IV Sunday after Pentecost

The fourth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour, from Mattins this year, is green. This year it is the Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist.

Yesterday afternoon second Vespers of the feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist were sung. The antiphons Elisabeth Zachariae etc were sung, doubled, with the psalms from the Common of Apostles. The Office hymn was Ut queant laxis. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of the Sunday and of St. William the Abbot. The Suffrage was omitted. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory is Dominum qui fecit nos and the 'summer' Office hymn is Nocte surgentes. In the first nocturn the lessons are taken from the First Book of Kings. In the second nocturn the lessons are from a sermon of St. Augustine and in the third nocturn the homily is from St. Ambrose on the Gospel account from St. Luke on the huge catch of fish at the lake of Genesareth. At Lauds the Office hymn is Ecce jam noctis. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of St.William and of the Octave of St. John the Baptist. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted.

At Prime both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. William, the third collect is of the Octave. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Blessed Trinity.

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 Creed is sung (due to the commemoration of the Sunday), the preface is of the Blessed Trinity and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

At Vespers (Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113) the Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following Office of SS John & Paul, of St. William and of the Octave. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Octave of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist has been abolished. At Vespers there was a commemoration of the Sunday only. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Mass there is a single collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal