Thursday 16 February 2012

A 'resumed' antiphon in Septuagesima

Today, at Vespers, the Usus Antiquior sees the resumption of a previouly unused antiphon on the Magnificat. On the Friday of Septuagesima week and on both the Thursday and Friday of Sexagesima week no proper antiphon is given for the Magnificat. When Vespers is ferial on these days the last antiphon that has not been used is resumed. (In practice this applies only to today as if the Friday Office is ferial Vespers would be of a feast occurring on the Saturday or the Saturday Office of the BVM). So today at Vespers the antiphon is Semen est etc from Tuesday. When all the antiphons of the preceding days have been used the antiphon is is taken from the ferial Psalter.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' and so the antiphon is Fecit Deus etc, so the Magnificat is sung to tone 7c rather than tone 3a. The antiphons are doubled as previously only on a higher feast and the Suffrage is, of course, omitted - the banality and flatness of modern rites!

No comments: