Third Sunday after Pascha

The Third Sunday after Pascha is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is white. It is also the Sunday within the Octave of the Solemnity of St. Joseph. The Gospel pericopes from St. John's Gospel have the LORD telling the Disciples that in a little while He will be going to the Father.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the psalms of Saturday were sung under the single antiphon Alleluia. The Office hymn was Ad regias Agni dapes. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Antoninus and of Octave of St. Joseph. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Paschal Doxology, the Dominical preces were omitted due to the concurring double feast and Octave.

At Mattins the invitatory is the great proclamation of the Resurrection, Surrexit Dominus vere, Alleluia. The Office hymn is Rex sempiterne Caelitum. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the book of the Apocalypse of St. John. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from a sermon of St. Augustine and in the third nocturn St. Augustine also provides the homily on St. John's Gospel. At Lauds, after the collect of the Sunday, a commemoration is sung of the Octave of St. Joseph. The Paschal Commemoration of the Cross is omitted due to the Octave.

At Prime and the Hours the hymns have the Paschal Doxology. At Prime the Dominical preces are omitted due to the Octave.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Octave. There is no third collect as it is a Sunday within an Octave. The Creed is sung and the Paschaltide preface is sung.

Masses other than Conventual Masses may all be of the Solemnity of St. Joseph. Before the reform of 1911-13 this feast was celebrated on the Third Sunday after Pascha. The Mass Adjutor is sung, as on the feast. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday, the Creed is sung. The preface is of St. Joseph and the last Gospel is of the Sunday. The liturgical colour is white.

Vespers are of the Sunday with the Dominical psalms sung under a single antiphon. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following Office of SS Nereus & Others and of the Octave of St Joseph. The Paschal Commemoration of the Cross is omitted due to the Octave. At Compline the Domincal preces are also omitted due to the Octave.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations at either Vespers. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there is a commemoration of SS Philip and James - scandalously displaced from their ancient place in the Calendar on the Kalends of May by 'Jerz the Werz'. At the Hours the hymns are sung without the Paschal Doxology. If sung Mass has but a single collect, otherwise a commemoration is made of SS Philip and James. The feast and Octave of the Solemnity of St. Joseph have been abolished - indeed the tiny minority of Traddies even aware of its existence seem to be desperately trying to find reasons to like 'Jerz the Werz' - and failing in that, necessarily, absurd process.

Art: Jerome Nadal