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 and its liturgical colour, from Mattins until None this year, is white. The structure of the Office is as last Sunday. The Gospel pericopes from St. Luke have the parable of the shepherd going after one sheep missing from his hundred strong flock. This year today is also the Sunday within the Octave of St. John the Baptist and Sunday within the Octave of SS Peter and Paul (although the latter is not commemorated in the liturgy today due to the occurring Office of the Commemoration of St. Paul the Apostle).

Yesterday afternoon second Vespers of the feast of SS Peter and Paul were sung. The antiphons Juravit Dominus etc were sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 112, 115, 125 & 138. The chapter was Misit Herodes and the Office hymn of the feast, Decora lux. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of the Sunday and of the Octave of the Sacred Heart. 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 the Commemoration of St. Paul the Apostle, of St. Peter, of the Octave of the Sacred Heart and of the Octave of St. John the Baptist. 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. Paul, the third collect is of St. Peter, the fourth collect is of the Octave of the Sacred Heart and the fifth collect is of the Octave of St. John the Baptist. The Creed is sung, the preface is of the Sacred Heart.

At Vespers there is a colour change to red and first Vespers of the feast of the Precious Blood are sung. The antiphons Quis est iste etc are sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 and 116. The Office hymn is Festivis resonent compita vocibus. After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of Sunday. The Suffrage is omitted. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Octave of the Sacred Heart has been abolished as have the Octaves of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist and SS Peter and Paul. The liturgical colour of the day is green. 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