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From the Roman office.
℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May God the Father Omnipotent, be to us merciful and clement.
℟. Amen.
Reading 4
From the Sermons of St. Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa.
Discourse on the Lords Ascension.
The very thought of this day’s Festival is great enough in itself, but the Prophet David hath much inflamed our joyful enthusiasm by the Psalms. This noble Prophet hath, as it were, gone out of himself, as though the body were a weight duller than his spirit could bear he joineth company with the Powers of heaven, and telleth what they said when they went with the Lord heavenward, and cried in tones of command to those Angels who work on earth, and by whose heralding the Birth of the Incarnate One had been proclaimed “Lift up your gates, O ye princes, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in” (Ps. xxiii. 7, 9).
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℟. My time is come that I should return unto Him That sent Me, saith the Lord. Be not sorrowful, neither let your heart be troubled.
* I pray the Father for you, that He may keep you. Alleluia, Alleluia.
℣. If I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; when I am ascended, I will send Him unto you.
℟. I pray the Father for you, that He may keep you. Alleluia, Alleluia.
℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May Christ to all His people give, for ever in His sight to live.
℟. Amen.
Reading 5
He, Who containeth all things, is everywhere, but for the sake of them which receive Him, He is pleased to make Himself a local Presence which hath bounds. Not only did He become a Man among men, but when conversing among Angels, He alloweth that title also to be given Him. The gatekeepers therefore ask “Who is this King of glory?” and it is answered them that He is “The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle,” the Lord, Whose work it had been to fight him who held mankind in bondage, and to “destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. ii. 14) now that that dark enemy was trampled down, and man had won for him freedom and peace.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℟. Let not your heart be troubled; I go unto the Father, and when I am taken from you, I will send unto you, alleluia.
* The Spirit of truth, and your heart shall rejoice. Alleluia.
℣. I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter.
℟. The Spirit of truth, and your heart shall rejoice. Alleluia.
℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May the Spirit’s fire Divine in our hearts enkindled shine.
℟. Amen.
Reading 6
The keepers run to the gates, and bid the doors unfold, that the Lord may enter in, to take again the glory which He had there among them before. But when they see Him, clad in the likeness of sinful flesh (Rom.viii. 3), they know Him not, even Him Who is red in His apparel, because that He hath trodden Alone the winepress of human pain, and the blood is sprinkled upon His garments. Therefore they cry again to their fellows that bear Him company: “Who is this King of glory?” And they answer them no more: “The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle” but “The Lord of hosts the Lord, Whose Own are become the kingdoms of the world the Lord, Who hath made Himself the Head of all things the Lord, Who hath made all things new” (Apoc. xxi. 5). He is the King of glory!
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℟. When Christ ascended up on high, He led captivity captive.
* He gave gifts unto men. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
℣. God is gone up with a shout, and the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
℟. He gave gifts unto men. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
℣. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
℟. He gave gifts unto men. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May the Gospel’s holy lection Be our safety and protection.
℟. Amen.
Reading 7
From the Holy Gospel according to Mark
Mark 16:14-20
At that time, Jesus appeared unto the eleven disciples as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen Him after He was risen. And so on.
Homily by Pope St. Gregory the Great.
Same as before.
The first question we have to ask is why we read that Angels appeared at the time of the Birth of the Lord, but we read not that they appeared in white apparel whereas, when the Lord ascended into heaven, it is written that the angels which appeared were clad in white. “While they beheld, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven, as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel” (Acts i. 9, 10). White raiment is an outward sign of solemn inward joy. That the occasion of God-made-Man entering into heaven was a great Festival for Angels, is the reason which we see why angels are specially named as robed in white at His Ascension, and not at His Birth. At the Birth of the Lord the Godhead was manifested veiled under the form of a servant, but at His Ascension the Manhood was seen exalted and white vestments are more apt to exaltation than humiliation.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℟. 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. Alleluia.
℣. For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you.
℟. That He may abide with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth. Alleluia.
℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. God’s most mighty strength alway be His people’s staff and stay.
℟. Amen.
Reading 8
Therefore were the angels bound to appear in white apparel at the Ascension. At His Birth He Who thought it not robbery to be equal with God, was seen in the form in which He had humbled Himself; at His Ascension the Manhood Which He had taken into God was seen glorified. Again, dearly beloved brethren, we must remember today, how that Christ hath “blotted out the hand-writing that was against us,” and reversed the sentence which doomed us to corruption. That same nature to which it was said, “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return,” that same nature is His Who hath this day ascended up into heaven. It is because of this up-lifting of our flesh that blessed Job, by a figure, calleth the Lord a bird. The Jews could not understand the Mystery of the Ascension, and in view of this their unbelief, blessed Job said mystically “He knew not the path of the bird.”
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℟. Thou makest the clouds the chariot, O Lord.
* Thou walkest upon the wings of the wind. Alleluia.
℣. Thou art clothed with honour and majesty, covering thyself with light as with a garment.
℟. Thou walkest upon the wings of the wind. Alleluia.
℣. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
℟. Thou walkest upon the wings of the wind. Alleluia.
℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May He that is the Angels’ King to that high realm His people bring.
℟. Amen.
Reading 9
The name of a bird is well given to the Lord, Who bodily soared up into heaven. And the path of that Bird knoweth no man, who believeth not in the Ascension into heaven. It is of this glorious occasion that the Psalmist saith: “Who hast set thy glory above the heavens” (viii. 2), and again “God is gone up with a shout, and the Lord with the sound of a trumpet” (xlvi. 6). And yet again he saith “Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast led captivity captive” (lxvii. 19). “When Christ ascended up on high, He led captivity captive” (Eph. iv. 8), because by His Own incorruptibility He swallowed up our corruptibility. “He gave gifts unto men,” because by sending the Spirit from above, He gave “to one, the word of wisdom to another, the word of knowledge to another, the working of miracles to another, the gifts of healing; to another, diverse kinds of tongues to another, the interpretation of tongues” (1 Cor. xii. 8-10).
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
Te Deum.