XIX Sunday after Pentecost

The nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour, from Mattins this year, is green. This year it is the first Sunday of October. The Gospel pericopes contain the parable of the wedding feast from St. Matthew's Gospel with the sobering concluding words of the LORD Multi enim sunt vocati, pauci vero electi.

Vespers yesterday afternoon were second Vespers of the feast of Dedication of St. Michael the Archangel. The antiphons Stetit Angelus etc were sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 137. The Office hymn was Te, splendor et virtus Patris. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of the Sunday (the antiphon on the Magnifcat being Adaperiat Dominus for the Saturday before the first Sunday of October) and of St. Jerome. The Suffrage was omitted due to the double feasts 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 are the Incipit of the first Book of the Machabees. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from the book of St. Ambrose's Book of Offices. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Gregory on St. Matthew's Gospel. At Lauds the Office hymn is Aeterne. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration of St. Jerome is sung. The Suffrage of the Saints 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. Jerome. Today there is no third collect. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Blessed Trinity.

Vespers are of the Sunday. The Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following feast of St. Remegius and of St. Jerome. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' at Vespers on Saturday the Sunday, only, is commemorated with the antiphon Domine rex etc for the fifth Sunday of September. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. The first two lessons are from the Book of Esther. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Mass there is but a single collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal

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 fourth 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.

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 Adonai, Domine for the Saturday before the fourth Sunday of September. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of the preceding feast of St. Thomas of Villanova, of St. Linus and, lastly, of St. Thecla. 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 Judith. In the second nocturn the lessons are from a sermon of St. Ambrose on Elias and fasting. 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 commemorations are sung of St. Linus and of St. Thecla followed by the Suffrage of the Saints.

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 of St. Linus, the third collect is of St. Thecla. The Creed is sung as is the preface of the Blessed Trinity.

Vespers are of the Sunday. The Office hymn is Lucis creator, sung with the Doxology (Jesu, tibi...Qui natus) and melody of the Incarnation. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following Office of Our Lady of Ransom and of St. Linus. The Suffrage is omitted. At Compline Te lucis is sung with the Doxology and meloday of the Incarnation and 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 nor Suffrage. At Prime Quicumque is not sung and the preces have been abolished. At Mass there is a single collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations and the Office hymn is sung with the ordinary Doxology.

Art: Jerome Nadal

XVII Sunday after Pentecost

The seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour, from Mattins, is green. This year it is the third Sunday of September. The Gospel pericopes at Mattins and Mass come from the twenty-second chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel and have the Pharisees asking the LORD what is the greatest commandment. The week ahead will see the September Ember days on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Vespers yesterday were second Vespers of the feast of the Seven Sorrows of the BVM. The antiphons Quo abiit etc were sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 112, 121, 126 & 147. The Office hymn was Jam toto subitus vesper eat polo. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of the Sunday (the antiphon on the Magnificat was Ne reminiscaris for the Saturday before the third Sunday of September) and of SS Cornelius and Cyprian. The Suffrage was omitted. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Doxology Jesu, tibi...Qui passus etc and the Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory is Adoremus Dominum etc and the Office hymn is Primo die. 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 homily is from St. Chrysostom on St. Matthew's Gospel. At Lauds the Office hymn is Aeterne rerum Conditor. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of SS Cornelius & Cyprianus and of SS Euphemia & Others followed by the Suffrage of the Saints.

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 of the SS Cornelius & Cyprian, the third collect is of SS Euphemia & Others. The Creed is sung as is the preface of the Blessed Trinity.

As, prior to the reform of 1911-13, the third Sunday in September was the feast of the Seven Sorrows of the BMV, one Mass, other than the Conventual, may be of the feast. The Mass Stabant juxta Crucem is sung in white vestments. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday. The Creed is sung, the preface is of the Blessed Virgin and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

At Vespers the Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following feast of the Stigmata of St. Francis and of SS Cornelius & Cyprian. The Suffrage is omitted. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations at either Vespers. Te lucis is sung with the ordinary Doxology. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. There are no commemorations at Lauds, nor Suffrage. At Prime both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted. At Mass there is but a single collect.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Fr. Peter Lessiter - R.I.P.

It was sad to note from the Archdiocese of Southwark website and GloriaTV that Fr. Peter Lessiter went to his eternal reward on Saturday, 8th September, the feast of the Nativity of the BVM.

Fr. Lessiter was ordained for Southwark in 1959. He left the parish to which he was assigned in the early 1970s and set up an independent mission celebrating Mass in various locations in England and Wales later based in Leicester, working loosely with other traditional clergy who were then around in similar cirumstances. He was an approachable, kind and affable man with an absolute zeal for the cure of souls.

This writer knows personally of three occasions on which Fr. Lessiter drove from Leicester to London and back in the middle of the night to anoint those who were in danger of death from traffic accidents and serious illness when London-based clergy would not do so for whatever reason. Occasional visitors, including this writer, to his Leicester Mass centre in the late ‘80s and ‘90s would always be given a warm welcome.

In the last couple of decades he had been based in the West Country, at Axminster. Until his last couple of years, during which he had been afflicted by Alheimer's Disease, he had always taken the Ordo.

Requiescat in pace.

Photograph: GloriaTV (I am uncertain of the ownership - no infringement of copyright is intended)

XVI Sunday after Pentecost

The sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour, from Mattins, is green. This year it the second Sunday of September and the Sunday within the - near invisible - Octave of the Nativity of the BVM. The Gospel pericopes from St. Luke tell of the LORD healing the man with dropsy on the Sabbath.

Vespers yesterday afternoon were second Vespers of the feast the Nativity of the BVM. The antiphons Nativitas gloriosae etc were sung, doubled, with the psalms from the Common of the BVM 109, 112, 121, 126 & 147. The Office hymn was Ave, maris stella. The antiphon on the Magnificat and collect were proper to the feast. After the collect of the feast a commemoration of the Sunday was sung, the antiphon on the Magnificat being In omnibus his for the Saturday before the second Sunday of September. The Suffrage was omitted. At Compline the Sunday psalms were sung and Te lucis was sung to the melody of the Incarnation with the Doxology Jesu tibi sit gloria etc. 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 continue to be read from Job. In the second nocturn the lessons are from St. Gregory's Book on Morals. In the third nocturn the lessons are from St. Ambrose, a homily on St. Lukes'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. Gorgonius is sung followed by the Suffrage of the Saints.

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 of St. Gorgonius, the third collect is A cunctis. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Holy Trinity.

One Mass, but not the Conventual Mass, may be celebrated of the Holy Name of Mary as this feast was, prior to the reform of 1911-13, celebrated on the Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity of the BVM. The Mass Vultum tuum is sung in white vestments. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday, the third collect of St. Gorgonius. The Creed is sung, the preface is of the BVM and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

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

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' at Compline on Saturday Te lucis was sung with the ordinary Doxology. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there are no commemorations nor Suffrage. 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.

XV Sunday after Pentecost

The fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. This year it is the first of September which marks the beginning of the Pars Autumnalis of the Breviary. The Gospel pericopes sung at Mattins and Mass are from the seventh chapter of St. Luke's Gospel recount the raising by the LORD from the dead of the son of the widow of Nain.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms of Saturday were sung. The Office hymn was Jam sol recedit igneus and the antiphon on the Magnificat was Cum audisset Job for the Saturday before the first Sunday of September. After the collect of the Sunday a commemorations was sung of St. Stephen followed by the Suffrage of the Saints. At Compline the Dominical preces were sung.

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 lessons are a homily from St. Augustine on St. Lukes'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. Stephen is sung followed by the Suffrage of the Saints.

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 of St. Stephen, the third collect is A cunctis. 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 a commemoration is sung of St. Stephen followed by the Suffrage of the Saints. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations at either Vespers. The Suffrage and the Dominical preces have been abolished. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Prime Quicumque is omitted. At Mass there is only one collect.