Friday 22 May 2009

Within the Octave

Today is the second day within the Octave of the Ascension.

The days within the Octave are celebrated as on the feast with the following exceptions. The rank of days within the Octave is semi-double so the antiphons are not doubled at Mattins, Lauds or Vespers.

The psalms are used as on the feast. Mattins has three nocturns: in the first nocturn the lessons are from occuring scripture. The Ascension Doxology is sung at all hymns of Iambic metre. Because of the Octave the Commemoration of the Cross is not sung at Lauds and at Prime and Compline there are no preces.

Mass follows Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect Concede nos, the third collect Ecclesiae. The Creed is sung and the preface and communicantes are proper to the Ascension.

Vespers are of the Octave, the antiphons on the psalms and Magnificat are not, of course, doubled.

Saturday is the third day within the Octave and the same structure is followed except for Vespers which are of the following Sunday within the Octave with a commemoration of the Octave.

According to the 'liturgical books of 1962' today is a fourth class feria of Ascension time. Mattins has but one nocturn of three lessons, the ferial psalter is used. At Mass there is one collect, no Creed and no proper communicantes. Saturday is kept as the Office of the BVM on Saturday.

2 comments:

Patrick Sheridan said...

Rubricarii, what are the rules for additional Collects at a Votive Mass of Our Lady...or any Votive Mass for that matter?

Rubricarius said...

It depends on the season amongst other factors. In Paschaltide the second collect would be of the Office of the day, the third of the Holy Ghost.

There is a table in the Ordo that gives details.