August 1st - St. Peter ad Vincula

The feast of St. Peter ad Vincula, St. Peter in Chains, is of double rite and its liturgical colour is white. It is the dedication feast of the Basilica of St. Peter ad vincula in Rome. Today is also the first Sunday of August and the eighth Sunday after Pentecost which is commemorated in the Office and Mass.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Herodes rex etc were sung, doubled, with the psalms for first Vespers of Apostles, Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn was Petrus beatus catenarum laqueos. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of St. Paul the Apostle, the Sunday (the antiphon on the Magnificat being Sapientia for the Saturday before the first Sunday of August) and of the Holy Machabees.

At Mattins the invitatory is Regem Apostolorum Dominum, Venite adoremus and the Office hymn Quodcumque vinclis. In the first nocturn the antiphons In omnem terram etc are sung with psalms 18, 33 & 44 from the Common of Apostles. The lessons are from the twelfth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. These are the same as those found in the modern editions of the Breviary. In the second nocturn the antiphons Principes populorum etc are sung with psalms 46, 60 & 63. The lessons in the second nocturn are hagiographical and tell of Eudoxia, daughter of the Emperor Theodosius, receiving part of the chains in Rome from her mother Eudocia and seeing them re-united with links that had been preserved there. Again, these are the same as those found in modern books. In the third nocturn the antiphons Exaltabuntur etc are sung with psalms 74, 96 & 98. The homily is from St. Jerome on St. Matthew's Gospel as on the feast of SS Peter and Paul. The eighth and ninth lessons are read together to form the eighth lesson and the ninth lesson is formed of the texts for the homily of the Sunday. These are from St. Jerome on St. Luke's Gospel and are longer than those found in later editions. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons Herodes rex etc are sung with psalms 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite & 148-149-150. The hymn is Jam bone pastor Petre. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of St. Paul the Apostle, the Sunday and of the Holy Machabees.

At Prime the antiphon Herodes rex is sung with psalms 53, 118i & 118ii. Quicumque is omitted. The lectio brevis is Et Petrus as se reversus dixit.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Paul, the third collect of the Sunday and the fourth of the Holy Machabees. The Creed is sung, the preface is of the Apostles and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

At second Vespers the antiphons Herodes rex etc are again sung, at this Office with psalms 109, 112, 115, 125 & 138. The Office hymn is Petrus beatus catenarum laqueos. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of St. Paul, the Sunday and of St. Stephen.

Icon: Orthodox Monastery Icons