Sunday After Ascension Day

 O GOD, the King of glory, who hast exalted thine only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph unto thy kingdom in heaven; We beseech thee, leave us not comfortless; but send to us thine Holy Ghost to comfort us, and exalt us unto the same place whither our Saviour Christ is gone before, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that like as we do believe thy only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into the heavens; so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend, and with him continually dwell, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

Isaiah lxv. 17; 1 St. Peter iv. 7;  Psalms 108, 110 | 46, 47 , &  St. John xv. 26

Homilies 

WHEN the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, 
even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: 

Comment. 

The Gospel appointed in the propers for this Sunday calls our attention to Lord's promise of the coming of the Holy Ghost. We will celebrate that event at the Great Feast of Pentecost next week. In thinking on that theme, and the Gospel, this hymn came to mind. No doubt this was composed in about 1829 by Adoniram Judson  as a baptismal hymn, but serves us this day as we anticipate Whitsunday and ponder God's great gift to his elect. I wonder if the apostles and their company had composed a similar hymn in those days after the Ascension as they waited for the promise.

Come, Holy Spirit, Dove divine,

On these baptismal waters shine,

And teach our hearts, in highest strain,

To praise the Lamb for sinners slain.

We love Your Name, we love Your laws,

And joyfully embrace Your cause;

We love Your cross, the shame, the pain,

O Lamb of God, for sinners slain.

We sink beneath the water's face,

And thank You for Your saving grace;

We die to sin and seek a grave

With You, beneath the yielding wave.

And as we rise with You to live,

O let the Holy Spirit give

The sealing unction from above,

The joy of life, the fire of love.

finis
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Released by Primus Pilus
Legio Christi-Ecclesia Militans
"Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another" [St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans 14:19]

* ORDO CENTURIONUM * IN HOC SIGNO VINCES * TIME DEUM ET OPERARE IUSTITIAM