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 . . .

English: Painting of Jesus Christ at Pochayiv monastery, Ukraine. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)