The Ordinary of Ascensiontide

Now that the great feast of the Ascension is over, we move into 'Ascensiontide' for the next week and a bit. In the pre-1962 calendar this was an 'octave', and remnants of the octave can be found in the Office as it now stands.

You can find the rubrics for this period on page 383* of the Diurnal, and do make sure you know what changes!

The appropriate texts for the minor hours (except for the collects) are set out in the psalter. For the collects, Lauds and Vespers however, you need to keep your ribbon on the page for the Ordinary of Ascensiontide. The key points to note are set out below.

At Lauds

• the antiphons are as for Eastertide;
• the chapter is Conresuscitavit..., MD 384*
• the short responsory is Ascendit Deus, MD 384*
• the hymn is Iesu, nostra redemptio, MD 384-5* (written out in the Liber Hymnaius, pp 88-9)
• versicle Dominus in caelo, MD 385*
• Benedictus antiphon (note that this is used each day except where displaced by a feast, Sunday etc), Ascendo, MD 386*
• the collect for Friday is on MD 386, for Saturday is of the Little Office of Our Lady, for Sunday, of the Sunday, MD 391* (except in places where Our Lady Help of Christians or another feast is celebrated), for the week after, MD 386*

At Prime

• the antiphon is as noted in the psalter, Alleluia
• versicle has alleluia added to it (as for TP)

At Terce, Sext and None

• the antiphon is alleluia, as noted in the psalter
• note that the chapters and versicles are in the psalter for Ascensiontide (Tempore Ascensionis).

At Vespers

• the (single) antiphon is alleluia, as for Eastertide;
• the chapter is Conrescuscitavit, as for Lauds, MD 384*
• the responsory is Ascendens, MD 388*
• the hymn is Iesu, as for Lauds, 384-5*
• the versicle is Ascendit, MD 388*
• the antiphon for the Magnificat each day (unless displaced) is O Rex, MD 388*
• the collects are as for Lauds.