DECEMBER bath XXXI. DAYS.

1/f Kalendæ.
2
g

4 Non.
3 A 3 Non. S. Francis Xavier, Confessor. Double.
4 b Prid. Non.
5 . Nonæ.
6 d 8 Idus. 8. Nicolas, Bishop. Double.
7 e 7 Id.

[2nd Class. 8 f 6 Id. Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Double of 9 g

5 Id. 10 A 4 Id. 11 b 3 Id. 12. Prid. Id. 13 d Idus.

8. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr. Double. 14 e 19 Kal. Jan. 15 f 18 Kal. 16 8

17 Kal. 17) A 16 Kal. 18 b 15 Kal. 19 c 14 Kal. 20 d 13 Kal.

[Class. 21 e 12 Kal. b. Chomas, Apostle and Martyr. Double of 2nd 22 f 11 Kal. 23 8

10 Kal. 24 A 9 Kal. 25 b 8 Kal. Christmas-Day. Double of 1st Class. 26 c 7 Kal.

3. Stepben, proto-Martyr. Double of 2nd Class, with Comm. Oct.

[Class, with Comm. Oct. 27 d. Kal. 5. John, Apostle and Evangelist. Double of 2nd 28 e 5 Kal. Holg Innocents. Double of 2nd Class, with Comm. Oct. 29 f4 Kal. S. Thomas of Canterbury, Bishop and Martyr. Semi30 g 3 Kal.

[double, with Comm. Oct. 31 A Prid. Kal. S. Silvester, Bishop. Double, with Comm. Oct.

General Rubrics.

THE OFFICE IS EITHER DOUBLE, SEMI-DOUBLE, OR SIMPLE.

I.-OF THE DOUBLE OFFICE. The Office shall be double from Maundy Thursday till Tuesday in Easterweek inclusive : on Low Sunday, Ascension Day, Whitsun Day, and the two days following; Trinity Sunday; on the Feasts of Corpus Christi ; the Dedioation of the Church ; all Feasts marked Double in the Calendar; the Octaves of Feasts having Octaves; the Feasts of the patron Saints of any place, and of the title of the Church; and the Feasts of those Saints solemnly celebrated by religious communities. The Office of the Dead shall be Double on All Souls' Day, and on the day of a death or burial: (this office has only first Vespers, Matins, and Lauds).

At both Vespers, Matins, and Lauds (not at the other hours), the Antiphons shall be doubled ; i.e., said entire at beginning and end of the Psalms.

II. OF THE SEMI-DOUBLE OFFICE. The Office shall be semi-double on ordinary Sundays, and on days within Octaves, and on Feasts marked Semi-double.

It shall have the Office entire, as a Double, except that the Antiphons shall not be doubled.

III.-OF SUNDAYS. The Sunday Office shall always be said on the Sundays in Advent, and from Septuagesima till Low Sunday inclusive: and any Double or Semidouble Feast occurring on such Sunday shall be transferred, except it be that of the chief Patron Saint, or the title of the church or place, or the Dedication of the Church. For then in that particular church or place the Feast shall be kept, and the Sunday only commemorated. For exceptions to this rule, see chap. vii.

On ordinary Sundays through the year, if a double Feast occur, the Office shall be of the Feast with commemoration of the Sunday at both Vespers and Lauds: and at Matins the 9th lesson shall be from the Sunday Homily. If a semi-double fall on such a day, it shall be transferred,

On Sundays in the Octaves of Christmas, Epiphany, Ascension, and Corpus Christi, the Office shall be of the Octave, as set forth in the Proper of Seasons. On Sundays in other Octaves the whole Office shall be of the Sunday, with commemoration of the Octave.

Offices are given for six Sundays after Epiphany, and twenty-five after Trinity.

If there be twenty-six Sundays after Trinity, on the twenty-fifth shall be said the office for the sixth after Epiphany; if twenty-seven, on the twenty

fifth shall be said that for the sixth after Epiphany, and on the twenty-sixth
that for the sixth. The Office for the twenty-fifth Sunday after Trinity shall
always be said on the Sunday next before Advent, even if there be fewer
than twenty-five Sundays.

Advent Sunday is that which falls nearest to, or upon, the Feast of S.
Andrew.

The unday Office shall be semi-double, and begin at Vespers on Satur-
day; continuing down to Sunday Compline, except in cases of concurrence.

IV.–OF FERIAS.
The Office of the Feria (Simple) is said through the year on all days not
otherwise occupied.

In Advent, Lent, on Ember Days, Vigils, and Rogation Monday, it shall
begin at Matins : on other Ferias it shall begin where the office of the
previous day ended.

V.-OF VIGILS.
The Vigil Office is said on all fasted Vigils through the year, except these
fall on any such day as a Feast of nine Lessons or an Octave: then, in the
Office of nine lessons, the ninth lesson shall be of the Homily of the Vigil, and
the Vigil shall be commemorated, at Lauds only, with the Ant. to Benedictus,
the y. Rz. of the Feria, and the proper Collect of the Vigil : except on
greater Feasts hereafter to be excepted.

If a Vigil fall on Sunday, the Office of it shall be said on the previous
Saturday, except a Feast of nine Lessons fall thereon, the Vigils only shall
then be commemorated. From this rule are excepted the Vigils of Christ-
mas and Epiphany, the Offices of which must be said even if they fall on
Sunday. But if à Vigil fall on some solemn Feast either of a particular
place, or one of peculiar local solemnity, then no notice shall be taken of the
Vigil, not even by commemoration; from this is excepted the Vigil of the
Epiphany. Also when a Vigil falls in Advent, Lent, or upon an Ember day
at such times the Vigil is not commemorated.

The Vigil Office shall begin at Matins and end at Nones. Vespers are
of the ensuing Feast.

The Office is entirely of the current Feria, as in the Psalter: and three
Leseons shall be read of the Homily on the Gospel of the Vigil, with three
RX RX. of the current Feria. The ferial preces shall be said, and the usual
commemorations, and all else as on the Ferias of Advent, Lent, and on
Ember days.

But Whitsun Eve must be celebrated with three Nocturns as a Semi-
double, and Christmas Eve shall have Nocturns of the Feria, but Lauds and
the rest of the Hours of a Double Office.

VI. OF OCTAVES.
Of an Octave the Office is said, or at least commemorated, (when any
Sunday or Feast intervene), for eight successive days. Easter Day, the
Ascension, Whitsun Day, Corpus Christi, the Feast of Dedication in each
church, the Feast of the principal patron Saint, or title of any church or
place, the special Feasts of religious communities, shall all be solemnly
celebrated with Octaves : but if any of these latter named fall in Lent, the
Octave shall not be kept. If any Feast wont to be kept with an Octave
happen a little before Lent, so that Lent begins before the Octave be finished,
Do more notice shall be taken of the Octave, even by a commemoration.

The same rule applies to Ootaves, not of absolute obligation, when Whitsun Day or December 16th occur before they are ended.

The Octaves of Easter and Whitsuntide end on Saturday at Nones.

Within Octaves Double and Semi-double Feasts shall be kept, and translated Feasts also, with commemoration of the Octave: unless it be one of the more solemn Feasts (see VIII.) whereon commemoration is made of no Octaves save Christmas, Epiphany, and Corpus Christi, which are always commemorated, whatever Feast may occur. Within the Octaves of Easter and Whitsun Day po Feast whatever may be kept, but must be transferred until afterwards. Within the Octave of Corpus Christi Double Feasts only, not translated ones, may be kept, with commemoration of the Octave: Semidoubles may not be kept, but must be transferred until after the Octave. Simple Feasts falling within any Octave are to be commemorated, but not on the Monday and Tuesday after Easter Day and Whitsun Day.

The Office of the Octave day shall be said as upon the Feast day, except the Lessons, whereof the first three shall always be those of Holy Scripture appointed for those days in the Proper of Seasons. During the Octave of the Patron Saint or title of a church, if there be no special lessons appointed for the Octave, the same lessons for the 2nd and 3rd Nocturns shall be as on the Feast day.

At Vespers within the Octave all shall be said as at second Vespers of the Feast ; and at first Vespers of the Octave day all as at first Vespers of the Feast, except it be otherwise ordered. Within Octaves the usual preces shall not be said.

VII. OF COMMEMORATIONS. Commemorations shall be made of Simple Feasts when upon such days & Feast of nine Lessons shall fall in ordinary course or by translation, and also upon Sundays and during Octaves.

The Ferias of Advent and Lent, Ember days, Vigils, and Rogation Monday shall be always commemorated, when a Feast of nine Lessons falls upon them. If & Simple Feast occur on one of those Ferias, the Office shall be of the Feria, with commemoration of the Simple Feast.

There shall be also made commemoration of the Sundays from Trinity to Advent, from Epiphany to Septuagesima, and from Low Sunday to Pentecost exclusively, when their Office is displaced by a Double Feast.

But any Feast soever falling on Advent Sunday, First Sunday in Lent, Passion Sunday, Palm Sunday, Easter Day, Low Sunday, Whitsun Day, or Trinity Sunday must be transferred to the next vacant day.

On the special solemn Festival of any place, such as is spoken of above, at first Vespers and Lauds, no commemoration shall be made of any Feast (except it be one of those hereafter mentioned) or Sunday, (supposing the Feast to be kept on a Monday), except Sundays in Advent, and those from Septuagesima to Low Sunday inclusively: of which Sundays there shall always be made commemoration, whatsoever Feast may occur. But if solemn Feasts of this sort shall fall upon any Sunday whatsoever, the Sundays shall be always commemorated at both Vespers and at Lauds. But at second Vespers of the solemn Feasts now spoken of commemoration shall be made of Doubles, Semi-doubles, and Sunday coming on the next day, but not of anything else.

The same order shall be observed with regard to certain greater Feasts throughout the year, to wit, Christmas, Epiphany, Easter-day, with the three days before and the two following it, Ascension Day, Whitsun Day,