Blessed Easter to all.
From the archives of a long time ago, American Troops assisting
at Holy Mass on Easter Sunday, Tunisia, North Africa on
April 25, 1943. Artillery shelling could be heard.
Three of the soldiers in the front row have their rifles in hand. They're probably loaded - a soldier on the front lines wouldn't be holding his rifle like this if it were not loaded.
The soldiers wearing a tie (like the one serving Mass for the priest) have the tie tucked into their shirt under the second button from the top - that was to keep it from moving, or from the wind blowing it into their face where their vision could be obscured for a second -- long enough for them to make a fatal mistake.
The priest is on the Epistle side and the chalice is covered, so he is likely in the process of reading the Epistle for Easter Sunday Mass:
"Brethren, purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new paste, as you are unleavened : for Christ our Pasch is sacrificed. Therefore, let us feast, not with the old leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (I Cor. v. 7-8).
Or, he could be reading the Gradual (
Ps. cxvii. 24, 1):
"This is the day which the Lord hath made : let us rejoice and be glad in it.
V. Give praise unto the Lord, for He is good : for His mercy endureth forever. Alleluia, alleluia
V. Christ our Pasch is sacrificed" (I
Cor. v. 7). "This is the day which the Lord hath made : let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Or, he could have been reading the Sequence for Easter,
Victimae paschali laudes: Forth to the Paschal victim, Christians, bring
Your sacrifice of praise:
The Lamb redeems the sheep ;
And Christ the sinless One,
Hath to the Father sinners reconciled.
Together, death and life
In a strange conflict strove.
The Prince of life who died,
Now lives and reigns.
What thou sawest, Mary, say,
As thou wentest on the way.
I saw the tomb wherein the living one had lain
I saw his glory as he rose again ;
Napkin and linen, and angels twain :
Yea, Christ is risen, my hope, and He
Will go before you into Galilee.
We know that Christ indeed is risen from the grave :
Hail, thou King of victory,
Have mercy, Lord, and save.
Amen. Alleluia. (This Sequence is said until the Saturday before Low Sunday, inclusive,
i.e., all throughout Easter Week.)
It is noteworthy that the one excerpt from this Sequence, "...We know that Christ indeed is risen from the grave..." is where various Christians derive the tradition of greeting each other during Easter Week and the rest of Paschal Time (P.T.) ~ (
Tempore Paschali = T.P.), by saying,
Christ is risen! (and the anticipated proper response is)
He is risen indeed! So whenever someone greets you during this Paschal Time (P.T.) by saying,
"Christ is risen!" be sure to reply,
"He is risen indeed!" Or, you could say,
"He is risen indeed, as He said! Alleluia!" For "...as He said, alleluia" is found in the Offertory for Easter Monday (St. Matthew, xxviii. 6) :
"He whom you seek is risen as He said, alleluia" (
Quem quaeritis, surrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia).
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Topic: Happy Easter! (Read 1875 times)