Practicalities - Sext

Last week we began to 'dissect' the 'Little' Hours of Terce, Sext and None. By way of a further example Sext for today's Vigil of All Saints will be considered.

The structure of Sext today is as follows:

(Aperi, Domine;)

Pater noster & Ave Maria (said inaudibly);

Deus in adjutorium.., Domine, ad adjuvandum..., Gloria Patri..., Sicut erat..., Alleluia.

The hymn Rector potens, verax Deus.

From Friday's psalmody the antiphon fragment Beati, qui habitant is intoned. Then the 'Psalms' 83(i), 83(ii) & 86. At the end of each stanza or Psalm the Doxology is sung but the antiphon is only repeated, in full, after Psalm 86.

The chapter is taken from the the ferial Office of Friday Nemini quidquam...implevit. The choir responds Deo gratias.

Then the responsory, also from the ferial Office, Benedicam Dominum etc follows. This is followed by the versicle Dominus regit... and then the response In loco pascuae....

The ferial preces are now sung, the choir kneeling.

Dominus vobiscum (or Domine exaudi orationem meam) and response then Oremus and then the collect of the Vigil Domine, Deus noster... etc.

The greeting is repeated then Benedicamus Domino etc.

In Choral service the Hours would normally be aggregated. The choir would sing Prime, Terce, Sext and None and then High Mass of the Vigil would follow.

Vigil of All Saints

Today, for the second time this week, the Roman liturgy dons the violet of penance and has a Vigil, today is the Vigil of All Saints.

The Vigil begins with mattins. Matttins has one nocturn and the lessons Descendens Jesus from the Common of Several Martyrs are read with the responsories of Friday of the Fifth week of October. At Lauds, following the second scheme, the Suffrage of the Saints is omitted as it is considered the same subject as the Vigil.

Before the 1911-13 reform instead of the Suffrage of the Saints several different Suffrages were sung. These all had the same structure of antiphon, versicle and response, and collect. They were of the Cross (in the ferial Office only), of the Blessed Virgin, of St. Joseph (added in the late nineteenth century), of SS Peter and Paul, of the Patron or Titular and, lastly, for Peace. The Suffrage for Peace has the collect Deus, a quo sancta desideria... Ironically, that collect is still heard daily in the English form O God, from whom all holy desires... in Anglican cathedrals. The second collect from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer was taken from the former Suffrage for Peace by Cranmer when he conflated Vespers and Compline into the 'The Order for Evening Prayer' or Evensong. In the pre-1911 Roman liturgy these Suffrages would be sung today.

The ferial preces are sung at Lauds and the 'Little' Hours. These prayers are sung kneeling.

Mass is sung after None. The Gloria is not sung, the second collect is of the Holy Ghost, Deus, qui corda, and the third collect for the Church or for the pope. Following the usual rule Benedicamus Dominio is sung by the deacon, facing the altar, as the dismissal. The altar has four candlesticks and the chants are ferial.

After the Vigil Mass in the afternoon the mood changes completely as first Vespers of the great feast of All Saints is sung.

In 'the liturgical books of 1962' the Vigil of All Saints has been abolished. A 'green' feria is kept.

SS Simon and Jude Apostles

The feast of SS Simon and Jude is a double of the second class. The feast of these apostles is kept on the anniversary of the transfer of their relics to Old St. Peter's in Rome in the seventh century. St. Simon is traditionally believed to have been martyred by a curved sword. St. Jude, also known as Thaddaeus, was martryed by a club. The two probably met, preaching the Gospel in Mesopotamia.

Solemn tones are used for the hymns, orations and preface. The altar has six candlesticks and is vested in red.

At Mattins there are three nocturns. In the first nocturn the readings are from Epistle of St. Jude. The antiphons and responsories are taken from the Common of Apostles. At solemn Lauds, and later at Vespers too, four assistants in red copes assist the Hebdomadarius. At the 'Little' Hours festal psalms are used (the traditional psalms for the Hours, used daily before 1911-13).

At Mass the Gloria and Creed are sung. The preface is that of the Apostles. Second Vespers and festal Compline conclude the feast.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the feast has lost first Vespers (rather absurd considering the practice of first Vespers of a feast is more ancient than having second Vespers). At the Hours the ferial antiphons and psalms are used; Prime no longer has the brief lesson of the feast but of the season.

Holy Apostles SS Simon and Jude pray to God for us.

The Vigil of SS Simon and Jude

Today the Roman rites dons the violet of penance and keeps a Vigil for tomorrow's feast of SS Simon and Jude.

The rite is simple. Mattins has three, proper, lessons. The second scheme of Lauds is used, the penitential form and, incidentally the old pre-1911 ferial Lauds in part. The ferial preces are sung, kneeling at Lauds and all the Hours. At Lauds the Suffrage of the Saints is sung.

Four candles are placed on the altar. At Mass the deacon and sub-deacon wear violet dalmatic and tunicle. The chant for the Mass is ferial, the second collect is Concede nos, and the third for the Church or pope. As there is no Gloria , following the usual rule, Benedicamus Domino is the dismissal.

In the afternoon first Vespers of the Holy Apostles SS Simon and Jude are sung, the altar has six candlesticks and the Hebdomadarius is assisted by four assistants in red copes. Compine is festal.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there is no Vigil just a IV class 'green' ferial day with the Mass of the previous Sunday without Gloria but with Ite. Mattins and the Hours are completely different and Vespers and Compline are ferial.

Practicalities -Terce, Sext and None

So far we have looked at the Hours of Vespers and Lauds. We have noted that the structure of those Hours is essentially the same with opening rites, five antiphons and psalms, a chapter, hymn, versice and response, antiphon on the NT canticle, NT canticle, (preces on certain penitential days only), commemorations and closing rites.

The 'Little' Hours of Terce, Sext and None all share exactly the same structure and that structure closely resembles that of Vespers and Lauds but with only three psalms, no NT canticle, no commemorations and the hymn is in a different place.

Using Sunday's feast of Christ the King as an example here is a 'dissection' of Terce:

(Aperi, Domine;)

Pater noster & Ave Maria (said inaudibly);

Deus in adjutorium.., Domine, ad adjuvandum..., Gloria Patri..., Sicut erat..., Alleluia (or Laus tibi... in Septuagesima and Lent);

The hymn at Terce is Nunc, Sancte, nobis, Spriritus.

After the hymn the fragment of the second antiphon from Lauds is sung, Dedit ei Dominus, as far as the asterisk. Then the Psalm (or strictly speaking in this case stanzas from the same psalm) is sung. For Sundays and feasts this is always Ps.118(iii), Legem pone mihi.... At the end of the stanza the Doxology is sung but the antiphon is NOT repeated here. Instead the next 'psalm' is intoned Ps.118(iv) Memor esto... then its Doxology and then the third 'psalm' Ps.118(v) Bonitatem fecisti... then its Doxology and then the antiphon Dedit ei Dominus is sung in full, ending with ..et linguae ipsi servient.

After the singing of the antiphon the chapter is read. The chapter is taken from the proper texts for the feast Fratres: Gratias agimus Deo Patri...in regnum Filii dilectionis suae . The choir responds Deo gratias.

Next, a responsory, also from the proper, follows, Data est mihi... This is followed by the versicle Afferte Domino, familiae populorum and then the response Afferte Domino, gloriam et imperium;

Dominus vobiscum (or Domine exaudi orationem meam) and response then Oremus and then the collect Omnipotens sempiterne Deus... etc.

The greeting is repeated then Benedicamus Domino etc. In Choral service the Asperges ceremony before High Mass follows immediately, the choir remaing in their place. In private recitation Fidelium animae is said in a low voice.

Sext and None follow exactly the same structure. At Sext the third antiphon from Lauds is sung and at None the fifth antiphon. The chapters and responsories being taken from the proper of the feast and the rest of Ps 118 is sung.

At the 'Little' Hours the antiphon is never sung in full before the psalmody whatever the rank of Office. There are never any commemorations at the 'Little' Hours either.

Next week we will 'dissect' another 'Little' Hour when the common or ferial texts are used for illustration.

Ordo Recitandi 2009

We are now taking orders for Ordo Recitandi 2009

There have had to be some minor pricing and postage changes to reflect increased costs but we have kept the base price the same.

There are some minor improvements and the inclusion of the first Martyrology entry for moveable feasts announced on their preceding day.

To order a copy please complete and return the form below

Order Form 2009

We will try and set up a PayPal facility on the main website but last time we tried this was difficult with regard to postage costs. Whilst Rubricarius may know how to transfer mattins lessons ICT skills are not his forte!

Orders will be despatched starting in the first week of November.

XXIII Sunday after Pentecost and 4th of October - Missionary Sunday

Today is the XXIII Sunday after Pentecost and the IV Sunday of October, it is of semi-double rite. It is also Missionary Sunday.

The feast of St. Luke the Evangelist takes precedence in concurrence and so second Vespers of St. Luke were celebrated on Saturday afternoon, in red, with a commemoration of the Sunday (the antiphon upon the Magnificat being Exaudiat Dominus etc) and of St. Peter of Alcantara. Festal Compline is sung with the solemn tone for Te lucis and there are no preces.

The Sunday Office begins at Mattins. As usual there are three nocturns and nine lessons. in the first nocturn the lessons are the beginning of the Second Book of Machabees. The second nocturn, Patristic lessons, are from Treatise of St. John Chrysostom on the forty-third psalm. The gospel is from Matthew and third nocturn lessons a Homily of St. Jerome on the raising of the rulers daughter by the Lord and of the woman with an issue of blood being made whole by touching His garment. At Lauds a commemoration of St. Peter of Alacanatra is made, the Suffrage is not sung. At Prime there are no preces, because of the occuring double feast.

At Mass the Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Peter of Alcantara and the third collect is from the Votive Mass for Propogation of the Faith, Deus, qui omnes homines, the Creed is sung and the preface is of the Blessed Trinity. The last prayer is an example of an oratio imperata pro re gravi.

At Vespers a commemoration is made of Monday's Office of St. John Cantius and also of St. Peter of Alcantara. There is no suffrage and there are no preces at Compline.

In the City of Westminster the Octave of St. Edward is commemorated at Lauds, Mass and Vespers.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' Vespers on Saturday is almost the same but the commemoration of St. Peter of Alcantara is omitted. Compline is the same. This year the 1962 books cut out completely the third Sunday and third week of October and jump to the fourth Sunday. At Mattins there is only one nocuturn of three lessons, all of the second nocturn texts being lost. There is no commemoration of St. Peter of Alcantara at either Lauds or Mass. At Mass the collect for Mission Sunday is added, under the same conclusion, to the collect of the Mass. At Vespers there is no commemoration of the following Office.

The Shrine of St. Edward the Confessor

Yesterday afternoon I went to the Collegiate Church of St. Peter in Westminster, more popularly known as Westminster Abbey, feeling that a visit, within the Octave of St. Edward the Confessor, appropriate after having mentioned the Octave of St. Edward a few days ago here.

After Evensong, which had a very large crowd of people in attendance for a week-day, those who wished were allowed to ascend the Sacrarium (sanctuary) steps and enter the Shrine. The floor of the Sacrarium is formed by the famous Cosmati or Great Pavement. This was the central jewel of Henry III's rebuilding of the Abbey and is made up of fragments of marbles and semi-precious stones taken from the ruins of Ancient Rome. However the pavement was not visible as a major restoration is currently underway (and, quite rightly, it is always covered when there is heavy foot traffic).




We were ushered towards the South door of the Altar Screen. Whilst waiting for the slowly moving queue to creep forward I ended up standing about three or four feet away from the sedilia, one of the greatest medieval treasures of the Abbey. The four-seat sedilia originally had eight painted panels, four on both the North and South sides. Only two now remain on the North side, in a perilous condition, depicting what are thought to be King Edward I (not to be confused with either St. Edward the Confessor or St. Edward the Martyr) and King Henry III. Most of the other panels were destroyed when the Abbey was desecrated by the Enemy of God Oliver Cromwell in the frenzy of destruction and pollution these Isles suffered after the Regicide when Cromwell and his fellow terrorists had seized power in 1649.



Both of the above photographs are from the excellent interactive Plan of the Abbey on its fascinating website.

I passed through the South door of the Altar Screen, noticing that contrary to what I had been told it was not a Victorian structure but a medieval one. The rear of the screen is not gilded but of plain stone, worn smooth and polished by innumerable hands over the centuries. There are numerous niches that must have contained images or lights at one time. I slowly made my way towards the Shrine. The atmosphere was quite electric and palpable. Six very large standard candlesticks with their candles burning high above our heads surrounded the Shrine, the candlesticks on the early-twentieth century altar that is adjoined to the West end of the Shrine had their candles lit and there were other candles higher on the cornice of the structure. Clouds of incense hung in the air almost appearing luminous in the flickering candle light. The queue of people moved slowly forward in an anticlockwise direction most stopping to kneel and pray in one of the niches at the, medieval, base of the Shrine. My turn came and I found the niches are quite deep, to bring the pilgrim closer to the remains of the Saint, I said a prayer and venerated the Shrine with my lips. I re-entered the Sacrarium through the North door and felt that I was floating and was also aware of a deep sense of the Divine.

I would encourage any readers who are in London this week to visit the Shrine (and of course the Abbey itself). Details of times may be found on the Abbey's website (here)

XXII Sunday after Pentecost and 3rd Sunday of October

The XXII Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite. It is also the third Sunday of October.

The rules of concurrence (basically what happens at Vespers between two Offices) mean that second Vespers of Saturday's feast of the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin take precedence over first Vespers of the Sunday. The Sunday is commemorated (the antiphon at the Magnificat being Lugebat autem Judam). At Compline Te lucis is sung to the Marian tone and the Marian Doxology Jesu tibi sit gloria is used.

The Sunday's office begins with Mattins. As usual Mattins has three nocturns and nine lessons. The third nocturn lessons reflect on the Gospel, on what should be rendered unto Caesar. At Lauds the Suffrage of the Saints is sung. At Prime the Athanasian Creed, Quicumque vult, is sung, as are the Dominical preces.

Mass, as usual for Sundays, follows Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is for the interecesion of all the saints, A cunctis nos, the third collect is chosen by the celebrant, or by the Dean, from those that can be used, the Creed is sung and the preface is of the Blessed Trinity.

In Vespers a commemoration of the following feast of St. Edward the Confessor is made and the Suffrgage of the Saints is sung. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung.


In the 'liturgical books of 1962' a familiar pattern is observed. The Marian Doxology has been stripped from Compline on Saturday. Mattins is axed down to one nocturn of three lessons, the Patristic lessons from the second nocturn being entirely omitted. The Suffrage of the Saints is not sung at Lauds, neither is the Athanasian Creed at Prime, nor are there preces. At Mass there is only one collect. In Vespers there is no commemoration at Vespers of St. Edward and no suffrage. At Compline the preces are not sung.

It is somewhat amusing, and certainly very sad from one perspective, to look at the Services scheduled for the famous and beautiful Collegiate Church of St. Peter in Westminster (Westminster Abbey) for next week (here) The Dean, Dr. Hall, his Canons, chaplains and staff maintain a choral tradition that it would be difficult to find emulated by the users of the 1962 liturgical books. One can only look with admiration and envy at those entries for days described as 'Octave of St. Edward the Confessor' praying, of course, that the Dean and his Chapter are granted a blessed Octave. What, one might ask, will the unfortunate users of the 'liturgical books of 1962' do in a church whose titular is St. Edward for the octave? Nothing! Such octaves were abolished by the 'Bugnini Commission' in 1955. Thankfully, some people have an understanding of Liturgical Tradition and some taste.

Art: Jerome Nadal, S.J. 1595 illustrations for the Gospels. We are grateful to Fr. Cusick for alerting us to these beautiful images.

The Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The feast of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a double of the second class. The feast had been instituted following the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. In 1573 Gregory XIII extended the feast to those churches where an altar had been dedicated to the Rosary to be kept on the first Sunday of October. In 1716 Clement XI extended the feast to the Universal Church with greater-double rank. Leo XIII raised ther rank of the feast to double second class in 1887 and gave the feast proper texts in the following year. During the reforms of 1911-13 the feast was transferred to October 7th.

The feast has proper texts and begins with first vespers, a commemoration is made of the preceding Office of Saint Bruno. At Compline the hymn is sung to the special tone for feasts of the BVM with its special Doxology, Jesu tibi sit gloria. Mattins has three nocturns and nine lessons, the ninth lesson is of St. Mark. At Lauds the Sunday psalms are sung and a commemoration of both St. Mark and then SS Sergius and Companions.

At the Little Hours the psalms are of Sunday, the hymns are sung to the special tone for feasts of the BVM with the Marian Doxology. At Prime psalms 53, 118(i), 118(ii) are sung, the Short Lesson is proper, Quasi cedrus.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung (in private Masses the second collect is of St. Mark and the third collect of SS Sergius and Companions), the Creed is sung, the Preface is of the BVM with the clause Et te in Festivitate.

At second Vespers a commemoration is made of the following feast of St. Bridget.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the feast is renamed 'Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary' and is of 2nd class. The feast has no first Vespers and begins with Mattins. The hymn from Old Rite first Vespers, Caelestis aulae Nuntius, is joined to the Mattins hymn In monte olivis consito. Mattins has three nocturns and nine lessons but there is no ninth lesson to commemorate St. Mark but he, alone, is commemorated at Lauds. The Hours have ferial psalms, there is no Marian Doxology to the hymns and the short lesson at Prime is of the season. At Mass St Mark alone is commemorted in read Masses. The feast's Vespers (the former second Vespers) have no commemorations. Sunday Compline concludes the feast but without the Marian Doxology to Te lucis.

XXI Sunday after Pentecost and 2nd of October - Rosary Sunday

The XXI Sunday after Pentecost and second Sunday of October is of semi-double rite. Again, like last Sunday, the Office is classically that of a semi-double 'green' Sunday.

At Vespers on Saturday the ferial psalms are sung and the antiphon at the Magnificat is Refulsit sol (for the Saturday before the 2nd Sunday of October). A commemoration is made of the preceding Office of St. Francis of Assisi and of SS Placid and Others. Unlike last Saturday the Suffrage of the Saints is not sung because the commemorated Office of St. Francis is of greater double rite.

At Mattins there are the usual nine psalms and nine lessons divided into three nocturns. The continuing history of the Machabees is read in the first nocturn. At Lauds there is a commemoration of St. Placid and the Suffrage of the Saints is sung. At Prime the Athanasian Creed, Quicumque, is sung as are the Dominical preces.

At Mass the Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Placid and the third collect is A cunctis. The Credo is sung and the preface is that of the Holy Trinity as used on Sundays.

In Vespers a commemoration of the following double rank feast of St. Bruno is made.

Before the 1911-13 reform the first, calendar Sunday of October (not to be confused with the first Sunday for Mattins although the two could be the same as they will be next year)was the feast of the Most Holy Rosary of the BVM. A decree of the Sacred Congregation for Rites (No. 4308) allowed for feasts previously kept on a Sunday still to be celebrated as Votive Masses on their former days. So all Masses (except the Conventual one in Cathedral and Collegiate churches) may be of the Holy Rosary with Gloria, 2nd collect of the Sunday (and in private Masses the 3rd collect of St. Placid), Creed, Preface of the Blessed Virgin and last Gospel of the Sunday. These Masses are celebrated in white vestments. Traditionally, the Rosary is prayed before Mass, with the Litany of Loreto and the prayer to St. Joseph, Spouse of the BVM. The Catholic Encyclopedia has an article here.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the first Sunday of October rather than the second is celebrated and so a different antiphon at the Magnificat is used (the one sung in the Old Rite last week) and first Vespers is without any commemorations or Suffrage. Mattins, as usual is stripped down to one nocturn of three lessons only with six lessons cast aside. At Lauds there is neither commemoration of St. Placid or the Suffrage. At Prime the Athanasian Creed is not sung and there are no preces. At Mess there is only one collect. Vespers are without any commemoration. St Placid is completely omitted this year.

The Holy Guardian Angels - Greater Double

The feast of the Holy Guardian Angels is of greater double rite. Continuing the 'practicalities' we considered last week we will 'dissect' Lauds of this feast in greater detail than the other Offices.

The feast began with first Vespers on Wednesday afternoon. The Office of the feast is 'proper' and so the antiphons at Vespers are specific to the feast and the psalms taken from first Vespers of Apostles. The hymn, antiphon at the Magnificat are all proper too. 'Sunday' Compline followed and there were no preces.

Mattins again has proper texts and has three nocturns. Scripture in the first nocturn is taken from Exodus and Zacharias and so occuring scripture is not read. Presuming Lauds follows directly from the singing of Mattins this will be the structure:

Deus in adjutorium..., Domine ad adjuvandum..., Doxology, Alleluia.

The first antiphon is Angelis suis Deus mandavit de te, ut custodiant te in omnibus viis tuis. This is sung in full as the feast is a double. Psalm 92 is then sung followed by the Doxology and repetition of the antiphon Angelis suis etc. The second antiphon, Laudemus Dominum etc is then sung in full followed by psalm 99. After the Doxology the antiphon is repeated. This structure is repeater with the third antiphon being followed by psalm 62, the fourth antiphon being followed by the Benedicite (Note: there is no Doxology sung with the Benedicite as its penultimate verse is Benedicamus Patrem et Filium cum Sancto Spiritu: laudemus et superexaltemus eum in saecula.) The fifth antiphon is followed by psalm 148.

After the repetition of the fifth antiphon the chapter Ecce ego mittam etc is sung followed by the hymn Aeterne Rector Siderum. The versicle and response following the hymn are again proper: In conspectu Angelorum etc and Adorabo ad templum etc. The antiphon at the Benedictus,Reversus est etc is sung entire and is followed by the Benedictus, Doxology and the repetion of the antiphon.

The greeting follows and then the collect of the day, Benedicamus Domino etc and finally the antiphon of the Blessed Virgin Salve Regina etc.

At the Little Hours (Prime, Terce, Sext and None) the first, second, third and fifth antiphons from Lauds are used for each hour in turn along with 'Sunday' psalms. At the Little Hours, even though the feast is a double the antiphons are only sung as far the asterisk before the psalms.

At Mass the Gloria is sung as is the Creed. Second Vespers of the feast are sung (again with the antiphons used at first Vespers and Lauds), the psalms are those from first Vespers of Apostles except the fifth which is psalm 137 Confitebor tibi. The antiphon at the Magnificat is proper to second Vespers of the feast. A commemoration of the following Office of St. Therese of Lisieux is made. 'Sunday' Compline concludes the celebration of the feast.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the feast is down graded to that of III class. There are no first Vespers not even a commemoration of the feast in the ferial Vespers that are prescribed. Compline is of the weekday (ferial) and the feast begins only at Mattins. Mattins is stripped down to one nocturn and loses six lessons (to be strictly fair only five as the second and third lessons from the Old Rite are joined together to make the second lesson in the reformed rite) but two-thirds of the second nocturn's lessons are gone as has the entire third nocturn including the Gospel fragment. Lauds are the same but at the Little Hours the antiphons and psalms are ferial. The Mess has no Creed. Second Vespers is almost the same but the commemoration of the following Office is not made and Compline following Vespers is ferial.