Easter / Eastertide

BLOEMAERT, Abraham The Emmaus Disciples 1622

THE INTROIT: Quasi modo 

As new-born babes, alleluia: desire ye the sincere milk of the word, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Psalm 81. Sing we merrily unto God our helper: make a cheerful noise unto the God of Jacob. Glory … As new-born …

THE COLLECT:

ALMIGHTY Father, who hast given thine only Son to die for our sins, and to rise again for our justification; Grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness, that we may always serve thee in pureness of living and truth, through the merits of the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

THE EPISTLE: 1 Saint John 5:4

WHATSOEVER is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear witness, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

THE GRADUAL: Alleluia, alleluia. St. Matthew 28. 

In the day of my Resurrection, saith the Lord: I will go before you into Galilee, alleluia. 

St. John 20. 

After eight days, when the doors were shut: Jesus stood in the midst of his disciples, and said, Peace be unto you, alleluia.

THE HOLY GOSPEL: Saint John 20:19 

THE same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained.

THE OFFERTORY: St.Matthew 28

The Angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and said unto the women: He whom ye seek is risen, as he said, alleluia.

THE COMMUNION: St.John 20

Reach hither thy hand, and behold the print of the nails, alleluia: and be not faithless, but believing, alleluia, alleluia.

THE POST-COMMUNION: 

WE beseech thee, O Lord our God: that the most holy mysteries which thou hast provided for our salvation may be for our healing both now and in the time to come. Through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord. Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen

THE ALTERNATIVE POST-COMMUNION:

(The Ancient Collect) GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God: that we who have fulfilled the Paschal feast may, by thy bounty, show forth its effects in our life and actions. Through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord. Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Note: LOW SUNDAY is one of the names by which the First Sunday after Easter is commonly called. The reason for this is because it is the first of many Sundays all of which are a “Little (or Low) Easter.” The Apostles changed the day of worship from the Old Testament Sabbath (Saturday) to Sunday in order that the Church might commemorate weekly the remembrance of Christ’s resurrection from the dead. Easter is the Queen of Christian Festivals and the Church Year developed around it. Interestingly enough, Orthodoxy does not know a difference between festive and plain celebrations of the Holy Eucharist as every Liturgy is offered with as much ceremony as possible befitting the worship of Almighty God.

BLOEMAERT, Abraham The Emmaus Disciples 1622

THE INTROIT: Jubilate Deo 

O BE joyful in God, all ye lands, alleluia: sing ye praises to the honour of his Name, alleluia: make his praise to be exceeding glorious, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Psalm 66. Say unto God, O how wonderful art thou in thy works, O Lord: through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies be found liars unto thee. V Glory…O be joyful…

THE COLLECT:

ALMIGHTY God, who showest to them that are in error the light of thy truth, to the intent that they may return into the way of righteousness; Grant unto all those who are admitted into the fellowship of Christ’s Religion, that they may avoid those things that are contrary to their profession, and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

GRANT, we beseech thee, O Lord God, that we thy servants may rejoice in continual health of mind and body: and that by the glorious intercession of blessed Mary ever Virgin we may be delivered from this present heaviness, and have the fruition of eternal joy.

WE beseech thee, O Lord, favourably to receive the prayers of thy Church: that all adversity and error being done away, she may serve thee in untroubled freedom. Through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord. Who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

THE EPISTLE: 1 Saint Peter 12:11

DEARLY beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: as free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

THE GRADUAL: Alleluia, alleluia. V. Psalm 111. 

The Lord hath sent redemption: unto his people, alleluia. 

V. St. Luke 24. 

Ought not Christ to have suffered these things: and to have entered into his glory? Alleluia.

THE HOLY GOSPEL: Saint John 16:16ff 

JESUS said to his disciples, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father? They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith. Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me? Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

THE OFFERTORY: Psalm 146.

Praise the Lord, O my soul; while I live will I praise the Lord: yea, as long as I have any being, I will sing praises unto my God, alleluia..

THE COMMUNION: St.John 16

A little while and ye shall not see me, alleluia: again, a little while and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father, alleluia, alleluia.

THE POST-COMMUNION: 

WE beseech thee, O Lord: that this Sacrament which we have received may both strengthen our bodies and quicken our souls. Through thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, liveth and reigneth God, world without end. Amen.

GRANT O Lord: that we who have received these aids to our salvation, may be always and everywhere protected by the intercession of blessed Mary, ever Virgin, in whose honour we have made these offerings to thy divine majesty.

GRANT, we beseech thee, O Lord our God: that we, whom thou hast made partakers of heavenly gladness, may by thee be defended from all earthly perils. Through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord. Who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

THE INTROIT: Vocem jucunditatis. Isaiah 48:20. 

WITH a voice of singing declare ye this, and let it be heard, alleluia: utter it even unto the ends of the earth; the Lord hath delivered his people, alleluia, alleluia. 

Psalm 66.

O be joyful in God, all ye lands: sing praises unto the honour of his Name, make his praise to be glorious. 

V. Glory . . . With a voice …

THE COLLECT: 

O LORD, from whom all good things do come; Grant to us thy humble servants, that by thy holy inspiration we may think those things that are good, and by thy merciful guiding may perform the same.  Through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord. Who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.  Amen.

GRANT, we beseech thee, O Lord God, that we thy servants may rejoice in continual health of mind and body: and that by the glorious intercession of blessed Mary ever Virgin we may be delivered from this present heaviness, and have the fruition of eternal joy.

WE beseech thee, O Lord, favourably to receive the prayers of thy Church: that all adversity and error being done away, she may serve thee in untroubled freedom. Through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord.  Who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.  Amen.

THE EPISTLE: Saint James 1:22ff

BE ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widow in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

THE GRADUAL: 

Alleluia, alleluia. Christ is risen, and hath showed light unto us: whom he hath redeemed with his most precious Blood, alleluia. St. John 16. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again I leave the world, and go to the Father, alleluia.

THE HOLY GOSPEL: Saint John 16:23ff

VERILY, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give It you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father. At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: for the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou earnest forth from God. Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe? Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

THE OFFERTORY: Psalm 66. 

O praise our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard: who holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to slip. Praised be God, who hath not cast out my prayer nor turned his mercy from me, alleluia.

THE COMMUNION: Psalm 96. 

O sing unto the Lord, alleluia: sing unto the Lord, and praise his Name; be telling of his salvation from day to day, alleluia, alleluia.

THE POST-COMMUNION: 

GRANT unto us, O Lord: that we who have been strengthened by this heavenly banquet may desire what is right and obtain what we desire. Through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord.  Who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.  Amen.

GRANT O Lord: that we who have received these aids to our salvation, may be always and everywhere protected by the intercession of blessed Mary, ever Virgin, in whose honour we have made these offerings to thy divine majesty.

GRANT, we beseech thee, O Lord our God: that we, whom thou hast made partakers of heavenly gladness, may by thee be defended from all earthly perils. Through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord.  Who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.  Amen.

THE INTROIT: Spiritus Domini.

THE Spirit of the Lord hath filled the whole world, alleluia: and that which containeth all things hath knowledge of the voice, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Psalm 68. Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him. 

V. Glory . . The Spirit . .

THE COLLECT: 

O GOD, who as at this time didst teach the hearts of thy faithful people, by sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit; Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

THE EPISTLE: Acts 2:1ff

WHEN the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

THE GRADUAL: AlIeluia, alleluia. V. Psalm 104. 

O send forth thy Spirit and they shall be made: and thou shalt renew the face of the earth, alleluia. 

(Here genuflect.) 

V. Come, Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of thy faithful people: and kindle in them the fire of thy love. .

THE SEQUENCE: Sequence Veni, Sancte Spiritus

COME, thou Holy Spirit, come!
And from thy celestial home
Shed a ray of light divine!
Come, thou Father of the poor!
Come, thou Source of all our store!
Come, within our bosoms shine!

Thou, of comforters the best;
Thou, the soul’s most welcome Guest;
Sweet refreshment here below;
In our labour, rest most sweet;
Grateful coolness in the heat;
Solace in the midst of woe.

O most blessed Light divine,
Shine within these hearts of thine,
And our inmost being fill!
Where thou art not, man hath naught,
Nothing good in deed or thought,
Nothing free from taint of ill.

Heal our wounds, our strength renew;
On our dryness pour thy dew;
Wash the stains of guilt away:
Bend the stubborn heart and will;
Melt the frozen, warm the chill;
Guide the steps that go astray.

On the faithful, who adore
And confess thee, evermore
In thy sevenfold gift descend;
Give them virtue’s sure reward;
Give them thy salvation, Lord;
Give them joys that never end.
Amen. Alleluia.

THE HOLY GOSPEL Saint John 14:15ff 

JESUS said unto his disciples, If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me. These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe. Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do.

THE OFFERTORY: Psalm 68. 

Stablish the thing, O God, that thou hast wrought in us: for thy temple’s sake at Jerusalem, shall kings bring presents unto thee, alleluia.

THE COMMUNION: Acts 2 

Suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind; and it filled the whole house where they were sitting, alleluia: and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak the wonderful works of God, alleluia, alleluia.

THE POST-COMMUNION: 

CLEANSE our hearts, O Lord, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit: and make them fruitful by the inward sprinkling of the dew of his grace. Through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord. Who in the unity of the same Holy Spirit, liveth and reigneth ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

THE ALTERNATIVE POST-COMMUNION: (From the Scottish Prayer Book) 

O ALMIGHTY God, who on the day of Pentecost didst send the Holy Ghost the Comforter to abide in thy Church unto the end: Bestow upon us and upon all thy faithful people his manifold gifts of grace, that with minds enlightened by his truth, and hearts purified by his presence, we may day by day be strengthened with power in the inward man; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee and the same Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, world without end. Amen.