| “Today,” 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. | ||
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Introit |
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| Exáudi, Dómine, vocem meam, qua clamávi ad te, allelúia: tibi dixit cor meum, quaesívi vultum tuum, vultum tuum, Dómine, requíram: ne avértas fáciem tuam a me, allelúia, allelúia. Ps. ibid. i. Dóminus illuminátio mea, et salus mea: quem timébo? v. Glória Patri. | 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. Ps. The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear? v. Glory be. | |
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Collect |
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| Omnípotens sempitérne Deus: fac nos tibi semper et devótam gérere voluntátem: et majestáti tuae sincéro corde servíre. Per Dóminum. | O almighty and eternal God, grant us ever to have a will devoted to Thee, and with a sincere heart to serve Thy majesty. Through our Lord. | |
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2nd Collect |
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| Deus, qui multitudinem populorum, beati Bonifatii Martyris tui atque Pontificis zelo, ad agnitionem tui nominis vocare dignatus es: concede propitius; ut, cujussolemnia colimus, etiam patrocinia sentiamus. Per Dominum
minum. |
O God, who didst vouchsafe by the zeal of blessed Boniface, Thy martyr and bishop, to call a great multitude of peoples to the knowledge of Thy name; grant in Thy mercy, that we who keep this festival day, may also enjoy his protection. Through our Lord… | |
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3rd Collect |
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| 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. . | |
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Epistle |
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| The Holy Ghost is love; so He comes to enkindle in the hearts of the faithful a wholly supernatural charity, the most characteristic of Christian virtues. This charity finds expression in cheerful hospitality and in the use of God’s gifts in our neighbours’ service; in the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. | ||
| Léctio Epístolae beáti Petri Apóstoli. Caríssimi: Estóte prudéntes et vigiláte in oratiónibus. Ante ómnia autem, mútuam in vobismetípsis caritátem contínuam habéntes: quia cáritas óperit multitúdinem peccatórum. Hospitáles ínvicem sine murmuratióne: unusquísque, sicut accépit grátiam, in altérutrum illam administrántes, sicut boni dispensatóres multifórmis grátiae Dei. Si quis lóquitur, quasi sermónes Dei: si quis minístrat, tamquam ex virtúte quam adminístrat Deus: ut in ómnibus honorificétur Deus per Jesum Christum Dóminum nostrum. | Lesson from the Epistle of blessed Peter the Apostle. Dearly beloved, be prudent and watch in prayers. But before all things have a constant mutual charity among yourselves: for charity covereth a multitude of sins. Using hospitality one towards another, without murmuring: as every man hath received grace, ministering the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak, as the words of God: if any minister, let him do it, as of the power which God administereth: that in all things God may be honoured through Jesus Christ our Lord. | |
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Alleluia |
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| Allelúia, allelúia. v. Ps. xlvi. 9. Regnávit Dóminus super omnes gentes: Deus sedet super sedem sanctam suam. Allelúia. v. Joan. xiv. 18. Non vos relínquam órphanos: vado, et vénio ad vos, et gaudébit cor vestrum. Allelúia. Alleluia, alleluia. | Alleluia, alleluia. v. The Lord hath reigned over all the nations; God sitteth on His holy throne. Alleluia. v. I will not leave you orphans: I go away, and I come unto you, and your heart shall rejoice. Alleluia. | |
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Gospel |
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| St. Augustine says: “The Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father, manifested Himself to men at Pentecost and thereby converted to the Faith, which works by charity, many of those who had seen our Lord’s works but whose hatred of Him still remained” (Matins). Our Lord had two kinds of witnesses, the Holy Ghost and a human one, which was the apostolic college. By an external manifestation of light, by the gift of tongues, miracles and prophecy, the Holy Ghost gave His testimony that Jesus is the Son of God and that He is truly risen from the dead. And the apostles bore witness of what they had seen and heard, and sealed their testimony with their blood. They spoke by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost and were in turn the organ of His manifestation of Himself. These two witnesses cannot be separated. | ||
| Sequéntia sancti Evangélii secúndum Joánnem. In illo témpore: Dixit Jesus discípulis suis: Cum vénerit Paráclitus, quem ego mittam vobis a Patre, Spíritum veritátis, qui a Patre procédit, ille testimónium perhibébit de me: et vos testimónium perhibébitis, quia ab inítio mecum estis. Haec locútus sum vobis, ut non scandalizémini. Absque synagógis fácient vos: sed venit hora, ut omnis, qui intérficit vos, arbitrétur obséquium se praestáre Deo. Et haec fácient vobis, quia non novérunt Patrem, neque me. Sed haec locútus sum vobis, ut, cum vénerit hora eórum, reminiscámini, quia ego dixi | 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. | |
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Offertory |
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| Ascéndit Deus in jubilatióne; et Dóminus in voce tubae, allelúia. | God is ascended with jubilee, and the Lord with the sound of a trumpet, alleluia. | |
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Secret |
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| Sacrifícia nos, Dómine, immaculáta puríficent: et méntibus nostris supérnae grátiae dent vigórem. Per Dóminum. . | May this spotless sacrifice cleanse us, O Lord, and instill into our souls the strength of Thy heavenly grace. Through our Lord. | |
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2nd Secret |
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| 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. . | |
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Preface for the Ascension |
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| 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: | |
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Communicantes for the Ascension |
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| 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… | |
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Communion |
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| Pater, cum essem cum eis, ego servábam eos, quos dedísti mihi, allelúia: nunc autem ad te vénio: non rogo, ut tollas eos de mundo, sed ut serves eos a malo, allelúia, allelúia. | Father, while I was with them, I kept them whom Thou gavest Me, alleluia; but now I come to Thee: I pray not that Thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldst keep them from evil, alleluia, alleluia. | |
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Postcommunion |
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| Repléti, Dómine, munéribus sacris: da, quaésumus: ut in gratiárum semper actióne maneámus. Per Dóminum. | Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord, that being replenished with holy gifts, we may ever prolong our thanksgiving for them. Through our Lord. | |
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2nd Postcommunion |
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| 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. | |