St. Andrew the Apostle

The feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle, the 'First Called', is a Double feast of the Second Class. It was preceded yesterday by a Vigil, which because of Advent, was not part of the Office but just the celebration of Mass. According to St. John's Gospel St. Andrew was a disciple of St. John the Baptist, whose testimony first led him and St. John the Evangelist to follow Jesus. St. Andrew at once recognised Christ as the Messiah. St. Andrew preached the Gospel in Asia Minor and, according to Eusebius, as far as Kiev. St. Andrew is the patron saint of such diverse countries as Scotland and Russia. According to tradition he was crucified at Patras in Achaea. Devotion to St. Andrew was strong in the medieval period and many Western Kalendars such as the venerable Sarum Rite had an octave for the feast. In the Roman liturgy clearly St. Andrew was once regarded as more important than in modern times hence his inclusion in the Libera nos.

The liturgy of the day is festal and began with first Vespers of the feast yesterday afternoon. The antiphons Salve, crux pretiosa etc were sung with the psalms for the Common of Apostles. After the collect of the feast a commemoration was sung of the Advent feria. Compline was feastal and the preces were omitted.

At Mattins the antiphons are proper, Vidit Dominus etc. There are the usual three nocturns of nine lessons. At Lauds the antiphons sung at Vespers are sung with the Dominical psalms. A commemoration is sung of the Advent feria.

At the Horae Minores festal psalmody is sung. At Prime the lectio brevis is Isias enim dicit.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sugn, the second collect is of the Advent feria (the collect Excita from Advent Sunday). The Creed is sung and the preface if of the Apostles.

At second Vespers a commemoration is sung of the Advent feria.

According to the 'liturgical books of 1962' St. Andrew's feast loses first Vespers. At Prime and the other Horae Minores ferial psalmody is sung, the lectio brevis is of the season.

The First Sunday of Advent

The beautiful liturgical season of Advent begins with Vespers on the Saturday before Advent Sunday. The first Sunday of Advent is a semi-double of the first class. The liturgy of Advent is perhaps the most exquisite of the entire liturgical year with 'layers' of meaning for both the First and Second Comings of the LORD. There is a weave of expectant joy and penance to be found in the liturgical texts. The first Sunday of Advent is a semi-double Sunday of the first class. The eschatalogical theme of last Sunday's Gospel continue with St. Luke's Gospel today and the Coming of the Divine Judge. During Advent bishops exchange their violet choir cassock for a black one with mozzeta or mattelletum with violet linings. Cardinals of the Court of Rome wear their 'winter' violet merino apparel (in contrast to their summer mourning dress of violet watered-silk) in place of their watered-silk scarlet.

Vespers yesterday marked the beginning of the Pars Hiemalis, or Winter Volume, of the Breviary. The antiphons In illa die etc are sung with the psalms of Saturday. The Office hymn is Creator alme siderum. After the collect of the Sunday the usual Suffrage is omitted during Advent. (An occurring or concurrent feast would be commemorated.) From this Vespers the Marian Antiphon sung is Alma Redemptoris Mater. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung.

At Mattins the invitatory is Regem venturum and this is sung in the Dominical and ferial Offices of Advent until the third Sunday. The hymn is Verbum supernum and the antiphons Veniet ecce Rex etc are sung. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the prophet Isaiah. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from the writing of St. Leo on the fast of the tenth month, the theme of which is preparing for the Coming and, in the third nocturn the homily is from St. Gregory continuing the theme with his commentary on St. Luke's Gospel about the end times. A ninth responsory is sung and the Te Deum omitted in the Office of Advent. At Lauds the antiphons sung at Vespers are again sung, with the Dominical psalms. The hymn is En clara vox. As noted above, the Suffrage is omitted.

At Prime the first antiphon from Lauds is used with the usual Dominical psalms (117, 118(i), 118(ii)). In the short responsory the versicle Qui venturus es in mundum replaces Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris for all of Advent except when an occuring feast has a proper versicle. The Dominical preces are sung. At the other Hours the other antiphons of Lauds are sung in the usual order.

Mass is sung after Terce. During Advent the deacon and sub-deacaon do not wear the dalmatic and tunicle but violet folded chasubles, an ancient feature of the Roman liturgy. Some previous musings about these wondrous vestments and their use may be found here. The Gloria in not sung, the second collect is of the Blessed Virgin in Advent, Deus, qui de beate, the third collect Ecclesiae. The Creed is sung, the preface that of the Blessed Trinity and, as the Gloria was not sung, the dismissal is Benedicamus Domino.


The above photograph is taken from Orbis Catholicus showing a fine traditional celebration at the Pantheon in Rome a couple of years ago. The photograph below, from a Polish site, Fidelitas, shows the FSSP using folded chasubles recently (note also four pluvialistae).


At Vespers the antiphons In illa die etc are sung with the Dominical psalms. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of St. Saturninus. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' so much has been excised from the Breviary that there are only two volumes not four. Advent Sunday marks the beginning of the Pars Prior, which runs until first Vespers of Trinity Sunday. There are no preces at Compline. Mattins is cut down to just one nocturn of three lessons. At Prime there are no preces. At Mass the deacon wears the dalmatic, and the sub-deacon the tunicle. Folded chasubles, so ancient and so quintessentially Roman, have been tossed aside. There is only one collect and the dismissal is Ite, missa est. Grim!

Art: Jerome Nadal

Ordo Recitandi 2011

Ordo Recitandi 2011 is available for despatch now, indeed some two hundred copies have already been sent to customers. Paper reminder forms have been posted today - probably the last year we will be able to do this as the postage for a letter to the USA now costs 67p and just to send one across the English Channel to France now costs 60p.

The Ordo may be ordered by following this link.

Ordo 2011 has had some improvement work in relation to previous editions. The 2011 edition, at the request of a valued customer and friend in the USA, has letters that signify the type of psalm that is to be sung at the Canonical Hours. This was a feature of many Ordines produced in the past such as the Burns Oates versions from here in England.

The reader will need to consult the bottom of page 15 for the details of the explanation. However, in each day's entry immediately after the rank of day there are now three small letters, e.g. '(pdF)' on January 1st. These indicate the psalmody for Mattins, Lauds and the Hours: 'p' indicates the psalms are proper; 'd' indicates the Dominical psalms are sung at Lauds; and 'F' indicates the Festal psalms are sung at the Hours, i.e. at Prime the first psalm is Deus, in nomine tuo. At the end of the day's entry two other letters indicate the psalmody for Vespers and Compline: for January 1st these have the indicators '(pd)': 'p' indicates proper psalms at Vespers; and 'd' the Dominical psalms at Compline.

January 1st is a straight forward example but some days are more complex, e.g. St. Agnes on January 21st where we have '(pdf)'. This means proper psalms at Mattins, Dominical psalms at Lauds but ferial - note the use of lower case 'f' - psalms at the Hours. Whether the second scheme of Lauds is sung, and the fourth psalm added to Prime is also indicated. We trust that users will find this addition helpful.

Remember you can email your order form to us: mail@ordorecitandi.org.uk

XXVI and Last Sunday after Pentecost

Today is the twenty-sixth and last Sunday after Pentecost. It is also the fifth Sunday of November. The day is of semi-double rite and the liturgical colour is green. The Gospel pericopes from St. Matthew contain the prophetic words of the LORD concerning the last days and the coming of the Antichrist.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the psalms of Saturday were sung. The antiphon on the Magnificat was Super muros tuos for the Saturday before the fifth Sunday of November. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Felix of Valois and then of the Presentation of the Virgin. Jam sol recedit igneus was sung with the Doxology, and melody of, Jesu tibi sit gloria etc. The Suffrage of the Saints was omitted because of the occurring double feasts as were the Dominical preces at Compline. At Compline, and the other Hours the hymns are sung with the Doxology and melody as at Vespers.

At Mattins in the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the Book of Michah the Prophet. (The week ahead, with its completion of the series of Minor Prophets, often sese many of the Incipits move to ensure their reading. This year their movements are relatively constrained with Monday's Incipit of the Book of Nahum being read as the first lesson on Tuesday). In the second nocturn the lessons are from St. Basil the Great on the thirty-third psalm. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Jerome on St. Matthew's Gospel. At Lauds, after the collect of the Sunday, a commemoration of the Presentation is sung. At Prime (Pss. 117, 118i & 118ii) both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted because of the occurring double feast. In the short responsory the versicle is Qui natus es.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Presentation. There is no third collect. The Creed is sung and the preface of the Blessed Trinity and the last Gospel is of the Presentation.

Vespers are of the Sunday. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following Office of St. Cecilia and of the Presentation. Lucis creator is sung with the melody and Doxology Jesu tibi sit gloria. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted because of the occurring double feasts.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations or Suffrage at Vespers, and therefore no special Doxology. Mattins is cut down to one nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there is neither commemoration nor Suffrage. At Mass there is but one collect and the last Gospel In principio. Vespers are of the Sunday without any commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal Nadal's image of the Antichrist enthroned whilst the clergy and people give him false worship.

XXV Sunday after Pentecost

Today is the XXV Sunday after Pentecost and the fourth Sunday of November. The day is of semi-double rite and the liturigcal colour is green. The introit, gradual etc are as last week but the pericopes at Mass, and the lessons for the third nocturn at Mattins are from the sixth Sunday after the Epiphany. The Gospel pericopes from St. Matthew are the parable of the mustard seed.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the psalms of Saturday were sung. The antiphon on the Magnificat was Qui caelorum for the Saturday before the fourth Sunday of November. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Didacus and then of St. Josaphat. The Suffrage of the Saints was omitted because of the occurring double feast as were the Dominical preces at Compline.

At Mattins in the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the Book of Osse the Prophet. In the second nocturn the lessons are from the book of St. Augustine on City of God. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Jerome on St. Matthew's Gospel. At Lauds, after the collect of the Sunday, a commemoration of the St. Josaphat is sung. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted.

At Prime (Pss. 117, 118i & 118ii) both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted because of the occurring double feast.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Josaphat. There is no third collect. The Creed is sung and the preface of the Blessed Trinity.

Vespers are of the Sunday. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following Office of St. Albert the Great and of St. Josaphat. The Dominical preces are omitted because of the occurring double feasts.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations or Suffrage at Vespers. Mattins is cut down to one nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there is neither commemoration nor Suffrage. At Mass there is but one collect. Vespers are of the Sunday without any commemorations.

XXIV Sunday after Pentecost

Today is the XXIV Sunday after Pentecost and third Sunday of November. The day is of semi-double rite and the liturigcal colour is green. When November 5th is a Sunday then that Sunday is the second Sunday in November and the scriptural readings at Mattins continue to be read from Ezechiel on the Sunday and the week following. However, in most years, including this one, the Second Sunday and its week are omitted and after the first week the Third Sunday is celebrated. The Missal provides complete texts for twenty-four Sundays after Pentecost. Where there are more Sundays after Pentecost, depending of course on the date Holy Pascha falls, then after the twenty-third Sunday has been celebrated the Epistles and Gospels that had not be read on Sundays after the Epiphany are transferred to this time. These pericopes are combined with fixed texts for the introit, gradual etc. Today the pericopes from the V Sunday after the Epiphany are sung at Mass with corresponding third nocturn readings at Mattins. Today is also the Sunday within the Octave of All Saints (before the 1911-13 reform the Sunday would have been celebrated in white vestments because of the Octave). The Gospel pericopes are the parable from St. Matthew's Gospel of the enemy sowing cockle in the planted field.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the psalms of Saturday were sung. The antiphon on the Magnificat was Muro tuo for the Saturday before the Third Sunday of November. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration was sung of the Octave of All Saints. The Suffrage of the Saints was omitted because of the Octave as were the Dominical preces at Compline.

At Mattins in the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the Book of Daniel the Prophet. In the second nocturn the lessons are from the book of St. Athanasius to Virgins. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Augustine on St. Matthew's Gospel. At Lauds, after the collect of the Sunday, a commemoration of the Octave is sung. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted.

At Prime (Pss. 117, 118i & 118ii) both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted because of the occurring Octave.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Octave. As today is a Sunday within an Octave there is no third collect. The Creed is sung and the preface of the Blessed Trinity.

Vespers are of the Sunday. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following day within the Octave of All Saints (with the antiphon from I Vespers of the feast) and of the Four Holy Crowned Martyrs.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations or Suffrage at Vespers. The Octave of All Saints has, of course, been abolished. Even though no feast is commemorated the Domincial preces are omitted at Prime and Compline. Mattins is cut down to one nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there is neither commemoration nor Suffrage. At Mass there is but one collect. Vespers are of the Sunday without any commemorations. The Second Sunday of November and its week are always omitted.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Third Day within the Octave of All Saints

The days within the Octave are of semi-double rite and the liturgical colour being white as on the feast itself.

The Office is as on the feast except that ferial psalmody is used and, of course, the antiphons for the psalms are not doubled. At Mattins today the first nocturn lessons are the Incipit of the book of the prophet Ezechiel, transferred from Sunday to today. In the second nocturn the lessons are from St. Bede and in the third nocturn St. Augustine's writings provide the homily.

The prescribed Mass today is of the 'resumed Sunday' celebrated in green vestments without Gloria and Creed. The second collect is of the Octave and the third Deus, qui corda. As the Gloria is not sung the dismissal is Benedicamus Domino. 'Private' Masses are permitted of the Octave with the introit Gaudeamus, Gloria, second collect of the resumed Sunday, third collect Deus, qui corda and the Creed.

Vespers are for the feast of St. Charles Borromeo, Archbishop of Milan, with a commemoration of the Octave and SS Vitalis and Agricola.

On Thursday, Friday and Saturday the fifth, sixth and seventh days within the Octave are celebrated.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' fourth class ferial days replace the former days once graced by the celebration of the Octave. St. Charles is reduced to a third class feast of three lessons. On Saturday the Saturday celebration of the BVM takes place.

All Souls' Day

All Souls' Day is of Double rank. Since 1917 it has a standing almost like that of a primary Double of the First Class of the Universal Church. Only if it falls on a Sunday is it transferred to the following Monday. The day gained an independent Office after the 1911-13 reform. Prior to then Vespers, Mattins and Lauds of the Dead was sung in addition to the Office of the second day within the Octave of All Saints (as indeed was the Office of the Dead sung on the Mondays of Lent and Advent and certain other days). The reforms of Pius X gave the day its own Office with the creation of Little Hours of the Dead and some adjustments to the lessons of Mattins. The day excludes the occurrence of any other Office.

At Mattins the invitatory and psalms are those used for Mattins of the Dead. In the first nocturn the antiphons Dirige etc (hence the English term Dirge) are sung with psalms 5, 6 & 7. As at Vespers yesterday Requiem aeternam is sung in place of Gloria Patri at the end of each psalm. The lessons are taken from the Book of Job. The first lesson, Parce mihi, is the first lesson from the Office of the Dead but the second and third lessons are now proper to the day in their current arrangement. Homo natus de muliere etc, the second lesson (the fifth lesson before 1911), is highly poignant being familiar as a Funeral Sentence in the Book of Common Prayer, its source being the Sarum Office. In the second nocturn the antiphons In loco pascuae etc are sung with psalms 22, 24 & 26. The lessons in the second nocturn are new and taken form the book of St. Augustine on the care for the Dead. In the third nocturn the antiphons Complaceat etc are sung with psalms 39, 40 and 41. The lessons are from the First Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians (pre-1911 these too were taken from the Book of Job). At Lauds the antiphons Exsultabunt etc are sung with psalms 50, 64, 62, Ego dixi and 150. After the antiphon on the Benedictus has been sung at the end of the canticle the choir kneels, as at Vespers yesterday, and a Pater noster is said followed by a series of versicles and their responses and the collect Fidelium.

The Hours have a special form. At Prime the Office begins after the silent recitation of the Pater, Ave and Credo with psalms 87, 27 & 31 without antiphons. Although the Miserere is sung at Lauds the displaced psalm is not transferred to Prime as on other days. At the reading of the Martyrology a special preamble is read, Hac die Commemoratio Omnium Fidelium Defunctorum..., before the announcement of the next day Tertio Nonas Novembris.etc. The psalms are sung either to the tone in directum or to a tone introduced with the Office of All Souls Day. Terce follows a similar, simplified, form and has psalms 37i, 37ii & 55. Sext psalms 69, 84 & 85 and None psalm 101 divided into three sections. The Office of the day ends with None.

In the Universal Church three Masses may be celebrated by every priest on this day. This practice was first observed in Spain with an indult from Benedict XIV and extended to the Universal Church by Benedict XV in 1915 after the carnage of the First World War. The accepted practice of Collegiate churches is for the first Mass to be celebrated after Lauds, the second after Prime and the third after None. In all three Masses the sequence Dies irae is sung and the preface of the Dead is sung. Common practice is to have the Absolution of the Dead at a catafalque after the principal Mass.

Vespers are for the third day within the Octave of All Saints.

In 'the liturgical books of 1962' the sequence Dies irae may be omitted in the second and third Masses when they are not sung. The last Gospel is omitted when the Absolution takes place. Vespers of the Dead are sung today, rather than yesterday and Compline of the Dead too is transferred from yesterday to today. However, it seems that in popular celebration this inversion has had little effect. There are some interesting photographs here of 'All Souls' Night' - the night between the 1st and 2nd of November from Lithuania.

All Saints' Day

The feast of All Saints is a Double of the First Class with an Octave. The universal celebration of this feast developed from the dedication of the Pantheon to St. Mary and the Martyrs. This dedication took place on May 13th 610. In some places, and the in Byzantine East to this day, a celebration of All Saints took place after Trinity Sunday. The celebration of the feast spread and Gregory IV transferred the feast and dedication to November 1st in 835. Louis the Pious spread the celebration throughout his empire and the feast entered the Universal Calendar. Sixtus IV gave the feast an Octave in the fifteenth century. The liturgical colour for the feast, and octave, is white.

At Mattins the invitatory is proper as is the hymn, Placare, Christe, servulis. In the first nocturn the lessons are taken from the book of the Apocalypse. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from a sermon of the Venerable Bede and, in the third nocturn, the homily on the Gospel is from St. Augustine. At Lauds the antiphons Vidi turbam magnam etc are sung with the Sunday psalms (Pss. 99, 92, 62, Benedicite & 148).

The antiphons sung at Lauds are used at the Hours in the usual way. Prime has the festal psalms (53, 118i, 118ii) and the lectio brevis is proper, Benedictio et claritas, to the feast.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria and Creed are sung.

At second Vespers the psalms are those used for Apostles but the fifth psalm is Ps. 115, Credidi.

After Benedicamus Domino the verse Fidelium is omitted and the choir sits as the festive white is removed and is exchanged for the black of mourning. Vespers of the Dead are then sung. These begin with the antiphon Placebo Domino in regione vivorum. Psalms 114, 119, 120, 129 and 127 are sung. Requiem aeternam etc is sung at the end of each psalm in place of Gloria Patri etc. After the psalms there is a versicle and response but no hymn. After the antiphon on the Magnificat the choir kneels for a Pater noster, some versicles and the collect. Following the 1911-13 reform Compline takes a special form 'Compline of the Dead' with psalms 122, 141 and 142.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' most of the rite, for once, remains as it was. However, at Prime the lectio brevis is of the season. Vespers of All Saints are sung but not Vespers of the Dead as they, rather strangely, get treated as Vespers of All Soul's Day.