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Homily 32, First Sunday After the Ascension

Dominica infra octavam Assencione. In illo tempore dixit Jhesus suis disciplis, secundum Johannem.1

Cum venerit paraclitus quem ego mittam vobis etc.2
 




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125   
 
   Unto his dissipils saide Criste,
Als saise Saynte Johan the Evangeliste:
“When the Gaste es commen that I sal sende
Fro mi Fadir youre mode to mende,
That es the Gaste of rightwisnes,
Of me sall he bere wittnes;
And wittnes sall ye of me bere
For fro the begynnynge with me ye ere.”
He callis his forluke the begynnynge
Wharein he aghtild all thinge;
For than the apostlis aghtild he
To folow him and wittnes be;
And for he wist before that thai
Suld thole for him bothe tene and traie
And werldes wandrethe and uppebraide
Forthi he warnid thaim thus and saide:
“This saye I now that ye ne be
Schamid for the lufe of me;
For tyme sall come that all thase
That in the spyte of me yow slase
Sall wene to serve on all wyse
God, and paye him wth swilk servyse.3
This schendinge sall thai in yow schawe,
For nouther mi Fadir ne me thai knawe.
Of this wa I warne yow now,
To ger you mene and on me trow
That I you warnid of all this,
When thair tyme comes to do yow misse.”
Thir er the wordes of oure Gospell,
Als man with Ynglihsse tonge mai tell.
   Gode gasteli lare als think me,
Maye we in this Gospell se,
Thare Criste gladdes his felawes,
And the come of the Hali Gaste thaim schawes;
And warnes thaim of thaire harde thrawes,
That thai suld suffir for his lawes.
He schewid thaim thare bothe wele and wo,
And till all gode men duse he so;
For werldes welthe aie mengid es
With wandrethe and with bittirnes;
For es none Empoure ne no kinge,
That he ne es whylome in murnynge —
For when he thinkis of his endinge,
The drede of dede slakis his likinge.

   Als I finde writen of a kinge,
That never wald laghe for no gladdinge.
He had a brothir that had ferlye,
And askid him wharefore and whi,
He was aie sorowfull and sarie,
And noght might ger him luke gladli.
The kinge saide that he suld him saye
His answere on the tother daie.
Than in his lande was a custome,
That when a man suld have his dome,
Before his dure men suld stand,
Agaynes his dede fast blawand.
And tharebi suld he witte right sone
That to schames dede suld he be done.
Apon the morne the kinge gert blawe
With trompors a full lange thrawe.
Before his brothir maners gate.
And than his brothir began to grate,
For he wende have bene slayne in hye,
And he ne wist wharefore ne whye.
The kinge come to behald his chere,
And spake to him on this manere:
“Brothir,” he saide, “What ayles thee?
Thou ert unblithe als think me.
Thou was wonte be glad of chere —
Whi gretis thou now on this manere?”
His brothir answerd and saide than:
“Me burd wele be a sarye man,
For takenynge of my dede I here
Of thir trompors that standes me nere.
How maye I, lorde, blithe be
When I my dede before me se?”
Than spak the kinge and to him saide:
“So es mi dede before me laide;
For dede I wote wele sall me take;
Forthi may I no gude chere make.
Forthi thar thee think no ferlie,
Thof thou me se oftsithis sorye.
Yisterdaie thou askid me whi
I was aye murnand and drerye,
And whi I aie swilk sembland made,
That nonekin joye might my hert glade.
Now hase thou herd resoune whi —
And lyfe ande lymes thee give I.”
This litil tale I have you talde,
To ger yow in youre hertes halde,
That werldes welthe ay mengid es
With mornynge and with drerines,
When a man thinkes how sone he sall
Passe hethen fro his welthis all.
Forthi schewid Criste all bothe sammene
To his dissiples murnynge and gamene
In oure Gospell als I saide are;
For gladdinge schewid he thaim thare,
Thare he the Hali Gaste thaim hight
To comforte thaim in gasteli fight;
And murnynge als thaim schewid he,
Thare he saide thai suld pyned be
For his sake, and sithen be slayne —
In this worde made he thaim unfayne.
For kyndeli the dede men dredes,
Be thai never so sikir of medes;
For Criste was dredand dede to dreye,
When he for us on rode suld dye.
Forthi the Hali Gaste gon he sende
To his dissiples thaire chere to mende,
And ger thaim of him wittnes bere,
And to be stythe in wandrethe and were.
This es the gaste of rightwisnes
That geres us of Criste bere wittnes
When we before him thole werldes waas,
And prayes that he amende oure faas.
If the Hali Gaste give us that grase,
It geres us folowe Cristis trase;
For he prayed for thaim on rode
That him slewe and sched his blode.
Lorde, sende us thi Hali Gaste,
And make us in thi trouthe so stedfast,
That we drede noght wo ne wandrethe,
Bot give us tholemodenes and methe.
And bringe us to thi blisseful belde
That tholemode men with thee sall welde.


Holy Spirit
grief
righteousness



foresight
destined


knew
suffer; harm and suffering
misery; scorn



those
for hatred; kill


harm; do to you
neither

make you remember; trust

injury
These are
(t-note)
spiritual teaching; I think; (see note)

Where; makes glad
coming
suffering


he does likewise
is always mingled
disappointment
[there] is no emperor
at times; mourning

death diminishes; pleasure

(see note)
laugh; pleasure
was amazed


look cheerful

next

was to have his judgment
In front of his door
Blowing [a trumpet] to announce his death
know immediately
shameful death; put

time
Before the entrance of his brother’s manor
cry
expected to be killed immediately

countenance






I ought
a sign; death; (t-note)





Because; know
Therefore
you should think it no marvel
Although; often


appearance
no kind of




always is mingled


hence
together
joy
before
rejoicing
promised
spiritual struggle
also
tortured
then
With this word; unhappy
by nature
sure; reward
fearful; suffer
spirits; amend



steadfast



correct

path





patience and self-control
happiness
patient; possess