Sunday 24 April 2011

Dominica Resurrectionis - Holy Pascha

Hac die quam fecit Dominus, Solemnitas solemnitatum, et Pascha nostrum Resurrectio Salvatoris nostri Jesu Christi secundum carnem. These glorious words are sung, to a the tone of the Passion, at Prime today at the reading of the Martyrology before the announcement of the day and moon for the following day.

Holy Pascha is a Double of the First Class with a privileged Octave of the first Order. Mattins was described in the previous post. The day's Office begins this morning with Prime. There are no hymns at the Hours during the entire Octave in the Roman rite. At Prime psalms 53 and the first two stanza of Ps. 118 are sung to a special form of Tone 2. Haec Dies is sung after the psalmody and then everything else is omitted up to the collect Domine Deus omnipotens. The Martyrology is then sung, starting with the verse indicated above. Then Santa Maria etc is sung, the collect Dirigere et sanctificare etc and the short lesson Si consurrexistis. Terce, and the other Little Hours, are even more simple in their structure. At Terce the usual stanzas of Ps. 118 are sung to the special Tone 2 form followed by Haec dies and the collect of the day.

Mass is sung after Terce. Instead of Asperges me the Paschatide Vidi aquam is sung today and all other Sundays in Paschaltide. In the great Mass of Easter, Resurrexi, the Gloria is sung, one collect is sung. Haec dies is sung as the Gradual. The sequence Victimae paschali laudes is sung after the Alleluia. The Creed is sung and Ite missa est alleluia, alleluia is sung as the dismissal.

Sext and None have exactly the same structure as Terce. At Vespers the antiphons sung at Lauds, Angelus autem Domini etc, are are sung with the usual Sunday psalms. Haec dies is sung in place of the chapter, hymn and versicle & response. The solemn tone is used for Benedicamus Domino, alleluia, alleluia.

At Compline the usual psalms are sung to Tone 8G without any preceding antiphon, followed by an antiphon consisting of Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. This is followed by the Nunc dimittis sung to the Paschal Tone 2, without antiphons. Haec dies is then sung followed by the collect Visita quaesumus etc and then, as yesterday the antiphon Regina coeli etc.

4 comments:

Xenophobic hobbledehoy said...

Merry Paschaltide!

Fun liturgical fact:

Throughout the Paschal Triduum at Vespers the Calced Carmelites have a peculiar form of Vespers. After the Pater and Ave, the Office commences immediately with the ninefold Kyrie, the Deus in adjutorium, &c., being ommited. The Dominical Psalms are said with the fourfold Alleluia as the single Antiphon. A series of versicles that very much resemble a Gradual follow and then the beautiful text of the Sequence (though here it is called a "Prosa") Victimæ paschali laudes follows, after which the Magnificant and its Antiphon are chanted and the Collect is prayed. The double Alleluia accompanies the concluding Benedicamus Domino.

At Vespers after the Paschal Triduum, the ninefold Kyrie is dropped and the Deus in adjutorium, &c., is taken up again. The rest of the Office remains the same throughout the Paschal Octave.

Rubricarius said...

XH,

And with thy spirit!

The Premonstratensian Vespers is rather interesting too retaining, surprisingly, elements of Baptismal Vespers.

Sarum, with its procession to the font etc, started the the Kyrie too.

In haste, R.

Capreolus said...

Dear Rubricarius,

A most blessed and holy Pascha to you! You were remembered at the Mass of the Easter Vigil. May God foster and second your labors for the sacred Liturgy!

It is very gratifying to see in ever more places a return (albeit sometimes partial and hesitating, like the first steps of someone recovering from a long illness) to the ancient Roman rite. I know that I myself have greatly profited from your knowledge that you so generously share here.

Surrexit Dominus!

Rubricarius said...

Dear Fr. Capreolus,

Thank you for your kindness.

It is certainly interesting to see the photographs and reports on the Web of the 'cheating' or trying to put in as much Old Rite into the 1962 rites as they can/dare. Not wearing dalmatic and tunicle at SS. Trinità dei Pellegrini being a notable example. Would it not be simpler if they just wore planetis plicatis? Perhaps they did on Good Friday as they have not (as yet) published photographs of their 'Solemn Liturgical Afternoon Action of the Passion and Death of the Lord.'