Today is Ember Wednesday in the Octave of Pentecost, one of the summer Quarter-Tense days. It is of semi-double rite. The liturgical colour is the red of the Octave.
The Office is as on the feast, except for those parts that are proper, but the antiphons at Mattins, Lauds and Vespers are not doubled. At Mattins the invitatory, hymn, antiphons and psalms are those that were sung on the feast and the past two days. The versicle and response are proper to the day. The lessons of the homily are taken from the writings of St. Augustine on St. John's Gospel. At Lauds the antiphon on the Benedictus and collect are proper to the day. Commemorations are sung of St. Philip Neri and St. Eleutherius.
At the Hours all is celebrated as on Pentecost Sunday. At Terce the hymn is Veni Creator. The Pentecost Doxology is sung at the conclusion of hymns of Iambic metre.
Mass is sung after None, as on the Ember Days of the other seasons. Unlike the other Ember Days the deacon and subdeacon do not wear folded chasubles as the colour of the Octave is used. The Mass is proper. After the Kyrie Oremus is sung but without Flectamus genua. A collect follows, Mentes nostras, followed by lesson from the Acts of the Apostles. After the lesson an Alleluia is sung followed by the Gloria in excelsis then the collect Praesta, quaesumus. The collects are sung of St. Philip Neri and St. Eleutherius. The sequence Veni Sancte Spiritus is sung, the Creed is sung, the preface, Hanc igitur and communicantes are of Pentecost.
Vespers are as on the feast, except the antiphons are not doubled. The antiphon on the Magnificat and collect are proper. Commemorations are sung of St. Bede, St. Philip Neri and St. John I.
So whatever happened to the octave day of Pentecost?
ReplyDeleteIt certainly is not Trinity Sunday. Is it the first Sunday after Pentecost? I could see this, except for the color assigned in the missal.
A very good question indeed. Looking at the texts it appears that the Octaves of Pascha and Pentecost really only have seven days both ending with None on the following Saturday.
ReplyDeleteRespectfully, I don't think that is quite correct. The full title in the liturgical books for Low Sunday is "Dominica in albis in octava Paschae", so Easter, at least, has a true octave.
ReplyDeleteYet Easter Saturday has the same rubric after none in the breviary as the upcoming Ember Saturday, stating that the office of the octave is finished. Very strange.
Indeed there is the title of 'Octave Day' but the liturgy of Pascha has ended.
ReplyDeleteMattins has three nocturns, the hymns return from first Vespers of Dominica in albis along with antiphons at the Hours etc.
The characteristics peculiar to both the Offices of Pascha and Pentecost end with None on the Saturday following hence my comment.
Fr Finigan said in his Sermon on the Feast of Pentecost that really the ''Octave Day'' of Pentecost is the rest of eternity. Very interesting and food for thought...
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