Third Sunday after the Octave of Easter - Mass Propers and Reflections

Introit

Ps 65:1-2 Shout with joy to God, all the earth, sing ye a psalm to his name; give glory to his praise. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Ps 65:3 Say unto God, How terrible are thy works, O Lord! in the multitude of thy strength thy enemies shall lie to thee.  Glory be … Shout with joy to God, all the earth, sing ye a psalm to his name; give glory to his praise.  Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

The Introit invites the worshiper to shout with joy, sing a psalm, and give glory to the Name of the Lord God… and these are the words we are to say: ‘How terrible (awesome, provoking awe and perhaps even terror) are Thy works! Yes, when once His great might is stirred and the dread warrior has put on His strength, it causes every one of His enemies to go weak in the knees and fall before him.  There is a shout in the tents of the righteous, a shout of joy because He comes to deliver His people from their sins, from their spiritual oppressors and the sworn enemies of their Faith.  We sing a psalm to his great Name, bending our knee willingly, as all others must also certainly bend – in heaven, on earth, and yes, under the earth as well.

Collect
Almighty God, Who showest to them that be in error the light of thy truth, to the intent that they may return into the way of righteousness grant unto all them that are admitted into the fellowship of Christ's Religion, that they may eschew those things that are contrary to their profession, and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same.

Thank God for the light of His Truth, Jesus Christ.  Thank God, the Most Holy Trinity, for His willingness to shine that light into the hearts of sinners, especially those trapped in erroneous thinking and belief. How gracious He is to welcome the prodigal home into the fellowship of Christ’s Bride, Holy Mother Church.  The good Shepherd looks for that one who has strayed, and carrying him home invites the Church to share His joy, and that of the angels.  One sinner has repented! Glory to God! An unfaithful Catholic has come to his senses, a heretic has renounced his errors, and a Muslim has found Christ’s true religion of lasting peace! This is the great and terrible work of the Lord, how awesome is His mercy!

Lesson
Lesson from the first letter of St Peter the Apostle
1 Pet 2:11-19
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, to refrain yourselves from carnal desires which war against the soul, Having your conversation good among the Gentiles: that whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by the good works, which they shall behold in you, glorify God in the day of visitation. Be ye subject therefore to every human creature for God's sake: whether it be to the king as excelling; Or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of the good: For so is the will of God, that by doing well you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not as making liberty a cloak for malice, but as the servants of God. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. For this is thankworthy, if for conscience towards God, a man endure sorrows, suffering wrongfully.
R. Thanks be to God.

St Peter is speaking as directly to the lived life of faith of the first Christians as he possibly can.  In another place he says that St. Paul writes things that are sometimes difficult to understand.  These pastoral directives are not difficult to understand, except by those who are trying to avoid, or change, the plain meaning of words.  Our citizenship is in heaven and that makes us strangers and pilgrims no matter where we are on earth, no matter what ruler or governor we live under.  That does not make us irresponsible toward our fellowman while we are sojourning here.  Rather the opposite.  We must win them by holy lives and respectful obedience where possible.  The last thing Catholics want is to suffer the ill repute of being morally corrupt, no, it should be clear and obvious to all non-Catholics that we restrain and control our carnal desires.  The scandal that sexually perverted priests have caused has ruined the reputation of the Catholic Church for millions of souls that we are supposed to be winning by our good works.  How will they glorify God in that great and terrible day of judgment if we have failed in our duty to inspire such a response in them by our exemplary lives?  Make no mistake, the civil power has been sent by God to punish evil doers – first and foremost those who abuse the bodies and damage the souls of the innocent.  Rather, as St. Peter says here and it is written elsewhere, ‘Love does no harm to one’s neighbour.’  Love the brotherhood, all the people of God.  AND BE GOOD.

Alleluia
Alleluia, alleluia Ps 110:9 He hath sent redemption to his people: Luke 24:46 Thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead, the third day. Alleluia.

In order to send redemption to His people, it was necessary for Christ to suffer… but not just to suffer.  His suffering led to death, death on a cross… but not just a horrible death.  His death, and His suffering, was redemptive because of the power of the resurrection.  On the third day He rose from the dead, and by being united to Him through Baptism, in His death, burial and resurrection, we too rise.  We are alive together with Him, and He will raise us up at the last day, as He promised.

Gospel

John 16:16-22
In that time: Jesus said to his disciples: A little while, and now you shall not see me; and again a little while, and you shall see me: because I go to the Father. Then some of the disciples said one to another: What is this that he saith to us: A little while, and you shall not see me; and again a little while, and you shall see me, and, because I go to the Father? They said therefore: What is this that he saith, A little while? we know not what he speaketh. And Jesus knew that they had a mind to ask him; and he said to them: Of this do you inquire among yourselves, because I said: A little while, and you shall not see me; and again a little while, and you shall see me? Amen, amen I say to you, that you shall lament and weep, but the world shall rejoice; and you shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman, when she is in labour, hath sorrow, because her hour is come; but when she hath brought forth the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. So also you now indeed have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice; and your joy no man shall take from you.
R. Praise be to Thee, O Christ.

Now, no one can take away our joy.  No one.  Those early disciples who witnessed the crucifixion were filled with sorrow.  Those, like the Blessed Virgin Mary, the apostle John and some others, who heard these words of the Gospel spoken by our Lord were given the opportunity to ponder them deeply and prepare for the hour of sorrow.  When the sword pierced His side, it pierced His Mother’s also, but just as our Lord did not despair, but cried, ‘Into Your hands I commend my spirit,’ so also there were those who knew, through their tears that the Father had given all power to the Son for the accomplishment of His Father’s business.  From the age of 12 He had made it clear that he must be about that mission.  Though Mary and Joseph sought for Him, sorrowing, after three days they found Him – in the temple.  Our Lady will find him again this time, after three days.  She will remember.  She will remember the joy of bringing Him into the world, of finding Him in the temple.  She will see Him again with her own eyes and so will His apostles and many of His disciples.  The joy of the resurrection from the dead and life everlasting will be a lasting joy that no future sorrow in this life will be able to dampen, no, not even martyrdom.  For though there are those who may kill the body, they have no power beyond that.  No man is able to take away the joy and life-giving hope of our Lord’s resurrection from our hearts.

Offertory
Ps 145:2 Praise the Lord, O my soul, in my life I will praise the Lord: as long as I shall be. Alleluia.

I speak to my soul.  I give it this instruction: Praise the Lord.  I make this decision: I will praise the Lord as long as I live.  This is how it works.  It is not just an emotional response, driven by my appetitive nature.  I know the Lord, and I think this through.  I reason that the suffering of this present time is not worthy to be compared with the joy that will be reveal in me as a child of God.  That’s why I can instruct my soul, and exercise my will, and actually do the thing that is most needful: Praise the Lord.  Alleluia.

Secret
Confer on us, O Lord, by these mysteries the moderation of our earthly desires: and teach us to love the things of heaven.

I receive graces through all the Sacraments, especially the most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.  The mysteries proclaim truths for the faithful that give them the power to respond and cooperate with the graces which flow from the Altar.  One of those graces is the power to exercise certain virtues, like moderation, and in this case the moderation of our earthly desires.  All earthly desires, even those which are not to be faulted, per se, but are not directed toward the love of the things of heaven.   A mundane example: Food is not bad, even the desire for food is not bad, per se, but if it is taken without a thankful heart, nor a simple blessing, then its heavenly end is missed.  Even more so if it is taken in gluttonous measure without moderation.

Preface of Easter
It is truly meet and just, right and for our salvation, at all times to praise Thee, O Lord, but more gloriously especially in this season when Christ our Pasch was sacrificed. For He is the Lamb Who hath taken away the sins of the world: Who by dying hath destroyed our death: and by rising again hath restored us to life. And therefore with Angels and Archangels, with Thrones and Dominations, and with all the hosts of the heavenly army, we sing the hymn of Thy glory, evermore saying: Holy, Holy, Holy…

Communion
John 16:16
A little while, and now you shall not see me; and again a little while, and you shall see me: because I go to the Father, alleluia, alleluia.

Glory to you, O Christ! You are risen, as You said. Alleluia! You are seated at the right had of the Father.  Receive our prayer.  Come to us, Lord Jesus for our souls long for you like the deer that pants for the waterbrooks.  Nothing in this world satisfies the hungry heart, the thirsty soul... nothing but You, O Lord.  'A little while', if I cannot see You, is unbearable.  Weeping endures for the night, but joy comes in the morning.  You only, O Lord, are my Orient, risen from the dead! Alleluia!

Post Communion
May the Sacraments which we have received, O Lord, we ask, refresh us with spiritual nourishment, and preserve as with bodily assistance.