Ember Friday in Advent

The Ember Friday in Advent is a greater, non-privileged, ferial day of simple rite and its liturgical colour is violet.

At Mattins the invitatory is Prope est and the Office hymn is Verbum supernum. In the nocturn the antiphons Suscitavit Dominus etc, from the Psalter for Friday, are sung with psalms 77 (split into six divisi), 78, 80 & 82. The lessons are a homily from St. Ambrose on St. Luke's Gospel. Following the third lesson a third responsory, Germinaverunt etc, is sung. At Lauds the second schema is sung and so the antiphons appointed for the Friday before the Vigil of the Nativity, Constantes estote etc, are sung with psalms 50, 142, 84, Domine, audivi & 147. The Office hymn is En clara vox. After the antiphon on the Benedictus, Ex quo facta est, has been sung in full after the Canticle the choir kneels for the singing of the ferial preces. The same set of antiphons are sung with the Little Hours in the usual order. At Prime Pss. 21i, 21ii, 21iii & 98 the chapter is the ferial Pacem et veritatem etc. At the Hours the ferial preces are sung, the choir kneeling.

Mass is sung after None. The ministers wear violet folded chasubles. The texts are proper, the introit being Prope es tu etc. The second collect is Deus, qui de beatae and the third collect Ecclesiae. The dismissal is Benedicamus Domino sung by the deacon facing the altar. With the celebration of the Eucharist the Office of the Ember Day ends.

Vespers is of the Advent ferial day with the antiphons and psalms of the ferial Psalter. The Office hymn is Creator alme siderum. The antiphon on the Magnificat is proper to the seventeenth day, O radix Jesse, and is sung in full both before and after the Canticle with the choir standing. The choir kneels for the ferial preces and the collect of the previous Sunday is sung. At Compline the Domincal preces are sung, again the choir kneeling.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962 Ember Days become of second class rank. At Mattins and Lauds all the antiphons are doubled. Although the preces are sung at Lauds they are omitted at the Hours. Prime has but three psalms and the festal Regi saeculorum as the chapter. Mass is sung after Terce. The ministers wear dalmatic and tunicle. There is a single collect. The dismissal is Ite, missa est. The Office of the Ember Day continues through Vespers. The doubling of antiphons means the singular feature of the Great O antiphons is lost. The collect is of the Ember Day, not of the preceding Sunday. At Compline there are no preces.