The Easter Octave: Whit Sunday, Quasimodo Sunday, Low Sunday, Thomas Sunday, Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday
If any day shows the riches of the liturgical year it is this Sunday that concludes the great Octave of Easter! Do you know what is the meaning behind each of these titles? We'll tell you below but first we thought you would enjoy hearing a recording of the Haec Dies sung through out the week at the Divine Office and at Mass.
Whit Sunday--or White Sunday or Dominica in Albis. This is because the newly baptized used to wear their white garments which they received at the Vigil for the entire Octave and would take them off on this day. One of our sisters said that when she heard this as a child she couldn't imagine anyone wearing white for an entire week and not looking grungy and dirty by the end! Well, now she knows as we wear our white habits for not one week but two weeks!
Quasimodo Sunday--The first words of the Introit or opening Antiphon "Quasi modo geniti infantes..." ("As newborn babies...", from I Peter 2:2)
Low Sunday--Sometimes thought to be called this to compare this Sunday with the glory of Easter. However a more reasonable explanation is that the "Low" is a corruption of Laudes from the sequence sung on this day: "Laudes Salvatori voce modulemur supplici" (Let us sing praises to the Savior with humble voice).
Thomas Sunday--This is the name given by the Eastern Churches because the Gospel for today is about St. Thomas doubting that the other apostles had seen the Lord and that He rose from the dead.
Second Sunday of Easter--This is the current name of this Sunday in the Roman Missal. In other words, it is STILL Easter!
Divine Mercy Sunday--Today is the conclusion of the popular Divine Mercy Novena asked for by our Lord to St. Faustina. In 2000 Pope John Paul II officially set the commemoration for this Sunday.