August 22nd - Octave Day of the Assumption

The Octave Day of the Assumption is of double rite and its liturgical colour is white. The twelfth Sunday after Pentecost (and fourth Sunday of August) is commemorated in the Office and at Mass.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Assumpta est Maria etc were sung (doubled as on the feast day) with psalms 109, 112, 121, 126 & 147. The chapter was from Ecclesiasticus, In omnibus requiem etc., and the Office hymn was Ave, Maris stella. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of the Sunday, the antiphon on the Magnificat being Sapientia for the Saturday before the fourth Sunday of August, and of SS Timothy, Hippolytus and Symphorian. The Suffrages were omitted. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the melody and Doxology of the Incarnation, Gloria tibi Domine, Qui natus es de Virgine, Cum Patre et Sancto Spiritu, In sempiterna saecula, as it has been throughout the Octave. The Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory, antiphons, psalmody and responsories are as on the feast. In the first nocturn the lessons are taken from the Canticle of Canticles. These are the same as those found in post-Clementine editions of the Breviary. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from a sermon of St. Bernard. The selection of texts is completely different to that found in the modern editions (1891 & 1932). In the third nocturn St. Bernard again provides the homily on the fragment from St. Luke's Gospel. The texts are slightly longer than those found in the modern books. Today the eighth and ninth lessons are read together and ninth lesson is formed of the three lessons of the homily for the Sunday. These are from the text of a homily of St. Bede on St. Luke’s Gospel. These lessons are longer than those found in modern editions with lessons seven (of the Sunday) and eight comprising of the text of all of the later third nocturn lessons. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons Assumpta est Maria etc are sung with psalms 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite and 148-149-150. The hymn is O gloriosa Domina. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the Sunday and of SS Timothy, Hippolytus and Symphorian.

At Prime and the Hours the hymns are sung with the proper Doxology and tone as noted above. At Prime (Pss. 53, 118i & 118ii) in the short responsory Qui natus es de Virgine is sung and the lectio brevis is In plateis.

Mass is celebrated after Terce. The Mass formulary is the sublime Gaudeamus etc. The Gloria is sung. The second collect is of the Sunday, the third collect of SS Timothy, Hippolytus and Symphorian. The Creed is sung, the preface is that of the BVM and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

In the afternoon at second Vespers all is as at first Vespers of the feast except the antiphon on the Magnificat which is Hodie Maria Virgo caelos ascendit: gaudete, quia cum Christo regnat in aeternum. After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the Sunday. With the singing of Compline the Office of this great Octave, perhaps the most stunning in the whole Roman Office, comes to a close for this year.