Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity

Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour, from Mattins, is white.

Vespers yesterday afternoon were of the Holy Innocents celebrated in violet vestments. The antiphons, doubled, and psalms (109, 110, 111, 129 & 131) were of the Nativity with the Office from the chapter of the Holy Innocents. The chapter was Vidi supra montem etc and the Office hymn Salvete, flores Martyrum. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of the Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity, of St. Thomas of Canterbury and of the Octave of the Nativity.

At Mattins the liturgical colour changes to white. The invitatory and hymn, antiphons (not doubled) and psalms are those that were sung on the feast of the Nativity. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the Epistle to the Romans. In the second nocturn the lessons are from St. Leo on the Nativity. In the third nocturn the homily is taken from St. Augustine's writings on the second chapter of St. Luke's Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons from the Nativity, Quem vidistis etc., are sung (not doubled) with psalms 92, 99, 62, Benedicite and 148. The chapter and antiphon on the Benedictus are proper to the Sunday as is the collect. The Office hymn is A solis ortus cardine. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of St. Thomas of Canterbury and of the Octave of the Nativity.

At the Hours the antiphons from Lauds are sung with the festal psalms. The hymns of the Hours are sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation. At Prime (Pss. 53, 118i, & 118ii) the lectio brevis is proper to the Sunday, Itaque jam non est servus.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Mass formulary isDum mediumetc. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Thomas of Canterbury, third collect is of the Octave of the Nativity. The Credo is sung and the preface and communicantes are of the Nativity.

Vespers of the Nativity are sung, from the chapter of the Sunday. The Office hymn is Jesu, Redemptor omnium. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the Octave of the Nativity (the antiphon on the Magnificat being Hodie Christus natus est etc) and of St. Thomas of Canterbury.

In England the feast of St. Thomas of Canterbury is a Double of the First Class or Double of the Second Class, depending on particular dioceses, and takes precedence over the Sunday. The feast is celebrated in red vestments. The Sunday within the Octave and Octave are commemorated.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' at Vespers red vestments are worn and there is a commemoration of the Sunday only. Mattins has the psalmody of the Nativity (with the curtailed Ps. 88 ) and the usual cut-down single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At the Hours the antiphons and psalmody of Sunday are sung, rather than the festal ones of the Octave (at Prime Pss. 117, 1181, 118ii and the lectio brevis of 'the season'). There is no proper Doxology (or melody) at the hymns of the Hours. Mass has but a single collect. Vespers are of the Nativity without any commemorations.