Sunday 7 December 2014

Second Sunday of Advent

The second Sunday of Advent (and the third and fourth) are semi-double Sundays of the second class in rank. The Gospel pericopes, from St. Matthew, tell of St. John the Baptist in prison sending two of his followers to meet the LORD. The liturgical colour is violet and, as folded chasubles are worn, the organ is not played.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Ecce in nubibus caeli etc were sung with the psalms of Saturday. The Office hymn was Creator alme siderum. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding feast of St. Nicholas of Myra and of St. Ambrose. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted due to the concurring and occurring double feasts.

At Mattins the invitatory is Regem venturum and the Office hymn is Verbum supernum. In the first nocturn the antiphons Veniet ecce Rex etc are sung with the usual psalms for Sunday. The lessons are a continuation of Isaiah and today contain the beautiful symbolism of the Rod of Jesse. In the second nocturn the antiphons Gaude et laetare etc are sung and the them of the Rod of Jesse is continued as the lessons are taken from St. Jerome's Expositon on Isaias the Prophet. In the third nocturn the antiphons Gabriel Angelus etc are sung and the homily is from St. Gregory. The Te Deum is omitted and in its place a ninth responsory, Ecce Dominus veniet, is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons, Ecce in nubibus caeli etc are sung with the Sunday psalms. The hymn is En clara vox. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration of St. Ambrose is sung. At Prime the versicle is Qui venturus es in mundum. The Dominical preces are omitted due to the occurring double feast.

Mass is sung after Terce, the deacon and subdeacon wear violet folded chasubles. The Gloria is not sung. The second collect is of St. Ambrose. There is no third collect. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Trinity. Benedicamus Domino is sung as the dismissal by the deacon facing the altar.

At Vespers there is a colour change to white and the antiphons Tota pulchra etc are sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 112, 121, 126 & 147. The Office hymn is Ave, maris stella. A commemoration is sung of the Sunday. At Compline Te lucis is sung with Doxlogy (and melody) of the Incarnation, Jesu tibi sit gloria etc. The Dominical preces are omitted.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' at Vespers there are no commemorations. The Dominical preces are always omitted at Prime and Compline. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Mass the ministers wear dalmatic and tunicle, there is only one collect and the dismissal is Ite, missa est. Vespers are of the Sunday with a commemoration of tomorrow's feast. At Compline Te lucis is sung with the ordinary Doxology.

Art: Jerome Nadal

8 comments:

Matt said...

Why is there no Commemoration of St. Ambrose at Vespers this evening? According to Divinum Officium, that was not even a Pius X change, as Vespers for today under the 1910 calendar likewise only includes a Commemoration of II Advent.

Thank you!

Rubricarius said...

Doubles of the First Class in the Universal Calendar enjoy certain privileges - ignoring a double in concurrence at first Vespers being one of them.

Paleo-Con said...

Rubicarius:
I need the expert’s opinion here. In the United States 22 December is the Feast of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini (her dies natalis), the first U. S. citizen to be canonised. The feast is celebrated as a Double of the Second Class. The Feast of Saint Thomas falls on a Sunday this year and is transferred to Monday, 22 December in the General Calendar. What happens in the U. S.? I have one calendar showing Saint Thomas being transferred to Tuesday, 23 December. I am wondering if this be correct; it seems to me that Saint Thomas as an Apostle and in the Universal Calendar would have precedence and Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini would be transferred to Tuesday, 23 December instead. What practice is the correct one?

Rubricarius said...

Paleo-Con,

I would agree with your instincts. Some years ago I did check some USA Ordines for the same query for a friend who produces a calendar. The Ordines I saw contradicted each other with one giving precedence to St. Thomas and the other to Mother Cabrini!

Anonymous said...

S. Francesca took many journeys! Under a strict reading of 1960 RubIns, she would have been observed on 3 January (I have seen Ordines to that effect)...though many breviaries of 1961 vintage continued simply to append her Office under the 22 December date.

In 1963, when the USA calendar was finally definitively settled for '62/'61 conformity, she was moved to 13 November entirely (and at III Cl). The Novus Ordo retained that date.

My interpretation is that in the USA, 22 December this year = Thomas, and 23 Frances...

Paleo-Con said...

Thank you, Rubicarius. It is a praise indeed that my first instincts agree with the master!

Matt said...

Rubricarius:

Thank you - I am trying to figure all this out, slowly but surely!

Joannes said...

To Matthew Rose:

S. Ambrose was transferred to 9 December this year under the 1910 kalendar, being that a Duplex feast enjoys the privilege of transfer when occurring with a privileged Sunday under the old rules. Hence, nothing of S. Ambrose at Vespers on Sunday evening for 1910.