The Introits, Collects, etc. Ascensiontide

Ascensiontide

The Vigil of the Ascension

The Epistle  Acts iv. 32-35.

In those days the multitudes of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

The Gospel  John xvii. 1-11.

At that time Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee.

The Ascension-day.

Antiphons for the Psalms at Matins and Evensong

1. Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? * this same Jesus, which was taken up from you into heaven, shall so come, alleluia.

2. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, * they said, Alleluia!

3. He lifted up his hands and blessed them, * and was carried up into heaven, Alleluia!

4. Exalt ye the King of kings, * and sing a hymn unto God, Alleluia!

5. While they beheld he was taken up, * and a cloud received him out of their sight,

Alleluia!

1st Evensong

The Psalms Appointed

24 & 47

The Antiphon for the Magnificat

Father, I have manifested thy Name unto the men whom thou hast given me: * and now I pray for them, not for the world, because I come to thee, Alleluia!

Matins

The Invitory From Psalms xxiv. xlvii.

Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in.

Who is the King of Glory? the Lord strong and mighty; even the Lord, mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in.

Who is the King of Glory ? even the Lord of hosts, he is the King of Glory.

O clap your hands together, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.

For the Lord most high is terrible; he is a great king over all the earth.

God is gone up with a shout; the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises unto our King, sing praises.

God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.

The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham; for the

shields of the earth belong unto God. He is greatly exalted.

The Psalms Appointed

8, 15, & 21

The Readings

II King 2:1-15 & Heb 4:14-5:10

The Antiphon for the Benedictus

I ascend to my Father, and your Father: * to my God, and your God, Alleluia!

Holy Communion

The Introit Psalm 47. Omnes gentes, plaudite.

CLAP your hands together, all ye peoples: * O sing unto God with the voice of melody.
    2 For the Lord is high, and to be feared; * he is the great King upon all the earth.

    3 He shall subdue the peoples under us, * and the nations under our feet.
    4 He shall choose out an heritage for us, * even the excellency of Jacob, whom he loved.
    5 God is gone up with a merry noise, * and the Lord with the sound of the trump.
    6 O sing praises, sing praises unto our God; * O sing praises, sing praises unto our King.
    7 For God is the King of all the earth: * sing ye praises with understanding.

    8 God reigneth over the nations; * God sitteth upon his holy seat.
    9 The princes of the peoples⁴ are joined unto the people of the God of Abraham; * for God, which is very high exalted, doth defend the earth, as it were with a shield.

The Collect.

GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that like as we do believe thy only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into the heavens; so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend, and with him continually dwell, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end.Amen.

¶ This Collect is to be said daily throughout the Octave.

For the Epistle. Acts i. 1.

THE former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom be had chosen: to whom also he shewed him self alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: and, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld. he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

The Gradual Ps 68:17-20

      Alleluia! Alleluia!   The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels; * and the Lord is among them as in the holy place of Sinai. Alleluia!   

     18 Thou art gone up on high, thou hast led captivity captive, and received gifts from men; * yea, even from thine enemies, that the LORD God might dwell among them. Alleluia!  
    19 Praised be the Lord daily, * even the God who helpeth us, and poureth his benefits upon us. Alleluia!  
    20 He is our God, even the God of whom cometh salvation: * GOD is the Lord, by whom we escape death. Alleluia!   

The Gospel. St. Luke xxiv. 49.

JESUS said, Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God.

2nd Evensong

The Psalms Appointed

93 & 99

The Readings

Dan 7:9-14 & Luke 24:44-53

The Antiphon for the Magnificat

O King of glory, Lord of Sabaoth, who on this day ascendest with exceeding triumph far above all heavens: * we pray thee, leave us not comfortless, but send the promise of the Father on us, even the Spirit of truth, Alleluia!

Sunday after Ascension-day.

1st Evensong

The Psalms Appointed

132, 133, & 134

The Antiphon for the Magnificat

So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken unto them, ascended into heaven: * and sitteth at the right hand of God, Alleluia!

Matins

The Psalms Appointed

108 & 110

The Readings

II Kings 2:1-22 & Acts 1:1-14

The Antiphon for the Benedictus

When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, * even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me, Alleluia!

Holy Communion

The Introit Psalm 93. Dominus regnavit.

THE LORD is King, and hath put on glorious apparel; * the LORD hath put on his apparel, and girded himself with strength.
    2 He hath made the round world so sure, * that it cannot be moved.
    3 Ever since the world began, hath thy seat been prepared: * thou art from everlasting.
    4 The floods are risen, O LORD, the floods have lift up their voice; * the floods lift up their waves.
    5 The waves of the sea are mighty, and rage horribly; * but yet the LORD, who dwelleth on high, is mightier.
    6 Thy testimonies, O LORD, are very sure: * holiness becometh thine house for ever.

The Collect.

OGOD, the King of glory, who hast exalted thine only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph unto thy kingdom in heaven; We beseech thee, leave us not comfortless; but send to us thine Holy Ghost to comfort us, and exalt us unto the same place whither our Saviour Christ is gone before, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

The Epistle. 1 St. Pet. iv. 7.

THE end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

The Gradual Ps

    Alleluia! Alleluia! God is gone up with a merry noise, * and the Lord with the sound of the trump. Alleluia!
    6 O sing praises, sing praises unto our God; * O sing praises, sing praises unto our King. Alleluia!
    7 For God is the King of all the earth: * sing ye praises with understanding.

    8 God reigneth over the nations³; * God sitteth upon his holy seat. Alleluia!
    9 The princes of the peoples⁴ are joined unto the people of the God of Abraham; * for God, which is very high exalted, doth defend the earth, as it were with a shield.    Alleluia!

The Gospel. St. John xv. 26, and part of chap. xvi.

WHEN the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: and ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning. These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them.

2nd Evensong

The Psalms Appointed

46 & 47

The Readings

Deut 34 & John 14:15-27

The Antiphon for the Magnificat

These things have I told you, * that when the hour cometh, ye may remember that I told you of them, Alleluia!