The Holy Name

The feast of the Holy Name of Jesus and is a Double of the Second Class and its liturgical colour is white. This feast takes the place of the second 'vacant' Sunday after the Nativity or, when no Sunday falls between the Circumcision and the Epiphany, it is kept on January 2nd. The feast was granted to the Franciscan Order in 1530 to be kept on 14th January. In 1721 the feast was extended to the Universal Calendar to be kept on the second Sunday after the Epiphany. Following the 1911-13 reform the feast was moved to the Sunday between the Circumcision and Epiphany or kept on January 2nd if no such Sunday occurs. In the Sarum Rite the feast was kept on August 7th and that date still appears in the Calendar of the Book of Common Prayer.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the, proper, antiphons Omnis qui invocaverit etc were sung with Psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 and 115. The Office hymn was Jesu, dulcis memoria. No commemorations were sung. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Doxology and melody of the Incarnation and the Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory is Admirabile nomen Jesu etc and the Office hymn is Jesu, Rex admirabilis etc. In the first nocturn the antiphons Domine, Dominus noster etc are sung with psalms 8, 18 & 23 and the lessons are from the Acts of the Apostles. In the second nocturn the antiphons Memores erunt etc are sung with psalms 44, 45 & 86 and lessons are taken from a sermon of St. Bernard. In the third nocturn the antiphons Cantate Domino etc are sung with psalms 95, 96 & 97. The homily is also from St. Bernard. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons are again proper, Oleum effusum etc sung with psalms 92, 99, 62, Benedicite and 148. The Office hymn is Jesu, decus angelicum. After the collect of the feast a commemorations is sung of the Octave Day of the Holy Innocents.

At the Hours the antiphons from Lauds are sung in the usual order with the festal psalms. The Doxologies of the hymns at the Little Hours are changed in honour of the Incarnation, Jesu, tibi sit gloria etc. At Prime (Pss. 53, 118i & 118ii) the short lesson is proper, Omne quodcumque.

The Mass is proper, In nomine Jesu. The Gloria is sung. In said Masses the second collect is of the Octave Day of the Holy Innocents. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Nativity.

At second Vespers the antiphons Omnis qui invocaverit etc are again sung with Psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 and 115. The Office hymn is Jesu, dulcis memoria. After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the following Vigil of the Epiphany. At Compline Te lucis is sung with the Doxology and melody of the Incarnation and the Dominical preces are omitted.


In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the feast is II Class but, as it falls on a Sunday, it gains first Vespers. At Compline and at the Hours the hymns do not have their Doxologies changed. At the Hours the antiphons are from the Sunday Office, not of the feast (at Prime Pss. 117, 118i & 118ii and the short lesson is from the season, Ipsi peribunt). At Vespers there is no commemoration of the Vigil of the Epiphany as that has been abolished.