The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-04-03
THE pAscHAL ANTIPHoN.

death; and upon all the faithful
throughout the world who believe in
Him He hath conferred the hope of
eternal life; since by His resurrection
with the flesh, which lie took Of the
Virgin Mary, and offered for us on the
cross, the handwriting of our con-
demnation was blOtted out, and the
way to eternity is opened to us
through the conquest Of death. Open
thy mouth, therefore, 0 deyout soul,
and sing with elevated voice in union
with the whole Church, and in true
joyfulness Of heart: This is the day
which the Lord hath made; we will
rejoice and be glad in it. Alleluia!"
O truly sweet and notable verse,
which is so jOyfully sung, so frequent
" repeated in the canOnical hours,
and with it's proper chant eXcites de-
votion. and reassembles the scattered,
drawing them most eagerly TO the
love of Christi Do thou, therefore,
not only listen to the melody which
sounds sweetly to the outward ears,
but attend to the meaning of the holy
words which are hidden within; and
through the sweetness of the chant
mount up to the inward devotion of
thy mind, that thou lose not the profit
of the exercise through attention to
the clearnesS of the voice, when thou
art commanded in the Holy Spirit to
sing to God, and to be iubilant in thy
heart to the Lord alone. Blessed is
he who is occupied in these good
things, and applies his whole intention
to the joys of the internal festival;
that so through the festivals Of time
he may tend toward eternal glory, ac-
cording to the words of the apostle:
IF you be risen with Christ, seek the
things that are above. Mind
the things that are above, not the
things that are on the earth"
know not what is sung more joy
full and festive iii the whole year than
what occurs in the celebration of these
Pasehal days. For the voice and
song of All repeatedly chant forth, Al
lcluia; and Alleluia is the end Of
everything. in which practice is rep
resented to us, in a figure, what shall
be our employment in the eternal life;
when, rescued from present sorrows
and translated to celestial rest, we
shall praise God with His holy angels,
filled for eternity with our sovereign
God. WOrthily, therefore, and ador-
ingly do heaven and earth, with all
their fulness, rejoice in the resurrec-
ton of Christ, and art commanded to
praise God, bys Whom has been con-
ferred upon us such a precious album
dance of spiritual benefits, the earnest
of yet greater and higher, which shall
be rendered in the end.
Behold, now the clements, which
were fasrs fucKed IN the frost Of wiTs'
ter, gradually dissolve, and assume a
form of vernal joyousness, suited to
the coming festivity. For the earth,
long barren and .uncultivated, openly
displays the fruitfulness Of her hidden
virtue and yields the joyful herb. The
trees and shrubs put forth their sweet
est blossoms, and are adorned with
verdant leaves, as it we're with new
vesture The birds of heaven, now
that the mournful frost is swept away,
are sweetly jubilant, and, flying
through the fields and groves, rejoice
in concert at the return OF the cloud
less sky and luXuriant crops. The
sun and moon and the stars of the
armament shed their light more bril-
liantly. Truly, there is no creature
to be seen which does not, with its
renovated life, ioyfully salute Christ
at Ills rising.
Since, therefore, there is so much
of gladness in the elements, how great
ought to be the eXultation Of angels
and men, who are set above the other
creatures of the world! Verify, this
is the day which the Lord hath made
even as He most evidently shows us
by the scriptures, by types, by proph-
cts, by angels, by apostles and doctors,
testifying together and preaching His
resurrection. And where all things
unite in harmony, and the highest as
we'll as the lowest affirm the same, no
longer ought any motive Of doubt to
remain in the heart; for the Almighty
God is able to do most abundantly
above all that we can understand, and
TO bring forth new effects out of that
which is not.
Christ, therefore, being now glori
fed in the flesh, and the whole world
terminated, do thou also, o mortal
man, glorify God and be renewed in
the spirit of thy mind, Ever render
thanks to thy Redeemer for His
boundIess gifts, distributed to thee
and all the faithful Lift on high the
eyes of thine heart; look ON the road
along which Jesus has gone before
the saving Health of thy countenance;
follow Him with the steps of love
even to the entrance Of heaven. Fol
thou hast before thee the Mirror oil
all sanctity and the Light of celestial
life. Walk securely after Jesus, the
bountfful Dispenser of eternal blessed
ness, the Ruler of heaven and earth
None is holier than He, none purer
none more illustrious, none richer
none mightier. "All power" saith He
lis given to Me in heaven and in
EARTH
Therefore, let thy faith stand firmly
in Jesus Christ, let thy hope flourish
thy charity dance for Joy. Acquit
yourselves like men, and be strong;
fight against the flesh, against the
world, against the devil and his angels
fearing the assault of no adverse
mower For tho ion Of tho friha ~