3rd Sunday after Easter: "Love the brotherhood...Honour the Emperor"

3rd Sunday after Easter

"Honour all men: love the brotherhood: 

fear God: honour the Emperor"

The imperial crown of the Emperor Charlemagne

EPISTLE ¤ 1 Blessed Peter the Apostle 2:11-19 Lectio Epistolae beati Petri Apostoli. Caríssimi, Obsecro vos tamquam ádvenas, et peregrínos abstinére vos a carnálibus desidériis, quæ mílitant advérsus ánimam, conversatiónem vestram inter gentes habéntes bonam: ut in eo, quod detréctant de vobis tamquam de malefactóribus, ex bonis opéribus vos considerántes, gloríficent Deum in die visitatiónis. Subjécti ígitur estóte omni humánæ creatúra propter Deum: sive imperatori, quasi præcellénti: sive dúcibus, tamquam ab eo missis ad vindíctam malefactórum, laudem vero bonórum: quia sic est volúntas Dei, ut benefaciéntes obmutéscere faciétis imprudént-ium hóminum ignorántiam: quasi líberi, et non quasi velámen habéntes malítiæ libertátem, sed sicut servi Dei. Omnes honoráte: fraternitátem dilígite: Deum timéte: imperatorem honorificáte. Servi, súbditi estóte in omni timóre dóminis, non tantum bonis, et modéstis, sed etiam dyscolis. Hæc est ením grátia: in Christo Jesu Dómino nostro. Deo Gratias...


Lesson from the Epistle of Blessed Peter the Apostle. Dearly beloved, I beseech you, as strangers and pilgrims, to refrain yourselves from carnal desires, which war against the soul, having your conversation good among the Gentiles: that whereas they speak against you as evil-doers, they may, by the good works which they shall behold in you, glorify God in the day of visitation. Be ye subject therefore to every human creature for God's sake: whether it be to the Emperor as excelling, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evil-doers and for the praise of the good: for so is the will of God, that by doing well you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: as free, and not as making liberty a cloak for malice, but as the servants of God. Honour all men: love the brotherhood: fear God: honour the Emperor. Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. For this is grace before God: in Christ Jesus our Lord. Thanks be to God.

The Blessed Emperor Charlemagne, first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire 

GOSPEL ¤ Blessed Apostle John 16:16-22 † Sequéntia sancti Evangélii secúndum Joannem. In illo témpore: Dixit Jesum discípulis suis: "Módicum, et jam non vidébitis me, et íterum módicum, et vidébitis me: quia vado ad Patrem." Dixérunt ergo ex discípulis ejus ad ínvicem: Quid est hoc, quod dicit nobis: Módicum, et non vidébitis me: et íterum modicum, et vidébitis me, at quia vado ad Patrem? Dicébant ergo: Quid est hoc, quod dicit, Móodicum? nescímus quid lóquitur. Cognóvit autem Jesum, quia volébant eum interrogáre, et dixit eis: "De hoc quæritis inter vos, quis dixi, Módicum, et non vidébitis me: et íterum módicum, et vidébitis me? Amen, amen dico vobis: quia plorábitis, et flébitis vos, mundus autem gaudébit: vos vero contristabímini, sed tristítia vestra vertétur in gáudium. Múlier cum parit, tristítlam habet, quis venit hora ejus: cum autem pepérerit púerum, jam non méminit pressúre propter gáudium: quia natus est homo in mundum. Et vos ígitur nunc quidem tristítiam habétis: íterum autem vidébo vas, et gaudébit cor vestrum: et gáudium vestrum nemo tollet a vobis." Laus tibi Jesum Christum.

† Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to Blessed Apostle Saint John At that time. Jesus said to His disciples: "A little while, and now you shall not see Me: and again a little while, and you shall see Me: because I go to the Father." Then some of His disciples said one to another: what is this that He saith to us: A little while, and you shall not see Me: and again a little while, and you shall see Me: because I go to the Father? They said therefore: What is this that He saith, A little while? We know not what He speaketh. And Jesus knew that they had a mind to ask Him. And He said to them: Of this do you inquire among yourselves, because I said: A little while, and you shall not see Me: and again a little while, and you shall see Me? Aman, amen, I say to you, that you shall lament and weep, but the world shall rejoice: and you shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman, when she is in labor, hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but when she hath brought forth the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. So also you now indeed have sorrow: but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice: and your joy no man shall take from you." Praise be to Jesus Christ.

The Blessed Emperor Charles I of Austria, successor to Emperor Charlemagne