Category Archives: Spiritual Reflections

Spiritual Reflections

the Risen Christ

From a homily of Melito of Sardis

The lamb was corruptible, but the Lord is incorruptible. He was slain as a lamb; he rose again as God. He rose from the dead, and cried aloud: Who will contend with me?

I, he said, am the Christ; I have destroyed death, triumphed over the enemy, trampled hell underfoot, bound the strong one, and taken men up to the heights of heaven: I am the Christ. Come, then, all of you, receive forgiveness for the sins that defile you. I am your forgiveness. I am the Passover that brings salvation. I am the lamb who was immolated for you. I am your ransom, your life, your resurrection, your light, I am your salvation and your king. I will bring you to the heights of heaven. With my own right hand I will raise you up, and I will show you the eternal Father.

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Saint Augustine on the Resurrection

When the Lord rose from the dead, he put off the mortality of the flesh; his risen body was still the same body, but it was no longer subject to death. By his resurrection he consecrated Sunday, or the Lord’s day. And so your own hope of resurrection, though not yet realised, is sure and certain, because you have received the sacrament or sign of this reality, and have been given the pledge of the Spirit.

If, then, you have risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your hearts on heavenly things, not the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, your life, appears, then you too will appear with him in glory

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Art by Dino Carbetta

Be Joyful Mary Heavenly Queen

Be Joyful Mary . Hymn

Be joyful, Mary, heav’nly Queen,
Be joyful, Mary!/Gaude, Maria!
Your grief is changed to joy serene, Alleluia!
Laetare, O Maria!
 ( Rejoice, rejoice, O Mary! )

The Son you bore by heaven’s grace,
Be joyful, Mary!/Gaude, Maria!
Did by his death our guilt erase, Alleluia!
Laetare, O Maria! ( Rejoice, rejoice, O Mary! )

The Lord has risen from the dead,
Be joyful, Mary!/Gaude, Maria!
He rose in glory as he said, Alleluia!
Laetare, O Maria!
 ( Rejoice, rejoice, O Mary! )

He comes with clouds descending,

Easter Hymns . VID

Lo! he comes with clouds descending,
once for favored sinners slain;
thousand, thousand saints attending
swell the triumph of his train.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
God appears on earth to reign.

Evry eye shall now behold him,
robed in dreadful majesty;
those who set at naught and sold him,
pierced, and nailed him to the tree,
deeply waning deeply waning
shall the true Messiah see.

Those dear tokens of his Passion
still his dazzling body bears,

cause of endless exultation
to his ransomed worshippers:
with what rapture…with what rapture…
gaze we on those glorious scars!

Yea, amen! let all adore thee,
high on thine eternal throne;

Savior take the power and glory,
claim the kingdom for thine own.
O come quickly, O come quickly;
Alleluia! come, Lord, come.
Amen