Vigil of All Saints

The Vigil of All Saints is of simple rite and its liturgical colour is violet. As with all 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 Friday. The lessons, proper to the Vigil, in the nocturn are a homily of St. Ambrose from the Common of Several Martyrs. The responsories are from the Friday of the fifth week of October. The Te Deum is not sung. The second scheme of Lauds for Friday is sung with psalms 50, 142, 84, Domine, audivi auditionem tuam, and 147. The Office hymn is Aeterna caeli gloria. 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 (c.f. pre-1911-13 praxis when the Suffrages were sung).

At Prime the psalm displaced from Lauds by the Miserere is added to the psalmody of the day: Pss. 21i, 21ii, 21iii & 98. The chapter is the ferial Pacem et veritatem. Both the Dominical and ferial preces are sung, with the choir kneeling. At the other Hours 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 the feast of All Saints with a corresponding colour change to festive white. The Office is proper and the antiphons Vidi turbam magnam etc are sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 and 116. The Office hymn is Placare, Christe, servulis. At Compline the Dominical psalms are sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Vigil of All Saints has been abolished. Today is kept as a IV class ferial 'green' day. Although a ferial day Prime has the festal Regi saeculorum and no preces Dominical or ferial. Mass is of Pentecost XX, 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 is a Double of the Second Class and the liturgical colour of the feast is red. 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 Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Hoc est praeceptum meum etc were sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn was Exsultet orbis gaudiis. At Compline the Sunday psalms were sung and the Dominical 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 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, again, Exsultet orbis gaudiis. At Compline the Dominical psalms are sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the feast has lost its Vigil and also loses first Vespers. Yesterday Vespers and Compline were from the ferial psalter. At Prime and the Hours today the antiphons and psalms are from the ferial psalter, the lectio brevis is of the season.

Vigil of SS Simon and Jude

The Vigil of SS Simon and Jude is of simple rite and its liturgical colour is violet.

The Office is largely taken from the ferial Office of Monday but the lessons at Mattins and the collect are proper to the Vigil. At Mattins the ferial invitatory, Venite, Exsultemus Domino, is sung and the Office hymn is Somno refectis artubus. The nine antiphons and psalm divisions for Monday are sung followed by the versicle Psallite Domino etc and its response Et confitemini etc. As the lessons for the Vigil contain a Gospel after the Absolution, Exaudi, Domine etc., the first blessing is Evangelica lectio etc. The Gospel fragment is from St. John and the homily is taken from the writings of St. Gregory. The Te Deum is not sung. The second scheme of Lauds for Monday is sung beginning with the antiphon fragment Ecce veniet. 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 sung.

At Prime a fourth psalm is added, that displaced by the Miserere at Lauds, Psalm 46, Omnes Gentes. The chapter is that sung on ferial days, Pacem et veritatem etc. The Dominical and ferial preces are sung, both sets are sung with the choir kneeling. At the other Horae Minores the short set of ferial preces are sung, again the choir kneeling.

Mass is sung after None. Following the normal rules for Vigils four candles are placed on the altar, unlike two on ordinary ferial days. The deacon and sub-deacon wear violet dalmatic and tunicle, not folded chasubles. The chant for the Mass is ferial, the second collect is Concede nos, and the third for the Church. Being a 'kneeling day' all in choir kneel for the orations and from the Sanctus to the response after Pax Domini. As there is no Gloria , following the usual rule, Benedicamus Domino is sung as the dismissal.

Vespers are first Vespers of the Holy Apostles SS Simon and Jude.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' theVigil of SS Simon and Jude has been abolished and the day becomes a mere IV class 'green' ferial day with the Mass of the previous Sunday without Gloria but with Ite missa est. At Mattins the readings are from the second Book of the Machabees, Lauds is the festal form without either the preces or Suffrage. At Prime there is no fourth psalm and Pacem et veritatem has been abolished, replaced always by the festal Regi saeculorum. There are neither Dominical nor ferial preces. Mass (of the preceding Sunday) is sung after Terce. Vespers are of the feria, SS Simon & Jude don't even get a commemoration.

Christ the King

The feast of Christ the King is a Double of the First Class and its liturgical colour is white. This year it is also the twentieth Sunday after Pentecost and the fifth Sunday of October.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Pacificus etc were sung, doubled, 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 (the antiphon on the Magnificat being Tua est potentia for the Saturday before the fifth Sunday of October. 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 (Pss.2, 8 & 23) the lessons are taken from St. Paul's Epistle to the Colossians. In the second nocturn (Pss. 28, 44 & 46) the lessons are taken from Pius XI's encyclical Quas primas. In the third nocturn (Pss. 71, 88i, 88ii) 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 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.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' 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. 88ii) 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. 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 are no commemorations.

XVIII Sunday after Pentecost

The eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour, from Mattins, is green. This year it is the third Sunday of October. The Gospel pericopes from St. Matthew relate the healing of a paralytic, both by being forgiven his sins and physically healed by the LORD.

Vespers yesterday were second Vespers of the feast of the Maternity of the BVM. The antiphons Beata es etc were sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 112, 121, 126 & 147. The Office hymn was the beautiful Ave, maris stella. After the collect of the feast a commemoration was sung of the Sunday (the antiphon on the Magnificat being Lugebat autem Judam for the Saturday before the third Sunday of October). The Suffrage was omitted as were the Dominical preces at Compline. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the melody and Doxology of the Incarnation.

At Mattins the invitatory is Adoremus Dominum and the Office hymn is Primo die. In the first nocturn the lessons continue to be read from Machabees. In the second nocturn the lessons are from St. Ambrose's Book of Offices. In the third nocturn the lessons are a homily from St. Peter Chrysologus on St. Matthew's Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the Office hymn is Aeterne. After the collect of the Sunday the Suffrage of the Saints is sung.

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 A cunctis, the third collect is chosen by the Dean or Rector. The Creed is sung as is the preface of the Blessed Trinity.

Vespers are of the Sunday. The Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of the following Office of St. Edward the Confessor followed by the Suffrage of the Saints. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' at Vespers the second Sunday of October is commemorated with the antiphon Refulsit sol. At Compline Te lucis is sung with the ordinary Doxology and the tone for feasts. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn. The first and second lessons are those that were read last Sunday in the traditional rite. At Lauds the Suffrage is omitted. At Prime both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted. At Mass there is a single collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations and no Suffrage. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted.

Art: Jerome Nadal

XVII Sunday after Pentecost

The seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. This year it is the second Sunday of October. The Gospel pericopes at Mattins and Mass come from the twenty-second chapter of St. Matthew and tell of the Pharisees asking the LORD what is the greatest commandment. Being also the first Sunday in October it is also Rosary Sunday.

As 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 Refulsit sol for the Saturday before the second Sunday of October. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Francis of Assisi and of SS Placid and Others. The Suffrage was omitted due to the occurring double feast as were the Dominical preces at Compline.

At Mattins the invitatory is Adoremus Dominum and the Office hymn is Primo die. 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. Chrysostom on St. Matthew's Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the Office hymn is Aeterne. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of SS Placid and Other followed by the Suffrage of the Saints.

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

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

All Masses, except the Conventual Mass, may be of the feast of the Most Holy Rosary of the BVM. (Prior to the reforms of 1911-13 the feast was observed on the first Sunday in October). The Mass Gaudeamus etc is sung in white vestments. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday, (when Masses are not sung the third collect is of SS Placid and others), the Creed is sung, the preface is of the BVM (Et te in Festivitate) and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

At Vespers the antiphons and psalms are of Sunday. The Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of the following feast of St. Bruno. The Suffrage is omitted due to the concurring double feast as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In those ancient and traditional 'liturgical books of 1962' today is the first Sunday of October. At Vespers the antiphon on the Magnificat was Adaperiat and there were no commemorations. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn. There are no commemorations nor Suffrage at Lauds. At Prime both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted. At Mass there is but a single collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal