Fourth Sunday after Pascha

The fourth Sunday after Pascha is of semidouble rite. The Gospel pericopes are from the sixteenth chapter of St. John where the LORD talks of His ascending to Heaven and the coming of the Paraclete. The Epistle at Mass and the first nocturn lessons, this year, are from the Epistle of St. James. The Epistle begins with the beautiful passage "Omne datum optimum, et omne donum perfectum desursum est, descendens a Patre luminum, apud quem non est transmutatio, nec vicissitudinis obumbratio." Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the psalms of Saturday were sung under a single antiphon. The Office hymn was Ad regias Agni dapes. After the collect of the Sunday the Commemoration of the Cross was sung. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Paschaltide Doxology and the Dominical preces were sung.

At Mattins the invitatory and hymn are sung as previous Sundays of Paschaltide. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the Epistle of St. James. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from the Treatise of St. Cyprian on the boon of patience. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Augustine. At Lauds the Sunday psalms are sung under a single antiphon, Alleluia. After the collect of the Sunday the Commemoration of the Cross is sung.

At the Hours the hymns have the Paschaltide Doxology, the psalms are sung under a single antiphon consisting of a triple Alleluia. At Prime the Dominical psalms are sung (Pss. 117, 118i & 118ii), as are the Dominical preces.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is Concede nos, the third collect Ecclesiae. The Creed is sung and the preface is of Paschaltide.

Vespers are of the Sunday. The Sunday psalms are sung under a single antiphon. The Office hymn is Ad regias Agni dapes. After the collect of the Sunday the Commemoration of the Cross is sung. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Commemoration of the Cross in not sung at either Vespers or at Lauds. Mattins is cut down to one nocturn. The hymns at the Little Hours do not have the Paschaltide Doxology. At Mass there is one collect only.

Art: Jerome Nadal