Sunday 22 February 2009

Quinquagesima Sunday


Quinquagesima Sunday is a semi-double of the second class.

At Mattins, as on the previous two Sundays the antiphons and psalms are those used on Sundays throughout the year. In the first nocturn the lessons are again from Genesis and the the story of Abraham. In the second nocturn the lessons are from St. Ambrose on the Book on the Patriarch Abraham and in the third nocturn the lessons are a homily from St. Gregory on St. Luke's Gospel of the man blind from birth whose sight was restored by the LORD. The blind man is a figure of the human race according to St. Gregory. A ninth responsory is sung in place of the Te Deum.

At Lauds the 'second scheme' of psalms is sung: Pss 50, 117, 62, Canticle of the Three Children (Benedictus es) and 148. The antiphons at Lauds are proper for Quinquagesima Sunday as are the antiphon at the Benedictus and collect. A commemoration is made of St. Peter's Chair at Antioch and of St. Paul the Apostle.

At Prime the order of psalmody is that used when the second schema of Lauds is sung, Pss. 92, 99 (displaced at Lauds) and the usual first two stanzas of 118. The Dominical preces are not sung because of the occuring double feast. At all the Hours the antiphons and chapters are proper to Quinquagesima Sunday.

In Mass there is no Gloria, the second collect is of St. Peter, the third of St. Paul, a Tract is sung after the Gradual, the Credo is sung , the Preface is of Sunday and Benedicamus Domino is sung as the dismissal. The Gospel from the feast of St. Peter's Chair at Antioch is read as the last Gospel.

At Vespers the antiphons and psalms are those used on Sundays, the chapter is proper as in the antiphon at the Magnificat. Commemoration is made of the following feast of St. Peter Damian, St. Peter and St. Paul. At Compline the Domincal preces are not sung because of the occurence of double feasts.

Following the 'liturgical books of 1962' mattins is reduced to one nocturn. At Lauds a commemoration is made of St. Peter and St. Paul with but one antiphon (of St. Peter) and the collects joined under one conclusion. At Prime the arrangement of psalms is Pss. 53, 118(i). At Mass a commemoration is made of St. Peter and St. Paul with their collects joined under one conclusion. Benedicamus Domino is supressed in favour of Ite, missa est and there is no proper last Gospel. At Vespers no commemorations are made.

Art: Jerome Nadal

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