Sunday 3 November 2024

XXIV Sunday after Pentecost


The twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. This year it is the first Sunday of November and the Sunday within the Octave of All Saints. As this year the number of Sundays after Pentecost is greater than twenty-four, twenty-seven, the texts for today and the following two Sundays are taken from the IV, V and VI Sundays after Epiphany respectively, combined with the introit, gradual etc from the twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost. On the last Sunday, this year the twenty-seventh Sunday after Pentecost, the texts in the Missal and Breviary appointed for the twenty-fourth Sunday are used in their entirety. Today the Gospel pericopes at Mattins and Mass are from St. Matthew and the account of the LORD settling the storm at sea.

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 Vidi Dominum for the Saturday before the first Sunday in November. After the collect of the Sunday (Deus, qui nos in tantis periculis - taken from the texts for the fourth Sunday after the Epiphany) a commemoration of the Octave of All Saints was sung. The Suffrage of the Saints was omitted as were the Dominical preces at Compline.

At Mattins the invitatory is Adoremus Dominum etc and the Office hymn is Primo die. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the Book of the Prophet Ezechiel. In the second nocturn the lessons are from St. Gregory the Great’s Exposition on Ezechiel. In the third nocturn (from the texts for the fourth Sunday after the Epiphany) the homily is from St. Jerome on St. Matthew's Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the Office hymn is Aeterne rerum Conditor. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of the Octave of All Saints. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted.

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

Mass is sung after Terce. The introit (Dicit Dominus), gradual, Alleluia verse, offertory and communion texts are those of the twenty-third Sunday. The rest of the texts are those appointed for the fourth Sunday after the Epiphany. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Octave of All Saints. Today there is no third collect being within an Octave. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Blessed Trinity.

Vespers are of the Sunday. The Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following Office of St. Charles Borromeo, of the Octave of All Saints and of SS Vitalis & Agricola. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Octave of All Saints has been abolished.  As the 'double Vespers' on All Saints' Day was also abolished, and Vespers of the Dead moved to the afternoon of All Souls' Day, this year Vespers of the Dead are omitted entirely.  At Vespers, of the Sunday, there were no commemorations. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Mass there is but a single collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Thursday 31 October 2024

Available soon - Ordo MMXXV

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Sunday 27 October 2024

Christ the King - XXIII Sunday after Pentecost

The feast of Christ the King is a Double of the First Class and its liturgical colour is white. This year it is also the twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost and the fifth Sunday of October.  The Sunday is commemorated in the Office and at Mass. The Vigil of the Apostles SS Simon and Jude was anticipated yesterday.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Pacificus etc were sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn was Te saeculorum Principem. After the collect of the feast a commemoration of the Sunday was sung (the antiphon on the Magnificat being Tua est potentia for the Saturday before the fifth Sunday of October. The Suffrage was omitted. At Compline the Dominical psalms were sung and Te lucis was sung with the Doxology Jesu, tibi sit gloria, Qui sceptra mundi temperas, Cum Patre et almo Spiritu, In sempiterna saecula. The Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory is Jesum Christum, Regem regum Venite adoremus and the Office hymn Aeterna Imagao Altissimi. In the first nocturn the antiphons Ego autem etc are sung, doubled, with Pss.2, 8 & 23. The lessons are taken from St. Paul's Epistle to the Colossians. In the second nocturn the antiphons Sedebit etc are sung, doubled, with Pss. 28, 44 & 46. The lessons are taken from Pius XI's encyclical Quas primas. In the third nocturn the antiphons Benedicentur in ipso are sung, doubled, with Pss. 71, 88i, 88ii. The homily on St. John's Gospel is taken from the writings of St. Augustine. The ninth lesson is the homily appointed for the twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost, a homily from St. Jerome on the ninth chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons Suscitabit etc are sung, doubled, with the Dominical psalms. The Office hymn is Vexilla Christus inclyta. After the collect of the feast a commemoration of the Sunday is sung.

At Prime and the Hours the antiphons Suscitabit etc are sung with the festal psalms, at Prime Pss. 53, 118(i) & 118(ii). The Doxology Jesu, tibi sit gloria etc is sung with the hymns of the Hours. At Prime the versicle in the short responsory is Qui primatum in omnibus tenes and the lectio brevis In ipso.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday, the Creed is sung. The preface is proper to the feast and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

At Vespers all is sung as at first Vespers except the versicle & response and the antiphon on the Magnificat which are proper to second Vespers. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the following Office of SS Simon and Jude and of the Sunday.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Vigil of SS Simon and Jude has been abolished. At Vespers there was no commemoration of the Sunday. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the ordinary Doxology. At Mattins in the third nocturn, the third psalm (Ps. 88ii) gets stripped of over half its verses. Verses Tu vero repulisti... to Benedictus Dominus in aeternam, fiat, fiat, 39 - 53, are omitted. The former eighth lesson is split into two to provide an eighth and ninth lesson as the homily of the Sunday is omitted. At Lauds there is no commemoration of the Sunday. At Prime and the Hours the Doxology for the feast is omitted. At Prime the lectio brevis is of the season. At Mass there is no commemoration of the Sunday and the last Gospel is In principio. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Image: Christ as Pantocrator from the apse of the magnificent Cathedral of Monreale.

Sunday 20 October 2024

XXII Sunday after Pentecost - Mission Sunday


The twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. This year it is the fourth Sunday of October and Mission Sunday. At the request of the Superior Council of the Pontifical Work for the Propagation of the Faith the Sacred Congregation of Rites directed in 1926 that the prayer, from the Votive Mass Pro Propagatione Fidei, should be added to all Masses today as an oratio imperata pro re gravi. The Gospel pericopes from St. Matthew's Gospel contain the account of the Pharisees trying to trap the LORD over tribute to Caesar and the LORD's rebuttal of "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God those things that are God's.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the psalms of Saturday were sung. The Office hymn was Jam sol recedit igneus. The antiphon on the Magnificat was Exaudiat Dominus for the Saturday before the fourth Sunday of October. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Peter of Alcanta and of St. John Cantius. The Suffrage of the Saints was omitted as were the Dominical preces at Compline.

At Mattins the invitatory is Adoremus Dominum and the Office hymn isPrimo die. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the Second Book of the Machabees. In the second nocturn the lessons are from a tract of St. Chrysostom on the forty-third psalm. In third nocturn the lessons are taken from a commentary of St. Hiliary on St. Matthew's Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the Office hymn is Aetere. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of St. John Cantius. The Suffrage is omitted.

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

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. John Cantius, the third collect is Deus, qui nos homines - for the propagation of the faith. This is taken from the Votive Mass Pro Propagatione Fidei. The Creed and the preface of the Trinity are sung.

Vespers are of the Sunday Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113. The Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following Office of St. Hilarion, of St. John Cantius and of SS Ursula and Companions. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations at either Vespers. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Mass the prayer Deus, qui omnes homines is added to the collect of the Sunday under one conclusion. The other collects are omitted.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Sunday 13 October 2024

XXI Sunday after Pentecost


The twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. This year it is the third Sunday of October. The Gospel pericopes from St. Matthew contain the parable of the unjust and ungrateful servant who, forgiven his debts by the King, demands what is owed to him from others and shews complete ingratitude.

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 Lugebat autem Judam for the Saturday before the third Sunday of October. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration of St. Edward the Confessor was sung followed by the Suffrage of the Saints. At Compline the Dominical preces were sung.

At Mattins the invitatory is Adoremus Dominum and the Office hymn is Primo die. In the first nocturn the lessons continue to be read from the first book of Machabees. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from the book of St. Ambrose's Book of Offices. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Jerome on the eighteenth chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the Office hymn is Aeterne rerum Conditor. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration of St. Edward the Confessor is sung followed by the Suffrage of the Saints.

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 of St. Edward the Confessor, the third collect is A cunctis. The Creed is sung as is the preface of the Blessed Trinity.

Vespers are of the Sunday (Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113). The Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following Office of St. Callistus and of St. Edward the Confessor. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' today is the second Sunday of October. There are no commemorations at either Vespers. The Suffrage of the Saints and the Dominical preces have been abolished. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Prime Quicumque is said only once during the year. At Mass there is but a single collect.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Sunday 6 October 2024

XX Sunday after Pentecost


The twentieth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. This year it is the second Sunday of October. The Gospel pericopes from St. John give the account of the healing of the ruler's son at Capharnaum.

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 Refulsit sol for the Saturday before the second Sunday of October. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration of St. Bruno was sung. The Suffrage of the Saints was omitted as were the Dominical preces at Compline.

At Mattins the invitatory is Adoremus Dominum etc and the Office hymn is Primo die. In the first nocturn the lessons continue to be read from the First Book of the Machabees. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from St. Augustine writings on the City of God. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Gregory on St. John's Gospel. At Lauds the Office hymn is Aeterne. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration of St. Bruno is sung. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted.

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

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Bruno. Today there is no third collect. The Creed and the preface of the Blessed Trinity are sung.

Prior to the reform of 1911-13 the first Sunday in October was the feast of the Most Holy Rosary of the BVM. All Masses, except the Conventual Mass (although a Double of the Second Class the feast had special privileges), may be of the feast. The Mass Gaudeamus is sung in white vestments. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday, the third collect is of St. Bruno. The Creed is sung, the preface is of the Blessed Virgin and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

After None there is a colour change to white and first Vespers of the feast of the Most Holy Rosary of the BVM are sung. The antiphons Quae est ista are sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 112, 121, 126 & 147. The Office hymn is Te gestientem gaudiis. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of  the Sunday and of St. Bruno. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline. At Compline Te lucis is sung with the Doxology and melody of the Incarnation.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' today is the first Sunday of October. At Vespers on Saturday the antiphon on the Magnificat was Adaperiat Dominus. There were no commemorations. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons, the first and second lessons are the Incipit of the First Book of the Machabees. At Mass there is but a single collect. Vespers are of the Sunday without any commemorations. The feast of the Most Holy Rosary of the BVM has been re-branded 'BVM of the Rosary'.

Art: Jerome Nadal