Wednesday in the Octave of Easter

We pray Wednesday in the Octave of Easter and let an ancient homily and Saint Paul’s words move us from fear of death toward the hope of resurrection. We hold fast to the salvation Christ wins, asking for the grace to bear the image of the man of heaven and walk in His light. 

• opening prayers and the Morning Offering through the Immaculate Heart of Mary 
• Saint Paul on Adam and Christ, death and restored life 
• holding fast to salvation and modelling our lives on Christ’s purity 
• Easter as new creation through the font of Holy Church 
• candles, clean conscience and a community worshipping the Triune God 
• “This is the day the Lord has made” as a proclamation of Christ Himself 
• walking in daylight by following Christ toward eternal light 
• closing collect for eternal joys and final devotional prayers 

If you found this time of prayer and reflection fruitful and would like more opportunities to grow in your faith, consider joining the Cristeros and purchasing our publications now available on Amazon.com. The Cristeros app is available on the Apple app and Google Play Store. More information on the Cristeros can be found at theCristeros.org. 

Transcript

Morning Offering Through Mary

Ancient Easter Homily Begins

Easter Grace And New Birth

Christ The Light Of Day

Closing Collect And Devotions

Join The Cristeros Invitation

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Wednesday in the octave of Easter, in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day, in union with the holy sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, for the remission of my sins, for the intentions of my family and friends, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father. Amen. From an Easter homily by an ancient author. Saint Paul rejoices in the knowledge that spiritual health has been restored to the human race. Death entered the world through Adam, he explains, but life has been given back to the world through Christ. Again he says, the first man, being from the earth, is earthly by nature. The second man is from heaven and is heavenly. As we have borne the image of the earthly man, the image of human nature grown old in sin, so let us bear the image of the heavenly man, human nature raised up, redeemed, restored, and purified in Christ. We must hold fast to the salvation we have received. Christ was the first fruits, says the Apostle. He is the source of resurrection and life. Those who belong to Christ will follow him, modeling their lives on his purity. They will be secure in the hope of his resurrection and of enjoying with him the glory promised in heaven. Our Lord Himself said so in the gospel. Whoever follows me will not perish, but will pass from death to life. Thus, the passion of our Savior is the salvation of mankind. The reason why he desired to die for us was that he wanted us who believe in him to live forever. In the fullness of time, it was his will to become what we are, so that we might inherit the eternity he promised and live with him forever. Here, then, is the grace conferred by these heavenly mysteries, the gift which Easter brings, the most longed-for feast of the year. Here are the beginnings of creatures newly formed, children born from the life-giving font of Holy Church, born anew with the simplicity of little ones, and crying out with the evidence of a clean conscience. Chaste fathers and inviolate mothers accompany this new family, countless in number, born to new life through faith. As they emerge from the grace-giving womb of the font, a blaze of candles burns brightly beneath the tree of faith. The Easter festival brings the grace of holiness from heaven to men. Through the repeated celebration of the sacred mysteries, they receive the spiritual nourishment of the sacraments. Fostered at the very heart of Holy Church, the fellowship of one community worships the one God, adoring the triple name of his essential holiness, and together with the prophet sings the psalm which belongs to this yearly festival. This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad. And what is this day? It is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the author of light, who brings the sunrise and the beginning of life, saying of Himself, I am the light of day. Whoever walks in daylight does not stumble. That is to say, whoever follows Christ in all things will come by this path to the throne of eternal light. Such was the prayer Christ made to the Father while he was still on earth. Father, I desire that where I am they also may be, those who have come to believe in me, and that as you are in me and I in you, so they may abide in us. The first man was formed from the dust of the earth, the second man is from heaven. Just as we resemble the man of dust, so we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. Alleluia. As the earthly man was, so are we on earth. As the man of heaven, so shall we be in heaven. Just as we resemble the man of dust, so we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. Alleluia. O God, who gladden us year by year with the solemnity of the Lord's resurrection, graciously grant that, by celebrating these present festivities, we may merit through them to reach eternal joys, through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen. Let us praise the Lord and give him thanks. All that I have and all that I am, I give to your hands, Jesus, through the heart of Mary, your blessed mother. Amen. Sacred heart of Jesus, have mercy on us. Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. If you found this time of prayer and reflection fruitful and would like more opportunities to grow in your faith, consider joining the Cristeros and purchasing our publications now available on Amazon.com. The Cristeros app is available on the Apple app and Google Play Store. More information on the Cristeros can be found at the Christeros.org.