Within the Octave of the Ascension

Today is the second day within the Octave of the Ascension. Days within the Octave are of semi-double rite. The Office is celebrated as on the feast yesterday but the antiphons at Mattins, Lauds and Vespers are not doubled. Proper lessons are given for each day within the Octave.

The psalms sung are those used on the feast. Mattins has three nocturns: in the first nocturn the lessons are from occurring scripture. Today the ninth lesson is of St. Boniface and a commemoration of his feast is sung at Lauds and Mass. The Ascension Doxology is sung at all hymns of Iambic metre. Because of the Octave the Commemoration of the Cross is not sung at Lauds and at Prime and Compline there are no preces.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect of St. Boniface, the third collect Concede nos. The Creed is sung and the preface and communicantes are proper to the Ascension.

Vespers are of the following feast of St. John Baptist de la Salle (the ferial psalms are sung) with a commemoration of the Octave.

Within the Octave feasts of nine lessons are celebrated in preference to the Office of the Octave, in which case the Octave is commemorated at Vespers, Lauds and Mass. The Ascension Doxology is sung at all hymns of Iambic metre regardless of feast. Unless has feast has a proper preface the preface and communicantes of the Ascension are said. When, for example, a double feast is celebrated the ferial psalms are sung in the Office whilst when the lower ranking day within the Octave is celebrated they are proper, a feature of the post 1911-13 Breviary.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Octave has been abolished from 1956. Today becomes a fourth class ferial day with St. Boniface reduced to a commemoration. Vespers today are ferial without a commemoration of the following feast and without the Commemoration of the Cross. Double feasts have been cut down to third class feasts of one nocturn. Although 'Ascensiontide' the Ascension Doxology is not sung at the Hours. At Mass the preface of the Ascension is sung but the communicantes for the Ascension is not said.