Ferial Office in Paschaltide

The ferial Office in Paschaltide differs from the ferial Office per annum in a number of ways. The joyful character of the season is reflected in the Office.

At Mattins the nine psalms of the nocturn are sung under one antiphon, Alleluia. Three lessons from the Epistle of St. James are read (the first with one of my favourite texts Omne datum optimum, et omne donum perfectum desursum est, descendens a Patre luminum etc.) After the third lesson the Te Deum is sung. At Lauds again the psalms are sung under one antiphon. After the collect of the preceding Sunday the Commemoration of the Cross is sung:

Ant. Crucifixus surrexit a mortuis, et redemit nos, alleluia, alleluia.

V. Dicite in nationibus, alleluia. R. Quia Dominus regnavit a ligno, alleluia.

Oremus. Deus, qui pro nobis Filium tuum Crucis patibulum subire voluisti, ut inimici a nobis expelleres potestatem: concede nobis, famulis tuis; ut resurrectionis gratiam consequamur. Per eumdem Dominum nostrum etc.

At Prime and the Hours the psalms are again sung with Alleluia as the antiphon. The brief responsory has additional Alleluia added, the Dominical preces are sung (standing of course). The Paschaltide Doxology (and tones) are sung at the Hours.

Mass follows Sext. The Mass of the preceding Sunday, Cantate Domino, is sung without the Credo. However, the Gloria is sung on ferial days in Paschaltide. The collects de tempore are Concede nos (in honour of the Blessed Virgin) and Ecclesiae (for the Church). In private Masses additional collects may be added ensuring the total number is always uneven and does not exceed seven.

Vespers (if tomorrow were also a ferial day) would have the five psalms sung under one antiphon and the Commemoration of the Cross. As tomorrow is the feast of SS Nereus, Achilleus, Domitilla and Pancras first Vespers of their feast is sung with the Commemoration of the Cross.

Before the 1911-13 reform the festal character of Paschaltide was even more pronounced with Prime having the festal psalms (53 and the first two stanzas of 118) for all Paschaltide feriae.

A complimentary copy of Ordo Recitandi will be sent to the poster of the first comment to identify the picture above. I wish it were my private chapel...