Domenica in Albis in Octava Paschae (Low Sunday)
Masses this Week
Sunday 3 April: Domenica in Albis (Low Sunday) – Solemn Mass at 6pm (Pro Populi)
Monday 4 April: The Annunciation of Our Lord Jesus Christ to The Blessed Virgin Mary (translated from Good Friday) – Solemn Mass at 6pm (Mother Mary Angelica of the Annunciation PCPA, RIP)
Tuesday 5 April: S Vincent Ferreri, Conf – Mass at 6pm (Private Intention)
Wednesday 6 April: Feria – Mass at 6pm (Robert Banfield RIP)
Thursday 7 April: Feria – Mass at 6pm (Private Intention)
Friday 8 April: Feria – Mass at 6pm (Private Intention)
Saturday 9 April: Our Lady’s Saturday – Votive Mass of the BVM at 6pm (Private Intention)
All Masses are offered according to the 1962 Missale Romanum.
Introit: 1 Peter 2:2
As newborn babes, alleluia, desire the rational milk without guile, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia – (Ps 80:2) Rejoice to God our Helper; sing aloud to the God of Jacob. Glory be… As newborn babes…
Collect
Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that we who have celebrated the Paschal Feast, may, by Thy bounty, retain its fruits in our daily habits and behaviour. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth…
Epistle: 1 John 5:4-10
Dearly beloved, whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the world: and this is the victory which overcometh the world, our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he that came by water and blood, Jesus Christ: not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit which testifieth, that Christ is the truth. And there are three who give testimony in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost. And these three are one. And there are three that give testimony on earth: the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three are one. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater. For this is the testimony of God, which is greater, because he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth in the Son of God, hath the testimony of God in himself. He that believeth not the Son, maketh him a liar: because he believeth not in the testimony which God hath testified of his Son.
Alleluia
Alleluia, alleluia.(Matt 28:7) On the day of My Resurrection, saith the Lord, I will go before you into Galilee. Alleluia. (John 20:26) After eight days, the doors being shut, Jesus stood in the midst of His disciples and said: Peace be to you. Alleluia.
Gospel: John 20:19-31
At that time, when it was late that same day, the first of the week, and the doors were shut, where the disciples were gathered together, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them: Peace be to you. And when he had said this, he shewed them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad, when they saw the Lord. He said therefore to them again: Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained. Now Thomas, one of the twelve, who is called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him: We have seen the Lord. But he said to them: Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus cometh, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said: Peace be to you. Then he saith to Thomas: Put in thy finger hither, and see my hands; and bring hither thy hand, and put it into my side; and be not faithless, but believing. Thomas answered, and said to him: My Lord, and my God. Jesus saith to him: Because thou hast seen me, Thomas, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and have believed. Many other signs also did Jesus in the sight of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God: and that believing, you may have life in his name. —Creed
Offertory: Matt 28: 2, 5-6
An Angel of the Lord descended from heaven and said to the women: He whom you seek is risen, as He said, alleluia.
Secret
Receive, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the gifts of Thine exultant Church: and to her whom Thou has given cause for so great joy, grant the fruit of perpetual happiness. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son…
Preface for Easter
It is truly meet and just, right and for our salvation at all times to praise Thee, O Lord, but more gloriously at this time above others when Christ our Pasch was sacrificed. For He is the true Lam who hath taken away the sins of the world: Who by dying hath destroyed our death; and by rising again hath restored us to life. And therefore with Angels and Archangels, with Thrones and Dominations, and with all the hosts of the heavenly army, we sing the hymn of Thy glory, evermore saying: —Sanctus
Communion: John 20:27
Put in thy hand, and know the place of the nails, alleluia; and be not faithless, but believing, alleluia, alleluia.
Postcommunion
We beseech Thee, O Lord Our God, to make the most holy Mysteries which Thou has given us as a defence of our renewal, a remedy for us now and in the future. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son…
Thoughts for the Week
I ADORE Thee, O my God, with Thomas; and if I have, like him, sinned through unbelief, I adore Thee the more. I adore Thee as the One Adorable, I adore Thee as more glorious in Thy humiliation, when men despised Thee, than when Angels worshipped Thee. Deus meus et omnia—”My God and my all.” To have Thee is to have everything I can have. O my Eternal Father, give me Thyself. I dared not have made so bold a request, it would have been presumption, unless Thou hadst encouraged me. Thou hast put it into my mouth, Thou hast clothed Thyself in my nature, Thou hast become my Brother, Thou hast died as other men die, only in far greater bitterness, that, instead of my eyeing Thee fearfully from afar, I might confidently draw near to Thee. Thou dost speak to me as Thou didst speak to Thomas, and dost beckon me to take hold of Thee. My God and my all, what could I say more than this, if I spoke to all eternity! I am full and abound and overflow, when I have Thee; but without Thee I am nothing—I wither away, I dissolve and perish. My Lord and my God, my God and my all, give me Thyself and nothing else.
Thomas came and touched Thy sacred wounds. O will the day ever come when I shall be allowed actually and visibly to kiss them? What a day will that be when I am thoroughly cleansed from all impurity and sin, and am fit to draw near to my Incarnate God in His palace of light above! what a morning, when having done with all penal suffering, I see Thee for the first time with these very eyes of mine, I see Thy countenance, gaze upon Thy eyes and gracious lips without quailing, and then kneel down with joy to kiss Thy feet, and am welcomed into Thy arms. O my only true Lover, the only Lover of my soul, Thee will I love now, that I may love Thee then. What a day, a long day without ending, the day of eternity, when I shall be so unlike what I am now, when I feel in myself a body of death, and am perplexed and distracted with ten thousand thoughts, any one of which would keep me from heaven. O my Lord, what a day when I shall have done once for all with all sins, venial as well as mortal, and shall stand perfect and acceptable in Thy sight, able to bear Thy presence, nothing shrinking from Thy eye, not shrinking from the pure scrutiny of Angels and Archangels, when I stand in the midst and they around me!
O my God, though I am not fit to see or touch Thee yet, still I will ever come within Thy reach, and desire that which is not yet given me in its fullness. O my Saviour, Thou shalt be my sole God!—I will have no Lord but Thee. I will break to pieces all idols in my heart which rival Thee. I will have nothing but Jesus and Him crucified. It shall be my life to pray to Thee, to offer myself to Thee, to keep Thee before me, to worship Thee in Thy holy Sacrifice, and to surrender myself to Thee in Holy Communion.
Blessed John Henry Newman Cong. Orat. (1801-1890) – Meditations and Devotions
Notices
Prayers After Mass
Until First Vespers of Trinity Sunday, following the Prayer for the Queen and the recitation three times of the Ave! Maria, the Regina Caeli, laetare! is recited, followed by the Prayer to St Michael:
Regina caeli, laetare! Alleluia
Quia quem meruisti portare; alleluia
Resurrexit sicut dixit; alleluia
Ora pro nobis Deum; alleluia.
V. Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria; alleluia.
R. Quia surrexit Dominus vere; alleluia.
Oremus.
Deus qui per resurrectionem Filii tui Domini Nostri Jesus Christi mundum laetificare dignatus es; praesta, quaesumus, ut per ejus Genitricem Virginem Mariam perpetuae capiamus gaudia vitae. Per eumdem Christum, Dominum Nostrum.
R. Amen.
Feast of The Annunciation
The Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is this year translated from its usual date of 25 March, due to that date this year being Good Friday, to Monday 4 April.
Holy Mass that day will be offered for the repose of the soul of Mother Mary Angelica of the Annunciation PCPA, Foundress of the Eternal Word Television Network in the United States, of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word and of the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama.
Mother Angelica went home to Our Lord on Easter Sunday, fortified for her journey by the Rites of Holy Mother Church.
Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei.
Anima ei, et animae omnium fidelium defunctorum, per misericordiam Dei, requiescant in pace. Amen.
During this time of great joy in Christ’s Church, let us remember in our prayers all those killed or injured in the terrorist attacks perpetrated by D’aesh in Brussels, Iraq, Istanbul, Aden and Syria, as well as all others killed or injured in the many other terrorist incidents around the world.
With all blessings
‡ Peter
NCC Bedford | St Alban's 