Sunday within the Octave of the Sacred Heart - Third Sunday after Pentecost

Sunday within the Octave of the Sacred Heart, the third Sunday after Pentecost, is of semi-double rite. The structure of the Office is as last Sunday and again the liturgical colour is white. The Gospel pericopes from St. Luke have the parable of the shepherd going after one sheep missing from his hundred strong flock.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons as on the feast of the Sacred Heart, Suavi jugo tuo etc were sung, but not doubled, with Pss. 109, 110, 111, 115 & 129. The chapter was of the Sunday and the Office hymn of the feast, En ut superba criminum. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the Octave and of St. Margaret of Scotland. The Suffrage was omitted. At Compline the Dominical psalms were sung and Te lucis had the Doxology and tone of the Octave. The Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory, hymn, antiphons and psalms are as on the feast of the Sacred Heart but the antiphons are not doubled. In the first nocturn the lessons are a continuation of the First Book of the Kings. The responses are of the Octave. In the second nocturn the lessons are from the Encyclical of Pius XI in 1928 that, inter alia, gave the feast an Octave. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Gregory on St. Lukes Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons Unus militum etc are sung, as on the feast, with the Dominical psalms. The Office hymn is Cor, arca legem continens. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of St. Margaret and of the Octave of the Sacred Heart. The Suffrage is omitted.

At the Hours the hymns have the Doxology Jesu tibi sit gloria, Qui Corde fundis gratiam etc. The antiphons from Lauds are sung in the normal sequence at the Hours. At Prime the festal psalms are sung (Pss. 53, 118i & 118ii). In the short responsory the versicle Qui Corde fundis gratiam is sung. The lectio brevis is of the Sunday, Deus autem.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Margaret, the third collect of the Octave of the Sacred Heart. The Creed is sung, the preface is of the Sacred Heart.

At Vespers the antiphons Unus militum etc, not doubled, are sung with psalms 109, 110, 115, 127 & 147. The Office hymn is again En ut superba criminum. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following feast of St. Barnabas, of St. Margaret and of the Octave of the Sacred Heart. The Suffrage is omitted. At Compline Te lucis has the Doxology and tone of the Octave, the Dominical preces are omitted.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Octave of the Sacred Heart has been abolished. The liturgical colour of the day is green. At both Vespers there are no commemorations. Mattins is is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there are no commemorations. Mass has a single collect and the preface of the Trinity.

Art: Jerome Nadal