Friday 26 December 2014

St. Stephen the Protomartyr


The feast of St. Stephen the Protomarty is a Double of the Second Class with a simple Octave. The liturgical colour of the day is red. Many saints, originally more than now, were celebrated around the Nativity of the LORD. These were described as the 'comites Christi' . e.g. St. James the Lesser and King David. In 'modern' calendars we are left with St. Stephen, St. John the Evangelist, and the Holy Innocents although St. David the King is in the Kalendar as a greater double on the 29th December in the Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

At second Vespers of the Nativity yesterday afternoon a commemoration was sung of St. Stephen. At Mattins the invitatory is proper, Christum natum, qui beatum hodie coronavit Stephanum. The Office hymn is Deus, tuorum militum sung with the Doxology of the Nativity. In the first nocturn the antiphons In lege Domini etc are sung with psalms 1, 2 & 3 all from the Common of a Martyr. The lessons are from the Acts of the Apostles with responsories proper to the feast. In the second nocturn the antiphons Filii hominum etc are sung with psalms 4, 5 & 8 and the lessons are from a sermon of St. Fulgentius on St. Stephen's martyrdom. In the third nocturn the antiphons Justus Dominus etc are sung with psalms 10, 14 & 20. The homily is from St. Jerome on St. Matthew's Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the proper antiphons, Lapidaverunt Stephanum etc., are sung with psalms 92, 99, 62, Benedicite & 148. The Office hymn is Invicte Martyr unicum sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation. After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the Octave of the Nativity.

At Prime the antiphon Lapidaverunt Stephanum is sung with the festal psalms (53, 118i & 118ii). The short responsory has the versicle of the Incarnation and the lectio brevis is Positis autem. At the other Little Hours the psalms of Lauds are used in the usual order. The hymns of the Little Hours have the tone and Doxology of the Incarnation.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung and the second collect is of the Nativity. The Credo are sung. The preface and communicantes are of the Nativity.

At Vespers the antiphons and psalms are from Second Vespers of the Nativity but from the chapter of St. Stephen. The Office hymn is Deus, tuorum militum, sung with the Doxology and melody of the Incarnation. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the following feast of St. John the Evangelist and of the Octave of the Nativity of the LORD.

Following the 'liturgical books of 1962' there is no commemoration of St. Stephen in Second Vespers of the Nativity. The Office hymns are sung without the Doxology of the Incarnation. At Prime and the Hours the antiphons and psalms of Friday are sung, not the proper antiphons and festal psalms. The lectio brevis is Ipsi peribunt. At Vespers there is no commemoration of St. John.

3 comments:

Stephen K said...

This article prompted me to look closely at my books for St Stephen. I have a 1914 edition of the “Liber Usualis” and a Breviarium Romanum 1962 (no.84), and have been able to follow up most of the references in your analysis. I found some slight differences from the following paragraph:

Following the 'liturgical books of 1962' there is no commemoration of St. Stephen in Second Vespers of the Nativity. The Office hymns are sung without the Doxology of the Incarnation. At Prime and the Hours the antiphons and psalms of Friday are sung, not the proper antiphons and festal psalms. The lectio brevis is Ipsi peribunt. At Vespers there is no commemoration of St. John.

I did indeed see from my Breviarium that the hymns did not have the doxology of the Incarnation; and that “Ad Horas minors ant. et pss. de feria currenti”. There was no commemoration of St John. But I could not see “Ipsi peribunt” and at the head of the office I read “Sicubi in II Vesp. Nativ. facienda sit com. S. Stephani”. I wonder, is my “1962” edition a transitional one, printed when some of the omissions had not yet occurred? The first item in the breviary is the Decretum signed by C.Card.Cicognani 8 July 1961 and refers to the Rubricarum instructum of 25 July 1960. Is my breviary, then, a”1960” office? Were the changes you mention introduced in stages?

An informative article, of direct interest to me, thank you, Rubricarius.

Stephen K said...

I've just read an interview of you by Rad Trad in which you discuss the 1962 rite issue. I once would have been inclined to dismiss the arguments over this as too recherche, but you've made me realise that it should not be regarded as simply the "last pre-Vatican II rite" as if that alone saves it. I am one of those who, all my life, have thought well of Pius XII - but your interview puts all these issues in a new light.

Rubricarius said...

Stephen K,

Ipsi peribunt is given as the short lesson for Tempore Nativitatis.

The rubric you quote concerns where St. Stephen is locally observed as I Class so would be commorated in that case.