Second Sunday after Pascha

The second Sunday after Pascha is sometimes referred to as 'Good Shepherd Sunday' from the words of the Epistle from I Peter "For you were as sheep gone astray: but you are now converted to the shepherd and bishop of your souls" and from the Gospel where the LORD proclaims "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep." The Sunday is also referred to as Misericordia after the opening words of the introit. The Sunday is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour, from Mattins this year, is white.

Yesterday afternoon second Vespers for the feast of St. Mark the Evangelist were sung. The antiphons Sancti tui etc were sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 112, 115, 125 & 138. The Office hymn was Tristes erant Apostoli. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of the Sunday and of SS Cletus & Marcellinus. The Paschal Suffrage of the Cross was omitted due to the double feast. At Compline Te lucis was sung to the Paschal tone with the Doxology Deo Patri sit gloria etc and the Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory, Surrexit Dominus, and Office hymn, Rex sempiterne, are sung as last Sunday. Again, at the nocturns the psalms are sung under one antiphon. In the first nocturn the lessons are from the Acts of the Apostles. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from the first sermon on the Ascension of the Lord by St. Leo. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Gregory. At Lauds the Sunday psalms (Pss. 92, 99, 62, Benedicite & 148) are sung under a single antiphon. The Office hymn is Aurora caelum purpurat. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of SS Cletus & Marcellinus followed by the Paschal Commemoration of the Cross.

At the Hours the hymns are sung with the Paschal Doxology and the psalms are sung under a single antiphon consisting of a triple Alleluia. At Prime the Dominical psalms are sung (Pss. 117, 118i & 118ii. The Dominical preces are sung.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of SS Cletus & Marcellinus, the third collect is Concede nos. The Creed is sung and the preface is of Paschaltide.

At Vespers the Dominical psalms (109, 110, 111, 112 & 113) are sung under the single antiphon Alleluia. The Office hymn is Ad regias Agni dapes. After the collect of the Sunday commemoration are sung of the following feast of St. Peter Canisus and of SS Cletus & Marcellinus. The Paschal Suffrage of the Cross in omitted. At Compline Te lucis is sung with the Paschaltide Doxology and the Dominical preces are omitted.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' at Vespers on Saturday only the Sunday is commemorated. At Compline and the Little Hours the hymns are sung with the ordinary Doxology. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there are no commemorations nor Paschal Suffrage of the Cross. At Mass there is but a single collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal