Sunday 15 April 2012

Dominica in Albis 'Low' Sunday


Low Sunday is interesting in that it is a Greater-double of the first class. The Sunday is also 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 from this Vespers. 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. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration was sung of St. Justin. From this Office the dismissal, Benedicamus Domino, is sung without the double Alleluia that marked Easter Week.

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.

At Prime (Pss. 117, 118i & 118ii) and the Hours the psalms are again sung under a single antiphon at each Hour.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, there is a single collect. The Creed is sung, the preface is of Paschaltide (In hoc potissimum).

At Vespers the Dominical psalms are sung under a single antiphon, Alleluia. The Office hymn is Ad regias Agni dapes.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' at Vespers there is no commemoration of St. Justin. At the Hours the Paschaltide Doxology is not sung. Mattins is reduced to one nocturn of three lessons. 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.

3 comments:

Peter said...

"At Mass there is a change to one word in the introit as 'rationabile' replaced 'rationabiles' in the 1953 edition of the Roman Missal."

Why on earth is that?!

Anonymous said...

An online search will show that, occasionally, the use of "rationabile" is found in this verse of Quasimodo Sunday, rather than "rationabiles".

We must remember, firstly, that the Latin text in the Pian missal for the sung texts of the Propers is the VETUS LATINA - the Old Latin version, dating from the second century, and in use before the Vulgate was done. So, there may be some room for expecting/accepting both when they appear.
+DM

Anonymous said...

Just be grateful that trads don't need to discuss the liturgically demented "Divine Mercy Sunday"