May 1st - SS Philip and James Apostles

The feast of the Holy Apostles SS Philip and James is of double rite and its liturgical colour is red. The fourth Sunday after Pascha is commemorated in the Office and at Mass.

At first Vespers yesterday afternoon, the antiphons were proper to the feast, Domine, ostende nobis Patrem etc and these were sung with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The chapter was Stabant justi and the Office hymn Tristes erant Apostoli. The the antiphon on the Magnificat, Non turbetur etc., and collect were are proper to the feast. After the collect of the feast a commemoration was sung of the Sunday. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Paschaltide Doxology and the Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins there are the usual three nocturns. The invitatory is Regem Apostolorum Dominum Venite adoremus, the antiphons Stabunt justi etc and the Psalms are from the Common of Apostles. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of letter of St. James from the fourth Sunday after Easter, these are the same as those found in the post-Clementine editions. These lessons are followed by the responsories from the Common, Beatus vir, qui metuit Dominum, alleluia etc. In the second nocturn the lessons are proper to the feast. Again, these are the same as in the later revisions. The Gospel in the third nocturn is from St. John and the pericope contains the passage where the LORD tells St. Philip that if he wishes to see the Father to see Him and that in the Father's house there are many mansions. These are substantially longer than those found in the post-Clementine editions, the text of the Tridentine ninth lesson missing from later editions except for the first sentence. Today the eighth and ninth lessons of the feast are read together to form an extended eighth lesson of the day and the ninth lesson is formed of the three lessons appointed for the homily of the Sunday. This homily is from St. Augustine and, unusually, the same as in post-Clememtine editions. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons Domine ostende nobis Patrem etc are sung with psalms 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite & 148-149-150. The Office hymn is Paschale mundo gaudium and is sung with the Paschal Doxology. After the collect of the feast a commemoration of the Sunday is sung. At the Hours the same antiphons are sung in the usual sequence. The Office hymns have the Paschal Doxology and the festal psalms are sung at the Hours. At Prime the lectio brevis is Scimus quoniam.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Mass is proper, Exclamaverunt etc. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday. TheCredo is sung, the preface is that of the Apostles and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

At second Vespers the antiphons Domine ostende nobis Patrem are sung again this time with psalms 109, 112, 115, 125 & 138. The Office hymn is Tristes erant Apostoli. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the following Office of St. Athanasius and of the Sunday. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted.