Sexagesima Sunday

Sexagesima Sunday is a semi-double of the second class and itsliturgical colour is violet. The Sunday is characterised by a very lengthy Epistle, from St. Paul's Latter Epistle to the Corinthians. The Gospel pericopes are from St. Luke and the parable of the sower with his seed landing on rock, amongst weeds and on the good ground. The anticipated Vigil of St. Matthias was commemorated in the Office of St. Peter's Chair at Antioch yesterday.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms were of Saturday. The chapter was proper to Septuagesima, Fratres: Libenter suffertis, and the Office hymn was Jam sol recedit igneus. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Peter's Chair at Antioch, of St. Paul the Apostle.and of St. Peter Damian. The Suffrage was omitted due to the concurring double feasts and the Dominical preces were omitted at Compline.

At Mattins the antiphons and psalms are from the Psalter for Sundays. In the first nocturn the lessons continue to be read from Genesis (Ch. 5 & 6), the beginning of the story of Noah. In the second nocturn the lessons are from St. Ambrose on Noah and the Ark and in the third nocturn the lessons are a homily from St. Gregory on the Gospel of the seed falling on good and poor ground. A ninth responsory, Cum turba plurima, is sung in place of the Te Deum.

At Lauds the 'second scheme' of psalms is sung: Pss 50, 117, 62, Canticle of the Three Children (Benedictus es) and 148. The antiphons at Lauds are proper for Sexagesima Sunday, Secundum magnam misericordiam as are the chapter and antiphon on the Benedictus. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of St. Peter Damian. The Suffrage of All Saints is omitted.

At Prime the order of psalmody is Pss. 92, 99 (displaced at Lauds) 118i & 118ii. At the Hours the antiphons, Semen cecidit etc, and chapters are proper to Sexagesima Sunday. The Dominical preces are omtted at Prime.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is omitted, the second collect is of St. Peter Damian. Today there is no third collect. A Tract is sung after the Gradual, the Creed is sung , the Preface is of Trinity and Benedicamus Domino is sung as the dismissal by the deacon facing the altar.

At Vespers there is a colour change to red and first Vespers of St. Matthias the Apostle are sung. The antiphons Hoc est praeceptum meum etc are sung with the psalms (Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116) from the Common of Apostles. The Office hymn is Exsultet orbis gaudiis. After the, proper, collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the Sunday and of St. Peter Damian. At Compline the Domincal preces are omitted.

In the once happily abrogated 'liturgical books of 1962' Vigils are not anticipated and the Vigil of St. Matthias has been abolished. ~At Vespers on Saturday there were no commemorations. Mattins is reduced to a single nocturn. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Prime the arrangement of psalms is Pss. 53, 118i, 118ii. At Mass there are is only one collect and Benedicamus Domino is suppressed in favour of Ite, missa est. Vespers are of the Sunday without any commemorations, even of an Apostle.

Art: Jerome Nadal