XII Sunday after Pentecost

The twelfth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. This year it is the first Sunday of September. It marks the beginning of the Pars Autumnalis volume of the Breviary.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms of Saturday were sung. The Office hymn was Jam sol recedit igneus. The antiphon on the Magnificat was Cum audisset Job for the Saturday before the first Sunday of September. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Rose of Lima and of St. Raymund Nonnatus. The Suffrage was omitted as were the Dominical preces at Compline.

At Mattins the invitatory is Dominum qui fecit nos and the Office hymn isNocte surgentes. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the Book of Job. In the second nocturn the lessons are from St. Gregory's Book of Morals and in the third nocturn the homily on the Gospel is from the writings of the Venerable Bede. 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. Raymund Nonnatus. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted.

At Prime both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Raymund Nonnatus. There is no third collect today. The Creed is sung and the preface is that of the Blessed Trinity.

At Vespers the Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following feast of St. Giles, of St. Raymund Nonnatus and of the Twelve Holy Brother. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted due to the double feasts.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the first Sunday of September will be a week later and this Sunday is the fifth Sunday of August. At Vespers yesterday the antiphon on the Magnificat was Observa fili. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Mass there is but a single collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal

St. Bartholomew the Apostle

The feast of St. Bartholomew the Apostle is a Double of the Second Class and the liturgical colour of the day is red. The feast was preceded by a Vigil yesterday and although the Office of the Vigil was outranked by the double feast of St. Philip Benizi it was commemorated at Mattins, Lauds and Mass. In Cathedral and Collegiate churches the Mass of the feast was celebrated after Terce, the Mass of the Vigil after None. However, 'private' Masses of the Vigil, celebrated in violet with a commemoration of the feast, were permitted. Today the eleventh Sunday after Pentecost is commemorated at Vespers, Mattins, Lauds and Mass.

At first Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Hoc est praeceptum meum etc were sung with the psalms of first Vespers from the Common Apostles (Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116). The Office hymn was Exsultet orbis gaudiis. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Philip Benizi and of the Sunday (the antiphon on the Magnificat being Sapientia for the Saturday before the fourth Sunday of August). The Suffrage was omitted due to the double feasts. At Compline the Dominical psalms were sung and the Dominical preces preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory is Regem Apostolorum Dominum, venite adoremus and the Office hymn is Aeterna Christi munera. In the first nocturn the antiphons In omnem terram etc are sung with psalms 18, 33 & 44. The lessons are Sic nos existimet homo from the former Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. In the second nocturn the antiphons Principes populorum etc are sung with psalms 46, 60 & 63 followed by lessons proper to the feast. In the third nocturn the antiphons Exaltabuntur etc are sung with psalms 74, 96 & 98. The homily is taken from a commentary by St. Ambrose on St. Luke's Gospel. The ninth lesson is of the Sunday. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons Hoc est praeceptum meum etc are sung with psalms 92, 99, 62, Benedicite & 148. The Office hymn is Exsultet orbis gaudiis. After the collect of the feast a commemoration of the Sunday is sung.

At the Hours the antiphons from Lauds are sung in the usual order. At Prime the festal psalms are sung (Pss. 53, 118i, 118ii). Both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted. The lectio brevis is Ibant Apostoli.

Mass is sung after Terce. The introit is Mihi autem nimis. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday. The Creed is sung, the preface is of the Apostles and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

At Vespers the antiphons Juravit Dominus etc are sung with psalms 109, 112, 115, 125 & 138. The Office hymn is again Exsultet orbis gaudiis. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the following Office of St. Louis and of the Sunday. The Suffrage is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the feast is outranked by the 'green' Sunday. Regardless the feast has lost its first Vespers and Vigil. At Vespers, of the Sunday, there are no commemorations. At Compline yesterday the ferial psalms were sung. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. St. Bartholomew is commemorated at Lauds. At said Masses there is a second collect of St. Bartholomew, in sung celebrations there is but a single collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Icon: Melkite Eparchy in Australia

X Sunday after Pentecost

The tenth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour, from Mattins onwards, is green. This year it is the third Sunday of August and the Sunday within the Octave of the Assumption.

Vespers yesterday afternoon were second Vespers of St. Joachim. The antiphons Domine, quinque, talenta etc were sung with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn was Iste Confessor. After the collect of the feast a commemoration of the Sunday was sung (the antiphon on the Magnificat being Omnis sapientia for the Saturday before the third Sunday of August) and of St. Hyacinth. The Suffrage of the Saints was omitted as were the Dominical preces at Compline. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Doxology and melody of the Incarnation, Jesu tibi sit gloria etc.

At Mattins the invitatory is Dominum qui fecit nos and the Office hymn isNocte surgentes. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the Book of Wisdom. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from St. Ambrose's Book of Offices. In the third nocturn the lessons are from section from St. Augustine's 36th sermon on the words of the LORD. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the Office hymn is Ecce jam noctis. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of St. Hyacinth, of the Octave of the Assumption and of the Octave Day of St. Lawrence. The Suffrage is omitted.

At Prime and the Hours the hymns are sung with the Doxology and melody of the Incarnation. At Prime (Pss. 117, 118i & 118ii) both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted, the versicle in the short responsory is Qui natus etc.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Hyacinth, the third collect is of the Octave of the Assumption and the fourth collect is of the Octave Day of St. Lawrence. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Holy Trinity.

Being Sunday within the Octave of the Assumption a Mass of St. Joachim, whose feast prior to the 1911-13 reform was celebrated on the Sunday withing the Octave, may be celebrated. The liturgical colour is white. A commemoration is sung of the Sunday, the preface is of the Sunday as is the last Gospel.

asAt Vespers (Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113) the Office hymn is Lucis creator, sung with the Doxlogy and melody of the Incarnation. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following Office of the fourth day within the Octave of the Assumption, of St. Hyacinth and of the Octave Day of St. Lawrence. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Doxology and melody of the Incarnation.


In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Octaves of the Assumption and of St. Lawrence have been abolished. At Vespers on Saturday there is no commemoration of St. Hyacinth. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there are no commemorations. The hymns are sung with the ordinary Doxology and tone used for Sundays. At Mass there is a single collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal

St. Lawrence

The feast of St. Lawrence is a Double of the Second Class in the Universal Kalendar and, amongst many other things, Patron of the Saint Lawrence Press. St. Lawrence's body is interred in the basilica of St. Lawrence-without-the-Walls in Rome. St. Lawrence was the first of the seven Roman deacons and known for his generosity to the poor. He was martyred in 258, according to tradition, on a grid iron and asked his tormentors to turn him over as his flesh was fully roasted on the one side. The liturgical colour of the feast is red. St. Lawrence is listed in the Communicantes of the Canon. The feast is ancient and appears in the Leonine and other early sacramentaries. The feast is preceded by a Vigil.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Laurentius ingressus est martyr etc were sung with psalms from the Common of Apostles, Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn was Deus, tuorum militum. The chapter, antiphon on the Magnificat and collect were proper, the rest of the Office from the Common of Martyrs. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. John Mary Vianney and of the Sunday (the antiphon on the Magnificat being Ego in altissimis for the Saturday before the second Sunday of August). The Suffrage was omitted as were the Dominical preces at Compline.

At Mattins the invitatory is Beatus Laurentius, Christi Martyr, triumphat coronatus in caelis: Venite, adoremus Dominum and the Office hymn, again, Deus, tuorum militum. In the first nocturn the antiphons Quo progredis etc are sung with psalms 1, 2 & 3. The lessons in the first nocturn are from the Book of Eccesiasticus. In the second nocturn the antiphons Beatus Laurentius etc are sung with psalms 4, 5 & 8. The lessons are from a sermon of St. Leo on St. Lawrence. In the third nocturn the antiphons Strinxerunt etc are sung 14, 16 & 20. The lessons in the third nocturn are from a sermon of St. Augustine on St. John's Gospel. The ninth lesson is of the Sunday. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons Laurentius ingressus est martyr etc are sung with Dominical psalms and the Office hymn is Invicte Martyr, unicum. After the collect of the feast a commemoration of the Sunday is sung.

At Prime and the Hours the antiphons from Lauds, Laurentius etc., are sung with the festal psalms. At Prime the Dominical preces are omitted and the lectio brevis is Potens est autem. At the Hours the Dominical psalms are sung.

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

At second Vespers the antiphons Laurentius etc are again sung, at this Office with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 115. The V&R are proper to the feast. After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the Sunday. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the green Sunday takes precedence over the feast. The Octave has been abolished. Mattins, of the Sunday, is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds a commemoration of St. Lawrence is sung. At sung Masses there is but a single collect and no mention of St. Lawrence. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

VIII Sunday after Pentecost

The eighth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. Today is also the first Sunday of August. The Gospel pericopes from St. Luke contain the parable about the unjust steward.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms of Saturday were sung. The Office hymn was Jam sol recedit igneus. The antiphon on the Magnificat was Saptentia for the Saturday before the first Sunday of August. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Alphonsus and of the Finding of the Body of St. Stephen. The Suffrage of the Saints was not sung due to the concurrent double feast. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted for the same reason.

At Mattins the invitatory is Dominum qui fecit nos and the Office hymn isNocte surgentes. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipiunt of the Proverbs of Solomon. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from a tract of St. Ambrose on the 118th Psalm. In the third nocturn the homily on St. Luke's Gospel is from St. Jerome. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds, after the collect of the Sunday, a commemoration is sung of the Finding of the Body of St. Stephen 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 the Finding of the Body of St. Stephen, the third collect is A cunctis. The Creed is sung and the preface is 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. Dominica and of the Finding of the Body of St. Stephen. The Suffrage is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline due to the concurring double feast.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations at either Vespers. The feast of the Finding of the Body of St. Stephen has been abolished. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. There are no commemorations at Lauds. Mass has a single collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal