Sunday 28 July 2019

VII Sunday after Pentecost


The seventh Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. The Gospel pericopes from St. Matthew contain the words of warning from the LORD concerning false prophets appearing as sheep but who, in reality, are wolves.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms of Saturday were sung. The Office hymn was Jam sol recedit igneus. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration was sung of the preceding Office SS Nazarius & Others 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 Officie hymn isNocte surgentes. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the Third Book of the Kings. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from am epistle of St. Jerome to Nepotianus. In the third nocturn the homily on St. Matthew's Gospel is from St. Hiliary. The Te Deum is sung. 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 SS Nazarius & 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 SS Nazarius & Others, the third collect is A cunctis. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Blessed 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 St. Martha, of SS Nazarius & Others, and of SS Felix and Others. After the last commemoration the Suffrage of the Saints is sung. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' at Vespers there are no commemorations nor Suffrage. The Dominical preces have been abolished at Compline and at Prime. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there are no commemorations, nor Suffrage. At Prime Quicumque is omitted as are the Dominical preces. At Mass there is a single collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations nor Suffrage.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Sunday 21 July 2019

VI Sunday after Pentecost

The sixth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. The Gospel pericopes from St. Mark's Gospel describe the Feeding of the Four Thousand with seven loaves and fishes.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms of Saturday were sung. The Office hymn was Jam sol recedit igneus. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office St. Jerome Aemiliani and of St. Praxedis. The Suffrage of the Saints was omitted due to the concurring double feast. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory is Dominum qui fecit nos, Venite adoremus and the Office hymn is Nocte surgentes vigilemus omnes. In the first nocturn the lessons are from the twelfth chapter of the Second Book of the Kings. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from St. Ambrose's Defence of David. Again, St. Ambrose provides the homily in the third nocturn on St. Mark's Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds, following the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of St. Praxedis 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. Praxedis, the third collect is A cunctis. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Blessed Trinity.

At Vespers the antiphons and psalms of Sunday 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113 are sung. The Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday a commemorations is sung of the following Office of St. Mary Magdalene. The Suffrage is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations at either Vespers. Mattins is reduced to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there is neither commemoration nor Suffrage. At Prime Quicumque is not sung and the Dominical preces have been abolished. Mass has a single collect.

Thursday 18 July 2019

Some further Vestments of Adrian Fortescue, D.D. - Part I

Having written back in 2011 that no copes or High Mass sets survived from Dr. Fortescue's collection of vestments for his church of St. Hugh it was a pleasure to be corrected and to learn that some copes are still extant - but certainly no High Mass sets. Again I am most grateful for the kindness of Mr. Alan Robinson for assistance in photographing the copes and for his insightful knowledge of matters liturgical.

Four copes green, red, rose and white survive along with a humeral veil. Also a green stole, with no matching items, with asymmetric decoration which was not considered in the earlier series eight years ago.

All of the four copes are of a similar design of silk body with contrasting velvet orphreys edged with braid details. The hoods are all fully functional - typically Fortescue who disliked function being reduced to mere decoration. The green cope is in the fragile condition with the silk decaying along the seams and overall fading of the silk.

The copes must have almost touched the ground when Dr. Fortescue wore them.


The hood can be worn and is lined with green silk.


The clasp on the green cope is relatively ornate and part of it may have contained a decorative semi-precious stone or piece of polished glass judging by the shape of the terminal.

Sunday 14 July 2019

V Sunday after Pentecost


The fifth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. The Gospel pericopes at Mattins and Mass are from St. Matthew.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms of Saturday were sung. The Office hymn was Jam sol recedit igneus. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Anacletus and of St. Bonaventure. The Suffrage of the Saints 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 Second Book of the Kings. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from St. Gregory the Great's Book on 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 a commemoration of St. Bonaventure is sung. The Suffrage of the Saints 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. Bonaventure. Today there is no the third collect. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Blessed Trinity.

At Vespers the antiphons and psalms of Sunday are sung. The Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following feast of St. Henry the Emperor and of St. Bonavenutre. The Suffrage of the Saints was omitted as were the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations at either Vespers. St. Anacletus has been struck from the calendar. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. Mass has a but a single collect.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Sunday 7 July 2019

IV Sunday after Pentecost


The fourth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms of Saturday were sung. The chapter was O altitudo, from Romans, and the Office hymn was Jam sol recedit igneus. This chapter and hymn are used now on all of the 'green' Sundays after Pentecost. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Octave Day of SS Peter & Paul and of SS Cyril & Methodius. The Suffrage of the Saints was omitted as were the Dominical preces at Compline.

At Mattins the invitatory is Dominum qui fecit nos and the 'summer' Office hymn Nocte surgentes is sung. In the first nocturn the lessons are taken from the First Book of Kings. In the second nocturn the lessons are from a sermon of St. Augustine and in the third nocturn the homily is from St. Ambrose on the Gospel account from St. Luke on the huge catch of fish at the lake of Genesareth. At Lauds the Office hymn is Ecce jam noctis. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration of SS Cyril & Methodius is sung.

At Prime 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 SS Cyril & Methodius. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Blessed Trinity.

Prior to the reform of 1911-13 the first Sunday of July was the feast of the Most Precious Blood. All Masses, other than the Conventual Mass, may be of the feast and the liturgical colour is red. The Mass Redemisti nos is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday, the Creed is sung, the preface is of the Cross and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

Vespers are of the Sunday. The Office hymn is Lucis creator optime. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following feast of St. Elizabeth of Portugal and of SS Cyril & Methodius. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Octave of SS Peter & Paul has been abolished. At both Vespers there are no commemorations. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Mass there is a single collect.

Art: Jerome Nadal