Sunday within the Octave of the Ascension

Sunday within the Octave of the Ascension

"To-day," says St. Augustine, "we shall keep the Ascension of our Lord in a fitting manner, with devotion, sanctity and piety, if we ascend with Him and keep our hearts on high." "Let our thoughts be there, where He is, and here on earth there will be peace." "Let us ascend with Him now, with our hearts, and when His promised day comes, we shall follow Him also with our bodies; but we should know that neither pride, nor avarice, nor lust ascend with Christ. If we wish to follow our Healer in His Ascension, we must put off the burden of our vices and sins" (Matins).

This Sunday is a preparation for Pentecost. Before ascending to heaven, our Lord had promised, at the Last Supper, that He would not leave us orphans, but would send us His Holy Spirit, the Paraclete (Gospel, Alleluia); that in all things we might glorify God, through Jesus Christ our Lord (Gospel). Therefore, like the Apostles assembled in the Cenacle, we must prepare by prayer and charity (Epistle) for the holy Day of Pentecost, when Christ, who is "our Advocate with the Father" (First nocturn), will obtain for us from Him the Holy Ghost.

Exaudi, Domine, vocem meam, qua clamavi ad te, alleluia: tibi dixit cor meum, quaesivi vultum tuum, vultum tuum, Domine, requiram: ne avertas faciem tuam a me, alleluia, alleluia. * Dominus illuminatio mea, et salus mea: quem timebo?

Hear, O Lord, my voice with which I have cried to Thee, alleluia; my heart hath said to Thee, I have sought Thy face, Thy face, O Lord, I will seek: turn not away Thy face from me, alleluia, alleluia. * The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear?

(Psalm 26:7,8,9,1 from the Introit of Mass)

Omnipotens sempiterne Deus: fac nos tibi semper et devotam gerere voluntatem: et majestati tuae sincero corde servire.

O almighty and eternal God, grant us ever to have a will devoted to Thee, and with a sincere heart to serve Thy majesty.

(Collect)

Continuation of the holy Gospel according to St. John.

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples: When the Paraclete cometh, whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceedeth from the Father, He shall give testimony of Me: and you shall give testimony, because you are with Me from the beginning. These things have I spoken to you, that you may not be scandalized. They will put you out of the synagogues: yea, the hour cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth a service to God. And these things will they do to you, because they have not known the Father, nor Me. But these things I have told you, that, when the hour shall come, you may remember that I told you of them.

(St. John 15:26-27 and 16:1-4)