May 12th - Fifth Sunday after Pascha

The fifth Sunday after Pascha is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is white. The Gospel pericopes from St. John's Gospel describe how the LORD tells His disciples to ask for anything in His name after He has ascended to the Father.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the psalms of Vespers for Saturday (Pss. 143, 144, 145, 146 & 147) were sung under the single antiphon, Alleluia. The chapter, Carissimi: Estote factores etc etc, was proper to the Sunday, the Office hymn was Ad coenam Agni providi. The antiphon on the Magnificat was Usque modo etc. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration was sung of SS Nereus, Archilleus & Pancras followed by the Pachal Commemoration of the Cross. At Compline (Pss. 4, 30 vv 1-6, 90, 133) Te lucis was sung to the Paschal tone with the Doxology Gloria tibi Domine etc and the Dominical preces were sung.

At Mattins the invitatory is Surrexit Dominus vere Alleluia and the Office hymn O Rex aeterne Domine. In the first nocturn psalms 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 & 14 are sung under a single antiphon Alleluia, Lapis revolutus etc., the lessons are the Incipit of the first Epistle of St. Peter. The lessons are the same as in the post-Clementine editions. In the second nocturn (Pss. 15, 16 & 17) the lessons are taken from the book of St. Ambrose on faith in the Resurrection. These too are the same as in modern recensions. In the third nocturn (Pss. 18, 19 & 20) the homily is from St. Augustine. The seventh lesson is longer than in modern recensions including Unde qui hoc... nomine non petit from the 'modern' eighth lesson (sharp eyed readers will notice the non). The eighth lesson runs Qui vero quod est de illo ... proculdubio tunc erit plenum, i.e. continuing into half of what is now the ninth lesson. The ninth lesson begins Quidquid ergo petitur and continues for several more sentences absent from the post-Clementine books. Today the eighth and ninth lessons are read as one and the ninth lesson is formed of the two historical lessons given for SS Nereus, Archilleus & Pancras. These are shorter, and the text slightly different, to the three lessons found in the later books. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds psalms 92, 99 and 62-66 are sung under a single antiphon, the ancient nine-fold Alleluia. Benedicite is sung with the antiphon Surrexit Christus etc, and the 'Praise Psalms', Pss. 148, 149 and 150 are sung under a single antiphon, a four-fold Alleluia as on previous Sundays. The Office hymn is Aurora lucis rutilat. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of SS Nereus, Archilleus and Pancras followed by the Paschal Commemoration of the Cross.

At the Hours the psalms are sung under an antiphon consisting of a four-fold Alleluia. At Prime the Dominical psalms are sung, Pss. 53, 118i, 118ii and Quicumque as are the Dominical preces. The Paschal Doxology is sung at the hymn of the Hours.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of SS Nereus, Archilleus and Pancras, the third collect is Concede nos. The Credo is sung, the preface is of Paschaltide.

Vespers are of the Sunday, with the psalms (109, 110, 111, 112 & 113) sung under a single antiphon. After the collect of the Sunday the Paschal Commmemoration of the Cross is sung. At Compline (Pss. 4, 30 vv 1-6, 90 & 133) the Dominical preces are sung.

Art: Jerome Nadal