Third week after the Paschal Octave

Third Sunday after Pascha - Sunday within the Octave of St. Joseph

The third Sunday after Pascha is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is white. The Gospel pericopes from St. John's Gospel have the LORD telling the Disciples that in a little while He will be going to the Father. It is also the Sunday within the Octave of the Solemnity of St. Joseph. Prior to the reform of 1911-13 this feast was celebrated on the third Sunday after Pascha but was subsequently moved to the third Wednesday after Easter. Privileged Votive Masses of the Solemnity of St. Joseph may be celebrated as noted below.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the psalms of Saturday were sung under the single antiphon, Alleluia. The chapter, Carissimi: Obsecro vos etc, was proper to the Sunday and the Office hymn was Ad regias Agni dapes. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of St. Antoninus and of the Octave of the Solemnity of St. Joseph. The Paschal Suffrage of the Cross was omitted due to the Octave and double feast. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Paschal Doxology and the Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory is the great proclamation of the Resurrection, Surrexit Dominus vere, Alleluia. The Office hymn is Rex sempiterne Caelitum. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the book of the Apocalypse of St. John. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from a sermon of St. Augustine and in the third nocturn St. Augustine also provides the homily on St. John's Gospel. At Lauds the Office hymn is Aurora caelum purpurat. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of the Octave of St. Joseph. The Paschal Commemoration of the Cross is omitted.

At Prime and the Hours the hymns have the Paschal Doxology. At Prime the Dominical preces are omitted due to the Octave.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Octave of St. Joseph. Today there is no third collect being a Sunday within an Octave. The Creed and the Paschaltide preface are sung.

Masses other than Conventual Masses may all be of the Solemnity of St. Joseph. The Mass Adjutor is sung, as on the feast. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday, the Creed is sung. The preface is of St. Joseph and the last Gospel is of the Sunday. The liturgical colour is white.

At Vespers the Dominical psalms (109, 110, 111, 112 & 113) are sung under the single antiphon Alleluia. The Office hymn is Ad regias Agni dapes. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of Nereus, Achilleus, Domitilla & Pancratius and of the Octave of St. Joseph. The Paschal Commemoration of the Cross in omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations at either Vespers. The feast of the Solemnity of St. Joseph and its Octave have been abolished. At Compline and at the Hours Te lucis is sung with the ordinary Doxology. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there is a commemoration of SS Philip & James (ten days late). At sung Mass there is a single collect, in said Masses a commemoration of SS Philip & James is made.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Second week after the Paschal Octave

Second Sunday after Pascha

The second Sunday after Pascha is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour, from Mattins this year, is white. It is sometimes referred to as 'Good Shepherd Sunday' from the words of the Epistle from I Peter "For you were as sheep gone astray: but you are now converted to the shepherd and bishop of your souls" and from the Gospel where the LORD proclaims "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep." The Sunday is also referred to as Misericordia after the opening words of the introit.

Yesterday afternoon second Vespers of the feast of the Invention of the Holy Cross were sung. The antiphons O magnum pietatis opus etc were sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 and 116. The Office hymn was the magnificent Vexilla regis, last heard towards the end of the Mass of the Pre-Sanctified on Good Friday morning, but the verse O Crux ave differed by one line, Paschale quae fers gaudium. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of the Sunday and of St. Monica. At Compline Te lucis was sung to the Paschal tone with the Doxology Deo Patri sit gloria etc and the Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory, Surrexit Dominus, and Office hymn, Rex sempiterne, are sung as last Sunday. Again, at the nocturns the psalms are sung under one antiphon. In the first nocturn the lessons are from the Acts of the Apostles. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from the first sermon on the Ascension of the Lord by St. Leo. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Gregory. At Lauds the Sunday psalms (Pss. 92, 99, 62, Benedicite & 148) are sung under a single antiphon. The Office hymn is Aurora caelum purpurat. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of St. Monica. The Paschal Commemoration of the Cross is omitted.

At the Hours the hymns are sung with the Paschal Doxology and the psalms are sung under a single antiphon consisting of a triple Alleluia. At Prime the Dominical psalms are sung Pss. 117, 118(i) & 118(ii). The Dominical preces are omitted.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Monica. Today there is no third collect. The Creed is sung and the preface is of Paschaltide.

At Vespers the Dominical psalms (109, 110, 111, 112 & 113) are sung under the single antiphon Alleluia. The Office hymn is Ad regias Agni dapes. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of St. Pius V and of St. Monica. The Paschal Commemoration of the Cross in omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the feast of the Invention of the Holy Cross has been struck from the Calendar. At Vespers, of the Sunday, there were are no commemorations. At Compline and the Little Hours the hymns are sung with the ordinary Doxology. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. There are no commemorations at Lauds. At Mass there is but a single collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal

First week after the Paschal Octave

Dominica in Albis - Low Sunday

Dominica in Albis, Low Sunday, is a greater-double of the first class and its liturgical colour, until Vespers this year, is white. The Sunday is also often referred to as Quasimodo from the first words of its introit. Anciently on this day, or on Saturday, 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. Indeed another name for the Sunday is 'Thomas Sunday'. The Office of the Octave of Pascha ended with the Office of None yesterday. Octaves for other feasts are resumed from today.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon 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,Deo Patri sit gloria, Et Filio qui a mortuis, Surrexit ac Paraclito, In sempiterna saecula, is sung at all hymns of Iambic metre until the Ascension. From this Office the dismissal, Benedicamus Domino, is sung without the double Alleluia that marked the Paschal Octave. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of St. Peter Canisius and of SS Cletus & Marcellinus. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted.

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 antiphon is Alleluia, * lapis revolutus est, alleluia: ab ostio monumenti, alleluia, alleluia and the lessons are from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Colossians. In the second nocturn the antiphon is Alleluia, * quem quaeris mulier? alleluia, alleluia, viventem cum mortuis, alleluia, alleluia and the lessons are taken from a sermon of St. Augustine on the Octave of Easter. In the third nocturn the antiphon is Alleluia, * noli flere Maria, alleluia: resurrexit Dominus, alleluia, alleluia and 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, Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. The Office hymn is Aurora caelum purpurat. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration of St. Peter Canisius is sung. The Suffrage is omitted.

At Prime (Pss. 117, 118i & 118ii) and the Hours the psalms are again sung under a single antiphon at each Hour, Alleluia, * alleluia, alleluia - which is not doubled of course, even today.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Peter Canisius. The Creed is sung and the preface is of Paschaltide (In hoc potissimum).

After None there is a colour change to red and first Vespers of the, translated, feast of St. Mark the Evangelist are sung. The antiphons Sancti tui etc are sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn is Tristes erant Apostoli. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the Sunday, of St. Paul of the Cross and of St. Peter Canisius.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations in the Office or at Mass. Mattins is reduced to a single nocturn of three lessons with the single antiphon Alleluia, lapis revolutus etc. At the Little Hours the Paschaltide Doxology is not sung with the hymns. At Mass there is a change to one word in the introit as 'rationabile' replaced 'rationabiles'. Vespers are of the Sunday. The feast of St. Mark is omitted this year unless it is locally first class.

Image: Jerome Nadal.

The Octave of Easter

N.B. In counties, such as England, where St. George is a D1Class the feast is transferred to Monday, 28th April. In those cases St. Mark's transferred feast is celebrated on Tuesday, 29th April.