Third Sunday after Easter

The Third Sunday after Easter
News of the Order and commentary appear after the Proper Collect, Epistle and Gospel

 

Alleluia The Lord is Risen, O come let us adore him. Alleluia

  

ALMIGHTY God, who showest to them that are in error the light of thy truth, to the intent that they may return into the way of righteousness; Grant unto all those who are admitted into the fellowship of Christ's Religion, that they may avoid those things that are contrary to their profession, and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Source of Collect: Sacramentary of Leo, Bishop of Rome [440-461AD]. The Vigil of Easter was the traditional time for Baptism, and this collect speaks to the newly baptized "all those who are admitted into the fellowship". One had to be baptized to be present during the Eucharist. Christiana professione censentor

1 Samuel ii. 1b, Psalm 113, 1 St. Peter ii. 11. St. John xvi. 16.

Homily of Augustine

A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.  

 

Calendar

 

Philip and James, Apostles May 1st

Luigi Lorenzi - May 4th

 

commentary

 

This Sunday is the Third after Easter, we are in the midst of Eastertide, the season in the traditional calendar that begins with Easter Day until Ascension Day. We recall that it was in this period that Jesus appeared many times to his disciples.  There have been changes in modern churches since the 1960s in the calendar. Personally, I think it important to keep Eastertide as a firm reminder of the 40-days between the Resurrection and the Ascension, and a specific time of rejoicing as we remember when the Risen Christ walked amongst us, and as we look for the day when he shall do so again in all his glory and we shall be raised to share in that glory, and perhaps to join in his Last Battle. The Early Church observed Eastertide. In the First Ecumenical Council under S. Constantine in about 326, it was decided that there was to be no fasting on any day in this festive season, or during the following Ascensiontide till after Pentecost, nor any kneeling on any day of the season.

 

Our collect speaks of one of the marks of the true church... that of discipline. Christ will discipline those that are his, teaching them his ways. Before we point the finger at a brother with a sage "aha," we recall that there are three fingers pointing back at us and there are none in this life who walk perfectly before God, who earn their salvation, but rather all have erred and gone astray. That does not mean the visible church need indulge reprobate sinners in its midst. It certainly should not (1Cor 5:12-13)

 

Christ's discipline is one of the promises of Scripture for those who are baptised into his Church. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, will find us, his elect who have erred and strayed from his way like lost sheep, following too much the devices and desires of our hearts, and through his sanctifying grace will lead us back (Luke 15:4). He will not permit the evil one to snatch us from his hand (John 10:29) 

 

This collect compliments nicely the collect for the Second Sunday after Easter and for Gospel of the Good Shepherd and the one flock that is the Church Militant for us mortals. In the end he will clean burn away any dross that we carry with us so that we are pure, as we must be, to appear before the Almighty in the Church Triumphant (1Cor3:15).  

 

And finally, if you have not already done so, I invite you to read the short homily of Augustine on the Gospel following:

 

 

Augustine on the Gospel

 

 

This Little While is the whole duration of this present world. In the same sense this same Evangelist saith in his Epistle : It is the last time. The words : Because I go to the Father : refer to the first clause of the text, thus : A little while and ye shall not see me, because I go to the Father. Hence we should not connect them with this latter clause : And again a little while, and ye shall see me. For his going to the Father was about to bring to pass this, namely, that they should see him no more. And on this account he is not to be understood as saying that he was about to die, and that, until he should rise again, he would be withdrawn from their sight ; but rather, that he was going to the Father ; which same he did when (after he had risen, and had manifested himself to them for forty days), he ascended up into heaven.

It was therefore to them which were then looking on him in the flesh that he said : A little while, and ye shall not see me. A little while, and they would no longer see him as mortal man, such as they saw him to be whilst thus speaking, because he was about to go to the Father. But he added : And again a little while, and ye shall see me : and these words are a promise to the Universal Church, just as are those others : Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Our Lord delayeth not his promised coming. Yea, again a little while, and we shall see him. Yea, and when we thus shall see him, then shall we ask for nothing more ; for no desire will be unsatisfied, and no riddle unsolved.

This Little While seemeth a very long while to us now, while as yet it is still going on, but when it is ended, we shall realize what a little while it was. Let not our joy, then, be like that of the world, whereof it is said : The world shall rejoice. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, and yet, while, as hitherto, our gladness is still coming to the birth through throes of sorrow, let us not be altogether sorrowful, but as the Apostle hath it : Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation. A woman, when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come ; but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And so will it be with us. And with that let me end my sermon. ...