FIRST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
DOUBLE, FIRST CLASS / WHITE
REFLECTION - by Abbot Guéranger
The world had to wait for the fullness of time to be completed; and then, God would send into this world His only Son, begotten of Him from all eternity. This His most merciful purpose has been carried out, and the Word made Flesh hath dwelt among us. [St. John i. 14.] By seeing His glory, the glory of the only-begotten Son of the Father, [Ibid.] we have come to know that, in God, there is Father and Son. The Son's mission to our earth, by the very revelation it gave us of Himself, taught us that God is eternally Father, for whatsoever is in God is eternal. But for this merciful revelation, which is an anticipation of the light awaiting us in the next life, our knowledge of God would have been too imperfect. It was fitting that there should be some proportion between the light of faith, and that of the vision reserved for the future; it was not enough for man to know that God is One.
So that, we now know the Father, from whom comes, as the Apostle tells us, all paternity, even on earth. [Eph. iii. 15.] We know Him not only as the creative power, Which has produced every being outside Himself; but, guided as it is by faith, our soul's eye respectfully penetrates into the very essence of the Godhead, and there beholds the Father begetting a Son like unto Himself. But, in order to teach us the mystery, that Son came down upon our earth. He Himself has told us expressly that no one knoweth the Father, but the Son, and he to whom it shall please the Son to reveal Him. [St. Matt. xi. 27.] Glory, then, be to the Son, Who has vouchsafed to show us the Father! and glory to the Father, Whom the Son hath revealed unto us!
The intimate knowledge of God has come to us by the Son, Whom the Father, in His love, has given to us. [St. John iii. 16.] And this Son of God, Who, in order to raise up our minds even to His own
Divine Nature, has clad Himself, by His Incarnation, with our human nature, has taught us that He and His Father are one; [St. John xvii. 22.] that They are one and the same Essence, in distinction of Persons. One begets, the Other is begotten ; the One is named Power; the Other, Wisdom, or
Intelligence. The Power cannot be without the Intelligence, nor the Intelligence without the Power, in the sovereignly perfect Being: but, both the One and the Other produce a third Term.
The Son, Who had been sent by the Father, had ascended into Heaven, with the human Nature which He had united to Himself for all future eternity; and lo! the Father and the Son send into this world the Spirit Who proceeds from Them both. It was a new Gift, and it taught man that the Lord God was in three Persons. The Spirit, the eternal link of the first two, is Will, He is Love, in the Divine Essence. In God, then, is the fullness of Being, without beginning, without succession, without increase; for there is nothing which He has not. In these three eternal Terms of His uncreated Substance, is the Act, pure and infinite.
Having passed through the mysteries which He Himself wrought, we next celebrated the descent of the Holy Spirit, Who had been announced as coming to perfect the work of the Son of God. We adored Him, and acknowledged Him to be distinct from the Father and the Son, Who had sent Him to us with the mission of abiding with us. [St. John xiv. 16.] He manifested Himself by Divine operations which are peculiarly His Own, and were the object of His coming. He is the soul of the Church; He keeps her in the truth taught her by the Son. He is the source, the principle of the sanctification of our souls; and in them He wishes to make His dwelling. In a word, the mystery of the Trinity has become to us, not only a dogma made known to our mind by revelation, but, moreover, a practical truth given to us by the unheard-of munificence of the three Divine Persons: the Father, Who has adopted us; the Son, Whose brethren and joint-heirs we are; and the Holy Ghost, Who governs us, and dwells within us.
Let us, then, begin this day, by giving glory to the one God in three Persons. For this end, we will unite with holy Church, who in her Office of Prime recites on this solemnity, as also on every Sunday not taken up by a feast, the magnificent Symbol known as the Athanasian Creed. It gives us, in a summary of much majesty and precision, the doctrine of the Holy Doctor St. Athanasius, regarding the mysteries of the Trinity and the Incarnation.
The Athanasian Creed
[QUICUNQUE VULT]
Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic [Apostolic/Universal] Faith, which except everyone shall have kept whole and undefiled, without doubt he will perish eternally.
Now the Catholic Faith is this: We worship One God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the Persons nor dividing the substance. For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, another of the Holy Spirit. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, is One, the Glory equal, the Majesty coeternal.
Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit; the Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated; the father infinite, the Son infinite, and the Holy Spirit infinite; the Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal.
And yet not three eternals but one eternal, as also not three infinites, nor three uncreated, but one uncreated, and one infinite. So, likewise, the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Spirit almighty; and yet not three almighties but one almighty.
So the Father is God, the Son God, and the Holy Spirit God; and yet not three Gods but one God. So the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit Lord; and yet not three Lords but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by Christian truth to acknowledge every Person by Himself to be both God and Lord; so are we forbidden by the Catholic religion to say, there be three Gods or three Lords.
The Father is made of none, neither created nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone, not made nor created but begotten. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and the Son, not made nor created nor begotten but proceeding.
So there is one Father not three Fathers, one Son not three Sons, and Holy Spirit not three Holy Spirits. And in this Trinity there is nothing before or after, nothing greater or less, but the whole three Persons are coeternal together and coequal.
So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Trinity in Unity and the Unity in Trinity is to be worshipped. He therefore who wills to be in a state of salvation,
let him think thus of the Trinity.
But it is necessary to eternal salvation that he also believe faithfully the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. The right faith therefore is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man.
He is God of the substance of the Father begotten before the worlds, and He is man of the substance of His mother born in the world; perfect God, perfect man subsisting of a reasoning soul and human flesh; equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, inferior to the Father as touching His Manhood.
Who although He be God and Man yet He is not two but one Christ; one however not by conversion of the GodHead in the flesh, but by taking of the Manhood in God; one altogether not by confusion of substance but by unity of Person. For as the reasoning soul and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ.
Who suffered for our salvation, descended into Hell, rose again from the dead, ascended into Heaven, sits at the right hand of the Father, from whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies and shall give account for their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life eternal, and they who indeed have done evil into eternal fire.
This is the Catholic faith, which except a man shall have believed faithfully and firmly he cannot be in a state of salvation.
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INTROIT:
Tob. 12:6; Ps. 8:2
Blessed be the Holy Trinity and undivided Unity: we
will give glory to Him, because He hath shown His mercy to us. Ps. O Lord, our
Lord, how wonderful is Thy Name in all the earth! V. Glory be to the Father.
COLLECT
O almighty and everlasting God, who hast granted to
Thy servants, in confessing the true Faith, to acknowledge the glory of the
eternal Trinity, and in the power of Majesty to adore the Unity: we beseech
Thee, that by steadfastness in the same Faith, we may ever be defended against
all adversity. Through our Lord.
Commemoration of the FIRST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
O God, the strength of all who place their trust in You, graciously hear our prayers. Because of our weak human nature, we can do nothing without You. Help us by Your grace that we may fulfill Your commands and please You in will and action. Through our Lord.
EPISTLE:
Romans 11:33-36
O the depths of the riches of the wisdom and of the
knowledge of God! How in- comprehensible are His judgments, and how
unsearchable His ways! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath
been His counsellor? Or who hath first given to Him, and recompense shall be
made Him? For of Him, and by Him, and in Him, are all things: to Him be glory
forever. Amen.
GRADUAL:
Dan. 3:55,56
Blessed
art Thou, O Lord, that beholdest the depths and sittest above the Cherubim. V.
Blessed art Thou, O Lord, in the firmament of heaven, and worthy of praise for-
ever.
ALLELUIA: Dan.
3:52
Alleluia, alleluia. V. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, the
God of our fathers, and worthy to be praised forever. Alleluia
GOSPEL:
Matthew 28:18-20
At that time Jesus said to His disciples: All is power
given to Me in heaven and on earth. Going therefore, teach ye all nations,
baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost,
teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And be-
hold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.
OFFERTORY:
Tob. 12:6
Blessed be God the Father, and the only- begotten Son
of God, and also the Holy Ghost; because He hath shown His mercy to us.
SECRET:
Sanctify, we beseech Thee, O Lord, our God, by the invocation of Thy holy Name, the Sacrifice we offer, and by it make of us an everlasting offering unto Thee. Through our Lord.
Sanctify, we beseech Thee, O Lord, our God, by the invocation of Thy holy Name, the Sacrifice we offer, and by it make of us an everlasting offering unto Thee. Through our Lord.
Commemoration
of the FIRST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Graciously accept the offerings we dedicate to You, O
Lord, and let them win for us Your unending assistance. Through our Lord.
PREFACE OF
THE MOST HOLY TRINITY
It is truly meet and just, right and for our
salvation, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks to Thee,
holy Lord, Father almighty, eternal God: Who, together with Thine only-begotten
Son and the Holy Ghost, art one God, one Lord: not in the Oneness of a single
Per- son, but in the Trinity of one substance. For what by Thy revelation we
believe of Thy glory, the same do we believe of Thy Son, the same of the Holy
Ghost, without difference or separation; so that in con- fessing the true and
eternal Godhead, in It we should adore distinction in persons, unity in
Essence, and equality in Majesty: in praise of which Angels and Archangels,
Cherubim also and Seraphim day and night exclaim, without end and with one
voice saying:
COMMUNION:
Tob. 12:6
We bless the God of heaven, and before all living we
will praise Him; because He has shown His mercy to us.
POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, our God, may our reception of this Sacrament
and our acknowledgment of the holy and eternal Trinity and Its un- divided
Unity profit us unto health of mind and body. Through our Lord.
Commemoration
of the FIRST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
We have received Your exceedingly great Gifts in all
their fullness, O Lord. Grant that we may use these graces for our salvation
and never cease to sing Your praises. Through our Lord.
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