Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in Holy Week

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in Holy Week are privileged ferial days. Although of simple rite no feast may take precedence over them. A feast is either commemorated or transferred depending on its rank. Both St. Francis of Paula on Monday, and St. Isidore on Wednesday become simplified and are commemorated at Vespers, Lauds and Mass. The colour of these days remains violet.

On Monday Mattins has one nocturn. The lessons are taken from a homily of St. Augustine on St. John's Gospel account of the raising of Lazarus, the responsories are proper. At the second scheme of Lauds the antiphons are proper, Faciem meam etc. After the antiphon on the Benedictus has been repeated after the canticle the choir kneels and the ferial preces are sung followed by the, proper, collect of the day. A commemoration is then sung of St. Francis of Paula. These same antiphons, Faciem meam etc., are sung at the Hours. At Prime the chapter is the ferial Pacem. The ferial preces are also sung at each of the Hours, again the choir kneeling. At Mass, sung after None, the deacon and subdeacon wear folded chasubles, the second collect is of St. Francis of Paula, the preface is of the Cross, there is an Oratio super populum and the dismissal is Benedicamus Domino. Vespers follow Mass and are ferial with preces feriales again sung kneeling. After the collect of the day a commemoration is sung of St. Francis of Paula. At Compline, sung at the usual time, the Dominical preces are also sung kneeling.

Tuesday follows a similar pattern. At the nocturn the lessons are taken from Jeremiah the Prophet, the responsories are proper. At the second scheme of Lauds the antiphons are proper, Vidi, Domine etc, the ferial preces are sung, the choir kneeling. These antiphons are sung at the Hours. At Prime the chapter is the ferial Pacem. The ferial preces are also sung at the Hours, again the choir kneeling. At Mass, sung after None, the deacon and subdeacon wear folded chasubles, the second collect is Ecclesiae, for the Church. Today the Passion according to St. Mark is sung, following the same rules as on Palm Sunday. The Passion consists of Mark 14: 1-72; 15: 1-46. The deacon of the Mass sings the last part of the Passion, Et cum jam sero...ad ostium monumenti, with the usual ceremonies for the Gospel at Mass. The preface is of the Cross, there is an Oratio super populum and the dismissal is Benedicamus Domino. Vespers follow Mass and are ferial with preces feriales sung kneeling. After the collect of the day a commemoration is sung of St. Isidore. At Compline, sung at the usual time, the preces are also sung kneeling.

On Wednesday again a similar pattern is followed. At Mattins in the nocturn the lessons are again taken from the Prophet Jeremiah, the responsories are proper. At the second scheme of Lauds the antiphons are proper, Libera me etc, the ferial precesare sung with the choir kneeling. After the collect of the day a commemoration is sung of St. Isidore. These antiphons are sung at the Hours. The ferial preces are sung, kneeling, at the Hours. At Prime the chapter is the ferial Pacem and in the Martyrology the first announcement is that of Maundy Thursday:

Coena Dominica, quando Christus Jesus, pridie quam pro nostra salute crucifigeretur, mysteria Corporis et Sanguinis sui discipulis tradidit celebranda.

After today the Martyrology is not read until Holy Pascha. At Mass, sung after None, the deacon and subdeacon wear folded chasubles. After the Kyrie the celebrant chants Oremus, the deacon Flectamus genua and then the subdeacon Levate. The celebrant then chants the collect Praesta, quaesumus etc. There follows an OT pericope from Isaiah. A Gradual is then sung. Then Dominus vobiscum etc is sung, without Flectamus genua, and the collect of the Mass follows. The second collect is of St. Isidore. Then a second lesson from Isaiah follows and then the tract. On Wednesday in Holy Week the Passion according to St. Luke is sung at Mass. The text of the Passion is Luke 22: 1-71; 23: 1-53. The last part of the Passion, Videns autem centurio...haec videntes is sung by the deacon of the Mass with the usual ceremonies of the Gospel at Mass. The preface if of the Cross, there is an Oratio super populum and the dismissal is Bendicamus Domino. At Vespers the ferial preces are sung, kneeling. After the collect of the day a commemoration is sung of St. Isidore. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung kneeling.

On the evening of Spy Wednesday, Wednesday in Holy Week, Mattins and Lauds is sung in a special form known as Tenebrae.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' following the 'Restored' order of Holy Week dalmatic and tunicle are worn by the deacon and subdeacon rather than folded chasubles. No commemorations are allowed and there is no second collect in the Masses. Any text read by a lector, subdeacon or deacon is not read by the celebrant (extended throughout the year in the 1962 books). OHSI of 1955 orders the Orate fratres to be said in an audible voice and all present to respond. Ferial preces are sung only on Wednesday at Lauds and Vespers only. The Passion according to St. Mark on Tuesday is shortened: Mark 14: 32-72; 15: 1-46 as is the Passion according to St. Luke on Wednesday: Luke 22: 39-71; 23: 1-53. At Mass Ite, missa est is sung as the dismissal.