Vigil of All Saints

The Vigil of All Saints is of simple rite and the liturgical colour is violet.

The Office is of the feria but with the lessons at Mattins and the collect of the Vigil. At Mattins the ferial invitatory, Venite, Exsultemus Domino, is sung and the Office hymn is Somno refectis artubus. The nine antiphons and psalms/psalm divisions for Monday are sung followed by the versicle Psallite Domino etc and its response Et confitemini etc. As the lessons for the Vigil contain a Gospel after the Absolution, Exaudi, Domine etc., the first blessing is Evangelica lectio etc. The Gospel fragment is from St. Luke and the lessons are a homily of St. Ambrose from the Common of Several Martyrs. The responsories are from the Monday of the first week of November. The Te Deum is not sung. The second scheme of Lauds for Monday is sung beginning with the antiphon fragment Miserere and psalms 50, 5, 28, Confitebor tibi & 116. After the antiphon on the Benedictus has been repeated the ferial preces are sung, with the choir kneeling. After the collect of the Vigil the Suffrage of the Saints is omitted.

At Prime the psalm displaced from Lauds by the Miserere is added to the psalmody of the day: Pss. 23, 18i, 18ii & 46. Both the Dominical and ferial preces are sung, the choir kneeling. At the other Horae Minorae the short series of ferial preces are sung, again with the choir kneeling, before the collect of the Vigil.

Mass is sung after None. Following the normal rules for Vigils four candles are placed on the altar, in contrast with two on ordinary ferial days. The deacon and sub-deacon wear violet dalmatic and tunicle, not folded chasubles. The ferial tone is used for the orations and for the preface and Pater noster. There is no Gloria. The second collect is of the Holy Ghost, Deus,qui corda, the third collect Ecclesiae. As it is a 'kneeling day' the choir kneels for the prayers and from the Sanctus until Pax Domini. As the Gloria is not sung the dismissal is Benedicamus Domino.

Vespers are first Vespers of All Saints with a corresponding colour change to festive white. The Office is proper and the antiphons Vidi turbam magnam etc are sung with Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 and 116 (Note following the 1911 re-ordering of the Psalterium Ps. 116 is both a Lauds psalm and Vesper psalm today, before the reform it was only used at Vespers). The hymn is Placare, Christe, servulis. At Compline the Dominical psalms are sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Vigil of All Saints has been abolished. Today is kept as a IV class ferial 'green' day. The readings at Mattins come from the fifth week of October. Mass is of Pentecost XX. Although the Gloria is not sungIte, missa est is the dismissal.

Christ the King

The feast of Christ the King is a Double of the First Class. The liturgical colour of the feast is white. It is also the twentieth Sunday after Pentecost and the first Sunday of November. The feast of Christ the King was instituted by Pius XI in 1925 and is an interesting example of another feast being permanently celebrated on a Sunday in contrast to the ideology of the reform that had taken place just a decade or so before its promulgation.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Pacificus etc were sung with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn was Te saeculorum Principem. After the collect of the feast a commemoration was sung of the Sunday with the antiphon Vidi, Dominum for the Saturday before the first Sunday of November and the collect for the twentieth Sunday after Pentecost. At Compline the Dominical psalms were sung and Te lucis was sung with the Doxology Jesu tibi sit gloria, Qui sceptra mundi temperas, Cum Patre et almo Spiritu, In sempiterna saecula.

At Mattins the invitatory is Jesum Christum, Regem regum Venite adoremus. In the first nocturn the lessons are taken from St. Paul's Epistle to the Colossians. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from Pius XI's encyclical Quas primas. In the third nocturn the homily on St. John's Gospel is taken from the writings of St. Augustine. The ninth lesson is the homily appointed for the twentieth Sunday after Pentecost. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons Suscitabit etc are sung with the Sunday psalms. The Office hymn is Vexilla Christus inclyta. After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the Sunday.

At Prime and the Hours the antiphons Suscitabit etc are sung with the festal psalms (at Prime Pss. 53, 118i & 118ii). The Doxology Jesu tibi sit gloria etc is sung with the hymns of the Hours. At Prime the versicle in the short responsory is Qui primatum in omnibus tenes and the lectio brevis In ipso.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday, the Creed is sung. The preface is proper to the feast and the last Gospel is that of the Sunday.

At Vespers all is sung as yesterday at first Vespers except the versicle & response and the antiphon on the Magnificat which are proper to second Vespers. After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the Sunday.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' at Vespers there is no commemoration of the Sunday. (If there were a commemoration it would be of a different Sunday, the fifth of October. In 1962land the first Sunday of November will be the third). At Mattins in the third nocturn, the third psalm (Ps. 88) gets stripped of over half its verses. Verses Tu vero repulisti... to Benedictus Dominus in aeternam, fiat, fiat, 39 - 53, are omitted. The former eighth lesson is split into two to provide an eighth and ninth lesson as the homily of the Sunday is omitted as a ninth lesson. At Lauds there is no commemoration sung of the Sunday. At Prime and the Hours the Doxology for the feast is omitted. At Prime the lectio brevis is of the season. At Mass there is no commemoration of the Sunday and the last Gospel is In principio. At Vespers there is no commemoration of the Sunday.

SS Simon and Jude Apostles

The feast of SS Simon and Jude is a Double of the Second Class. The feast of these two apostles is kept on the anniversary of the transfer of their relics to Old St. Peter's in Rome in the seventh century. St. Simon is traditionally believed to have been martyred by a curved sword and St. Jude, also known as Thaddaeus, was martryed by a club. The two probably met, preaching the Gospel, in Mesopotamia.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons from the Common of Apostles, Hoc est praeceptum meum etc were sung with Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 and 116. The Office hymn was Exsultet orbis gaudiis. The collect was proper to the feast. At Compline the Dominical psalms were sung.

At Mattins the invitatory is Regem Apostolorum Dominum, Venite adoremus and the hymn Aeterna Christi munera. In the first nocturn the antiphons In omnem terram etc are sung with psalms 18, 33 & 44. The lessons are taken from the Incipit of St. Jude's Epistle. In the second nocturn the antiphons Principes populorum etc are sung with psalms 46, 60 & 63. The fourth lesson is an historical one and the fifth and sixth from a sermon of St. Gregory. In the third nocturn the antiphons Exaltabuntur etc are sung with psalms 74, 96 & 98. The homily on St. John's Gospel is from the writings of St. Augustine. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons Hoc est praeceptum meum etc are sung with the Dominical psalms. At Lauds the Office hymn is again Exsultet orbis gaudiis.

At Prime the the Hours the antiphons Hoc est praeceptum meum etc are sung with the festal psalms. At Prime (Pss. 53, 118i, 118ii) the lectio brevis is Ibant Apostoli.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria and Creed are sung and the preface is that of the Apostles.

At second Vespers of the feast the antiphons Juravit Dominus etc are sung with psalms 109, 112, 115, 125 & 139. The Office hymn is again Exsultet orbis gaudiis. At Compline the Dominical psalms are sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the feast has lost first Vespers (and its Vigil) and Vespers yesterday were ferial. Compline yesterday had the ferial psalms. At the Little Hours the ferial antiphons and psalter are used. At Prime the lectio brevis is of the season, not of the feast.

Vigil of SS Simon and Jude

The Vigil of SS Simon and Jude is of simple rite and its liturgical colour is violet.

The Office is of the feria but with the lessons at Mattins and the collect proper to the Vigil. At Mattins the ferial invitatory, Regem magnum Dominum, Venite adoremus, is sung and the Office hymn is Nox atra rerum contegit. The nine antiphons and psalm divisions for Thursday are sung followed by the versicle Laudabo etc and its response Et magnificabo etc. As the lessons for the Vigil contain a Gospel after the Absolution, Exaudi, Domine etc., the first blessing is Evangelica lectio etc. The Gospel fragment is from St. John and the homily is taken from the writings of St. Gregory. The Te Deum is not sung. The second scheme of Lauds for Thursday is sung beginning with the antiphon fragment Tibi soli peccavi. After the antiphon on the Benedictus has been repeated the ferial preces are sung, with the choir kneeling. After the collect of the Vigil the Suffrage of the Saints is sung.

At Prime a fourth psalm is added, that displaced by the Miserere at Lauds, Psalm 97, Cantate Domino. The chapter is that sung on ferial days, Pacem et veritatem etc. The Dominical and ferial preces are sung, both sets are sung with the choir kneeling. At the other Horae Minores the short set of ferial preces are sung, again the choir kneeling.

Mass is sung after None. Following the normal rules for Vigils four candles are placed on the altar, unlike two on ordinary ferial days. The deacon and sub-deacon wear violet dalmatic and tunicle, not folded chasubles. The chant for the Mass is ferial, the second collect is Concede nos, and the third for the Church. Being a 'kneeling day' all in choir kneel for the orations and from the Sanctus to the response after Pax Domini. As there is no Gloria , following the usual rule, Benedicamus Domino is sung as the dismissal.

Vespers are first Vespers of the Holy Apostles SS Simon and Jude.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there is no Vigil just a IV class 'green' ferial day with the Mass of the previous Sunday without Gloria but with Ite missa est. At Mattins the readings are from the second Book of the Machabees, Lauds is the festal form and there are neither preces nor Suffrage. At Prime there is no fourth psalm and Pacem et veritatem has been abolished, replaced always by the festal Regi saeculorum. There are neither Dominical nor ferial preces. Mass (of the preceding Sunday) is sung after Terce. SS Simon and Jude don't even get a first Vespers so Vespers and Compline are ferial - the wonders of the 'ancient' liturgy of the 1960s!

XIX Sunday after Pentecost

The nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost is, this year, the fourth Sunday of October. It is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. As it is also the penultimate Sunday of October it is also Mission Sunday. At the request of the Superior Council of the Pontifical Work for the Propogation of the Faith the Sacred Congregation of Rites directed in 1926 that the prayer, from the Votive Mass Pro Propagatione Fidei, should be added to all Masses today as an oratio imperata pro re gravi. The Gospel pericopes contain the parable of the wedding feast from St. Matthew's Gospel with the sobering concluding words of the LORD Multi enim sunt vocati, pauci vero electi.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the psalms of Saturday were sung. The antiphon on the Magnificat was Exaudiat Dominus for the Saturday before the fourth Sunday of October. After the collect of the Sunday the Suffrage of the Saints was sung. At Compline the Dominical preces were sung.

At Mattins the invitatory is Adoremus Dominum etc and the hymn is Primo die. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the Second Book of the Machabees. In the second nocturn the lessons are from a tract of St. Chrysostom on the forty-third psalm. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Gregory on St. Matthew's Gospel. At Lauds, after the collect of the Sunday, the Suffrage of the Saints is sung.

At Prime (Pss. 117, 118i & 118ii) Quicumque is sung as are the Dominical preces.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is A cunctis, the third collect is chosen from those available for use by the Dean or Rector. Today a fourth collect is added, the oration Deus, qui nos homines..., for the propogation of the faith. This fourth collect is taken from the Votive Mass Pro Propagatione Fidei. The Creed is sung and the the preface of the Blessed Trinity.

Vespers are of the Sunday, a commemoration is sung of the following Office of St. Raphael the Archangel. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline due to the concurring double feast.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Suffrage is omitted at Vespers as are the Dominical preces at Compline. Mattins is cut down to one nocturn. At Lauds the Suffrage is omitted. At Prime Quicumque and the Domincal preces are not sung. At Mass the prayer Deus, qui omnes homines is added to the collect of the Sunday under one conclusion. There are no other collects. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Saint Luke the Evangelist

The feast of St. Luke the Evangelist is a Double of the Second Class and its liturgical colour red. St. Luke was probably born in Antioch and in St. Paul's writings is described as a physician. He was a companion of St. Paul and the author of a Gospel that addressed itself to the non-Jewish world.

The feast began with the celebration of first Vespers yesterday. The antiphons Hoc est praeceptum meum etc were sung with the psalms for first Vespers from the Common of Apostles. After the collect of the feast a commemoration was sung of the preceding Office of St. Margaret Mary. At Compline the Dominical psalms were sung.

At Mattins the invitatory is Regem Apostolorum Dominum, venite adoremus and the Office hymn Aeterna Christi munera. In the first nocturn the antiphons In omnem terram etc are sung with psalms 18, 33 & 44 and the lessons are those for Evangelists from the writings of the prophet Ezechiel. In the second nocturn the antiphons Principes populorum etc are sung with psalms 46, 60 & 63. The lessons are proper to the feast of St. Luke and from St. Jerome on Ecclesial Writers. In the third nocturn the antiphons Exaltabuntur etc are sung with psalms 74, 96 & 98. The lessons are from the Common of Evangelists with a homily by St. Gregory. The Gospel fragment is from the tenth chapter of St. Luke. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the antphons Hoc est praeceptum meum etc are sung with the Dominical psalms. The Office hymn is Exsultet orbis gaudiis.

At Prime and the Hours the antiphons Hoc est praeceptum meum etc are sung with the feastal psalms. At Prime Pss. 53, 118i, 118ii) the short lesson is Ibant Apostoli.

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

Vespers are of the feast. The antiphons Juravit Dominus etc are sung with psalms 109, 112, 115, 125 & 138. The Office hymn is again Exsultet orbis gaudiis. A commemomoration of the following feast of St. Peter of Alcantara is sung. At Compline the Sunday psalms are sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the feast loses first Vespers and does not even get a commemoration. Ferial psalmody is sung at Compline. At Prime and the Hours ferial antiphons and psalmody are sung, at Prime the short lesson is of the season. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

XVIII Sunday after Pentecost

The eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost is, this year, the third Sunday of October. It is of semi-double rite and the liturgical colour is green. The Gospel pericopes from St. Matthew relate the healing of a paralytic, both by being forgiven his sins and physically healed by the LORD.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms of Saturday were sung. The antiphon on the Magnificat was Lugebat autem Judam for the Saturday before the third Sunday of October. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Teresa of Avila and of St. Hedwig. The Suffrage of the Saints was omitted due to the concurring double feast as were the Dominical preces at Compline.

At Mattins in the first nocturn the lessons continue to be read from the First Book of the Machabees. In the second nocturn the lessons are from St. Ambrose's book of Offices. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Peter Chrysologus on St. Matthew's Gospel. At Lauds, after the collect of the day, a commemoration is sung of St. Hedwig followed by the Suffrage of the Saints.

At Prime (Pss. 117, 118i & 118ii) both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are sung.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Hedwig, the third collect is A cunctis. The Creed is sung as is the preface of the Blessed Trinity.

Vespers are of the Sunday, a commemoration is sung of the following Office of St. Margaret Mary and of St. Hedwig. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted due to the concurring double feast as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the heart of the Realm of England, the City of Westminster, today is Sunday within the Octave of St. Edward the Confessor. Users of neither the 'ordinary' nor 'extraordinary' forms of the 1962 books will honour St. Edward with an Octave. However, in the great Collegiate Church that enshrines the body of St. Edward the Saint is duly honoured with his traditional Octave. May St. Edward protect Her Majesty The Queen, the Royal House and this Realm!

Icon of St. Edward the Confessor Ad Orientem

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' Mattins is cut down to only one nocturn. There are no commemorations at either Vespers, Lauds or Mass. At Prime there is no Quicumque, nor preces , ever, at either Prime or Compline. Any church with St. Edward as the Titular, or any other saint, never keeps the Octave following these modern rites.

Art: Jerome Nadal

The prayer Fidelium

Users of the Ordo will see that today the prayer Fidelium is added in penultimate place (as are the corresponding prayers to the secrets and post-communions) in the appointed collects of the day.

The prayer Fidelium is taken from the 'Daily' Mass of the Dead and when it is prescribed for the first 'free' day of each month, with the exception of the month of November, Advent, Lent and Paschaltide. In Cathedral and Collegiate churches the Mass in choir is a Requiem and not that which goes with the Office of the Day. In other Masses that are not a Requiem, and in all other places, the prayer Fidelium etc is added to the appointed collects as described above.

Prior to the changes in the rubrics following the reform of 1911-13 on the first day of each month outside of Advent, Lent and Paschaltide free of a feast of nine lessons (so on simple feasts etc) in Cathedral and Collegiate churches two Masses were sung when a simple feast, ferial day with a proper Mass, resumed Sunday occured, one of the Office of the day and a Requiem. In other churches the collect Fidelium was added after the collect of the day. This venerable praxis of remembering the Dead was abolished in the 1955 changes.

XVII Sunday after Pentecost

The seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost is this year the second Sunday of October. The Sunday is of semi-double rite and the liturgical colour is green. The Gospel pericopes at Mattins and Mass come from the twenty-second chapter of St. Matthew and have the Pharisees asking the LORD what is the greatest commandment.

As Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms of Saturday were sung. The antiphon on the Magnificat was Refulsit sol for the Saturday before the second Sunday of October. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Bridget and then of St. Dionysius, Rusticus and Eleutherius. The Suffrage was not sung because of the occurring double feast and the Dominical preces were omitted at Compline.

At Mattins in the first nocturn the lessons continue to be read from the First Book of the Machabees. In the second nocturn the lessons are from St. Ambrose's book on The City of God. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Chrysostom on St. Matthew's Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds, after the collect of the Sunday, a commemoration is sung of SS Dionysius, Rusticus and Eleutherius followed by the Suffrage of the Saints.

At Prime (Pss. 117, 118i & 118ii) Quicumque is sung as are the Dominical preces.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of SS Dionysius, Rusticus and Eletherius, the third collect is A cunctis. The Creed is sung as is the preface of the Blessed Trinity.

Vespers are of the Sunday. After the collect commemorations are sung of the following Office of St. Francis Borgia and of SS Dionysius, Rusticus and Eleutherius followed by the Suffrage. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations at Vespers. Mattins is cut down to one nocturn. There are no commemorations at Lauds. Quicumque is omitted at Prime. At Mass there is only one collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations. The Suffrage has been abolished as are the Domincal preces.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Coming soon...

Ordo MMXII has gone to the printers. Ordering details will appear soon. The aim this year is to despatch the international orders in the first week of November and, hopefully, avoid the problems last year caused by the snow (according to both Royal Mail and USPS).

The bells, the bells...

A rather interesting rubric in the 1576 Missale Romanum Google Books have been kind enough to digitalise.

XVI Sunday after Pentecost

The sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite. This year it is the first Sunday of October. Its liturgical colour is green. The Gospel pericopes from St. Luke are of the LORD healing the man with dropsy on the Sabbath.

At Vespers yesterday the antiphons and psalms of Saturday were sung. The antiphon on the Magnificat was Adaperiat Dominus for the Saturday before the first Sunday of October. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration was sung of the occurring feast of the Holy Guardian Angels. The Suffrage was omitted due to the double feast as were the Dominical preces at Compline.

At Mattins there are the usual three nocturns. The invitatory is Adoremus Dominum, qui fecit nos and the hymn is Primo die. This combination is now kept in the Sunday office until Advent. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the firt Book of Machabees. In the second nocturn the lessons are from the book of Offices by St. Ambrose. In the third nocturn the lessons are again from St. Ambrose, a homily on St. Lukes's Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds a commemoration is sung of the feast of the Holy Guardian Angels and the Suffrage is omitted.

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

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Holy Guardian Angels. There is no third collect. The Creed is sung, the preface is of the Holy Trinity and proper last Gospel of the Holy Guardian Angels.

Vespers are of the Sunday. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of the following feast of St. Theresa and of the Holy Guardian Angels. The Suffrage is omitted due to the occurring double feast as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' at Vespers there are no commemorations. Mattins is slashed down to one nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Mass there is only one collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal.