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