St. Sylvester of Rome

The feast of St. Sylvester I Pope and Confessor is of double rite and the liturgical colour of the day is white.

At Mattins the invitatory is Regem Confessorum Dominum, Venite adoremus and the Office hymn Iste Confessor. The antiphons and psalms are from the Psalter for Saturday. In the first nocturn the Epistle to the Romans continues to be read. The second nocturn lessons are hagiographical and in the third nocturn the homily is Sint lumbi from the Common of Confessor non-Pontiffs with the responsories of Confessor-Pontiffs. At Lauds the antiphons and psalms are again taken from the Psalter for Saturday. The Office hymn is Jesu, Redemptor omnium and it is sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation. After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the Octave of the Nativity.

At the Hours the hymns have the Doxology of the Incarnation. The antiphons and psalmody are from the ferial psalter. At Prime the lectio brevis is Fungi sacerdotio.

Mass is sung after Terce. The formulary is Sacerdotes tui etc. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is a commemoration of the Octave of the Nativity. The Creed is sung and the preface and communicantes in the Canon are of the Nativity.

Vespers are first Vespers of the Circumcision without any commemorations.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' today is the seventh day within the Octave of the Nativity. At Mattins the antiphons and psalmody are festal but there is only one nocturn of three lessons, from occurring Scripture. At Lauds a commemoration of St. Sylvester is made. At the Hours ferial antiphons and psalms are used, the hymns do not have the tone or Doxology in honour of the Incarnation. At Prime the lectio brevis is of the season. The Mass is Puer natus with a commemoration of St. Sylvester in Low Masses only. Vespers are the same as the Old Rite.

The icon is from the All Merciful Saviour Mission's selection of icons of Western Saints.

Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity

Today is the Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity. It is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is white. The displaced Sunday's Mass and Office are transferred from the 25th December this year to today. Whenever the feast of the Nativity or the feasts of St. Stephen, St. John or the Holy Innocents fall on a Sunday then the Sunday is transferred with its Office to the 30th December.

At Mattins all is sung as on the feast of the Nativity except the lessons. In the first nocturn the Incipit of the Epistle to the Romans was traditionally assigned to the 30th but was moved to the 29th in the 1911-13 reform, so today the first nocturn lessons are a continuation from Romans. In the second nocturn the lessons are from St. Leo on the Nativity. In the third nocturn the homily is taken from St. Augustine's writings on the second chapter of St. Luke's Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons from the Nativity, Quem vidistis etc., are sung with the Dominical psalms. The chapter and antiphon on the Benedictus are proper to the Sunday as is the collect. Following the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of the Octave of the Nativity.

At the Hours the antiphons from Lauds are sung with the festal psalms.are from the Nativity and the psalmody is festal. The hymns of the Hours are sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation. At Prime (Pss. 53, 118i, & 118ii) the lectio brevis is proper to the Sunday, Itaque jam non est servus.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Mass formulary isDum mediumetc. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Octave of the Nativity. The Credo is sung and the preface and communicantes are of the Nativity.

Vespers of the Nativity are sung, from the chapter of the Sunday within the Octave with a commemoration of the following day's feast of St. Silvester and of the Octave of the Nativity.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' today is the sixth day within the Octave of the Nativity. Mattins has the antiphons and psalmody of the Nativity (with the shortened Ps. 88 ) and one nocturn of three lessons from occuring scripture, the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans. (In the Old Rite when the sixth day within the Octave was celebrated there were second nocturn lessons again from St. Leo and third nocturn lessons from St. Ambrose, these of course just get excised). At the Hours ferial antiphons and psalmody are sung. There is no proper Doxology (or melody) at the hymns of the Hours and the short lesson at Prime is 'of the season'. Mass is celebrated of a day within the Octave, Puer natus with but one collect. Vespers are of the Nativity with no commemorations.

St. Thomas of Canterbury

The feast of St. Thomas of Canterbury is of double rite. The liturgical colour of the day is red.  St. Thomas of Canterbury, or St. Thomas Becket, fell foul of the political machinations of King Henry II and was slain by the King's soldiers in Canterbury Cathedral on December 29th, 1170.  The liturgical celebration of his feast entered Western calendars almost immediately after his canonisation. Apart from Vespers the Office is taken mostly from the Common of Martyrs.

At Mattins the invitatory is Regem Martyrum Dominum, Venite adoremus and the Office hymn is Deus, tuorum militum sung, of course, with the Doxology of the Incarnation. The antiphons and psalms are taken from the Psalter for Thursday. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans. In the second nocturn the lessons are hagiographical and in the third nocturn the lessons are from a homily of St. Chrysostom on St. John's Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons and psalms are from the ferial psalter. The Office hymn is Invicte Martyr unicum, again sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation. After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the Octave of the Nativity.

At the Hours the hymns are sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation but the antiphons and psalmody are ferial. At Prime the lectio brevis is Justus cor suum.

At Mass the Gloria is sung, the second collect is a commemoration of the Octave of the Nativity, the Creed is sung and the preface and communicantes are of the Octave of the Nativity.

Vespers are of the Octave of the Nativity but from the chapter of the following Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity with a commemoration of St. Thomas Becket and of the Octave of the Nativity.

Following the 'liturgical books of 1962' St. Thomas is reduced to a commemoration in the fifth day within the Octave of the Nativity. The liturgical colour of the day is white. However, festal psalmody is used at Mattins and Lauds, as on the feast of the Nativity (this contrasts with the previous practice for third order Octaves when a double feast falls within them). Mattins is reduced to one nocturn of three lessons. At the Hours the hymns are not sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation, the antiphons and psalmody are ferial, at Prime the lectio brevis is of the season. Mass is of a day within the Octave, with Gloria, commemoration of St. Thomas (at read Masses only), Creed, preface and communicantes; of the Nativity.  Vespers are of the Nativity without any commemorations.

The Holy Innocents

The feast of the Holy Innocents is a Double of the Second Class with a simple Octave. Today the liturgical mood changes as the altars and ministers change their recent festive colours to the violet of mourning. The feast of the Holy Innocents is unique in the Roman rite in that it changes its liturgical colour depending on whether it falls on a weekday or a Sunday. This year as the feast falls on a weekday it is celebrated in violet. When it falls on a Sunday the feast is celebrated in red. The origin of this practice is a synthesis between the differences in Gallican and Roman praxis.

Much of the Office comes from the Common of Several Martyrs. At Mattins the invitatory is Regem Martyrum Dominum, Venite adoremus and the Office hymn Audit tyrannus anxius (sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation). In the first nocturn the antiphons Secus decursus aquarum etc are sung with psalms 1, 2 and 3. The lessons are from the Prophet Jeremiah. In the second nocturn the antiphons Dabo Sanctis meis etc are sung with psalms 14, 15 & 23. The lessons are from a sermon of St. Augustine on the Saints. In the third nocturn the antiphons Justi autem etc are sung with psalms 32, 33 & 45. However, the eighth antiphon, Isti sunt, is proper to the feast. The homily on St. Matthew's Gospel is from the writings of St. Jerome. The Te Deum is not sung but a ninth responsory in its place, Isti qui amicti sunt. At Lauds the antiphons Herodes iratus etc are sung with the Dominical psalms. The Office hymn is Salvete, flores Martyrum (again, sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation). After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the Octave of the Nativity.

At Prime and the Hours the antiphons of Lauds are sung with the festal psalms. The hymns have their Doxology changed in honour of the Incarnation. At Prime the short lesson is of the feast, Hi empti sunt.

At Mass the deacon and subdeacon wear violet dalmatic and tunicle. The Gloria is not sung, the second collect is of the Octave of the Nativity. The Alleluia and its verse given in the Missal are not sung but in their place the Tract Effuderunt sanguinem Sanctorum. The Credo is sung and the preface and communicantes are of the Octave of the Nativity. The beautiful solemn tone of Benedicamus Domino is sung as the dismissal.

Vespers are of the Nativity, but from the chapter of the Holy Innocents with a commemoration of the following day's feast of St. Thomas of Canterbury and of the Octave of the Nativity.

Following the 'liturgical books of 1962' the feast of the Holy Innocents loses its penitential aspect (and Octave!) and is always celebrated in red. The Te Deum replaces the ninth responsory. The hymns lose their proper Doxology. At the Hours the antiphons and psalms are ferial. At Prime the short lesson is of the season. At Mass the Gloria and Alleluia are sung. The Tract and magnificent Benedicamus Domino are never heard. At Vespers there is only a commemoration of the Octave of the Nativity.

St. John the Evangelist

The feast of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist is a Double of the Second Class with a simple Octave. The liturgical colour is white.

At Mattins the invitatory is Regem Apostolorum Dominum, Venite adoremus and the Office hymn is Aeterna Christi munera, sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation. In the first nocturn the antiphons In omnem terram etc are sung with psalms 18, 33 & 44. The lessons are the Incipit of the former Epistle of St. John. The responsories are proper to the feast. In the second nocturn the antiphons Principes populorum etc are sung with psalms 46, 60 & 63 and the lessons are from the writings of St. Jerome. In the third nocturn the antiphons Exaltabuntur etc are sung with psalms 74, 96 & 98. The homily on St. John's Gospel is from St. Augustine. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons Valde honorandus est etc are sung with the Dominical psalms (92, 99, 62, Benedicite & 148). The Office hymn is Exsultet orbis gaudiis sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation. The antiphon on the Benedictus, Iste est Joannes etc., is proper to the feast. After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the Octave of the Nativity.

At the Hours the hymns are sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation. At Prime the antiphon Valde honorandus est is sung with the festal psalms (53, 118i & 118ii) and the lectio brevis is In medio Ecclesiae. The antiphons from Lauds are sung in due order at the other Horae Minores.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Octave of the Nativity. The Creed is sung, the preface and communicantes are of the Nativity.

Vespers are of the Nativity but from the chapter of St. John. The Office hymn, Exsultet orbis gaudiis, is sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation. Commemorations are sung of tomorrow's feast of the Holy Innocents and of the Octave of the Nativity.

Following the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Doxology in honour of the Incarnation is omitted in all the hymns. At the Little Hours the antiphons and psalms are taken from the ferial psalter. At Prime the lectio brevis is of the season, not of the feast. At Vespers no commemoration is made of the Holy Innocents.

Miniature of St. John from Wikipedia.

St. Stephen the Protomartyr

Today is the feast of St. Stephen the Protomartyr, the feast is a Double of the Second Class with a simple Octave. The liturgical colour of the day is red. Many saints, originally more than now, were celebrated around the Nativity of the LORD. These were described as the 'comites Christi' . e.g. St. James the Lesser and King David. In 'modern' calendars we are left with St. Stephen, St. John the Evangelist, and the Holy Innocents.

Yesterday St. Stephen was commemorated at Second Vespers of the Nativity, (Special rules apply to Vespers for the Octave of the Nativity). as noted in yesterday's post.

At Mattins the invitatory is proper, Christum natum, qui beatum hodie coronavit Stephanum. The Office hymn is Deus, tuorum militum sung with the Doxology of the Nativity. In the first nocturn the antiphons In lege Domini etc are sung with psalms 1, 2 & 3 all from the Common of a Martyr. The lessons are from the Acts of the Apostles with responsories proper to the feast. In the second nocturn the antiphons Filii hominum etc are sung with psalms 4, 5 & 8 and the lessons are from a sermon of St. Fulgentius on St. Stephen's martyrdom. In the third nocturn the antiphons Justus Dominus etc are sung with psalms 10, 14 & 20. The homily is from St. Jerome on St. Matthew's Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the proper antiphons, Lapidaverunt Stephanum etc., is sung with the Sunday psalms. The Office hymn is Invicte Martyr unicum sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation. After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the Octave of the Nativity.

At Prime the antiphon Lapidaverunt Stephanum is sung with the festal psalms (53, 118i & 118ii). The short responsory has the versicle of the Incarnation and the lectio brevis is Positis autem. At the other Little Hours the psalms of Lauds are used in the usual order. The hymns of the Little Hours have the tone and Doxology of the Incarnation.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung and the second collect is of the Nativity. The Credo are sung. The preface and communicantes are of the Nativity.

Vespers are Second Vespers of the Nativity, but from the chapter they are of St. Stephen with a commemoration of St. John the Evangelist and the Octave of the Nativity of the LORD.

Following the 'liturgical books of 1962' there is no commemoration of St. Stephen in Second Vespers of the Nativity. At Mattins and Lauds the hymns are sung without the Doxology of the Incarnation. At Prime the antiphons and psalms of Monday are sung, not the proper antiphons and festal psalms. The lectio brevis is Ipsi peribunt. At the Hours the hymns are without the Doxology of the Incarnation. At Vespers there is no commemoration of St. John.

The Nativity of the LORD

The feast of the Nativity of the LORD is a Double of the First Class with a privileged Octave of the third order. The liturgical colour of the feast is white.

Mattins is ordinarily sung later in the evening than usual, so that the Mass which immediately follows can begin at midnight. The Caeremoniale Episcoporum gives special instructions, Lib.II, Cap. XIV, 3, for Pontifical Mattins, but may be reasonably applied to other celebrations or arranging adequate candles to supply light for the service and talks of candelabris ferreis magnis to help provide this. One can easily see where the modern practice of candlelit nine lessons and carols comes from, but how unfortunate that the same effort is not made to celebrate solemn Mattins! The invitatory is proper, Christus natus es nobis: Venite adoremus. When intoning the hymn, Jesu, Redemptor omnium, the Hebdomadarius turns and bows to the altar. Mattins has three nocturns and the usual nine lessons. In the first nocturn the antiphon Dominus Dixit etc are sung with psalms 2, 18 & 44. The lessons are from Isaiah but, interestingly, are sung without a title. In the second nocturn the antiphons Suscepimus etc are sung with psalms 47, 71 & 84. The lessons in the second nocturn are taken from a homily on the Nativity by St. Leo. In the third nocturn the antiphons Ipse invoccabit etc are sung with psalms 88, 95 & 97. The lessons are three Gospel pericopes, two from St. Luke and the third from St. John. After the Te Deum the collect is sung followed by Benedicamus Domino.

Then the first of the three Masses for the Nativity is sung. The Gloria is sung (one theory of its origin in the Mass rite is from the song of the Angels on Christmas night to the shepherds) as is the Creed. The preface and communicantes are of the Nativity. Lauds immediately follow Mass. The antiphons Quem vidistis pastores etc are sung the Dominical psalms. The Office hymn is A solis ortus cardine.

Later in the morning Prime is sung. All hymns of Iambic metre have the tone and Doxology in honour of the Incarnation, Jesu tibi sit gloria etc. The first antiphon from Lauds, Quem vidistis pastores, is sung with the festal psalms (53, 118i & 118ii). In the short responsory the versicle Qui natus es de Maria Virgine is sung. The lectio brevis is Ipsi peribunt. Prime is followed by the second Mass, the Missa in aurora. In the second Mass the Gloria is sung, there is a second collect to commemorate St. Anastasia. The Creed is sung and the preface and communicantes are of the Nativity.

After Terce the third Mass is sung. This Mass too has the Gloria and Creed along with the preface and communicantes of the Nativity. As the Gospel pericope for this Mass is In principio the Gospel of the Epiphany, Cum natus esset Jesus, is read as a proper last Gospel.

Second Vespers has yet a third set of proper antiphons for the feast, Tecum principium etc., that are sung with psalms 109, 110, 111, 129 and 131. These antiphons and psalms will be used through the Octave. The following feast of St. Stephen is commemorated. At Compline the Dominical psalms are sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' at Mattins in the third nocturn, and for the Octave, psalm 88, Misericordias Domini is cut from 51 to 36 verses. The verses from Tu vero repulisti et despexisti to the end are omitted. The tone and Doxology in honour of the Nativity is not sung at the hymns of the Little Hours. In the third Mass the last Gospel is omitted and at Vespers no commemoration of St. Stephen is made.

A very blessed and Holy Christmass to all.

The Vigil of the Nativity

The Vigil of the Nativity is unique in the Liturgical Year in that it is of simple rite at Mattins and then becomes of double rite from Lauds onwards.

Mattins has one nocturn of three lessons. The invitatorium is Hodie scietis and the hymn Verbum supernum, the antiphons and psalms are from the ferial psalter for Saturday, Memor fuit in saeculum etc., but the versicles, lessons and responsories are proper. The homily is taken from St. Jerome's commentary on the first chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel. At Lauds the antiphons, Judaea et Jerusalem nolite timere etc, are sung with the psalms of Sunday. The Office hymn is En clara vox. The chapter, antiphon on the Benedictus, and collect are proper to the Vigil. The ferial preces are not sung.

Prime is festal with the first antiphon from Lauds, as usual, and psalms 53, 118(i) and 118(ii). The Martyrology is sung with extra solemnity today. The Hebdomadarius dons a violet cope and preceded by acolytes bearing candles and a thurifer with incense enters the choir. After reverencing the choir and altar the Martyrology is censed, as a Gospel book, three times. The the choir rise and the Hebdomadarius chants 'Octavo Kalendas Januarii. Luna tricesima. Anno a creatione mundi, quando in principio Deus creavit coelum et terram, quinquies millesimo centesimo nonagesimonono: A diluvio etc., listing the years since the birth of Abraham, the Exodus from Egypt, the anointing of David, the time since Daniel the Prophet, since the founding of Rome and the conception of the LORD by the Holy Ghost. He continues until '...novemque post conceptionem decursis mensibus', then raising the pitch of the chant, whilst the choir kneel, he continues, 'in Bethlehem Judae nascitur ex Maria Virgine factus Homo'. Then in the tone of the Passion: 'Nativitas Domini nostri Jesu Christi secundem carnem.' The choir then rise and sit whilst in the normal tone the Hebdomadarius (or a lector, depending on the custom of the place) continues with the entries for the day: 'Eodem die natalis santae Anastasiae etc. The lectio brevis, Per quem accepimus, is proper to the Vigil. The antiphons from Lauds are used in sequence at the rest of the Hours.

Mass is sung after None. Today the ministers do not wear folded chasubles but dalmatic and tunicle. There is just one collect. The dismissal, Benedicamus Domino, is sung by the deacon to a most beautiful and ornate tone reserved for today, the feast of the Holy Innocents and pro re gravi Masses.

First Vespers of the Nativity are sung in the afternoon. The antiphons Rex pacificus etc are sung with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. All hymns of Iambic metre have the Doxology Jesu, tibi sit gloria, qui natus es de Virgine for the Octave and up until the feast of the Epiphany.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there is no change of rank between Mattins and the rest of the day. The antiphons at Mattins and the Hours are doubled. At Prime the special short lesson is omitted and the one used for all of Advent sung. Not having folded chasubles the distinction of the lightening of the penitential tone is lost at Mass and the beautiful chant of the Benedicamus Domino is replaced by Ite, missa est. Mass is sung after Terce, not after None. The hymns at the Little Hours through the Octave etc do not have the special tone and Doxology in honour of the Incarnation.

St. Thomas the Apostle

The feast of St. Thomas the Apostle is a Double of the Second Class. According to tradition St. Thomas preached the Gospel in Asia and the Indian sub-continent. He is believed to have founded, inter alia, the St. Thomas Christians on the West coast of India, one of several groups using the East-Syrian family of liturgies.

At Vespers yesterday the antiphons Hoc est praeceptum meum etc were sung with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn was Exsultet orbis gaudiis. The antiphon on the Magnificat was proper to the feast, Quia vidisti me etc. After the collect of the feast the Advent feria was commemorated with the Great 'O' Antiphon appointed for the 20th December O clavis David and the collect of the preceding Sunday. At Compline the Dominical psalms were sung and the preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory is Regem Apostolorum Dominum, Venite adoremus and the Office hymn is Aeterna Christi munera. In the first nocturn the antiphons In omnem terram etc are sung with psalms 18, 33 & 44. The lessons are Sic nos existimet homo from St. Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians. In the second nocturn the antiphons Principes populorum etc are sung with psalms 46, 60 & 63. The fourth lesson is proper to the feast, the fifth and sixth are taken from the Common. In the third nocturn the antiphons Exaltabuntur etc are sung with psalms 74, 96 & 98. The homily on St. John's Gospel is from St. Gregory. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons Hoc est praeceptum meum etc are sung with the Dominical psalms (92, 99, 62, Benedicite & 148). The antiphon on the Benedictus, Quia vidisti me, Thoma, credidisti: beati, qui non viderunt, et crediderunt, alleluia, is proper to the feast and refers to the incident recorded in the Gospel of St. John about St. Thomas' doubt in the Risen LORD. A commemoration is then made of the Advent feria, the antiphon on the Benedictus is proper too for the feria Nolite timere.

The antiphons sung at Lauds are sung in due order at the Horae Minores. At Prime the festal psalms (53, 118i & 118ii) are sung, the lectio brevis is Ibant Apostoli.

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

At second Vespers the antiphons Juravit Dominus etc are sung with psalms 109, 112, 115, 125 & 138. The antiphon on the Magnificat is Quia vidisti me, Thoma etc and the Advent feria is commemorated with the Great 'O' Antiphon O Oriens. At Compline the Dominical psalms are sung and the preces are omitted.

According to the 'liturgical books of 1962' St. Thomas' feast suffers the usual 'cuts' for a second class feast. There is no first Vespers, the ferial psalter is used at the Little Hours, the short lesson at Prime is of the season rather than of the feast.

Art: Wikipedia: a Russian Icon of St. Thomas, 18th century.

Advent feria - Vigil of St. Thomas

Today, Tuesday in the fourth week of Advent, is a greater, non-privileged, ferial day of simple rite. The liturgical colour is violet.

At Mattins the invitatory is Prope est jam Dominus: Venite adoremus and the hymn is Verbum supernum prodiens. In the nocturn the antiphons Expugna Domine etc from the Psalter for Tuesday are sung with the nine psalm divisi (four psalms split into nine sections). The lessons are taken from the forty-second chapter of Isaias. Three responsories are sung after the lessons and the Te Deum is omitted. At Lauds the antiphons proper to the Tuesday before the Vigil of the Nativity, Rorate caeli desuper etc., are sung with the psalms of the second schema of Lauds (Pss. 50, 42, 66, Ego dixi & 134). The hymn is En clara vox. The antiphon on the Benedictus is proper to the day, Consurge, consurge etc. After the antiphon is sung in full at the end of the Canticle the choir kneels and the ferial preces are sung. The collect is of the preceding Sunday and the Suffrage is omitted. No commemoration of the Vigil of St. Thomas is made in the Office.

At the Hours the antiphons from Lauds are used in the usual sequence. At Prime Rorate caeli desuper etc is sung with psalms 24i, 24ii, 24iii & 95 (the latter displaced from Lauds by the Miserere). The chapter is the ferial Pacem et veritatem and the versicle in the responsory is Qui venturus es in mundum. The choir knees to sing both the Dominical and ferial preces. At the other Horae Minores the short set of ferial preces is sung, kneeling, before the collect.

Mass, of the Vigil of St. Thomas, is sung after None. The ministers wear violet dalmatic and tunicle. The Mass Ego autem is sung. The Gloria is not sung. The second collect is of the Advent feria, the third collect of the BVM in Advent, Deus qui de beate. The Creed is omitted and the common preface is sung. As the Gloria is not sung the dismissal is Benedicamus Domino, sung by the deacon facing the altar.

Vespers are first Vespers of the feast of St. Thomas with a colour change to red. The antiphons Hoc est praeceptum meum etc are sung with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn is Exsultet orbis gaudiis. The antiphon on the Magnificat is proper to the feast, Quia vidisti me etc. After the collect of the feast the Advent feria is commemorated with the Great 'O' Antiphon appointed for the 20th December O clavis David and the collect of the preceding Sunday. At Compline the Dominical psalms are sung and the preces are omitted.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Vigil of St. Thomas has been abolished. At Lauds the ferial preces are not sung. At Prime the the fourth psalm is omitted, the chapter is the festal Regi saeculorum and the Dominical and ferial preces are omitted. The preces are also omitted at the other Little Hours. Mass, of the Advent feria, is sung after Terce and the ministers wear dalmatic and tunicle, there is only one collect and the dismissal is Ite, missa est. Vespers are ferial and the Great 'O' antiphon is treated like any other throughout the year. There is not even a commemoration of St. Thomas. At Compline the ferial psalms are sung although the Dominical preces are omitted.

The Fourth Sunday of Advent

The Fourth Sunday of Advent is a semi-double Sunday of the second class. The liturigcal colour is violet. The Gospel pericopes from St. Luke concern the preaching of St. John the Baptist preaching the baptism of repentance by the Jordan and the reference to Isaias "Prepare ye the way of the LORD: make straight His paths: every valley shall be filled: and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways plain: and all flesh shall see the salvation of God."

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons proper to the Sunday, Canite tuba etc., were sung with the psalms of Saturday. The Office hymn was Creator alme siderum and the Great 'O' Antiphon O Sapientia was sung in its entirety both before and after the Magnificat, with the choir standing. At Compline the Dominical preces were sung.

At Mattins the invitatory is Prope est jam Dominus: Venite adoremus and the hymn Verbum supernum prodiens. In the first nocturn the lessons are taken, as usual in Advent, from Isaias. In the second nocturn the lessons are again taken from St. Leo's sermon on the fast of the tenth month. The homily in the third nocturn is from the twentieth homily of St. Gregory on St. Luke's Gospel. A ninth responsory, Intuemini, quantus sit iste, is sung in place of the Te Deum. At Lauds the antiphons that were sung at Vespers, Canite tuba etc., are sung with the Dominical psalms. The Suffrage is omitted in Advent.

At the Hours the antiphons from Lauds are used in the usual sequence. At Prime the versicle in the responsory is Qui venturus es in mundum and the Dominical preces are sung.

Mass is sung after Terce. The ministers wear violet folded chasubles. The Gloria is not sung. The second collect is of the BVM in Advent, Deus qui de beate, the third collect Ecclesiae. The Creed is sung and the preface that of the Trinity. As the Gloria is not sung the dismissal is Benedicamus Domino, sung by the deacon facing the altar.

At Vespers the antiphons Canite tuba etc are sung with the Dominical psalms. The hymn is again Creator alme siderum. The antiphon on the Magnificat is the Great 'O' Antiphon appointed for the 18th December O Adonai. The antiphon is sung in its entirety both before and after the canticle with the choir standing. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' Mattins is cut down to one nocturn of three lessons as usual. At Prime the Dominical preces are omitted. At Mass the ministers wear dalmatic and tunicle, there is only one collect and the dismissal is Ite, missa est. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Ember Saturday in Advent

Today is the Ember Saturday in Advent. It ranks as a greater, non-privileged ferial day, of simple rite. Today also being the 17th of December sees, in the Roman rite, the start of the series of 'Great O' Antiphons and a series of special antiphons at Lauds and the Hours on the ferial days before the Vigil of the Nativity.

At Mattins the invitatory Prope est jam Dominus etc is sung and the hymn is Verbum supernum prodiens. In the nocturn the antiphons Memor fuit etc are sung with the nine psalms' divisi for Saturday. The three lessons are from a homily of St. Gregory on St. Luke's Gospel. After the third responsory, Veni, Domine, et noli tardare etc., the second scheme of Lauds for Saturday is sung. The special set of antiphons for the Saturday before the Vigil of the Nativity, Intuemini etc., are sung with psalms 50, 91, 63, the Canticle of Moses & 150. This set of antiphons for the Saturday before Christmas Eve is actually rather a modern addition to the series of antiphons at Lauds and the Hours that are used from the 17th December. Prior to the 1911-13 reform on the Saturday before Christmas Eve the particular set of antiphons that fell on the day of the week occupied by St. Thomas' feast were either anticipated or transferred to this Saturday. The hymn at Lauds is En clara vox. The antiphon on the Benedictus is Quomodo fiet istud etc. After the antiphon is sung in full after the canticle the choir kneels and the ferial preces are sung. The collect is proper to the Ember Saturday, Deus qui conspicis.

At the Hours the antiphons Intuemini etc are used in the usual sequence. At Prime the fourth psalm is added (the one displaced by the Miserere in the schema of Lauds II, Ps. 149) and the chapter is the ferial Pacem et veritatem. The Dominical and ferial preces are sung with the choir kneeling. At the other Hours the short set of ferial preces are sung, again with the choir kneeling.

Mass is sung after None and has the usual, ancient, form, common to Ember Saturdays. The ministers wear folded chasubles. Four candles are on the altar. After the Kyrie there are a series of five structural units comprising of the invitation Oremus, followed by Flectamus genua, Levate, a collect, O.T. reading and gradual. Four of these readings are from Isaiah and the last from Daniel. After the pericope from Daniel instead of a gradual the hymn of the Three Men in fiery furnace is sung, Benedictus es, Domine, Deus patrum nostrorum and its collect Deus, qui tribus pueris. After this collect the second collect is of the BVM, Deus, qui de Beate and the third collect for the Church, Ecclesiae, or Deus omnium. Mass then continues as usual (with of course kneeling for the orations and from the Canon through to the Fraction as usual on penitential days) with Benedicamus Domino sung as the dismissal by the deacon facing the altar.

Vespers of the fourth Sunday in Advent are sung. The antiphons Canite tuba etc are sung with the Saturday psalms. The Office hymn is Creator alme siderum and the Great 'O' Antiphon O Sapientiais sung. The 'Great O' Antiphons are 'doubled', i.e. they are sung entire both before and after the Magnificat even on days of simple rank. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung, with the choir standing.

Following the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Canticle of Moses at Lauds gets shortened from 65 to 27 verses. At Prime the fourth psalm is not added and the ferial chapter Pacem et veritatem is replaced by the festal (!) Regi saeculorum. The ferial preces are omitted at Prime and the Hours. The Mass has the option of the 'mini-Ember Day' consisting of just one additional unit of collect, pericope and gradual. There are no additional collects for the Blessed Virgin or for the Church. The dismissal is Ite, missa est and the ministers wear dalmatic and tunicle. The doubling of the Great 'O' Antiphons is no different to all other antiphons throughout the year. The Dominical preces are omitted at Compline.

Ember Friday in Advent - Saint Eusebius

Today is Ember Friday in Advent. It ranks as a greater, non-privileged ferial day of simple rite. The Ember Day is outranked by the semi-double feast of the Martyr St. Eusebius. The liturgical colour of the day is red.

At Mattins the invitatory Regem martyrum Dominum etc is sung and the hymn is Deus, tuorum militum. In the nocturns the antiphons Suscitavit Dominus etc are sung with the nine psalms/divisi given for Mattins of Friday. In the first nocturn the lessons are taken from the Common of Martyrs , A Mileto Paulus etc followed by their responsories. In the second nocturn three hagiographic lessons proper to the feast are read. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Gregory the Great on St. Matthew's Gospel. The ninth lesson is of the Ember Friday and a homily from St. Ambrose on St. Luke's account of the Visitation. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons Exaltate etc are sung with psalms 98, 142, 84, Vere tu es Deus & 147. The hymn at Lauds is Invicte Martyr, unicum. After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the Ember Friday with the antiphon on the Benedictus, Ex quo facta est etc., the versicle Vox clamantis etc and respond Rectas facite etc. The collect is proper to the Ember Friday, Excita quaesumus etc.

At Prime the Domincial preces are sung, with the choir standing, and the lectio brevis is Beatus vir.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Ember Friday, the third collect of the BMV in Advent, Deus, qui de beate. The common preface is sung and the last Gospel is of the Ember Friday.

Private Masses may be of the Ember Friday. There is neither Gloria nor Creed. The second collect is of St. Eusebius, the third of the BVM in Advent. The common preface is sung and the dismissal is Benedicamus Domino.

In Cathedral and Collegiate churches two Masses are celebrated. The feast of St. Eusebius is celebrated after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the BVM, Deus, qui de beate, and the third collect for the Church, Ecclesiae. The common preface is sung and the last Gospel is In principio. Mass of the Ember Friday is sung after None. The ministers wear violet folded chasubles and four candles are on the altar. The Mass is proper. The second collect is of the BVM, Deus, qui de Beate, and the third collect for the Church, Ecclesiae. The choir kneels for the orations and from the Canon through to the Fraction as is usual on penitential days. There is no Creed and the common preface is sung. The dismissal is Benedicamus Domino sung by the deacon facing the altar.

At Vespers there is a commemoration of the Advent feria. As the Office of the Ember Friday ended at None the commemoration consists of the antiphon on the Magnificat, Hoc est testimonium etc, the versicle Rorate caeli etc, its respond, Aperiatur terra etc and the collect of the preceding Sunday, Aurem tuam etc. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung, the choir standing.

Following the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Ember Friday is II class and takes precedence over the III class feast of St. Eusebius (reduced to a single nocturn). At Mattins the three lessons are the homily for the Ember Friday from St. Ambrose. At Lauds the second schema of psalms is used and there is a commemoration of St. Eusebius and the ferial preces are sung. Although the second schema of Lauds is sung the fourth psalm is not added at Prime and the ferial chapter Pacem et veritatem is replaced by the festal (!) Regi saeculorum. The ferial preces are omitted at Prime and the Hours. At Mass there is no additional collect for the Blessed Virgin or for the Church. The penitential kneeling is reduced. The dismissal is Ite, missa est and the ministers wear dalmatic and tunicle. One strange feature of 1962 Ember Wednesdays and Fridays is that whilst traditionally the Ember Day liturgy ended with the Mass sung after None, in the 1962 books Vespers becomes formally part of the Ember Day. In the traditional rite if Vespers were ferial, the collect from the preceding Sunday was sung as noted above. In the 1962 rite the collect from the Ember Day is used at Vespers, so today Excita, quaesumus is sung.

The Third Sunday of Advent

The third Sunday of Advent, often referred to as Gaudete Sunday from the words of its introit, Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico gaudete sees a lightening of the Advent mood. 'Rejoice in the LORD always; again I say rejoice.' The same words begin the Epistle from Philippians (4:4). The Sunday's rank is a semi-double of the second class. The Gospel pericopes from St. John contain the Baptist's famous words "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the LORD." On this Sunday, mirroring Laetare Sunday in Lent, the penitential mood is lightened with the deacon and sub-deacon wearing violet dalmatic and tunicle rather than their folded chasubles or, following the more modern praxis, with the use of rose vestments. The absence of folded chasubles means that the organ may be played. On this Sunday Cardinals of the Court of Rome traditionally wore rose waterered silk cassocks, with rose watered silk mozzeta and mantelleta.

At Vespers yesterday the antiphons from the following Sunday's Lauds, Veniet Dominus etc, were sung with the psalms of Saturday. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of a day within the Octave and of St. Damasus. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted due to the occurring Octave. Although within an Octave of the Blessed Virgin the concluding verse of Te lucis was in the ordinary form as the Doxology is not sung on the Sunday within the Octave following the 1911-13 reform.

At Mattins the invitatory is Prope est jam Dominus: Venite adoremus. This invitatory is now used until the 23rd of December inclusive. Office hymn is Verbum supernum. In the first nocturn the antiphons Veniet ecce Rex etc are sung with the usual psalms for Sunday. The lessons are a continuation of Isaiah and today contain the beautiful symbolism of the Rod of Jesse. In the second nocturn the antiphons Gaude et laetare etc are sung and the lessons are taken from St. Leo's sermon on the fast of the tenth month. In the third nocturn the antiphons Gabriel Angelus etc are sung and the homily is from St. Gregory on St. John's Gospel and the record of the Baptist. The Te Deum is omitted and in its place a ninth responsory, Docebit nos Dominus vias suas, is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons Veniet Dominus etc are sung with the Sunday psalms. The Office hymn is En clara vox. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of St. Damasus and of the Octave. At the Hours the antiphons from Lauds are used in the usual sequence. At Prime the versicle in the responsory is Qui venturus es in mundum and the Dominical preces are omitted due to the occurring Octave. At Prime and the Hours the hymns have the ordinary Doxology.

Mass is sung after Terce. The ministers wear dalmatic and tunicle. The Gloria is not sung. The second collect is of St. Damasus, the third of the Octave. The Creed is sung and the preface that of the Trinity. As the Gloria is not sung the dismissal is Benedicamus Domino, sung by the deacon facing the altar.

At Vespers the antiphons, Veniet Dominus etc, are sung with the Sunday psalms. The Office hymn is Creator alme siderum. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following day within the Octave and of St. Damasus. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' at both Vespers there are no commemorations. The Octave of the Virgin has been abolished. Mattins is stripped down to one nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Mass there is only one collect and the dismissal is Ite, missa est.

Art: Jerome Nadal depicts today's Gospel where the Jews sent priests and Levites to interrogate St. John the Baptist.

The Vestments of Adrian Fortescue, DD - Part VII

On Gaudete Sunday it seems appropriate to end this series of posts with a rose set of vestments of Dr. Fortescue.

The set is complete and in good condition. The cut of the chasuble is similar to that of the first violet set, the chauble modelled on that of St. Thomas of Canterbury at Sens, but a slightly fuller in cut. The ground material is a deep rose silk with golden ornamentation. It has a 'Tau' cross silk velvet orfrey to its front and rear. The orfreys are edged with gold braid. The chasuble is still in regular use.

Above: Detail of the chalice veil and stole. Again note the narrowness and length of this splendid vestment. Below: the burse.

The Vestments of Adrian Fortescue, DD - Part VI

The only extant altar frontal designed by Dr. Fortescue is very striking. In his 1912 paper (Fig 3, p.15) Dr. Fortescue describes it as 'white canvas with embroidered scarlet silk'. The image from the paper is below:

However, looking at the frontal it strikes anyone familiar with North European Lenten custom as a rather beautiful modern example of Lenten Array.  From Ash Wednesday the brightly coloured interiors of churches were covered with Lenten Array or Lenten 'White' the idea of which was to exclude colour until the joy of the Resurrection.  Examples of modern array can be seen on the beautiful blog Vitrearum's Church Art.

The frontal is now stained in several places but overall in good condition.

The Vestments of Adrian Fortescue, DD - Part V

The only surviving set of red hue is the fullest and, perhaps, the finest of the extant vestments. The set is complete. The chasuble is of a noticeably fuller cut than the others and its back must have fallen almost to the feet of Dr. Fortesuce. Whilst describing it as 'red' I am not convinced that it actually was used for the feasts of Apostles and Martyrs or for Pentecost. The ground fabric is shot silk of crimson and violet that gives a deep crimson-plum colour. The orfreys are the finest of the extant vestments and consist of a pattern of rose stems edged in silver thread, complete with silver thorns. The stems are filled with embroidered dark purple thread and decorated with roses that are detailed in silver and embroidered with purple, violet and red silk.

Dr. Fortescue delivered a paper on vestments to the Westminster Cathedral Altar Society in February 1912. This paper is available on line The Vestments of the Roman Rite. In that published paper there are some (poor quality) images and Fig. 1 (p.10) shows some of Dr. Fortescue's stoles. From the extant vestments it is clear that at least three sets have ended up in land-fill or have been lost. Dr. Fortescue describes a scarlet-red set so it is clear at least one red set existed and may suggest the vestment featured in this post was not used as 'red'. Whether it was actually a rose vestment (the relative lack of use might explain its degree of preservation) or a Passiontide vestment is a question I would leave to experts in vestiture.

The Vestments of Adrian Fortescue, DD - Part IV

Two black chasubles survive of Dr. Fortescue's vestments.  One set, of black silk lined with blue, is decorated with blue orfreys and silver details.  The silk of the chasuble is decaying and the lining can be seen showing through in some places.  The second chasuble is completely black but utilises different materials, black silk and black velvet, to decorative effect. This set is incomplete.

Note the narrow, parallel lines, of the maniple. No 'spade' maniples for Dr. Fortescue.

The Vestments of Adrian Fortescue, DD - Part III

Only one green vestment survives. During Dr. Fortesuce's, sadly short, life the major reform of 1911-13 took place with the noticeable result of 'green' Sundays being celebrated in the period after the Octave of the Epiphany to Septuagesima and from the Octave of Corpus Christi to Advent. Prior to the reform, with a heavily congested calendar, the vast majority of these Sundays would have been double feasts of Saints and celebrated in white or red vestments. We will probably never know how many green sets of vestments Dr. Fortescue had.

The surviving green vestment has been designed in a similar style to that of one of the violet sets with a 'Tau' cross orfrey. As in that violet set, one of the white and the rose vestment the orfrey is of velvet in a matching colour to the ground fabric. The silk of the green vestment contains a pattern with small birds (see the last photograph for detail). The woven braid of the violet and green sets consists of alternating black and white small panels. The violet sets have these panels in both rectangular and parallelogram shapes. The braid on the green set is composed of parallelograms of alternating black and white panels.

Detail of the stole (above and below photographs).

The Vestments of Adrian Fortescue, DD - Part II

There are two extant white sets of vestments designed and used by Dr. Fortescue. Both sets have more of their constituent pieces than the violet sets of yesterday's post. The second white set below has a wide velvet silk orfrey (now showing some discolouration), a combination shared with several of the other vestments in the different liturgical colours. The detail in the orfreys of both sets is very fine and carefully designed.

The above is a photograph of the end of the maniple resting on the chalice veil.  Note the width (and length from the photographs above) of the maniple.   The second set, below, is showing signs of deterioration of the velvet column.  Again note the length of the maniple and the stole.

The Chi-Rho decoration at the termination of the stole and maniple, and the cross on the burse are of embroidered gold thread.

The Vestments of Adrian Fortescue, DD. Part I

This month will see the launch of a new biography of one of the most brilliant yet enigmatic of English clerics,  Dr. Adrian Fortescue.  'The Latin Clerk: The Life, Work and Travels of Adrian Fortescue' by Aidan Nichols OP and published by the Lutterworth Press should, hopefully, be an interesting read. Adrian Fortescue was a man of many, diverse, talents and there is a certain irony that the work which most readers of this blog will associate him with, The Ceremonies of the Roman Rite Described, was a work Fortescue deeply regretted writing and took little subsequent interest in. That in itself is rather sad as it is a most excellent work indeed.

Fortescue designed his own vestments in a singular yet characteristic style for use at his church of St. Hugh at Letchworth. Several years ago with a change of incumbent Fortescue's vestments were thrown away and piled onto a skip. Fortunately, some were spared the land-fill site and rescued from the skip by His Excellency Fra' Duncan Gallie and taken to St. Edmund's College at Ware, an institution with which Dr. Fortescue had many connections. Two years ago I was able to take some photographs of them thanks to the kindness of Mr. Alan Robinson. Several Low Mass chasubles, some complete sets, were saved along with a frontal of great interest but, sadly, no copes or High Mass sets survive.

As this is the season of Advent this first post will show the violet vestments. Two violet Low Mass chasubles remain. One has maniple, burse and veil the other only its stole. As the adage says 'a picture is worth a thousand words' let the vestments describe themselves.

The Second Sunday of Advent

The second Sunday of Advent (and the third and fourth) are semi-doubles of the second class in rank. The Gospel pericopes, from St. Matthew, tell of St. John the Baptist in prison sending two of his followers to meet the LORD. The liturgical colour is violet and, as folded chasubles are worn, the organ is not played.

At Vespers on Saturday the proper antiphons from today's Lauds were sung, Ecce in nubibus caeli etc, with the psalms of Saturday. The Office hymn was Creator alme siderum. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Francis Xavier then of St. Peter Chrysologus and St. Barbara. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted because of the occurring double feasts.

At Mattins the invitatory is Regem venturum and the Office hymn is Verbum supernum. In the first nocturn the antiphons Veniet ecce Rex etc are sung with the usual psalms for Sunday. The lessons are a continuation of Isaiah and today contain the beautiful symbolism of the Rod of Jesse. In the second nocturn the antiphons Gaude et laetare etc are sung and the them of the Rod of Jesse is continued as the lessons are taken from St. Jerome's Expositon on Isaias the Prophet. In the third nocturn the antiphons Gabriel Angelus etc are sung and the homily is from St. Gregory. The Te Deum is omitted and in its place a ninth responsory, Ecce Dominus veniet, is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons, Ecce in nubibus caeli etc are sung with the Sunday psalms. The hymn is En clara vox. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of St. Peter Chrysologus and St. Barbara. At Prime the Dominical preces are omitted due to the occurring double feast.

Mass is sung after Terce, the deacon and subdeacon wear violet folded chasubles. The Gloria is not sung. The second collect is of St. Peter Chrysologus, the third collect of St. Barbara. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Trinity. Benedicamus Domino is sung as the dismissal by the deacon facing the altar.

At Vespers the antiphons from Lauds, Ecce in nubibus caeli, are sung with the usual Sunday psalms. The Office hymn is Creator alme siderum. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of St. Peter Chrysologus and St. Sabbas. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted due to the double feast.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations at either Vespers. The Dominical preces are always omitted at Prime and Compline. Mattins is cut down to one nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Mass the ministers wear dalmatic and tunicle, there is only one collect and the dismissal is Ite, missa est.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Update: Orders for Ordines

Several batches of Ordines have been posted this week. Having had 'flu for two weeks earlier in November this has caused some delay but I am now catching up with the backlog of orders.

Your patience would be much appreciated.