READINGS: EASTER SUNDAY VI

Invitatory Psalm & BACK


Psalm 104: Hebrew English     Then BACK

וַיַּעֲלֹז לִבִּי - הַלְלוּ יָהּ — וּמִשִּׁירִי אֲהוֹדֶנּוּ - הַלְלוּ יָהּ

Even Years: Acts 20:17-38 17 ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς μιλήτου πέμψας εἰς ἔφεσον μετεκαλέσατο τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους τῆς ἐκκλησίας. 18 ὡς δὲ παρεγένοντο πρὸς αὐτὸν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, ὑμεῖς ἐπίστασθε ἀπὸ πρώτης ἡμέρας ἀφ' ἧς ἐπέβην εἰς τὴν ἀσίαν πῶς μεθ' ὑμῶν τὸν πάντα χρόνον ἐγενόμην, 19 δουλεύων τῷ κυρίῳ μετὰ πάσης ταπεινοφροσύνης καὶ δακρύων καὶ πειρασμῶν τῶν συμβάντων μοι ἐν ταῖς ἐπιβουλαῖς τῶν ἰουδαίων: 20 ὡς οὐδὲν ὑπεστειλάμην τῶν συμφερόντων τοῦ μὴ ἀναγγεῖλαι ὑμῖν καὶ διδάξαι ὑμᾶς δημοσίᾳ καὶ κατ' οἴκους, 21 διαμαρτυρόμενος ἰουδαίοις τε καὶ ἕλλησιν τὴν εἰς θεὸν μετάνοιαν καὶ πίστιν εἰς τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν. 22 καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ δεδεμένος ἐγὼ τῷ πνεύματι πορεύομαι εἰς Ἰερουσαλήμ, τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ συναντήσοντά μοι μὴ εἰδώς, 23 πλὴν ὅτι τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον κατὰ πόλιν διαμαρτύρεταί μοι λέγον ὅτι δεσμὰ καὶ θλίψεις με μένουσιν. 24 ἀλλ' οὐδενὸς λόγου ποιοῦμαι τὴν ψυχὴν τιμίαν ἐμαυτῷ ὡς τελειῶσαι τὸν δρόμον μου καὶ τὴν διακονίαν ἣν ἔλαβον παρὰ τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ, διαμαρτύρασθαι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς χάριτος τοῦ θεοῦ. 25 καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ οἶδα ὅτι οὐκέτι ὄψεσθε τὸ πρόσωπόν μου ὑμεῖς πάντες ἐν οἷς διῆλθον κηρύσσων τὴν βασιλείαν: 26 διότι μαρτύρομαι ὑμῖν ἐν τῇ σήμερον ἡμέρᾳ ὅτι καθαρός εἰμι ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος πάντων, 27 οὐ γὰρ ὑπεστειλάμην τοῦ μὴ ἀναγγεῖλαι πᾶσαν τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θεοῦ ὑμῖν. 28 προσέχετε ἑαυτοῖς καὶ παντὶ τῷ ποιμνίῳ, ἐν ᾧ ὑμᾶς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἔθετο ἐπισκόπους, ποιμαίνειν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ, ἣν περιεποιήσατο διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ ἰδίου. 29 ἐγὼ οἶδα ὅτι εἰσελεύσονται μετὰ τὴν ἄφιξίν μου λύκοι βαρεῖς εἰς ὑμᾶς μὴ φειδόμενοι τοῦ ποιμνίου, 30 καὶ ἐξ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν ἀναστήσονται ἄνδρες λαλοῦντες διεστραμμένα τοῦ ἀποσπᾶν τοὺς μαθητὰς ὀπίσω αὐτῶν. 31 διὸ γρηγορεῖτε, μνημονεύοντες ὅτι τριετίαν νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν οὐκ ἐπαυσάμην μετὰ δακρύων νουθετῶν ἕνα ἕκαστον. 32 καὶ τὰ νῦν παρατίθεμαι ὑμᾶς τῷ θεῷ καὶ τῷ λόγῳ τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ τῷ δυναμένῳ οἰκοδομῆσαι καὶ δοῦναι τὴν κληρονομίαν ἐν τοῖς ἡγιασμένοις πᾶσιν. 33 ἀργυρίου ἢ χρυσίου ἢ ἱματισμοῦ οὐδενὸς ἐπεθύμησα: 34 αὐτοὶ γινώσκετε ὅτι ταῖς χρείαις μου καὶ τοῖς οὖσιν μετ' ἐμοῦ ὑπηρέτησαν αἱ χεῖρες αὗται. 35 πάντα ὑπέδειξα ὑμῖν ὅτι οὕτως κοπιῶντας δεῖ ἀντιλαμβάνεσθαι τῶν ἀσθενούντων, μνημονεύειν τε τῶν λόγων τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ ὅτι αὐτὸς εἶπεν, μακάριόν ἐστιν μᾶλλον διδόναι ἢ λαμβάνειν. 36 καὶ ταῦτα εἰπὼν θεὶς τὰ γόνατα αὐτοῦ σὺν πᾶσιν αὐτοῖς προσηύξατο. 37 ἱκανὸς δὲ κλαυθμὸς ἐγένετο πάντων, καὶ ἐπιπεσόντες ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον τοῦ παύλου κατεφίλουν αὐτόν, 38 ὀδυνώμενοι μάλιστα ἐπὶ τῷ λόγῳ ᾧ εἰρήκει ὅτι οὐκέτι μέλλουσιν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ θεωρεῖν. προέπεμπον δὲ αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ πλοῖον.

Odd Years: 1 John 1:1-10 ὃ ἦν ἀπ' ἀρχῆς,       ὃ ἀκηκόαμεν, * ὃ ἑωράκαμεν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν,       ὃ ἐθεασάμεθα * καὶ αἱ χεῖρες ἡμῶν ἐψηλάφησαν, περὶ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς — καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἐφανερώθη,       καὶ ἑωράκαμεν καὶ μαρτυροῦμεν καὶ ἀπαγγέλλομεν ὑμῖν       τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον * ἥτις ἦν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα * καὶ ἐφανερώθη ἡμῖν —             ὃ ἑωράκαμεν καὶ ἀκηκόαμεν ἀπαγγέλλομεν καὶ ὑμῖν,             ἵνα καὶ ὑμεῖς κοινωνίαν ἔχητε μεθ' ἡμῶν.       καὶ ἡ κοινωνία δὲ ἡ ἡμετέρα μετὰ τοῦ πατρὸς       καὶ μετὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ ἰησοῦ χριστοῦ. καὶ ταῦτα γράφομεν ἡμεῖς * ἵνα ἡ χαρὰ ἡμῶν ᾖ πεπληρωμένη. καὶ ἔστιν αὕτη ἡ ἀγγελία ἣν ἀκηκόαμεν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀναγγέλλομεν ὑμῖν, ὅτι ὁ θεὸς φῶς ἐστιν * καὶ σκοτία ἐν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεμία.       ἐὰν εἴπωμεν ὅτι κοινωνίαν ἔχομεν μετ' αὐτοῦ * καὶ ἐν τῷ σκότει περιπατῶμεν,       ψευδόμεθα * καὶ οὐ ποιοῦμεν τὴν ἀλήθειαν: ἐὰν δὲ ἐν τῷ φωτὶ περιπατῶμεν * ὡς αὐτός ἐστιν ἐν τῷ φωτί, κοινωνίαν ἔχομεν μετ' ἀλλήλων καὶ τὸ αἷμα ἰησοῦ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ * καθαρίζει ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἁμαρτίας. ἐὰν εἴπωμεν ὅτι ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ ἔχομεν, ἑαυτοὺς πλανῶμεν * καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἡμῖν.      ἐὰν ὁμολογῶμεν τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν, * πιστός ἐστιν καὶ δίκαιος      ἵνα ἀφῇ ἡμῖν τὰς ἁμαρτίας * καὶ καθαρίσῃ ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἀδικίας. ἐὰν εἴπωμεν ὅτι οὐχ ἡμαρτήκαμεν, ψεύστην ποιοῦμεν αὐτὸν * καὶ ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἡμῖν.

Even Years: Maximus of Turín, Sermon 55, 1-2 (CCL 23, 221-222) Retinet sanctitas uestra, fratres, me hoc nuperrime praedicasse quod homo in iuniorem aetatem per iustitiam reformetur, et quamuis fessus senio rursum in puerum innocentiae moribus renascatur, ita ut interueniente mysterio ex uetulis iterum uideamus infantes; innouatio enim quaedam est desinere quod eras, adsumere ante quod fueras. Innouatio, inquam, est, unde et neofyti nuncupantur, quod nouitate quadam maculas uetustatis abiecerint, gratiam simplicitatis adsumpserint dicente apostolo: deponentes ueterem hominem cum actibus eius induite nouum, qui secundum deum creatus est. Vnde et dauid sanctus ait: renouabitur sicut aquilae iuuentus tua; intellegens per gratiam baptismi occidua uitae nostrae posse reuiuescere, et iuuentute quadam renouari posse id quod in nobis fuerat delictorum uetustate conlapsum. Vt autem intellegas quia de gratia baptismatis propheta loquitur, innouationem ipsam aquilae comparauit, quae auis adsidua conmutatione habitus sui longam ducere fertur aetatem, et uetustis iam fatescentibus plumis noua pinnarum successione iuuenescere, ita ut depositis antiquitatis exuuiis rediuiua indumentorum nouitate se uestiat. Vnde intellegimus quod senectutem aquilae non sentiant membra sed pluma. Denuo ergo se uestit, et pullulantibus pinnis uetusta mater iterum reuocatur in pullum. Pullis enim tunc comparanda est, quando radiantibus plumis necesse est illi rursum meditari rudes uolatus, et alarum olim exercitata remigia tamquam nouella uolucris intra nidum pigra conpescere. Quamuis enim illi sit uolandi notitia de consuetudine, deest tamen illi de pinnarum raritate fiducia. De baptismatis igitur gratia hoc sanctus psalmografus prophetauit. Nam utique neofyti nostri nuper baptizati tamquam aquilae depositis uetustatis exuuiis noua sanctitatis indumenta sumpserunt, et fatiscentibus antiquis maculis sicut plumis leuibus rediuiua gratia inmortalitatis ornantur, ita ut in his senectutis occidua peccata senuerint, uita non senuerit, tamquam enim aquila in pullum sic illi in infantiam reuocati. Est eis saeculi de conuersatione notitia, sed adest illis iustitiae de reparatione securitas. Quid igitur sanctus dauid dicat, adhuc diligentius uideamus! non enim ait renouabitur sicut aquilarum sed sicut aquilae iuuentus tua. Vnius ergo aquilae renouandam in nobis adserit iuuentutem; quam unam et solam aquilam recte christum dominum dixerim, cuius iuuentus renouata est tunc, cum a mortuis resurrexit. Depositis enim corruptelae corporalis exuuiis rediuiua carnis adsumptione refloruit, sicut ipse ait per prophetam: et refloruit caro mea, et ex uoluntate mea confitebor illi. Refloruit, inquit, caro mea. Videte quo uerbo usus est! non ait floruit sed refloruit; non enim reflorescit nisi quod ante floruerit. Floruit autem caro domini, cum primum de mariae uirginis inlibata uulua processit, sicut ait eseias dicens: exiet uirga de radice iesse, et flos de radice ascendet. Refloruit autem, cum succiso per iudaeos corporis flore rediuiua de sepulchro resurrectionis gloria germinauit, et in floris modum odorem pariter et nitorem cunctis hominibus inmortalitatis afflauit, odorem bonorum operum suauitate circumferens, nitore incorruptelam perpetuae diuinitatis ostendens.

Odd Years: Augustine of Hippo, Treatise 1 on 1 John, 5-6 (SC 75, 124-126) Currimus enim et ad patriam currimus; et si nos peruenturos desperamus, ipsa desperatione deficimus. ille autem qui nos uult peruenire ut conseruet in patria pascit in uia. audiamus ergo: quod si dixerimus quia societatem cum eo habemus et in tenebris ambulemus, mentimur et non facimus ueritatem. non dicamus quia societatem cum illo habemus si in tenebris ambulamus. quod si in lumine ambulemus sicut et ipse est in lumine, societatem habemus cum inuicem. in lumine ambulemus sicut et ipse est in lumine ut possimus societatem habere cum illo. We, my friends, are travellers, making our way with all speed toward our homeland; and if we give up hope of reaching it, our very despair causes us to faint by the wayside. But it is God's will that we should arrive; he gives us nourishment for our journey in order to have us safe with him in our heavenly country. Listen, then, to the word he gives us: If we claim to have fellowship with him while we are still walking in the dark we are liars; we are not practising the truth. My friends, let us avoid saying we have any fellowship with him if we are walking in the dark. But if we walk in the light, as he himself is in the light; then we have fellowship with one another. Quid faciamus de peccatis? audi quod sequitur: et sanguis iesu filii eius purgabit nos ab omni delicto. magnam securitatem dedit deus. merito pascha celebramus ubi fusus est sanguis domini quo purgamur ab omni delicto. simus securi. cautionem contra nos seruitutis diabolus tenebat, sed sanguine christi deleta est. sanguis, inquit, filii eius purgabit nos ab omni delicto. quid est: ab omni delicto? adtendite. ecce iam in nomine christi per sanguinem crucis domini quem nunc confessi sunt isti qui appellantur infantes mundata sunt omnia peccata ipsorum. ueteres intrauerunt; noui exierunt. quid est: ueteres intrauerunt; noui exierunt senes intrauerunt; infantes exierunt. senectus enim ueternosa, uetusta uita; infantia autem generationis noua uita. But what of our sins? The answer is in the next sentence: And the blood of his Son Jesus Christ will cleanse us from every transgression. What is meant by every transgression? Listen carefully: the newly-baptized, whom we call 'little children', having made their declaration of faith in the name of Christ, have had all their sins washed away by his blood. They entered the baptismal font veterans in sin, and came out filled with new life—they entered full of years, and came out little children. Their former life was a feeble old age; their new life is the childhood of rebirth. [For old age is worn out life, about to expire; infancy, however is the new life, just beginning.] Sed quid facimus? praeterita peccata donata sunt non tantum ipsis sed et nobis. et post donationem et abolitionem omnium peccatorum uiuendo in hoc saeculo in temptationes quaedam forte contracta sunt. ideo quod potest homo faciat. spe confiteatur quod est ut ab illo curetur qui semper est quod est. ipse enim est et est; nos non eramus et sumus. We must remember, however, that not only the newly baptized but we ourselves have had our past sins forgiven, and yet after all our guilt has been pardoned and washed away we may have fallen into fresh sins, through having to live in the midst of this world's temptations. All of us, then, must do what lies in our power; we must admit our own condition so that we may be healed by the one who never changes, the one who has always existed and is being itself, whereas we have come into being out of non-existence. Vide enim quid dicat: quod si dixerimus quia peccatum non habemus, nosmetipsos seducimus, et ueritas in nobis non est. ergo si te confessus fueris peccatorem, est in te ueritas; nam ipsa ueritas lux est. nondum perfecte splenduit uita tua quia insunt peccata, sed tamen iam inluminari coepisti quia inest confessio peccatorum. uide enim quid sequatur: quod si confessi fuerimus delicta nostra, fidelis est et iustus ut dimittat nobis delicta nostra et purget nos ex omni iniquitate - non tantum praeterita sed et si qua forte contraximus ex hac uita, quia non potest homo quamdiu carnem portat nisi habere uel leuia peccata. sed ista leuia quae dicimus noli contemnere. si contemnis quando adpendis, expauesce quando numeras. leuia multa faciunt unum grande: multae guttae inplent flumen; multa grana faciunt massam. et quae spes est? ante omnia confessio ne quisquam se iustum putet et ante oculos dei qui uidet quod est erigat ceruicem homo qui non erat et est. ante omnia ergo confessio. deinde dilectio quia de caritate quid dictum est? caritas cooperit multitudinem peccatorum. See what the Scripture says: If we deny our sins we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth does not abide in us. This means that if you confess yourself to be a sinner the truth does abide in you. Your life may not yet be perfectly free from blemishes, since there are still some sins in it; but your enlightenment has begun, because the acknowledgment of these sins is also there. Read what follows: If we confess our transgressions, he who is faithful and just will forgive them and cleanse us of all iniquity. This applies not only to our past sins but also to any that our life in this world may have caused us to commit; for as long as we are made of flesh and blood, we cannot avoid at any rate the lesser sins. However, though we may call them lesser sins, that does not mean they are of no account. We may think little of their gravity, but we must tremble at their number. Many lightweight objects put together make up a considerable mass; many drops of water fill up a river; many grains of wheat form a heap. In that case, what hope is there for us? First of all, confession. Let no one consider himself blameless. A person who has been brought into being out of nothing may not hold up his head in the sight of God, who sees him for what he is. Confession of our guilt, then, must come first, and be followed by love. It is said of charity that it covers a multitude of sins.

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

Te Deum [English]

Prayer