August 15th - The Assumption of the Mother of God

Gaudeamus omnes in Domino , diem festum celebrantes sub honore beate Mariae Virginis: de cujus Assumptione gaudent Angeli et collaudant Filium Dei. (Introit)

The feast of the Assumption is a double feast with an Octave. The liturgical colour of the feast is white. This year the feast falls on the eleventh Sunday after Pentecost, the Sunday is commemorated at Vespers, Mattins, Lauds and Mass.

At Mattins the invitatory, Venite, adoremus Regem regum, Cujus hodie ad aethereum Virgo Mater assumpta est in caelum, is proper to the feast. The hymn is Quem terra, pontus. In the first nocturn the antiphons Exaltata est etc are sung with psalms 8, 18 & 23. The lessons in the first nocturn are taken from the Incipiunt of the Canticle of Canticles. These are the same as those found in the modern (pre-1950) editons of Breviary. In the second nocturn the antiphons Specie tua etc are sung with psalms 44, 45 & 86. The lessons are from a sermon of St. Athanasius. In the third nocturn the antiphons Gaude, Maria virgo etc are sung with psalms 95, 96 & 97. The homily on St. Luke's Gospel is from St. Augustine's 27th Sermon on the Words of the Lord. The eighth and ninth lessons are read as one and the ninth lesson is made of the three lessons for the Sunday. The text of the homily for the eleventh Sunday after Pentecost, from St. Gregory, is the same as that found in the modern books. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons Assumpta est Maria etc are sung with psalms 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite and 148-149-150. The hymn is O gloriosa Domina. After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the Sunday.

At Prime and the Hours the hymns are sung with the proper Doxology and tone. In the short responsory at Prime Qui natus es de Virgine is sung, both today and throughout the Octave, and the lectio brevis is In plateis.

Mass is celebrated after Terce. The Mass formulary, Gaudeamus, is a particularly beautiful set of texts. The Gloria is sung. The second collect is of the Sunday. The Epistle is a sublime cento from the Book of Wisdom that also forms the chapters at the Office. The gradual Propter veritatem is very ancient. The Credo is sung , the preface that of the BVM and the last Gospel of the Sunday.

In the afternoon at second Vespers all is as at first Vespers except the antiphon on the Magnificat which today is Hodie Maria Virgo caelos ascendit: gaudete, quia cum Christo regnat in aeternum. After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the Sunday.

Icon: The Dormition by Theophanus the Greek, 14th century.