Within the Octave

Monday within the Octave is the feast of St. Norbert which is of double rank and takes precedence over the semi-double Monday within the Octave. The Octave is commemorated at Lauds, Mass and Vespers. Interestingly during third-order Octaves when a double feast is celebrated the psalmody is taken from the ferial psalter at all the hours although for the lower-ranking days within the Octave festal psalmody is sung.

Tuesday and Wednesday are both days within the Octave. In the Office the antiphons and psalmody are as on the feast, except the antiphons are not doubled. At Mattins, on Monday the second nocturn lessons are from a sermon on the Ascension from St. Chrysostom and the third nocturn homily from St. Gregory; on Tuesday in the first nocturn the Incipit of the second Epistle of St. John is read, the second nocturn lessons are from the writings of St. Maximus and the third nocturn homily again from St. Gregory. At Mass the Gloria is sung, the second collect is Concede nos, the third collect Ecclesiae. The Creed is sung, the preface and communicantes are of the Ascension.

On Thursday the Octave Day is of double rite. At Vespers, Mattins and Lauds the antiphons are doubled. At Mattins the first nocturn lessons are taken from St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians, in the second nocturn lessons are from a sermon of St. Augustine on the Ascension and St. Gregory provides the homily for the third nocturn. A commemoration of the Martyrs SS Primus and Felician is sung at first Vespers, Lauds and Mass. At Mass the Gloria and Creed are sung, the preface and communicantes are of the Ascension. At Vespers a commemoration is sung of the following feast of St. Margaret of Scotland.

Friday's feast of St. Margaret of Scotland is of semi-double rite. At Mattins the Incipit of the third Epistle of St. John is read. A commemoration of the ferial day is made at Lauds. Although a semi-double the Commemoration of the Cross is omitted at Lauds. The Dominical preces are omitted at Prime. At Mass the Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the ferial day, the third collect Concede nos and the preface (but not the communicantes) of the Ascension.

In the rocky horror service books aka the 'EF' the Octave has, of course, been abolished and replaced by 'Ascensiontide'. The antiphons and psalms come from the ferial psalter. The Incipit of the third Epistle of St. John is read on Thursday and on Friday - renamed 'Friday before the Vigil of Pentecost', rather strangely as they don't keep the proper Vigil - the Incipit of St. Jude is read. On the former days within the Octave at Mass the Gloria is said however there is only one collect, no Creed and no communicantes of the Ascension.