Sunday 19 February 2017

Sexagesima Sunday


Sexagesima Sunday is a semi-double of the second class and its liturgical colour is violet. The Sunday is characterised by a very lengthy Epistle from St. Paul's Latter Epistle to the Corinthians. The Gospel pericopes are from St. Luke and contain the parable of the sower with his seed landing on rock, amongst weeds and on the good ground.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms were of Saturday. The chapter was proper to the Sunday, Fratres: Libenter suffertis, and the Office hymn was Jam sol recedit igneus. After the collect of the Sunday the Suffrage of All Saints was sung. At Compline the Dominical preces were sung.

At Mattins the antiphons and psalms are from the Psalter for Sundays. In the first nocturn the lessons continue to be read from Genesis (Ch. 5 & 6), the beginning of the story of Noah. In the second nocturn the lessons are from St. Ambrose on Noah and the Ark and in the third nocturn the lessons are a homily from St. Gregory on the Gospel of the seed falling on good and poor ground. A ninth responsory, Cum turba plurima, 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 Sexagesima Sunday, Secundum magnam misericordiam as are the chapter and antiphon on the Benedictus. After the collect of the Sunday the Suffrage of All Saints is sung.

At Prime the order of psalmody is Pss. 92, 99 (displaced at Lauds) 118i & 118ii. The Dominical preces are sung. At the Hours the antiphons, Semen cecidit etc, and chapters are proper to Sexagesima Sunday.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is omitted, the second collect is A cunctis, the third collect is chosen by the Dean or Rector. A Tract is sung after the Gradual, the Creed is sung , the Preface is of Trinity and Benedicamus Domino is sung as the dismissal by the deacon facing the altar.

At Vespers the antiphons and psalms of Sunday are sung. The Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday the Suffrage of All Saints is sung. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Suffrage has been abolished at Vespers and Lauds. The Dominical preces at Compline and Prime have been abolished. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn. At Prime the arrangement of psalmody is festive, Pss. 53, 118i, 118ii. At Mass there is single collect and Benedicamus Domino is suppressed in favour of Ite, missa est.

Art: Jerome Nadal

11 comments:

Joshua said...

Tomorrow being a feria, our priest will say a Votive Mass for the Propagation of the Faith. Do you know when that Proper was drawn up and inserted in the Missal? The Collect and Secret are skilful pastiches of Scripture (rather Neo-Gallican in form), the chants of the Mass are none of them found in the postconciliar Graduale, which suggests that they are late compilations set to older proper melodies, and the Postcommunion is that of Easter Saturday. Overall, I would assume the Mass for the Propagation of the Faith was drawn up in France in the nineteenth century… But I would like to know the truth of the matter. Kind regards!

Anonymous said...

The Catholic liturgy (our chapel uses 1945 missal & pre-1950 Holy Week) is extremely confusing and difficult to understand
Semi double,second class,feria day,etc.my word I haven't a clue.
I read a "simple easy guide" to the liturgy and it was too much for my simple mind.

Anonymous said...

Is is too late for ordering an Ordo?

Rubricarius said...

Anonymous,

There are still a few copies available.

Joshua,

I'll see what I can find out when time allows.

Christoph Hagen said...

Where is this splendid chapel located, pleasw?

Anonymous said...

Mason-Dixon line USA

Anonymous said...

Our chapel is NOT associated with BP's Sanborn or Dolan in any way.
Our priest belongs to a small traditional order in the Midwest Mason-Dixon line area of U.S.A.

Peter said...

Dear Anonymous,

Double, semi-double and simple are the three "rites" saying how an office (Sunday, feast or feria) will be celebrated. Sundays are semi-double rite, ferias (weekdays) are simple rite, and feasts depending on their importance are simple, semi-double or double.

Double = two sets of Vespers (First Vespers the day before the feast) and the antiphons are "double", i.e., said in fulle before and after each psalm at Vespers, Matins and Lauds.

Semi-double = two sets of Vespers but the antiphons are not doubled (just "intoned" before each psalm and then said in full after).

Simple = only First Vespers; no antiphons are doubled.

Doubles and semi-doubles are offices "of nine lessons" meaning Matins is divided into three parts called Nocturns with three pslams and three lessons (for a total of nine each). Simples have one Nocturn containing nine psalms all at once then three lessons only.

At Mass on doubles, there is only on Collect -- unless you need to commemorate another feast falling on the same day, or a week-day of Advent, Lent, or Ember day. Double feasts of the 1st and 2nd class outrank normal Sundays, so in that case the Sunday would also be commemorated. One semi-doubles and simples three Collects are said at Mass: the Collect of the day, plus certainly additional Collects that vary for the seasons of the year.

That is a basic summary; most of the differences concern the Divine Office rather than the Mass and so they need not confuse you too much.

Peter said...

Dear Anonymous,

You are very lucky to have a chapel following the full traditional rubrics! The only traditional order I know of in the part of the U.S. you mention is the recently founded Missionaries of St. John the Baptist. They have diocesan approval. Beyond the fact that they are "traditional" I don't know anything about their liturgical practices, so I am not sure if this is the group you are referring to. If it is some other organization, can you say if it is in good standing with Rome or the local bishop?

Anonymous said...

No our priests are Thuc line (Thuc Des Lauriers McKenna)

Anonymous said...

Fr.Hall in Cincinnati also follows the same rubrics.