The SS Apostles Peter & Paul

The feast of the Apostles SS Peter and Paul is a Double of the First Class with an Octave. The liturgical colour of the feast, and Octave, is red. The third Sunday after Pentecost, the Sunday within the Octave of the Sacred Heart, is commemorated in the Office and at Mass,along with the Octave of the Sacred Heart. As the feast is a Double of the First Class the Octave of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist is not commemorated today.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Petrus et Joannes etc were sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 and 116. The Office hymn was Decora lux. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of the third Sunday after Pentecost and of the Octave of the Sacred Heart. The Suffrage was omitted.  At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Tone3 melody and Doxology of the Sacred Heart: Jesu, tibi sit gloria, Qui corde fundis gratiam etc., and the Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the texts come from the Common of Apostles except for the lessons and responsories. The invitatory is Regem Apostolorum Dominum, Venite adoremus and the Office hymn is Aeterna Christe munera. In the first nocturn the antiphons In omnem terram etc are sung, doubled, with psalms 18, 33 and 44. The lessons are taken from the Acts of the Apostles. In the second nocturn the antiphons Principes populorum etc are sung, doubled, with psalms 46, 60 and 63 and the lessons are from a sermon of St. Leo. In the third nocturn the antiphons Exaltabuntur etc are sung, doubled, with psalms 74, 96 & 98. The homily is from St. Jerome on St. Matthew's Gospel. Today the ninth lesson is of the Sunday taken from a homily of St Gregory the Great on St Luke’s Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons Petrus et Joannes etc are sung, doubled, with the Dominical psalms. The Office hymn is Beate Pastor. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the Sunday and of the Octave of the Sacred Heart.

At Prime and the Hours the Hymns have the melody and Doxology of the Sacred Heart. The antiphons of the feast are sung with the festal psalms. At Prime the lectio brevis is proper to the feast, Et Petrus etc.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday, the third collect of the Octave of the Sacred Heart. The Creed is sung, the preface is of the Apostles and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

At second Vespers the antiphons Iuravit Dominus etc, from the Common are sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 112, 115, 125 and 138. The Office hymn is Decora lux aeternitatis. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the Sunday and of the Octave of the Sacred Heart. At Compline Te lucis is sung with the melody and Doxology of the Sacred Heart and the Dominical preces are omitted.

In the liturgical books of 1962' the Octaves of SS Peter and Paul and of the Sacred Heart have been abolished. Only the Sunday is commemorated at Vespers, Lauds and Mass. At Mattins there is no ninth lesson of the Sunday. At the Hours the Hymns have the ordinary Doxology and the antiphons are doubled.  At Prime the lectio brevis is of the season. At Mass the last Gospel is In principio.