Plans for the Octave of Easter?

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GwenL

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I just love how the Church “stops time” during the Octaves of Easter, Christmas, etc. For eight days we get to celebrate Easter.

Does your parish do anything special during these eight days?

Our rector is a liturgical maximalist. So, we will celebrate every daily Mass as a full-up solemnity–with incense, music, all the frills. To give our two priests a break, we reduce from two daily Masses to only one. But we go all-out on that one! We do the same thing during the Octave of Christmas. You could walk into one of our daily Masses this week and think that it was still Easter Sunday.
 
Oh my gosh that is wonderful – I would love that too. That’s very impressive.
 
My parish will have a High Mass every evening and a High Mass Saturday afternoon to celebrate the Octave. If more priests are available some of the Masses may become Solemn (indicating the participation of a deacon and subdeacon). The Octave will conclude with a High Mass on Sunday morning followed by Vespers & Benediction in the late afternoon.

Christus resurrexit! Resurrexit vere! Alleluia Alleluia!
Khristós Anésti! Alithós Anésti
Christ is Risen! Indeed, He is Risen!
 
GwenL said:
I just love how the Church “stops time” during the Octaves of Easter, Christmas, etc. For eight days we get to celebrate Easter.

Does your parish do anything special during these eight days?

Our rector is a liturgical maximalist. So, we will celebrate every daily Mass as a full-up solemnity–with incense, music, all the frills. To give our two priests a break, we reduce from two daily Masses to only one. But we go all-out on that one! We do the same thing during the Octave of Christmas. You could walk into one of our daily Masses this week and think that it was still Easter Sunday.
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There used to be many more Octaves but now there’s just Easter and Christmas.

I must admit as someone who chants the Liturgy of the Hours daily, I find the Octaves a bit monotonous. Lauds and Vespers are exactly the same antiphons and psalms every day. Only the Gospel Canticle antiphon, the readings and the collect change. At least the Office of Readings is different every day as is daytime prayer. I don’t mind the concept of octaves, just wish there was a bit more variety for Lauds and Vespers. But on the positive side, by the end of the Octave you pretty much have the chanting of the antiphons down pat 🙂
 
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