June 25th - Sunday within the Octave of St. John the Baptist - VI Sunday after Pentecost

The Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist is of semi-double rite and its colour is white. This year it is the sixth Sunday after Pentecost.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Elisabeth Zachariaeetc were sung, not doubled, with Pss. 109, 112, 115, 125 &138. The Office hymn is Ut queant laxis. After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the Sunday. The Suffrages are omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

At Mattins the invitatory is Adoremus Dominum and the Office hymn Nocte surgentes. In the first nocturn (Pss. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 & 14) are sung and the lessons are a continuation of the Second Book of the Kings. The lessons are the same as in modern editions of the Breviary. In the second nocturn (Pss. 15, 16 & 17) the lessons are from St. Ambrose's Defence of David. These, again, are the same as found in the modern editions. In the third nocturn (Pss. 18, 19 & 20) the homily is from St. Ambrose on St. Mark's Gospel. The seventh lesson includes the first sentence (Consequens igitur... a jejunio liberaret) from the modern eighth lesson. In the Tridentine Breviary the eighth lesson thus begins Itaque nemo and continues with most of the modern ninth lesson until ...sed nec adhuc quidem potestis. The ninth lesson begins In modum lactis but most of its text is not found in the modern books. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the Sunday psalms (Pss. 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite & 148-49-150) are sung. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration of the Octave of St. John the Baptist is sung. The Suffrages are omitted.

At Prime (Pss. 53, 117, 118i & 118ii) Quicumque is sung but the Dominical preces are omitted.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Octave. Today there is no third collect. The Credois sung, the common preface is sung.

Vespers are of the Sunday, with psalms (109, 110, 111, 112 & 113). The Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following semi-double feast of SS John and Paul and of the Octave. The Suffrages are omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.