First Sunday after Pentecost
Introit of the Mass is an encouragement to confidence in the divine mercy. “Lord, I have trusted in Thy mercy, my heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation, I will sing to the Lord, Who giveth me good things. How long, O Lord, wilt Thou forget me unto the end? How long dost Thou turn away Thy face from me?”(Ps. xii. 1,6.) Glory be to the Father, etc.
Prayer.
O God, the strength of those who hope in Thee, favorably give ear to our supplications, and since, without Thee, mortal infirmity can do nothing, grant the help of Thy grace, that in fulfilling Thy commandments, we may please Thee both in will and action. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, etc.
EPISTLE. I. John iv. 8-21.
Dearly Beloved: God is charity. By this hath the charity of God appeared toward us, because God hath sent His only- begotten Son into the world, that we may live by Him. In this is charity : not as though we had loved God, but because He hath first loved us, and sent His Son to be a propitiation for our sins. My dearest, if God hath so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another God abideth in us, and His charity is perfected in us. In this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of His spirit. And we have seen, and do testify, that the Father hath sent His Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God abideth in Him, and he in God. And we have known and have believed the charity which God hath to us. God is charity ; and he that abideth in charity abideth in God, and God in him. In this is the charity of God per fected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because as He is, we also are in this world. Fear is not in charity ; but perfect charity casteth out fear because fear hath pain ; and he that feareth is not perfected in charity. Let us therefore love God because God first hath loved us. If any man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother whom he seeth, how can he love God Whom he seeth not? And this commandment we have from God, that he who loveth God love also his brother.
GOSPEL. Luke vi. 36-42.
At that time Jesus said to His disciples: Be ye merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and you shall not be judged : condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. For give, and you shall be forgiven. Give, and it shall be given to you : good measure and pressed down and shaken together and running over shall they give into your bosom. For with the same measure that you shall mete withal, it shall be measured to you again. And He spoke also to them a similitude : Can the blind lead the blind? do they not both fall into the ditch? The disciple is not above his master: but every one shall be perfect, if he be as his master. And why seest thou the mote in thy brother s eye: but the beam that is in thy own eye thou considerest not? Or how canst thou say to thy brother: Brother, let me pull the mote out of thy eye : when thou thy self seest not the beam in thy own eye? Hypocrite, cast first the beam out of thy own eye ; and then shalt thou see clearly to take out the mote from thy brother s eye.
Aspiration.
Oh, that I always had been merciful towards my neighbor and never judged any one rashly and falsely ! For how can I now expect a merciful and gracious judgment from God? O my God, I detest these sins from my heart ; I forgive all those who have offended me, and I hope to obtain forgiveness of my own sins. Enlighten, O Lord, my blindness, that for the future I may avoid those sins, and by showing myself full of mercy and charity, may obtain mercy in the day of judgment. Amen.
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Next: Corpus Christi
