The Fifth Sunday in Lent, commonly called
Passion Sunday
WE beseech thee, Almighty God, mercifully to look upon thy people; that by thy great goodness they may be governed and preserved evermore, both in body and soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Source: Sacramentary of Gregory, Bishop of Rome [600 AD]. The "people" in this translation is familia in Latin. "Passion" had its roots in Medieval times
ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Isaiah i. 10, Psalm 42, 43 | 119:145–176
, Hebrews ix. 11, St. John viii. 46.
Homilies
Which of you convinceth me of sin?
READINGS:
Isaiah i. 10
HEAR the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Psalm 42, 43 | 119:145–176
Hebrews ix. 11.
CHRIST being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
St. John viii. 46. JESUS said, Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you; but I know him, and keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple
Chrysostom on John viii. 48ff | on Hebrews ix. 11
Augustine on PsalmXLII | XLIII | John viii
DEARLY beloved brethren, consider the gentleness of God. He came to take away sin, and he saith: Which of you convinceth me of sin? He, who in virtue of his Godhead was able to justify sinners, did not disdain to shew by an appeal to reason that he was not himself a sinner. But verily the words which he addeth are exceeding awesome: He that is of God heareth God's words; ye, therefore, hear them not, because ye are not of God. Wherefore, if he that is of God, heareth God's words, and if one who is not of God, is not able to hear God's words, let each one ask himself: Do I, in the ear of my heart, hear God's words, and understand whose words they are? The Truth commandeth us to long for a fatherland in heaven, to bridle the lusts of the flesh, to turn away from the glory of the world, to covet no man's goods, and to bestow freely of our own.
LET each of you, therefore, think within himself if this voice of God soundeth loud in the ear of his heart for thereby will he know whether he be of God. Some there be, whom it pleaseth not to hear the commandments of God, even with their bodily ears. And some there be, who receive the same with their bodily ears, but whose heart is far from them. And some also there be, who hear the words of God with joy, so that they are moved thereby even to tears. But when their fit of weeping is past they turn again to iniquity. They who despise to do the words of God certainly cannot be said to hear them. Wherefore, dearly beloved brethren, call up your own life before your mind's eye, and then ponder with trembling those awful words which the mouth of the Truth spake: Ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
THE Truth speaketh these words concerning the reprobate. But the reprobate make manifest the same thing concerning themselves, by their evil deeds. Thus immediately followeth: Then answered the Jews, and said unto him: Say we not well that thou are a Samaritan and has a devil? Hear now what the Lord saith to so great an insult: I have not a devil, but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. The Lord said: I have not a devil. But he did not say: I am not a Samaritan. For in a sense a Samaritan he was indeed, since the word Samaritan is by interpretation a Watcher, and the Lord is that Watcher, of whom the Psalmist saith, that except he keep the city, any other watchman waketh but in vain. He also is that Watchman unto who crieth Isaiah: Watchman, what of the night, Watchman, what of the night? Wherefore the Lord did not say: I am not a Samaritan. But: I have not a devil. Two charges were brought against him. One he denied. To the other his silence gave assent.
Anglican Breviary for Passion Sunday
Gregory
Homily on the Gospel
The Collects of Thomas Cranmer