Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Evening Prayer I for Ascension tonight...

...unless your diocese moves Ascension to Sunday.

It looks like the breviary is pretty clear what page you use in each situation. Check your online/mobile breviary carefully to make sure you are doing the appropriate liturgy according to the ordo of your diocese. Right now it seems that DivineOffice.org has the Solemnity of the Ascension starting tonight, without provision for  Thursday, sixth week of Easter offices.

Most dioceses in the United States apparently transfer the Ascension to Sunday.  

According to the knowledgeable Scott Richert of the About.com Catholicism page, only the ecclesiastical provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, and Omaha  retain the Thursday celebration. So it's sort of an east coast thing, with Nebraska as an outrider.

There are arguments for and against this Ascension-shifting business. I know them all, and have my opinion, which is irrelevant here. I just want to help everyone follow the appropriate liturgy for the day.

Now, if you pray the Pentecost Novena, you have to start Friday, regardless of when your diocese observes the Ascension.  And if you want daily reminders and links to the actual prayers, then sign up with Pray More Novenas