Sunday 9 May 2021

April 26th - Dominica in Albis - Low Sunday


Dominica in Albis or Low Sunday is of double rite and its litugical colour is white. The Gospel at Mattins and Mass is the account of the LORD appearing in to His disciples behind the shut doors of the room and the doubting of St. Thomas. The Greater Litanies were celebrated yesterday but the feast of St. Mark is transferred to Monday.

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 the Paschal Suffrage was omitted. 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 the first group of Sunday psalms, 92, 99 & 62-66, are sung under a single antiphon, a nine-fold Alleluia - an ancient feature of the Roman rite that would be destroyed in the 1911-13 reform. The Office hymn is Aurora lucis rutilat.

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. There is a single collect. The Creed is sung and the preface is of Paschaltide.

At Vespers there is a colour change to red and first Vespers of the transferred feast of St. Mark the Apostle are sung. The antiphons Sancti tui etc, from the Common of Evangelists in Paschaltide, are sung with Pss. 19, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn is Tristes erant Apostoli, sung with the Paschal Doxology. After the collect of the feast a commemoration of the Sunday is sung. The Paschal Suffrage is omitted. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted.

2 comments:

  1. Aren't there 3 antiphons at Lauds (not only on Sundays and Ferias in Paschaltide but also on Sundays per annum, with different antiphons, obviously)? Nine-fold Alleluja for Psalms 92, 99, 62-66, then Surrexit Christus, etc. for Benedicite and finally three-fold Alleluja for Psalms 148-150.

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  2. Indeed. I have amended the post to make that clear - as much as limited internet connectivity at the moment will allow.

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