The Presentation of the BVM

Today is the feast of the Presentation of the Mother of God in the Temple. In contrast to the Byzantine East where the feast is counted as one of the Twelve Great Feasts, in the West the feast has generally held a lower rank and in the Roman rite is a greater-double. The feast was actually supressed by the Commission responsible for the Tridentine Missal of 1570 and was re-introduced by Sixtus V in 1585. The feast, as the 'Obalation of the BVM in the Temple' appears inter alia in several English Calendars before 1100 e.g. London British Library: Cotton Titus D.XXVII., 3r-8v and London British Library: Arundel 60 2r-7v (that information comes from the interesting 'Saints in English Calendars before 1100' HBS, Vol CXVII).

First Vespers was celebrated on Friday, the antiphons and psalms being taken from the Common of the Office of the BVM. The antiphon at the Magnificat and collect are proper to the feast. The Doxology Jesu tibi sit gloria is sung at the conclusion of all hymns of Iambic metre in the Office.

At Mattins in the first nocturn the lessons are taken from the Common. (The Incipit of the Prophet Jonas was anticipated yesterday). In the second nocturn the lessons are from the writings of St. John of Damascus and St. Ambrose. In the third nocturn the homily is again taken from the Common with an adaptation made to the seventh responsory with the addition of tuam sanctam Praesentatione. At Lauds the antiphons are from the Common and the Sunday psalms are used. The antiphon on the Benedictus and collect are proper.

At Prime festal psalmody is used (53, 1181, 118ii) and the versicle Qui natus es sung in the short responsory. The short lesson is from the Common In plateis. Again at the Hours festal psalmody is sung.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria and Credo are sung and the preface is that of the BVM with the clause Et te in Presentatione.

The feast yields in concurrence to the Sunday (as it is only greater-double). However the Office hymn, Jam sol recedit igneus, is sung to the Marian tone and has the Doxology noted above. The feast of the Presentation is commemorated and a commemoration of St. Cecilia VM is also sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the feast has been reduced to third class. There is but one nocturn the scriptural lessons being those of Saturday. Ferial psalmody is used throughout. There is no special tone for the hymns and no proper Doxology. The Creed is not sung at Mass. At Vespers there is neither commemoration of the Presentation or of St. Cecilia who is omitted this year.

The icon comes from an interesting website explaining the art and theology of icons.

Ordines away!

I have sent out two batches of Ordines this week and another batch will go tomorrow. There was a slight delay as I was feeling unwell at the beginning of the week.

It is very encouraging that there are a significant number of new customers this year. To those customers: Welcome and, hopefully, you will find the Ordo useful and of value to your spiritual life. Last year I started a series of 'How to' posts on the Hours which I will re-publish and extend in the next weeks which may be of some help if you are new to the traditional Office.

I trust customers who have received their Ordo are pleased with the improvements on last year's edition. The cover is more durable this year and almost back to the elegance of the design Gavin Stamp produced for Ordo 1986. An expert Latinist also kindly joined the proof-reading team and a number of amenments have been made perhaps most noticeably the replacement of the very new rite 'Praef Dom' with 'Praef Trin' as found in old ordines.

To existing customers thank you too for your repeat business. Some of the email reminders I sent out a month ago 'bounced'. Please check mail@ordorecitandi.org.uk is added to your safe senders list. I have had some problems too with my ISP and am looking to change provider for a more reliable service.

If you have not by now had an email, or the paper reminder, something has gone wrong. Please download the order form and send it as soon as you can so your order can be sent before the Christmas post.

It is possible that Royal Mail staff may take official, or otherwise, action nearer the peak time so please send your order now.

XXIV Sunday after Pentecost

Today is the twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost and fourth Sunday of November. However, as will be explained below, the texts in the Missal for the twenty-fourth Sunday are not used today. The Sunday is of semi-double rite. The Gospel pericopes are from St. Matthew and the parable of the mustard seed.

At Vespers yesterday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office and of St. Albert the Great. As both feasts are doubles the Suffrage was not sung nor were the preces sung at Compline.

At Mattins in the first nocturn the Incipit of the book of the Prophet Osee is read. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from St. Augustine's Book on the City of God. In the third nocturn the homily is from the writing of St. Jerome and is that given for the sixth Sunday after the Epiphany which, this year, was not celebrated before Septuagesima.

Both the Breviary and Missal give rubrics after the twenty-third Sunday indicating what text to use if there are more than twenty-four Sundays after Pentecost, dependant of course on the date of Easter. This year there are twenty-five and so, following the rubrics the texts for the twenty-fourth Sunday are actually used next Sunday as it is the last Sunday after Pentecost. Today the rubrics direct the use of the texts of the sixth Sunday after Epiphany. At Mattins the homily for these 'unused Sundays' are different as are the antiphons for the Gospel canticles at Lauds and Vespers. However at Mass the introit, gradual, offertory and communion are all identical with those sung on the twenty-third Sunday. The collect, epistle and Gospel are proper to each 'unused' Sunday.

At Lauds a commemoration of St. Albert the Great is sung. At Prime the Dominical preces are omitted due to the occurring double feast.

Mass is sung after Terce. The introit, as noted above, is Dicit Dominus.., the Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Albert the Great. The Creed is sung and the preface that of the Holy Trinity.

At Vespers a commemoration of the following feast of St. Gertrude is sung and of St. Albert the Great. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted.

In the 'ancient use' of the 1960s neither Vespers has any commemorations of concurrent Offices. Mattins is cut down to one nocturn, there are no commemorations at Lauds. Mass has one collect and St. Albert the Great is omitted this year.

Confiteor Deo...et omnibus Sanctis

(Pendant reliquaries in Rubricarius' collection of Relics)

Rubricarius is feeling very contrite and ashamed of himself.

A few days ago I made a comment in response to a reader about the antiquity of the Vigil of All Saints and I said that it was fourteenth century. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa and may I be forgiven for this perncious error. Often when looking quickly for historical information on feasts I consult one of the Supplements produced by the 1948 Commission for General Liturgical Reform: Memoria sulla riforma liturgica: Supplemento III Materiale Storico, Agiografico, Liturgico per la Riforma del Calendario. This was published in 1951 in Rome.


On page 140 there is the entry (below) stating that the Vigil appeared during the fourteenth century, which I stupidly took at face value when I replied to 'Gem of the Ocean'.


At the weekend I spent twenty minutes taking a cursory glance at some of the volumes from the Henry Bradshaw Society publications in my library and noted the following:

Vol CIX, 'The Winchcombe Sacramentary', 10th century, p. 197 - Vigil of All Saints

Vol CVII, 'The Durham Collectar', 10th century, p. 194 - Vigil of All Saints

Vol CI, 'Fulda Sacramentary', 10th century, p. 159 - Vigil of All Saints

Vol CXVI, 'Sacramentary of Ratoldus', 10th century, p.360 - Vigil of All Saints

Vol CX, 'Sacramentary of Echternach', 10th century, p. 309 - Vigil of All Saints

Vol CXIV, 'The Leofric Missal', 10/11th century, p. 200 - Vigil of All Saints

Vols I, V & XII, 'The Westminster Missal', which is 14th century(!), col. 986 - Vigil of All Saints

Vol XI, 'The Missal of Robert of Jumieges', 10/11th century, p.221 - Vigil of All Saints

Vol XCIV, 'The Bec Missal', 13th century, p. 209 - Vigil of All Saints

Clearly, the Vigil was established by at least the tenth century. So we can draw the conclusion that a secret papal Commission established to plot out a reform of the liturgy either couldn't afford a subscribtion to the HBS and didn't have access to the manuscript rooms of the world's libraries (despite sitting on top of one), or, to say the very least, that a little cheating, or more than a little, went on to justify the implementation of their reforms.

I really should go through the Commission's published works in some detail with a critical eye. Indeed several years ago my late friend Gregory Woolfenden at a lunch was perusing these documents of Pius XII's Commission and coming out with remarks such as "Bloody Hell - Domincae per annum! When was this written?" between copious imbibing, as was his style. "You need to get off your ar*e, stop wasting time on the Internet, and publish some of your researches."

I should really take that, very good, advice on board as a penance for insulting, through laziness, the Vigil of All Saints.

XXIII Sunday after Pentecost

Today is the twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost and the third Sunday of November. It is also the Octave Day of All Saints. If the second Sunday of November falls after November 5th it, and the following week, are omitted and the third Sunday celebrated. (In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the second Sunday and its week are always omitted.) The Gospel is from St. Matthew and is the account of the LORD rasing Jairus's daughter from the dead.

At Vespers yesterday the antiphon on the Magnificat was Muro tuo of the Saturday before the third Sunday. Commemorations were sung of the Octave Day of All Saints and the Four Crowned Martrys.

At Mattins in the first nocturn the Incipit of the book of Daniel the Prophet is read. In the second nocturn the lessons are from the Book on Virgins by St. Athanasius and in the third nocturn the homily is from St. Jerome. At Lauds commemorations are sung of the Octave Day and the Four Crowned Martyrs.

At Prime both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted because of the Octave Day.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Octave Day, the third of the Four Crowned Martrys. The Creed is sung and the preface that of the Trinity.

Vespers are first Vespers of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica with commemorations of the Sunday and the Octave Day.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' Mattins is chopped down to one nocturn of three lessons. There is no commemoration of the Octave Day - as the Octave has been abolished, neither is there any commemoration of the Four Crowned Martyrs. Vespers are of the Sunday without even a commemoration of the dedication festival.

Within the Octave

Apart from Wednesday of this week, and of course All Soul's Day, all the days are of the Octave of All Saints and of semi-double rite.

The Office is as on the feast except that ferial psalmody is used and, of course, the antiphons for the psalms are not doubled. At Mattins the first nocturn lessons are from the prophet Ezechiel, the begining of his book having been transferred from Sunday to Monday. In the second nocturn SS Bede, Bernard and Chrysostom provide the lessons and in the third nocturn the homilies are from St. Augustine.

At Mass the proper Gaudeamus is sung with Gloria and Creed. The second collect is of the Holy Ghost, Deus, qui corda and the third for the Church or pope.

On Tuesday the prescribed Mass was of the 'resumed Sunday' celebrated in green without Gloria and Creed with the second collect of the Octave and the third Deus, qui corda. With no Gloria the dismissal was Benedicamus Domino. 'Private' Masses on Monday were permitted of the Octave with a commemoration of the resumed Sunday and third collect Deus, qui corda.

On Wednesday the feast of St. Charles Borromeo, Archbishop of Milan, was celebrated as a double. The Octave was commemorated at Vespers, Lauds and Mass and a commemoration made of SS Vitalis and Agricola.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' fourth class ferial days replace the former days once graced by the celebration of the Octave. St. Charles is reduced to a third class feast of three lessons. On Saturday the Saturday celebration of the BVM takes place.

All Souls Day

All Souls' Day is of double rank. Since 1917 it has a standing almost similar to a primary double of the first class of the Universal Church. Only if it falls on a Sunday is it transferred to the following Monday.

At Mattins the psalms are those used for Mattins of the Dead but the lessons are mostly proper to the day. At Lauds psalm 50, Miserere, is the first psalm and the rest from the Office of the Dead. The collect of the day is Fidelium.

The Little Hours have a special form. At Prime the Office begins after the silent recitation of the Pater, Ave and Credo with psalms 87, 27 & 31 without antiphons. Although the Miserere is sung at Lauds the displaced psalm is not transferred to Prime as on other days. At the reading of the Martyrology a special preamble is read, Hac die Commemoratio Omnium Fidelium Defunctorum..., before the announcement of the next day Tertio Nonas Novembris. Luna quintadecima etc. The psalms are sung either to the tone in directum or to a tone introduced with the Office of All Souls Day. Terce follows a similar, simplified, form and has psalms 37i, 37ii & 55. Sext psalms 69, 84 & 85 and None psalm 101 divided into three sections. The Office of the day ends with None.

In the Universal Church three Masses may be celebrated by every priest on this day. (The practice was first observed in Spain with an indult from Benedict XIV). This privilege was extended to the Universal Church by Benedict XV in 1915. The accepted practice of Collegiate churches is for the first Mass to be celebrated after Lauds, the second after Prime and the third after None. In all three Masses the sequence Dies irae is sung and the preface of the Dead is sung. Common practice is to have the Absolution of the Dead at a catafalque after the principal Mass.

Vespers are for the third day within the Octave of All Saints.

The above is in some ways a novelty. Prior to the 1911-13 reform the Office of the day was that of the second day within the Octave of All Saints. In addition to the Office of the day Vespers, Mattins and Lauds of the Dead were sung as they were on other days, namely the Mondays of Advent and Lent and the first 'free' day of each month. In parish churches a Requiem for the Dead was sung (the first of the current three) but in Cathedral and Collegiate churches two High Masses were sung one of the Octave of All Saints and a Requiem. The Office of the Dead was often celebrated as a 'Vigil' consisting of Vespers followed by Mattins and Lauds. This of course has an exact parallel in Slav-Byzantine parish worship where the aggregate of Vespers, Mattins & Lauds (and Prime) is celebrated on Saturday evenings and the eves of great feasts. With the 1911-13 reform the second day within the Octave disappeared and All Souls' Day was given a proper Office. Mattins of the Dead had a re-arrangement of lessons appointed for the day. Little Hours of the Dead were created based roughly on the Office of the Triduum. Compline, on the evening of All Saints after the double Vespers has psalms 122, 141 & 142 and the collect Propitiare quaesumus adapted from the secret of the Mass in die obitus. The other Little Hours have the psalmody described above.

In 'the liturgical books of 1962' the sequence Dies irae may be omitted in the second and third Masses when they are not sung. The last Gospel is omitted when the Absolution takes place. Vespers are of the Dead as these are no longer sung in their traditional place, after Vespers of the day yesterday. Compline of the Dead is transferred from yesterday to today.