[Rank]
Feria III infra Octavam Ascensionis;;Semiduplex;;2;;ex Tempora/Pasc5-4

[Rank] (rubrica 1960)
Feria III post Ascensionem;;Feria;;1;;vide Tempora/Pasc5-4

[Rule]
ex Tempora/Pasc5-4;
9 Lectiones
Doxology=Asc
Feria Te Deum 

[Lectio1]
Lesson from the first letter of St. John the Apostle
!1 John 4:1-6
1 Dearly beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits if they be of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2 By this is the spirit of God known. Every spirit which confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God:
3 And every spirit that dissolveth Jesus, is not of God: and this is Antichrist, of whom you have heard that he cometh, and he is now already in the world.
4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome him. Because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
5 They are of the world: therefore of the world they speak, and the world heareth them.
6 We are of God. He that knoweth God, heareth us. He that is not of God, heareth us not. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

[Lectio2]
!1 John 4:7-14
7 Dearly beloved, let us love one another, for charity is of God. And every one that loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not, knoweth not God: for God is charity.
9 By this hath the charity of God appeared towards us, because God hath sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we may live by him.
10 In this is charity: not as though we had loved God, but because he hath first loved us, and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins.
11 My dearest, if God hath so loved us; we also ought to love one another.
12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abideth in us, and his charity is perfected in us.
13 In this we know that we abide in him, and he in us: because he hath given us of his spirit.
14 And we have seen, and do testify, that the Father hath sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world.

[Lectio3]
!1 John 4:15-21
15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God abideth in him, and he in God.
16 And we have known, and have believed the charity, which God hath to us. God is charity: and he that abideth in charity, abideth in God, and God in him.
17 In this is the charity of God perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment: because as he is, we also are in this world.
18 Fear is not in charity: but perfect charity casteth out fear, because fear hath pain. And he that feareth, is not perfected in charity.
19 Let us therefore love God, because God first hath loved us.
20 If any man say, I love God, and hateth his brother; he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother, whom he seeth, how can he love God, whom he seeth not?
21 And this commandment we have from God, that he, who loveth God, love also his brother.

[Lectio4]
From the Sermons of St. Maximus, Bishop of Turin.
!43rd, 2nd on Pentecost.
My holy brethren, ye remember that I have likened the Saviour to that eagle, touching which it is written in the Book of Psalms, (cii.
5,) "thy youth is renewed like the eagle's." There are many points of likeness. The eagle riseth above ground, wingeth his way aloft, and mounteth skyward even so did the Saviour rise from the depth of the grave, mount up unto the exalted mansions of Paradise, and enter the heights of heaven. The eagle leaveth below him the foul mists of earth, flieth above, and drinketh in health from a purer air even so did the Lord leave below Him the filthy slough of sinners on earth, and rejoice Himself with the honesty of a purer life, when He soared again into His Own holy home.

[Lectio5]
In all ways, therefore, is the Saviour aptly likened to an eagle. But what can we make of this, that the eagle is a bird of prey, oft-times a plunderer. Even in this he is like to the Saviour. He bore off His prey, when He carried off from the jaws of hell to heaven the Manhood Which He had swooped to take to Himself, yea, when He led captive to an higher home him whom He had delivered from the mastership of another lord, namely the devil, even as it is written in the Prophet, (Ps. lxvii. 19,) "Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast led captivity captive, Thou hast received gifts among men."

[Lectio6]
"Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast led captivity captive." O how nobly doth the Prophet paint the Triumph of the Lord We hear how that of old time, when kings marched in triumph, the procession of prisoners walked before the chariot of their conqueror. Lo, the Lord entereth the heavens, not after, but amid a most glorious band of captives. That band are not led before His chariot, but themselves bear up their Saviour. In some mystic sense, when the Son of God bore to heaven the Son of man, captivity both led and was led.

[Lectio7]
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.
We must ponder the meaning of these words of Mark, "He sat on the right hand of God," and how that Stephen said, (Acts vii. 56,) "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." Wherefore doth Mark say that He sat, whereas Stephen testifieth that he saw Him standing But ye know, my brethren, that to sit is for him that judgeth, to stand, for him that fighteth, or helpeth.

[Lectio8]
Since therefore, our Redeemer is ascended up into heaven, and even now is Judge of all, beside that at the end of the world He will so come, therefore doth Mark say that He sitteth where He hath gone up, because we look for Him, after that His glorious Ascension, that He will come again at the end to be our Judge. But Stephen, while yet he was in the throes of the battle, saw Him That was helping him standing. Stephen on earth was overcoming the unbelief of his persecutors, but it was the grace of Him That is in heaven that fought in him all the while.

[Lectio9]
"And they went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following." What are we to see in this, what are we to remember, but that obedience followed commandment, and signs obedience But now, since, by the will of God, we have lightly run over our reading from the Gospel, it remaineth that we should say somewhat by way of reflection on this great Festival.
&teDeum