December 27th - St. John the Apostle and Evangelist

The Sunday after the Nativity of the LORD this years is the feast of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist. The feast is a double and the Sunday is not commemorated but transferred, with its Office, to the 30th. The liturgical colour is white.

At Vespers yesterday the antiphons and psalms of Second Vespers of the Nativity were sung, from the chapter of St. Stephen the Protomartyr (the liturgical colour being red). Commemorations were sung of St. John and the Octave of the Nativity. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Doxology Gloria tibi Domine etc., the Dominical preces were omitted. This Doxology is sung with all hymns of Iambic metre until the Epiphany.

The Office for St. John is largely taken from the Common of Apostles. Mattins has three nocturns. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the former Epistle of St. John. These lessons are the same as in modern editions of the Breviary. In the second nocturn the writings of St. Jerome provide the lessons. The fourth lesson is substantially longer than that found in modern editions, the fifth lesson shorter by the final clause of the sentence and the sixth lesson the same. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Augustine. The seventh lesson is slightly longer, the eighth and ninth lessons again slightly different. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons Valde honorandus est etc are sung with psalms 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite, 148-149-150. Commemorations are sung of the Octave of the Nativity and the Octave of St. Stephen.

At the Hours the same antiphons, Valde honorandus est etc., are sung. At Prime the festal psalms are sung (53, 118i & 118ii), the lectio brevis is In medio Ecclesiae.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung. The second collect if of the Octave of the Nativity, the third collect of the Octave of St. Stephen. The Credo is sung. The preface and communicantes are of the Nativity.

Vespers are of the Nativity but from the chapter of St. John. Commemorations are sung of the following feast of the Holy Innocents, the Octave of the Nativity and the Octave of St. Stephen.

Miniature of St. John from Wikipedia.