EASTER FRIDAY

 

EASTER FRIDAY

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The blessings of Christ's resurrection extend to all times and all places, through the missionary work of all Christ's members who bring men of every class and race to the Sacrament of Baptism. Baptism is man's first resurrection from the death of sin to the grace-quickened life of the soul. The grace of Baptism, so long as it is preserved, is the indwelling pledge of the Christian's final resurrection. In its essential missionary ministry, the Church is assured of Christ's continued presence and is therefore guaranteed the final victory, which is resurrection to eternal life.

INTROIT  Ps. 77:53
The Lord led them on in hope, alleluia! while He overwhelmed their enemies in the sea, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Ps. 77:1. Hearken, My people, to My law; incline your ear to the words of My mouth. V. Glory Be . . .

 
GLORIA

COLLECT
Almighty and Eternal God, this Easter Sacrament is a token of Your merciful forgiveness of all mankind. Let our minds now be made strong so that we may prove in deeds the faith we profess in words. Through Our Lord . . .


EPISTLE I Peter 3:18-22.
Beloved, Because Christ also died once for our sins, the just for the unjust: that he might offer us to God, being put to death indeed in the flesh, but enlivened in the spirit, In which also coming he preached to those spirits that were in prison: Which had been some time incredulous, when they waited for the patience of God in the days of Noe, when the ark was a building: wherein a few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water. Whereunto baptism, being of the like form, now saveth you also: not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but, the examination of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Who is on the right hand of God, swallowing down death that we might be made heirs of life everlasting: being gone into heaven, the angels and powers and virtues being made subject to him.

GRADUAL Ps. 117:24, 26-27
This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.
V. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; the Lord is God and He has given us light.

Alleluia, alleluia!
V. Ps. 95:10. Announce among the nations, that the Lord reigns upon a cross.

SEQUENCE
May you praise the Paschal Victim,
immolated for Christians.
The Lamb redeemed the sheep:
Christ, the innocent one,
has reconciled sinners to the Father.

A wonderful duel to behold,
as death and life struggle:
The Prince of life dead,
now reigns alive.
Tell us, Mary Magdalen,
what did you see in the way?

"I saw the sepulchre of the living Christ,
and I saw the glory of the Resurrected one:
The Angelic witnesses,
the winding cloth, and His garments.
The risen Christ is my hope:
He will go before His own into Galilee."
We know Christ to have risen
truly from the dead:
And thou, victorious King,
have mercy on us.
Amen. Alleluia.

GOSPEL Matt. 28:16-20.
At that time, the eleven disciples went into Galilee, unto the mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And seeing him they adored: but some doubted. And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: "All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Going therefore, teach ye all nations: baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world."

CREED

 

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ex. 12:14
This day shall be a memorial for you, alleluia! and you shall celebrate it as a solemn feast to the Lord for all generations, as a perpetual institution, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

SECRET
O Lord, in Your mercy accept the sacrifice we offer in atonement for the sins of the newly baptized and come quickly to their assistance with Your heavenly help. Through Our Lord . . .


COMMUNION ANTIPHON Matt. 28:18-19
All power in heaven and earth has been given to Me, alleluia! Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, alleluia, alleluia!

POSTCOMMUNION
Look lovingly upon Your own people, O Lord. As You brought them to a new life through Your eternal mysteries, free them now from their temporal sins. Through Our Lord . . .

EASTER THURSDAY

 

 

EASTER THURSDAY

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Jesus in His passion chose to be silent and meek before His enemies and to surrender His life in order to purchase forgiveness and heaven for men of every nation. Jesus in His glorified state, seemingly absent yet dynamically near, touches with purchased grace the souls of the eager and loving.  In every generation and hour, He continues sending apostles into every neighborhood and to every land, with the mission of awakening all peoples to belief and love.
 
INTROIT Sap. 10:20-21

They praised with one accord Your victorious hand, O Lord, alleluia! For wisdom opened the mouth of the dumb, and made the tongues of infants eloquent, alleluia, alleluia!

Ps. 97:1. Sing to the Lord a new canticle, for He has done wondrous deeds.

V. Glory be . . .

 

GLORIA

COLLECT

O God, the distinctions between nations were destroyed when You united all men in praising Your name. Let those who have been born again through baptism be of one mind in faith and holiness. Through Our Lord . . .


 

LESSON Acts 8:26-40.

In those days, an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying: "Arise, go towards the south, to the way that goeth down from Jerusalem into Gaza": this is desert. And rising up, he went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch, of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge over all her treasures, had come to Jerusalem to adore. And he was returning, sitting in his chariot and reading Isaias the prophet. And the Spirit said to Philip: "Go near and join thyself to this chariot." And Philip running thither, heard him reading the prophet Isaias. And he said: "Thinkest thou that thou understandest what thou readest?" Who said: "And how can I, unless some man shew me?" And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
And the place of the scripture which he was reading was this: "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter: and like a lamb without voice before his shearer, so openeth he not his mouth. In humility his judgment was taken away. His generation who shall declare, for his life shall be taken from the earth?" And the eunuch answering Philip, said: "I beseech thee, of whom doth the prophet speak this? Of himself, or of some other man?" Then Philip, opening his mouth and beginning at this scripture, preached unto him Jesus.
And as they went on their way, they came to a certain water. And the eunuch said: "See, here is water: What doth hinder me from being baptized?" And Philip said: "If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest." And he answering, said: "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."
And he commanded the chariot to stand still. And they went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch. And he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took away Philip: and the eunuch saw him no more. And he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found in Azotus: and passing through, he preached the gospel to all the cities, till he came to Caesarea, the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

GRADUAL Ps. 117:24, 22-23

This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.

V. The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the work of the Lord, and is wonderful in our eyes.

Alleluia, alleluia!

V. Christ, who created all things and who has had compassion upon the human race, is risen.

SEQUENCE
May you praise the Paschal Victim,
immolated for Christians.
The Lamb redeemed the sheep:
Christ, the innocent one,
has reconciled sinners to the Father.

A wonderful duel to behold,
as death and life struggle:
The Prince of life dead,
now reigns alive.
Tell us, Mary Magdalen,
what did you see in the way?

"I saw the sepulchre of the living Christ,
and I saw the glory of the Resurrected one:
The Angelic witnesses,
the winding cloth, and His garments.
The risen Christ is my hope:
He will go before His own into Galilee."
We know Christ to have risen
truly from the dead:
And thou, victorious King,
have mercy on us.
Amen. Alleluia.

GOSPEL John 20:11-18.

At that time, Mary stood at the sepulchre without, weeping. Now as she was weeping, she stooped down and looked into the sepulchre, And she saw two angels in white, sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been laid. They say to her: "Woman, why weepest thou?" She saith to them: "Because they have taken away my Lord: and I know not where they have laid him."
When she had thus said, she turned herself back and saw Jesus standing: and she knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith to her: "Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou?" She, thinking that it was the gardener, saith to him: "Sir, if thou hast taken him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him: and I will take him away." Jesus saith to her: "Mary." She turning, saith to him: "Rabboni" (which is to say, Master). Jesus saith to her: "Do not touch me: for I am not yet ascended to my Father. But go to my brethren and say to them: I ascend to my Father and to your Father, to my God and to your God." Mary Magdalen cometh and telleth the disciples: "I have seen the Lord; and these things he said to me."

 

CREED

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ex. 13:5

"In the day of your celebration," said the Lord, "I will bring you into a land flowing with milk and honey." Alleluia!

SECRET

Receive the offerings of Your people, O Lord. May the baptism and belief in Your name, which has given them a new life, lead them to everlasting happiness. Through Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON 1 Peter 2:9

O purchased people, proclaim the perfection of Him, alleluia! who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light, alleluia!

POSTCOMMUNION

Hear our prayers, O Lord. May the ransom price You paid for our redemption bring us help in this life and everlasting happiness in the next. Through Our Lord . . .

EASTER WEDNESDAY

  

 

 

Sea of Galilee Image via Wikipedia

EASTER WEDNESDAY

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It was partially through ignorance of the true meaning of God's prophecies that rulers and people misunderstood Christ and put Him to death. They did not know Him; they did not accept Him as the author of all life, or as the author of the new Christian life that He came to live and to perpetuate among all men to the end of time. As tenderly as Jesus provided a big catch and a cooked meal for His disappointed and hungry Apostles, so tenderly does He still pursue souls with His insistent appeal: "Repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out." 

INTROIT Matt. 25:34
Come, blessed of My Father, take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Ps. 95:1. Sing to the Lord a new canticle; sing to the Lord, all the earth!

 

GLORIA

 
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
We are made happy, O God, by the annual feast of the resurrection of Your Son. May our celebration of His festival in this life make us worthy of unending happiness in the next. Through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and rules with You . . .

LESSON Acts 3:13-15, 17-19.
In those days, Peter opening his mouth, said: "The God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus, whom you indeed delivered up and denied before the face of Pilate, when he judged he should be released. But you denied the Holy One and the Just: and desired a murderer to be granted unto you. But the author of life you killed, whom God hath raised from the dead: of which we are witnesses. And now, brethren, I know that you did it through ignorance: as did also your rulers. But those things which God before had shewed by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Be penitent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out."

GRADUAL Ps. 117:24, 16
This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.
V. The right hand of the Lord has exercised power; the right hand of the Lord has lifted me up.

Alleluia, alleluia!
V. Luke 24:34. The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Peter.

SEQUENCE
May you praise the Paschal Victim,
immolated for Christians.
The Lamb redeemed the sheep:
Christ, the innocent one,
has reconciled sinners to the Father.

A wonderful duel to behold,
as death and life struggle:
The Prince of life dead,
now reigns alive.
Tell us, Mary Magdalen,
what did you see in the way?

"I saw the sepulchre of the living Christ,
and I saw the glory of the Resurrected one:
The Angelic witnesses,
the winding cloth, and His garments.
The risen Christ is my hope:
He will go before His own into Galilee."
We know Christ to have risen
truly from the dead:
And thou, victorious King,
have mercy on us.
Amen. Alleluia.

GOSPEL John 21:1-14.
At that time, Jesus shewed himself to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias. And he shewed himself after this manner. There were together: Simon Peter and Thomas, who is called Didymus, and Nathanael, who was of Cana of Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee and two others of his disciples.
Simon Peter saith to them: "I go a fishing." They say to him: "We also come with thee." And they went forth and entered into the ship: and that night they caught nothing.
But when the morning was come, Jesus stood on the shore: yet the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus therefore said to them: "Children, have you any meat?" They answered him: "No."
He saith to them: "Cast the net on the right side of the ship; and you shall find." They cast therefore: and now they were not able to draw it, for the multitude of fishes. That disciple therefore whom Jesus loved said to Peter: "It is the Lord." Simon Peter, when he heard that it was the Lord, girt his coat about him (for he was naked) and cast himself into the sea. But the other disciples came in the ship (for they were not far from the land, but as it were two hundred cubits) dragging the net with fishes.
As soon then as they came to land they saw hot coals lying, and a fish laid thereon, and bread.
Jesus saith to them: "Bring hither of the fishes which you have now caught." Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of great fishes, one hundred and fifty-three. And although there were so many, the net was not broken. Jesus saith to them: "Come and dine." And none of them who were at meat, durst ask him: "Who art thou?" Knowing that it was the Lord. And Jesus cometh and taketh bread and giveth them: and fish in like manner. This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to his disciples, after he was risen from the dead.

 

CREED 

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 77:23-25
The Lord opened the doors of heaven and rained down manna upon them for food. He gave them the bread of heaven, and man ate the bread of angels, alleluia!

SECRET
O Lord, we joyously offer You at Easter this Sacrament which so wondrously feeds and nourishes Your Church. Through Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Rom. 6:9
Christ, having risen from the dead, dies now no more; death shall no longer have dominion over Him, alleluia, alleluia!

POSTCOMMUNION
Rid us of our old selves, O Lord, and let the worthy reception of Your Sacrament transform us into new men; who lives and rules with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.

EASTER TUESDAY

     

EASTER TUESDAY

DOUBLE, FIRST CLASS / WHITE
By blood-sealed covenant, by prophetic utterances and figures, and by prescriptions for sacrificial worship, God tried to prepare His people to expect a Redeemer who would have to bleed and die. But they wanted only a glorious conqueror with a universal and endless reign. Even when Jesus  appeared to the Eleven, who had received two and one-half years of special training and instruction, He found them confused and wondering. As a doctrine, Christ crucified is central to Christian life. In practice, is there not much insistence on a comfortable Christ, a Christ without wounds?

INTROIT Eccli. 15:3, 4
He gave them the water of wisdom to drink, alleluia! He shall be made strong in them and shall not be moved, alleluia! and he shall exalt them forever, alleluia, alleluia!
Ps. 104:1. Praise the Lord and invoke His name, make His deeds known among the nations.
V. Glory be . . .

GLORIA

COLLECT
Continue to raise up new children, O God, and let Your Church grow. May Your servants so live that they will always have the grace of this Sacrament which their faith brings them. Through Our Lord . . .

LESSON Acts 13:16, 26-33.
In those days, Then Paul rising up and with his hand bespeaking silence, said: "Men, brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you fear God: to you the word of this salvation is sent. For they that inhabited Jerusalem and the rulers thereof, not knowing him, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath, judging him, have fulfilled them. And finding no cause of death in him, they desired of Pilate that they might kill him. And when they had fulfilled all things that were written of him, taking him down from the tree, they laid him in a sepulchre. But God raised him up from the dead the third day. Who was seen for many days by them who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who to this present are his witnesses to the people. And we declare unto you that the promise which was made to our fathers, This same God hath fulfilled to our children, raising up Jesus Christ Our Lord."

GRADUAL Ps. 117:24; Ps. 106:2
This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.
V. Let those who have been redeemed by the Lord now speak, those whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy and gathered together from all lands.

Alleluia, alleluia!
V. The Lord, who was suspended upon the cross for us, is risen from the tomb.

SEQUENCE
May you praise the Paschal Victim,
immolated for Christians.
The Lamb redeemed the sheep:
Christ, the innocent one,
has reconciled sinners to the Father.

A wonderful duel to behold,
as death and life struggle:
The Prince of life dead,
now reigns alive.
Tell us, Mary Magdalen,
what did you see in the way?

"I saw the sepulchre of the living Christ,
and I saw the glory of the Resurrected one:
The Angelic witnesses,
the winding cloth, and His garments.
The risen Christ is my hope:
He will go before His own into Galilee."
We know Christ to have risen
truly from the dead:
And thou, victorious King,
have mercy on us.
Amen. Alleluia.

GOSPEL Luke 24:36-47.
At that time, Now, whilst they were speaking these things, Jesus stood in the midst of them and saith to them: "Peace be to you. It is I: Fear not." But they being troubled and frightened, supposed that they saw a spirit. And he said to them: "Why are you troubled, and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? See my hands and feet, that it is I myself. Handle, and see: for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as you see me to have." And when he had said this, he shewed them his hands and feet.
But while they yet believed not and wondered for joy, he said: "Have you here any thing to eat?" And they offered him a piece of a broiled fish and a honeycomb. And when he had eaten before them, taking the remains, he gave to them. And he said to them: "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was yet with you, that all things must needs be fulfilled which are written in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the psalms, concerning me." Then he opened their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures. And he said to them: "Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise again from the dead, the third day: And that penance and remission of sins should be preached in his name, unto all nations." 

CREED

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 17:14, 16
The Lord thundered from heaven and the Most High gave forth His voice, and the fountains of waters appeared, alleluia!

SECRET 
Accept the prayers and offering of the faithful, O Lord, and let our love and devotion lead us to the glory of heaven. Through Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Col. 3:1-2
If you have risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, alleluia! Mind the things that are above, alleluia!

POSTCOMMUNION 
O Almighty God, may the grace of the Easter Sacrament which we have received remain always in our souls. Through our Lord . . .

EASTER MONDAY

   

EASTER MONDAY

DOUBLE. FIRST CLASS / WHITE
The disciples on the way to Emmaus wanted to believe exclusively in a glorious Christ. They were shocked by His seeming defeat and baffled by His seeming disappearance. Like so many, they misunderstood what God had told them through the prophets. Their hopes were too earthly, but their desire for Jesus was love seeking light. When these apostles were joined by Jesus, they believed strongly enough for grace to set their hearts burning as He explained what God had done through hundreds of years to prepare His people to believe in just the kind of Savior He was: that is, spiritual, suffering, risen to glory, for all mankind. The two disciples, all unaware, loved Jesus in a stranger by urging the unknown traveler to spend the night with them. Their faith and charity issued in a revelation and a stronger bond with Jesus.
   
INTROIT Ex. 13:5, 9
The Lord has brought you into a land flowing with milk and honey, alleluia! so that the law of the Lord may ever be on your lips, alleluia, alleluia!
Ps. 104:1. Praise the Lord and invoke his name; make His deeds known among the nations.
V. Glory Be . . .

 
GLORIA

COLLECT
Your resurrection, O God, has brought healing to a sick world. Continue to shower from heaven gifts upon Your people that they may freely march forward to eternal life. Through Our Lord . . .

LESSON Acts 10:37-43
In those days, Peter, standing in the midst of the people, said, "You know the word which hath been published through all Judea: for it began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached. Jesus of Nazareth: how God anointed him with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all things that he did in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem: whom they killed, hanging him upon a tree. Him God raised up the third day and gave him to be made manifest, Not to all the people, but to witnesses preordained by God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him, after he arose again from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that it is he who was appointed by God to be judge of the living and of the dead. To him all the prophets give testimony, that by his name all receive remission of sins, who believe in him."

GRADUAL Ps. 117:24, 2
This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.
V. Let Israel proclaim now that the Lord is good, that His mercy endures forever.

Alleluia, alleluia!
V. An angel of the Lord came down from heaven, and drawing near, rolled back the stone, and sat on it.

SEQUENCE
May you praise the Paschal Victim,
immolated for Christians.
The Lamb redeemed the sheep:
Christ, the innocent one,
has reconciled sinners to the Father.

A wonderful duel to behold,
as death and life struggle:
The Prince of life dead,
now reigns alive.
Tell us, Mary Magdalen,
what did you see in the way?

"I saw the sepulchre of the living Christ,
and I saw the glory of the Resurrected one:
The Angelic witnesses,
the winding cloth, and His garments.
The risen Christ is my hope:
He will go before His own into Galilee."
We know Christ to have risen
truly from the dead:
And thou, victorious King,
have mercy on us.
Amen. Alleluia.

GOSPEL Luke 24:13-35
At that time, two of the disciples of Jesus went, the same day, to a town which was sixty furlongs from Jerusalem, named Emmaus. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass that while they talked and reasoned with themselves, Jesus himself also, drawing near, went with them. But their eyes were held, that they should not know him. And he said to them: "What are these discourses that you hold one with another as you walk and are sad?" And the one of them, whose name was Cleophas, answering, said to him: "Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things that have been done there in these days?" To whom he said: "What things?" And they said: "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet, mighty in work and word before God and all the people. And how our chief priests and princes delivered him to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we hoped that it was he that should have redeemed Israel. And now besides all this, to-day is the third day since these things were done. Yea and certain women also of our company affrighted us who, before it was light, were at the sepulchre, And not finding his body, came, saying that they had all seen a vision of angels, who say that he is alive. And some of our people went to the sepulchre and found it so as the women had said: but him they found not." Then he said to them: "O foolish and slow of heart to believe in all things, Which the prophets have spoken. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and so, to enter into his glory?" And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures the things that were concerning him.
And they drew nigh to the town whither they were going: and he made as though he would go farther. But they constrained him, saying: "Stay with us, because it is towards evening and the day is now far spent." And he went in with them.
And it came to pass, whilst he was at table with them, he took bread and blessed and brake and gave to them. And their eyes were opened: and they knew him. And he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to the other: "Was not our heart burning within us, whilst he spoke in the way and opened to us the scriptures?"
And rising up, the same hour, they went back to Jerusalem: and they found the eleven gathered together, and those that were with them, Saying: "The Lord is risen indeed and hath appeared to Simon." And they told what things were done in the way: and how they knew him in the breaking of bread.

 
CREED

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Matt. 28:2, 5, 6
An angel of the Lord came down from heaven and said to the women, "He whom you seek has risen as He said," alleluia!

SECRET
Accept, O Lord, the prayers and sacrifice of Your people. May the beginning of this Easter celebration, through Your help, heal us for all eternity. Through Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Luke 24:34
The Lord has risen, and has appeared to Peter, alleluia!

POSTCOMMUNION PRAYER
O Lord, fill us with the spirit of Your love, so that by receiving this Easter Sacrament our hearts may be united in You. Through Our Lord . . .

[wikimedia.org image]

EASTER SUNDAY

 

EASTER SUNDAY RUBRICS 1960

 

 

EASTER SUNDAY

DOUBLE, FIRST CLASS, WITH OCTAVE / WHITE
Prince of light and champion of God's warfare against the powers of darkness, Jesus has triumphed. "Christ has risen from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. . . . As in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made to live" (I Cor. 15:20, 22). His death purchased life for every sinner who has added or will add pain to the wounds and thirst and desolation of Christ. All human beings were adopted as children of God and joint heirs with Christ, and no one is any longer excluded from heaven by original sin or by repented personal sin. The debt is paid. Heaven is open again.
Christ's victory is the victory of all mankind. The new creation has dawned. Jesus in His transformed humanity is, in germ, the world redeemed. He is the vital road along which Christians continue the victorious battle for souls. And seven sacraments feed divine life into the purchased souls of Christ's members.

 

INTROIT (Ps. 138:18, 5-6)
I arose, and am still with you, alleluia! You have laid your hand upon me, alleluia! your knowledge has proven wonderful, alleluia, alleluia!
Ps. 138:1-2. O Lord, You have proved me and You know me; You know when I sit and when I stand.
V. Glory be . . .

 
GLORIA

COLLECT
On this day, O God, You overcame death through Your only-begotten Son, and opened to us the gate of everlasting life. Help us continually to carry out by our actions the desires that You put into our hearts. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord . . .

EPISTLE (I Cor. 5:7-8)
Brethren: Purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new paste, as you are unleavened. For Christ our pasch is sacrificed. Therefore, let us feast, not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness: but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

GRADUAL (Ps. 117:24, 1)
This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.
V. Praise the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. (I Cor. 5:7)
For Christ, our passover, has been sacrificed.

SEQUENCE
May you praise the Paschal Victim,
immolated for Christians.
The Lamb redeemed the sheep:
Christ, the innocent one,
has reconciled sinners to the Father.

A wonderful duel to behold,
as death and life struggle:
The Prince of life dead,
now reigns alive.
Tell us, Mary Magdalen,
what did you see in the way?

"I saw the sepulchre of the living Christ,
and I saw the glory of the Resurrected one:
The Angelic witnesses,
the winding cloth, and His garments.
The risen Christ is my hope:
He will go before His own into Galilee."
We know Christ to have risen
truly from the dead:
And thou, victorious King,
have mercy on us.
Amen. Alleluia.

GOSPEL (Mark 16:1-7)
At that time, Mary Magdalen and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought sweet spices, that coming, they might anoint Jesus. And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they come to the sepulchre, the sun being now risen. And they said one to another: "Who shall roll us back the stone from the door of the sepulchre?" And looking, they saw the stone rolled back. For it was very great. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed with a white robe: and they were astonished. Who saith to them: "Be not affrighted. you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen: he is not here. Behold the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee. There you shall see him, as he told you."

 
CREED

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON (Ps. 75:9-10)
The earth was fearful and silent when God arose in judgment, alleluia!

SECRET
Accept, O Lord, the prayers and sacrifice of Your people. May the beginning of this Easter celebration, through Your help, heal us for all eternity. Through Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON (I Cor. 5:7-8)
Christ, our passover, has been sacrificed, alleluia! Therefore let us keep festival with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, fill us with the spirit of Your love, so that by receiving this Easter Sacrament our hearts may be united in You. Through Our Lord . . .

Rembrandt's perception of the moment when Mary turns her head and sees the newly risen Jesus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

HOLY SATURDAY APRIL 4, 2026

  

HOLY SATURDAY

 

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HOLY SATURDAY

On Holy Saturday we await at the Lord's tomb, with Mother Mary and the holy men and women, meditating on Jesus' suffering and death. The altars are left bare, and the Sacrifice of the Mass is NOT celebrated anywhere in the world. Only after the solemn Vigil during the night, held in anticipation of the Resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ, does the Easter celebration begin, with a spirit of joy that overflows into the following period of fifty days until Pentecost!

 

Here's a link to the Easter Vigil (Sabbato Sancto ~ I. classis) 

https://www.divinumofficium.com/cgi-bin/missa/Cmissa.pl

 

Have a Blessed and Happy Easter!

Deacon John