The Sunday after the Ascension MMXII

Almighty and everlasting God, make us to have always a devout will towards thee, and to serve thy majesty with a pure heart; through...

Latin 

Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, fac nos tibi semper et devotam gerere voluntatem; et maiestati tuae sincero corde servire, per...

Gelasian Sacrementary 

Introit: Hear O Lord when I cry with my voice

Ps: The Lord is my light and my salvation 

Epistle:  1st Peter 4:7-11. Be ye therefore sober...

Gradual:  Hallelujah. Hallelujah God reigneth over the heaven

Gospel:  John 15:26-16:4. But when the Comforter is come...

See it all here

http://www.archive.org/stream/commonserviceb00unknuoft#page/n93/mode/2up

In the Ascention Day collect we heard, "leave us not orphaned."  We remember that period now of ten days when it seemed the disciples were orphaned. Jesus had ascended to heaven and the promise of the Comforter was yet to be fulfilled. 

--Almighty and everlasting God, make us to have always a devout will towards thee

Peter wrote in todays epistle, "Be ye sober and watch unto prayer"  There come times in many a Christian's life when he feels comfortless and orphaned. It may come in a time of spiritual dryness, or some tribulation. We can hear in so many places where David sang songs of despair when he did not sense the presence of the LORD.   It is in these times when we ought to ask God to intercede with us and make our heats and wills to be devout toward him.  

 To serve thy majesty with a pure heart;

Many a Christian who has felt abandoned need look no further than his relationship with God when " in the troughs" so to speak. Sometimes the worries of this world seem to drag us down so that we put aside service to God which we desire and he expects. A pure heart is able to seve his Majesty in truth. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 

For a homily this day I commend Leo on the Ascension

http://orderofcenturions.org/documents/ascension1_07.html

Finis

Portions were paraphrased and passages cited from The Collect of the Day, by Paul Zeller Strodach, 1939, The United Lutheran Press, Philadelphia)  http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/s/t/r/strodach_pz.htm

 

The Ancient Collect: Its history and form

http://orderofcenturions.org/collect-form.html