Rev. Fr.
Leonard Goffine's
The Church's Year
INSTRUCTION
ON THE FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER
The Introit of this days
Mass is a canticle of praise and thanks:
INTROIT
Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle alleluia; because the Lord hath
done wonderful things, alleluia; he hath revealed his justice in
the sight of the Gentiles. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. His right
hand hath wrought for him salvation; and his arm is holy. (Ps. XCII.)
Glory etc.
COLLECT
O God, who makest the minds of the faithful to be of one
will: grant unto Thy people to love what Thou commandest, and to
desire what thou dost promise; that amidst the various changes of
the world our hearts may there be fixed where true joys abide. Through
etc.
EPISTLE
(James I. 17‑21.) Dearly beloved, Every best gift, and every
perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no change, nor shadow of alteration. For of his
own will hath he begotten us by the word of truth, that we might
be some beginning of his creatures. You know, my dearest brethren.
And let every man be swift to hear, but slow to speak, and slow
to anger: for the anger of man worketh not the justice of God. Wherefore,
casting away all uncleanness, and abundance of naughtiness, with
meekness receive the ingrafted word, which is able to save your
souls.
INSTRUCTION
Of all the gifts that come from God, the most excellent is the gospel
and regeneration in baptism, by which He has made us His children
and heirs of heaven. How great is this honor, and how earnestly
we should endeavor to preserve it! To hear the word of God, when
preached to us in sermons, will aid our endeavors. The admonition
of the apostle to be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger,
contains true wisdom, for: In the multitude of words there shall
not want sin; but he that refraineth his lips is most wise. (Prov.
X. 19.)
ASPIRATION
Aid me, O Lord, to preserve the dignity received in baptism, grant
me a great love for Thy divine word, and strengthen me to subdue
my tongue and to use it only for Thy glory.
GOSPEL
(John XVI. 5‑14.) At that time, Jesus said to his disciples:
I go to him that sent me: and none of you asketh me: Whither goest
thou? But because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow hath
filled your heart. But I tell you the truth: it is expedient to
you that I go; for if I go not, the Paraclete will not come to you:
but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he is come, he will
convince the world of sin, and of justice, and of judgment. Of sin,
because they believed not in me: and of justice, because I go to
the Father, and you shall see me no longer: and of judgment, because
the prince of this world is already judged. I have yet many things
to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when he, the, Spirit
of truth, is come, he will teach you all truth; for he shall not
speak of himself; but what things soever he shall hear, he shall
speak, and the things that are to come he shall show you. He shall
glorify me, because he shall receive of mine, and shall show it
to you.
INSTRUCTION
As the disciples, in their grief at Christ's going to His passion
and death, after the accomplishment of which He was to return to
His Father, never once asked Him: "Whither goest Thou?"
many Christians, because of their attachment to this world and its
pleasures, never ask themselves: Whither am I going, whither leads
my way? By my sinful life I am perhaps going towards hell, or will
my little fervor for the right, my lukewarm prayers take me to heaven?
Ark yourself in all earnestness, dear Christian, whither leads the
way you are going? Is it the right path? if not, retrace your steps,
and follow Jesus who by suffering and death entered heaven.
Why could
the Paraclete not come before the Ascension of Christ?
Because the work of Redemption
had first to be completed, Christ had to die, reconcile man to
God, and enter into His glory, before the Spirit of truth and filial
adoption could abide in man in the fulness of grace. From this we
may learn that we must purify our hearts, and be reconciled to
God, if we wish to receive the gifts of the Holy Ghost.
How will
the Holy Ghost convince the world of sin, of justice and of judgment?
He will convince the world,
that is, the Jews and Gentiles, of sin, by showing them through
the preaching, the sanctity and the miracles of the apostles, as
well as by gradual inward enlightenment, the grievous sins which
they have committed by their infidelity and their vices; of justice,
by unveiling their error, and showing them that Christ whom they
unjustly rejected, is the fountain of justice; of judgment, by showing
them their condemnation in their prince and head, the devil, whom
they served. This prince is now driven from idols and from the bodies
of men, and his kingdom is destroyed in the name of Jesus by the
apostles.
Why did
not Christ tell His apostles all He had to tell them?
Because they could not yet
comprehend, and keep it in their memory; because they were still
too weak, and too much attached to Jewish customs, and also because
they were depressed; He. therefore promised them the Holy Ghost,
who would fit them for it by His enlightenment, and would teach
them all truth.
How does
the Holy Ghost teach all truth?
By guiding the Church, that
is, its infallible administration, by His light to the knowledge
of the truth necessary for the salvation of souls, preserving it
from error; and by advancing those members of the Church who seek
His light and place no obstacle in its way, in the necessary knowledge
of truth.
What is
meant by: He shall not speak of himself, but what things soevey
he shall hear, he shall speak?
That the Holy Ghost will
teach us only that which He has heard from all eternity from the
Father and Son; His teaching will, therefore, perfectly agree with
Christ's teachings, for the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father
and Son and is equal God to them, and that which He teaches is also
their doctrine, which is expressed in the words: He shall receive
of mine.
ASPIRATION
Ah, my Lord and my God! direct my feet in the way of Thy
commandments and preserve my heart pure from sin, that Thy Holy
Spirit may find nothing in me deserving of reproach, that He . may
teach me all truth, and lead me to Thee, the eternal Truth, in heaven.
Amen.
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