The Old Testament has (almost) never been read at the Eucharist during the Easter season. St. Augustine of Hippo in the fourth century started this based on earlier practices by Cyril of Jerusalem.
Instead, the Hebrew Scriptures are replaced by the Acts of the Apostles. The logic is based on the practice of looking forward from the Resurrection and balances the Easter Vigil’s looking back on our salvation history. (At the Easter Vigil, we draw out the history of our salvation in one night from creation, through Abraham, through Moses, etc.) On weekdays in the Easter season, in fact, the Acts of the Apostles are read in pretty much a continuous way, with the whole book completed by the end of the season. The Second Readings on Sundays come from I Peter, I John, and the unusual Book of Revelation, during Years A, B, and C, respectively. The Gospel readings are almost exclusively from John. All of this is to center us on the celebration of the Resurrection and to keep us looking forward from that event into today’s time. Why Are There No Old Testament Readings During the Easter Season? Mike Hayes, https://bustedhalo.com/
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O bread of heaven, beneath this veil Thou dost my very God conceal; My Jesus, dearest treasure, hail; I love thee and adoring kneel; Each loving soul by thee is fed With thine own self in form of bread. O food of life, thou who dost give The pledge of immortality; I live; no, 'tis not I that live; God gives me life, God lives in me: He feeds my soul, he guides my ways, And every grief with joy repays. O bond of love, that dost unite The servant to his living Lord; Could I dare live, and not requite Such love then death were meet reward: I cannot live unless to prove Some love for such unmeasured love. Belovèd Lord in heaven above, There, Jesus, thou awaitest me; To gaze on thee with changeless love, Yes, thus I hope, thus shall it be: For how can he deny me heaven Who here on earth himself hath given? Entrance Antiphon The Good Shepherd has risen, who laid down his life for his sheep and willingly died for his flock, alleluia. Great crowds followed Jesus as he preached the Good News, (w/c on paper), Wang, Elizabeth (Contemporary Artist) / Private Collection In the Gospel today we see the crowds continue to look for and follow Jesus. It seems they just want to see again something spectacular. Perhaps some of them hope that Jesus would look at them and help them. As we know Jesus would do that, he could see every need, but in this case, today, he gives them an important lesson. "Do not work for the food that cannot last, but work for the food that endures for eternal life." In other words, Jesus tells them not to follow him because of the miracles he does but accept in him the Savior first. "You must believe." Perhaps it is not a coincidence that we receive this message on the first day of the closed church. Jesus turned to you today, and you, why you are following me? What is it that I am going to miss the most while the church door is closed and there is no access to the Sacraments? |
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June 2021
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