[Officium]
Dominica in Albis in Octava Paschæ

[Ant 1]
Now 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 and said to them: Peace be to you, alleluia.

[Oratio]
Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that we who have celebrated the Paschal Feast, may, by Thy bounty, retain its fruits in our daily habits and behaviour.
$Per Dominum

[Lectio1]
Lesson from the letter of St. Paul the Apostle to the Colossians
!Col 3:1-7
1 Therefore, if you be risen with Christ, seek the things that are above; where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God:
2 Mind the things that are above, not the things that are upon the earth.
3 For you are dead; and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When Christ shall appear, who is your life, then you also shall appear with him in glory.
5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, lust, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is the service of idols.
6 For which things the wrath of God cometh upon the children of unbelief,
7 In which you also walked some time, when you lived in them.

[Lectio2]
!Col 3:8-13
8 But now put you also all away: anger, indignation, malice, blasphemy, filthy speech out of your mouth.
9 Lie not one to another: stripping yourselves of the old man with his deeds,
10 And putting on the new, him who is renewed unto knowledge, according to the image of him that created him.
11 Where there is neither Gentile nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian nor Scythian, bond nor free. But Christ is all, and in all.
12 Put ye on therefore, as the elect of God, holy, and beloved, the bowels of mercy, benignity, humility, modesty, patience:
13 Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if any have a complaint against another: even as the Lord hath forgiven you, so do you also

[Responsory2]
R. The Angel of the Lord spake unto the woman, saying: Whom seek ye? Seek ye Jesus? He is risen now:
* Come and see, alleluia, alleluia.
V. Seek ye Jesus of Nazareth, Which was crucified? He is risen, He is not here.
R. Come and see, alleluia, alleluia.

[Lectio3]
!Col 3:14-17
14 But above all these things have charity, which is the bond of perfection:
15 And let the peace of Christ rejoice in your hearts, wherein also you are called in one body: and be ye thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you abundantly, in all wisdom: teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual canticles, singing in grace in your hearts to God.
17 All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father by him

[Lectio4]
From the Sermons of St. Augustine, Bishop (of Hippo.)
!1st Sermon for the Octave of the Passover, being the 157th for the Seasons.
The Feast of this day is the end of the Paschal solemnity, and therefore it is today that the Newly-Baptized put off their white garments: but, though they lay aside the outward mark of washing in their raiment, the mark of that washing in their souls remaineth to eternity. Now are the days of the Pass-over, that is, of God's Passing-over our iniquity by His pardon and remission; and therefore our first duty is so to sanctify the mirth of these holy days, that our bodily recreation may be taken without defilement to our spiritual cleanness. Let us strive that our relaxation may be sober and our freedom holy, holding ourselves carefully aloof from anything like excess, drunkenness or lechery. Let us try so to keep in our souls their Lenten cleansing, that if our Fasting hath left us aught yet unwon, we may still be able to seek it.

[Lectio5]
At discourse concerneth all them which are committed unto my spiritual charge; but, nevertheless, since the first happy week of your Sacramental life draweth this day to a close, I address myself in especial to you who are the new olive-plants of holiness round about the Table of the Lord, (Ps. cxxvii. 4,) to you, who have but a little while been born again of water and the Holy Ghost, (John iii. 5,) to you, O holy generation (1 Pet. ii. 9) to you, O new creation, (Gal. vi. 15,) to you, the excellency of my dignity, (Gen. xlix. 3,) and the fruit of my labour, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and my crown, all ye who now stand so fast in the Lord. (Phil. iv. i.) To you I address the words of the Apostle (Rom. xiii. 12.) Behold! the night is past! the day is come! Cast off therefore the works of darkness, and put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying: but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.

[Lectio6]
We have, saith Peter, (2 Peter i. 19,) a more sure word of Prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts. Let your loins therefore be girded about, and your lights burning in your hands, and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding. (Luke xii. 36.) Behold, the days come, whereof the Lord saith, (John xvi. 16, 17, 19,) A little while, and ye shall not see Me, and again a little while and ye shall see Me. Now is the hour whereof He said (20), Ye shall weep and lament, but the work shall rejoice that is to say, this present life, wherein we walk as strangers and pilgrims, (1 Pet. ii. 11,) far away from Him Who is our Home, this present life is very full of trials. But, saith Jesus, but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. (22.)

[Lectio7]
From the Holy Gospel according to John
!John 20:19-31
At that time: Now when it was late that 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, and said to them: Peace be to you. And so forth.
_
Homily by Pope St. Gregory (the Great.)
!26th on the Gospels
When we hear this passage of the Gospel read, a question straightway knocketh at the door of our mind. How was it that the Body of the Risen Lord was a real Body, if It was able to pass through closed doors into the assembly of His disciples? But we ought to know that the works of God are no more wonderful when they can be understood by man's reason, and faith has lost her worth when her subject-matter is the subject-matter of human demonstration. Nevertheless, those very works of our Redeemer which are in themselves impossible to be understood, must be thought over in connection with other of His works, that we may be led to believe in things wonderful, by mean of things more wonderful still. That Body of the Lord, Which came into the assembly of the disciples through closed doors, was the Same, Which at Its birth, had become manifest to the eyes of men by passing out of the cloister of the Virgin's womb without breaking the seal thereof. What wonder is it if that Body Which had come out of the Virgin's womb, without opening the matrix, albeit It was then on Its way to die, now that It was risen again from the dead and instinct for ever with undying life, what wonder is it, I say, if that Body passed through closed doors?

[Lectio8]
But since the beholders doubted of the reality of that Body Which they saw, He showed unto them His Hands and His Side, and allowed them to handle that Same Flesh Which had just passed through the closed doors. (Luke xxiv. 39.) In this there were two strange things manifested; yea, things which, according to our understanding, are contrary the one to the other. His Risen Body was incorruptible and yet palpable. For whatever can be touched, must needs be subject to corruption; and whatever is not subject to corruption, cannot be touched. But, in a way altogether wonderful and incomprehensible, our Redeemer after His Resurrection revealed Himself in a Body at once palpable and incorruptible: revealed Himself in an incorruptible Body, that we might learn to seek a like glorification; and in a palpable Body, for the strengthening of our faith. He revealed Himself in a Body at once incorruptible and palpable, that He might thereby make manifest the fact that His Risen Body was unaltered in nature, albeit transfigured in glory.

[Lectio9]
Then said Jesus to them again: Peace be unto you. As My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you that is, as My Father, Who is God, hath sent Me, Who am God, even so do I, Who am Man, send you, who are men. The Father sent the Son, Whom He appointed to be made Man for the redemption of man. Him He willed to send into the world to suffer, albeit He Whom He sent to suffer was the Son of His love. The Lord sendeth His chosen Apostles into the world, not to be happy in the world, but, as He had been Himself sent, to suffer. As the Father loveth the Son and yet sendeth Him to suffer, even so doth the Lord love His disciples, albeit He sendeth them into the world, to suffer therein; and therefore it is well said: “As My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you”; that is, while I send you into the wild storm of persecution, I love you all the same, I love you, yea, I love you with a love like that wherewith the Father loveth Me, Who sent Me into the world to bear agony therein.
&teDeum

[Capitulum Laudes]
!1 John 5:4
v. My beloved: For whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the world: and this is the victory which overcometh the world, our faith.
$Deo gratias

[Capitulum Sexta]
!1 John 5:5-6
v. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth 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.
$Deo gratias

[Capitulum Nona]
!1 John 5:9-10
v. 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 hath testified of his Son. He that believeth in the Son of God, hath the testimony of God in himself.
$Deo gratias

[Ant 3]
After eight days * came the Lord, the doors being shut, and said unto them: Peace be unto you, alleluia, alleluia.