XIV Sunday after Pentecost

The fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. This year it is the first Sunday of September. The pericopes from St. Matthew's Gospel contain the passages about the 'lilies of the field' and seeking first the Kingdom of God.

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 the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, of St. Rose of Lima and of SS Felix and Audactus. 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. 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 commemorations are sung of St. Rose of Lima and of SS Felix and Audactus. The Suffrage is omitted.

At Prime (Pss. 117, 118i & 118ii) both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted due to the occurring double feast.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Rose, the third collect is of SS Felix and Adauctus. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Holy Trinity.

Vespers are of the Sunday. The Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following Office of St. Raymund Nonnatus and of St. Rose of Lima. The Suffrage is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there today is the fifth Sunday in August. The antiphon at Vespers is Observa, fili. There are no commemorations and despite that no Suffrage and no Dominical preces at Compline. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons in which the first and second lesson are from Ecclesiasticus. . At Lauds there are no commemorations and yet Suffrage. At Prime both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are always omitted. At Mass there is but a single collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations yet no Suffrage.

Art: Jerome Nadal

XIII Sunday after Pentecost

The thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. This year it is the fourth Sunday of August. The Gospel pericopes from St. Luke's Gospel tell of the LORD and the ten lepers, only one of which thanked Him for being healed. The Vigil of St. Bartholomew the Apostle was anticipated yesterday.

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 Sapientia for the Saturday before the fourth Sunday of August. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Octave Day of the Assumption and of St. Philip Benizi. The Suffrage of the Saints was omitted. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Doxology and melody of the Incarnation and the Dominical preces were omitted.

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 Ecclesiasticus. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from the Book of Morals by St. Gregory the Great and in the third nocturn the homily on St. Luke'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 is sung of St. Philip Benizi. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted due to the occurring double feast.

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

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Philip Benizi. Today there is no third collect. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Holy Trinity.

At Vespers there is a colour change to red and first Vespers of St. Bartholomew the Apostle are sung. The antiphons Hoc est praeceptum meum etc are sung, doubled, with the psalms of first Vespers from the Common Apostles (Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116). The Office hymn is Exsultet orbis gaudiis. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the Sunday and of St. Philip Benizi. The Suffrage is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' Vespers are second Vespers of the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary with a commemoration of the Sunday but not of St. Philip Benizi. Mattins has a single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Mass there is a single collect. Vespers are of the Sunday without any commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal

St. Joachim

The feast of St. Joachim, father of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a Double of the Second Class and its liturgical colour is white. By happy calendrical accident the feast falls on its both its current date of celebration, August 16th, and on its former day of celebration: the Sunday within the Octave of the Assumption. Today is also the XII Sunday after Pentecost and third Sunday of August which is commemorated at Vespers, Mattins, Lauds and Mass. Although the day within the Octave is not commemorated hymns of Iambic metre still take the Marian Doxology and tone and Qui natus es is sung at Prime in the short responsory.

In pre-Trent times the feast was commonly celebrated on the 20th March. The feast was suppressed by Pius V in the Tridentine Missal and Breviary and re-instated by Gregory XIII in 1584. In 1623 the feast gained a proper Office and was transferred to the Sunday within the Octave of the Assumption by Clement XII in 1738. Leo XIII raised the feast to a double of the second class in 1879. The 1948 Pian Commission discussed joining the feast with that of St. Anne, which indeed happened in due course (c.f. Memoria sulla riforma liturgica, ## 108, 178).

Vespers yesterday afternoon were second Vespers of the feast of the Assumption. The antiphons Assumpta est Maria etc were sung with the psalms from the Common of the BVM. The Office hymn was Ave maris stella. The antiphon on the Magnificat was Hodie Maria Virgo caelos ascendit: gaudete, quia cum Christo regnat in aeternum. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of St. Joachim, and of the XII Sunday after Pentecost (the antiphon on the Magnifcat being Omnis sapientia for the Saturday before the third Sunday of August). At Compline the Sunday psalms were sung and Te lucis is sung with the proper Doxology and tone.

At Mattins the lessons in the first nocturn are taken from the Common of Confessor non-Pontiffs, Beatus vir, with their responsories. In the second nocturn the lessons are proper to the feast. The fourth lesson is from the Discourse on the Praises of the Virgin by St. Epiphanius, the fifth and six lessons from a Discourse on the Birth of the Virgin by St. John Damascene. In the third nocturn the lessons are again from St. John Damascene. In the better praxis the ninth lesson is joined with eighth, to form a longer eighth lesson, and the ninth lesson is of the commemorated Sunday. The ninth lesson is therefore the Gospel fragment Exiens Jesus and the homily of St. Gregory Quid est... Again the better praxis it to combine the three lessons of the homily as one lesson, the ninth.

At Lauds a commemoration of the Sunday is sung. Prime is festal, as noted above Qui natus es is sung in the responsory because of the Octave and the lectio brevis is Justum deduxit.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect of the Sunday, the Creed is sung, the preface is that of Sunday and the last Gospel is also of the Sunday.

At Vespers commemorations are sung of the following feast of St. Hyacinth and of the Sunday.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the XII Sunday after Pentecost takes precedence over the feast of St. Joachim. At Vespers yesterday there was no commemoration of St. Joachim. There are no proper Doxologies or tones as the Octave has been wiped away. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn. At Lauds a commemoration of St. Joachim is sung. At Low and Conventual Masses St. Joachim gets commemorated, but not in others. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Art: Icon of SS Joachim and Anna from the Greek Church

The Assumption

The great feast of the Assumption is a Double of the First Class with an Octave. The feast also appears as the Dormition of the Mother of God in some earlier MSS and is known by that name in the East to this day. The liturgical colour of the feast is white. The feast is preceded by a Vigil that was, traditionally, a day of fast and abstinence.

At first Vespers yesterday afternoon the first antiphons Assumpta est Maria etc were sung with psalms 109, 112, 121, 126 & 147. The chapter was from the feast In omnibus requiem and the Office hymn the hauntingly beautiful Ave, maris stella the first verse of which is sung kneeling. At Compline Te lucis is sung to the tone of feasts of the BVM and with the Doxology Jesu, tibi sit gloria etc.

At Mattins the invitatory, Venite, adoremus Regem regum, Cujus hodie ad aethereum Virgo Mater assumpta est in caelum, is proper to the feast. The hymn is Quem terra, pontus, sidera. In the first nocturn the antiphons Exaltata est etc are sung with psalms 8, 18 & 23. The lessons in the first nocturn, since the time of Pius V, are taken from the Incipit of the Canticle of Canticles, are particularly rich with vibrant, sensual, imagery:

Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth: for thy breasts are better than wine, smelling sweet of the best ointments. Thy name is as oil poured out: therefore young maidens have loved thee. Draw me: we will run after thee to the odour of thy ointments. The king hath brought me into his storerooms: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, remembering thy breasts more than wine: the righteous love thee. I am black but beautiful, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Cedar, as the curtains of Solomon.(1st lesson)

In the second nocturn the antiphons Specie tua etc are sung with psalms 44, 45 & 86. The lessons are from St. John Damascene's second discourse on the Dormition of the Virgin and again both exquisite and highly appropriate to the day:

"This day the holy and animated ark of the living God, she who conceived in her womb her Creator rests in the temple of the Lord, which was not made with hands. And her ancestor David leaps, and with him the Angels lead the dance, the Archangels make celebration, the Virtues ascribe glory, the Principalities exult, the Powers rejoice together, the Dominations are joyful, the Thrones keep holiday, the Cherubim utter praise, the Seraphim proclaim her glory. This day the Eden of the new Adam receives the living Paradise, wherein the condemnation was made void, wherein the tree of life was planted, wherein our nakedness was covered." (4th lesson)

In the third nocturn the antiphons Gaude, Maria virgo etc are sung with psalms 95, 96 & 97. The homily on the Gospel fragment is from St. Augustine's 27th Sermon on the Words of the Lord. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons Assumpta est Maria etc are sung with psalms 92, 99, 62, Benedicite and 148. The hymn O gloriosa virginum. The collect of the feast is one of the most sublime ever written:

Famulorum tuorum, quaesumus, Domine, delictis ignosce: ut, qui tibi placere de actibus nostris non valemus; Genitricis Filii tui, Domini nostri, intercessione salvemur.

Forgive, O Lord, we beseech thee, the sins of thy servants: that we who by our own deeds are unable to please thee, may be saved by the intercession of the Mother of thy Son our Lord.

At Prime and the Hours the hymns are sung with the proper Doxology and tone. In the short responsory Qui natus es de Virgine is sung, both today and throughout the Octave, and the lectio brevis is In plateis.

Mass is celebrated after Terce. The Rituale gives a Blessing of Herbs for this day which takes place immediately before Mass with Psalm 64, a series of versicles and responses, three collects, whose florid style, reminiscent of those for the Blessing of Palms, suggests a Gallican origin. The Mass formulary, Gaudeamus, is a particularly beautiful set of texts. The Gloria is sung. The Epistle is a sublime cento from the Book of Wisdom that also forms the chapters at the Office. The gradual Propter veritatem is very ancient. The Credo is sung and the preface is of the BVM, Et te in Assumptione.

In the afternoon at second Vespers all is as at first Vespers except the antiphon on the Magnificat which today is Hodie Maria Virgo caelos ascendit: gaudete, quia cum Christo regnat in aeternum. After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the following feast of St. Joachim, father of the BVM, followed by a commemoration of the XII Sunday after Pentecost (the antiphon on the Magnifcat being Omnis sapientia for the Saturday before the third Sunday of August). At Compline the Sunday psalms are sung and Te lucis is sung with the proper Doxology and tone.

The 'liturgical books of 1962' have seen considerable revision of the once beautiful feast with changes both in 1960 and, previously, with the introduction of novel texts in the 1950s. Vespers gets a new chapter, hymn and collect. The new collect was once admirably described by the erudite Latin scholar Rev. John Hunwicke as "a modern composition which I would describe as a dollop of dogma followed by a platitude". At Mattins in the first nocturn the first lesson is taken from Genesis and then, curiously, the second and third from the former Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. In the second nocturn the magnificent writings of St. Damascene are shortened by the inclusion of a sixth lesson from Pacelli's verbiage. The third nocturn has a homily of St. Peter Canisus on the new gospel pericope introduced in 1950. At Lauds there is a new chapter, a pedestrian and ugly hymn replacing O gloriosa virginum, and the new collect. At Prime the lectio brevis is Dominus autem dirigat, of the season. At Prime and the Hours the tone of the hymns is that for greater feasts, not the Incarnation and the special Doxology is omitted. The 1950's creation is banal and ugly compared with the ancient texts. At Vespers there is no commemoration of St. Joachim. The Octave was abolished in 1955 and so, within the space of five years, over a millenium's veritable tradition, organic development and beauty was simply tossed aside in the name of 'living tradition'.

Icon: El Greco - The Dormition of the Virgin.

St. Lawrence

The feast of St. Lawrence is a Double of the Second Class with a Simple Octave 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 which, this year, was anticipated on Saturday.

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 Sunday and of St. John Mary Vianney. 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 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.

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 and the common preface is sung.

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. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the feast loses first Vespers. The Octave has been abolished. At the Hours the antiphons and psalms are from the ferial Psalter.

XI Sunday after Pentecost

The eleventh Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. This year is also the first Sunday of August. The Gospel pericopes from St. Mark contain the account of the LORD healing a deaf and dumb man with His spittle. The Vigil of our holy patron St. Lawrence was anticipated yesterday.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms of Saturday were sung. The antiphon on the Magnificat was Ego in altissimis for the Saturday before the second Sunday of August. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office SS Cyriacus, Largus and Smaragus, of St. John Mary Vianney and of St. Romanum. The Suffrage of the Saints was omitted as were the Dominical preces at Compline due to the occurring double feast.

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 Ecclesiastes. In the second nocturn the lessons are from a sermon of St. Chrysostom. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Gregory the Great. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the Office hymn is Ecce jam noctis. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of St. John Mary Vianney and St. Romanus. The Suffrage is omitted because of the occurring double feast.

At Prime (Pss. 117, 118i & 118ii) both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted because of the occurring double feast.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. John Mary Vianney, the third collect is of St. Romanus. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Holy Trinity.

In the afternoon the liturgical colour changes to red and first Vespers of St. Lawrence are sung. The antiphons Laurentius ingressus est martyr etc aresung with psalms from the Common of Apostles, Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn isDeus, tuorum militum. The chapter, antiphon on the Magnificat and collect are proper, the rest of the Office from the Common of Martyrs. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the Sunday and of St. John Mary Vianney. The Suffrage is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Vigil of St. Lawrence is omitted this year. St. John Mary Vianney's feast was kept yesterday. At Vespers there are no commemorations. 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 (of the Sunday) there are no commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal

X Sunday after Pentecost

The tenth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. This year it is the first Sunday of August. From this Sunday the first and second nocturn readings are no longer taken from the respective Sundays after Pentecost but are from the Sundays of August and following months until Advent.

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 Sapientia for the Saturday before the first Sunday of August. After the collect of the Sundaycommemorations were sung of the preceding feast of St. Peter's Chains, St. Paul the Apostle, St. Alphonsus and of St. Stephen. 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 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 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. Alphonsus and of St. Stephen. The Suffrage is omitted.

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

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Alphonsus, the third collect is of St. Stephen. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Holy Trinity.

At Vespers (Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113) the Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following Office of the Finding of the Body of St. Stephen the Protomartyr and of St. Alphonsus. The Suffrage is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the liturgical books of the 1960s there are no commemorations at either Vespers. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there are neither commemoration nor Suffrage. At Prime both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are always omitted. At Mass there is a single collect.

Art: Jerome Nadal