Octave Day of the Holy Innocents

Today is the Octave Day of the Holy Innocents. It is of simple rite. The liturgical colour, unlike the feast itself, is red.

At Mattins the invitatory and hymn are as on the feast but the psalmody is ferial. In the nocturn the first and second lessons are from the Epistle to the Romans, the third lesson is proper to the feast and is followed by the Te Deum. At Lauds the psalmody is ferial but the chapter, hymn, antiphon on the Benedictus and collect are as on the feast.

At the Little Hours the psalmody is again ferial, the hymns have the Doxology and melody in honour of the Incarnation.

Mass is sung after Sext. The Mass is as on the feast but the Gloria is sung, the second collect is Deus, qui salutis the third collect Ecclesiae. Unlike the feast the Alleluia and its verse are sung in place of the Tract. The preface is that of the Nativity. Although a simple ranking Octave Day private Votive Masses are not allowed this day.

Vespers are of the Vigil of Epiphany. The antiphons are proper and the psalms are of the BVM. A commemoration is sung of St. Telesphorus.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the day is a ferial day of Christmastide. The Holy Innocents have lost their Octave. Although of Christmastide the hymns of the Hours do not have the Doxology or melody of the Incarnation. The Mass is as on January 1st with one collect. Vespers are of the feria - the Vigil of the Epiphany has been abolished too. Before 1911-13 the Octave Day was of double rite with nine lessons.