Today is the Solemnity of St. Joseph Sponse of the Blessed Virgin. It is a double of the first class and has an octave. The feast was introduced into the Universal Kalendar by Pius IX in 1847 as the 'Patronage of St. Joseph' as a double of the second class to be celebrated on the third Sunday after Easter. In 1870 the feast was raised to a double of the first class and given an octave with 'Patron of the Church' added. In 1911 the feast was renamed the Solemnity of St. Joseph and became a primary double of the first class. In 1913 the celebration was moved to the Wednesday after the second Sunday after Easter. Although relatively modern the feast is a fine example of typology with the Patriarch Joseph being used as a 'type' of the foster-father of the LORD.
The feast began with first Vespers yesterday afternoon. Vespers were proper and without any commemorations. The Office is proper. In the first nocturn the lessons are from the book of Genesis and ar eslightly extended in comparison with St. Joseph's 19 March feast. In the second nocturn the lessons are from a sermon on St. Joseph by St. Bernardine of Siena and in the third nocturn the homily is from St. Augustine on the Gospel fragment from St. Luke. A commemoration of St. Peter the Martyr is made at Lauds and private Mass.
Mass follows Terce and is proper, with the introit Adjutor. The Gloria and Creed are sung and the preface is that of St. Joseph. In second Vespers a commemoration is made of the following Office of St. Catharine of Siena.
In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Solemnity of St. Joseph does not exist as this beautiful feast was shamefully supressed in 1956. So,instead, St. Peter the Martyr is kept as a third class feast, without first Vespers, just one nocturn at Mattins etc. Interesting to see what happened to the Church after its Patron's feast was scrapped...
Rubricarius,
ReplyDeleteThere is the Feast of St Joseph the Worker on 1st May. You say that the Solemnity of St Joseph was suppressed in 1955. Is there no connection between these two?
Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteIndeed there was a most unfortunate connection: not only was the Solemnity of St. Joseph suppressed but the feast of SS Philip and James was shoved over to the first free day in favour of the execrable 'Joe the Worker Day'. More in the post for SS Philip and James on Friday.
The history of the 1955 attack on the tradtional calendar shows the Roman Cardinals in a tremendous uproar over the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker, and the moving of the Feast of SS. Philip & James, primarily because the latter is THE original feast of these Apostles; 1st May denotes their relics coming to Rome. The massive delay in the Congregation of Rites' approval of the Office for the feast of St. Joseph the Worker is testimony to the disapproval felt by curial officials over this.
ReplyDeleteWith this change to the calendar, I can only imagine the Roman Cardinals asking themselves, "Is nothing sacred?" Boy, they had only to wait a few more years to get the answer to that query!
+DM
+DM
ReplyDeleteA New Order formula for absolution in Confession is:
Through the ministry of the Church your sins are forgiven, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Is this valid if pronounced by a pre-69 priest?
Poor St Joseph!
ReplyDeleteThere is an online book circulating that has bearing on this great crisis. THE UNDERMINING OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH by MARY BALL MARTINEZ.
I have noted the circulating address as:
origins10@verizon.net
Anonymous(06:34)
ReplyDeleteIndeed an excellent book - hated by most 'Traditionalists' for daring to suggest that things were seriously amiss in the late 1940s and 1950s.
Is Mrs. Ball-Martinez still alive do you know?
Rubricarius, she must be alive; I haven't seen any obituary.
ReplyDeleteRubricarius,
ReplyDeleteDo you know how today's Eastern rites compare with the pre-1955 Roman Rite?
There seems to be different opinions on this topic.
Considering the Byzantine rite, the Eastern rite I am most familiar with, then Holy Week for example in that rite is basically the same as Western Medieval practice.
ReplyDeleteOne of life's joys is to see a Byzantine-Slav bishop change from black vestments to white, after hearing fifteen 'prophecies' in preparation for the Gospel Vespere autem Sabbati on Holy Saturday morning!
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ReplyDeleteA New Order formula for absolution in Confession is:
Through the ministry of the Church your sins are forgiven, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Is this valid if pronounced by a pre-69 priest?
In the Novus Ordo rite, the exact phrase is: ...through the ministry of the Church may God grant you pardon and peace, and I ABSOLVE YOU OF YOUR SINS, IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, etc..
What I have typed in upper-case letters is essential and, under the conditions you proposed, it would be valid.
+DM
Anonymous, what's the Web address of Mrs. MartÃnez' online book?
ReplyDeleteIan,
ReplyDeleteAlso try contacting Nicholas Wilton the composer (follow the link on the Saint Lawrence Press website. He had been in contact with Mrs. Ball-Martinez some years ago - buy a CD too!
I can't find the online version of Mary Martinez's book but you can purchase it at www.omnicbc.com
ReplyDeleteIan,
ReplyDeleteThere is no web address given. Looking through the e-mail which was forwarded to many people, the original sender seems to be a Mr Paul Ellwanger whose e-mail address I gave previously - origins10@verizon.net