὕτη κατακολουθοῦσα τῷ παύλῳ καὶ ἡμῖν ἔκραζεν λέγουσα, οὗτοι οἱ ἄνθρωποι δοῦλοι τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου εἰσίν, οἵτινες καταγγέλλουσιν ὑμῖν ὁδὸν σωτηρίας. 18 τοῦτο δὲ ἐποίει ἐπὶ πολλὰς ἡμέρας. διαπονηθεὶς δὲ παῦλος καὶ ἐπιστρέψας τῷ πνεύματι εἶπεν, παραγγέλλω σοι ἐν ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐξελθεῖν ἀπ' αὐτῆς: καὶ ἐξῆλθεν αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ. 19 ἰδόντες δὲ οἱ κύριοι αὐτῆς ὅτι ἐξῆλθεν ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς ἐργασίας αὐτῶν ἐπιλαβόμενοι τὸν παῦλον καὶ τὸν σιλᾶν εἵλκυσαν εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας, 20 καὶ προσαγαγόντες αὐτοὺς τοῖς στρατηγοῖς εἶπαν, οὗτοι οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἐκταράσσουσιν ἡμῶν τὴν πόλιν ἰουδαῖοι ὑπάρχοντες, 21 καὶ καταγγέλλουσιν ἔθη ἃ οὐκ ἔξεστιν ἡμῖν παραδέχεσθαι οὐδὲ ποιεῖν ῥωμαίοις οὖσιν. 22 καὶ συνεπέστη ὁ ὄχλος κατ' αὐτῶν, καὶ οἱ στρατηγοὶ περιρήξαντες αὐτῶν τὰ ἱμάτια ἐκέλευον ῥαβδίζειν, 23 πολλάς τε ἐπιθέντες αὐτοῖς πληγὰς ἔβαλον εἰς φυλακήν, παραγγείλαντες τῷ δεσμοφύλακι ἀσφαλῶς τηρεῖν αὐτούς: 24 ὃς παραγγελίαν τοιαύτην λαβὼν ἔβαλεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν ἐσωτέραν φυλακὴν καὶ τοὺς πόδας ἠσφαλίσατο αὐτῶν εἰς τὸ ξύλον. 25 κατὰ δὲ τὸ μεσονύκτιον παῦλος καὶ σιλᾶς προσευχόμενοι ὕμνουν τὸν θεόν, ἐπηκροῶντο δὲ αὐτῶν οἱ δέσμιοι: 26 ἄφνω δὲ σεισμὸς ἐγένετο μέγας ὥστε σαλευθῆναι τὰ θεμέλια τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου, ἠνεῴχθησαν δὲ παραχρῆμα αἱ θύραι πᾶσαι, καὶ πάντων τὰ δεσμὰ ἀνέθη. 27 ἔξυπνος δὲ γενόμενος ὁ δεσμοφύλαξ καὶ ἰδὼν ἀνεῳγμένας τὰς θύρας τῆς φυλακῆς, σπασάμενος [τὴν] μάχαιραν ἤμελλεν ἑαυτὸν ἀναιρεῖν, νομίζων ἐκπεφευγέναι τοὺς δεσμίους. 28 ἐφώνησεν δὲ μεγάλῃ φωνῇ [ὁ] παῦλος λέγων, μηδὲν πράξῃς σεαυτῷ κακόν, ἅπαντες γάρ ἐσμεν ἐνθάδε. 29 αἰτήσας δὲ φῶτα εἰσεπήδησεν, καὶ ἔντρομος γενόμενος προσέπεσεν τῷ παύλῳ καὶ [τῷ] σιλᾷ, 30 καὶ προαγαγὼν αὐτοὺς ἔξω ἔφη, κύριοι, τί με δεῖ ποιεῖν ἵνα σωθῶ; 31 οἱ δὲ εἶπαν, πίστευσον ἐπὶ τὸν κύριον Ἰησοῦν, καὶ σωθήσῃ σὺ καὶ ὁ οἶκός σου. 32 καὶ ἐλάλησαν αὐτῷ τὸν λόγον τοῦ κυρίου σὺν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ αὐτοῦ. 33 καὶ παραλαβὼν αὐτοὺς ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ τῆς νυκτὸς ἔλουσεν ἀπὸ τῶν πληγῶν, καὶ ἐβαπτίσθη αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ αὐτοῦ πάντες παραχρῆμα, 34 ἀναγαγών τε αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸν οἶκον παρέθηκεν τράπεζαν, καὶ ἠγαλλιάσατο πανοικεὶ πεπιστευκὼς τῷ θεῷ. 35 ἡμέρας δὲ γενομένης ἀπέστειλαν οἱ στρατηγοὶ τοὺς ῥαβδούχους λέγοντες, ἀπόλυσον τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐκείνους. 36 ἀπήγγειλεν δὲ ὁ δεσμοφύλαξ τοὺς λόγους [τούτους] πρὸς τὸν παῦλον, ὅτι ἀπέσταλκαν οἱ στρατηγοὶ ἵνα ἀπολυθῆτε: νῦν οὖν ἐξελθόντες πορεύεσθε ἐν εἰρήνῃ. 37 ὁ δὲ παῦλος ἔφη πρὸς αὐτούς, δείραντες ἡμᾶς δημοσίᾳ ἀκατακρίτους, ἀνθρώπους ῥωμαίους ὑπάρχοντας, ἔβαλαν εἰς φυλακήν: καὶ νῦν λάθρᾳ ἡμᾶς ἐκβάλλουσιν; οὐ γάρ, ἀλλὰ ἐλθόντες αὐτοὶ ἡμᾶς ἐξαγαγέτωσαν. 38 ἀπήγγειλαν δὲ τοῖς στρατηγοῖς οἱ ῥαβδοῦχοι τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα. ἐφοβήθησαν δὲ ἀκούσαντες ὅτι ῥωμαῖοί εἰσιν, 39 καὶ ἐλθόντες παρεκάλεσαν αὐτούς, καὶ ἐξαγαγόντες ἠρώτων ἀπελθεῖν ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως. 40 ἐξελθόντες δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς φυλακῆς εἰσῆλθον πρὸς τὴν λυδίαν, καὶ ἰδόντες παρεκάλεσαν τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς καὶ ἐξῆλθαν.

Odd Years: Revelation 18:21—19:10 καὶ ἦρεν εἷς ἄγγελος ἰσχυρὸς λίθον ὡς μύλινον μέγαν καὶ ἔβαλεν εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν λέγων, οὕτως ὁρμήματι βληθήσεται Βαβυλὼν ἡ μεγάλη πόλις, καὶ οὐ μὴ εὑρεθῇ ἔτι.      καὶ φωνὴ κιθαρῳδῶν καὶ μουσικῶν καὶ αὐλητῶν καὶ σαλπιστῶν οὐ μὴ ἀκουσθῇ ἐν σοὶ ἔτι,      καὶ πᾶς τεχνίτης πάσης τέχνης οὐ μὴ εὑρεθῇ ἐν σοὶ ἔτι,      καὶ φωνὴ μύλου οὐ μὴ ἀκουσθῇ ἐν σοὶ ἔτι,      καὶ φῶς λύχνου οὐ μὴ φάνῃ ἐν σοὶ ἔτι,      καὶ φωνὴ νυμφίου καὶ νύμφης οὐ μὴ ἀκουσθῇ ἐν σοὶ ἔτι: ὅτι οἱ ἔμποροί σου ἦσαν οἱ μεγιστᾶνες τῆς γῆς, ὅτι ἐν τῇ φαρμακείᾳ σου ἐπλανήθησαν πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ αἷμα προφητῶν καὶ ἁγίων εὑρέθη καὶ πάντων τῶν ἐσφαγμένων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. μετὰ ταῦτα ἤκουσα ὡς φωνὴν μεγάλην ὄχλου πολλοῦ ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ λεγόντων,      ἁλληλουϊά: ἡ σωτηρία καὶ ἡ δόξα καὶ ἡ δύναμις τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν,      ὅτι ἀληθιναὶ καὶ δίκαιαι αἱ κρίσεις αὐτοῦ:      ὅτι ἔκρινεν τὴν πόρνην τὴν μεγάλην      ἥτις ἔφθειρεν τὴν γῆν ἐν τῇ πορνείᾳ αὐτῆς,      καὶ ἐξεδίκησεν τὸ αἷμα τῶν δούλων αὐτοῦ ἐκ χειρὸς αὐτῆς. καὶ δεύτερον εἴρηκαν,      ἁλληλουϊά: καὶ ὁ καπνὸς αὐτῆς ἀναβαίνει εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. καὶ ἔπεσαν οἱ πρεσβύτεροι οἱ εἴκοσι τέσσαρες καὶ τὰ τέσσαρα ζῷα, καὶ προσεκύνησαν τῷ θεῷ τῷ καθημένῳ ἐπὶ τῷ θρόνῳ, λέγοντες,      ἀμήν, ἁλληλουϊά. καὶ φωνὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ θρόνου ἐξῆλθεν λέγουσα,      αἰνεῖτε τῷ θεῷ ἡμῶν, πάντες οἱ δοῦλοι αὐτοῦ,      καὶ οἱ φοβούμενοι αὐτόν, οἱ μικροὶ καὶ οἱ μεγάλοι. καὶ ἤκουσα ὡς φωνὴν ὄχλου πολλοῦ καὶ ὡς φωνὴν ὑδάτων πολλῶν καὶ ὡς φωνὴν βροντῶν ἰσχυρῶν λεγόντων,      ἁλληλουϊά, ὅτι ἐβασίλευσεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν ὁ παντοκράτωρ.      χαίρωμεν καὶ ἀγαλλιῶμεν, καὶ δώσωμεν τὴν δόξαν αὐτῷ,      ὅτι ἦλθεν ὁ γάμος τοῦ ἀρνίου,      καὶ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ ἡτοίμασεν ἑαυτήν:      καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῇ ἵνα περιβάληται βύσσινον λαμπρὸν καθαρόν,      τὸ γὰρ βύσσινον τὰ δικαιώματα τῶν ἁγίων ἐστίν. καὶ λέγει μοι, γράψον:      μακάριοι οἱ εἰς τὸ δεῖπνον τοῦ γάμου τοῦ ἀρνίου κεκλημένοι. καὶ λέγει μοι,      οὗτοι οἱ λόγοι ἀληθινοὶ τοῦ θεοῦ εἰσιν. καὶ ἔπεσα ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ προσκυνῆσαι αὐτῷ. καὶ λέγει μοι,      ὅρα μή:      σύνδουλός σού εἰμι καὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν σου τῶν ἐχόντων τὴν μαρτυρίαν Ἰησοῦ:      τῷ θεῷ προσκύνησον. ἡ γὰρ μαρτυρία Ἰησοῦ ἐστιν τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς προφητείας.

Even Years: Origen, Commentary on Romans, Book 5:9 (PG 14,1043-1044) Si enim complantati facti sumus similitudini mortis eius, etiam resurrectionis erimus, hoc scientes, quia vetus homo noster simul crucifixus est ei, ut destruatur corpus peccati, ut ultra non serviamus peccato Idcirco namque et mortuos nos dicit esse peccato, et quicunque baptizati sumus in Christo, in morte ipsius baptizatos nos dicit: et nunc complantatos nos ad mortis eius similitudinem scribit, addens quod si similitudinem mortis eius, qua peccato mortuus est, geramus, etiam resurrectionis similitudinem sperare debeamus. Sed hoc quatenus possit fieri ostendit dicens, quia vetus homo noster concrucifigi debeat Christo. Vetus autem homo noster intelligendus est vita prior quam duximus in peccatis, cuius finem et interitum quemdam facimus ubi recipimus in nobis fidem crucis Chrsti, per quam ita destruitur corpus peccati, ut membra nostra, quae serviebant peccato, ultra ei non serviant, sed Deo. Sed nunc repetentes sermonem, videamus quid est complantari similitudini mortis Christi, in quo velut plantam alicuius arboris ostendit mortem Christi, cui nos complantatos vult esse, ut ex succo radicis eius radix quoque nostra suscipiens producat ramos iustitiae, et fructus afferat vitae. Quid si vis de Scripturis agnoscere quae ista sit planta cui complantati esse debeamus, et cuius generis arbor, audi quid de Sapientia scribitur: Arbor, inquit, vitae est omnibus sperantibus in se; et qui confidunt in ea tanquam in Domino. Christus ergo Dei virtus, et Dei sapientia, ipse est arbor vitae, cui complantari debemus, et novo quodam atque amabili Dei dono mors illius nobis arbor vitae efficitur. Bene autem Apostulus, sciens se in praesenti loco non de communi hac, sed de peccati morte tractare, non dixit: Si enim complantati sumus morti eius, sed, similitudini mortis eius. Christus enim ita semel mortuus est peccato, ut peccatum omnino non fecerit, nec dolus inventus sit in ore eius. Quod in alio homine ex integro inveniri omnino non poterit. Nemo enim mundus a peccato, nec si unius diei fuerit vita eius. Idcirco ergo ipsa quidem morte qua Iesus mortuus est peccato, ut peccatum omnino non fecerit, nos non possumus mori ut omnino nesciamus peccatum: similitudinem tamen habere possumus, ut imitantes eium, et vestigia eius sequentes abstineamus nos a peccato. Hoc est ergo quod recipere potest humana natura, ut in similitudinem mortis eius fiat, dum ipsum imitando non peccat Et vide quam necessario formam plantationis assumpserit. Omnis etenim planta post hiemis mortem resurrectione veris expectat. Si ergo et nos in Christi morte complantati sumus in hieme saeculi huius et praesentis vitae, etiam ad futurum ver inveniemur fructus iustitiae ex ipsius radice proferentes; et si complantati sumus ei, necesse est ut Pater agricola purget nos tanquam palmites vitis verae, ut fructum plurimum afferamus.

Odd Years: Augustine, Commentary on Psalm 148, 1-2 (CCL 40, 2165-2166) Meditatio praesentis vitae nostrae in laude Dei esse debet, quia exultatio sempiterna futurae nostrae vitae, laus Dei erit; et nemo potest idoneum fieri futurae vitae, qui non se ad illam modo exercuerit. Modo ergo laudamus Deum, sed et rogamus Deum. Laus nostra laetitiam habet, oratio gemitum. Promissum est enim nobis aliquid quod nondum habemus; et quia verax est qui promisit, in spe gaudemus; quia tamen nondum habemus, in desiderio gemimus. Bonum est nobis perseverare in desiderio, donec veniat quod promissum est, et transeat gemitus, succedat sola laudatio. Our thoughts in this present life should turn on the praise of God, because it is in praising God that we shall rejoice for ever in the life to come; and no one can be ready for the next life unless he trains himself for it now. So we praise God during our earthly life, and at the same time we make our petitions to him. Our praise is expressed with joy, our petitions with yearning. We have been promised something we do not yet possess, and because the promise was made by one who keeps his word, we trust him and are glad; but insofar as possession is delayed, we can only long and yearn for it. It is good for us to persevere in longing until we receive what was promised and yearning is over; then praise alone will remain. Propter haec duo tempora unum quod nunc est in tentationibus et tribulationibus huius vitae, alterum quod tunc erit in securitate et exultatione perpetua, instituta est nobis etiam celebratio duorum temporum, ante Pascha, et post Pascha. Illud quod est ante Pascha, significat tribulationem in qua modo sumus; quod vero nunc agimus post Pascha, significat beatitudinem in qua postea erimus. Ante Pascha ergo quod celebramus, hoc et agimus; post Pascha autem quod celebramus, significamus quod nondum tenemus. Propterea illius tempus in ieiuniis et orationibus exercemus; hoc vero tempus relaxatis ieiuniis in laudibus agimus. Hoc est enim: Alleluia, quod cantamus. Because there are these two periods of time—the one that now is, beset with the trials and troubles of this life, and the other yet to come, a life of everlasting serenity and joy - we are given two liturgical seasons, one before Easter and the other after. The season before Easter signifies the troubles in which we live here and now, while the time after Easter which we are celebrating at present signifies the happiness that will be ours in the future. What we commemorate before Easter is what we experience in this life; what we celebrate after Easter points to something we do not yet possess. This is why we keep the first season with fasting and prayer; but now the fast is over and we devote the present season to praise. Such is the meaning of the Alleluia we sing. In capite enim nostro nobis utrumque figuratum est, utrumque demonstratum est. Passio Domini ostendit nobis vitam praesentis necessitatis, quia oportet laborare et tribulari et ad extremum mori; resurectio vero et clarificatio Domini ostendit nobis vitam quam accepturi sumus. Both these periods are represented and demonstrated for us in Christ our head. The Lord's passion depicts for us our present life of trial - shows how we must suffer and be afflicted and finally die. The Lord's resurrection and glorification show us the life that will be given to us in the future. Nunc ergo, fratres, exhortamur vos ut laudetis Deum; et hoc est quod nobis omnes dicimus, quando dicimus: Alleluia. Laudate Dominum, dicis tu alteri, dicit ipse tibi; cum se omnes exhortantur, omnes faciunt quod hortantur. Sed laudate de totis vobis; id est, ut non sola lingua et vox vestra laudet Deum, sed et conscientia vestra, vita vestra, facta vestra. Now therefore, we urge you to praise God. That is what we are all telling each other when we say Alleluia. You say to your neighbour, 'Praise the Lord!' and he says the same to you. We are all urging one another to praise the Lord, and all thereby doing what each of us urges the other to do. But see that your praise comes from your whole being; in other words, see that you praise God not with your lips and voices alone, but with your minds, your lives, and all your actions. Enenim laudamus modo in ecclesia quando congregamus; cum quisque discedit ad propria, quasi cessat laudare Deum. Non cesset bene vivere, et semper laudat Deum. Tunc desinis laudare Deum, quando a iustitia, et ab eo quod illi placet, declinas. Nam si a vita bona numquam declines, lingua tua tacet, vita tua clamat; et aures Dei ad cor tuum. Quomodo enim aures nostrae ad voces nostras, sic aures Dei ad cogitationes nostras. We are praising God now, assembled as we are here in Church: but when we go our various ways again, it seems as if we cease to praise God. But provided we do not cease to live a good life, we shall always be praising God. You cease to praise God only when you swerve from justice and from what is pleasing to God. If you never turn aside from the good life, your tongue may be silent but your actions will cry aloud, and God will perceive your intentions; for as our ears hear each other's voices, so do God's ears hear our thoughts.

GOSPELS FOR THE THREE CYCLES
*A* , *B* , *C*

Te Deum [English]

Prayer