"The Lord pushed back the sea with a strong east wind": the Parting of the Red Sea in the movies, Part 1

Anyone who has read their Bibles will surely be familiar with the following story:

And Pharaoh had drawn near, the sons of Yisrael lifted up their eyes, and look! The Mitzraim are marching after them, and they fear greatly. And the sons of Yisrael cry out to YHWH, and they say to Mosheh, "Is it because there are no graves in Mitzraim that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What is this you have done to us - to bring us out of Mitzraim? Is not this the word that we spoke to you in Mitzraim, saying, 'Let us alone that we may serve the Mitzraim?' because it is better for us to serve the Mitzraim than to die in the wilderness!" And Mosheh says to the people, "Do not fear! Stand firm and see the salvation of YHWH that He will do for you today; for the Mitzrim that you see today, you will no longer see again forever. YHWH will make war for you, and you can be still."YHWH says to Mosheh, "Why are you crying out to me? Speak to the sons of Israel that they might journey. And you - lift up your staff and stretch out your hand toward the sea and split it, and the sons of Yisrael will go into the midst of the sea on dry ground. And me - behold! I am about to harden the hearts of the Mitzraim and they will go in after them, and I will be honored over Pharaoh and over all his army, over his chariots, andover his horsemen. And Mitzraim will know I am YHWH when I have gained my honor over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen."

The angel of Elohim, who is going in the face of the camp of Yisrael, moves and goes behind them; and the column of the cloud moves from their face and stands behind them, and comes between the camp of Mitzraim and the camp of Yisrael; and there is the cloud and the darkness, and he lights up the night, and one camp had not come near the other all night. And Mosheh stretches out his hand toward the sea; and YHWH drives the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and makes the sea into dry ground, and the waters are split, and the sons of Yisrael go into the midst of the sea on dry ground, and the waters are for them a wall on their right and on their left. And the Mitzraim pursue and go after them - all the horses of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen - into the midst of the sea.And it happen in the morning watch that YHWH looks down on the camp of Mitzraim through the column of fire and of the cloud, and throws the camp of Mitzraim into confusion, and turns aside the wheels of their chariots - and they drive them with difficulty. And the Mitzri say, "Let us flee from the face of Yisrael, for YHWH is fighting for them against Mitzraim!" And YHWH says to Mosheh, "Stretch out your hand toward the sea, and waters will return on the Mitzraim, on their chariots, and on their horsemen."
And Mosheh stretches out his hand toward the sea, and the sea returns, at the turning of the morning, to its perennial state; and the Mitzraim are fleeing into it, and YHWH shakes off the Mitzraim in the midst of the seam, and the waters return and cover the chariots and the horsemen and all the army of Pharaoh who are coming after them into the sea - not so much as one of them remain!

In this post, we'll try to compare the Biblical account and its depictions in the movies. As everybody pretty much knows, the shadows of DeMille and Chuck Heston loom large over most depictions of Moses that came after the 1956 film was released. The influence is such that we are still subconsciously influenced by it; in many instances, we find that we are more familiar with Mr. DeMille than the Bible when reading the book of Exodus. Here, we will compare six Moses films in particular scene-by-scene:

A: The Ten Commandments: a 1923 silent version by Cecil B. DeMille, with Theodore Roberts as Moses.
B: The Ten Commandments: the 1956 remake/extension of the 1923 silent film, also directed by DeMille, with Charlton Heston in the lead role.
C: Moses: a 1995 TV miniseries (a part of the so-called The Bible Collection) in two parts by Roger Young, starring Ben Kingsley.
D: The Prince of Egypt: a 1998 animated film produced and released by DreamWorks. Val Kilmer plays the title role.
E: The Ten Commandments (2006): Another TV series on the Exodus by Robert Dornhelm, with Dougray Scott portraying Moses.
F: The Ten Commandments (2007): A computer-animated film by John Stronach and Bill Boyce, starring Elliot Gould as the Lawgiver.

The aforementioned six films will henceforth be designated by their letters for purposes of convenience.
Without further ado, the step-by-step comparison.

1.) Egyptians Chasing (Exodus 14:6-9)

A: After a scene showing the Pharaoh and his soldiers riding on their chariots, we go back to the Israelites. Someone warns Joshua about the Egyptians, who then orders the Israelites to quickly disperse and run towards the sea. They do so, dismantling their tents in panic. The Egyptians follow after them, while we get to see some of the horses slipping on the sand dunes.

B: DeMille repeats very much the same formula for his 1956 version (minus the slipping horses) - only this time, the Israelites are apparently sitting quietly inside their tents. Here, Joshua spots the Egyptians himself and (with the help of sound!) sounds his horn as a warning signal.

C: The sons of Israel arrive at the seashore, when Moses receives a report that the Egyptians are half a day behind them. The 'settling' scene here is apparently merged with the parting of the sea (more on this later).

D: Moses and the people reach the shores, and we are shown some of the Israelites relaxing in some way, such as drinking water or sitting down. But all this is rather short-lived as the warning is sounded and the Egyptians appear, making the Hebrews run for their lives.

E: The Egyptian army spot the children of Israel in the middle of the desert and chase after them. The Israelites run away and eventually come by the shores of the sea, where Moses tells them to stop.

F: The people arrive at shore, where the pillar of cloud dissolves and Moses orders the people to camp. We then briefly cut to the Pharaoh, who regrets his decision to let the Israelites go and musters his army as a result, and then return to the Hebrews (the time now is around evening) who are now in panic because of the Egyptians.

All six films notably omit two things: specifically naming the place where the Israelites are camping (Pi-hahiroth between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; cf. Exodus 14:2, 9), and God commanding Moses and the sons of Israel to camp there (Exodus 14:1-2), though F does include Moses ordering the people. Only A, B, and F actually show the Israelites settling and having tents set up before the Egyptians arrive.

The Bible does not specify how long the Israelites camped at Pi-hahiroth and how long the Egyptians took to reach them, therefore the filmmakers are very much at liberty here. C and D apparently show the Israelites arriving in the shore somewhere around late afternoon to early dusk. E and F show them arrive at daytime (with F showing time pass by more clearly), while A and B are rather ambiguous (although the lighting for A may indicate daytime).

2.) Complaining Israelites (Exodus 14:10-18)

A: The title cards quote Exodus 14:11a (from the King James Version). One Hebrew (called "Dathan, the discontented" in the introductions) apparently speaks for the whole people.
B: Similar to A; the complainer is also called Dathan (though now an Egyptian collaborator than an ex-slave). Moses in addition speaks the words of verse 13a in reply (in comparison to A, where his line - via title card - is based on Exodus 15:16).

C: As in A and B, a spokesperson - here named Zerah - complains to Moses (the camera then shows reaction shots of the people, now driven to silence, looking uneasy), himself having a look of uncertainty on his face, who merely tells them that the Lord has shown the way to them and that they would be delivered if they follow Him.

D: Transposed after the pillar of fire blocks the Egyptians. There is no spoken complaint; here the Israelites merely stare at Moses.

E: As soon as the Israelites realize that Moses has led them into a dead-end, three Israelites berate Moses, exclaiming that he has led them into a trap and questioning his leadership. An already frustrated Moses silences them and goes to the shore, where God asks him whether he knows His voice, whether he knows who He is, and whether Moses trusts Him. To all this Moses says a yes.

F: The Israelites realize that the Egyptians are in pursuit, and three people, with short, stocky Dathan (clearly modelled after DeMille's character!) with them moans to Moses that "we can't fight Pharaoh". The army eventually arrives and stop at the ridge. Moses gets the people up and ready to go while Pharaoh finally orders his troops to charge ("Where's your God now, Moses?").

Most of the films (with the notable exception of E) take the dialogue of the Israelites almost verbatim from Exodus - the element common in five out of the above six films excluding D is that a mouthpiece (either one man or a group of men) voices the worries and complaints of the sons of Israel, that this 'mouthpiece' is often antagonistic to Moses, and that the complainer/s would also later be instrumental in leading the Israelites to the sin of the Golden Calf!

3.) The Angel of God and the Pillar of Fire (Exodus 14:19-20)

A: Moses raises up his hand, and a wall of fire pops up on screen, blocking the Egyptians' path while the title cards quote the appropriate passage. Dathan, now getting ready to stone Moses (he has a large rock in his hand!) relents when the others alert him to the miracle.

B: Here DeMille uses animation for the pillar of fire - which materializes before the Egyptians. Moses then gets the Israelites going while Dathan continues to grumble.

C: The equivalent scene here is transposed to after the sea was split open since it was only then that the Egyptians arrive at the shores, in contrast to the other films. Pharaoh orders his men to charge forward, during which the "fire" - interpreted here as bolts of lightning - strike down, frightening the horses and thus causing a few chariots to crash down.

D: When the Egyptians arrive on the scene, the sky immediately grows dark, clouds gather, and lightning strikes - very much like at the beginning of a storm. Then the gigantic pillar of fire comes out from within the sea, flies overhead above the clouds and swoops down before the Pharaoh's army, blocking their path in a zigzag motion (note that the pillar here is quite tornado-ish in its movements).

E: After Moses' "yes" to God, a tornado (the pillar of cloud) forms from the sea and goes to where the Egyptians are, scattering dust and sand and obscuring their view of the Israelites, confusing them.

F: This film attempts to combine elements in all the aforementioned five films. Here the pillar of fire does not form a barrier between the Egyptians and the Israelites as in A, B and D; rather, it just plunks itself in front of the Egyptians, and when Pharaoh orders his men to get around the almost-immobile pillar, the pillar then shoots out lightning!

In five out of the six films, some incarnation of the pillar of fire is shown (D is a notable exception because a fiery column would not really work in broad daylight). If we take the passage where the angel/pillar "moved and went behind them" literally, then only D and E follow this detail.

As an aside, verse 20 contains an obscure statement: "there is the cloud and the darkness, and he lights up the night, and one camp had not come near the other all night." Some have taken this to mean that both the pillar of cloud and fire were present at this time, and that it was the column of cloud that diverted the Egyptians, perhaps by disorienting them with a fog-like condition ("the darkness"), while the column of fire lit up the Israelites' way - after all, the time was somewhere around evening/night. All six films had never taken consideration of this idea and only show one or the other, however (the only film that shows something closest to the idea is E with its dust-gathering tornado/pillar).

The 'Missa Graeca'

Recently, I came across something little-known, yet interesting.

It is a well-known fact that for the early centuries of Christianity, Koine Greek was the predominant language among believers, reflecting its status in the Empire as a lingua franca and the hold it has on the eastern areas (where Christianity originated). The same held true for the city of Rome itself (initially to the large number of Greek slaves in Roman households).
However, by the 4th century AD, Greek no longer held such dominance over Latin in the western Church, arts and sciences as it had previously, resulting to a great extent from the growth of the western provinces. As centuries went on, popular knowledge of Greek disappeared, save for the scraps which the liturgies of the West preserved (one of which is the familiar Kyrie Eleison). "Latin was enough of a problem by itself: it was no longer anyone's native language, but it was nevertheless indispensable as the language of the liturgy, political administration, scholarship, and most arts, and almost all energy expended on language learning was concentrated on Latin. Greek could at best be one's "second foreign language"-and thus only a very few medieval Westerners acquired the ability to understand a Greek text with unfamiliar content." (Walter Berschin, "Valuation and Knowledge of Greek")

Due to the scholarly interest in Greek, there circulated a fad of using the Greek language for the ordinary as well as the propers of the Mass at high feasts in a number of places during the Carolingian period (ca. 9th-11th centuries AD), which in turn survived in a few locales such as the Royal Abbey of Saint-Denis (which retained this tradition well into the French Revolution). These texts - usually showing the Greek in transliterated Latin characters - are collectively known as the Missa Graeca, the "Greek Mass". For example, three out of many variants of transliterating the Agnus Dei (along with the actual Greek version):

1: O Amnos tutheu, o eronthas amarthias tuchosmu, eleyson imas.
2: Ao amnos tutheu, oerronan tin amartias tu cosmu, eleison imas.
3: Oamnos tu theu, oerontas amartias tu kosmu, eleison imas.

ὁ ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὁ αἴρων τὰς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ κόσμου, ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς.
(O amnos tou Theou, o airon tas amartias tou kosmou, eleison imas).

Here, meanwhile is the Sanctus and the Gloria from an 9th-century missal from St. Denis (BN lat. 2290):

Doxa en ypsistis Theo ke epi gis irini en antropis eudokia enumen se eulogumen se proskunumen se doxologumen se eucharistumen se dia tin megalin su doxan Kyrrie basileu ep uranie thee Pater pentocrator kyrrie yie monogeni Iisu Christe ke Agion Pneuma. Kyrrie o Theos o amnos tutheu o yios tu Patros o eron tin amartian tu kosmu eleison imas oerontas amartias tu kosmu pros de ke tin deisin imon kathimenos en dexia tu Patros eleison imas oti sy i monos agios sy iomonos Kyrrios sy i monos ypsistos Iisus Christos syn Agion Pneumati is doxan Theu Patrosa. Amin.

Agios Agios Agios Kyrios pliris
ouranos ke igitis doxis
osanna entys ypsistys
eulogemenos o ercomenos
en onomati Kyrriu
osanna entys ypsistis.

"Our Lord God the Pope"...not: Part 2, the Postscript and Random Thoughts

Here are a few things I'd like to talk about for the moment:

1.) Mr. Hugo Mendez' (of Dies Domini) has linked to the first part of the series in his paper entitled, “Is the Pope God?" Correcting Popular Claims of Papal Blasphemy (very informative and more thoroughly well-written than my rantings!). So, if you're reading, Mr. Mendez, a tip of the hat to you. :)

2.) I did a Google search of the phrase "Lord God the Pope" (Yep, I lurk out often). As expected, many of the links go to sites or books where the red herring is repeated ad infinitum, but interestingly enough, when the site links to more sane articles, the words "Lord" and "God" are not even applied to the Pope; or, if a Pope's dialogue is recorded, he does not even apply the titles to himself. And some people still buy this. Go figure.

3.) Why the Pope? Why is he singled out as one claiming to be God? So far, I've never heard of "Lord God the Patriarch" - Patriarchs are, after all, the highest-ranking bishops in Eastern and Oriental Orthodoxy (the Pope himself was originally considered to be the Patriarch of the See of Rome)...;)

Finally, I'm still surprised that there aren't any complaints how "Lord God the Pope" is so chauvinistic/politically incorrect and suggest instead "Lady Goddess the Mama (Pope after all is from papa, father)" or "Creator Deity the High-leader".

Or just do away with the title: "Lord God" suggests that God is a male - another one of those efforts by the patriarchal society to keep women down. And what's up with "Pope"? Why is it that those who occupy the highest positions are all men? In fact, why is there a hierarchy in the first place? It's so unfair and unequal, I say. I therefore suggest that "Lord God the Pope" be abandoned as it reeks of hierarchism, inequality, and ignorance: we all have God within us do we not?
If anybody makes a complaint I shall throw "Judge ye not" in their direction.

*For the humor impaired: the latter half of no. 3 is all tongue-in-cheek. ;)

"Our Lord God the Pope"...not: Part 2

Now, to continue this series - with all its snarkiness (LOL):

1.): "The Pope and God are the same, so he has all power in Heaven and earth."
-Barclay, Chapter XXVII, p. 218, "Cities Petrus Bertanous," attributed to Pope Pius V.

This seems to be another case of 'hiding behind the curtain of obscurity' as we are merely given the author's surname of Barclay, with no reference to a book title.

As for the identity of this mysterious 'Petrus Bertanous', this author personally tends to believe that this refers to a certain 16th-century Dominican named Petrus Bertanus Fanensis (aka Pietro Bertano; November 4, 1501, Nonantola-March 8, 1558, Rome), who once served as bishop (later cardinal) of Fano in Italy -- the present-day diocese of Fano-Fossombrone-Cagli-Pergola -- and who, among with other Dominicans, was apparently one of the leading prelates at the council of Trent and was an orator and advocate at that same council.

During the papacy of Pope Julius III (who reconvened the second period of the Tridentine council in 1551 after Pope Paul III died in November 10th 1549 at the behest of Emperor Charles V/Charles I of Spain), who entered into a league against the duke of Parma and Henry II of France (1547–59), the Emperor's party requested that Julius admit eight people into the college of Cardinals. Four of them are to be named immediately and the other four are to be reserved in petto until conditions became more favorable; one of those whom they requested to be named immediately is Bertano, who was a member of the imperial party. Eventually he, along with thirteen others, were made cardinals on November 20, 1551, as a sign of reassurance to Charles (especially considering that all fourteen were favorable towards him).

While at first glance this connection may seem plausible (considering that both Pius V and Bertano were both Dominicans), we have to consider the following:

1.) This quote is attributed to Pope Pius V by "Bertanous" (sic). However, Michele Ghislieri O.P. only ascended to the Chair of Peter in January 7, 1566, about eight years after Pietro Bertano died. How could someone who is not then a pope make a statement about the papacy, much less someone who was dead at the time Ghislieri became pope?
2.) Considering that at the time Fra Pietro is still alive, Fra Michele still does not have the power of pronouncing ex cathedra statements - as he was not pope yet - are there chances that his statement (let's suppose for a moment that his "words" are true and are either not a misquote, mistranslation, or just flat-out made up) are actually reflective of official Church teaching?
3.) Are there any more reliable and independent sources for this quote, if any, aside from this rather obscure (and badly-titled) one?

Some sources for this 'quote' add the following phrase: "Cardinal Cusa (i.e. Nicholas of Kues) supports this statement." Now, are there any contents from Cardinal Nicholas' work which support this quote? Here is a chronological listing of Nicholas of Cusa's works. If anyone can point out a paragraph or a sentence in his works (if anyone has them) which says very much the same thing as above (preferably the original Latin included), I'll be glad to put that up.

2.) "The supreme teacher in the Church is the Roman Pontiff. Union of minds, therefore, requires... complete submission and obedience of will to the Church and to the Roman Pontiff, as to God Himself."
Leo VIII, «On the Chief Duties of Christians as Citizens», Encyclical letter, 1890

We will ignore the minor typo (the pope at this time is supposed to be Leo XIII, not the VIII) and go straight to tackle this one.

The quote in the actual encyclical (called Sapientiae Christianae in Latin), paragraph 22, says the following:

Now, as the Apostle Paul urges, this unanimity ought to be perfect. Christian faith reposes not on human but on divine authority, for what God has revealed "we believe not on account of the intrinsic evidence of the truth perceived by the natural light of our reason, but on account of the authority of God revealing, who cannot be deceived nor Himself deceive."(24)
It follows as a consequence that whatever things are manifestly revealed by God we must receive with a similar and equal assent. To refuse to believe any one of them is equivalent to rejecting them all, for those at once destroy the very groundwork of faith who deny that God has spoken to men, or who bring into doubt His infinite truth and wisdom.
To determine, however, which are the doctrines divinely revealed belongs to the teaching Church, to whom God has entrusted the safekeeping and interpretation of His utterances. But the supreme teacher in the Church is the Roman Pontiff. Union of minds, therefore, requires, together with a perfect accord in the one faith, complete submission and obedience of will to the Church and to the Roman Pontiff, as to God Himself. This obedience should, however, be perfect, because it is enjoined by faith itself, and has this in common with faith, that it cannot be given in shreds; nay, were it not absolute and perfect in every particular, it might wear the name of obedience, but its essence would disappear. Christian usage attaches such value to this perfection of obedience that it has been, and will ever be, accounted the distinguishing mark by which we are able to recognize Catholics.
Admirably does the following passage from St. Thomas Aquinas set before us the right view: "The formal object of faith is primary truth, as it is shown forth in the holy Scriptures, and in the teaching of the Church, which proceeds from the fountainhead of truth. It follows, therefore, that he who does not adhere, as to an infallible divine rule, to the teaching of the Church, which proceeds from the primary truth manifested in the holy Scriptures, possesses not the habit of faith; but matters of faith he holds otherwise than true faith. Now, it is evident that he who clings to the doctrines of the Church as to an infallible rule yields his assent to everything the Church teaches; but otherwise, if with reference to what the Church teaches he holds what he likes but does not hold what he does not like, he adheres not to the teaching of the Church as to an infallible rule, but to his own will."

Even a cursory reading of the Encyclical would show that Pope Leo XIII refers to God as if He was a separate entity - quite unlikely if you're claiming to be God in human flesh!

Now, obedience to the pope "as to God Himself" may make some feel queasy. But once again, from a Catholic lens, this is not too surprising. After all, since Catholics believe that God commissioned the Pope as his visible vicar (representative) in the government of the Church, it would not be repugnant to render submission or obedience to him, just as it would not be repugnant to listen to a king's representative and obey what he orders in the king's name. Still, (contrary to what some may think) we need to stress once again that Catholics do not hold the Pope as being equal or even superior to God, as his title Vicar of Christ shows. Think about this for a moment. How can a vicar, or a representative be superior to the one who has sent him? "No servant is greater than his master" indeed.

3): "All names which in the Scriptures are applied to Christ, by virtue of which it is established that He is over the church, all the same names are applied to the Pope."
-On the Authority of the Councils, book 2, chapter 17

This one already appeared in 19th century anti-Catholic works, such as Theological discourses on important subjects, doctrinal and practical by James Thomson, 'Minister at Quarrelwood', and Letters in the Roman Catholic Controversy by William Brownlee, 'Of the Collegiate Protestant Reformed Dutch Church' in New York, where it is attributed to Cardinal Robert Bellarmine. By the way, for those seeking the work where all this appears - which is part of his famous Disputationes, it could be found in this link (which also contains all, or most of, Cardinal Bellarmine's work) under the title Controversiarum de Conciliis, Liber Secundis: Qui est de Conciliorum Auctoritate.

The quote - and the context in which it appears - can be found in chapter 17, entitled Summum Pontificem absolute esse supra Concilium, with the quote in bold. The English translation is courtesy of Mr. Edwin Woodruff Tait (to whom I owe a lot and would like to express sincere gratitude); his remarks within the text are enclosed in brackets.

Tertia Prepositio. << Summus Pontifex simpliciter et absolute est supra Ecclesiam universam, et supra Concilium generale, ita ut nullum in terris supra se judicium agnoscat. >> Haec etiam est fere de fide; et probatur primo ex duabus praecedentibus: nam si Papa est caput Ecclesiae universae, etiam simul congregatae, et Ecclesia universa etiam simul congregata non habet ullam potestatem ratione suae totalitatis; sequitur Papam supra Concilium esse, et supra Ecclesiam, non contra.

Secunde probatur ratione, in Scripturis fundata; nam omnia nomina, quae in Scripturis tribuuntur Christo, unde constat eum esse supra Ecclesiam, eadem omnia tribuuntur Pontifici. Ac primum, Christ est paterfamilias in domo sua, quae est Ecclesia, Pontifex in eadem est summus oeconomus, id est, paterfamilias loco Christi, Lucae XII: Quis est fidelis dispensator, et prudens, quem constituit Dominus super familiam suam, etc. Hic enim per dispensatorem, sive oeconomum, ut Graece habetur, intelligunt Episcopum. Ambrosius in hunc locum, et Hilarius, et Hieronymus in cap. XXIV Matth. ubi similis habetur sententia. Et quamvis Patres non loquantur expresse de Episcopo Romano, tamen sine dubio sententia Scripturae illa est; ut Episcopi particulares sunt summi oeconomi in suis Ecclesiis, ita esse Episcopum Romanum in Ecclesia universa. Unde Ambrosius in illud I. Tim. III.: Ut scias quomodo te oporteat conversari in domo Dei etc. << Domus Dei, inquit, Ecclesia dicitur, cujus hodie rector est Damasus. >> Et Chrysostomus lib. II De Sacerdotio circa initium, hunc ipsum locum: Quis est fidelis servus, etc. de Petro exponit.

Quod autem oeconomus summus sit supra familiam, et ab ea judicari, ac puniri non possit, patet ex hoc eodem loco, Dominus enim ait: Quem constituit Dominus super familiam suam. Et ibidem: Quod si dixerit servus ille in corde suo, moram facit Dominus meus venire et coeperit percutere servos, et ancillas, edere, et bibere, et inebriari, veniet Dominus servi illius in die, qua non sperat, et dividet eum, partemque ejus cum infidelibus ponet. Ubi vides Dominum servare suo judicio servum illum, et non committere judicio familiae. Idem etiam docet usus omnium familiarum; nulla enim familia est, in qua liceat inferioribus famulis etiam simul congregatis punire, vel expellere oeconomum, etiamsi pessimus sit, id enim ad solum Dominum totius familiae pertinet.

Alterum nomen Christi est Pastor, Joannis X: Ego sum pastor bonus, etc. Idem communicat Petro, Joan. ult., Pasce oves meas. Constat autem pastorem ita praeese ovibus, ut nullo modo ab eis judicari possit.

Tertium est, Caput corporis Ecclesiae, Ephes. IV idem communicat Petro, ut habemus in Concilio Chalcedonsi, act. 3. ubi legati sententiam pronuntiant in Dioscorum, et in epist. Concilii ad Leonem. Porro caput a membris regi, et non ea potius regere, contra naturam est, sicut etiam est contra naturam, quod membra sibi caput praecidant, cum forte graviter aegrotat.

Quartum est, Vir, seu sponsus, Ephes. V: Viri diligite uxores vestras, sicut et Christus dilexit Ecclesiam, et seipsum tradidit pro ea, etc. Idem convenit Petro, nam in Concilio general Lugdunensi, ut habetur cap. Ubi periculum, de elect. in 6. loquens Concilium de electione Romani Pontificis: << Acceleret, inquit, utilis per necessaria totius mundi provisio; idoneo celeriter eidem Ecclesiae sponso dato. >> Est autem contra Apostolum Ephes. V et contra naturae ordinem, ut sponsa praesit sponso, et non potius subsit.

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Third proposition: “The Supreme Pontiff is simply and absolutely over the universal Church, and over a general Council, so that he recognizes no judicial authority on earth over himself.” This is almost de fide, [necessary to be believed as a dogma of the faith] and is proved first of all from the two preceding points: for if the Pope is the head of the universal Church, even when it is gathered together at one time, and if the universal Church even gathered together at one time has no power by reason of its totality;[1] it follows that the Pope is over the Council, and over the Church, not the other way around.

It is proved by the second reason, based in Scripture: for all the names, ascribed to Christ in Scripture, from which it is determined that he is over the Church—those same names are ascribed to the Pontiff. [2] And first, Christ is the paterfamilias [male head of the household] in his own house, which is the Church. The Pope is the highest steward in the same house, that is, the household head in Christ’s place: Luke 12: “Who is the faithful and prudent dispenser, whom the Lord has set over his household, etc.” Here by “dispenser,” or “steward” [oeconomus], as the Greek has it, they [the Fathers?] understand the Bishop. See Ambrose commenting on this passage, and Hilary, and Jerome in chap. 24 of Matthew where there is a similar statement. And although the Fathers do not speak expressly about the Roman Bishop, nonetheless that passage of Scripture undoubtedly means: as the particular Bishops are highest stewards in their Churches, so the Bishop of Rome is in the universal Church. Whence Ambrose on that passage of 1 Timothy 3: “That you may know how you ought to act in the house of God,” etc, says: “The house of God, he says, is called the Church, whose ruler today is Damasus.” [Damasus, as you no doubt know, was the Pope in Ambrose’s day.] And Chrysostom in book 2 of On the Priesthood around the beginning, talking about this same passage: “Who is a faithful slave,” etc., expounds it as being about Peter.

But that the highest steward is over the household, and cannot be judged or punished by it, is evident from this same passage. For the Lord says: “Whom the Lord has established over his household.” And in the same place: “If that slave should say in his heart, ‘My Lord is delaying his coming,’ and should begin to beat the slaves and the maids, to eat, to drink, and to get drunk, then the Lord of that slave will come in a day in which he is not looking, and will cut him up and allot his inheritance among the unfaithful.” (Luke 12:45-46) Here you see that the Lord preserves that slave for his own judgment, and does not hand him over to the judgment of the household. The custom of all households teaches the same thing; for there is no household in which it is allowed for the inferior members of the household (even gathered together at one time) to punish or expel the steward, even if he should be a really bad one—for that pertains only to the Lord of the whole household.

Another name of Christ is “Shepherd” [Pastor]. John 10: “I am the good shepherd,” etc. He shares this title [literally “communicates the same thing”] with Peter in the last chapter of John: Feed my sheep. He thus establishes that the shepherd is over the sheep, so that in no way he can be judged by them.

The third is: “Head of the body of the Church,” Eph. 4. He shares this title with Peter, as we find in the third act of the Council of Chalcedon, where the legates pronounce sentence on Dioscorus, and in the letter of the Council to Leo. Further it is against nature for the head to be ruled by the members and not rather to rule them, just as it is against nature that the members should cut off their own head, even if it should perhaps be gravely sick.

The fourth is “Husband,” or “spouse,” Eph. 5: “Husbands love your wives, just as also Christ loved the Church, and handed himself over for her,” etc. This same title applies to Peter, for in the general Council of Lyons, chapter 6 “Ubi periculum” [Where there is danger] regarding election, the Council says with regard to the election of the Roman Pontiff: “Let the useful and most necessary provision be hastened on the part of the whole world; thus may a spouse be given quickly to the Church.” But it is against the Apostle (Eph. 5) and against the order of nature, that the wife should be over the husband, and not rather be subject.

[1] I’ve translated this in a woodenly literal way, because without the previous section I can’t be sure what he means. I think he’s saying that the whole Church can’t have authority over itself.

[2] I’ve translated this “all the names, ascribed to Christ in Scripture, from which” rather than “all the names which are ascribed to Christ in Scripture, whence” in order to make it clear that Bellarmine is talking about a particular category of names. He is not saying without qualification that we can say anything about the Pope that we say about Christ. He’s talking about the names of Christ that indicate His authority over the Church.

Note the difference between what Bellarmine actually says when his quote is in its proper context. Far from claiming that the Pope is God, Bellarmine is here emphasizing how the Pope occupies the highest rank in the Church as its "high steward" and "shepherd" representing the pater-familias and the Good Shepherd, our Lord Jesus. Also, take notice how a single translation can change the whole meaning.

Easter Sunday, part 2

3.) FROM THE OLD MOZARABIC LECTIONARY

Officium

(Psalm 97 [98]:1)

Save us, O Son of God, our Savior; Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
V: Sing to the Lord a new song, because He has performed wonders.
P: Alleluia.
V: Glory and honor to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit forever and ever, Amen.
P: Alleluia.

Prophecy

(Revelation 1:1-8)

The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave to Him, to make known to His bondservants what must shortly happen; and He made it known by sending His angel to His bondservant John, who testified to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to everything that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and hears the words of this prophecy and keeps those things which are written in it; for the time is near!

John to the seven churches which are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ – the faithful witness, the Firstborn from the dead, and the Ruler of the kings of the earth; who loved us and washed us from our sins in His blood, and has made us a kingdom and priests to His God and Father - to Him be glory and power to the ages.

Behold, He is coming with clouds,
And every eye shall see Him - even those who pierced Him,
And all the tribes of the earth shall mourn themselves because of Him.
Yes! Amen.

"I am the Alpha and the O[mega], the beginning and the end," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come - the Almighty!"

Psallendo

(Psalm 117 [118]:24, 16, 19)

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us exult and rejoice in it.
V: The right hand of the Lord has wrought strength; the right hand of the Lord has exalted me.
P: Let us exult...
V: Open the gates of justice to me.
P: Let us exult...

Apostle

(Acts 2:29-39)

At that time, Peter stood in the midst of the people, and speaking to them, said:
"Men brothers, let me speak freely to you about the patriarch David, that he both passed away and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this very day.
Therefore, because he was a prophet, and knew that God had sworn an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins one who would sit upon his throne. He, foreseeing this, was speaking about the resurrection of the Christ, for He was neither left behind in the underworld, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of this we are all witnesses.
Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured this which you both see and hear. For David did not ascend into heaven, but he himself says, 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."'
Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made Him both Lord and Christ - this Jesus whom you crucified."
Now when they heard, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and to the rest of the apostles, "What should we do, men brothers?"
Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized - each one of you - in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, whomever the Lord our God will call."

Gospel

(John 20:1-18)

On the first day of the week Mary the Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been moved away from the tomb. So she ran and came to Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved and said to them, "They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we do not know where they have put Him!"

So Peter and the other disciple went out and were coming to the tomb. The two were running together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came first to the tomb. And he stooped down and saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face-cloth that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who came first to the tomb, also went in; and he saw and believed (for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that He must rise from the dead). Then the disciples went away again, each by himself.

But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. Now as she wept, she stooped down and gazed into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been laid. And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "For they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him!" Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you seeking?" She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, "Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away."

Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (that is to say, Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not touch me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to My brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord, and these things He said to me!"

Lauda

(Psalm 110 [111]:9)

The Lord has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant for all eternity. Holy and terrible is His name.
P: Alleluia.

Sacrificium

(John 1:29; Psalm 106 [107]:2-3)

Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Alleluia.
V: Let those redeemed by the Lord speak; those whom He redeemed from the hand of the enemy.
V: Those gathered from the lands, from the rising of the sun and its setting, from the north and from the sea.
P: Who takes away...
V: Glory to the Father...
P: Who takes away...

Ad Accedentes

(Gaudete Populi)

Rejoice, you peoples, and be glad!
An Angel sat upon the stone of the Lord (cf. Matthew 28:2),
And to you did he proclaim the good news:
"Christ arose from the dead -
The Savior of the world;
And filled all with sweetness;"
Rejoice, you peoples, and be glad.
V: 'Now his appearance was as lightning,
And his clothing was as snow;' (Matthew 28:3)
And he said:
P: "Christ arose from the dead..."
V: 'And the women went out of the tomb quickly,
With fear and in great joy,
running to announce to His disciples' that He rose again (Matthew 28:8).
P: "Christ arose from the dead..."
V: Glory and honor to the Father...
P: Rejoice, you peoples, and be glad!

4.) FROM THE BYZANTINE LECTIONARY

Troparion

(Psalm 67:2-4a [68:1-3a]; 117 [118]:24)

Priest: Christ has risen from the dead,
Trampling down death by death,
and upon those in the graves bestowing life. (three times)
R: Christ has risen from the dead...(three times)

P: Let God arise, and His enemies be scattered, and let those who hate Him flee from before Him.
R: Christ has risen from the dead...
P: As smoke vanishes, let them vanish, as wax melts from before fire;
R: Christ has risen from the dead...
P: So let the wicked perish from before God, and let the righteous be glad.
R: Christ has risen from the dead...
P: This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
R: Christ has risen from the dead...
P: Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
Both now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Christ has risen from the dead, trampling down death by death...
R: ...And upon those in the graves bestowing life.

First Antiphon

(Psalm 65 [66]:1-3)

V: Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
R: At the prayers of the God-bearer, O Savior, save us.
V: Do make music to His name; give glory to His praise.
R: At the prayers of the God-bearer...
V: Say to God, 'How fearful are your works! Because of your great power your enemies shall play false with you.'
R: At the prayers of the God-bearer...
V: Let all the earth do homage to you and make music to you; let them make music to your name, O Most High."
R: At the prayers of the God-bearer...
Glory to the Father...Both now and ever...
At the prayers of the God-bearer...

Second Antiphon

(Psalm 66:2-4, 8 [67:1-3, 7])

V: May God have compassion to us and bless us, and make His face to upon us and have mercy on us.
R: Save us, Son of God risen from the dead, who sing to you: Alleluia!
V: That we may know your way upon the earth, among all nations your salvation.
R: Save us...
V: Let peoples acknowledge you, O God, let all peoples acknowledge you!
R: Save us...
V: May God bless us, and let all the ends of the earth fear Him.
R: Save us...
Glory to the Father...Both now and ever...
O only-begotten Son and Word of God, who is immortal yet deigned for our salvation to become incarnate of the holy God-bearer and ever-Virgin Mary, without change becoming man. You were crucified, Christ God - trampling down death by death, who are one of the Holy Trinity, together glorified with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Save us!

Third Antiphon

(Psalm 67:2-4a [68:1-3a]; 117 [118]:24, with Christ has risen from the dead)

Entrance

(Psalm 67:27 [68:28])

Bless God in the assemblies; the Lord from the fountains of Israel.
Save us, Son of God risen from the dead, who sing to you: Alleluia!

Apolytikion

Christ has risen from the dead...(Three times)

Ypakoe

When those who were with Mary came before the dawn, and found the stone rolled away from the tomb, they heard from the Angel, "He who lives in everlasting light, why do you seek among the dead as a mortal man? Behold the grave clothes! Go and proclaim to the world: 'The Lord has risen! He has put death to death; for He is the Son of God, saving the race of man.'"

Kontakion

Although you descended into the tomb, O Immortal, you destroyed the power of Hades; and you arose as a conqueror, O Christ God, calling to the myrrh-bearing women, "Rejoice!" and giving peace to your Apostles, and offering resurrection to the fallen.

(In place of the Trisagion)

As many of you as have been baptised into Christ, have put on Christ, Alleluia (three times).
Glory to the Father...
Have put on Christ, Alleluia.
As many of you as have been baptised into Christ, have put on Christ, Alleluia.

Prokeimenon

(Psalm 117 [118]:24, 30)

This is the day that the Lord has made: let us rejoice and be glad in it.
V: Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endures for ever.

Epistle

(Acts 1:1-8)

The former account I made, O Theophilos, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many convincing proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. While He was with them, He ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for "the promise of the Father, which you heard about from me. For John certainly baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
Therefore, when they had come together, they began to ask Him, saying, "Lord, is this the time when you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" And He said to them, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witness both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth!"

Alleluia

(Psalm 101:13, 19b-20 [102:14, 20b-21])

V: You will arise, Lord, and have compassion on Sion [, for it is the time to have compassion on her - for the time has come].
V: The Lord from heaven looked upon the earth [, to hear the groaning of the prisoners, to loose the sons of the slain].

Gospel

(John 1:1-17)

In the beginning was the Word,
And the Word was with God,
And the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came into being through Him,
And apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

In Him was life,
And the life was the light of men.
And the light shines on in the darkness,
And the darkness did not overcome it.

There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a testimony, to bear witness of the Light, so that all through Him might believe. He was not the Light, but he came to bear witness about the Light.
The true Light which gives light to every man was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him,
And the world did not know Him.
He came to His own,
And His own did not receive Him.
But as many as received Him,
to them He gave power to become offspring of God,
to those who believe in His Name:

Who were born, not of bloods nor of the will of the flesh nor a man's decision but of God.

And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us,
And we saw His glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father,
Full of grace and truth.

John bore witness about Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.'"

For from His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Communion

Receive the Body of Christ; taste from the immortal fount. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
[V: Great is the mystery of your resurrection, O Christ!
R: Receive the Body of Christ...
V: From the supper the Immortal One comes willingly to the passion.
R: Receive the Body of Christ...
V: Then was Hades, who accounted and demanded of souls, embittered at the encounter.
R: Receive the Body of Christ...
V: Then was Mary, who anointed and worshiped God before the tomb, made glad. R: Receive the Body of Christ...
V: "Tell Peter and the other disciples that the Immortal One has risen from the dead!"
R: Receive the Body of Christ...]

Easter Sunday, part 1

1.) FROM THE OLD ROMAN LECTIONARY

Introit

(Psalm 138 [139]:18b, 5b, 6a; 1-2)

I rose up, and I am still with you, Alleluia.
You have placed your hand over me, Alleluia; Your knowledge has become wonderful, Alleluia.
O Lord, you have searched me and known me; you have known my sitting down and my rising up.
V: Glory to the Father...
I rose up, and I am still with you...

Epistle

(1 Corinthians 5:7-8)

Brethren,
Clean out the old yeast that you may be a new lump, as you are unleavened; for Christ our Passover has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old yeast - not with the yeast of malice and wickedness - but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Gradual

(Psalm 117 [118]:24, 1; 1 Corinthians 5:7b)

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us exult and rejoice in it.
V: Give praise to the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy is forever.
Alleluia, Alleluia; Christ our Passover has been sacrificed.

Sequence

Let Christians offer as sacrifice to the Passover victim praises.
A Lamb has redeemed the sheep;
the blameless Christ has reconciled sinners to the Father.
Death and life have clashed in a strange duel;
The Leader of life who was dead, is alive and reigns.

Tell us, Mary, what did you see on the way?
"The tomb of the living Christ, and the glory of His rising I saw.
The angelic witnesses, the shroud and the garments.
Christ my hope has risen; He will go before His own to Galilee!"

We know that Christ has from the dead risen truly;
On us, O victorious King, have mercy!
Amen, Alleluia.

Gospel

(Mark 16:1-7)

At that time, Mary the Magdalene, and Mary of James and Salome bought aromatic spices that they might go and anoint Jesus. And very early on the first day of the week, they went to the tomb at the rising of the sun. And they had been saying among themselves, "Who will roll away for us the stone from the door of the tomb?"
And when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away - although it was very large. And coming inside the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were terrified.
But he said to them, "Do not be terrified. You are looking for Jesus, the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has been raised - He is not here! See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you."

Offertory

(Psalm 75 [76]:9-10)

The earth trembled and was still when God arose in judgment, Alleluia.

Communion

(1 Corinthians 5:7-8)

Christ our Passover has been sacrificed, Alleluia.
Therefore let us feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

2.) FROM THE NEW ROMAN LECTIONARY

First Reading

(Acts 10:34a, 37-43)

Opening his mouth Peter said:
"You know the word which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism that John proclaimed: Jesus from Nazareth - how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him. And we are witnesses of all things He did both in the land of the Judeans and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree.
But God raised Him on the third day and granted that He should become manifest; not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen beforehand by God - to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. And He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. About Him all the prophets testify, that through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive forgiveness of sins."

Responsorial Psalm

(Psalm 118 [117]:1-2, 16-17, 22-23)

R: (Ps. 118:24) This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
or:
Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; forever is His steadfast love!
Let Israel say, "Forever is His steadfast love!"
R: This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
or:
Alleluia.
The right hand of the LORD is exalted; the right hand of the LORD does strength.
I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.
R: This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
or:
Alleluia.
The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner.
By the LORD this has been done; it is wonderful in our eyes!
R: This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
or:
Alleluia.

Second Reading

(Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8)

Brethren:
If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ (who is your life) is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

Or

Brethren:
Do you not know that a little yeast leavens the whole lump? Clean out the old yeast that you may be a new lump, as you are unleavened; for Christ our Passover has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old yeast - not with the yeast of malice and wickedness - but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Gospel

(John 20:1-9 or Luke 24:13-35 [for afternoon Masses])

Now on the first day of the week Mary the Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been moved away from the tomb. So she ran and came to Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved and said to them, "They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we do not know where they have put Him!"

So Peter and the other disciple went out and were coming to the tomb. The two were running together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came first to the tomb. And he stooped down and saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face-cloth that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who came first to the tomb, also went in; and he saw and believed (for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that He must rise from the dead).

Or

And behold, that very day two of them were on their way to a village - which was about sixty stadia from Jerusalem - called Emmaus, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. And it happened that while they were talking and debating, Jesus himself approached and went with them (but their eyes were kept from recognizing Him).

Then He said to them, "What are these words you are exchanging with each other as you are walking?" Then one of them, named Cleopas, answering Him, said, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened in it in these days?" And He said to them, "What things?"
So they said to Him, "The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed Him over to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we had hoped that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find His body, they came and said that they had seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. And some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see."
And He said to them, "O fools - and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He interpreted to them the things concerning Himself in all the scriptures.

And they drew near to the village where they were going, and He pretended to go farther but they urged Him, saying, "Stay with us, because it is toward evening and the day is nearly over." And He went in to stay with them. And it happened that when He reclined at table with them, He took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, "Did not our hearts burn [within us] while He was speaking with us on the road, while He was opening the scriptures to us?"

And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those with them gathered together, saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Good Friday, Part 03

2.) FROM THE NEW ROMAN LECTIONARY:

First Reading

(Isaiah 52:13—53:12)

Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he will be exalted, and lifted up, and be very high;
(just as many were astonished at you) such was the disfigurement of his appearance - more than any man,
And his form more than the sons of men - so shall he sprinkle many nations.
Kings will shut their mouths because of him, for what had not been told them they shall see, and what they had not heard they shall understand.

Who would have believed our report, and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
For he grew up before Him like a sapling, and like a root out of dry ground;
He had no form or majesty that we should see him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to him.
He was despised and lacking of men - a man of pain, acquainted with illness;
Like a hiding of the face from him he was despised, and we did not esteem him.

But indeed he has borne our illnesses and carried our pains, yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted.
He was wounded for our rebellions, crushed for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; by his bruises we are healed.
All we like sheep have wandered - we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has made the iniquity of us all to meet on him.

He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth.
Like a lamb led to slaughter, and an ewe silent before her shearers, so he opened not his mouth.
By humiliation and judgment he was taken away - and his generation, who considers?
For he was cut off from the land of the living, plague-stricken for the rebellion of his people.
They assigned his grave with criminals and with the rich in his deaths, for he had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in his mouth. But the LORD desired to crush him and weaken him.

If he makes his life a guilt offering, he shall see his seed and prolong his days,
And the delight of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
He shall see the labor of his life, and shall be satisfied by his knowledge.

The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous, for he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will assign him a portion with the multitudes, and he shall divide the plunder with the powerful,
Because he laid bare his life to death and was numbered with the rebels,
And he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the rebels.

Responsorial Psalm

(Psalm 31 (32):2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17, 25)

R. (Luke 23:46) Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit.
In you, O LORD, I have taken shelter!
Let me never be put to shame; in your justice deliver me.
Into your hand I entrust my spirit; you have redeemed me O LORD, God of truth.
R. Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit.
Because of all my enemies I am a reproach - and to my neighbors, exceedingly, and horror to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street run away from me.
I am forgotten, like a dead man, from the heart; I am like a broken vessel.
R. Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit.
But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God!"
My times are in your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and pursuers.
R. Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit.
Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love.
Be strong and let your hearts take courage, all you who hope in the LORD!
R. Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit.

Second Reading

(Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9)

Brethren:
Since, then, we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us boldly approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

In the days of his flesh, He offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His devotion. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what He suffered; and having been perfected, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.

The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ

(John 18:1—19:42)

Good Friday, Part 02

The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John

(continued)

Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium - now it was daybreak - and they did not go into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover. So Pilate went out to them and said, "What charge do you bring against this man?" They answered and said to him, "If He were not an evildoer, we would not have handed him up to you." Then Pilate said to them, "You take Him and pass judgment Him according to your law!" The Judeans said to him, "It is not permitted for us to put anyone to death" - to fulfill what Jesus had said when he indicated the kind of death He would die.

Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, and called Jesus, and said to Him, "Are you the King of the Judeans?" Jesus answered, "Are you saying this from yourself or did others tell you about me?" Pilate answered, "Am I a Judean? Your own nation and your chief priests handed you over to me! What have you done?" Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would be struggling to keep me from being handed over to the Judeans. But now my kingdom is not from here." Pilate then said to Him, "So you are a king!" Jesus replied, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world – to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice." Pilate said, "What is truth?"

And when he had said this he went back outside to the Judeans and said to them, "I find no cause of crime in Him. But you have a custom that I release someone to you at the Passover; so do you want me to release for you the 'King of the Judeans'?" They shouted again, saying, "Not this man, but Barabbas" (now Barabbas was an insurrectionist).

So then Pilate took Jesus and had Him flogged. And the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they clothed Him in a purple garment. And they came up to Him again and again and said, "Hail, King of the Judeans!" And they struck Him repeatedly.

Again Pilate went out and said to them, "Look, I am bringing Him out to you that you may know I find no cause of crime in Him." Then Jesus came outside, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple garment. And he said to them, "Behold, the man!" When the chief priests and their officers saw him, they shouted out, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "You take Him and crucify Him; for I find no cause of crime in Him!" The Judeans answered him, "We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, for He made Himself the Son of God."

When Pilate heard this word, he became more afraid, and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, "Where are you from?" But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to Him, "Do you refuse to talk to me? Do you know not that I have the authority to release you and the authority to crucify you?" Jesus answered, "You would have no authority at all over me unless it was given you from above. Therefore he who handed me over to you has the greater sin."

From then on, Pilate sought to release Him. But the Judeans shouted out, saying, "If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar! Everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar!" When Pilate therefore heard those words he brought Jesus out and sat on the judge's seat in a place called Lithostrotos, or in Hebrew Gabbatha - now it was the Preparation for the Passover and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Judeans, "Behold, your king!" Then these shouted out, "Away with Him! Away with Him! Crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your king?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar!"

Then he handed Him over to them to be crucified. Therefore they took Jesus; and carrying the cross by Himself, He went out to the place called 'The Place of the Skull' (called in Hebrew Golgotha), where they crucified Him, and with Him two others: on the one side and on the other, in the middle of them Jesus. Pilate also had a notice written and placed on the cross. Now it was written: 'JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JUDEANS'. Then many of the Judeans read this inscription, becuase the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. Then the chief priests of the Judeans said to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Judeans,' but, 'He said, "I am king of the Judeans."'" Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."

Now when the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took His garments and made four parts, one for each soldier, and also the tunic (now the tunic was seamless, woven from the top in one piece). Therefore the soldiers said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it" - to fulfill the scripture that says, "They divided my garments among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots." Therefore the soldiers did these things.

Now standing beside the cross of Jesus were His mother, and the sister of His mother, Mary of Clopas, and Mary the Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that very hour that disciple took her to his own.

After this Jesus, knowing that all things were now consummated, said (in order to consummate the scripture), "I thirst!" A jar full of sour wine was there, so they put a sponge soaked in sour wine on hyssop and brought it to His mouth. Therefore when He had received the sour wine, Jesus said, "Consummated!" And He bowed His head and gave over the spirit.

(Here all kneel and pause for a few moments.)

Then the Judeans, because it was the Preparation, so that the bodies should not stay on the crosses on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs be broken and they be taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs; but one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and blood and water came out immediately. And he who has seen gave witness, and his witness is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled, "Not a bone of his shall be broken," and again another scripture says, "They shall look on him whom they pierced."

After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus (but secretly for fear of the Judeans), asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission, so he went and took away His body. And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes - about a hundred litra. Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the custom of the Judeans to prepare for burial. Now at the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden was a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid down. So there they laid Jesus, because of the Preparation of the Judeans, for the tomb was nearby.

The Improperia

V: My people, what have I done to you? In what have I grieved you? Answer me!
V: Because I led you out of the land of Egypt, you have prepared a cross for your Savior.

Agios o Theos!
Sanctus Deus!
Agios Ischyros!
Sanctus Fortis!
Agios Athanatos, eleison imas.
Sanctus Immortalis, miserere nobis.

V: Because I led you out through the desert for forty years, and fed you with manna from heaven, and brought you to an excellent land, you have prepared a cross for your Savior.

Agios o Theos...

V: What more ought I to do for you that I have not done? I planted you, indeed, my most beautiful vineyard, and you have become exceedingly bitter to me; for in my thirst you gave me vinegar to drink, and with a lance you have pierced the side of your Savior.

Agios o Theos...

V: For your sake I scourged Egypt and killed its first-born; and you have delivered Me to be scourged.
R: My people, what have I done to you? In what have I grieved you? Answer me!
V: I led you out of Egypt and drowned Pharaoh in the Red Sea, and you have delivered Me to the chief priests.
R: My people...
V: I opened the sea for you, and you have opened my side with a spear.
R: My people...
V: I went before you in a pillar of cloud, and you have led me to the praetorium of Pilate.
R: My people...
V: I fed you with manna in the desert, and you have beaten me with blows and scourges.
R: My people...
V: I gave you the water of salvation from the rock to drink, and you have given me gall and vinegar.
R: My people...
V: For you I struck down the kings of the Canaanites, and you have struck my head with a reed.
R: My people...
V: I gave you a royal scepter, and you have given my head a crown of thorns.
R: My people...
V: I have exalted you with great strength, and you hanged me on the gibbet of the cross.
R: My people...

We adore your Cross, O Lord: and we praise and glorify your holy Resurrection; for behold, by the wood of the Cross, joy has come into the whole world.
(Psalm 66 [67]:2) May God have mercy on us, and bless us; may He cause the light of His countenance to shine upon us, and have mercy on us.
V: We adore your cross...