Vigil of All Saints

The Vigil of All Saints is of simple rite and the liturgical colour is violet. As with simple rite Vigils the Office runs from Mattins to None.

At Mattins the inivitatory, hymn, antiphons, psalms, versicle and response are from the Psalter for Wednesday. The lessons in the nocturn are a homily of St. Ambrose from the Common of Several Martyrs. The responsories are from the Wednesday of the fifth week of October. The Te Deum is not sung. The second scheme of Lauds for Wednesday is sung. 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. 25, 51, 52 & 96. Both the Dominical and ferial preces are sung, the choir kneeling. At the other Horae Minores 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 ancient rite found in the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Vigil of All Saints has been abolished. Today is kept as a IV class ferial 'green' day. Mass is of Pentecost XXII, there is a single collect. Although the Gloria is not sungIte, missa est is the dismissal.

SS Simon and Jude Apostles

The feast of SS Simon and Jude, translated from yesterday, 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 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 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 Exsultet orbis gaudiis. At Compline the Dominical psalms are sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the feast simply vanishes into thin air this year. Sweet feck all, niente! Not only has the Vigil of the feast been suppressed but in the mad hatter rite of 1962 these Apostles are simply ignored this year and today is a IV class feria. As the great and good Dr. Fortescue wrote almost a century ago:

By the way will you give a message from me to the Roman Ordinary? Tell him to look after his own diocese and not to write any more Encyclicals. Also that there were twelve Apostles and that all bishops are their successors. Also, to read the works of St. Paul, also to open his front door and walk out, also that the faith handed to our fathers is more important than either the Sacred Heart or certain alleged happenings at Lourdes.

Christ the King

The feast of Christ the King is a Double of the First Class. The liturgical colour of the feast is white. This year it is also the twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost and the fifth Sunday of October. The feast of the Apostles SS Simon and Jude is transferred to Monday although their Vigil was celebrated on Saturday.

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 Tua est potentia for the Saturday before the fifth Sunday of October and the collect for the twenty-second 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 twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost, from St. Hiliary on St. Matthew. (The reading of the Gospel and first lesson suffice to fulfill the obligation). 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, of the following feast of the Apostles SS Simon and Jude and of the Sunday.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Vigil of SS Simon and Jude has been abolished. At Vespers there was no commemoration of the Sunday. There is no proper Doxology for Te lucis. 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 as the ninth lesson is not of the Sunday. 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 nor of SS Simon and Jude. The feast of SS Simon and Jude (except where it is I Class) is entirely omitted this year. May the prayers of the Holy Apostles SS Simon and Jude aid us in the excoriation of '62ism.

XX Sunday after Pentecost

The twentieth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite. This year it is the third Sunday of October. The Gospel pericopes from St. John give the account of the healing of the ruler's son at Capharnaum.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the psalms of Saturday were sung. The antiphon on the Magnificat was Lugebat autem Judam for the Saturday before the third Sunday in October. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Edward the Confessor and of St. Callistus. The Suffrage of the Saints was omitted due to the 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 taken from St. Augustine writings on the City of God. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Gregory on the Gospel. At Lauds the Office hymn is Aeterne rerum Conditor. After the collect of the Sunday, a commemoration is sung of St. Francis Borgia followed by the Suffrage of the Saints.

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 St. Callistus, there is no third collect. The Creed is sung as is the preface of the Blessed Trinity.

Vespers are of the Sunday (Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113) and the Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following feast of St. Teresa and of St. Callistus. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted due to the double feasts as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' today is the first Sunday of October. At Vespers there are no commemorations. Mattins is cut down to one nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Mass there is one collect. Vespers are without any commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Most Holy Rosary of the BVM

The feast of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a Double of the Second Class. The feast had been instituted following the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. In 1573 Gregory XIII extended the feast to those churches where an altar had been dedicated to the Rosary to be kept on the first Sunday of October. In 1716 Clement XI extended the feast to the Universal Church with greater-double rank. Leo XIII raised ther rank of the feast to double second class in 1887 and gave the feast proper texts in the following year. During the reforms of 1911-13 the feast was transferred to October 7th.  The nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost (the second Sunday of October this year) is commemorated at Vespers, Mattins, Lauds and Mass.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Quae est ista etc were sung with psalms 109, 112, 121, 126 & 147.  The Office hymn was Caelestis aulae Nuntius. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of the preceding fast of St. Bruno and of the Sunday (the antiphon on the Magnificat being Refulsit sol for the Saturday before the second Sunday of October).   At Compline Te lucis was sung to the special tone for feasts of the BVM with its special Doxology, Jesu tibi sit gloria etc.

At Mattins the invitatory is proper as is the hymn, In monte olivis.  In the first nocturn the antiphons Angelus Gabriel etc are sung with psalms 8, 18 & 23.  The lessons are from the Book of Ecclesiasticus.  In the second nocturn the antiphons Cum inducerent etc are sung with psalms 44, 45 & 86 .  In the third nocturn the antiphons Apprehendit etc are sung with psalms 95, 96 & 97 and the lessons are from a homily of St. Bernard on St. Luke's Gospel.  The ninth lesson is of the Sunday.  The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons Laetare etc are sung with the Sunday psalms.  The Office hymn is Jam morte victor obruta.  After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the Sunday, St. Mark and of SS Sergius and Companions.

At the Hours the antiphons from Lauds are sung with the Sunday psalms in the usual manner.  The hymns of the Hours are sung to the melody for feasts of the BVM with the Doxology of the Incarnation.  At Prime psalms 53, 118(i), 118(ii) are sung, the lectio brevis is proper, Quasi cedrus.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung (in private Masses the second collect is of St. Mark and the third collect of SS Sergius and Companions), the Creed is sung, the Preface is of the BVM with the clause Et te in Festivitate and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

At Vespers the antiphons and psalms are as at first Vespers, the Office hymn is Te gestientem gaudiis. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the following feast of St. Bridget and of the Sunday.

In the 'ancient' 'liturgical books of 1962' the feast is renamed 'Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary' and is of 2nd class and therefore does not take precedence over the Sunday. The Sunday is the first Sunday of October. At Vespers (of the Sunday) there was no commemoration of the feast - it has been stripped of first Vespers anyway. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds a commemoration of the 'BVM of the Rosary' is sung. At Mass the second collect if of the BVM of the Rosary, the last Gospel is In principio. At Vespers there are no commemorations. The hours of the hymns are sung with the ordinary tone and Doxology.