The third week of September - Ember Week

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross

The feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is of greater double rite and takes precedence, as a feast of the LORD, over the XIV Sunday after Pentecost (this year the third Sunday of September and the Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity of the BVM). The origin of the feast was the dedication of Constantine's basilica in Jerusalem in 335. The feast appears to have been celebrated in Rome since the seventh century. A double feast in the Tridentine Missal of 1570 it was raised to greater double rank by Clement VIII. The liturgical colour, until Vespers, is red. The fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, and this year the third Sunday of September, is commemorated at Vespers, Mattins, Lauds and Mass. The week ahead will be that of the September Ember Days.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons O magnum pietatis opus etc were sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn was Vexilla regis. After the collect of the feast a commemoration of the Sunday was sung (the antiphon on the Magnificat being Ne reminiscaris for the Saturday before the third Sunday of September). The Suffrage was omitted due to the double feast as were the Dominical preces at Compline.

At Mattins the invitatory is Christum Regem, pro nobis in Cruce exaltatum, Venite adoremus and the Office hymn is Pange, lingua. In the first nocturn the antiphons Nobile lignum etc are sung, doubled, with Pss.1, 2 & 3 and the lessons are taken from the Book of Numbers with responsories propert to the feast. In the second nocturn the antiphons O Crucis victoria etc are sung, doubled, with Pss. 4, 10 & 20. The lessons describe the taking of the Cross from Jerusalem and its triumphant return. In the third nocturn the antiphons Adoramus te Christe etc are sung, doubled with Pss. 95, 96 & 97. lessons are from a homily on the Passion of the Lord from St. Leo the Great. The ninth lesson is of the Sunday, a homily from St. Augustine on St. Matthew's Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons O magnum pietatis opus etc are sung, doubled, with Pss. 92, 99, 62, Benedicite and 148. The Office hymn is Lustra sex. After the collect of the feast a commemoration of the Sunday is sung.

At the Hours the O magnum pietatis opus etc are sung in the usual order. At Prime, Pss. 53, 118(i) & 118(ii), both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted, the lectio brevis is proper, Humiliavit semetipsum.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday. There is no third collect today. The Creed is sung, the preface is of the Holy Cross and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

Prior to the reform of 1911-13 Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity of the BVM was the feast of the Holy Name of the BVM. One Mass, other than the Conventual Mass, may be sung of the feast. The Mass Vultum tuum is sung with Gloria, the second collect of the Holy Cross, the third collect of the Sunday. The Creed is sung, the preface is of the BVM and the last Gospel is of the Holy Cross.

Vespers see a colour change to white and first Vespers are sung of the following feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin. The antiphons Quo abiit etc are sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 112, 121, 126 & 147. The Office hymn is Jam toto subitus. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the preceding feast of the Exaltation of the Cross and of the Sunday. At Compline Te lucis is sung with the Doxology proper to the feast of the Seven Sorrows, Jesu tibi sit gloria, Qui passus es pro servulis etc.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' although the feast has been raised in rank to 'second class' (connected with the abolition of the May feast of the Invention of the Holy Cross) it loses first Vespers with the exception of when it falls on a Sunday. The Sunday is not commemorated being considered an identical mystery of the Lord with the feast. If the Sunday were to be commemorated it would be the second Sunday of September not the third. At the Little Hours the antiphons for the Sunday, not the feast are sung. At Prime, Ps. 117, 118(i) & 118(ii), the lectio brevis is of the Sunday. At Mass there is a single collect and the last Gospel is In principio. Vespers are second Vespers of the Exaltation of the Cross without commemoration of the following Office of the Seven Sorrows or of the Sunday. At Compline Te lucis is sung with the ordinary Doxology. The Ember Days will not be celebrated for another week.

Icon from the Greek Catholic Church.

The second week of September

XIII Sunday after Pentecost

The thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour, until Vespers, is green. This year it is the second Sunday of September. The Gospel pericopes from St. Luke's Gospel tell of the LORD and the ten lepers, only one of which thanked Him for being healed.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms of Saturday were sung. The Office hymn was Jam sol recedit igneus. The antiphon on the Magnificat was In omnibus his for the Saturday before the second Sunday of September. After the collect of the Sunday the Suffrage of the Saints was sung. At Compline the Dominical preces were sung.

At Mattins the invitatory is Dominum qui fecit nos and the Office hymn is Nocte surgentes. In the first nocturn the lessons continue to be read from the Book of Job. In the second nocturn the lessons are from St. Gregory's Book on Morals. In the third nocturn the lessons are a homily from St. Augustine on St. Luke's Gospel. At Lauds the Office hymn is Ecce jam noctis. After the collect of the Sunday the Suffrage of the Saints is sung.

At Prime Pss. 117, 118(i) & 118(ii) both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are sung.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is A cunctis, the third collect is chosen by the Dean or rector of the place. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Holy Trinity.

After None there is a colour change to white and first Vespers of the Nativity of the BVM are sung. The antiphons Nativitas gloriosae etc are sung, doubled, with the psalms from the Common of the BVM (Pss. 109, 112, 121, 126 & 147). The Office hymn is Ave, maris stella. After the collect of the feast a commemoration of the Sunday is sung. At Compline Te lucis is sung to the melody of the Incarnation with the Doxology Jesu tibi sit gloria etc. The Dominical preces are omitted.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' today is the first Sunday of September. At Vespers on Saturday the antiphon on the Magnificat was Cum audisset Job. The Suffrage has been abolished as have the Dominical preces. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons, the first of which, the Incipit of the Book of Job was read last week in the traditional rite. At Prime Quicumque is sung but once a year. At Mass there is a single collect. Vespers are of the Sunday without any commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal

The first week of September

XII Sunday after Pentecost

The twelfth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. This year it is the first Sunday of September and the beginning of the Pars Autumnalis of the Breviary. The Gospel pericopes from St. Luke tell of the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

Yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms of Saturday were sung. The Office hymn was Jam sol recedit igneus. The antiphon on the Magnificat was Cum audisset Job for the Saturday before the first Sunday of September. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Rose of Lima and of St. Raymond Nonnatus. The Suffrage of the Saints was omitted as were the Dominical preces at Compline.

At Mattins the invitatory is Dominum qui fecit nos and the Office hymn isNocte surgentes. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the Book of Job. In the second nocturn the lessons are from St. Gregory's Book of Morals. In the third nocturn the homily on St. Luke's Gospel is from the writings of the Venerable Bede. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the Office hymn is Ecce jam noctis. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of St. Raymond Nonnatus. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted.

At Prime both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Raymond Nonnatus. Today, in the universal calendar, there is no third collect. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Blessed Trinity.

At Vespers (Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113) the Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sundays commemorations are sung of the following Office of St. Giles, of St. Raymond Nonnatus and of the SS Twelve Brothers. The Suffrage is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the first Sunday of September is next week and at Vespers on Saturday the antiphon on the Magnificat was Observa, fili for the Saturday before the fifth Sunday of August. There were no commemorations. At Mattins the first and second lesson are for the fifth Sunday of August. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Mass there is a single collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal

The fourth week of August