Fourth Sunday after Pascha

The fourth Sunday after Pascha is of semidouble rite and the liturgical colour is white. The Gospel pericopes are from the sixteenth chapter of St. John's Gospel where the LORD talks of His ascending to Heaven and the coming of the Paraclete.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the psalms of Saturday were sung under the single antiphon Alleluia. The Office hymn was Ad regias Agni dapes. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St.Peter Canisius and then of St. Paul of the Cross and St. Vitalis. The Commemoration of the Cross was omitted due to the double feasts. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Paschaltide Doxology and the Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory and hymn are sung as previous Sundays of Paschaltide. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the Epistle of St. James. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from the Treatise of St. Cyprian on the boon of patience. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Augustine. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the Sunday psalms are sung under a single antiphon, Alleluia. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of St. Paul of the Cross and St. Vitalis. The Commemoration of the Cross is omitted.

At the Hours the hymns have the Paschaltide Doxology, the psalms are sung under a single antiphon consisting of a triple Alleluia. At Prime the Dominical psalms are sung (Pss. 117, 118i & 118ii). The Dominical preces are omitted because of the commemoration of the double feast.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Paul of the Cross, the third collect is of St. Vitalis. The Creed is sung and the preface is of Paschaltide.

Vespers are of the Sunday. The Sunday psalms are sung under the single antiphon, Alleluia. The Office hymn is Ad regias Agni dapes. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following feast of St. Peter the Martyr and St. Paul of the Cross. The Commemoration of the Cross is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline due to the commemorated double feasts.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations at Vespers, and the Commemoration of the Cross has been abolished as have been the Domincal preces. Mattins is slashed down to a single nocturn. The hymns at the Little Hours do not have the Paschaltide Doxology. At Mass there is but a single collect. There are no commemorations at Vespers.

Art: Jerome Nadal

St. Mark the Evangelist - Greater Litanies

The feast of St. Mark the Evangelist is a Double of the Second Class. The liturgical colour of the feast is red. Today is also the celebration of the Greater Litanies: the Litanies more ancient than those sung on the Rogation days and ones, traditionally, sung with greater solemnity. St. Mark was particularly close to St. Peter. He is one of the Four Evangelists and is traditionally represented by a lion (as can be seen in the icon above) as it is one of the four beasts in the Prophecy of Ezechiel. St. Mark preached in Egypt and was martyred in Alexandria.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Sancti tui etc were sung with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The chapter was Stabunt justi. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of the Octave Day of the Solemnity of St. Joseph and of St. Fidelis of Sigmaringa.

At Mattins the invitatory, hymn, antiphon on the psalms of each nocturn are from the Common of Apostles. In the first nocturn the lesson are the Incipit of the Book of the Prophet Ezechiel, Et factum est trigesimo anno etc., from the Common of Evangelists in Paschaltide. The responsories are also from this Common. In the second nocturn lessons four and five are from St. Jerome on ecclesiastic writers, the sixth lesson is from St. Gregory's writing on Ezechiel. In the third nocturn the homily is from the Common of Evangelists along with its responsories. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons Sancti tui etc., from the Common of Apostles, are sung with the Dominical psalms (Pss. 92, 99, 62, Benedicite & 148).

At the Hours the hymns have the Doxology of Paschaltide. At Prime the festal psalms are sung (Pss. 53, 118i & 118ii) and the lectio brevis is Scimus quoniam etc.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Greater Litanies. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Apostles.

In Cathedral and Collegiate Churches two High Masses are sung.  The first, after Terce, is of St. Mark but without any commemoration of the Greater Litanies.  After None the Paschal Candle is extinguished and the antependia changed to violet.  The celebrant, vested in violet cope, assisted by deacon and subdeacon in violet dalmatic and tunicle reverence the altar then kneel and pray for a short while. They rise and the cantors begin the antiphon Exsurge Domine. The choir continue....adjuva nos, et libera nos, propter nomen tuam. Ps. Deus auribus nostris audivimus patres nostri annuntiaverunt nobis. Gloria Patri etc, Sicut erat etc and then Exsurge Domine is repeated. All all kneel (except the crucifer and acolytes who go and stand at the entrance of the choir) and the cantors then begin the Litany of the Saints. This is sung in the full form, and not the shorter form used on Holy Saturday. Each invocation is doubled, i.e. the cantors sing e.g. Pater de caelis, Deus, miserere nobis and this is repeated in its entirety by everyone else. When Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis has been repeated all rise and the Procession sets off.

The Procession goes outside of the Church and may visit other Churches on its route. In this case the celebrant is offered lustral water at the entrance to the church and processes to the High Altar. After a moment for silent prayer the choir signs the antiphon of the patron of the church, its versicle and response (with Alleluia added as it is Paschaltide) and the celebrant sings the collect of the Patron. The Litany is then resumed and the Procession continues. If the Procession has a long route the Litany, from Sancta Maria etc may be repeated or the Seven Penitential Psalms sung to the tonus in directum. When the Procession enters the church where Mass will be celebrated, lustral water is received on entering and the Procession goes to the sanctuary. All kneel as the Litany ends. The celebrant intones Pater noster etc and then the cantors sing psalm 69. After the versicles that follow the celebrant stands to sing the ten collects. He then kneels again as Exaudiat nos etc is sung. The ministers then rise and the celebrant changes from a cope to chasuble and all put on their maniples. The Mass Exaudivit is then sung without any commemoration of St. Mark. The chants are those used for ferial Masses. The Gloria is not sung, there are the additional prayers of the season. There is no Creed. The preface of Paschaltide is sung to the ferial tone, the dismissal is Benedicamus Domino. 

Where the Procession takes place and there is only one Mass then that Mass is of the Greater Litanies (except in churches whose titular is St. Mark) with a commemoration of St. Mark.

Vespers are second Vespers of the feast of St. Mark. After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the following feast of SS Cletus and Marcellinus.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' St. Mark's feast loses first Vespers and Vespers yesterday were of St. Fielis of Sigmaringa without any commemoration of St. Mark. At the Hours the hymns do not have the Paschaltide Doxology or tone and the antiphons and psalms are from the ferial Psalter. At Prime the lectio brevis is of the season. At Masses other than that following the Procession a commemoration of the Greater Litanies is made under one conclusion with the collect of St. Mark. The Rogation Procession may be replaced by another suitable service at the discretion of the Ordinary. During the Procession the petitions of the Litany are not doubled and the collects at the end of the Litany have the short conclusion. At the Mass following the Procession the preparatory prayers, Judica me Deus etc, are omitted. The dismissal is Ite, missa est. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Art: A Coptic icon of St. Mark from Wikipedia.

Third Sunday after Pascha

The Third Sunday after Pascha is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is white. It is also the Sunday within the Octave of the Solemnity of St. Joseph. The Gospel pericopes from St. John 16 have the LORD telling the Disciples that in a little while He will be going to the Father.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the psalms of Saturday were sung under the single antiphon Alleluia. The Office hymn was Ad regias Agni dapes. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of the fourth day within the Octave and of St. Anselm. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Paschal Doxology, the Dominical preces were omitted due to the occurring double feast and Octave.

At Mattins the invitatory is the great proclamation of the Resurrection, Surrexit Dominus vere, Alleluia. The Office hymn is Rex sempiterne Caelitum. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the book of the Apocalypse of St. John. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from a sermon of St. Augustine and in the third nocturn St. Augustine also provides the homily on St. John's Gospel. At Lauds, after the collect of the Sunday, commemorations are sung of St. Anselm and of the Octave of St. Joseph.

At Prime and the Hours the hymns have the Paschal Doxology. At Prime the Dominical preces are omitted due to the occurring double feast and Octave.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Anselm, the third collect is of the Octave. The Creed is sung and the Paschaltide preface is sung.

Masses other than Conventual Masses may all be of the Solemnity of St. Joseph. Before the reform of 1011-13 this feast was celebrated on the Third Sunday after Pascha. The Mass Adjutor is sung, as on the feast. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday, the Creed is sung. The preface is of St. Joseph and the last Gospel is of the Sunday. The liturgical colour is white.

Vespers are of the Sunday with the psalms sung under a single antiphon. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following Office of SS Soter and Cajus, St. Anselm and of the Octave. At Compline the Domincal preces are omitted due to the occurring double feasts and the Octave.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations at either Vespers. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. There are no commemorations at Lauds or Mass. The feast and Octave of the Solemnity of St. Joseph have been abolished - indeed most 'Traddies following their 'ancient' liturgy are blissfully unaware of even its existence. At the Hours the hymns are sung without the Paschal Doxology. Mass has a single collect.

Art: Jerome Nadal

The Solemnity of St. Joseph

Today is the Solemnity of St. Joseph Spouse of the Blessed Virgin and Patron of the Universal Church. It is a Double of the First class with an Octave and is the primary feast of St. Joseph. The feast was introduced into the Universal Kalendar by Pius IX in 1847 as the 'Patronage of St. Joseph' as a double of the second class to be celebrated on the third Sunday after Easter. In 1870 the feast was raised to a double of the first class and given an octave with 'Patron of the Church' added. In 1911 the feast was renamed the Solemnity of St. Joseph and became a primary double of the first class. In 1913 the celebration was moved to the Wednesday after the second Sunday after Easter. Although relatively modern the feast is a fine example of typology with the Patriarch Joseph being used as a 'type' of the foster-father of the LORD. This year the feast of St. Anicetus is not observed.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Jacob autem etc were sung with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The chapter was proper and the hymn was Te Joseph celebrent agmina Caelitum. At Compline the Dominical psalms were sung, Te lucis had the Paschal Doxology.

The Office is proper. At Mattins the invitatory is Laudemus Deum nostrum In veneratione beati Joseph, protectoris nostri, alleluia. The antiphons of the nocturns are proper and, as at Vespers, rather beautiful:

Angelus Domini apparuit in somnis Joseph, dicens: Surge, et accipe Puerum et Matrem ejus, et fuge in Ægyptum; et esto ibi, usque dum dicam tibi, alleluia.

Angelus Domini apparuit in somnis Joseph, dicens: Surge, et accipe Puerum et Matrem ejus, et vade in terram Israel; defunct sunt enim qui quaerebant animam Pueri, alleluia.

Consurgens Joseph, accepit Puerum et Matrem ejus, et venit in terram Israel; et habitavit in civitate, quae vocatur Nazareth, alleluia.

In the first nocturn the lessons are from the book of Genesis and are extended in comparison to those for St. Joseph's 19 March feast. In the second nocturn the lessons are from a sermon on St. Joseph by St. Bernardine of Siena and in the third nocturn the homily is from St. Augustine on the Gospel fragment from St. Luke. At Lauds the antiphons from Vespers are sung with the Sunday psalms (92, 99, 62, Benedicite & 148).

At Prime the festal psalms (53, 118i & 118ii) are sung under the first antiphon of Lauds. At Prime and the Hours the hymns are sung with the Paschaltide Doxology.

Mass follows Terce and is proper, with the introit Adjutor. The Gloria and Creed are sung and the preface is that of St. Joseph.

At second Vespers the antiphons, psalms and hymn are those that were sung yesterday at first Vespers. The vericle and its respond along with the antiphon on the Magnificat are proper. At Compline the Domincial psalms are sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Solemnity of St. Joseph simply does not exist as this beautiful feast was shamefully supressed in 1956 to be replaced by the appalling 'San Giuseppe Comunista'. Today is merely a fourth class feria of Paschaltide with a commemoration of St. Anicetus at Lauds and Low Mass.

Second Sunday after Pascha

The Second Sunday after Pascha is sometimes referred to as 'Good Shepherd Sunday' from the words of the Epistle from I Peter "For you were as sheep gone astray: but you are now converted to the shepherd and bishop of your souls" and from the Gospel where the LORD proclaims "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep." The Sunday is also often referred to as Misericordia after the opening words of the introit. The Sunday is of semi-double rite and the liturgical colour of the Sunday is white.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the psalms of Vespers for Saturday were sung under the single antiphon, Alleluia. The chapter, Carissimi: Christus passus est pro nobis etc, was proper to the Sunday, the Office hymn was Ad regias Agni dapes. The antiphon on the Magnificat reinforced the theme of the Sunday, Ego sum pastor ovium. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Hermengild, St. Justin and of SS Tiburtius and Valerian. At Compline Te lucis was sung to the Paschal tone with the Doxology Deo Patri sit gloria etc and the Dominical preces were omitted due to the double feasts.

At Mattins the invitatory, Surrexit Dominus, and hymn, Rex sempiterne, are sung as last Sunday. Again, at the nocturns the psalms are sung under one antiphon. In the first nocturn the lessons are from the Acts of the Apostles. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from the first sermon on the Ascension of the Lord by St. Leo. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Gregory. At Lauds the Sunday psalms (Pss. 92, 99, 62, Benedicite & 148) are sung under a single antiphon. The Office hymn is Aurora caelum purpurat. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of St. Justin and SS Tiburtius and Valerian.

At the Hours the psalms are sung under an antiphon consisting of a triple Alleluia. At Prime the Dominical psalms are sung (Pss. 117, 118i & 118ii), but the Dominical preces are omitted.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Justin, the third collect is of SS Tiburtius and Valerian. The Creed is sung and the preface is of Paschaltide.

Vespers are of the Sunday, with the psalms sung under a single antiphon. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of St. Justin. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations at either Vespers. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. There are no commemorations at Lauds. The hymns at the Little Hours do not have the Paschaltide Doxology. At Mass there is only a single collect.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Annunciation of the BVM

The feast of the Annunciation of the BVM is a double of the first class and the liturgical colour is white. This year the feast is transferred from Holy Week to today.

At first Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons, Missus est Gabriel Angelus ad Mariam etc., proper to the feast, were sung with the psalms from the Common of the BVM (Pss.109, 112, 121, 126 & 147). The chapter was proper to the feast, the Office hymn, Ave Maris stella, from the Common. The antiphon on the Magnificat and collect, again, proper to the feast. After the collect of the feast a commemoration of the Sunday was sung. At Compline the Dominical psalms were sung. The hymn, Te lucis, was sung with the Doxology in honour of the Incarnation, Jesu tibi sit gloria etc, with the hymn sung to the melody used with that Doxology.

At Mattins the invitatory is Ave Maria gratia plena Dominus tecum. The hymn, antiphons and psalms (with the exception of the ninth antiphon, Angelus Domini etc) are from the Common. In the first nocturn the lessons are from the Prophet Isaiah. The responsories are proper to the feast and are paricularly beautiful. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from the second sermon on the Nativity by St. Leo. In the third nocturn the ninth antiphon is Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae etc and the lessons are from a homily by St. Ambrose's second book on St. Luke' Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons are those that were sung yesterday at Vespers sung with th Dominical psalms. Again the chapter and antiphon on the Benedictus are proper, the Office hymn is from the Common.

At Prime Jam lucis is sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation. In the short responsory the verse Qui natus es is sung and the short lesson is proper to the feast, Egredietur virga de radice Jesse etc. The antiphons of Lauds are used throughout the Little Hours. At all the Little Hours the hymns are sung to the melody and Doxology of the Incarnation.

Mass is sung after Terce. At Mass the Gloria is sung, the Gospel pericope is from St. Luke and the account of the Angel Gabriel's visit to the Virgin. The Creed is sung, the preface is of the BVM, with the clause Et te in Annuntiatione.

At Vespers the antiphons and psalms are those sung as at first Vespers. The antiphon on the Magnificat is proper. At Compline again the Dominical psalms are sung and Te lucis is sung to the tone and Doxology of the Incarnation.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the hymns of the Little Hours do not have the Doxology of the Incarnation. At Prime the short lesson is of the season not proper to the feast.

Dominica in Albis - Low Sunday

Dominica in Albis, Low Sunday, is interesting in that it is a Greater-double of the first class. The Sunday is also often referred to as Quasimodo from the first words of its introit. Anciently on this day those who had been baptised on Holy Saturday took off their white robes which had been worn since the Oil of Catechumens and Chrism had been lavished upon them on Holy Saturday. The Gospel at Mattins and Mass is the account of the LORD appearing in to His disciples behind the shut doors of the room and the doubting of St. Thomas.

At Vespers yesterday the psalms of Saturday were sung under the single antiphon, Alleluia. Chapters and hymns return to the Office from this Vespers. The Paschaltide hymn Ad regias Agni dapes was sung. Its Doxology is sung at all hymns of Iambic metre: Deo Patri sit gloria, Et Filio qui a mortuis, Surrexit ac Paraclito, In sempiterna saecula. From this Office the dismissal, Benedicamus Domino, is sung without the double Alleluia that marked Easter Week. Indeed the Office of the Octave of Pascha ended with None. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory Surrexit Dominus vere Alleluia continues to be sung. The Office hymn is Rex Sempiterne Caelitum. The psalms of each nocturn are sung under a single antiphon. In the first nocturn the antiphon is Alleluia, * lapis revolutus est, alleluia: ab ostio monumenti, alleluia, alleluia and the lessons are from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Colossians. In the second nocturn the antiphon is Alleluia, * quem quaeris mulier? alleluia, alleluia, viventem cum mortuis, alleluia, alleluia and the lessons are taken from a sermon of St. Augustine on the Octave of Easter. In the third nocturn the antiphon is Alleluia, * noli flere Maria, alleluia: resurrexit Dominus, alleluia, alleluia and the homily is from the writings of St. Gregory on St. John's Gospel. At Lauds the Sunday psalms (Pss. 92, 99, 62, Benedicite & 148) are sung under a single antiphon,
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. (A tragic loss in the reform of 1911-13 was the loss of the ancient nine-fold Alleluia that had been sung with psalms 92, 99 & 62-66). The Office hymn is Aurora caelum purpurat. The Suffrage is omitted.

At Prime (Pss. 117, 118i & 118ii) and the Hours the psalms are again sung under a single antiphon at each Hour, Alleluia, * alleluia, alleluia - which is not doubled of course, even today.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, there is a single collect. The Creed is sung, the preface is of Paschaltide (In hoc potissimum).

Vespers are first Vespers of the great feast of the Annunciation, transferred from March 25th. The antiphons, Missus est Gabriel Angelus ad Mariam etc., are proper to the feast and are sung with the psalms from the Common of the BVM (Pss.109, 112, 121, 126 & 147). The chapter is proper to the feast, the Office hymn, Ave Maris stella, from the Common. The antiphon on the Magnificat and collect are again proper to the feast. After the collect of the feast a commemoration of the Sunday is sung. At Compline the Dominical psalms aresung. The hymn, Te lucis, is sung with the Doxology in honour of the Incarnation, Jesu tibi sit gloria etc, with the hymn sung to the melody used with that Doxology.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' Mattins is reduced to a single nocturn of three lessons with the single antiphon Alleluia, lapis revolutus etc. At the Hours the Paschaltide Doxology is not sung. At Mass there is a change to one word in the introit as 'rationabile' replaced 'rationabiles' in the 1953 edition of the Roman Missal and subsequent editions. The great feast of the Annunciation loses its first Vespers in favour of the Sunday so Vespers are of the Sunday with a mere commemoration of the Annunciation. At Compline the ordinary Doxology and tone are sung with Te lucis.

Image: Jerome Nadal.

The old Nine-fold Alleluia

The full book available here.

Some Paschal Octave musings

The blogger The Rad Trad has made some interesting comments here of late. I would urge readers to view some of the recent posts on his own blog. In particular I would draw readers' attention to Palm Sunday: An Excercise in Ignorance; Good Friday: Mass of the Pre-Sanctified and Holy Saturday: Anticipation. The Rad Trad has collated numerous photographs of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest from a decade or so ago when it was more interested in liturgical orthopraxis - well worth a look. The Rad Trad's image at the head of his post on Holy Saturday shews the scene in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, in the rotunda around the Aedicule - the structure that houses the Tomb of Christ. Every NOON on Holy Saturday, to this day, fire is miraculously produced within the Aedicule that is distributed to the faithful and flown to various destinations across the globe.

In one of his comments on this blog The Rad Trad mentions the peculiar practices of using 'saints' relics as a bookstand' and 'worshipping the Paschal Candle'. For the benefit of readers not familiar with some of the horrors of the committee-work fabrications of the 1950s here are some useful diagrams.

Above is a photograph from J.B. O'Connell's 'The Ceremonies of Holy Week', Burns Oates, 1957 (Third edition). This shews the simplex form of the novel 'Vigil' with the Paschal Candle on its 'temporary' stand in the middle of choir. Here it is censed, with the celebrant/deacon going around it, sung to and, in the diagram, has the blessing of waters done versus populum on a table in front of it.

As to relics of the Saint's being used as a book stand a diagram from the same work illustrates this perfectly (below):

The book is bang in the centre of the altar, the bottom of its pages parallel with the edge of the mensa. When in the history of the Roman liturgy did this ever happen? The worst of false archaeology and committee work, inorganic , fabrication in praxis. On the other hand, thank God old Pius XII didn't mandate the celebrant sitting on the relics of the Saints, only a book. If you doubt me good readers, it has happened:

Let us hope the chap sitting on the mensa used wet-wipes otherwise the sacristans might have had a most unpleasant task laundering the altar cloths.