Dominica in Albis - Low Sunday

Low Sunday or the Octave of Easter in interesting in that it is a greater-double of the first class. The Sunday is often referred to as Quasimodo from the first words of its introit. Anciently on this day those who had been baptised on Holy Saturday took off their white robes which had been worn since the Oil of Catechumens and Chrism had been lavished upon them on Holy Saturday. The Gospel at Mattins and Mass is the account of the LORD appearing in to His disciples behind the shut doors of the room and the doubting of St. Thomas.

At Vespers yesterday the psalms of Saturday were sung under the single antiphon, Alleluia. Chapters and hymns return to the Office. The Paschaltide hymn Ad regias Agni dapes was sung. Its Doxology is sung at all hymns of Iambic metre: Deo Patri sit gloria, Et Filio qui a mortuis, Surrexit ac Paraclito, In sempiterna saecula. A commemoration was sung of St. Leo the Great. From this Office the dismissal, Benedicamus Domino, is sung without Alleluia.

At Mattins the invitatory Surrexit Dominus vere Alleluia continues to be sung. The Office hymn is Rex Sempiterne Caelitum. The psalms of each nocturn are sung under a single antiphon. In the first nocturn the lessons are from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Colossians. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from a sermon of St. Augustine on the Octave of Easter. In the third nocturn the homily is from the writings of St. Gregory on St. John's Gospel. At Lauds the Sunday psalms (Pss. 92, 99, 62, Benedicite & 148) are sung under a single antiphon. The Office hymn is Aurora caelum purpurat. A commemoration is sung of St. Leo.

At Prime and the Hours the psalms are again sung under a single antiphon at each Hour.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, a commemoration is sung of St. Leo. The Creed is sung, the preface is of Paschaltide (In hoc potissimum).

At Vespers the psalms of Sunday are sung under a single antiphon. The Office hymn is again Ad regias Agni dapes. A commemoration is sung of St. Leo.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' at Vespers there is no commemoration of St. Leo. At the Hours the Paschaltide Doxology is not sung. Mattins is reduced to one nocturn of three lessons. There is no commemoration of St. Leo at Lauds, Mass or Vespers. At Mass there is a change to one word in the introit as 'rationabile' replaced 'rationabiles' in the 1953 edition of the Roman Missal.

Image: Jerome Nadal.