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

The Sunday within the Octave of the Sacred Heart, the third Sunday after Pentecost, is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour 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. Today is also the Sunday within the Octave of St. John the Baptist.

Vespers yesterday afternoon were second Vespers of the feast of St. John the Baptist. The antiphons Elisabeth Zachariae etc were sung, doubled, with the psalms from Vespers for the Common of Apostles. The Office hymn was Ut queant laxis. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of the Sunday, of SS John and Paul and of the Octave of the Sacred Heart. The Suffrage was omitted. At Compline the Dominical psalms were sung and Te lucis was sung with the Doxology and tone of the Octave. The Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory is Cor Jesu amore nostri vulneratum, Venite adoremus and the Office hymn is Auctor beate saeculi, both as on the feast., In the first nocturn the antiphons from the feast, Cogitationes etc are sung, not doubled, with Pss. 32, 35 & 40 and the lessons are a continuation of the First Book of the Kings. The responses are of the Octave. In the second nocturn the antiphons Rex omnis terrae etc are sung with Pss. 46, 60 & 93. The lessons are from the Encyclical of Pius XI in 1928 that, inter alia, gave the feast an Octave. In the third nocturn the antiphons Qui diligitis Dominum etc are sung with Pss. 96, 97 & 107. The homily is from St. Gregory on St. Lukes Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons Unus militum etc are sung, again as on the feast but not doubled, with psalms 92, 99, 62 Benedicite & 148. The Office hymn is Cor, arca legem continens. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of SS John and Paul, 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 SS John and Paul, the third collect is of the Octave of the Sacred Heart, the fourth collect of the Octave of St. John the Baptist. The Creed is sung, the preface is of the Sacred Heart.

Prior to end of the 1913 phase of the reform the fourth Sunday of June, the Sunday preceding the feast of SS Peter and Paul, was the feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. All Masses, other than the Conventual Mass, may be of the feast and the liturgical colour is white. The Mass De ventre is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday, the third collect of the Octave of the Sacred Heart, the Creed is sung (due to the commemoration of the Sunday), the preface is of the Sacred Heart and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

At Vespers the antiphons Unus militum etc are sung, not doubled, with psalms 109, 110, 115, 127 & 147. The Office hymn is En ut superba criminum. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the Octave of the Sacred Hearth, of SS John and Paul and of the Octave of St. John the Baptist. The Suffrage is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Octaves of the Sacred Heart and of St. John the Baptist have been abolished. The liturgical colour of the day is green. There are no commemorations at either Vespers. 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