XVIII Sunday after Pentecost

The eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. This year it is the third Sunday of September. The Gospel pericopes from St. Matthew relate the healing of a paralytic, both by being forgiven his sins and physically healed by the LORD. The week ahead sees the celebration of the September Ember Days, traditionally days of fasting and penance.

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 Ne reminiscaris for the Saturday before the third Sunday of September. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of the preceding feast of the Impression of the Stigmata of St. Francis and of St. Joseph of Cupertino. The Suffrage was omitted. At Compline 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 Tobias. In the second nocturn the lessons are from a sermon of St. Leo on fasting in the seventh month. 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 Ecce jam noctis. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration of St. Joseph of Cupertino is sung. 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. Joseph of Cupertino. Today there is no third collect. The Creed is sung as is the preface of the Blessed Trinity.

Prior to the reform of 1911-13 the third Sunday of September was the autumn feast of the Seven Sorrows of the BVM. A Mass of the feast may be celebrated - in white vestments - with a commemoration of the Sunday and last Gospel of the Sunday.

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. Januarius and Others and of St. Joseph of Cupertino. The Suffrage is omitted. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations at either Vespers. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Mass there is a single collect.

Art: Jerome Nadal