PROPER OF THE SEASON

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Double Major Feast of the Octave of Easter
         White Vestments

Editor's Note: All Scriptural Readings are taken from the Douay-Rheims version of the Latin Vulgate Bible. The preface commentaries are a combination of thoughts from various sources. Red type indicates Our Lord's direct words in Holy Scripture. Italicized Maroon type indicates Latin with priests' refrain and server's response in bold..

    Low Sunday, so called in order to emphasize the contrast between the great Easter solemnity and the Sunday which ends the Octave, is also known as Quasi modo, from the first words of the Introit. In the Latin Missal and Breviary it is Called Dominica in Albis (depositis or deponendis), because the Neophytes on that day put aside their white garments. Another Latin name, Pascha clausum, is preserved in the French Paques closes and in the Dutch Beloken Paschen, i.e. "close of Easter," this day ending the Octave (Collect). The Church compares the Neophytes to new-born babes, and the milk she gives them to drink (Introit) is the faith in Christ which will enable them to overcome with Him the world. This faith has for its foundation the testimony of the Father, Who at the baptism of Christ (water) declared Him to be His Son; the testimony of the Son, Who on the Cross (blood) showed Himself the Son of God; and that of the Holy Ghost, Who by Christ's Resurrection attested the divinity of the Redeemer (Gospel).
    The Gospel further shows us how Christ, Who twice appeared in the Cenacle, dispelled the doubts of Thomas and praised those who, without having seen Him, yet believed in Him.
    Let us proclaim our faith in the risen Christ, and in the Divine Presence in the Holy Eucharist let us repeat with Thomas that cry of faith and humility, "My Lord and my God !"
Source: Marian Missal

INTROIT:
      [Ps 1 Peter 2: 2] Quasimodo. As newborn babes, alleluia, desire the rational milk without guile, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Rejoice to God our helper. Sing aloud to the God of Jacob. (). Glory be to the Father...As newborn babes, alleluia, ...
Kyrie... and Gloria

Dominus Vobiscum.
Et cum spiritu tuo.
Oremus.

COLLECT:
      Grant, we beseech Thee, O almighty God, that we who have celebrated the Paschal solemnity, may by Thy bounty show forth its effects in our life and conversation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who livest and reignest with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

EPISTLE:
      (1 John 5: 4-10) Dearly beloved: Whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes 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 that testifies 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, 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 has testified of His Son. He that believes in the Son of God has the testimony of God in Himself.

Deo Gratias.

ALLELUIA
     [Matthew 28: 7] On the day of My Ressurection, saith the Lord, I will go before you into Galilee. Alleluia. V.(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.!

Sequentia sancti Evangelii secundum N...
Gloria tibi, Domine.

GOSPEL:
      (John 20: 19-31) At that time, when it was late the 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 of them, and said to them, "Peace be to you." And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. The disciples therefore were glad when they saw the Lord. He said to them again, "Peace be to you. As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." When He had said this, He breathed upon them, and said to them, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them: and whose sins ye 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 that 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 came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace be to you." Then He said to Thomas, "Put in thy finger here, and see My hands, and bring here 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 said to him, "Because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are thy who have not seen Me, yet have believed." Many other signs also Jesus worked 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.
Laus tibi, Christe.

See Father Louis Campbell's Sermon for Low Sunday Sermon