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!