May 2nd - St. Athanasius

The feast of St. Athanasius is of double rite and its liturgical colour, from Mattins to None, is white. The feast takes precedence over the third Sunday after Pascha which is commemorated in the Office and at Mass.

Yesterday afternoon second Vespers of the feast of SS Philip and James were sung. The antiphons Domine ostende nobis Patrem etc were sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 112, 115, 125 & 138. The Office hymn was Tristes erant Apostoli, sung with the Paschal Doxology. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of St. Athanasius and of the third Sunday after Pascha. The hymns at Compline and the Hours are sung with the Paschal Doxology.

At Mattins the liturgical colour changes to white. The invitatory is Regem Confessorum Dominum, Venite adoremus and the hymn Iste Confessor. In the first nocturn Pss. 1, 2 & 3 are sung under the antiphon Beatus vir etc. The lessons are the Incipit of the Book of the Apocalypse. The lessons are followed by the responsories from the Office of a Confessor-Bishop Euge serve bone etc. The lessons are the same as those found the post-Clementine editions in the modern editions. In the second nocturn Pss. 4, 5 & 8 are sung under the antiphon Invocantem etc. The lessons in the second nocturn are historic lessons for St. Athanasius with the responses again taken from the Common. The lessons differ very slightly from those found in the modern editions. In the third nocturn Pss. 14, 20 & 23 are sung under the antiphon Domine etc.the homily is taken , 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 & 14) the lessons are Incipit of the Book of the Apocalypse. The lessons are the same as in the later books. In the second nocturn (Pss. 15, 16 & 17) the lessons are taken from the a sermon by St. Augustine. These too are the same as in modern recensions. In the third nocturn (Pss. 18, 19 & 20) the homily is from St. Athanasius's Apology for his flight. The lessons are slightly different to the form found in the modern editions. The responsories are again taken from the Common. The ninth lesson is formed of the three lessons for the homily appointed for the Sunday on St. John's Gospel from St. Augustine, again the text is the same as in the post-Clementine editions. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons Ecce sacerdos magnus etc from the Common are sung, doubled, with the Dominical psalms (Pss. 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite & 148-49-150). The Office hymn is Jesu Redemptor omnium. A commemoration of the Sunday is sung after the collect of the feast.

At the Hours the hymns are sung with the Paschal Doxology. The antiphons Ecce sacerdos magnus are sung with the festal psalms (at Prime Pss. 53, 118i & 118ii).

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday. The Creed is sung, the preface is of Paschaltide and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

In the afternoon first Vespers of the feast of the Invention of the Holy Cross are sung with a colour change to red. The antiphons Helena Constantini mater etc (which are absent from the modern editions) are sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn is Vexilla Regis prodeunt, sung with the Paschaltide stroph in the sixth verse. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of St. Athanasius, the Sunday and of SS Alexander and his Companions. At Compline (Pss. 4, 30 vv 1-6, 90 & 133) the Dominical preces are omitted due to the double feasts.

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