Matins Lessons for Friday in Easter Week

The Lesson from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.

And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

A Homily by St. Jerome the Priest

After his resurrection Jesus was seen on a mountain in Galilee, and there he was worshipped. And, albeit some doubted, their doubts have led to a further establishing of our faith. The he shewed himself more openly unto Thomas, and pointed out the wound-print of the spear in his side, and the prints of the nails in his hands. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying: All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Yea, all power is given unto him who but a little while before had been crucified, and buried in the grave, and had lain among the dead, but who also had risen again. Power is given unto him in heaven and in earth, that he who of everlasting had been King of Heaven, might have a monarchy on earth also, through the faith of them which believe in him.

Go ye therefore, saith he, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. First, they were to teach all nations ; then they were to wash with water such as had been taught. For it cannot be that the body should receive the Sacrament of Baptism, if the mind have not first received the truth of the Faith. And they were to be baptized : In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost : for, even as the Godhead of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all One, so is the one grace of Baptism the gift of all three divine Persons; and the Name of the Trinity is the Name of the one God, not three.

The Evangelist continueth, : Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. The order of the Lord's commands to the Apostles is important. First, to teach all nations ; secondly, to make them partake in the Sacrament of the Faith ; thirdly, when they had believed and been baptized, to teach them what to observe. And lest we should think that he commanded things light and few, he hath said : All things whatsoever I commanded you : so that all who have believed, and have therefore been baptized in the Name of the Trinity, are bound to observe all things whatsoever he hath commanded. And lo, saith he, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. He who promiseth that he will be with his disciples, even unto the end of the world, doth give them thereby to know that they will live forever, and that he will never fail any which believe in him.

Collect:

Almighty and everlasting God, who hast bestowed on us this Paschal Sacrament, for a pledge of our Redemption : grant, we beseech thee, that those things which we observe in our outward profession we may effectually imitate within our souls, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.