The Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel

Today is the feast of The Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel. It is greater-double rite.

The feast began with first Vespers on Friday afternoon. The antiphons and psalms were proper to the feast, the fifth psalms being Ps. 137 as second Vespers cannot be sung this year. The hymn was proper to St. Michael and its conclusion was not changed to the Paschaltide Doxology. A commemoration of the preceding Office of St. Stanislaus was sung.

Mattins has three nocturns. The invitatory and antiphons are proper to the feast. In the first nocturn the lessons are from the Prophet Daniel. The second nocturn relates the apparition of St. Michael at Gargano at the time of Gelasius I and in the third nocturn the lessons are from a homily of St. Hillary on St. Matthew's Gospel. At Lauds the antiphons from Vespers are used. At Prime and the Horae Minorae the Paschaltide Doxology is sung, the festal psalms are sung at Prime.

Mass follows Terce. The Gloria and Credo are both sung. Vespers are of the Sunday with a commemoration of the St. Michael and St. Gregory Nazianzen.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' St. Michael's feast has been abolished. The Office is the Saturday Office of the BVM. Vespers are without any commemoration.