[Officium]
Feria V in Octava Ascensionis

[Officium] (rubrica 196 aut rubrica 1955)
Feria V post Ascensionem

[Lectio1]
Lesson from the letter of St. Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians
!Eph 4:1-8
1 I therefore, a prisoner in the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation in which you are called,
2 With all humility and mildness, with patience, supporting one another in charity.
3 Careful to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 One body and one Spirit; as you are called in one hope of your calling.
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism.
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in us all.
7 But to every one of us is given grace, according to the measure of the giving of Christ.
8 Wherefore he saith: Ascending on high, he led captivity captive; he gave gifts to men.

[Lectio2]
!Eph 4:9-14
9 Now that he ascended, what is it, but because he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He that descended is the same also that ascended above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.
11 And he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and other some evangelists, and other some pastors and doctors, 
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Until we all meet into the unity of faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the age of the fulness of Christ;
14 That henceforth we be no more children tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the wickedness of men, by cunning craftiness, by which they lie in wait to deceive.

[Lectio3]
!Eph 4:15-21
15 But doing the truth in charity, we may in all things grow up in him who is the head, even Christ:
16 From whom the whole body, being compacted and fitly joined together, by what every joint supplieth, according to the operation in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body, unto the edifying of itself in charity.
17 This then I say and testify in the Lord: That henceforward you walk not as also the Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind,
18 Having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts.
19 Who despairing, have given themselves up to lasciviousness, unto the working of all uncleanness, unto the working of all uncleanness, unto covetousness.
20 But you have not so learned Christ;
21 If so be that you have heard him, and have been taught in him.

[Lectio4]
From the Sermons of St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo.
!3rd on the Ascension, 176th on the Season.
Dearly beloved brethren, all the wonderful works which our Lord Jesus Christ did in this world, under the weakness of our nature, are profitable for us when He exalted His Manhood above the stars, He showed that heaven may open for a believer and while He, the Conqueror of death, went up into the heavenly mansions, He showed to him that overcometh, whither he also may follow. Therefore, the ascension of the Lord is the seal of the Catholic Faith, which assureth in us the hope of the gift which is yet to come to us, from a miracle whereof we already feel the fruits. Thus let every one that is faithful, having already received so much, learn to hope for that which is promised, on the ground of that which he knoweth to have been given, and hold the goodness of God in times which have been, and times which now are, as a sure pledge of the same in times to come.

[Lectio5]
An earthly Body, then, is now lifted up above the heights of heaven the Bones, Which but a little while before had lain within the narrow walls of the grave, have made their entry among the angelic hosts human nature hath been given a place in the lap of immortality and therefore the Apostle whose account we have heard read, saith “When He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up.” (Acts i. 9.) While thou hearest these words, “taken up,” thou must understand thereby the ministry of the angelic army whereby this Festival revealeth to us the Mystery of Him who is both God and Man. United in One Person, we see in Him who lifted up, Divine Power, and in Him Who was lifted up, very Man.

[Lectio6]
Therefore are utterly to be loathed those pestiferous teachings of Eastern falsehood, those brand-new inventions of ungodliness which dare to assert that He Who in One Person is both Son of God and Son of Man, hath but one nature. On the one hand, if a man say that Christ is not Partaker of the Divine nature, he hath denied the glory of his Maker on the other, he who saith that the Manhood is not of the nature of man, hath denied the mercy of his Saviour. As touching these points, it is well-nigh impossible for an Arian to believe that the Gospel writers are any better than liars, since they distinctly assert in some places that the Son of God is equal, and, in others, that He is inferior, to the Father. Further, if a man be given over to this soul-slaying delusion of believing that our Saviour hath only one nature, he must of necessity admit either that it was only God, or that it was only man who was crucified. But it was not so. If He had been of no nature but the Divine, He could not have suffered, and if He had been of no nature but the human, He could not have conquered death.

[Lectio7]
From the Holy Gospel according to Mark
!Mark 16:14-20
At that time, Jesus appeared unto the eleven disciples as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen Him after He was risen. And so on.
_
Homily by Pope St. Gregory the Great.
!Same as before.
The Prophet Habakkuk also hath spoken of the glory of Christ's Ascension in the words “The sun was lifted up on high, and the moon stood still in her habitation,” Who is here signified by the Sun, if not the Saviour or by the Moon, if not the Church? Until the Lord was withdrawn from her sight, (that is, by His Ascension,) His Holy Church was pale before the hostile glare of the world, but after He was ascended, she waxed stronger, and distinctly shed forth the beams of that faith which had hitherto dwelt hiddenly in her. “The sun was lifted up, and the moon stood still in her habitation” when the Lord was gone away into heaven, His holy Church waxed stronger in her enlightening power.

[Lectio8]
Hence it is that Solomon hath put into the mouth of the, (same) Church the words: “Behold,; He cometh! leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills These hills are his lofty and; noble achievements. “Behold, He cometh leaping upon the mountains.” When He came to redeem us, He came, if I may so say, in leaps. My dearly beloved brethren, would you know what His leaps were? From heaven he leapt into the womb of the Virgin, from the womb into the manger, from the manger on to the Cross, from the Cross into the grave, and from the grave up to heaven. Lo, how the Truth made manifest in the Flesh did leap for our sakes, that He might draw us to run after Him for this end did He rejoice, as a strong man to run a race,

[Lectio9]
Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, it behoveth us in heart and mind thither to ascend, where we believe Him to have already ascended bodily. Let us fly earthly lusts for us, who have a Father in heaven, let nothing be sweet below And very much must we keep in our minds this thought, that He Which ascended up in peace, will return in dreadful Majesty and will require from us with justice an account of our keeping of those commandments which He gave us in mercy. Let no man therefore reckon lightly this season which is given unto us that we may repent ourselves, nor be reckless touching the state of his soul; our Redeemer will be all the sterner, when He cometh to judgment, as He hath been wondrously long-suffering before.
&teDeum