Within the Octave... of the 'editio typica' 1962 Missale Romanum

The Rorate Caeli blog recently started a series of posts on the 'typical' edition of the 1962 Missal referencing the decree (above) which prefaces the June 23rd edition. Following the comments from several readers it seems appropriate to have a series of posts here. In most posts the changes in the day between the traditional Roman rite and the 1962 rite are generally noted but some readers may be unaware that a celebration using the 1962 missal is different every single day of the year, sometimes in minor degrees, to the rite in use even two years earlier.

The vexatious issue of what 'typical' edition will be discussed last but suffice it to say that it is clear by simple logic that if the 'typical' edition is from June 1962 it cannot contain the name of St. Joseph in the communicantes as that was decreed in December of the same year.

The first post will consider changes in layout, appearance and content between the 1962 book and traditional forms.

The Nativity of St. John the Baptist

The feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist is a double of the first class with an Octave. The liturgical colour of the feast and Octave is white. The celebration of the feast on June 24th is ancient and was mentioned by the Council of Agde in 506 and is in the Martyrologium Hieronymianum.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons, Ipse praeibit etc, proper to the feast, were sung with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn was Ut queant laxis resonare fibris. The hymn famously rises through a scale in its verses: Ut (Doh), Resonare, Mira, Famuli, Solve, Labii. After the collect of the feast a commemoration was sung of the fourth Sunday after Pentecost. At Compline the Dominical psalms were sung and the Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory is proper Regem Praecursoris Dominum, Venite adoremus. The Office hymn is Antra deserti teneris sub annis. The antiphons, psalms and responsories are proper for all three nocturns. In the first nocturn the lessons are taken from the Incipit of the Prophet Jeremiah. In the second nocturn the lessons are from a sermon by St. Augustine on the saints and in the third nocturn the homily is from the writings of St. Ambrose on the first chapter of St. Luke's Gospel. The ninth lesson is of the Sunday. The eighth and ninth lessons of the feast may be read as one and the three lessons of the homily read together as the ninth lesson but it suffices to omit the ninth lesson of the feast and read, in its place, the first lesson of the Sunday homily. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons Elisabeth Zachariae etc are sung with the Sunday psalms. The rest of Lauds is proper to the feast with the Office hymn O nimis felix. After the collect of the feast a commemoration of the Sunday is sung.

At the Hours the antiphons of Lauds are sung with the Sunday psalms. At Prime (Pss. 53, 118i & 118ii) the lectio brevis is Reges videbunt. The Dominical preces are omitted.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Mass is proper, De ventre. The Gloria is sung, after the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the Sunday. The Creed is sung as the feast falls on a Sunday and the preface is of the Blessed Trinity. The last Gospel is of the Sunday.

At Second Vespers the antiphons sung at Lauds are sung again with the psalms from Vespers for the Common of Apostles. The hymn Ut queant laxis is again sung, the rest of the Office is proper to the feast. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the following feast of St. William and of the Sunday. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the feast remains relatively unscathed. At Mattins there is no ninth lesson of the Sunday. The antiphons are, of course, doubled at the Little Hours Prime has the seasonal lectio brevis. At Mass the last Gospel is In principio. At Vespers there is only a commemoration of the Sunday. The Octave has been stripped away.

Icon: A Russian icon of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist from Wikipedia.

Sunday within the Octave of the Sacred Heart

Sunday within the Octave of the Sacred Heart, the third Sunday after Pentecost, is of semi-double rite. The structure of the Office is as last Sunday and again the liturgical colour is white. The Gospel pericopes from St. Luke have the parable of the shepherd going after one sheep missing from his hundred strong flock.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Suavi jugo tuo etc, not doubled, were sung with psalms 109, 110, 111, 115 & 129. The chapter was Carissimi, humiliamini etc and the Office hymn En ut superba criminum. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration was sung of the Octave. At Compline the Dominical psalms were sung and Te lucis had the Doxology and tone of the Octave.

At Mattins the invitatory, hymn, antiphons and psalms are as on the feast of the Sacred Heart but the antiphons are not doubled. In the first nocturn the lessons are a continuation of the First Book of the Kings. The responses are of the Octave. In the second nocturn the lessons are from the Encyclical of Pius XI in 1928 that, inter alia, gave the feast an Octave. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Gregory on St. Lukes Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons Unus militum etc are sung, as on the feast, with the Dominical psalms. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of the Octave.

At the Hours the hymns have the Doxology Jesu tibi sit gloria, Qui Corde fundis gratiam etc. The antiphons from Lauds are sung in the normal sequence at the Hours. At Prime the festal psalms are sung (Pss. 53, 118i & 118ii). In the short responsory the versicle Qui Corde fundis gratiam is sung. The lectio brevis is of the Sunday, Deus autem.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Octave. The Creed is sung, the preface is of the Sacred Heart.

At Vespers the antiphons Suavi jugo tuo etc, not doubled, are sung with psalms 109, 110, 111, 115 & 129 as at first Vespers. The Office hymn is En ut superba criminum. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration of the Octave is sung. At Compline Te lucis has the Doxology and tone of the Octave.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Octave of the Sacred Heart has been abolished. The liturgical colour is green. At Vespers on there were no commemorations. At Compline the psalms of Saturday were sung. Mattins is is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there are no commemorations. Prime has the Dominical psalms and Qui sedes etc in the short responsory. None of the hymns have the Doxology of the abolished Octave. Mass has a single collect and the preface of the Trinity. At Vespers the antiphons and psalms of Sunday are sung, there are no commemorations.

Sunday within the Octave of Corpus Christi, the Second Sunday after Pentecost, is of semi-double rite. Today the altars and vestments of the traditional Roman rite are of the finest white in honour of the Octave of the feast of the Sacrament of the LORD's Passion, Death and Resurrection.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms were as on the feast of Corpus Christi. The antiphons Sacerdos in aeternum etc, not doubled, were sung with psalms 109, 110, 115, 127 & 147. The chapter was of the Sunday, the hymn and the following versicle & response were of the feast. The antiphon on the Magnificat and collect were of the Sunday followed by commemorations of the Octave and St. Margaret of Scotland. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the melody and Doxology of the Incarnation, Jesu tibi sit gloria, Qui natus es de Virgine, Cum Patre et almo Spiritu, In sempiterna saecula.

At Mattins the invitatory is Christum Regem adoremus dominantem Gentibus: Qui se manducantibus dat spiritus pinguedinem. The Office hymn is Sacris solemnis. The antiphons and psalms are as on the feast of Corpus Christi. The lessons are proper to the Sunday. In the first nocturn they are taken from the First Book of Kings. In the second nocturn they are taken from a sermon of St. Chrysostom to the people of Antioch and the homily in the third nocturn is from St. Gregory on St. Luke's Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons are those sung on the feast of Corpus Christi, Sapientia etc. The chapter is of the Sunday, the hymn as on the feast. The antiphon on the Benedictus and collect are of the Sunday. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the Octave of Corpus Christi and St. Margaret.

At the Little Hours the hymns are sung to the same tone as on the feast of the Nativity of the LORD (there of course being a deep link between the Incarnation and Corpus Christi) with the Doxology Jesu tibi sit gloria etc. At Prime the festal psalms are sung (Pss. 53, 118i & 118ii), the versicle in the short responsory is Qui natus es for the feast and Octave, the short lesson is Filioli mei, of the Sunday.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Octave, the third collect of St. Margaret. The Creed is sung and the preface is that of the Nativity.

In Collegiate and Cathedral Churches a Mass of the feast is sung after None with Gloria, second collect of the Sunday, the Sequence Lauda Sion, Creed, preface of the Nativity and last Gospel of the Sunday. After this a Procession is made as on the feast.

At Vespers the antiphons and psalms are as at Second Vespers of the feast. The chapter is of the Sunday, the hymn, versicle & response of the feast and the antiphon on the Magnificat and collect of the Sunday. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the Octave of Corpus Christi, of St. Barnabas and St. Margaret.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' Sunday within the Octave of Corpus Christi has been abolished. The Second Sunday after Pentecost is celebrated as a 'green' Sunday. Mattins is stripped down to one nocturn of three lessons with the invitatory and antiphons of the Sunday. There are no commemorations at either Vespers, Lauds or Mass. The hymn tones are not those of the Nativity, the Doxology has gone, the versicle at Prime is Qui sedes. The Octave of Corpus Christi has been abolished.

Corpus Christi

The feast of Corpus Christi is a Double of the First Class with a privileged Octave of the Second Order. The liturgical colour of the feast, and the octave, is white.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Sacerdos in aeternum etc were sung with psalms 109, 110, 115, 127 & 147. The chapter, hymn, versicle and response, antiphon on the Magnificat and collect were all proper to the feast. There were no commemorations. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the melody and Doxology of the Incarnation, Jesu tibi sit gloria, Qui natus es de Virgine, Cum Patre et almo Spiritu, In sempiterna saecula.

At Mattins the invitatory is Christum Regem adoremus dominantem Gentibus: Qui se manducantibus dat spiritus pinguedinem. The Office hymn is Sacris solemnis. The antiphons and psalms are proper at each of the nocturns. In the first nocturn the antiphons Fructum salutiferum etc are sung with psalms 1, 4 & 15. The lessons are taken from the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. In the second nocturn the antiphons Memor sit Dominus etc are sung with psalms 19, 22 & 41, the lessons are taken from the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas. In the third nocturn Introibo ad altare Dei etc are sung with psalms 42, 80 & 83. The homily is from St. Augustine on St. John's Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons, Sapientia etc., are a different set to those sung at Vespers. These are sung with the Dominical psalms (92, 99, 62, Benedicite & 148. The Office hymn is Verbum supernum. There are no commemorations.

At the Hours the antiphons from Laudes are sung with the festal psalms. The Office hymns are sung with the melody and Doxology of the Incarnation. At Prime (Pss. 53, 118i & 118ii) the versicle Qui natus es is inserted into the short responsory and the lectio brevis is Quicumque manducaverit panem etc.

The Mass, Cibavit eos, is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the Sequence Lauda Sion is sung, the Creed is sung and the preface is of the Nativity. Two large altar breads are placed on the corporal and consecrated. After the consecration the rubrics for Mass coram Sanctissimo are followed, with the celebrant not turning his back on the altar. Ite, missa est, the blessing and last Gospel are said as normal. After Mass the celebrant exchanges his chausuble for a cope and a Procession takes place. The Caermoniale Episcoporum, Lib. II, Cap. XXXIII, gives detailed instructions for the Procession (indeed so detailed they forsee the bishop having to excommunicate persons who cannot agree their respective position in procession - c.f. #3!) It also sanctions the practice of Mass and Vespers coram Sanctissimo during the Octave.

At Second Vespers all is at First Vespers except the antiphon on the Magnificat which is proper.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the hymns of the Hours do not have their Doxology changed in honour of the Incarnation. At Prime the versicle is of the season, not of the Incarnation, and the lectio brevis is of the season too. At Mass the common preface is sung. When a Procession takes place Benedicamus Domino is sung instead of Ite, missa est, the blessing and last Gospel are omitted. The Octave has been abolished.

Trinity Sunday

Today is the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity. It is also the first Sunday after Pentecost. The feast is now a Double of the First Class having been raised to that rank in the reforms of 1911-13. Before that it was a Double of the Second Class and before that a double. Its origins appear to be as a local feast that originated in Liege in the tenth century with its celebration spreading in northern France and England. The Franciscan John Peckham revised the texts in the thirteenth century. In many local rites (and in the Dominican rite) Sundays were counted after Trinity rather than Pentecost, as indeed they are the BCP.

The feast began yesterday with first Vespers on Saturday marking the beginning of the Summer (Aestiva) volume of the Breviarium Romanum. The Office is proper. The antiphons Gloria tibi Trinitas etc sung with Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 and 116. The chapter, O altitudo, and hymn, Jam sol recedit, will be used at Vespers on Saturdays for all the Sundays after Pentecost. The antiphon on the Magnificat, Gratias tibi, Deus etc, and the collect are proper. A commemoration was sung of the first Sunday after Pentecost. After Vespers the antiphon Salve Regina is sung for the first time this year.

At Mattins there are three nocturns. The invitatory is proper, Deum verum, unum in Trinitate, et Trinitatm in Unitate, Venite adoremus. In the first nocturn he antiphons, Adesto, unus Deus etc., are sung with psalms 8, 18 & 23. The lessons are taken from the sixth chapter of the Prophet Isaiah. In the second nocturn the antiphons, Te invocamus etc., are sung with psalms 46, 47 & 71, the lessons are taken from the Book of Bishop Fulgentius on faith. In the third nocturn the antiphons Caritas Pater est etc are sung with psalms 95, 96 & 97. The homily is from St. Gregory Nazianzen. The ninth lesson is of the first Sunday after Pentecost. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons, Gloria tibi, Trinitas etc., are sung with the Dominical psalms (92, 99, 62, Benedicite & 148). The Office hymn is Tu, Trinitatis Unitas. Aa commemoration is sung of the Sunday.

At Prime the festal psalms are sung (53, 118i & 118ii) under the antiphon Gloria tibi Trinitas. The Creed of St. Athanasius, Quicumque, is sung after the last stanza of Ps. 118. The lectio brevis is Tres sunt.

Mass is sung after Terce. Before Mass at the sprinkling of lustral water the antiphon Asperges me returns. The Mass is proper, Benedicta sit. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday, the Credo is sung, the preface that of the Most Holy Trinity (used for all Sundays not having a proper preface after 1759), and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

In second Vespers the antiphons Gloria tibi, Trinitas etc are sung with the Sunday psalms. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the following feast of St. Francis Caracciolo and of the first Sunday after Pentecost.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' so much has been excised from the Breviary that four volumes are no longer needed. The 'Pars Altera' of the two volumes begins today. There is no commemoration of the first Sunday after Pentecost at Vespers, Mattins or Lauds. The eighth lesson is split into two to make a ninth lesson for the feast. At Prime Quicumque is sung only on this Sunday in the 1962 rite, the lectio brevis is Dominus autem dirigat. At Mass there is no commemoration of the Sunday, and no proper last Gospel.

Art: Rublev's Icon from Wikipedia. The Icon depicts the Hospitality of Abraham and which has been interpreted as representing the Trinity.

Ember Saturday in the Octave of Pentecost

Ember Saturday in the Octave of Pentecost is of semi-double rite and the last of the summer Quarter-Tense days. The liturgical colour is the red of the Octave.

The Office is as on the feast, except for those parts that are proper, but the antiphons at Mattins and Lauds are not doubled. At Mattins the invitatory, hymn, antiphons and psalms are those that were sung on the feast of Pentecost. The versicle and response are Repleti sunt omnes Spiritu Sancto, alleluia and Et coeperunt loqui, alleluia. The lessons of the homily are taken from the writings of St. Ambrose on St. Luke's Gospel. At Lauds the antiphon on the Benedictus and collect are proper to the day. After the collect of the day a commemoration is of SS Marcellinus and his Companions.

At the Hours all is celebrated as on Pentecost Sunday. At Terce the hymn is Veni Creator. The Pentecost Doxology is sung at the conclusion of hymns of the Hours.

Mass is sung after None, as on the Ember Days this week. The Mass is proper with the introit Caritas Dei etc. After the Kyrie there are a series of five structural units comprising of the invitation Oremus, followed by a collect, O.T. reading and Alleluia. The readings are from Joel, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Leviticus again and Daniel. After the pericope from Daniel the Alleluia is a fragment of the hymn of the Three Men in the fiery furnace, Alleluia, Benedictus es, Domine, Deus patrum nostrorum et laudabilis in saecula. The the Gloria is sung followed by the collect Deus, qui tribus pueris. After this collect a commemoration is sung of St. Ephrem and SS Mark and Marcellinus. The sequence Veni Sancte Spiritus is sung but without Alleluia at its conclusion, the Creed is sung, the preface, Hanc igitur and communicantes are of Pentecost.

After Mass has been sung the Office of the Octave of Pentecost and Paschaltide come to an end. At the noon bell the last Regina Caeli is sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the distinction between the rank of the feast and Monday and Tuesday with the rest of the Octave has been lost with all days being first class and excluding all commemorations. The antiphons are doubled at both the Greater and Little Hours. The Pentecost Doxology is not sung at the Little Hours. A 'mini-Mass' Ember Day is permitted whereby only one OT reading, that from Joel, is read.

Ember Friday in the Octave of Pentecost

Ember Friday in the Octave of Pentecost is the second of the summer Quarter-Tense days. It is of semi-double rite. The liturgical colour is the red of the Octave.

The Office is as on the feast of Pentecost, except for those parts that are proper to the day. The antiphons at Mattins, Lauds and Vespers are not doubled. At Mattins the invitatory, hymn, antiphons and psalms are those that were sung on the feast. The versicle and response are Spiritus Paraclitus, alleluia and Docebit vos omnia, alleluia. The three lessons of the homily are taken from the writings of St. Ambrose on St. Luke's Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphon on the Benedictus and collect are proper to the day.

At the Hours all is celebrated as on Pentecost Sunday. At Terce the hymn Veni Creator is sung. The Pentecost Doxology is sung at the conclusion of the hymns.

Mass, as on Wednesday, is sung after None. This is common to the Ember Days of the other seasons. Unlike the other Ember Days the deacon and subdeacon do not wear folded chasubles as the colour of the Octave is used. The Mass is proper with the introit Repleatur os meum etc. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is Ecclesiae, for the Church. The sequence Veni Sancte Spiritus is sung, the Creed is sung, the preface, Hanc igitur and communicantes are of Pentecost.

Vespers are as on the feast, except the antiphons are not doubled. The antiphon on the Magnificat and collect are proper to the day. After the collect of the day a commemoration is sung of SS Marcellinus and his Companions.