St. Bede the Venerable

Today is the feast of St. Bede the Venerable within the Octave of the Ascension. It is interesting to see how a double feast 'fits in' with a third order privileged Octave.

At Mattins the antiphons and psalms are from the feria (in contrast to the Office of the Octave), in the first nocturn the lessons are from occuring scripture and in the third nocturn the ninth lesson is for St. John I pope and martyr. At Lauds again the antiphons and psalms are ferial but a commemoration of the Octave and St. John is sung.

At the Little Hours the ferial psalter is used, hymns of Iambic metre have the Ascension Doxology and tone. At Prime in the Martryology the first place is the announcement of tomorrow's Octave Day of the Ascension.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Octave, the third of St. John. The Credo is sung, the preface and communicantes in the Canon are of the Ascension. (If we were not in the Octave the Creed would still be sung as St. Bede is a Doctor of the Church.)

Vespers are first Vespers of the Octave Day of the Ascension with a commemoration of St. Bede and St. Augustine of Canterbury.