Easter

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(Usus Antiquior) Third Sunday after Easter (II Classis) – Sunday, 11 May 2025 : Offertory, Secret Prayer of the Priest, Communion and Post-Communion Prayer

Liturgical Colour : White

Offertory

Psalm 145 : 2


Lauda, anima mea, Dominum : laudabo Dominum in vita mea : psallam Deo meo, quamdiu ero, Alleluja.

English translation


Praise the Lord, o my soul, in my life I will praise the Lord. I will sing to my God as long as I shall be. Alleluia.

Secret Prayer of the Priest


His nobis, Domine, mysteriis conferatur, quo, terrena desideria mitigantes, discamus amare caelestia. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation


By these mysteries, o Lord, may grace be given to us so that, by chastening our earthly desires, we may learn to love heavenly things. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

Communion

John 16 : 16


Modicum, et non videbitis me, Alleluja : iterum modicum, et videbitis me, quia vado ad Patrem, Alleluja, Alleluja.

English translation


A little while, and now you shall not see Me, Alleluia. And again a little while, and you shall see Me, because I go to the Father. Alleluia, Alleluia.

Post-Communion Prayer


Sacramenta quae sumpsimus, quaesumus, Domine, et spiritualibus nos instaurent alimentis, et corporalibus tueantur auxiliis. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation


May the sacrament we have received, o Lord, we beseech You, both restore us with its spiritual nourishment and protect us with its help for our bodies. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

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(Usus Antiquior) Third Sunday after Easter (II Classis) – Sunday, 11 May 2025 : Holy Gospel

Liturgical Colour : White

Sequentia Sancti Evangelii secundum Joannem – Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to St. John


John 16 : 16-22


In illo tempore : Dixit Jesus discipulis Suis : Modicum, et jam non videbitis me : et iterum modicum, et videbitis me : quia vado ad Patrem. Dixerunt ergo ex discipulis ejus ad invicem : Quid est hoc, quod dicit nobis : Modicum, et non videbitis me : et iterum modicum, et videbitis me, et quia vado ad Patrem? Dicebant ergo : Quid est hoc, quod dicit : Modicum? Nescimus, quid loquitur.

Cognovit autem Jesus, quia volebant eum interrogare, et dixit eis : De hoc quaeritis inter vos, quia dixi : Modicum, et non videbitis me : et iterum modicum, et videbitis me. Amen, amen, dico vobis : quia plorabitis et flebitis vos, mundus autem gaudebit : vos autem contristabimini, sed tristitia vestra vertetur in gaudium.

Mulier cum parit, tristitiam habet, quia venit hora ejus : cum autem pepererit puerum, jam non meminit pressurae propter gaudium, quia natus est homo in mundum. Et vos igitur nunc quidem tristitiam habetis, iterum autem videbo vos, et gaudebit cor vestrum : et gaudium vestrum nemo tollet a vobis.

English translation


At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “A little while, and now you shall not see Me, and again a little while, and you shall see Me, because I go to the Father.” Then some of His disciples said to one another, “What is this that He said to us, ‘A little while and you shall not see Me, and again a little while, and you shall see Me, and because I go to the Father?'” They said therefore, “What is this that He said, ‘A little while?’ We do not know what He spoke about.”

And Jesus knew that they had a mind to ask Him, and He said to them, “Of this do you inquire among yourselves because I said, ‘A little while and you shall not see Me, and again a little while, and you shall see Me? Amen, amen, I say to you, that you shall lament and weep, but the world shall rejoice, and you shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

A woman when she is in labour had sorrow, because her hour has come, but when she had brought forth the child, she did not remember anymore the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. So you also now indeed have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man shall take from you.

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(Usus Antiquior) Third Sunday after Easter (II Classis) – Sunday, 11 May 2025 : Alleluia

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 110 : 9 and Luke 24 : 46


Alleluja, Alleluja.

Response : Redemptionem misit Dominus populo suo.

Alleluja.

Response : Oportebat pati Christum, et resurgere a mortuis : et ita intrare in gloriam suam. Alleluja.

English translation


Alleluia, Alleluia.

Response : The Lord had sent redemption to His people.

Alleluia.

Response : It behooved Christ to suffer these things, and so to enter into His glory. Alleluia.

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(Usus Antiquior) Third Sunday after Easter (II Classis) – Sunday, 11 May 2025 : Epistle

Liturgical Colour : White

Lectio Epistolae Beati Petri Apostoli – Lesson from the Epistle of Blessed Peter the Apostle


1 Peter 2 : 11-19


Carissimi : Obsecro vos tamquam advenas et peregrinos abstinere vos a carnalibus desideriis, quae militant adversus animam, conversationem vestram inter gentes habentes bonam : ut in eo, quod detrectant de vobis tamquam de malefactoribus, ex bonis operibus vos considerantes, glorificent Deum in die visitationis.

Subjecti igitur estote omni humanae creaturae propter Deum : sive regi, quasi praecellenti : sive ducibus, tamquam ab eo missis ad vindictam malefactorum, laudem vero bonorum : quia sic est voluntas Dei, ut benefacientes obmutescere faciatis imprudentium hominum ignorantiam : quasi liberi, et non quasi velamen habentes malitiae libertatem, sed sicut servi Dei.
Omnes honorate : fraternitatem diligite : Deum timete : regem honorificate. Servi, subditi estote in omni timore dominis, non tantum bonis et modestis, sed etiam dyscolis. Haec est enim gratia : in Christo Jesu, Domino nostro.

English translation


Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, to refrain yourselves from carnal desires which war against the soul, having your conversation good among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by the good works, which they shall behold in you, glorify God in the day of visitation.

May you all be subject therefore to every human creature for God’s sake, whether it is to king as excelling, or to governors as sent by Him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of the good, for so is the will of God, that by doing well you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. As free, and not as making liberty a cloak for malice, but as the servants of God.

Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the King. Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. For this is worthy of thanksgiving in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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(Usus Antiquior) Third Sunday after Easter (II Classis) – Sunday, 11 May 2025 : Introit and Collect

Liturgical Colour : White

Introit

Psalm 65 : 1-2, 3


Jubilate Deo, omnis terra, Alleluja : psalmum dicite Nomini ejus, Alleluja : date gloriam laudi ejus, Alleluja, Alleluja, Alleluja.

Dicite Deo, quam terribilia sunt opera Tua, Domine! In multitudine virtutis Tuae mentientur Tibi inimici Tui.

Response : Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto, sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper : et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation


Shout with joy to God, all the earth, Alleluia. Sing all of you a psalm to His Name, Alleluia. Give glory to His praise, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

Say unto God, how terrible are Your works, o Lord! In the multitude of Your strength Your enemies shall lie to You.

Response : Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Collect

Deus, qui errantibus, ut in viam possint redire justitiae, veritatis Tuae lumen ostendis : da cunctis, qui christiana professione censentur, et illa respuere, quae huic inimica sunt nomini; et ea, quae sunt apta, sectari. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation


O God, You who showed the light of Your truth to those who went astray, that they may be able to return to the path of justice, grant unto all who profess themselves and are reckoned Christians, both to reject the things that are opposed to that name and to follow after the things that befit it. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

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Saturday, 10 May 2025 : 3rd Week of Easter, Memorial of St. John of Avila, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we continue to progress through this time and season of Easter, and as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for all of us as Christians to be truly faithful to God and to put our trust in Him especially whenever we are faced with doubt and uncertainties in life. We should not allow ourselves to be easily swayed by all those challenges and temptations that we end up losing our faith and focus in the Lord. Instead, we should continue to deepen our faith and trust in the Lord, committing ourselves ever more wholeheartedly to what the Lord has called us all to do in our own lives. Each and every one of us who are part of the Church of God have our own roles to play in the work of God’s salvation.

In our first reading today, we heard of the works of St. Peter the Apostle, who like the other Apostles were going around many places, visiting towns one after another to minister to the people of God in all those places. St. Peter performed many miracles and signs in his visits to the towns of Lydda and Joppa, healing the paralysed and bedridden man named Aeneas by the power of the Lord and through the man’s faith in God, and we have also heard how he raised the dead woman named Tabitha, who had been righteous and beloved by the community of the people for her loving actions to her fellow brethren around her. In both cases, we heard how God performed His wonderful works through St. Peter the Apostle to show His faithfulness to the promises which He had reassured them all.

By those signs and wonders, the Lord wanted to show His people just how He would always be with them, guiding them and being by their side. He would never abandon them to the darkness or to persecution and suffering alone by themselves. Those signs, the miracles and wonders showed that the power and the hands of the Lord were with His Church and His servants, strengthening both the Apostles, the disciples and the whole body of the faithful alike. The Lord never abandoned those whom He has loved, and He gave them all peace as mentioned in the same passage, after Saul the Pharisee, who had intensely persecuted the Church even miraculously and almost unbelievably turned over to the Christian faith himself, becoming a member of the Church and one of its greatest defenders in time.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the aftermath of the discourse on the Bread of Life which we have heard in these past few days, where the Lord presented Himself fully and clearly before the people who listened to Him that He is truly the One Whom God had sent into our midst from Heaven, revealing the method by which He would do this. He would give all of them His Body and Blood to share and partake, to have Him as the Bread of Life, the Living Bread from Heaven through which all of them would receive life from God, justification and liberation from their troubles and hardships. Through the giving of His own Precious Blood and Body, the Lord wants each and every one of us to be strengthened and empowered by His Presence in us, as with Him, truly there is no obstacle that is too great or too difficult to be overcome.

We should also keep our trust and faith in the Lord, even when things are not favourable for us. Often times in living our faith in our respective lives, we may encounter difficult and challenging moments, just as how the Lord Himself was abandoned and left by many of His followers who felt uncomfortable at the words that He had used in describing Himself as the Bread of Life, in how He would indeed give them all His own Most Precious Body and Blood to share and partake. Such a truth and reality was too hard for many among the disciples and followers of the Lord at the time to accept and embrace, and they chose to walk away from Him. But for us, should we do the same as well? Should we abandon the Lord and leave Him behind simply because what we believe in is something difficult for us to accept and embrace as well?

Today, the Church marks the Feast of St. John of Avila, a great and holy man of God, a truly inspiring example for all of us to follow in our own faith and life. He was born to a pious couple and was a pious young man himself dedicated to God since his youth. He eventually went through the priestly formation and became a priest, in which he dedicated his time and efforts to evangelise and inflame the hearts of the faithful, so much so that he was also known popularly as the ‘Apostle to Andalusia’. St. John of Avila worked hard in the many areas of Andalusia, and his sermons and works were always very well attended with packed churches and many flocking to listen to him. He was also critical of the debauchery and wickedness of the aristocracy and nobility, as well as the higher echelon of the Church, calling for reforms in their behaviour.

For all these, St. John of Avila did face obstacles and difficulties, and he was even imprisoned amidst those struggles. But all those things did not prevent or discourage this man of God from continuing to do his best for the Church and the faithful people of God. He continued with his ministry and works, and he was well-known with his numerous writings and works that still inspired many throughout the ages, right up to this very day. That was why after his passing, he was venerated by the people and was eventually canonised by Pope St. Paul VI in the year 1970, and very recently, in recognition for his many works of the matters of the faith, his writings and other inspirations, Pope Francis declared him to be one of the few Doctors of the Church.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired by the examples showed unto us by St. John of Avila and many others of our holy predecessors. Let us all continue to go forth in life proclaiming the Lord ever more faithfully and courageously, ever strengthened by His Real Presence in our midst, by our partaking of the Eucharist, that is the Lord Himself being truly present in our midst, giving us His strength, grace and love amidst the challenges and trials that we may have to face or endure in our daily living. Let us all therefore remain firmly faithful and committed to the Lord, now and always, and strive our best to do His will at all times. Amen.

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Saturday, 10 May 2025 : 3rd Week of Easter, Memorial of St. John of Avila, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 6 : 60-69

At that time, after the Jews heard Jesus, many of His followers said, “This language is very hard! Who can accept it?”

Jesus was aware that His disciples were murmuring about this, and so He said to them, “Does this offend you? Then how will you react when you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? It is the Spirit that gives life, not the flesh. The words that I have spoken to you are Spirit and they are life. But among you there are some who do not believe.”

From the beginning, Jesus knew who would betray Him. So He added, “As I have told you, no one can come to Me unless it is granted by the Father.” After this many disciples withdrew and no longer followed Him. Jesus asked the Twelve, “Will you also go away?

Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We now believe and know that You are the Holy One of God.”

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Saturday, 10 May 2025 : 3rd Week of Easter, Memorial of St. John of Avila, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 115 : 12-13, 14-15, 16-17

How can I repay the Lord for all His goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the Name of the Lord.

I will fulfil my vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people. It is painful to the Lord to see the death of His faithful.

O Lord, I am Your servant, truly Your servant, Your handmaid’s son. You have freed me from my bonds. I will offer You a thanksgiving sacrifice; I will call on the Name of the Lord.

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Saturday, 10 May 2025 : 3rd Week of Easter, Memorial of St. John of Avila, Priest and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 9 : 31-42

Meanwhile, the Church had peace. It was building up throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria with eyes turned to the Lord and filled with comfort from the Holy Spirit.

As Peter travelled around, he went to visit the saints who lived in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas who was paralysed, and had been bedridden for eight years. Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed!”

And the man got up at once. All the people living in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord. There was a disciple in Joppa named Tabitha, which means Dorcas or Gazelle. She was always doing good works and helping the poor. At that time she fell sick and died. After having washed her body, they laid her in the upstairs room.

As Lydda is near Joppa, the disciples, on hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, “Please come to us without delay.” So Peter went with them. On his arrival they took him upstairs to the room. All the widows crowded around him in tears, showing him the clothes that Dorcas had made while she was with them.

Peter made them them all leave the room and then he knelt down and prayed. Turning to the dead body he said, “Tabitha, stand up.” She opened her eyes, looked at Peter and sat up. Peter gave her his hand and helped her up. Then he called in the saints and widows and presented her to them alive.

This became known throughout all of Joppa and many people believed in the Lord because of it.

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Friday, 9 May 2025 : 3rd Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that even in the greatest darkness and in the worst of hardships, if we put our faith and trust in the Lord, then we shall be strengthened and rescued from all of our troubles. And for the Lord there is truly nothing impossible or beyond belief, as the Scripture passages today had presented to us, firstly with the story of the conversion of Saul the Pharisee, who embraced the Lord as his Saviour and Master, something that seemed to be impossible given how passionate Saul was in persecuting the early Christians, and then from our Gospel passage today where the Lord spoke the truth about His present of His own Most Precious Body and Blood to the people, that He, as the Bread of Life, would share His own Flesh and Blood as real food and drink for the people to share.

In our first reading today, we heard from the continuation of the Acts of the Apostles where it was told that Saul the Pharisee, the overzealous persecutor and great enemy of the Church and the earliest Christians wanted to eradicate the Christians further, striking even beyond the land of Judea and Galilee, seeking permission to arrest and persecute the Christians in Damascus in Syria beyond the land of the Israelites. But what transpired there was beyond his imaginations or desires, as he encountered the Lord Jesus Himself on the way to Damascus, and after that encounter, where the Lord asked Saul why he persecuted Him and His Church, and became blinded, eventually through one named Ananias, a faithful disciple of the Lord, Saul was converted to the true faith in God, turning from a great enemy of the Church into one of its greatest defenders.

Such a conversion was truly remarkable and was indeed very unbelievable because Saul was truly a very ardent believer of the ways and teachings of the Pharisees, many among whom were hostile and critical of the teachings and works of Jesus. Saul in particular was also rather violent and harsh in his actions and methods in striking against the early Christian converts especially among the Jewish people, and he had a role in the martyrdom of St. Stephen as well, the first martyr of the Church. That he would make a complete turnaround and becoming one of the Church’s and the Lord’s greatest defenders is no less than mindboggling and completely baffling to many, so much so that Ananias himself could not believe it at first when the Lord asked him to help this man Saul and heal him from his blindness, so that he could become His faithful disciple.

Yet, that was what had happened, and the Lord did touch the heart of Saul, turning him over completely into a new life blessed by His grace, erasing all the past hatred and misunderstandings of His truth and Good News. Through the gift of baptism, the empowerment by the Holy Spirit, Saul, who would then take on the new name Paul to signify his conversion, became a great and most ardent defender of the Lord and the Christian faith, and becoming one of its greatest missionaries, as the Apostle to the Gentiles. He wrote many Epistles to the various communities of the Church in the many places that he had visited, just as he has also went on several missionary journeys to proclaim the Lord and His salvation to more and more people, especially to the Gentiles, or the non-Jewish people.

We can see from this example how the Lord performed His work in such a marvellous and wonderful way, beyond our imagination, that even things that seemed to be impossible have become possible for Him. After all, we must not forget that the Lord our God is the Almighty and All-Powerful God, and how can we say that something is impossible for Him? Everything that is within His will, and all things are possible for Him, and the conversion of St. Paul is just one of the many wonderful things that He had done, from something seemingly impossible into a great and wonderful boon for the Church of God. Then, this is also linked to what we have heard in our Gospel passage in the continuation of the discourse on the Bread of Life as we have heard it in these past few days.

For in that occasion mentioned in today’s Gospel passage, the Lord clearly presented His Body and Blood to the people as real food and drink for them to partake and share, and hearing all these, many of the people became disgusted and appalled, as they thought that it must have been crazy and even blasphemy for the Lord Jesus to mention sharing His own Body and Blood for them to eat and drink in such a way, and also claiming to be the Bread of Life, the Heavenly Bread that had come down from Heaven itself. That was why as mentioned, many of the Lord’s disciples stopped following Him after this event, and many left Him disappointed and disgusted at Him. It was left to just the Twelve, who have always been by His side, and perhaps some other disciples. When the Lord asked them if they would also go too, St. Peter represented them in saying that they still believed in Him, as the Holy One of God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, in this discourse on the Bread of Life, and then even more importantly on the Real Presence in the Eucharist, in the gift of the Most Precious Body and Blood of the Lord that had been made real and tangible before us in the transformation of the bread and wine at the Holy Mass, or also known as the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we are reminded of one of the most central and most important core tenet of our Christian faith, that is the belief in the dogma of Transubstantiation, that we believe the Lord Himself is truly present in the Eucharist, that while the appearance of bread and wine remained the same, but in its reality, essence and everything else, the bread and wine consecrated by the power of the Holy Spirit through the hands of the celebrant in the Holy Mass had indeed become the Body and Blood of the Lord Himself.

Let us all therefore renew our faith and trust in the Lord, in He Who makes things impossible into something possible, by His own Almighty power and will. Let us all put our trust in Him, allowing the Lord to lead us all in our lives, so that if we continue to follow His path, we will truly be able to find our way to Him, and to the true happiness, satisfaction and eternal life that He has promised to all of us, all who have shared and partaken of the great heavenly banquet of His own Body and Blood, the Bread of Life that has come down from Heaven. May the Lord be with us always, and bless us all in our every good works and endeavours, now and always. Amen.