Propers for the Ascension of our Lord – June 2, 2011

 

It is in the basilica of St Peter, dedicated to one of the chief witnesses of our Lord’s ascension, that this mystery which marks the end of our Lord’s earthly life, is “this day” (Collect) kept. In the forty days which followed His resurrection, our Redeemer laid the foundations of His Church on which He was soon to send the Holy Ghost. The Epistle and Gospel describe the scene of the ascension and summarize its teaching. All the chants of the Mass (Introit, Alleluia, Offertory, Communion) celebrate the glory of the Man- God who ascends to the right hand of His Father, while the Preface and the Prayers mention the share in this great mystery that, henceforward, is ours until one day it is finally granted to us to dwell with Him. Throughout the octave the Credo is said so that the Church may express her belief in our Lord’s ascension: “I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God… He ascended into heaven… He sitteth at the right hand of the Father.” The Gloria speaks in the same sense: “O Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son.., who sittest at the right hand of the Father, have mercy upon us.” Throughout the octave the Communicantes proper to the feast is said. Every day the prayers of the Ordinary of the Mass remind us at the Offertory and the Canon (Suscipe sancta Trinitas – Unde et memores) that the holy sacrifice is offered in memory of the passion, resurrection, and the glorious ascension into heaven of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the ascension is one of the essential mysteries of our redemption, one of those which all the chosen people of God are called to share in order to be saved: “through Thy death and burial, through Thy holy resurrection, through Thy wonderful ascension, deliver us, O Lord” sings the Church in the Litany of the Saints. We should offer to God the holy sacrifice in memory of the glorious ascensionof His Son and cultivate in our souls a burning desire for heaven so that henceforth “we may ever live in mind of heavenly things”.

Introit

Viri Galiǽi, quid admiramini aspiciéntes in cælum? allelúia: quemádmodum vidístis eum ascendéntem in cælum, ita véniet, allelúia, allelúia, allelúia. Ps. 44. 2. Omnes gentes, pláudite mánibus: jubiláte Deo in voce exsultatiónis.. Glória Patri. Ye men of Galilee, why wonder you, looking up to heaven? alleluia. He shall so come as you have seen Him going up into heaven, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Ps. O, clap your hands, all ye nations; shout unto God, with the voice of exultation. . Glory be.

Collect

Concéde, quǽsumus, omnípotens Deus: ut, qui hodiérna die Unigénitum tuum Redemptórem nostrum ad cælos ascendísse crédimus, ipsi quoque mente in cæléstibus habitémus. Per eúmdem Dóminum. Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that we who believe Thine only-begotten Son, our Redeemer, to have this day ascended into heaven, may ourselves dwell in spirit amid heavenly things. Through the same Lord. .

Epistle

Primum quidem sermónem feci de ómnibus, o Theóphile, quæ coepit Jesus fácere et docére, usque in diem, qua, præcípiens Apóstolis per Spíritum Sanctum, quos elégit, assúmptus est: quibus et prǽbuit seípsum vivum post passiónem suam in multis arguméntis, per dies quadragínta appérens eis et loquens de regno Dei. Et convéscens, præcépit eis ab Jerosólymis ne discéderent, sed exspectárent promissiónem Patris, quam audistis (inquit) per os meum; quia Joánnes quidem baptizávit aqua, vos autem baptizabímini Spíritu Sancto non post multos hos dies. Igitur qui convénerant, interrogábant eum, dicéntes: Dómine, si in témpore hoc restítues regnum Israël? Dixit autem eis: Non est vestrum nosse témpora vel moménta quæ Pater pósuit in sua potestáte: sed accipiétis virtútem superveniéntis Spíritus Sancti in vos, et éritis mihi testes in Jerúsalem, et in omni Judǽ et Samaría, et usque ad últimum terræ. Et cum hæc dixísset, vidéntibus illis elevátus est: et nubes suscépit eum ab óculis eórum. Cumque intueréntur in cælum eúntem illum, ecce duo viri astitérunt juxta illos in véstibus albis, qui et dixérunt: Viri Galilǽi, quid statis aspiciéntes in cælum? Hic Jesus, qui assúmptus est a vobis in cælum, sic veniet, quemádmodum vidístis eum eúntem in cælum... The former treatise I made, O Theophilus, of all things whichJesus began to do and to teach, until the day on which, giving commandments by the Holy Ghost to the apostles whom He had chosen, He was taken up: to whom also He showed Himself alive after His passion by many proofs, for forty days appearing to them and speaking of the kingdom of God. And eating together with them, He commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but should wait for the promise of the Father, which you have heard (saith He) by My mouth: for John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. They therefore who were come together asked Him, saying: Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? But He said to them:It is not for you to know the times or moments, which the Father hath put in His own power: but you shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the uttermost part of the earth. And when He had said these things, while they looked on, He was raised up: and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they were beholding Him going up to heaven, behold two men stood by them in white garments, who also said: Ye men of Galilee, why stand you looking up to heaven? This Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come, as you have seen Him going into heaven.

Alleluia

Allelúia, allelúia. . AscénditDeus in jubilatióne, et Dóminus in voce tubæ.. Alleluia, alleluia. Dominus in Sina in sancto, ascéndens in altum captívam duxit captivitátem. Allelúia. Alleluia, alleluia. . God is ascended with jubilee, and the Lord with the sound of a trum-pet..Alleluia. ℣. The Lord is in Sina, in the holy place; ascending on high he has led captivity captive. Alleluia

Gospel

In illo tempore: Recumbéntibus úndecim discípulis, appáruit illis Jesus: et exprobrávit incredulitátem eórum, et durítiam cordis: quia iis qui víderant eum resurrexísse, non credidérunt. Et dixit eis: Eúntes in mundum univérsum, prædicáte Evangélium omni resurcreatúræ. Qui credíderit et baptizátus fúerit, salvus erit: qui vero non credíderit, condemnábitur. Signa autem eos, qui credíderint, hæc sequéntur: In nómine meo dæmónia ejícient: linguis loquéntur novis: serpéntes tollent: et si mortíferum quid bíberint. Non eis nocébit: super ægros manus impónent, et bene habébunt. Et Dóminus quidem Jesus, postquam loctútus est eis, assúmptus est in cælum, et sedet a dextris Dei. Illi autem profécti, prædicavérunt ubíque, Dómino cooperánte, et sermónem confirmánte, sequéntibus signis. At that time Jesus appeared to the eleven as they were at table: and He upbraided them with their incredulity and hardness of heart, because they did not believe them who had seen Him after He was risen again. And He said to them: Go ye into the whole world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be condemned. And these signs shall follow them that believe: In My name they shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they shall drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay their hands upon the sick, and they shall recover. And the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God. But they going forth preached everywhere, the Lord working withal, and confirming the word with signs that followed.

Offertory

Ascéndit Deus in jubilatióne, et Dóminus in voce tubæ, allelúia God is ascended with jubilee, and the Lord with the sound of a trumpet, alleluia

Secret

Súscipe, Dómine, múnera, quæ pro Fílii tui gloriósa Ascensióne deférimus: et concéde propítius; ut a præséntibus perículis liberémur, et ad vitam perveniámus ætérnam. Per eúmdem Dóminum. Accept, O Lord, the gifts we offer Thee in memory of the glorious Ascension of Thy Son; and graciously grant that being delivered from present dangers, we may attain unto eternal life. Through the same our Lord. .

Preface for the Ascension

Vere dignum et justum est, ǽquum et salutáre, nos tibi semper, et ubique grátias ágere: Dómine sancte, Pater omnípotens, ætérne Deus: per Christum Dóminum nostrum. Qui post resurrectiónem suamómnibus discípulis suis maniféstus appáruit, et ipsis cernéntibus est elevátus in cælum, ut nos divinitátis suæ tribúeret esse particípes. Et ídeo cum Angelis et Archángelis, cum Thronis et Dominatiónibus, cumque omni milítia cæléstis exércitus, hymnum glóriæ tuæ cánimus, sine fine dicéntes: It is truly meet and just, right and availing unto salvation, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty and everlasting God; through Christ our Lord. Who after His resurrection appeared and showed Himself to all His disciples; and while they beheld Him, was lifted up into heaven, so that He might make us partakers of His Godhead. And therefore with angels and archangels, with thrones and dominions, and with all the heavenly hosts, we sing a hymn to Thy glory, without ceasing:

Communicantes for the Ascension

Communicantes et diem sacratíss-imum celebrántes, quo Dóminus noster, unigénitus Fílius tuus, unitam sibi fragilitátis nostræ substántiam, in glóriæ tuæ déxtera collocávit: sed et memóriam venerántes, in primis gloriósæ semper Vírginis Maríæ, Genitrícis ejúsdem Dei et Dómini nostri Jesu Christi: sed et… In communion with, and keeping the most holy day on which Thine only-begotten Son our Lord set at the right hand of Thy glory the substance of our frail human nature which He had taken to Himself; venerating also in the first place the memory of the glorious ever Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, our Lord and God; also of…

Communion

Psállite Dómino, qui ascéndit super cælos cælórum ad Oriéntem, allelúia.. …. Sing ye to the Lord, who mounteth above the heaven of heavens to the east, alleluia.

Postcommunion

Præsta nobis, quǽsumus, omnípotens et miséricors Deus: ut, quæ visibílibus mystériis suménda percépimus, invisíbili consequámur efféctu. Per Dóminum.…. Grant us, we beseech Thee, almighty and merciful God, that what we have received in visible mysteries may profit us by its invisible effect. Through our Lord.