The second Sunday after the Nativity of the LORD this year is the Octave Day of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist. It is of double rite. The liturgical colour is, as on the feast, white.
At Vespers yesterday the antiphons Lapidaverunt Stephanum etc were sung with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 and 115. From the chapter, Qui timet Deum, Vespers were of St. John. Commemorations were sung of the Octave Day of St. Stephen and of the Octave of the Holy Innocents. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Doxology Gloria tibi Domine etc., the Dominical preces were omitted.
At Mattins all is as on the feast day except the lessons. In the first nocturn the lessons are from the fourth chapter of the Book of the Apocalypse. These lessons are the same as in modern (pre-1911) editions of the Breviary. In the second nocturn the writings of St. Augustine provide the lessons. The sixth lesson is longer than that found in modern editions. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Chrysostom. All three lessons are longer than those found in the pre-1911 books. 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. A commemoration is sung of the Octave of the Holy Innocents.
At the Hours the same antiphons, Valde honorandus est etc., are sung in the normal sequence. 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 is of the Octave of the Holy Innocents. There is no third collect. The Credo is sung. The preface is of the Apostles.
At second Vespers the antiphons Valde honorandus est etc are sung with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 and 116. The chapter is Qui timet Deum, the hymn Exsultet caelum laudibus. A commemoration is sung of the following feast of the Octave Day of the Holy Innocents.
Icon: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
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The thought has struck my mind that it might seem excessive to celebrate the same saint two Sundays running.
ReplyDeleteBut then I called to mind that (please correct me if I am wrong) the Nativity, St Stephen, St John, Holy Innocents, St Silvester and the Circumcision would all have been Holy Days of Obligation, and so celebrating St John a second time would seem much less strange.
What do you think?
Flying Dutchman,
ReplyDeleteIndeed, to our 'modern' conditioning it does seem somewhat excessive with only minor differences (the respective commemorations etc ) between the two Sundays.
It does appear as unfortunate that the second Sunday effectively vanishes too.