June 25th - Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist

This year the fifth Sunday after Pentecost falls within the Octave of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. The Sunday takes the liturgical colour of the Octave and so the liturgical colour is white. It is of semi-double rite.

Yesterday afternoon second Vespers of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist were sung. The, proper, antiphons Elisabeth Zachariae etc were sung with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn was Ut quaeant laxis. After the collect of the feast a commemoration was sung of the Sunday. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted (and are omitted throughout the Octave).

At Mattins (of the Sunday) the invitatory is Adoremus Dominum and the Office hymn Nocte surgentes. In the first nocturn (Pss. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 & 14) the lessons are the Incipit of the Second Book of the Kings. These are identical to the lessons found in the post-Clementine editions. In the second nocturn (Pss. 15, 16 & 17) the lessons are taken from St. Gregory's Book on Morals. The fifth lesson is slightly longer and the sixth lesson considerably longer than those found in the later editions. In the third nocturn (Pss. 18, 19 & 20) the homily is from St. Augustine on St. Matthew's Gospel. The Gospel fragment has the additional words Amen dico vobis. The lessons, from the ninth chapter of the first book on the LORD's Sermon on the Mount, are all longer than those found in the later books. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the Sunday psalms (Pss. 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite & 148-49-150) are sung. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of the Octave of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. Being within an Octave the Suffrages are omitted.

At Prime (Pss. 53, 117, 118i & 118ii) Quicumque is sung but the Dominical preces are omitted because of the Octave.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Octave of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. There is no third collect. The Credo is sung, the Common Preface is sung.

Vespers are of the Sunday, with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113. The Office hymn is Lucis creator optime. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following semi-doulbe feast of SS John and Paul and then of the Octave of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. The Suffrages are omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

Art: Jerome Nadal