READINGS: ASCENSION SATURDAY VI

Invitatory Psalm & BACK


Psalm 106: Hebrew English     Then BACK

ὁ θεὸς ἀναγεννήσας ἡμᾶς εἰς ἐλπίδα ζῶσαν - Ἁλληλουϊά. — δι' ἀναστάσεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐκ νεκρῶν - Ἁλληλουϊά.

Even Years: Acts Acts 23:12-35 12 γενομένης δὲ ἡμέρας ποιήσαντες συστροφὴν οἱ ἰουδαῖοι ἀνεθεμάτισαν ἑαυτοὺς λέγοντες μήτε φαγεῖν μήτε πίειν ἕως οὗ ἀποκτείνωσιν τὸν παῦλον. 13 ἦσαν δὲ πλείους τεσσεράκοντα οἱ ταύτην τὴν συνωμοσίαν ποιησάμενοι: 14 οἵτινες προσελθόντες τοῖς ἀρχιερεῦσιν καὶ τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις εἶπαν, ἀναθέματι ἀνεθεματίσαμεν ἑαυτοὺς μηδενὸς γεύσασθαι ἕως οὗ ἀποκτείνωμεν τὸν παῦλον. 15 νῦν οὖν ὑμεῖς ἐμφανίσατε τῷ χιλιάρχῳ σὺν τῷ συνεδρίῳ ὅπως καταγάγῃ αὐτὸν εἰς ὑμᾶς ὡς μέλλοντας διαγινώσκειν ἀκριβέστερον τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ: ἡμεῖς δὲ πρὸ τοῦ ἐγγίσαι αὐτὸν ἕτοιμοί ἐσμεν τοῦ ἀνελεῖν αὐτόν. 16 ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀδελφῆς παύλου τὴν ἐνέδραν παραγενόμενος καὶ εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὴν παρεμβολὴν ἀπήγγειλεν τῷ παύλῳ. 17 προσκαλεσάμενος δὲ ὁ παῦλος ἕνα τῶν ἑκατονταρχῶν ἔφη, τὸν νεανίαν τοῦτον ἀπάγαγε πρὸς τὸν χιλίαρχον, ἔχει γὰρ ἀπαγγεῖλαί τι αὐτῷ. 18 ὁ μὲν οὖν παραλαβὼν αὐτὸν ἤγαγεν πρὸς τὸν χιλίαρχον καὶ φησίν, ὁ δέσμιος παῦλος προσκαλεσάμενός με ἠρώτησεν τοῦτον τὸν νεανίσκον ἀγαγεῖν πρὸς σέ, ἔχοντά τι λαλῆσαί σοι. 19 ἐπιλαβόμενος δὲ τῆς χειρὸς αὐτοῦ ὁ χιλίαρχος καὶ ἀναχωρήσας κατ' ἰδίαν ἐπυνθάνετο, τί ἐστιν ὃ ἔχεις ἀπαγγεῖλαί μοι; 20 εἶπεν δὲ ὅτι οἱ ἰουδαῖοι συνέθεντο τοῦ ἐρωτῆσαί σε ὅπως αὔριον τὸν παῦλον καταγάγῃς εἰς τὸ συνέδριον ὡς μέλλον τι ἀκριβέστερον πυνθάνεσθαι περὶ αὐτοῦ. 21 σὺ οὖν μὴ πεισθῇς αὐτοῖς: ἐνεδρεύουσιν γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐξ αὐτῶν ἄνδρες πλείους τεσσεράκοντα, οἵτινες ἀνεθεμάτισαν ἑαυτοὺς μήτε φαγεῖν μήτε πιεῖν ἕως οὗ ἀνέλωσιν αὐτόν, καὶ νῦν εἰσιν ἕτοιμοι προσδεχόμενοι τὴν ἀπὸ σοῦ ἐπαγγελίαν. ὁ μὲν οὖν χιλίαρχος ἀπέλυσε τὸν νεανίσκον παραγγείλας μηδενὶ ἐκλαλῆσαι ὅτι ταῦτα ἐνεφάνισας πρός με. 23 καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος δύο [τινὰς] τῶν ἑκατονταρχῶν εἶπεν, ἑτοιμάσατε στρατιώτας διακοσίους ὅπως πορευθῶσιν ἕως καισαρείας, καὶ ἱππεῖς ἑβδομήκοντα καὶ δεξιολάβους διακοσίους, ἀπὸ τρίτης ὥρας τῆς νυκτός, 24 κτήνη τε παραστῆσαι ἵνα ἐπιβιβάσαντες τὸν παῦλον διασώσωσι πρὸς φήλικα τὸν ἡγεμόνα, 25 γράψας ἐπιστολὴν ἔχουσαν τὸν τύπον τοῦτον: 26 κλαύδιος λυσίας τῷ κρατίστῳ ἡγεμόνι φήλικι χαίρειν. 27 τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦτον συλλημφθέντα ὑπὸ τῶν ἰουδαίων καὶ μέλλοντα ἀναιρεῖσθαι ὑπ' αὐτῶν ἐπιστὰς σὺν τῷ στρατεύματι ἐξειλάμην, μαθὼν ὅτι ῥωμαῖός ἐστιν: 28 βουλόμενός τε ἐπιγνῶναι τὴν αἰτίαν δι' ἣν ἐνεκάλουν αὐτῷ κατήγαγον εἰς τὸ συνέδριον αὐτῶν: 29 ὃν εὗρον ἐγκαλούμενον περὶ ζητημάτων τοῦ νόμου αὐτῶν, μηδὲν δὲ ἄξιον θανάτου ἢ δεσμῶν ἔχοντα ἔγκλημα. 30 μηνυθείσης δέ μοι ἐπιβουλῆς εἰς τὸν ἄνδρα ἔσεσθαι, ἐξαυτῆς ἔπεμψα πρὸς σέ, παραγγείλας καὶ τοῖς κατηγόροις λέγειν [τὰ] πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐπὶ σοῦ. 31 οἱ μὲν οὖν στρατιῶται κατὰ τὸ διατεταγμένον αὐτοῖς ἀναλαβόντες τὸν παῦλον ἤγαγον διὰ νυκτὸς εἰς τὴν ἀντιπατρίδα: 32 τῇ δὲ ἐπαύριον ἐάσαντες τοὺς ἱππεῖς ἀπέρχεσθαι σὺν αὐτῷ ὑπέστρεψαν εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν: 33 οἵτινες εἰσελθόντες εἰς τὴν καισάρειαν καὶ ἀναδόντες τὴν ἐπιστολὴν τῷ ἡγεμόνι παρέστησαν καὶ τὸν παῦλον αὐτῷ. 34 ἀναγνοὺς δὲ καὶ ἐπερωτήσας ἐκ ποίας ἐπαρχείας ἐστὶν καὶ πυθόμενος ὅτι ἀπὸ κιλικίας, 35 διακούσομαί σου, ἔφη, ὅταν καὶ οἱ κατήγοροί σου παραγένωνται: κελεύσας ἐν τῷ πραιτωρίῳ τοῦ ἡρῴδου φυλάσσεσθαι αὐτόν.

Odd Years: John 3:11-17 ὅτι αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἀγγελία ἣν ἠκούσατε ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, ἵνα ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους:       οὐ καθὼς κάϊν ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ ἦν καὶ ἔσφαξεν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ:      καὶ χάριν τίνος ἔσφαξεν αὐτόν;      ὅτι τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ πονηρὰ ἦν,      τὰ δὲ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ δίκαια. καὶ μὴ θαυμάζετε, ἀδελφοί, εἰ μισεῖ ὑμᾶς ὁ κόσμος. ἡμεῖς οἴδαμεν ὅτι μεταβεβήκαμεν ἐκ τοῦ θανάτου εἰς τὴν ζωήν, ὅτι ἀγαπῶμεν τοὺς ἀδελφούς: ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν μένει ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ. πᾶς ὁ μισῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ἀνθρωποκτόνος ἐστίν, καὶ οἴδατε ὅτι πᾶς ἀνθρωποκτόνος οὐκ ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἐν αὐτῷ μένουσαν.      ἐν τούτῳ ἐγνώκαμεν τὴν ἀγάπην,      ὅτι ἐκεῖνος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἔθηκεν:      καὶ ἡμεῖς ὀφείλομεν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν τὰς ψυχὰς θεῖναι.           ὃς δ' ἂν ἔχῃ τὸν βίον τοῦ κόσμου           καὶ θεωρῇ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ χρείαν ἔχοντα           καὶ κλείσῃ τὰ σπλάγχνα αὐτοῦ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ,           πῶς ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ μένει ἐν αὐτῷ;

Even Years: Leo the Great, Treatise 74:5 (CCL 138 A, 459-461) Exultemus itaque, dilectissimi, gaudio spiritali, et digna apud dominum gratiarum actione laetantes, liberos cordis oculos ad illam altitudinem in qua christus est erigamus. Sursum uocatos animos desideria terrena non deprimant, ad aeterna praelectos peritura non occupent, uiam ueritatis ingressos fallaces inlecebrae non retardent, et ita a fidelibus haec temporalia decurrantur, ut peregrinari se in hac mundi ualle cognoscant, in qua etiamsi quaedam commoda blandiuntur, non amplectenda nequiter, sed transeunda sunt fortiter. Dearly beloved, let us exult with spiritual joy and rejoice before the Lord with the thanksgiving that is his due, freely raising the eyes of our hearts to Christ's dwelling place on high. Let no earthly desires weigh down the minds that are summoned heavenward, no perishable things encumber those predestined for what is everlasting, no deceptive snares entangle the feet that have entered upon the path of truth. The faithful should make their way swiftly through these temporal things, knowing themselves to be mere pilgrims in this earthly vale. The world's consolations may attract us, but they must be bravely passed by; it would be an unworthy act for us to embrace them. Ad hanc enim nos deuotionem beatissimus apostolus Petrus incitat, et secundum illam dilectionem quam pascendis christi ouibus trina dominici amoris professione concepit, obsecrans dicit: Carissimi, obsecro uos tamquam aduenas et peregrinos, abstinere uos a carnalibus desideriis, quae militant aduersus animam. Cui autem nisi diabolo carnales militant uoluptates, qui animas ad superna tendentes corruptibilium bonorum delectationibus obligare et ab illis sedibus de quibus ipse excidit gaudet abducere? Contra cuius insidias sapienter debet fidelis quisque uigilare, ut inimicum suum de eo quod temptatur, possit elidere. We are urged to such total dedication by the blessed Apostle Peter, who, in that zeal for feeding Christ's sheep, which his threefold profession of love for his Lord inspired in him, entreats us as strangers and pilgrims to abstain from carnal desires which war against the soul. And on whose behalf do these carnal desires wage war? Are they not tools of the devil, who enjoys bringing upward-striving men into bondage to lust for passing pleasures and robbing them of the place from which he himself has fallen? Against his plots each of the faithful must keep careful watch, so that he may be able to repulse the enemy from whatever quarter he may attack. Nihil autem est ualidius, dilectissimi, contra diaboli dolos, quam benignitas misericordiae et largitas caritatis, per quam omne peccatum aut declinatur aut uincitur. Sed huius uirtutis sublimitas non prius adprehenditur quam illud quod ei est contrarium subruatur. Quid autem tam inimicum misericordiae et operibus caritatis, quam auaritia, de cuius radice omnium malorum germen emergit? Quae nisi in suis fomitibus enecatur, necesse est ut in agro illius cordis, in quo huius mali planta conualuit, spinae potius tribuli que uitiorum, quam ullum uerae uirtutis semen oriatur. Now nothing is more effective against the devil's wiles, dearly beloved, than tender compassion and unselfish love; by these every sin can be either avoided or conquered. But such a degree of virtue cannot be attained until its contrary is overcome; and there is surely nothing so hostile to mercy and works of charity as the love of money, from the root of which all evil springs up. Unless this noxious weed is starved to death, it is inevitable that the heart in which it has taken root will bring forth the thorns and briars of vice rather than any flower of true virtue. Resistamus ergo, dilectissimi, huic tam pestifero malo, et caritatem, sine qua nulla uirtus potest nitere, sectemur, ut per hanc, qua ad nos christus descendit, dilectionis uiam, etiam nos ad ipsum possimus ascendere, cui est cum deo patre et cum spiritu sancto honor et gloria in saecula saeculorum. Amen. Therefore, my beloved, let us resist this most pestilent of evils and make charity our aim, for no virtue can flourish without it; and then by the same path of love which Christ trod when he came down to us, we shall be able to ascend to him, to whom, with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, belong honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Odd Years: Augustine of Hippo, Treatise 5 on 1 John, 11-13 (SC 75, 266-271) In hoc cognoscimus dilectionem. perfectionem dilectionis dicit, perfectionem illam quam commendauimus. in hoc cognoscimus dilectionem, quia ille pro nobis posuit animam suam, et nos debemus pro fratribus animam ponere. ecce unde ueniebat: petre, amas me? pasce oues meas. nam ut noueritis quia sic ab eo pasci uolebat oues suas ut animam suam pro ouibus poneret, hoc illi continuo dixit: cum iuuenis esses, praecingebas te et ibas quo uolebas. cum autem fueris senior, alius te praecinget et tollet te quo tu non uis. hoc autem dixit, ait euangelista, significans qua morte glorificaturus erat deum, ut cui dixerat: pasce oues meas, doceret eum ponere animam pro ouibus. By this we know what love is (John is here speaking of perfect love, that perfect love to which we have already paid tribute): That he laid down his life for us, and we too ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. Here we have the key to the Lord's words: Peter, do you love me? Feed my sheep. Peter was meant to feed the Lord's sheep even to the laying down of his life for them, as we may learn from the sentence that follows: When you were a young man you girded yourself and went where you pleased; but when you have grown older another will gird you and take you where you would rather not go. This he said, the Evangelist tells us, to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Such was his way of teaching the man whom he had charged with the feeding of his sheep that he would have to die for them. Unde incipit caritas, fratres? modicum adtendite. quo perficiatur audistis. ipsum finem et modum ipsum et dominus in euangelio commendauit: maiorem caritatem nemo habet, ait, quam ut animam suam ponat pro amicis suis. perfectionem ergo eius ostendit in euangelio, et hic commendata est eius perfectio. sed interrogatis uos et dicitis uobis: quando possum habere istam caritatem? noli cito de te desperare. forte nata est sed nondum perfecta est. nutri eam ne offocetur. sed dicturus es mihi: et unde noui? quo enim perficiatur audiuimus; unde incipiat audiamus. How does charity begin? Listen carefully for a moment. You have heard how it is brought to perfection; the end and the manner of it have been enjoined on us by the Lord in the Gospel. Greater love has no man than this, he says, that he lay down his life for his friends. He shows us what perfect love is, then, in the Gospel, and here we are invited to embrace it. But you will ask yourselves, 'When shall we be able to love like that?' Do not despair of yourselves too soon. Perhaps charity is already born in you, but it has not yet grown to maturity. Foster it; do not let it be stifled. But you may say, 'How shall I know? We have been told how love is perfected; what we want to learn is how it begins.' Sequitur et dicit: qui autem habuerit facultates mundi et uiderit fratrem suum esurientem et clauserit uiscera sua ab eo quomodo poterit dilectio dei manere in eo? ecce unde incipit caritas. si nondum es idoneus mori pro fratre, iam idoneus esto dare de tuis facultatibus fratri The text goes on: If anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how can the love of God abide in him? There is where charity begins. If you are not yet capable of dying for your brothers at least be capable of sharing your possessions with them... Quid ad me pertinet?, forte dicis. ego daturus sum pecuniam meam ne ille molestiam patiatur? si tibi hoc responderit cor tuum, dilectio patris non in te manet. si dilectio patris non in te manet, non es natus ex deo. quomodo te gloriaris esse christianum? nomen habes et facta non habes. si autem nomen sequutum fuerit opus, dicat te quisque paganum. tu factis ostende te christianum; nam si factis non ostendis christianum, omnes te christianum uocent, quid tibi prodest nomen ubi res non inuenitur? qui autem habuerit facultates mundi et uiderit fratrem suum egentem et clauserit uiscera sua ab eo quomodo potest dilectio dei manere in eo? et sequitur: filioli, non diligamus uerbo tantum et lingua sed opere et ueritate. You may ask, 'What business is that of mine? Am I to give my money to save them from trouble?' If that is the way your heart answers you, the Father's love does not dwell in you. And if the Father's love does not dwell in you, you are not a child of God. How can you boast of being a Christian? You have the name, but not the practice. But if the name is endorsed by action, anyone who likes may call you a heathen, but you will show yourself to be a Christian by your deeds. And if your actions do not prove your Christianity, the whole world may call you a Christian, but the name will be of no profit to you without the reality. Little children, let us not love in words or speech only, but in deed and in truth.

Prayer