The Sunday within the Octave of the Ascension is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is white. The theme of the great feast of the Ascension continues with most of the texts coming from the feast. However, unlike on the feast itself, the antiphons at the Greater Hours are not doubled. The Gospel pericopes from St. John contain the beautiful words of the LORD promising the gift of the Paraclete.
At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons for the feast, Viri Galilaei etc, were sung (not doubled) with the psalms of the feast (Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116). The chapter was of the Sunday, the Office hymn was of the Ascension, Salutis humane Sator, and the antiphon on the Magnificat and collect were proper to the Sunday. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the Octave and of SS Nereus & Companions. The Paschal Commemoration of the Cross was omitted due to the Octave. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Ascension Doxology Jesu tibi sit gloria, Qui victor in caelum redis etc, but the Dominical preces were omitted because of the Octave.
At Mattins the invitatory, hymn and antiphons, Elevata est etc., are as on the feast, but the antiphons are not doubled. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the First Epistle of St. John, the responsories are of the feast. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from a sermon on the Ascension by St. Augustine and the same Father provides the third nocturn lessons reflecting on St. John's Gospel. At Lauds all is from the feast, but with the antiphons not doubled, except the chapter, antiphon on the Benedictus and collect. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of SS Nereus & Companions and of the Octave.
At the Little Hours the hymns are sung with the melody and Doxology of Ascension. At Prime the festal psalms (Pss. 53, 118i, 118ii) are sung rather than the Dominical ones (117, 118i, 118ii) the short lesson is Si quis loquitur. The Dominical preces are omitted due to the Octave etc.
Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of SS Nereus & Companions, the third collect is of the Octave. The Creed is sung, the preface and communicantes are of the Ascension.
Where the External Solemnity of the Ascension is celebrated on Sunday the Mass of the feast is celebrated with a commemoration, and last Gospel, of the Sunday.
At Vespers the antiphons and psalms are as on the feast. The chapter, antiphon on the Magnificat and collect are of the Sunday. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following Office of St. Robert Bellarmine and of the Octave. The Paschal Commemoration of the Cross is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.
In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Octave is abolished having been stripped from the feast in 1956 so today becomes the Sunday after the Ascension. Vespers yesterday were of the feast of SS Philip & James, jettisoned from their ancient observance on the Kalends of May by the reformers. A commemoration was sung of the Sunday. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn, the invitatory and hymn of the Ascension are sung but the psalms are those for Sunday under a single antiphon. At Lauds the psalms are sung under a single antiphon and there are no commemorations. At Prime the Dominical psalms are sung (117, 118i & 118ii) although the short lesson is, perhaps surprisingly, Viri Galilaei for Ascensiontide. The hymns of the Hours do not have the Ascension Doxology. In Mass there is but a single collect. The preface of the Ascension is sung but not the proper communicantes in the Canon. Vespers are of the Sunday, the psalms sung under one antiphon - as on other Sundays after Pascha - there are no commemorations.
Art: Jerome Nadal.
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10 comments:
Is there an error in the entry for Vespers on Tuesday, 14 May -- notably the indication for "com praec"?
On the octave day of the Ascension it says "L IX (contract) S EC", but how is this stuck-together text composed? The breviary provides no information about this. On divinumofficium.com you can find a text composed of parts of readings 7, 8 and 9 of the feast of St. Ubald as 9th reading. Without this help I would be lost. The same applies to June 14 (octave day of the Most Sacred Heart, St. Basil). Is it possible without internet help to know the contracted text?
I know that the ORDO is based on the Editio typica of 1939 and that the feast of the Queenship of Mary did't yet exist there (introduced in 1954). Taking this introduction into account, this year it will be transferred to June 8 (after the end of the octave of Corpus Christi and after the feast of the Sacred Heart). Here in Germany we celebrate St. Boniface on June 5 as a double of the 2nd class. So St. Boniface also needs to be transferred. – Am I correct in assuming that the Queenship of Mary will be on June 8 and St. Boniface on June 9 (with commemoration and last Gospel of the Sunday within the Octave of the Sacred Heart but without the octave itself and without Sts. Primus and Felicianus, because of the double of the 2nd class)? What is the right order of the commemorations made in both Vespers on June 8 and 9? The ORDO is of no use to me in this particular case. Thank you!
@Anonymous,
In the new edition of the BR after the 1911-13 changes texts were given for a 'contracted' lesson where before all the historical lessons would have been read as one. So, e.g. for today in the Sanctorale we read 'Pro hoc Festo simpIificato Lectio ix' beginning Joannes Baptista de la Salle, Rhemis claro genere ortus etc.
@Peter,
Yes, it should be read as a commemoration of the preceding Office, i.e. the Octave.
@Anonymous,
Transferred feasts cannot be moved to a Sunday so St Boniface, where a DIICl, would move to the first available day, Saturday 8th. This is mentioned in Additiones et Variationes.
The Ordo is for Universal Calendar, we cannot cater for specific countries or dioceses I am afraid.
– Can you purchase the book (Sanctorale?) with the contracted lessons or is it available digitally?
– My BR does not contain the 'Additiones et Variationes'. Where can you look it up?
– If Sunday must remain free of transferred feasts, will the Queenship of Mary be celebrated on June 8 (because it is the first of the transferred feasts) and St. Boniface on June 10?
@Anonymous,
The Sanctoral is the section of the Breviary that has the feasts of saints in it followed by their respective Commons.
Additiones et Variationes is printed in every BR after the 1911-13 reform prior to the 1961 edition.
As to transferring two feasts one needs to know if the feast of St Boniface is feriated or has an octave etc. If two feasts have the same rank, the second test is solemnity - i.e.if one is feriated or has an octave etc, if both have the same, then, thirdly, primary over secondary, if both are the same then the dignity, and finally the quality of proper.
Rubricarius,
Please forgive me if these are silly questions, but do you know why the Friday after the Octave of the Ascension is treated almost as if it were a semidouble feast? Is it something to do with the novena for Pentecost by any chance?
Also, completely unrelated to today, but if folded chasubles were folded to keep the deacon's and subdeacon's hands free, why did they also remove them when performing a specific function?
Thomas,
Not at all, they are sensible questions.
As you may know in the Byzantine rite 'afterfeasts', the equivalent of Octaves, are variable some shorter than eight days. I suspect with the Ascension that is what we have but the Roman, legal, mind had to rationalize eight days plus one special day.
WRT folded chasubles what we see today, Roman chasubles folded, are a stylistic interpretation of when chasubles were much fuller, the sides falling far lower than the hands. There is picture in one of Cyril Pocknee's books of St Gregory the Great with his parents all wearing full chasubles, the Roman dress of the time. I would agree that with the modern style it makes little difference if they are taken off or not. However, thirty years ago I never thought I would see them in my life but the late Arthur Crumly, former principle Master of Ceremonies for the LMS, introduced them after a wager which cost me a bottle of Champagne. Well worth losing the bet IMHO! Now, they are common which is a great thing.
Rubricarius,
Thank you for your replies. This is a very informative website you have.
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