VII Sunday after Pentecost

The seventh Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour, from Mattins onwards, is green. The Gospel pericopes from St. Matthew contain the words of warning from the LORD concerning false prophets appearing as sheep but who, in reality, are wolves.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon (second Vespers for the feast of St. Anne) the antiphons Dum esset Rex etc were sung with 109, 112, 121, 126 & 147. The Office hymn was Fortem virili pectore. After the collect of the feast a commemoration was sung of the Sunday. The Suffrage of the Saints was not sung due to the double feast. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted for the same reason.

At Mattins the invitatory is Dominum qui fecit nos and the Officie hymn isNocte surgentes. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the Third Book of the Kings. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from am epistle of St. Jerome to Nepotianus. In the third nocturn the homily on St. Matthew's Gospel is from St. Hiliary. The Te Deum is sung. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the Office hymn is Ecce jam noctis. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of St. Pantaleon followed by the Suffrage of the Saints.

At Prime (Pss. 117, 118i & 118ii) both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are sung.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Pantaleon, the third collect is A cunctis. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Blessed Trinity.

At Vespers (Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113) the Office hymn is Lucis Creator. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of the following feast SS Nazarius and Others followed by the Suffrage of the Saints. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there is no commememoration of St. Pantaleon and no Suffrage. At Prime both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted. At Mass there is a single collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations, nor Suffrage. At Compline the Domincial preces are omitted.

Art: Jerome Nadal

VI Sunday after Pentecost

The sixth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. The Gospel pericopes from St. Mark's Gospel describe the Feeding of the Four Thousand with seven loaves and fishes.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms of Saturday were sung. The Office hymn was Jam sol recedit igneus. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Vincent de Paul and of St. Jerome Aemiliani and St. Margaret. The Suffrage of the Saints was omitted due to the double feasts. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted for the same reason.

At Mattins the invitatory is Dominum qui fecit nos, Venite adoremus and the Office hymn is Nocte surgentes vigilemus omnes. In the first nocturn the lessons are from the twelfth chapter of the Second Book of the Kings. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from St. Ambrose's Defence of David. Again, St. Ambrose provides the homily in the third nocturn on St. Mark's Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds, following the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of St. Jerome Aemiliani and of St. Margaret. The Suffrage is omitted due to the occurring double feast.

At Prime psalms 117, 118i & 118ii are sung. Both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Jerome Aemiliani, the third collect is of St. Margaret. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Blessed Trinity.

At Vespers the antiphons and psalms of Sunday (Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113). The Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of St. Praxedes and of St. Jerome Aemiliani. The Suffrage is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations at either Vespers. Mattins is reduced to a single nocturn of three lessons. There are no commemorations at Lauds. Mass has a single collect.

Mattins and Lauds

The two images above come from an 1861 copy of the Breviarium Romanum available on Google Books. In the pre-1914 Breviary there was no 'Ordinary of the Divine Office' and after the initial pages of rubrics, calendar and tables Sunday at Mattins was printed followed by the rest of the Office for Sundays, then Mattins and Lauds for the other Days, then Vespers for the other days and finally Compline. One can clearly see from the above that the Pater, Ave and Credo are said before Mattins yet nothing is said before Lauds and the presumption that choral Office is taking place and that Lauds will form one service with Mattins.

Above is a photograph from the Hiemalis volume of a 1932 Dessain Breviary set (indeed the set used for compiling the Ordo). The introduction of the 'Ordinary' makes the book more 'user friendly'. One can see quite clearly that the traditional praxis is now made very clear in the rubrics. In public Office Mattins and Lauds are never separated - with one sort of exception at Christmas. Mattins of the Nativity of the LORD are sung then the Missa in Gallicantu follows immediately. After the last Gospel then Lauds follow so there is really one service, the choir remaining in their places throughout. One can see too the very clear direction that in private recitation of the Office, when Lauds may be separated from Mattins, then a Pater and Ave are said before the Deus in adjutorium.

From the 1st January 1961 the traditional praxis for the Roman rite changed with Rubricarum instructum coming into force and it was possible to have choral Mattins and Lauds as two distinct and separate services. This really is basic history of the twentieth century reform of the liturgy but some people out there do seem to want to obscure facts in the fabrication of their constructs.

Happy birthday!

Today marks the 113th birthday of the late Mgr. Alfred Newman Canon Gilbey, Protonotary Apostolic. May he enjoy it in the Court of Heaven. He used to say he thanked the Almighty that he was not born a day earlier, the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne, or a day later, the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille. A remarkable man and without doubt the very finest cleric and gentleman this writer has ever known.

To share one wonderful anecdote: When once Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother visited the Travellers Club She met Mgr. Gilbey on the stairs. "I believe I am a year old than you" She commented. Mgr. Gilbey replied, no doubt with the famous twinkle in his eyes "Impossible Madam. There is only one Lady in the realm older than me and that is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Good night to you Madam."

V Sunday after Pentecost

The fifth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms of Saturday were sung. The Office hymn was Jam sol recedit igneus. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. John Gualbert and of St. Anacletus. The Suffrage of the Saints was omitted due to the double feast. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted for the same reason.

At Mattins the invitatory is Dominum qui fecit nos and the Officie hymn isNocte surgentes. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the Second Book of the Kings. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from St. Gregory the Great's Book on Morals. In the third nocturn the homily on St. Matthew's Gospel is from St. Augustine. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the Office hymn is Ecce jam noctis. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration of St. Anacletus is sung followed by the Suffrage of the Saints.

At Prime (Pss. 117, 118i & 118ii) both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are sung.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Anacletus, the third collect is A cunctis. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Blessed Trinity.

At Vespers the antiphons and psalms (109, 110, 111, 112 & 113) of Sunday are sung. The Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following feast of St. Bonaventure and of St. Anacletus. The Suffrage is omitted at Vespers as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

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 is no commemoration at Lauds nor Suffrage. St. Anacletus has been struck out of the Calendar. At Prime Quicumque is omitted as are the Dominical preces. Mass has a single collect.

Art: Jerome Nadal

IV Sunday after Pentecost

The fourth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms of Saturday were sung. The chapter was O altitudo, from Romans, and the Office hymn was Jam sol recedit igneus. This chapter and hymn are used now on all of the 'green' Sundays. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Antony Zaccaria and of the Octave of SS Peter and Paul. The Suffrage was omitted as were the Dominical preces at Compline.

At Mattins the invitatory is Dominum qui fecit nos and the 'summer' hymn Nocte surgentes is sung. In the first nocturn the lessons are taken from the First Book of Kings. In the second nocturn the lessons are from a sermon of St. Augustine and in the third nocturn the homily is from St. Ambrose on the Gospel account from St. Luke on the huge catch of fish at the lake of Genesareth. At Lauds the Office hymn is Ecce jam noctis. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration of the Octave Day of SS Peter and Paul is sung. The Suffrage is omitted.

At Prime both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted due to the occurring Octave Day.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Octave Day. There is no third collect today. The Creed is sung, the preface is of the Blessed Trinity and the last Gospel is of the Octave Day.

Vespers are of the Sunday. The Office hymn is Lucis creator optime. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following feast of SS Cyril and Methodius and of the Octave Day of SS Peter and Paul. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations at Vespers. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Mass there is a single collect and the last Gospel is In principio. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal