April 14th Dominica in Albis - Low Sunday

Dominica in Albis or Low Sunday is of double rite and its liturgical colour is white. The Gospel at Mattins and Mass is the account of the LORD appearing to His disciples behind the shut doors of the room and the doubting of St. Thomas.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the psalms of Saturday (Pss. 143, 144, 145, 146 & 147) were sung under the single antiphon, Alleluia. Chapters and hymns returned to the Office with this service, the Octave having ended with None. The Paschaltide hymn Ad cenam Agni providi was sung. Its Doxology is sung at all hymns of Iambic metre: Gloria tibi Domine, Qui surrexisti a mortuis, Cum Patre et Sancto Spiritu, In sempiterna saecula. After the collect of the Sunday After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration was sung of SS Tiburtius, Valerian and Maximus. From this Office of Vespers, the dismissal, Benedicamus Domino, is sung without the double Alleluia that had been sung since Pascha. At Compline Te lucis is sung to the Paschal tone with the Doxology Gloria tibi Domine etc. This Doxology is sung with all hymns of Iambic metre until the Ascension. The Dominical preces are omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory Surrexit Dominus vere Alleluia continues to be sung. The Office hymn is O Rex aeterne Domine. In the first nocturn psalms 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 & 14 are sung under the single antiphon Alleluia, Lapis revolutus etc. The lessons in the first nocturn are from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Colossians; the first begins Igitur si consurrexistis otherwise it and the other two first nocturn lessons are the same as in the post-Clementine editions. In the second nocturn psalms 15, 16 & 17 are sung under the single antiphon Alleluia, quem quaeris mulier etc. The lessons are from a sermon of St. Augustine and are the same as in the modern editions. In the third nocturn psalms 18, 19 & 20 are sung under the single antiphon Alleluia, noli flere Maria etc. The homily is from the writings of St. Gregory on St. John's Gospel and the same same as in modern editions except they are missing the words 'Dixit eis' at the beginning of the ninth lesson. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds Pss. 92, 99, & 62-66 are sung under a nine-fold Alleluia - an ancient feature of the Roman rite that would be destroyed in the 1911-13 reform. The Benedicite has the antiphon Surrexit Christus etc and Pss 148, 149 & 150 the antiphon Alleluia. The Office hymn is Aurora lucis rutilat. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of SS Tiburtius, Valerian and Maximus.

At Prime the Dominical psalms 53, 118(i), 118(ii) and Quicumque are sung under the antiphon Alleluia. The Dominical preces are omitted. At the other Little Hours Alleluia is also sung as the antiphon, the hymns have the Paschal Doxology.

Mass is sung after Terce. Before Mass the antiphon Vidi aquam is sung during the aspersion. At Mass the Gloria is sung. The second collect is of SS SS Tiburtius, Valerian and Maximus. The Creed is sung and the preface is of Paschaltide.

At Vespers the Sunday psalms are sung under the single antiphon Alleluia. The Office hymn is Ad cenam Agni providi. There is a single collect. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted.
Art: Jerome Nadal