Sunday within the Octave of the Ascension

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 preceding feast of St. Ubald, of St. Paschal Baylon and of the Octave. The Paschal Commemoration of the Cross was omitted. 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.

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 St. Paschal and of the Octave.

At the hymns are sung with the melody and Doxology of Ascension. At Prime, Pss. 53, 118(i), 118(ii), the 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 St. Paschal Baylon, the third collect is of the Octave. The Creed is sung, the preface and communicantes are of the Ascension.

At Vespers the antiphons, not doubled, and psalms are as on the feast. The Office hymn is Salutis humane Sator. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following Office of St. Venantius, of St. Paschal Baylon 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 has been abolished having been stripped from the feast in 1956 so today becomes the Sunday after the Ascension. At Vespers the antiphons and psalms are of Saturday and there are no commemorations. 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, as previous Sundays, and there are no commemorations. At Prime the Dominical psalms, 117, 118(i) & 118(ii) are sung 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.

Fifth Sunday after Pascha

The fifth Sunday after Pascha is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is white. The Gospel pericopes from St. John describe how the LORD tells His disciples to ask for anything in His name after He has ascended to the Father. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week are the Rogation Days of the Lesser Litanies before the feast of the LORD's Ascension on Thursday.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the psalms of Saturday were sung under the single antiphon Alleluia. The Office hymn was Ad regias Agni dapes. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Gregory Nazianzenen, of St. Antoninus and of SS Gordian & Epimachus. The Paschal Commemoration of the Cross was omitted. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Paschal Doxology and the Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory is Surrexit Dominus vere, Alleluia and the Office hymn is Rex sempiterne Caelitum. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the first Epistle of St. Peter. In the second nocturn the lessons are from the writing of St. Ambrose on faith in the Resurrection and in the third nocturn the lessons are a homily of St. Augustine on St. John's Gospel on the LORD's words "Amen, amen, I say to you: if you ask the Father anything in my name, he will give it to you." The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the Office hymn is Aurora. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of St. Antoninus and of SS Gordian & Epimachus. The Paschal Commemoration of the Cross is omitted.

At the Hours the hymns are sung with the Paschal Doxology. At Prime the Dominical preces are omitted.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Antoninus, the third collect is of SS Gordian & Epimachus. The Creed is sung and the preface is of Paschaltide.

At Vespers the Dominical psalms are sung under the single antiphon Alleluia. The Office hymn is Ad regias Agni dapes. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of St. Antoninus. The Paschal Commemoration of the Cross is omitted. At Compline Te lucis is sung with the Paschal Doxology and the Dominical preces are omitted.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations at either Vespers.The Paschal Doxology is not sung at Compline or at the Little Hours. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Mass there is but a single collect.

Art: Jerome Nadal

The Invention of the Holy Cross

The feast of the Invention of the Holy Cross is a Double of the Second Class and its liturgical colour is red. The feast celebrates the discovery of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem by the Empress St. Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine. This year the feast falls on the fourth Sunday after Pascha and takes precedence over the Sunday.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons O magnum pietatis opus etc were sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 and 116. The Office hymn was the magnificent Vexilla regis, last heard towards the end of the Mass of the Pre-Sanctified on Good Friday morning, but the verse O Crux ave differed by one line, Paschale quae fers gaudium. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of the preceding feast of St. Athanasius and of the Sunday. At Compline the Dominical psalms were sung, Te lucis was sung with the Paschal Doxology and the Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory is Christum Regem crucifixum, Venite adoremus, alleluia. In the first nocturn the antiphonInventae Crucis etc is sung with psalms 1, 2 & 3. The first lesson is from St. Paul to the Galatians with the poignant words: 'Christ has redeemed us from the curse law, being made a curse for us: for it is written: Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Christ Jesus; that we may receive the promise of the Spirit by faith.' The second lesson is from the Epistle to the Philippians with the passage so familiar from the Triduum and the third lesson from the Epistle to the Colossians. In the second nocturn the antiphon Felix ille triumphus etc is sung with psalms 4, 5 & 8. The lessons relate the work of St. Helena in fourth century Jerusalem finding three crosses buried in a cistern. Not knowing which cross the LORD had died on each was placed on a woman with a sickness by Macarius, Bishop of Jerusalem. When touched by the True Cross the sick woman was instantly restored to health. In the third nocturn the antiphon Adoramus te Christe etc is sung with psalms 95, 96 & 97. The lessons are from a homily of St. Augustine on the Gospel of St. John. The ninth lesson is of the Sunday. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons O magnam pietatis opus etc are sung, doubled, with Pss. 92, 99, 62, Benedicite & 148. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the Sunday and of SS Alexander & Others.

At the Hours the Paschaltide Doxology is sung with all the Office hymns and the antiphons of Lauds are sung with the Dominical psalms in the usual order. At Prime, Pss. 53, 118(i) & 1189ii), the Dominical preces are omitted and the short lesson is Humiliavit semetipsum.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday (in private Masses the third collect is of SS Alexander etc), the Creed is sung, the preface is of the Holy Cross and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

At second Vespers all is sung as at first Vespers except the antiphon on the Magnificat which is proper to second Vespers. After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the following Office of St. Monica and of the Sunday. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the feast of the Invention of the Holy Cross has been abolished from the Kalendar as its observance in the West only dated to the seventh century (it appears on May 3rd in Martyrologium Hieronymianum. At Vespers yesterday (of the Sunday) there were no commemorations. Mattins (of the Sunday) is cut down to a single nocturn. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Mass there is a single collect. The Paschaltide Doxology (and tone) is not sung at the Hours.

Art: A ninth century MS illustration of the Invention of the Holy Cross by St. Helena from Wikipedia.