Rogation Days - Litaniae Minores

The Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before the feast of the Ascension are Rogation Days or days of the 'Lesser Litanies', lesser as they are less ancient and celebrated with less solemnity than the 'Greater Litanies' celebrated on the 25th April.

On Monday of the Rogations the Office is of the ferial day. At Mattins a homily from St. Ambrose is read at the nocturn. At Lauds the antiphon on the Benedictus is proper, Petite, et accipietis etc., as is the collect Praesta, quaesumus etc. Following this collect a commemoration of St. Felix is sung followed by the Commemoration of the Cross. At the Hours all is taken from the ferial Psalter except the collect which is that which was sung at Lauds. At Prime the Domincal preces are sung.

After None the altar is vested in a violet antependium. The celebrant, vested in violet cope, assisted by deacon and subdeacon in violet dalmatic and tunicle reverence the altar then kneel and pray for a short while. They rise and the cantors begin the antiphon Exsurge Domine. The choir continue....adjuva nos, et libera nos, propter nomen tuam. Ps. Deus auribus nostris audivimus patres nostri annuntiaverunt nobis. Gloria Patri etc, Sicut erat etc and then Exsurge Domine is repeated. All all kneel (except the crucifer and acolytes who go and stand at the entrance of the choir) and the cantors then begin the Litany of the Saints. Each invocation is doubled, i.e. the cantors sing e.g. Pater de caelis, Deus, miserere nobis and this is repeated in its entirety by everyone else. When Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis has been repeated all rise and the Procession sets off.

The Procession goes outside of the Church and may visit other Churches on its route. In this case the celebrant is offered lustral water at the entrance to the church and processes to the High Altar. After a moment for silent prayer the choir signs the antiphon of the patron of the church, its versicle and response (with Alleluia added as it is Paschaltide) and the celebrant sings the collect of the Patron. The Litany is then resumed and the Procession continues. If the Procession has a long route the Litany, from Sancta Maria etc may be repeated or the Seven Penitential Psalms sung to the tonus in directum. When the Procession enters the church where Mass will be celebrated, lustral water is received on entering and the Procession goes to the sanctuary. All kneel as the Litany ends. The celebrant intones Pater noster etc and then the cantors sing psalm 69. After the versicles that follow the celebrant stands to sing the ten collects. He then kneels again as Exadiat nos etc is sung. The ministers then rise and the celebrant changes from a cope to chasuble and all put on their maniples. The Mass Exaudivit is then sung. The chants are those used for ferial Masses. The Gloria is not sung, the second collect is of St. Felix and the third collect is Concede nos. The dismissal is Benedicamus Domino.

Vespers are of the following feast of St. Angela Merici with a commemoration sung of St. Petronilla.

On Tuesday the Office of St. Angela Merici is sung and there is no commemoration of the Rogation Day in the Office. Mattins has three nocturns. At Lauds a commemoration of St. Petronilla is sung. When the Rogation Procession takes place the Mass Exaudivit is sung as detailed above for Monday. The second collect is of St. Angela Merici, the third collect is of St. Petronilla. Where the Rogation Procession does not take place the Mass Dilexisti is sung (for St. Angela Merici) with the second collect of the Rogation Mass, the third collect of St. Petronilla. Vespers are of the feast.

On Wednesday the Office of the Vigil of the Ascension is celebrated. At Mattins the homily is taken from the writings of St. Augustine. At Lauds the Commemoration of the Cross is sung after the collect of the Office (that of the preceding Sunday). At Prime the Dominical preces are sung. Mass is celebrated of the Vigil in white vestments with Gloria, the second collect of the Rogations, the third collect Concede nos and with the preface of Paschaltide. At None the Paschal Doxology is sung for the last time this year. When the Rogation Procession takes place the Mass Exaudivit is sung after None as detailed for Monday above. The second collect is of the Vigil, the third collect Concede nos and the last Gospel of the Vigil. Vespers are first Vespers of the Ascension.

Those obliged to the Office who do not take part in Rogation Processions must say the Litany on the three days.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' when the Rogation Procession takes place the Litany may be sung in the vernacular if the faithful are present. The petitions are not duplicated. In the votive Mass that follows all the 'preparatory prayers' i.e. In nomine Patris..., Introibo ad altare Dei..., Judica me Deus..., Confiteor Deo..., the versicles, Aufer a nobis... and Oramus te, Domine are all cut out. The dismissal is Ite, missa est.

Fifth Sunday after Pascha

The fifth Sunday after Pascha is of semi-double rite. The Gospel pericopes from St. John describe how the LORD tells His disciples to ask for anything in His name after He has ascended to the Father. That Ascension will, of course, be celebrated on Thursday after the three days of the Lesser Litanies on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the psalms of Saturday were sung under the single antiphon Alleluia. Commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Augustine of Canterbury and St. Mary Magdalen dei Pazzi. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Paschal Doxology and the Dominical preces were omitted due to the occurring double feast.

At Mattins in the invitatory and hymn are as on the other Sundays of Paschaltide. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the first Epistle of St. Peter. In the second nocturn the lessons are from the writing of St. Ambrose on faith in the Resurrection and in the third nocturn the lessons are a homily of St. Augustine on St. John's Gospel on the LORD's words "Amen, amen, I say to you: if you ask the Father anything in my name, he will give it to you." At Lauds a commemoration is sung of St. Mary Magdalen dei Pazzi followed by the Commemoration of the Cross.

At the Hours the hymns are sung with the Paschal Doxology. At Prime the Dominical preces are sung.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Mary Magdalen dei Pazzi, the third collect is Concede nos, the Credo is sung and the preface is that of Paschaltide.

At Vespers commemorations are sung of St. Mary Magdalen dei Pazzi and St. Felix. These are followed by the Commemoration of the Cross. At Compline Te lucis is sung with the Paschal Doxology and the Dominical preces are sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations at either Vespers. The Commemoration of the Cross has been abolished. Mattins is cut down to one nocturn. At Lauds there are no commemorations. The Dominical preces have be abolished at Prime and Compline. Hymns at the Little Hours do not have the Paschal Doxology. At Mass there is only one collect.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Fourth Sunday after Pascha

The fourth Sunday after Pascha is of semidouble rite. The Gospel pericopes are from the sixteenth chapter of St. John where the LORD talks of His ascending to Heaven and the coming of the Paraclete. The Epistle at Mass and the first nocturn lessons, this year, are from the Epistle of St. James. The Epistle begins with the beautiful passage "Omne datum optimum, et omne donum perfectum desursum est, descendens a Patre luminum, apud quem non est transmutatio, nec vicissitudinis obumbratio." Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the psalms of Saturday were sung under a single antiphon. The Office hymn was Ad regias Agni dapes. After the collect of the Sunday the Commemoration of the Cross was sung. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Paschaltide Doxology and the Dominical preces were sung.

At Mattins the invitatory and hymn are sung as previous Sundays of Paschaltide. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the Epistle of St. James. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from the Treatise of St. Cyprian on the boon of patience. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Augustine. At Lauds the Sunday psalms are sung under a single antiphon, Alleluia. After the collect of the Sunday the Commemoration of the Cross is sung.

At the Hours the hymns have the Paschaltide Doxology, the psalms are sung under a single antiphon consisting of a triple Alleluia. At Prime the Dominical psalms are sung (Pss. 117, 118i & 118ii), as are the Dominical preces.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is Concede nos, the third collect Ecclesiae. The Creed is sung and the preface is of Paschaltide.

Vespers are of the Sunday. The Sunday psalms are sung under a single antiphon. The Office hymn is Ad regias Agni dapes. After the collect of the Sunday the Commemoration of the Cross is sung. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Commemoration of the Cross in not sung at either Vespers or at Lauds. Mattins is cut down to one nocturn. The hymns at the Little Hours do not have the Paschaltide Doxology. At Mass there is one collect only.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Third Sunday after Pascha - Sunday within the Octave of the Solemnity of St. Joseph

The Third Sunday after Pascha is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is white. It is also the Sunday within the Octave of the Solemnity of St. Joseph. The Gospel pericopes from St. John 16 have the LORD telling the Disciples that in a little while He will be going to the Father.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the psalms of Saturday were sung under a single antiphon. The Office hymn was Ad regias Agni dapes. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of St. John Baptist de la Salle and of the Octave of the Solemnity of St. Joseph. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Paschal Doxology, the Dominical preces were omitted due to the occurring double feast and Octave.

At Mattins the invitatory is the great proclamation of the Resurrection, Surrexit Dominus vere, Alleluia. The Office hymn is Rex sempiterne Caelitum. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the book of the Apocalypse of St. John. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from a sermon of St. Augustine and in the third nocturn St. Augustine also provides the homily on St. John's Gospel. At Lauds after the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of St. John Baptist de la Salle and of the Octave of St. Joseph.

At Prime and the Hours the hymns have the Paschal Doxology. At Prime the Dominical preces are omitted due to the occurring double feast and Octave.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. John Baptist de la Salle, the third collect is of the Octave. The Creed is sung and the Paschaltide preface is sung.

Masses other than Conventual Masses may all be of the Solemnity of St. Joseph. This feast used to be celebrated on the Third Sunday after Pascha. The Mass Adjutor is sung, as on the feast. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday, the Creed is sung. The preface is of St. Joseph and the last Gospel is of the Sunday. The liturgical colour is white.

Vespers are of the Sunday with the psalms sung under a single antiphon. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following Office of St. Ubaldus, of St. John Baptist de la Salle and of the Octave. At Compline the Domincal preces are omitted due to the occurring double feast and the Octave.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations at either Vespers. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. There are no commemorations at Lauds or Mass. The feast and Octave of the Solemnity of St. Joseph have been abolished. At the Hours the hymns are sung without the Paschal Doxology. Mass has a single collect.

Art: Jerome Nadal

The Solemnity of St. Joseph

Today is the Solemnity of St. Joseph Sponse of the Blessed Virgin and Patron of the Universal Church. It is a Double of the First class with 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.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons etc were sung with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The chapter was proper, the hymn, Te Joseph celebrent agmina Caelitum. feast began with first Vespers yesterday afternoon, described in the post below. At Compline the Dominical psalms were sung, Te lucis had the Paschal Doxology.

The Office is proper. At Mattins the invitatory is Laudemus Deum nostrum In veneratione beati Joseph, protectoris nostri, alleluia. The antiphons of the nocturns are proper and, as at Vespers, rather beautiful:

Angelus Domini apparuit in somnis Joseph, dicens: Surge, et accipe Puerum et Matrem ejus, et fuge in Ægyptum; et esto ibi, usque dum dicam tibi, alleluia.

Angelus Domini apparuit in somnis Joseph, dicens: Surge, et accipe Puerum et Matrem ejus, et vade in terram Israel; defunct sunt enim qui quaerebant animam Pueri, alleluia.

Consurgens Joseph, accepit Puerum et Matrem ejus, et venit in terram Israel; et habitavit in civitate, quae vocatur Nazareth, alleluia.

In the first nocturn the lessons are from the book of Genesis and are extended in comparison to those for 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. At Lauds the antiphons from Vespers are sung with the Sunday psalms (92, 99, 62, Benedicite & 148).

At Prime the festal psalms (53, 118i & 118ii) are sung under the first antiphon of Lauds. At Prime and the Hours the hymns are sung with the Paschaltide Doxology.

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 SS Nereus, Achilleus, Domitilla and Pancras. Again at Compline the Domincial psalms are sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Solemnity of St. Joseph simply does not exist as this beautiful feast was shamefully supressed in 1956. Somewhat ironicly this year the feast of SS Philip and James is celebrated today. When the Solemnity of St. Joseph was abolished with the introduction of the abomination of San Giuseppe Comunista SS Philip and James were cast aside to what was the first free liturgical day, May 11th.

Second Sunday after Pascha

The Second Sunday after Pascha is sometimes referred to as 'Good Shepherd Sunday' from the words of the Epistle from I Peter "For you were as sheep gone astray: but you are now converted to the shepherd and bishop of your souls" and from the Gospel where the LORD proclaims "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep." The Sunday is also often referred to as Misericordia after the opening words of the introit. The Sunday is of semi-double rite and the liturgical colour of the Sunday is white.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the psalms of Vespers for Saturday were sung under a single antiphon, Alleluia. The chapter, Carissimi: Christus passus est pro nobis etc, was proper to the Sunday, the Office hymn was Ad regias Agni dapes. The antiphon on the Magnificat reinforced the theme of the Sunday, Ego sum pastor ovium. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Stanislaus and of the Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel. At Compline Te lucis was sung to the Paschal tone with the Doxology Deo Patri sit gloria etc and the Dominical preces were omitted due to the concurring and occurring double feasts.

At Mattins the invitatory, Surrexit Dominus, and hymn, Rex sempiterne, are sung as last Sunday. Again, at the nocturns the psalms are sung under one antiphon. In the first nocturn the lessons are from the Acts of the Apostles. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from the first sermon on the Ascension of the Lord by St. Leo. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Gregory. At Lauds the Sunday psalms (Pss. 92, 99, 62, Benedicite & 148) are sung under a single antiphon. The Office hymn is Aurora caelum purpurat. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of the Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel.

At the Hours the psalms are sung under an antiphon consisting of a triple Alleluia. At Prime the Dominical psalms are sung (Pss. 117, 118i & 118ii), the Dominical preces are omitted.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is for the Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel. The Credo is sung, the preface is of Paschaltide and the last Gospel is of the commemorated feast of the Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel.

Vespers are of the Sunday, with the psalms sung under a single antiphon. After the collect of the day commemorations are sung of the following Office of St. Gregory Nazianzen and of the Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted due to the double feasts.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations at Vespers. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. There are no commemorations at Lauds. The hymns at the Little Hours do not have the Paschaltide Doxology. At Mass there is only one collect. The feast of the Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel has been excised from the Kalendar.

Art: Jerome Nadal

St. John before the Latin Gate

The delightful feast of St. John before the Latin Gate is of greater-double rite. The feast appears in the Gregorian Sacramentaries on May 6th and and is the dedication festival for the fifth century church in Rome named after the feast. The feast commemorates the 'martyrdom' of St. John the Evangelist as described by Tertullian in the year AD 92. On the orders of Domitian St. John was cast into a cauldron of hot oil yet emerged unscathed and was exiled to the island of Patmos.


The church, in Rome, above, of San Giovanni a Porta Latina was dedicated in honour of this feast and used to be a liturgical station on Saturday in Passion Week.

The feast began with first Vespers yesterday. The antiphons Sancti tui Domine etc were sung along with the psalms found in the Common of Apostles in Paschaltide. The chapter, Stabunt justi, and the Office hymn, Tristes erant Apostoli, were again from the Common. The antiphon on the Magnificat, In ferventis olei dolium, and collect were proper to the feast. A commemoration was sung of the preceding Office of St. Pius V. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Paschaltide Doxology and the Domincial preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory is Regem Apostolorum Dominum, Venite adoremus. The Office hymn is again Tristes erant Apostoli and in the first nocturn the antiphon Stabunt justi is sung along with the psalms from the Common. The lessons for the first nocturn are the Incipit of the first Epistle of St. John, Quod fuit, found on Sunday within the Octave of the Ascension, which are sung with the responsories from the Common. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from the writings of St. Jerome against Jovinian, in the fifth lesson St. Jerome relates Tertullian's account of St. John's 'martyrdom' . In the third nocturn the homily on St. Matthew's Gospel is again from St. Jerome. At Lauds the antiphons Sancti tui etc are again sung, this time with the Sunday psalms. The chapter and Office hymn, Paschale mundo gaudium, and the antiphon on the Benedictus, Filiae Jerusalem, are from the Common.

At the Hours the Paschaltide Doxology is sung at the conclusion of the Office hymns. The antiphons Sancti tui etc are sung at the Hours. At Prime the festal psalms are sung (Pss. 53, 118i & 118ii), the short lesson is Scimus quoniam. The Dominical preces are omitted.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Mass Protexisti is sung. The Gloria is sung, there is one collect, the Creed is sung and the preface is that of the Apostles.

In second Vespers a commeration is sung of the following Office of St. Stanislaus.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the feast of St. John before the Latin Gate has been abolished from the Kalendar despite its appearance in seventh century liturgical texts and a fifth century church being dedicated to the event.

St. Mark the Evangelist

The feast of St. Mark the Evangelist is a Double of the Second Class, transferred this year from the Monday in the Paschal Octave

St. Mark was particularly close to St. Peter. He is one of the Four Evangelists and is traditionally represented by a lion (as can be seen in the icon above) as it is one of the four beasts in the Prophecy of Ezechiel. St. Mark preached in Egypt and was martyred in Alexandria. The Greater Litanies, now associated with St. Mark's feast, have no real connection and this year the Procession of the Greater Litanies took place on the Monday of the Paschal Octave.

At Mattins the invitatory, hymn, antiphon on the psalms of each nocturn are from the Common of Apostles. In the first nocturn the lesson are the Incipit of the Book of the Prophet Ezechiel, Et factum est trigesimo anno etc., from the Common of Evangelists in Paschaltide. The responsories are also from this Common. In the second nocturn lessons four and five are from St. Jerome on ecclesiastic writers, the sixth lesson is from St. Gregory's writing on Ezechiel. In the third nocturn the homily is from the Common of Evangelists along with the responsories. The eighth and ninth lessons may be read as one and the ninth lesson is of the commemorated feast of St. Monica. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons Sancti tui etc from the Common of Apostles are sung with the Dominical psalms (Pss. 92, 99, 62, Benedicite & 148). A commemoration of St. Monica is sung after the collect of the feast.

At the Hours the hymns have the Doxology of Paschaltide. At Prime the festal psalms are sung (Pss. 53, 118i & 118ii).

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the St. Monica. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Apostles.

Vespers are second Vespers of the feast with commemorations of the following feast of St. Pius V and of St. Monica.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' St. Mark's feast is not transferred and is not celebrated this year. St. Monica is celebrated as a III class feast with a single nocturn Mattins etc.

Art: A Coptic icon of St. Mark from Wikipedia.

The Invention of the Holy Cross

The feast of the Invention of the Holy Cross is a Double of the Second Class. The feast celebrates the discovery of the Holy Cross by the Empress Helena. The liturgical colour of the feast is red.

At Mattins the invitatory is Christum Regem crucifixum, Venite adoremus, alleluia. In the first nocturn the antiphons Inventae Crucis etc are sung with proper psalms, the first lesson is from St. Paul to the Galatians with the poignant words: 'Christ has redeemed us from the curse law, being made a curse for us: for it is written: Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Christ Jesus; that we may receive the promise of the Spirit by faith.' The second lesson is from the Epistle to the Philippians with the passage so familiar from the Triduum and the third lesson from the Epistle to the Colossians. In the second nocturn the antiphon Felix ille triumphus etc is sung, the lessons relate the work of St. Helena in fourth century Jerusalem finding three crosses buried in a cistern. Not knowing which cross the LORD had died on each was placed on a woman with a sickness by Macarius, Bishop of Jerusalem. When touched by the True Cross the sick woman was instantly restored to health. In the third nocturn the psalms are sung under the antiphon Adoramus te Christe etc, the lessons are from a homily of St. Augustine on the Gospel of St. John. The ninth lesson is of the commemorated feast of SS Alexander, Eventius, Theodulus & Juvenal.

At Lauds the antiphons O magnam pietatis opus etc are sung with the Dominical psalms. A commemoration is sung of SS Alexander etc.

At the Hours the Paschaltide Doxology is sung with all the Office hymns, the antiphons of Lauds are sung with the Dominical psalms, at Prime the festal psalms are sung (Ps. 53, 118i & 118ii), the short lesson is Humiliavit semetipsum.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria and Creed are sung. In private Masses the second collect is of SS Alexander etc. The Creed is sung, the preface of the Cross is sung.

Vespers are second Vespers of the feast of the Invention of the Holy Cross with a commemoration of the following transferred feast of St. Mark and of St. Monica.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the feast of the Invention of the Holy Cross has been abolished as its observance in the West only dated to the seventh century (it appears on May 3rd in Martyrologium Hieronymianum. Today becomes a ferial day with a commemoration of SS Alexander etc at Lauds and low Mass. The Paschaltide Doxology (and tone) is not sung at the Horae Minorae. In sung Masses there is one collect. Vespers are of the ferial day without a commemoration of St. Monica. In contrast even Cranmer's Book of Common Prayer preserved the feast of the Invention of the Holy Cross in the Kalendar.

Art: A ninth century MS illustration of the Invention of the Holy Cross by St. Helena from Wikipedia.

St. George - Patron of England

In Anglia today is the transferred feast of St. George, Patron of the Realm.

Already, on Friday, England has been blessed by Almighty God with the graces from a marriage of the Royal House. Now, today, the Patron of England is celebrated as a transferred Double of the First Class, but without an Octave this year.

Yesterday afternoon first Vespers of St. George were sung with a commemoration of the Sunday. The Office is taken from the Common of a Martyr. At Lauds a commemoration of St. Athanasius is sung. At Mass the Gloria is sung, the Creed is sung and the Paschal preface is sung.

At Vespers a commemoration is sung of the following feast of the Invention of the Holy Cross.

SS Philip and James Apostles

Today is the transferred feast of the Holy Apostles SS Philip and James. The feast is a Double of the Second Class.

In the Western rites SS Philip and James have been honoured together as their relics were placed together in the confessio of the Church of the Apostles in Rome at its consecration in the sixth century. The anniversary of this, the church's dedication in 560, is May 1st. St. Philip, tradition tells us, was from Bethsaida. He was crucified at Hierapolis in Phrygia. St. James the Less was from Cana and was the first bishop of Jerusalem. St. Paul says (Galatians 1:19) 'I did not see any apostle except James the brother of the Lord'. St. James was cast from the pediment of the Temple on the orders of the Jewish High Priest and then clubbed to death.



The above photograph shows the tomb of the Holy Apostles Saints Philip and James in the confessio of the Church. Far better photographs can be found on the Orbis Catholicus Secundus blog where the two photographs below can be found with others.



The feast began with first Vespers yesterday afternoon. The antiphons were proper to the feast, Domine, ostende nobis Patrem etc, the rest of the Office from the Common of Apostles in Paschaltide except the antiphon on the Magnificat and collect which are proper to the feast. Commemorations were sung of the Sunday and of St. Athanasius.

At Mattins there are the usual three nocturns. The invitatory is Regem Apostolorum Dominum Venite adoremus, the antiphons Stabunt justi etc and the Psalms are from the Common. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of letter of St. James from the fourth Sunday after Easter. These lessons are followed by the responsories from the Common, Beatus vir, qui metuit Dominum, alleluia etc. In the second nocturn the lessons are proper to the feast. The Gospel in the third nocturn is from St. John and the pericope where the LORD tells St. Philip that if he wishes to see the Father to see Him and that in the Father's house there are many mansions. This year the ninth lesson is the (contracted) lesson for St. Athanasius. At Lauds and at the Hours the antiphons from Vespers are sung with the Dominical psalms. After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of St. Athanasius.

At the Hours the festal psalms are sung. The Paschal Doxology is sung at the hymns of the Little Hours. At Prime the lectio brevis is Scimus quoniam.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Mass is proper, Exclamaverunt etc. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is a commemoration of St. Athanasius, the Credo is sung and the preface of the Apostles is sung.

Vespers are first Vespers of the Invention of the Holy Cross. The antiphons O magnum pietatis opus etc are sung with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 and 116. The Office hymn is the magnificent Vexilla regis, last heard on Good Friday morning, but today sung with the Paschal stroph in the sixth verse: O Crux, ave, spes unica, Paschale quae fers gaudium, Piis adauge gratiam, Reisque dele crimina. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of SS Philip and James and of St. Athanasius. Athanasius.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the ancient feast of SS Philip and James has been shoved aside until May 11th, the first 'free' liturgical day, and May 1st became the execrable 'Joe the Worker' day. This year Joe the Worker day is transferred to today. Pius XII's Commission for General Liturgical Reform had discussed making May 1st a Marian feast but settled on S. Giuseppe Artigiano (c.f. minutes of meeting 45; 19 Oct 1954 and 59; 17 Jan 1956 in Giampietro). Clearly feasts of antiquity were not considered particularly sacred - but neither was much else - so from 1956 the beautiful feast of the Solemnity of St. Joseph and its Octave were abolished and today's venerable and ancient feast of the Holy Apostles cast aside to May 11th. On May 1st was placed perhaps the nadir of two thousand years of Christian liturgy (although Pius XII's reign resulted in much competition for that dishonour) with a modern liturgical compostion that instead of honouring St. Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church made him some type of shop steward ostensibly out of pastoral need. The Office is truly appalling with lessons about multitudes of working men gathering in St. Peter's Square: '...cum occasionem nactus opificum conventus Kalendis maiis...Romae celebrati, ingentum multitudinem in foro ad sancti Petri Basilicam...' It really is atrocious. In an excellent article on the highly inorganic Pian changes Fr. Francesco Ricossa quotes a Jean Crete:

"The Sacred Congregation of Rites was not favorable toward this decree [Cum nostra], the work of a special commission. When, five weeks later, Pius XII announced the feast of St. Joseph the Worker (which caused the ancient feast of Ss. Philip and James to be transferred, and which replaced the Solemnity of St Joseph, Patron of the Church), there was open opposition to it.

“For more than a year the Sacred Congregation of Rites refused to compose the office and Mass for the new feast. Many interventions of the pope were necessary before the Congregation of Rites agreed, against their will, to publish the office in 1956 — an office so badly composed that one might suspect it had been deliberately sabotaged. And it was only in 1960 that the melodies of the Mass and office were composed melodies based on models of the worst taste.

"We relate this little-known episode to give an idea of the violence of the reaction to the first [It was hardly the first - R.] liturgical reforms of Pius XII".

Liturgically minded Romans refer to this parody of St. Joseph as 'San Giuseppe Comunista'.

Art: Melkite Church in Australia

Dominica in Albis - 'Low' Sunday

Low Sunday is interesting in that it is a Greater-double of the first class. The Sunday is also often referred to as Quasimodo from the first words of its introit. Anciently on this day those who had been baptised on Holy Saturday took off their white robes which had been worn since the Oil of Catechumens and Chrism had been lavished upon them on Holy Saturday. The Gospel at Mattins and Mass is the account of the LORD appearing in to His disciples behind the shut doors of the room and the doubting of St. Thomas. The feast of SS Philip and James is transferred to tomorrow, Monday 2nd May.

At Vespers yesterday the psalms of Saturday were sung under the single antiphon, Alleluia. Chapters and hymns return to the Office from this Vespers. The Paschaltide hymn Ad regias Agni dapes was sung. Its Doxology is sung at all hymns of Iambic metre: Deo Patri sit gloria, Et Filio qui a mortuis, Surrexit ac Paraclito, In sempiterna saecula. A commemoration was sung of St. Catherine of Siena. From this Office the dismissal, Benedicamus Domino, is sung without the double Alleluia that marked Easter Week.

At Mattins the invitatory Surrexit Dominus vere Alleluia continues to be sung. The Office hymn is Rex Sempiterne Caelitum. The psalms of each nocturn are sung under a single antiphon. In the first nocturn the lessons are from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Colossians. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from a sermon of St. Augustine on the Octave of Easter. In the third nocturn the homily is from the writings of St. Gregory on St. John's Gospel. At Lauds the Sunday psalms (Pss. 92, 99, 62, Benedicite & 148) are sung under a single antiphon. The Office hymn is Aurora caelum purpurat.

At Prime (Pss. 117, 118i & 118ii) and the Hours the psalms are again sung under a single antiphon at each Hour.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, there is a single collect. The Creed is sung, the preface is of Paschaltide (In hoc potissimum).

At Vespers a colour change to red is made and first Vespers of the feast of SS Philip and James. Commemorations are sung of the Sunday and St. Athanasius.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' at Vespers there is no commemoration of St. Catherine. At the Hours the Paschaltide Doxology is not sung. Mattins is reduced to one nocturn of three lessons. At Mass there is a change to one word in the introit as 'rationabile' replaced 'rationabiles' in the 1953 edition of the Roman Missal. At Vespers of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of the pseudo-feast of San Giuseppe Comunista, perhaps the nadir of Pius XII's prolific output of liturgical novelty.

Image: Jerome Nadal.