Third Sunday in Lent

The third Sunday in Lent is a semi-double Sunday of the first class and its liturgical colour is violet. The Gospel pericope from St. Luke at Mattins and Mass recounts the LORD casting out evil from a demoniac.

At Vespers yesterday morning the antiphons and psalms were of Saturday, the chapter was proper to the Sunday, and the Office hymn was Audi, benigne conditor. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration of the preceding Office of St. Thomas Aquinas was sung followed by a commemoration of St. John of God. The Suffrage of the Saints was omitted as were the Dominical preces at Compline due to the concurring and occurring double feasts.

At Mattins the invitatory is Non sit vobis and the Office hymn is Ex more, as on the other Sundays in Lent. The antiphons and psalms of Sunday are sung. In the first nocturn the lessons are from Genesis and the story of Joseph, his coat of many colours and his brothers casting him into a pit. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from the Book of St. Augustine on Joseph. In the third nocturn the lessons are a homily of the Venerable Bede on St. Luke's Gospel. A ninth responsory, Lamentabatur Jacob, is sung in place of the Te Deum.

At Lauds the antiphons are proper to the Sunday, Fac benigne etc., and the second scheme of Psalms sung (50, 117, 62, Benedictus es, 148). The chapter is proper to the Sunday and the Office hymn is O sol salutis. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration of St. John of God is sung. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted.

At Prime and the Hours the antiphons are proper to the Sunday, Et cum ejecisset Jesus etc. At Prime the psalms are Pss. 92, 99 (displaced from Lauds) and the first two divisi of Ps. 118. The Dominical preces are omitted.

Mass is sung after Terce. The deacon and subdeacon wear violet folded chasubles, planetis plicatis, instead of the festive dalmatic and tunicle as on all Sundays (and ferial days) of Lent. There is no Gloria. The second collect is of St. John of God. Today there is no third collect. A Tract is sung after the Gradual, the Credo is sung, the preface is of Lent and the dismissal is Benedicamus Domino, sung by the deacon facing the altar and celebrant.

Vespers are of the Sunday, sung at the normal time. The antiphons and psalms are those of Sunday, the chapter is proper and the Office hymn is Audi, benigne Conditor. After the collect of the Sunday commemoration are sung of the following feast of St. Frances of Rome and of St. John of God. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted as are the Domincal preces at Compline.

In 'liturgical books of 1962' there are neither commemorations nor Suffrage at Vespers which are sung in the afternoon as at any other time of the year. The Dominical preces are never sung at Compline. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Prime the psalms are Ps.53 and the first two divisi of Ps.118, the Domincial preces are neve sung. At Mass the ministers wear dalmatic and tunicle, as in Septuagesima. There is only one collect and the dismissal is Ite, missa est. At Vespers there are no commemorations. At Compline the preces are, always, omitted.

Art: Jerome Nadal