The Octave Day of the Epiphany

The Octave Day of the Epiphany is of greater-double rite and its liturgical colour is white, that of the feast and Octave. When the feast of the Epiphany falls on a Sunday the feast of The Holy Family - inserted into the Calendar in 1921 on the Sunday within the Octave of the Epiphany - is anticipated, along with the Sunday within the Octave of the Epiphany, on the Saturday before the Octave Day.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Ante luciferum genitus etc were sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113. The chapter was Surge, illuminare, Jerusalem and the Office hymn was Crudelis Herodes. The Doxology was that of the feast Jesu, tibi...Qui apparuisti etc. After the collect of the Octave Day, Deus, cujus Unigenitus (proper to the Octave Day), commemorations were sung of the preceding feast of the Holy Family and of the Sunday within the Octave. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Doxology and tone of the feast.

At Mattins the invitatory, Christus apparuit nobis, Venite adoremus, and hymn, Crudelis Herodis Deum, are sung as on other days within the Octave, the special arrangement being for the feast only. In the first nocturn the antiphons Afferte Domino etc are sung, doubled, with Pss. 28, 45 & 46. The lessons are the Incipit of the first Epistle to the Corinthians with the first responsory being Hodie. In the second nocturn the antiphons Omnis terra adoret te etc are sung with Pss. 65, 71 &85. The lessons are from a sermon of St. Gregory the Theologian. In the third nocturn the antiphons Homo natus est etc are sung with Pss. 86, 95 & 96. The homily if from St. Augustine. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds all is as on the feast, the antiphons Ante luciferum genitus etc are sung with Pss. 92, 99, 62, Benedicite & 148. The Office hymn is O sola magnarum urbium. The collect is Deus, cujus Unigenitus. No commemorations are made.

At the Hours the hymns have the Doxology and melody of the Epiphany. The antiphons and festal psalms are sung as on the feast but with the proper collect of the Octave Day. At Prime the lectio brevis is Omnes de Saba venient etc.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Mass formulary is the same as on the feast except the orations and Gospel are proper. There are no commemorations. The Gloria is sung, the Creed is sung and the preface and communicantes are of the Epiphany.

At Vespers the antiphons Ante luciferum genitus are again sung with Pss. 109, 110 111, 112 & 113. The antiphon on the Magnificat is Tribus miraculis and the collect is of the Octave Day. After the collect of the Octave Day commemorations are sung of tomorrow's feast of St. Hilary of Poitiers and of St. Felix.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Octave, and of course the Octave Day, have been abolished. The former Octave Day was rebranded as the feast of the Baptism of the LORD in the 1955 stage of the reform and celebrated as a greater-double. In the 1960/61 revisions the feast became II Class. However, when it falls on a Sunday it is omitted and the feast of the Holy Family is celebrated in its place. At the Hours the Dominical antiphons are sung. At Prime psalm 53 is not sung but Ps. 117. The hymns do not have the Doxology in honour of the Holy Family, or that of the Epiphany. At Mass there is a single collect and no commemoration of the Baptism of the LORD or the Sunday. In the Ordinary Form of the 'liturgical books of 1962' today is kept as the Baptism of the LORD.

Icon: Russian, 15th century, Wikipedia