Second Sunday of Lent

The Second Sunday of Lent is semi-double Sunday of the first class. Again, no feast my be celebrated if it falls on such a Sunday. The Gospel pericopes from St. Matthew concern the Transfiguration of the LORD.

At Vespers yesterday morning the antiphons and psalms were of Saturday, the chapter proper, the hymn Audi benigne conditor was sung. A commemoration of the preceding feast of St. Gabriel was sung and at Compline the Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory is Non sit vobis and the hymn is Ex more, as on the other Sundays of Lent. The antiphons and psalms given for Sunday are sung. In the first nocturn the lessons are from the twenty-seventh chapter of Genesis and the story of Jacob and Esau. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from the Book of St. Augustine against lying and explain the mystery of Jacob's actions. In the third nocturn the lessons are a homily of St. Leo the Great on the Transfiguration of the LORD. A ninth responsory, Cum audisset Jacob, is sung in place of the Te Deum.

At Lauds the antiphons are proper to the Sunday and the second scheme of Psalms sung (50, 117, 62, Benedictus es, 148). The chapter is proper to the Sunday and hymn is O sol salutis. After the collect of the day the Suffrage of the Saints is sung.

At Prime and the Hours the antiphons are proper to the Sunday. At Prime the psalms are 92, 99 (displaced from Lauds) and the first two stanzas of 118. The Dominical preces are sung and the short lesson is Quaerite Dominum.

Mass is sung after Terce. The deacon and subdeacon wear folded chasubles, planetis plicatis, instead of dalmatic and tunicle. There is no Gloria. The second collect is A cunctis, the third collect Omnipotens (for the Living and the Dead), a Tract is sung after the Gradual, the Credo is sung, the preface is of Lent and the dismissal is Benedicamus Domino.

Vespers are of the Sunday, sung at the normal time. The antiphons and psalms are those used on Sundays, the chapter is proper and the hymn Audi, benigne Conditor. The Suffrage of the Saints is sung and the Domincal preces are sung at Compline (whilst standing).

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' Mattins is cut down to one nocturn of three lessons as usual with the omission of most of the lessons and responsories. At Lauds the Suffrage of the Saints is omitted. At Prime the psalms are 53 and the first two stanzas of 118, the Domincial preces are omitted. At Mass the ministers wear dalmatic and tunicle, as in Septuagesima, the second and third collects are omitted. The dismissal is Ite, missa est. At Vespers yesterday, sung at the wrong time, there were nno commemorations, today the Suffrage is omitted.

Lenten Ember Days

Apologies to readers for not posting anything on St. Matthias' Day on Ember Wednesday but I was out of town.

When a double of the first class or double of the second class falls on an Ember Day in Lent then the Ember Day is commemorated at Lauds and Mass. The Office and all Masses are of the feast. So on Wednesday the Office was of St. Matthias. At Mattins the ninth lesson was the homily of the Ember Wednesday and a commemoration of the Ember Wednesday was sung at Lauds. At Mass the second collect was of the Ember Wednesday and its Gospel was read as a proper last Gospel.

Ember Friday is a ferial day so the Office of the Ember Day is celebrated in its entirety. The Office of an Ember Day begins with Mattins (like any other ferial day). The invitatory is Non sit vobis and the hymn Ex more docti mystico. The nine antiphons of the ferial nocturn are sung. The lessons are a homily from St. Augustine on St. John's Gospel. At Lauds the second schema is sung with the antiphons of the ferial psalter. After the antiphon on the Benedictus is sung the ferial preces are chanted, the choir kneeling. The Suffrage of the Saints is sung.

At Prime the psalm displaced from Lauds by the Miserere is added to the day's psalmody so Pss 21(i), 21(ii), 21(iii) & 98 are sung. The chapter is the ferial Pacem et veritatem and both the Dominical and ferial preces are sung, kneeling. At the Hours the short set of ferial preces are sung, again kneeling.

The Ember Friday Mass is sung after None. The ministers wear folded chasubles as at any other Mass of the season in Lent. The Gloria is not sung. The second collect is A cunctis nos, the third Omnipotens. The preface is of Lent and Benedicamus Domino is sung as the dismissal.

Vespers are of the following feast of St. Gabriel of the Seven Dolours. A commemoration of the Lenten feria is sung. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted.

On Saturday the Office is of the double feast of St. Gabriel. At Mattins the lessons in first nocturn are Justus si morte taken from the second place in the Common of Confessors. The ninth lesson is homily from the Ember Saturday. At Lauds the Ember Saturday is commemorated.

Private Masses may be of the feast or of the Ember Saturday. In Masses of the feast the Gloria is sung, the second collect is of Ember Saturday (the prayer Populum tuum found after the Kyrie in the texts of Ember Saturday). The preface is of Lent, the dismissal Ite, missa est and the last Gospel of the Ember Saturday. If the Ember Saturday Mass is celebrated violet vestments are worn (with the deacon and subdeacon wearing folded chasubles). The Mass has the usual, ancient form, for Ember Saturdays. After the Kyrie there are a series of structural units comprising of the invitation Oremus, followed by Flectamus genua, Levate, a collect, O.T. reading and gradual. The first and second OT readings are from the Book of Deuteronomy. The third lesson is from Machabbees, the fourth from the Book of Wisdom. The fifth is from the Prophet Daniel describing the LORD protecting Azarias and his two companions in the Babylonian fiery furnace. After the reading from Daniel instead of a gradual the hymn of the Three Men in fiery furnace is sung, Benedictus es, Domine, Deus patrum nostrorum and its collect Deus, qui tribus pueris. The feast of St. Gabriel is then commemorated. The preface is of Lent and the dismissal Benedicamus Domino.

In Cathedral and Collegiate Churches two Masses are celebrated. The Mass of St. Gabriel is celebrated after Terce without any commemorations. The Mass of the Ember Saturday is sung after None with the second collect (before the Epistle) A cunctis and the third collect Omnipotens. The dismissal is Benedicamus Domino .

Vespers are of the following Sunday with a commemoration of St. Gabriel. The Dominical preces are omitted at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' on Ember Friday the Suffrage is not sung at Lauds. At Prime there is no fourth psalm, the festal Regi saeculorum is the chapter, Pacem is supressed. The ferial preces are not sung at the Hours. At Mass (sung after Terce) there is only one collect and the dismissal is Ite, missa est. Vespers are ferial without a commemoration of St. Gabriel.

On Saturday the Office is of the Ember Day. At Lauds the Canticle of Moses is cut down from 65 to 27 verses. A commemoration of St. Gabriel is made at Lauds. The ferial preces are sung at Lauds but not at the Hours. At Prime there is no fourth psalm, the festal Regi saeculorum is chapter, Pacem is supressed. At Mass a 'mini-Ember Day' may be celebrated missing out most of the lessons that characterised Ember Saturdays. The dismissal is Ite, missa est. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

First Sunday in Lent

The First Sunday of Lent is a semi-double of the first class. No feast can take precedence over it or any such Sunday. The Gospel pericope is St. Matthew's account of the LORD's temptation by Satan in the desert.

The Pars Verna, the Spring volume, of the Breviarium began with Vespers, yesterday morning, on the Saturday before the first Sunday. At Vespers the antiphons and psalms were of Saturday, the chapter proper. The Lenten hymn Audi benigne conditor was sung for the first time this year. The ferial preces are never said at Vespers on Saturday. The Suffrage of the Saints was sung and at Compline (sung at the usual time) the Dominical preces were sung.

At Mattins the invitatory is Non sit vobis and the hymn is Ex more. These are both used throughout the first four weeks of Lent. The antiphons and psalms given in the Psalter for Sundays are used, as on previous Sundays. In the first nocturn the lessons are from the Second Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from a sermon on Lent by St. Leo the Great and in the third nocturn the lessons are a homily of St. Gregory the Great on St. Matthew's account of the temptation of the LORD. As in Septuagesima there is no Te Deum but a ninth responsory.

At Lauds the antiphons are proper to the Sunday and the second scheme of Psalms sung (50, 117, 62, Benedictus es, 148). The chapter is proper to the Sunday and hymn is O sol salutis. After the collect of the day the Suffrage of the Saints is sung.

At Prime and the Hours the antiphons are proper to the Sunday. At Prime the psalms are 92, 99 (displaced from Lauds) and the first two stanzas of 118. The Dominical preces are sung and the short lesson is Quaerite Dominum.

Mass is sung after Terce. In all Masses de Tempore, of the season, from Ash Wednesday the deacon and subdeacon wear folded chasubles, planetis plicatis, instead of dalmatic and tunicle.

At Mass there Gloria is not sung. The second collect is A cunctis, the third collect Omnipotens (for the Living and the Dead), a Tract is sung after the Gradual, the Credo is sung, the preface is of Lent and the dismissal is Benedicamus Domino.

Vespers are of the Sunday, sung at the normal time. The antiphons and psalms are those used on Sundays, the chapter is proper and the hymn Audi, benigne Conditor is sung as at Vespers yesterday (c.f. Tridentine praxis). Commemorations are sung of of the following feast of St. Peter's Chair at Antioch and of St. Paul. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted and, at Compline the Dominical preces are not sung because of the occurring double feast.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' Mattins is cut down to one nocturn of three lessons as usual. At Lauds the Suffrage of the Saints is omitted. At Prime the psalms are 53 and the first two stanzas of 118, the Domincial preces are omitted. At Mass the ministers wear dalmatic and tunicle, as in Septuagesima, the second and third collects are omitted. The dismissal is Ite, missa est. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Lenten Vespers this morning!

[This post, shamefully, re-posted from last year - mea culpa.]

Vespers today marks the start of the proper Lenten Office. Anciently Lent began with the Office of the first Sunday with Ash Wednesday, and the following three days, added later. The Office on Ash Wednesday and the following days is really that of Septuagesima, with the same hymns, with the addition of the ferial preces.

Today, and for the rest of Lent with the exception of Sundays, Vespers are not sung at the usual time of late afternoon but sung before lunchtime. A rubric in the Spring volume of the Breviary, before first Vespers of the first Sunday of Lent states:

On this day, and thereafter until Holy Saturday, except on Sundays, Vespers are said before the principal meal at midday, even on Feasts.

This practice, much criticised by the reformers of the twentieth century Liturgical Movement, was popularly associated with the practice of fasting. However, a contrary view, and one I share, would be that the practice represents a symbolic inversion of time as a consequnce of the Fall, with the restoration of 'normality' with the victory of the LORD at Easter. The practice is not confined to the Roman (or other Western rites) as it is found in the East too. In the Slav-Byzantine typicon Vespers in the morning are prescribed not only in Lent but on many other penitential days too. I must confess that Vespers in the morning is one of my best loved practices in the Roman rite.

At Vespers the antiphons and psalms of Saturday are sung. The chapter Fratres: Hortamur vos, is proper and the Lenten hymn Audi, benigne Conditor is sung. The versicle and response, Angelis suis and Ut custodiant are used until Passiontide. The Suffrage of the Saints is sung after the collect of the day. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung.

Rubrics for the Liturgy in Lent

For all the Sundays of Lent, except the fourth Sunday, Laetare, and on weekdays, when the Office is of the season, the altar is without flowers or other decoration. The organ is not played and the deacon and subdeacon (and assistant deacons etc at Pontifical functions) wear folded chasubles.

For all of Lent and Passiontide Votive Masses are not allowed. Private Masses for the dead are allowed on the first 'free' day of each week except Holy Week.

On all ferial days after Ash Wednesday and before Palm Sunday if a double feast or semi-double feast occurs (not a D I Cl or D II Cl)private Masses may be of either (a)the feast with a commemoration and last Gospel of the ferial day or (b) the occurring ferial day, without Gloria and Creed, with the Oratio super populum and Benedicamus Domino as the dismissal, with a commemoration of the feast. When a semi-double feast occurs the third collect will be A cunctis. [However the Office of a double or semi-double feast is always celebrated, not the ferial Office, which is commemorated.]

In all ferial Masses of the season the instruction Humilitate capita is given followed by the Oratio super populum. This prayer is also used as the collect for Vespers from Monday to Friday inclusive, or for the commemoration of Vespers in a festal Office.

The preface of Lent is used in all ferial Masses, on Sundays and on feasts that do not have a proper preface, until the Saturday before Passion Sunday inclusive.

For all of Lent, in the ferial Office, the antiphon at the Benedictus and Magnificat and the respective collects are proper to each day; the ferial preces are said, kneeling, at each Hour; at Prime a fourth psalm (displaced from Lauds) is added as noted in the Psalter.

No Octave, in the Universal or Particular Calendar is kept from Ash Wednesday to Low Sunday inclusive with the exception of the great Octave of Easter.

The solemn celebration of Marriage is forbidden until Easter Monday.

(Freely translated from the Ordo)

Image: The Lenten Array at Westminster Abbey. A photograph of a photograph in Jocelyn Perkins, "Westminster Abbey: Its Worship and Ornaments" OUP. The same Array is still in use.

Feria IV Cinerum - Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday is a privileged greater feria. No feast can be celebrated on this day whatever its rank.

The third part of the Pontificale Romanum still contains the rite for the Expulsion of Public Penitents - De Expusione Publice Poenitentium ab Ecclesia in feria Quarta Cinerum. In that rite, when the bishop was to celebrate Mass this day, the bishop vested in pontificals as far as the dalmatic and then donned a violet cope. Public penitents assembled in sack-cloth and bare feet and were given a penance for Lent and then were given ashes, which the bishop had blessed, and then followed an elaborate ceremony that included the Seven Penitential Psalms and Litany and culminated in them being led, physically, from the church and expelled. [Update: I had failed to realise that the 1600 Caermoniale Episcoporum contains a reference to the Expulsion of Penitents in churches where it is the custom: C.E. Lib II, Cap.18, 2]

Although no longer practised echoes of the above can be found in today's Liturgy. The Liturgy is interesting too in that much remains of the Office of the Septuagesima season as originally Lent began with the first Sunday.

At Mattins the invitatory, hymn, antiphon and psalms are from the ferial Office. The second scheme of Mattins on Wednesday is used, a consequence of the 1911-13 reform's moving Ps. 50 into the cursus for Mattins. The lessons in the nocturn are from a homily of St. Augustine, the responsories from the third nocturn of Quinquagesima Sunday. At Lauds the second scheme is used (Pss. 50, 64, 100, Canticle of Anna & 145), the antiphon on the Benedictus and collect are proper to the day. Before the collect the choir kneels and the ferial preces are sung. The Suffrage of the Saints is sung.

At the Hours the ferial antiphons and psalter are used. Prime has a fourth psalm displaced from Lauds by the Miserere so at Prime the psalmody is Pss. 25, 51, 52 & 96. At Prime both the Dominical and ferial preces are chanted kneeling, the chapter is the ferial Pacem et veritatem. At the other Hours the short set of ferial preces are chanted kneeling too.

The blessing of Ashes and Mass follows None. The celebrant vests in a violet cope with the deacon and subdeacon wearing violet folded chasubles. The organ is silent following the general rule when folded chasubles are worn. The Ashes, made from the preceding year's Palms, are blessed with four collects of blessing. The short conclusion of these prayers probably indicates the blessing was separated by the Expusion of Penitents from the Mass which follows. The Ashes are imposed whilst two antiphons are chanted Immutemur habitu and Inter vestibulum. These are followed by the poignant responsory Emendemus in melius. The Mass that now immediately follows is proper. The Gloria is not sung. The second collect is A cunctis and the third collect Omnipotens. The preface of Lent is sung. The ferial tones are used for the orations, preface and Pater noster. The choir kneels for the Orations and from the Sanctus until Pax Domini.

Vespers are ferial. The ferial preces are chanted kneeling. A commemoration of St. Simeon is sung and the Suffrage of the Saints is sung. At Compline the preces are chanted, kneeling.

In Northern lands the idea of sackcloth was extended into covering all images and decoration in the church with 'Lenten Array'. This consisted of sack-cloth or unbleached linen with decoration of images of the Passion in red, usually, or blue and black. The image below is a Lenten Array altar frontal designed by the good Dr. Adrian Fortescue for his church of St. Hugh at Letchworth. It, along with some superb and unique vestments, were fortunately rescued a couple of years ago from a skip by a friend of a friend.



Before the 1911-13 reform the singing of the fifteen Gradual Psalms took place before Mattins and Lauds of the day. At Lauds the psalmody would have been as follows: Pss. 50, 64, 62-66, Canticle of Anna, 148-149-150. The Suffrage of the Cross, the BVM, SS Peter and Paul, (St. Joseph), the Patron and for Peace would be sung. At Prime there was no displaced psalm from Lauds and the psalmody would be Pss. 53, 25, 118i & 118ii.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there is no Suffrage at either Lauds or Vespers. The ferial preces are sung at Lauds and Vespers only. At Prime there are three psalms 25, 51 & 52 and the chapter is Regi saeculorum. At the blessing of Ashes the ministers wear dalmatic and tunicle. Judica me Deus etc is omitted from the beginning of Mass. There is one collect. The extended kneeling is omitted with the choir rising at the conclusion of the Canon.

Quinquagesima Sunday

Today is Quinquagesima Sunday. It is a semi-double of the second class. The Gospel pericopes are taken from St. Luke and the account of the giving of sight to the man born blind.

At Mattins, as on the previous two Sundays, the antiphons and psalms are those used on Sundays throughout the year. In the first nocturn the lessons are again from Genesis and this Sunday concern the story of Abraham. In the second nocturn the lessons are from St. Ambrose on the Book on the Patriarch Abraham and in the third nocturn the lessons are a homily from St. Gregory on St. Luke's Gospel of the man blind from birth whose sight was restored by the LORD. The blind man is a figure of the human race according to St. Gregory. A ninth responsory is sung in place of the Te Deum.

At Lauds the 'second scheme' of psalms is sung: Pss. 50, 117, 62, Benedictus es and 148. The antiphons at Lauds are proper for Quinquagesima Sunday as are the antiphon at the Benedictus and collect. A commemoration is sung of St. Valentine and the Suffrage of the Saints is sung.

At all the Hours the antiphons and chapters are proper to Quinquagesima Sunday. At Prime the order of psalmody is that used when the second schema of Lauds is sung, Pss. 92, 99 (displaced at Lauds) and the usual first two stanzas of 118. The Dominical preces are sung.

In Mass there is no Gloria, the second collect is of St. Valentine, the third A cunctis nos, a Tract is sung after the Gradual, the Credo is sung , the Preface is of the Blessed Trinity and Benedicamus Domino is sung as the dismissal.

At Vespers the antiphons and psalms are those used on Sundays, the chapter is proper as in the antiphon at the Magnificat. A commemoration is sung of the following feast of SS. Faustinus and Jovita and the Suffrage of the Saints is sung. At Compline the Domincal preces are sung.

Following the 'liturgical books of 1962' mattins is reduced to one nocturn. At both Vespers there are neither any commemorations nor Suffrage. At Lauds too there are no commemorations or Suffrage. At Prime Pss. 53, 118i & 118ii are sung. At Mass there is a single collect and Benedicamus Domino is supressed in favour of Ite, missa est. There are no preces at either Prime or Compline.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Sexagesima Sunday

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

At Vespers yesterday the antiphons and psalms were of Saturday, the chapter, antiphon at the Magnificat and collect proper to Sexagesima Sunday. Commemorations of the preceding Office of St. Titus and of St. Romuald were sung. As double feasts were commemorated at Vespers the Domincal preces at Compline were omitted.

At Mattins, as last Sunday the antiphons and psalms are those used on Sundays. In the first nocturn the lessons continue to be read from Genesis (Ch. 5 & 6) and 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. The ninth responsory 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 as are the antiphon at the Benedictus and collect. A commemoration is sung of St. Romuald.

At Prime the order of psalmody is, again, that used when the second schema of Lauds is sung, Pss. 92, 99 (displaced at Lauds) and the usual first two stanzas of 118. The Dominical preces are omitted due to the occurring double feast. At the Hours the antiphons and chapters are proper to Sexagesima Sunday.

In Mass there is no Gloria, the second collect is of St. Romuald. There is no third collect. A Tract is sung after the Gradual, the Creed is sung , the Preface is of Trinity and Benedicamus Domino is sung as the dismissal.

At Vespers the antiphons and psalms are those used on Sundays, the chapter is proper as in the antiphon at the Magnificat. Commemorations are sung of the following feast of St. John of Matha and St. Romuald. At Compline the Domincal preces are omitted because of the double feasts commemorated at Vespers.

Following the 'liturgical books of 1962' Mattins is reduced to one nocturn. At Lauds no commemoration is made of St Romuald. At Prime the arrangement of psalms is Pss. 53, 118(i), 118(ii). At Mass there are is only one collect and Benedicamus Domino is supressed in favour of Ite, missa est. There are no commemorations at either Vespers.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Candlemass - The Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Feast of the Purification of the BVM is a double of the second class. The feast is known in English-speaking countries generally as Candlemass as before Mass candles for use throughout the year ahead are solemnly blessed. When the feast falls on Septuagesima or one of other 'Gesima' Sundays the blessing of candles takes place on the Sunday but the feast is transferred to the following Monday. The liturgical colour of the day is white but violet is used for the blessing of candles and procession. The use of violet seems based on an ancient Roman procession on this day older than the celebration of the feast an linked to the other solemn blessings and processions that are penitential in nature. In the Byzantine East the feast is known as the Hypapante, the Meeting of the Lord, and was often so name in early Western liturgical books (e.g. several examples can be found in the comparison of Calendars given in 'Saints in English Calendars before 1100', Henry Bradshaw Society, Vol.CXVII). In the diverse Medieval uses an even more elaborate blessing than the form outlined below can be found with a preface of blessing e.g. Sarum, which compares with the blessing of Palms and Waters. Those interested in the celebration of Candlemass in the Sarum rite (which did not use violet for the blessing) should consult Fr. Séan Finnegan's Valle Adurni blog that has a series of videos of a modern reconstruction of a Sarum liturgy. Two very interesting posts, one from an Anglo-Catholic blogger and the other from an Orthodox blogger, explore respectively the 'language' of the liturgy and East-West similarities with the Hypapante may be read here and here.

Candlemass Day was the traditional day for taking down the Christmas decorations in England and other northern lands. It appears that the greenery used for Christmas was exchanged for other evergreen branches, notably box. A poem by the seventeenth century Robert Herrick runs:

Down with rosemary and bays,
Down with the mistletoe;
Instead of holly, now upraise
The greener box, for show.
The holly hitherto did sway,
Let box now domineer
Until the dancing Easter Day
Or Easter's eve appear.

At Vespers yesterday the antiphons used on the feast of the Circumcision were heard again, O admirabile commercium etc with the psalms of feasts for the Blessed Virgin (Pss. 109, 112, 121, 126 & 147). The chapter is proper to the feast and the Office hymn Ave, maris stella. The antiphon on the Magnificat is proper to the feast Senex Puerum portabat etc. A commemoration of the preceding feast of St. Ignatius of Antioch was sung. At Compline the tone of Te lucis was that for feast of the Virgin with the Doxology in honour of the Incarnation Jesu, tibi sit gloria etc.

At Mattins the invitatory is proper, Ecce venit as templum sanctum suum Dominator Dominus: Gaude et laetare, Sion occurrens Deo tuo. The antiphons and psalms for each nocturn come from the Common of feast of the Blessed Virgin as does the Office hymn Quem terra, pontus, sidera. In the first nocturn the lessons are from the Book of Exodus and from Leviticus. The responsories are proper to feast and particularly beautiful. In the second nocturn the lessons come from a sermon of St. Augustine and in the third nocturn the homily if from St. Ambrose. At Lauds the antiphons are proper to the feast and sung with the Sunday psalms. The antiphon on the Benedictus is again proper to the feast, Cum inducerent etc.

At the Hours the hymns have the melody of the BVM and the Doxology Jesu tibi sit gloria etc. The antiphons from Lauds are sung with the feastal psalms. At Prime the psalms are 53, 118i & 118ii, in the short responsory the versicle Qui natus es de Virgine is sung and the lesson is of the feast, Et placebit.

After Terce the blessing of candles takes place. The celebrant vests in a violet cope and the ministers in violet folded chausubles. The altar is vested in violet and the organ is silent (as is always the case when folded chausubles are used.) At the Epistle corner the celebrant sings five prayers of blessing in the ferial tone. Incense is then blessed, lustral water sprinkled over the candles whilst the celebrant says Asperges me and then the candle are censed. Candles are then distributed while the antiphon Lumen ad revelationem is sung interpolated into the canticle Nunc dimittis. At the conclusion of this the antiphon Exsurge, Domine is sung with a Doxology. After the distribution the celebrant returns with the ministers to the Epistle corner and chants Oremus. As the feast falls after Septuagesima the deacon sings Flectamus genua and the sub-deacon Levate. The celebrant then sings the collect Exaudi. The procession then takes place with lighted candles during the singing of three antiphons Adorna thalamum, Responsum accepit Simeon and Obtulerunt. These text are clearly ancient and found, almost verbatim, in the Menaion of the Byzantine rite.

After the Procession the ministers change from violet vestments to white and Mass is celebrated. The Gloria and Credo are sung and the preface is that of the Nativity, the feast being a 'satellite' of Christmas. Lighted candles are held by all during the chanting of the Gospel and from the beginning of the Canon until after the distribution of Communion.

At second Vespers the antiphons and chapter from Lauds are used again with the psalms of the Blessed Virgin, the antiphon on the Magnificat is proper. From Compline the Marian antiphon changes from Alma, Redemptoris to Ave, Regina caelorum etc.

In the 'extraordinary form' of the modern Roman liturgy the feast loses first Vespers (unless it falls on a Sunday or is celebrated as I class). Mattins and Lauds is the same as the Old Rite. At the Little Hours the ferial antiphons and psalter are used and although the versicle Qui natus is sung the short lesson at Prime is of the season, rather than of the feast, and the Doxology in honour of the BVM is omitted at all the hymns of the Little Hours which are sung to a differnt tone. At the blessing of candles white vestments are used (if anyone has a reference to an explantion of the colour change by the reformers please let me know). The five collects of blessing have the usual 'long conclusion' omitted, the verse Exsurge, Domine is omitted, the command of Flectamus genua is always omitted even in Septuagesima and at Mass Judica me Deus etc is excised as on several other days in the 1962 missal.

Art: Icon of the Hypapante from St. John's Parish of the Melkite Eparchy in Australia.