Sunday 19 April 2009

Dominica in Albis - 'Low Sunday'


Low Sunday is the first Sunday after Easter. It is a greater double of the first class. It is the Sunday when anciently the neophytes laid aside the white robes they had been clothed in after Baptism. For many Eastern Christians today is holy Pascha following the Julian Calendar - Xристос воскресе!

At Vespers yesterday the five psalms were sung under one antiphon, Alleluia. Chapters and hymns returned to the Office and at Vespers the hymn Ad regias Agni dapes was sung. The double Alleluia is no longer sung after Benedicamus Domino. At Compline and the hours the Paschaltide Doxology is sung: Deo Patri sit gloria, Et Filio qui a mortuis, Surrexit ac Paraclito, In sempiterna saecula.

At Mattins the invitatory is Surrexit Dominus, as for Easter and its Octave, and the hymn Rex sempiterne Caelitum is sung. In each nocturn the psalms are sung under one antiphon. In the first nocturn scripture lessons are from St. Paul's letter to the Colossians, the second nocturn lessons are a sermon from St. Augustine on the close of the Paschal Octave and in the third nocturn the lessons are a homily of St. Gregory the Great. The Te Deum is sung after the ninth lesson.

At Lauds again the psalms are sung under one antiphon, a triple Alleluia. Before the 1911-13 reform this antiphon consisted of nine Alleluias and was an ancient practice. After the chapter the hymn Aurora caelum purpurat is sung. At the Little Hours the psalms are, as usual, sung under one antiphon this in Paschaltide being Alleluia. At Prime Ps. 117 is sung followed by the first two stanzas of Ps. 118.

At Mass the Gloria is sung, there is one collect (in local calendars an occurring feast would be commemorated), the Credo is sung and the preface is that of Paschaltide. The Gospel pericope is St. John's account of the risen LORD appearing to His disciples in the locked room and 'doubting' St. Thomas.

Vespers are of the Sunday with the psalms sung under one antiphon, Alleluia.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' Mattins is cut down to one nocturn of three lessons. The Paschaltide Doxology is not sung at the hymns of the Little Hours. At Mass there is a change to one word in the introit as 'rationabile' replaced 'rationabiles' in the 1953 edition of the Roman Missal. Mons. Bugnini wrote an interesting article on the changes introduced to this edition: vide Bugnini, A., 'Editio VI post typicam Missalis Romani' in Ephemerides Liturgicae 67 (1953) pp. 46-61.

Art: Jerome Nadal

8 comments:

Kevin said...

My Breviarium Monasticum retains the nine Alleluias at Lauds.

Anonymous said...

Did you manage to get to a pre-Pius XII Holy Week this year? Unfortunately I missed the webcasts from St Getrude the Great.

Rubricarius said...

Anonymous,
Yes, I was MC etc for a Triduum and Easter. A lot of hard work but well worth it!

Francis said...

Thank God the traditional Holy Week is still being celebrated in some places. It would be a pity of only sedevacantists and Anglo-Catholics had all the fun ...

Anonymous said...

Our Mass Centre did not have any of Holy Week services other than an afternoon Mass on Easter Sunday. Is it not permissible for such a centre to have the priest bless water for use of the faithful either on Easter Sunday or during the octave?

Anonymous said...

That must have been magnificent. I have MCed for the '62 rites but have only "investigated" the traditional form in paper form. May one ask where they are performed and whether it is a regular occurrence?
Andrew

Rubricarius said...

Andrew,
The rites are intrinsically magnificent for sure, but it is not quite the word I would use in this case prefering something like 'devotedly'. They were celebrated in a private chapel as I am sure you will appreciate the Old Rite has many enemies, particularly amongst those who should be friends. So best kept quiet and safe.

Rubricarius said...

Anonymous,
New lustral water could have been blessed before Mass and used for the aspersion during Vidi aquam.