Second Sunday after Pascha

The Second Sunday after Pascha is sometimes referred to as 'Good Shepherd Sunday' from the words of the Epistle from I Peter "For you were as sheep gone astray: but you are now converted to the shepherd and bishop of your souls" and from the Gospel where the LORD proclaims "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep." The Sunday is also often referred to as Misericordia after the opening words of the introit. The Sunday is of semi-double rite and the liturgical colour of the Sunday is white.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the psalms of Vespers for Saturday were sung under a single antiphon, Alleluia. The chapter, Carissimi: Christus passus est pro nobis etc, was proper to the Sunday, the Office hymn was Ad regias Agni dapes. The antiphon on the Magnificat reinforced the theme of the Sunday, Ego sum pastor ovium. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Stanislaus and of the Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel. At Compline Te lucis was sung to the Paschal tone with the Doxology Deo Patri sit gloria etc and the Dominical preces were omitted due to the concurring and occurring double feasts.

At Mattins the invitatory, Surrexit Dominus, and hymn, Rex sempiterne, are sung as last Sunday. Again, at the nocturns the psalms are sung under one antiphon. In the first nocturn the lessons are from the Acts of the Apostles. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from the first sermon on the Ascension of the Lord by St. Leo. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Gregory. At Lauds the Sunday psalms (Pss. 92, 99, 62, Benedicite & 148) are sung under a single antiphon. The Office hymn is Aurora caelum purpurat. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of the Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel.

At the Hours the psalms are sung under an antiphon consisting of a triple Alleluia. At Prime the Dominical psalms are sung (Pss. 117, 118i & 118ii), the Dominical preces are omitted.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is for the Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel. The Credo is sung, the preface is of Paschaltide and the last Gospel is of the commemorated feast of the Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel.

Vespers are of the Sunday, with the psalms sung under a single antiphon. After the collect of the day commemorations are sung of the following Office of St. Gregory Nazianzen and of the Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted due to the double feasts.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations at Vespers. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. There are no commemorations at Lauds. The hymns at the Little Hours do not have the Paschaltide Doxology. At Mass there is only one collect. The feast of the Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel has been excised from the Kalendar.

Art: Jerome Nadal