August 16th - X Sunday after Pentecost - Sunday within the Octaves of the Assumption and of St. Lawrence

The tenth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite. This year it is the third Sunday of August and its liturgical colour, until Vespers, is white being the Sunday within the Octave of the Assumption. It is also the Sunday within the Octave of St. Lawrence.

Vespers yesterday afternoon were second Vespers of the great feast of the Assumption of the Mother of God. The antiphons proper to the feast Assumpta est Maria in caelum etc were sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 112, 121, 126 & 147. The Office hymn was Ave maris stella. After the collect of the feast a commemoration of the Sunday was sung, the antiphon on the Magnificat being Omnis sapientia etc for the Saturday before the third Sunday of August. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation Gloria tibi Domine etc as are all hymns of Iambic metre during the Octave. The Dominical preces were omitted.

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. The lessons are the Incipit of the Book of Wisdom. The first lesson is longer than the form given in the modern editions. It continues Spiritus enim ... superveniente iniquitate. The second lesson begins Benignus est enim and continues until quod mentitur occidit animam - what is now the end of third lesson. The text of the third lesson is not found in the modern editions Nolite zelare ...qui sunt ex parte illius, vv. 12-16. In the second nocturn (Pss. 15, 16 & 17) the lessons are from St. Ambrose. Lessons IV and V are substantially longer than those in the modern books with additional text not appearing in the modern editions, lesson VI is longer by a sentence. In the third nocturn (Pss. 18, 19 & 20) the homily is from St. Augustine on St. Luke's Gospel. These lessons are considerably longer in the Tridentine Breviary than the form found in post-Clementine editions so the text of the ninth lesson is now entirely absent the modern editions. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the Sunday psalms (Pss. 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite 148-49-150) are sung. The Office hymn is Ecce. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration of the Octave of the Assumption is sung followed by a commemoration of the Octave of St. Lawrence. The Suffrages are omitted due to the occurring Octaves.

At Prime (Pss. 117, 118i & 118ii) Quicumque is sung but the Dominical preces are omitted. In the short responsory Qui natus es in sung (and throughout the Octave).

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Octave, the third collect is of the Octave of St. Lawrence. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the BVM with Et te in Assumptione.

Vespers are of the following Octave Day of St. Lawrence, with the corresponding colour change to red vestments. The antiphons Laurentius ingressus est martyr etc are sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 110, 11, 112 & 115. The antiphon on the Magnificat is Beatus Laurentius etc, the collect is proper to the Octave Day, Excita Domine. After the collect of the Octave Day commemorations are sung of the Sunday and of the Octave of the Assumption. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted

Art: Jerome Nadal