Within the Paschal Octave

Tuesday within the Octave was another Double of the First Class, the Office being as on the Feast but with a proper versicle and response, lessons and responsories at the nocturn of Mattins and proper antiphons at the Benedictus and Magnificat and collects. At Vespers a commemoration was sung of St. Peter Canisius.

At the Hours there are no antiphons as noted in previous posts and the psalms are sung to the Paschal tone 2. In response to a comment the tone is below:


Today, Thursday, Friday and Saturday are all days within the Octave of semi-double rite. However, as the Octave is a Privileged one of the First Order, no feast of whatever rank may displace these days. The Office is as on the feast but the antiphons are not doubled at Mattins, Lauds and Vespers. The lessons, responsories etc are proper to each day. The Mass for each day of the Octave also has proper texts. Today a commemoration of St. Peter Canisus is sung at Lauds and in the Mass. At Mass the Gloria is sung, the sequence Victimae paschali laudes and the Creed are sung. The preface, communicantes and Hanc igitur are as on the Feast. At Vespers today commemorations are sung of St. Paul of the Cross, St. Peter Canisius and St. Vitalis.

Tomorrow commemorations are sung of St. Paul of the Cross and St. Vitalis at Lauds and at Mass. At Vespers commemorations are sung of St. Peter Martyr and St. Paul of the Cross.

On Friday a commemoration is sung at Lauds and at Mass of St. Peter Martyr. At Vespers commemorations are sung of St. Catharine of Siena and St. Peter Martyr.

The Royal Maundy

Further to my post for Mandy Thursday afternoon I was pleased to find that BBC i-Player has a recording available of the Royal Maundy Service that took place at Westminster Abbey last Thursday. Never having seen the service I watched the recording and found it fascinating.

In the photograph above one can see six alms dishes, the oldest being from the reign of King Charles II, laid on a table in medio chori guarded by Yeomen. The dishes contain the purses containing the Royal Maundy Money. This year eighty-five men and eighty-five women received these purses. By coincidence last Thursday happened to be Her Majesty The Queen's eighty-fifth birthday - God grant Her many years!

After the reading of the Gospel account of Washing of the Feet the first distribution took place with The Queen passing down the Decani side of the nave where recipients were given the purses. The Queen was accompanied by the Lord High Almoner and several other ministers. These wore towels girded around their waist and torso over their vestments/robes. The Lord High Almoner did not wear an apron as I had been informed - perhaps the office holder did at one time?


After distributing the purses to the row of recipients on the Decani side of the nave The Queen and ministers processed through the South aisle to the South transept where the distribution continued. After a further reading the second distribution, of the remaining eighty-five purses, took place with The Queen giving the purses to recipients on the Cantoris side of the nave, processing back up the North aisle to complete the distribution in the North transept. There then followed a series of prayers culminating with the Dean's prayer before the high altar, versus Deum, of course.

Monday within the Paschal Octave - Greater Litanies

Monday in the Paschal Octave is a Double of the First Class and a suppressed holyday. This year it is also the Greater Litanies. The feast of St. Mark is transferred out of the Octave to the 4th May in the Universal Kalendar (in England to the 5th May as St. George is transferred from Holy Saturday to the 2nd May, SS Philip and James to the 4th May).

The Office is essentially the same as the feast of Easter with some parts proper to the day. At Mattins the invitatory, antiphons and psalms (1, 2 & 3) are sung as yesterday. The three lessons and responsories are proper to the Monday. The Te Deum is sung to the solemn tone where possible. At Lauds the same antiphons and psalms are sung as yesterday. The Haec dies is sung as yesterday in place of the chapter and hymn. The antiphon on the Benedictus and the collect are proper to the Monday.

At Prime and the Hours festal psalmody is sung to the special Paschal Tone 2 chant, the structure of the Hours is as yesterday, the collect proper to the Monday.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Mass is proper. The Gloria is sung, there is a commemoration of the Greater Litanies, the Creed is sung, the preface is of Easter, the Communicantes and Hanc igitur in the Canon are of Easter. Again Ite, missa est, alleluia, alleluia is the dismissal.

In Cathedral and Collegiate Churches two High Masses are celebrated today. The first Mass, sung after Terce is of that of the Monday in the Paschal Octave with Gloria, one collect, Sequence, Creed, Paschal preface etc with festal tones throughout and the Paschal Candle is lit. The Mass is, of course, sung in white vestments.

After None the sacristy team, exhausted by the Triduum, have to extinguish the Paschal Candle, change the altar antependia from white to violet and find the vestment sets last used in Quinquagesima consisting of violet dalmatic and tunicle. The celebrant, vested in violet cope, assisted by deacon and subdeacon in violet dalmatic and tunicle reverence the altar then kneel and pray for a short while. They rise and the cantors begin the antiphon Exsurge Domine. The choir continue....adjuva nos, et libera nos, propter nomen tuam. Ps. Deus auribus nostris audivimus patres nostri annuntiaverunt nobis. Gloria Patri etc, Sicut erat etc and then Exsurge Domine is repeated. All all kneel (except the crucifer and acolytes who go and stand at the entrance of the choir) and the cantors then begin the Litany of the Saints. This is sung in the full form, and not the shorter form used on Holy Saturday two days ago. Each invocation is doubled, i.e. the cantors sing e.g. Pater de caelis, Deus, miserere nobis and this is repeated in its entirety by everyone else. When Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis has been repeated all rise and the Procession sets off.

The Procession goes outside of the Church and may visit other Churches on its route. In this case the celebrant is offered lustral water at the entrance to the church and processes to the High Altar. After a moment for silent prayer the choir signs the antiphon of the patron of the church, its versicle and response (with Alleluia added as it is Paschaltide) and the celebrant sings the collect of the Patron. The Litany is then resumed and the Procession continues. If the Procession has a long route the Litany, from Sancta Maria etc may be repeated or the Seven Penitential Psalms sung to the tonus in directum. When the Procession enters the church where Mass will be celebrated, lustral water is received on entering and the Procession goes to the sanctuary. All kneel as the Litany ends. The celebrant intones Pater noster etc and then the cantors sing psalm 69. After the versicles that follow the celebrant stands to sing the ten collects. He then kneels again as Exadiat nos etc is sung. The ministers then rise and the celebrant changes from a cope to chasuble and all put on their maniples. The Mass Exaudivit is then sung. The chants are those used for ferial Masses. The Gloria is not sung, there are the additional prayers of the season. There is no Creed. The preface of Paschaltide is sung to the ferial tone, the dismissal is Benedicamus Domino.

Where only one Mass is sung and the Procession takes place after the Procession the celebrant and ministers change their violet vestments to white vestments and the Mass for the Monday in the Paschal Octave is sung with a commemoration of the Rogations sung under one conclusion with the collect of the day. The rest is as described above for the first Mass.

Vespers are as on the feast. The antiphon on the Magnificat and collect are proper.

Users of the 'liturgical books of 1962' transfer the Greater Litanies to tomorrow. In the traditional rite if the Greater Litanies fall on holy Pascha they are transferred to the Tuesday but in 1962 if they fall on holy Pascha or the Monday they move to the Tuesday, R.G. 80. St. Mark is simply ignored this year in their Universal Kalendar.

Dominica Resurrectionis - Holy Pascha

Hac die quam fecit Dominus, Solemnitas solemnitatum, et Pascha nostrum Resurrectio Salvatoris nostri Jesu Christi secundum carnem. These glorious words are sung, to a the tone of the Passion, at Prime today at the reading of the Martyrology before the announcement of the day and moon for the following day.

Holy Pascha is a Double of the First Class with a privileged Octave of the first Order. Mattins was described in the previous post. The day's Office begins this morning with Prime. There are no hymns at the Hours during the entire Octave in the Roman rite. At Prime psalms 53 and the first two stanza of Ps. 118 are sung to a special form of Tone 2. Haec Dies is sung after the psalmody and then everything else is omitted up to the collect Domine Deus omnipotens. The Martyrology is then sung, starting with the verse indicated above. Then Santa Maria etc is sung, the collect Dirigere et sanctificare etc and the short lesson Si consurrexistis. Terce, and the other Little Hours, are even more simple in their structure. At Terce the usual stanzas of Ps. 118 are sung to the special Tone 2 form followed by Haec dies and the collect of the day.

Mass is sung after Terce. Instead of Asperges me the Paschatide Vidi aquam is sung today and all other Sundays in Paschaltide. In the great Mass of Easter, Resurrexi, the Gloria is sung, one collect is sung. Haec dies is sung as the Gradual. The sequence Victimae paschali laudes is sung after the Alleluia. The Creed is sung and Ite missa est alleluia, alleluia is sung as the dismissal.

Sext and None have exactly the same structure as Terce. At Vespers the antiphons sung at Lauds, Angelus autem Domini etc, are are sung with the usual Sunday psalms. Haec dies is sung in place of the chapter, hymn and versicle & response. The solemn tone is used for Benedicamus Domino, alleluia, alleluia.

At Compline the usual psalms are sung to Tone 8G without any preceding antiphon, followed by an antiphon consisting of Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. This is followed by the Nunc dimittis sung to the Paschal Tone 2, without antiphons. Haec dies is then sung followed by the collect Visita quaesumus etc and then, as yesterday the antiphon Regina coeli etc.

Holy Saturday Evening - Compline, Paschal Mattins and Lauds

The high point of Holy Week in most medieval rites, and certainly in the Byzantine rite to this day, was the celebration of Paschal Mattins - Mattins of the Resurrection of the LORD.

In typical Northern European praxis, such as Sarum, the Lenten array was removed from the statues and images after Compline on Holy Saturday and before Mattins. Before the bells rang out in triumphant peals of joy to announce the Resurrection the clergy and people went to the Sepulchre and there the Tomb was opened and the Cross was 'raised' to the singing of the antiphon Christus resurgens. A ceremony of adoration of the Cross, just as on Good Friday morning, took place before a triumphal procession around the church. Rather interestingly examples of such liturgical orthopraxis continue in parts of Europe to this day despite the liturgical heteropraxis of the last century.

An example from contemporary Germany (Heilege Grab - the Holy Grave) may be found here . Of course, in modern times the idea of Easter Sepulchres hasevolved into the 'Easter Garden'. Two years ago year a friend from Poland for sent me this synopsis of Polish Sepulchres. Of pariticular note is that the Polish editions of the liturgical books had 'depositio' ceremonies and the corresponding 'elevatio' ones printed as part of the rites until very recently (e.g. Cantionale Ecclesiasticum, Cracow, 1925 in my collection).

In the 'modern' Roman rite Paschal Mattins was generally noticeable by its lack of celebration (although, to be fair, after the exertions of Holy Saturday morning where there are limited resources...) Westminster Cathedral, of course, did celebrate Pontifical Paschal Mattins and Lauds at 5:30pm on Holy Saturday evening, being the most important Office of the Liturgical Year the Cardinal celebrated:


(This extract is from the timetable of Holy Week services for 1939. The full programme may be seen here.)

Compline is sung, at the normal time. On Holy Saturday the Office of Compline has some interesting variations. Compline begins with the usual Jube, domne, blessing, short lesson and confession. Converte nos, Deus, salutaris noster and its response are sung followed by Deus in adjutorium etc with Alleluia for the first time since Septuagesima. The psalms are sung, without an antiphon, to a special form of tone 2. The hymn, chapter and responsory are omitted and Vespere autem sabbati sung as a fragment antiphon to the Nunc dimittis. After the Canticle the antiphon is sung in full. After the usual collect, Visita quaesumus, the antiphon Regina Caeli is sung with its versicle and collect.

The church is decorated for the greatest of feasts. Six candlesticks are on the altar. Mattins begin with the solemn tone for Deus in adjutorium etc. The invitatory is Surrexit Dominus vere Alleluia and psalm 94 is sung to a lovely tone 6 setting. Mattins consists of one nocturn of three psalms. There is no Office Hymn throughout the Octave (c.f. Monastic praxis). The first antiphon is Ego sum qui sum etc and sung with psalm 1. The second antiphon, Postulavi Patrem meum etc, is sung with psalm 2. The third antiphon, Ego dormivi etc, is sung with psalm 3. A versicle and its response are sung follwed by the absolution Exaudi etc. The first lesson has the Gospel fragment Mark 16: 1-7 and is followed by a homily of St. Gregory the Great. The two responsories Angelus Domini descendit and Cum transisset sabbatum are famous and intimately connected with the Quem quaeritis ceremonies and indeed the development of Western drama (vide the excellent book: Hardison, O.B., 'Christian Rite and Christian Drama in the Middle Ages', The John Hopkins Press, Baltimore, 1965).

The second lesson, Notandum vero nobis est is sung followed by the second responsory. During the second responsory the cantors and the celebrant don copes the principal one pre-intones the Te Deum. Six pluvialistae assist the Hebdomadarius where possible. The Te Deum is then sung and, where it is the custom the bells ring throughout.

Lauds follow immediately and have a series of beautiful antiphons: Angelus autem Domini, Et ecce terraemotus, Erat autem, Prae timore autem ejus and Respondens autem Angelus all taking up the theme of the Angels, earthquake and empty tomb. Psalms 92, 99, 62, Benedicite & 148 are sung with these antiphons. The chapter, hymn, versicel and response are replaced by the Haec dies. If one has the opportunity listen to the setting by the English composer John Sheppard do so (Hyperion CDD22021). After Haec dies the antiphon Et valde mane is sung and then the Benedictus sung to a solemn tone 8. During the Benedictus the altar, the choir and people are censed in the normal manner. The antiphon is repeated and the collect of Easter, Deus, qui hodierna die sung. Benedicamus Domino, Alleluia, Alleluia and its response are followed by the solemn Regina Caeli, its versicle and collect.

In the Byzantine rite the Lucernarium rite from Vespers migrated to the beginning of Mattins about a millenium ago. Those interested in the details should consult Bertoniere, G., 'The Historical Development of the Easter Vigil and Related Services in the Greek Church', Orientalia Christiana Analecta 193, Rome, 1972. In the Byzantine Rite on Holy Saturday morning Vesperal Liturgy is celebrated with fifteen OT prophecies (or four in the Greek version) and a colour change from black to white before the Gospel. Seven of the prophecies and the Gospel are as used in the Old Roman Rite. Late in the evening of Holy Saturday Paschal Mattins begins. In the Slavonic version a triple candle is used to pass the Light of the Risen Christ and is used throughout Bright Week at the Office and Eucharistic Liturgy.



The above two photographs are taken from the website of St. Elisas Byzantine Catholic Church in Ontario. To all Eastern rite readers: Khristos Voskresie!

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' Compline and Mattins have been axed - with regards to Mattins, probably the most pernicious and shameful cut of all.

Sabbato Sancto - Holy Saturday morning Vesperal Liturgy

'Hora competenti toblaeis cooperiuntur Altaris, sed candelae exsintictae manent usque ad principium Missae. Interim excutitur ignis de lapide foris ecclesiam, et ex eo accenduntur carbones. Dicta Nona in Choro, Sacerdos indutus Amictu, Alba, Cingulo, Stola, et Pluviali violaceo, vel sine Casula, astantibus sibi Ministris cum Cruce, aqua benedicta, et incenso, ante portam ecclesiae, si commode potest, vel in ipso aditu ecclesiae benedicit novem ignem, dicens:'

Missale Romanum, rubric pro loco for Holy Saturday.

Holy Saturday is a Double of the First Class. On Holy Saturday morning the altar is dressed and vested as in the photograph above. A violet antependium is placed over a white one in such a manner that it may easily be removed later. Six candles of bleached wax remain unlit for the Hours.

The Hours are chanted as for the previous two days with the exception that choir reverences are omitted because of the unveiled Cross on the altar to which all reverence with a genuflection. As at Tenebrae yesterday evening Propter quod et Deus etc is added to Christus factus est.

After None is completed (or, in Pontifical functions celebrated by the Ordinary after Sext when the New Fire is blessed) the ministers of the Mass go to the sacristy and vest (celebrant in violet stole and cope; the deacon and subdeacon in violet folded chasubles). Meanwhile a fire, struck from flint as the rubric above describes, is kindled and charcoal placed on it for liturgical use in few moments. A procession comes from the sacristy to the place where the new fire is to be blessed. The procession is headed by three acolytes. In the centre the first acolyte carries the lustral water container and sprinkler. To his left is the second acolyte bearing the grains of incense on a salver. The thurifer, with an empty thurible, walks to the right of the first acolyte. Folling is the subdeacon carrying the Processional Cross, then the choir and lastly the celebrant and deacon. At the new fire all uncover and the subdeacon stands on the other side of the fire, opposite the celebrant. The celebrant then sings three collects of blessing of the fire and one for the grains of incense. The charcoal is put in the thurible and incense blessed as usual. The deacon then changes from a violet folded chasuble for a white dalmatic. (When the celebrant is not assisted by deacon and subdeacon the celebrant himself exchanges his violet cope for a white dalmatic as in the photograph below of Dr. Glover). Either the deacon or the celebrant takes a reed (bamboo cane = Arundinaria) with a triple candle with its branches arranged 'triangulo distinctis'. A procession is formed with acolytes bearing the five grains of incense to be inserted into the Paschal Candle and thurible followed by the subdeacon carrying the cross, followed by the choir, then the deacon with the reed and finally the celebrant.


[Note. The above is a photograph of a stained glass window in Kesgrave church showing the Procession into church on Holy Saturday morning. The subdeacon carrying the cross is wearing a folded chasuble and the deacon, in white dalmatic, the triple candle atop the reed followed by the celebrant. I am grateful to Mr. Alan Robinson for showing me this wonderful image.]

The procession pauses three times as it enters the church progressing towards the altar. Each time one of the wicks of the candle being lit from a taper bearing the new fire, the deacon (or celebrant) proclaims Lumen Christi and the choir responds Deo gratias, each time on a higher note.

When the procession reaches the altar due reverences are made and the deacon (who passes the reed to an acolyte) takes the Evangeliarium containing the Exsultet from the mensa and receives a blessing from the celebrant as when about to proclaim the Gospel at Mass. The deacon then goes with the lesser ministers to the Gospel side of choir where the book is placed on a lectern and censed. The deacon then sings the Exsultet pausing to insert the grains of incense into the Paschal Candle after the words curvat imperia. He then continues 'In hujus igitur noctis gratia, suscipe, sancte Pater, incensi hujus sacrificium vespertinum..' When he reaches 'rutilans ignis accendit' he again pauses and lights the Paschal Candle with one of the branches of triple candle. When the words 'apis mater eduxit' are sung an acolyte takes the fire from the triple candle and lights the lamps in the church. After the Exsultet the deacon takes off the white dalmatic and exchanges it for a violet stole, maniple and folded chasuble. The celebrant removes his cope and puts on a violet maniple and chasuble. The ministers then go to the altar and to the Epistle corner as at the introit of Mass.



The celebrant reads the twelve prophecies (these derive from the ancient Jerusalem practice c.f. Talley). In the middle of choir lectors chant each prophecy. After each (except the twelfth) the celebrant sings Oremus, the deacon Flectamus genua and the subdeacon Levate. Tracts follow the fourth, eighth and eleventh prophecy. The twelfth prophecy may be sung to one of several special tones (pace Signor Martinucci).

The prophecies are:
1) Genesis 1: 1-31; 2: 1-2
2) Genesis 5; 6; 7 & 8
3) Genesis 22: 1-19
4) Exodus 14: 24-31; 15
5) Isaiah 54: 17; 55: 1-11
6) Baruch 3: 9-38
7) Ezechiel 37: 1-14
8) Isaiah 4: 1-6
9) Exodus 12: 1-11
10)Jonah 3: 1-10
11)Deuteronomy 31: 22-30
12)Daniel 3: 1-24

After the twelfth prophecy, if the church has a font, the celebrant again dons a violet cope and a procession is formed to the Baptistery whilst Sicut cervus is sung. In the Baptistery the font is hallowed by the celebrant singing a preface of blessing culminating in the Paschal Candle being plunged into the waters of the font three times and Chrism being infused into the waters. Here baptisms are carried out. Anciently this liturgy was when adults were baptised and the prophecies were the last catechumenal address.

As the ministers leave the Baptistery two cantors kneeling in choir start the Litany of the Saints. As in all Processional Litanies the invocations are doubled i.e. the invocation and petition is sung by the cantors and repeated by the choir. On their return to the sanctuary the celebrant and ministers remove their cope and chasubles and prostrate before the altar. At Peccatores, te rogamus audi nos they rise and leave the sanctuary to vest for Mass whilst the Litany continues. Meanwhile acolytes remove the violet altar frontal (and violet humeral veil over the credence etc), light the altar candles and prepare the altar for Mass.

The celebrant, deacon and subdeacon return to choir, now vested in white, as the choir sings the Kyrie. The celebrant says Judica me etc and the altar is then censed as at the beginning of any High Mass. At the Gloria in excelsis the bells are rung as on Maundy Thursday. Before the Gradual the celebrant sings Alleluia solemnly three times. At the Gospel the acolytes carry do not carry candles. There is no Creed or Offertory chant.



In the Paschal preface the clause in hac potissimum nocte is sung. The Communicantes and Hanc igitur are proper. The Agnus Dei is not sung and there is no Pax. Instead of a communion antiphon Alleluia is sung three times as an antiphon to Psalm 116. This has the Doxology and the Alleluia is repeated. The celebrant then intones the antiphon Vespere autem sabbati which the choir continues. The Magnificat is then sung and the altar, choir and people censed. After the repitition of the antiphon the celebrant sings the Post-communion and collect for Vespers Spiritum nobis. Mass then ends as usual the dismissal being Ite, missa est, alleluia, alleluia.

A cardinal celebrant of Holy Saturday enters church weaing a violet cappa magna but leaves it wearing a red one.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the 'Paschal Vigil' is the third version of the new order celebrated in the late evening of Holy Saturday. In 1951 the 'Vigil' was 'restored' ad experimentum. The first version had Mattins and Lauds in the morning of Holy Saturday, with the omission of the Miserere and a new collect, Concede. A new Vespers was fabricated using the Vespers for the preceeding two days with a new first antiphon and antiphon on the Magnificat. Compline was said as on Good Friday evening but without Christus factus est but with the collect Visita. For the Vigil the ministers still wore folded chasubles. There is a single collect of blessing the fire and the grains of incense are stuck into the Paschal candle outside of the church. The collects Domine Deus pater etc and Domine sancte, Pater omnimpotens etc were suppressed. Veniat, quesumus was used to bless the candle (with the word cereum added) and it, not the reed with a triple candle (again suppressed), was carried into the church by the deacon (now in white dalmatic). The candle was stuck in the middle of the choir on a temporary stand and there incensed and had the Exsultet (without the actions it mentions being carried out) sung to it in a most curious manner. Four prophecies were then chanted to the candle in the middle of the choir whilst the ministers remained at the sedilia listening to them. From the former series of prophecies:

1) Genesis 1: 1-31; 2: 1-2 remained;
2) Genesis 5; 6; 7 & 8 was suppressed;
3) Genesis 22: 1-19 was suppressed;
4) Exodus 14: 24-31; 15 remained;
5) Isaiah 54: 17; 55: 1-11 was suppressed;
6) Baruch 3: 9-38 was suppressed;
7) Ezechiel 37: 1-14 was suppressed;
8) Isaiah 4: 1-6 remained (with the omission of its first verse in later forms);
9) Exodus 12: 1-11 was suppressed;
10)Jonah 3: 1-10 was suppressed;
11)Deuteronomy 31: 22-30 remained;
12)Daniel 3: 1-24 was suppressed.

The Litany (no longer duplicated) was sung as far as Omnes Sancti et Sanctae then interrupted and in the middle of choir before the candle and in the sight of the people a container of water was blessed in the sanctuary, as the font in the Baptistery had been in the traditional rite. Then in Latin (or where forms in the Rituale had been authorised in the vernacular) the people were invited to renew their baptismal promises. Then the Litany was resumed and after that Mass was celebrated. At the Mass Judica and the preparatory prayers were omitted, Vespere autem sabbati became the communion verse, Spiritum nobis the postcommunion and the last Gospel was omitted. These changes were, of course, later extended to the entire liturgical year.

The second version of the 'Vigil' came out of the committee room onto the printing presses in 1952. Compline on Holy Saturday was omitted as were Mattins and Lauds of Easter where the 'Vigil', still optional, was celebrated. The collect Veniat had the word intende substituted for accende. At the collects following the prophecies the deacon, no longer the subdeacon, chanted Levate. The third prophecy (Isiah 4: 1-6) was shortened by losing its first verse. Sicut cervus returned to this version and was sung as the bucket of water was carried to the font after its blessing. In the invitation to renew baptismal promises the word celebrans replaced expectans (the Resurrection). Vernacular forms were permitted by the local bishop for the renewal of baptismal promises. At the Mass the communion verse goes and is replaced by Alleluia and Ps. 116 treated as a psalm of Lauds (!). Et valde mane was the antiphon on the Benedictus with Spiritum nobis as the collect. The second form of the Vigil also suppressed the Vigil of Pentecost ceremonies where it had been celebrated, no doubt as the Vigil of Pentecost would remind people too much of the old rite.

The third form of the 'Vigil' came with the 'restoration' of the rest of Holy Week in 1956. Folded chasubles disappear from Holy Week altogether and Ps. 150 was substituted for Ps.116. The text for Ps. 150 and the Benedictus are that featured in the 1945 'Bea' translation of the Psalterium (in the Vatican typical edition at least).

The above two photographs are of the 1962 'Paschal Vigil' celebrated by the FSSP in Denton. The first picture shows the ministers sat at the sedilia staring at a lector who is singing a prophecy to the Paschal Candle on its 'temporary stand' in medio chori. It will be noted that contrary to various commentaries by the reformers that the prophecies were sung by the light of the Paschal Candle a single candle in a dark church actually provides very little light - hence the recourse to additional candelabra in the photograph. In the second picture the celebrant is walking around the Paschal Candle censing it (do they do this with maypoles one wonders?) prior to the renovation of baptismal promises. The image below is from J.B.O'Connell's 'The Cermonies of Holy Week', 1960 and shows the arrangement in the sanctuary for the blessing of the baptismal bucket, versus populum.



In summary the 1956 form follows the form of the previous two creations: there is a single oration for blessing the New Fire, the candle, not the incense grains, is blessed with the former oration for blessing incense - with the addition of the words incensum cereum - and everyone (except the Crucifer and thurifer) turn and kneel towards the candle when Lumen Christi is sung. The candle is put in its temporaray stand in the centre of the choir and is censed by the deacon walking around it. The actions mentioned in the Exsultet are no longer carried out. Four prophecies are sung, whilst the ministers listen to them at the sedilia, from where the intervening prayers are also sung, not from the altar. The subdeacon no longer sings Levate. This arrangement seems to be based on the praxis of Pontifical Mass that the throne and the role of the two assistant deacons at the throne. After the lessons the ‘first part’ of the Litany is sung. No longer do the ministers prostrate before the altar instead they kneel at their place at the sedilia. The petitions are no longer duplicated. After the petition Omnes Sancti et Sanctae Dei the celebrant and ministers go to a table, facing the people where the bucket of baptismal water is blessed. When the blessing is finished (and any baptisms performed) the bucket is carried in procession to the church’s font during the displaced singing of Sicut cervus. (Where the Baptistery is seperate from the church the blessing of water may still take place at the font rather than blessing the bucked in the sanctuary, versus populum. After the bucket has been taken to the font the celebrant changes his violet cope for a white one and lead the congregation in the renewal of Baptismal Promises, in the vernacular. The celebrant and ministers then retire to the sanctuary and the remaining part of the Litany is sung. Meanwhile the Paschal Candle is moved from its temporary standard and placed on its, traditional, candlestick and the altar candles are lit. As the cantors intone the Kyrie the ministers, omitting Judica me and the prayers at the foot of the altar, cense the altar. After the Gloria and collect the celebrant sits and listens as the subdeacon sings the Epistle. Orate fratres is said in a clear voice, the rest of Mass continues as in the Old Rite except Lauds is inserted in place of Vespers and the last Gospel is omitted.

On the subject of the new Holy Week rites to quote the good Dr. Glover:
"There is that ludicrous business of changing into violet vestments in the middle of Good Friday and giving everyone Communion with the celebrant not even going to collect the Blessed Sacrament. One is supposed to wait until 3.00pm when Our Lord's Passion was already over. Holy Saturday is a miserable business, with no triple-branched candle, the Exsultet sung straight through without doing the things mentioned at various points in the text, the prophecies reduced to four, that horrible renewal of baptismal promises and so on. The whole thing gets turned into a sort of Midnight Mass but there is not the slightest reason for thinking the Resurrection happened at midnight, as the third day started at sunset on Saturday."

Rev. Dr. T.C.G. Glover, JCD - letter to the blogger 15th May 1990

Feria VI in Parasceve - Good Friday evening Tenebrae for Holy Saturday

Tenebrae for Holy Saturday takes place in the late afternoon or evening of Good Friday.

At the usual time Compline is recited on a monotone, as the Little Hours were in the morning and yeseterday. Its structure is exactly the same as yesterday. After the Canticle Christus factus est...Mortem autem crucis (only) is said, the Miserere and Respice follow as before. The altar candles remain unlit until Mattins.

The choir altar remains as it was after Vespers this morning with six candlesticks and altar Cross now unveiled. Choir reverences are omitted until after None tomorrow. All reverence the Cross with a genuflection.

At Mattins the first antiphon is In pace in idipsum. The psalms are strictly proper, in the first nocturn Pss. 4, 14 & 15. After the last verse of each psalm a candle is exstinguished on the hearse. The Lamentations of Jeremy form the first nocturn lessons with the Prayer of Jeremy as third lesson. There is a splendid and beautiful ad libitum tone for the latter. In the second nocturn Pss. 23, 26 & 29 are sung. The second nocturn lessons are again from St. Augustine on the psalms. In the third nocturn Pss. 53, 75 & 87 are sung. the lessons are again from St. Paul to the Hebrews. The theme of the service is Christ in the Tomb.

Lauds follow immediately from Mattins with the first antiphon O mors ero mors etc. Psalms 50, 91, 63, Ego dixi and 150 are sung. The antiphon on the Benedictus is Mulieres sedentes etc, sung to the same tone as the previous two nights and doubled. Exactly the same ceremonies take place as the previous two nights. When the Christus factus est is sung Propter quod et Deus exaltavit illum, dedit illi nomen, quod est super omne nomen is added.

This is the shortest Tenebrae (too short?) and has a wonderful sense of peace about it.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' Tenebrae is celebrated tomorrow morning. Four candlesticks remain on the altar from the 'Solemn Liturgical Action' of Good Friday afternoon.