Ember Wednesday in the Octave of Pentecost

Ember Wednesday in the Octave of Pentecost is one of the summer Quarter-Tense days. It is of semi-double rite, as are the remaining days within the Octave. 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 Wednesday. The lessons of the homily continue to be 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. A commemoration is sung of the martrys SS Vitus, Modestus and Crescentia.

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. The collect is proper to the Ember Wednesday.

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, so they wear red dalmatic and tunicle. 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. A commemoration is sung of SS Vitus, Modestus and Crescentia. 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.