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The Easter Cycle
“Blessed are the poor in spirit. . . . Blessed are the meek. . . . Blessed are they that hunger and thirst
after justice. . . . Blessed are the merciful. . . . Blessed are the clean of heart” (Mt 5:3 ff.). These are
the true Christians, heroic souls who are firmly fixed on heaven.
The worldly man delights in “the concupiscence of the flesh, and the concupiscence of
the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 Jn 2:16). Unfortunately so many Christians are completely
occupied with the things of this world. Easter should find them new men, risen from the dead,
with their hearts firmly set on heaven, men of heroism. And yet they will still be lost in the abyss
of the old man, spiritual weaklings, worldly men. Thus with the liturgy we pray for them from
the depths of our souls, that “our hearts may be set where true joys are to be found.”
Before we approach the sacred moment of consecration at Mass, the priest admonishes us,
Sursum corda: “Lift up your hearts.” And we answer, Habemus ad Dominum. Have we indeed
lifted up our heart to the Lord? Or have we lifted it up only to earthly affairs, good health, or
worthless trifles? Let us consider all things in the light of eternity and ask ourselves under all
circumstances: “Of what value is this for eternal life?”
Prayer
O God, who makest the minds of Thy faithful to be of one will, grant to Thy people to love
that which Thou commandest and to desire that which Thou dost promise; so that amid the
changing things of this world, our hearts may be set where true joys are to be found. Through
Christ our Lord. Amen.
Fifth Sunday after Easter
The Mass
In a few days the paschal season, taken in the narrowest sense of the word, will come to a close
with the feast of the Ascension. What wonder, then, that the liturgy for Easter and for the
Ascension are combined in the Mass for this Sunday.
The Introit of the Mass rings with the joy of Easter. It is as though our gratitude for our resurrection
with Christ through baptism would well up again to the very heavens in all its splendor and
power. “The Lord hath delivered His people [through baptism], alleluia.” And as we pour forth
our thanks for having risen with Christ in baptism, we pray also that the graces of Easter may
remain with us when the season itself has passed. This petition we make as we recite fervently
the Kyrie. The Collect for the day expresses this sentiment even more clearly and forcefully. “O
God, from whom all good things proceed, grant to Thy suppliants that by Thy inspiration we
may think what is right and with Thy guidance carry out the same” (Collect). Lent and Easter
have given the faithful a vivid realization of their duties, but this knowledge must be carried
out in their lives. “Dearly beloved, be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving
your own selves” (Epistle). Thus the apostle James admonishes us in his earnest and matchless
way. That is the obligation laid on us by our baptism, by our celebration of Easter. We must live
according to our belief. “Religion pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit
the fatherless and widows in their tribulation, and to keep one’s self unspotted from this world”
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