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Sunday "in Albis" or "Quasimodo" PDF Print E-mail

Summary of comments of this office by Dom Schuster, in his work L'année liturgique.

According to the ancient Roman concept, Easter week ended with yesterday's Vespers; that is why the Collect of Saturday's Mass refers to the conclusion of the paschal solemnity. Consequently, in order to mark the feast's end, the neophytes today doff their white robes and don their ordinary clothing, and the Church, in the Collect of the Mass, treats the paschal solemnity as having been celebrated. That is why the Divine Office of this day is no longer that of Easter, but rather the ordinary office for the Sundays of Eastertide, which continues until the Saturday after Pentecost.

The antiphon of the Introït which precedes the versicle from Psalm 80 is taken from the first epistle of St. Peter (2:2), where he invites the neophytes to taste the sweetness that the Lord lavishes upon them at the beginning of their Christian life: "As newborn babes, desire the rational milk without guile. Praise ye the Lord. Rejoice to God our helper: sing aloud to the God of Jacob."


The first versicle of the Alleluia is taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew (18:7): "Alleluia. Alleluia. On the day of My resurrection, saith the Lord, I will go before you into Galilee."


The next Alleluia is like a prelude to the Gospel that follows: "Alleluia. After eight days, the doors being shut, Jesus stood in the midst of His disciples, and said: Peace be to you. Alleluia" (John 20:26).


The Offertory is the same as for Easter Monday. On the second Sunday after Easter, the Greek Church celebrates a special feast in honor of the holy women "myrrophores," that is, carrying aromatic spices to the sepulcher. The Latin liturgy has united its praises of the women to the whole liturgy of Easter week.


In the antiphon for the Communion, the words of Jesus to Thomas are repeated. As participants in the sacrifice, we too touch by our faith the wounds of the hands and the side of Jesus, and we confess His resurrection by our faith that this flesh by which we are spiritually nourished is no longer the flesh of one dead and crucified, but the glorious body of a God immolated, risen, and alive.

 

 
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