December 19th - Ember Friday in Advent

Ember Friday in Advent is a greater ferial day of simple rite and its liturgical colour is violet.

At Mattins the invitatory is Prope est and the Office hymn is Verbum supernum. Mattins has a single nocturn of twelve psalms (Pss. 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 93, 95 & 96). The lessons are taken from a homily of St. Ambrose on St. Luke's Gospel. The lessons are all significantly longer than those found in the post-Clementine editions of the Breviary to the extent that the text of the third lesson is entirely absent from the later books.

At Lauds the antiphons Constantes estote etc are sung with Pss 50, 142, 62-66, Domine audivi and 148-149-150. After the antiphon on the Benedictus, Ex quo facta est etc., is repeated the ferial preces are sung with the choir kneeling. The preces include the psalm De profundis.

At Prime the antiphon Constantes estote is sung with psalms are Pss. 53, 21, 118(i) and 118(ii). The ferial and Dominical preces are sung, kneeling, at Prime and the shorter set of ferial preces at the other Little Hours.

Mass is sung after None. The texts are proper, the introit being Prope es tu etc. The second collect isDeus, qui de beatae, the third collect is Ecclesiae. The dismissal is Benedicamus Domino sung by the deacon facing the altar. The ministers wear violet folded chasubles. With the celebration of the Eucharist the Office of the Ember Day ends.

At Vespers Pss. 137, 138, 139, 140 & 141 are sung with the antiphons from the ferial Psalter. The Office hymn is Conditor alme siderum. The Great 'O' antiphon on the Magnificat is O radix Jesse which is sung doubled. After the antiphon has been repeated the ferial preces are sung kneeling and include the psalm Miserere mei Deus. The collect of the preceding Sunday is sung. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung, with the choir kneeling.