Sunday 25 August 2019

XI Sunday after Pentecost


The eleventh Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour, from Mattins, is green. This year it is also the fourth Sunday of August. The Gospel pericopes from St. Mark contain the account of the LORD healing a deaf and dumb man with His spittle.

Yesterday afternoon second Vespers for the feast of St. Bartholomew the Apostle were sung. The antiphons Juravit Dominus etc were sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 112, 115, 125 & 138. The Office hymn was Exsultet orbis gaudiis. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of the Sunday (the antiphon on the Magnificat being Sapientia for the Saturday before the fourth Sunday of August) and of St. Louis of France. At Compline the Dominical psalms were sung 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 from St. Gregory's Book of Morals. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Gregory the Great on St. Mark's Gospel. 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. Louis of France 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. Louis, the third collect is A cunctis. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Holy 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 Office of St. Zephyrinus and of St. Louis followed by the Suffrage of the Saints. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' 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 nor Suffrage. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Sunday 18 August 2019

X Sunday after Pentecost


The tenth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. This year is the third Sunday of August and the Sunday within the Octave of the Assumption. The Gospel pericope from St. Luke is of the parable of the Pharisee and Publican.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms of Saturday were sung. The Office hymn was Jam sol recedit igneus sung with the melody and Doxology of the Incarnation, Jesu tibi sit gloria, Qui natus es de Virgine etc. The antiphon on the Magnificat was Omnis sapientia for the Saturday before the third Sunday of August. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Hyacinth, of the Octave of the Assumption and of St. Agapitus. The Suffrage was omitted as were the Dominical preces at Compline. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the melody and Doxology of the Incarnation.

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 Wisdom. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from St. Ambrose's book of Offices. In the third nocturn the lessons of the homily are 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 the Octave of the Assumption and of St. Agapitus. The Suffrage is omitted.

At the Hours the hymns are sung with the melody and Doxology of the Incarnatioin. At Prime (Pss. 117, 118i & 118ii) both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted and the versicle in the short responsory is Qui natus es de Maria Virgine.

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

Prior to the reform of 1911-13 the Sunday within the Octave of the Assumption was the feast of St. Joachim, father of the BVM. Today one Mass, other than the Conventual one, may be said of St. Joachim. The Mass formulary is Dispersit is with Gloria, second collect of the Sunday, third collect of the Octave, and fourth collect of St. Agapitus. The preface is of the Holy Trinity and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

Vespers are of the Sunday (Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113) and the Office hymn is Lucis creator sung with the melody and Doxology of the Incarnation. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following Office of St. John Eudes and of the Octave of the Assumption. The Suffrage is omitted. At Compline Te lucis is sung with the melody and Doxology of the Incarnation.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Octave of the Assumption has been abolished. The hymns of the Hours have the ordinary Doxology. 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 there are no commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Friday 16 August 2019

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

The extant rose cope is of similar design to the green and red vestments described below. The condition of the rose cope is, perhaps surprisingly, intermediate between that of the red and green copes. Whilst intact there is some fading of both silk and velvet.


The cope follows the same style as the red cope with  a patterned silk ground and velvet orphreys for contrasting texture.  The orphreys are edged with braid details.  At the front there is, again, a simple clasp. The hood is of velvet, with braid details and lined with rose silk. The hood is fully functional.

Sunday 11 August 2019

IX Sunday after Pentecost

The ninth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour, from Mattins onwards, is green. This year it is the second Sunday of August and the Sunday within the Octave of St. Lawrence - although following the 1911-13 reform the Octave has little prominence. The Gospel pericopes from St. Luke contain the account of the LORD casting out the money lenders in the temple.

Yesterday afternoon second Vespers for the feast of St. Lawrence were sung. The antiphons Laurentius ingressus etc were sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 115. The Office hymn was Deus, tuorum militum. After the collect of the feast a commemoration of the Sunday was sung the antiphon on the Magnificat being Ego in altissimis for the Saturday before the second Sunday of August. The Suffrage of the Saints 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 Ecclesiastes. In the second nocturn the lessons are from a sermon by St. Chrysostom. In the third nocturn the homily on St. Luke's Gospel is from St. Gregory. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds after the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of SS Tiburtius & Susanna 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 Tiburtius & Susanna, the third collect is A cunctis. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Blessed Trinity.

Vespers are of the Sunday (Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113) and the Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday a commemorations is sung of the following Office of St. Clare. The Suffrage is omitted.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn. At Lauds there are no commemorations nor Suffrage. At Prime both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted. At Mass there is a single collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Sunday 4 August 2019

VIII Sunday after Pentecost


The eighth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. This year it is also the first Sunday of August. The Gospel pericopes from St. Luke contain the parable about the unjust steward.

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 feast of the Finding of the Body of St. Stephen and then of St. Dominic. The Suffrage of the Saints was omitted due to the concurring double feast as were the Dominical preces at Compline.

At Mattins the invitatory is Dominum qui fecit nos and the Office hymn is Nocte 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 homily on St. Luke's Gospel is from St. Jerome. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds, after the collect of the Sunday, a commemoration is sung of St. Dominic. 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 the St. Dominic. Today there is no third collect. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Blessed Trinity.

Vespers are of the Sunday (Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113) and the Office hymn is Lucis creator sung with the melody and Doxology of the Incarnation Jesu, tibi..Qui natus etc. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Snows and of St. Dominic. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted. At Compline Te lucis is sung with the melody and Doxology of the Incarnation and the Dominical preces are omitted.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations at either Vespers. Indeed the feast of the Finding of the Body of St. Stephen has been struck from the Calendar. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. There are no commemorations at Lauds. The Suffrages and Dominical preces have been abolished. Mass has a single collect. The Doxology of the hymns at Vespers and Compline are ordinary.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Friday 2 August 2019

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

As with the green cope the surviving red cope is of simple design of a patterned silk ground with contrasting velvet orphreys edged with braid details.  At the front there is a simple clasp.  The hood is of velvet, with braid details and lined with red silk. The hood is fully functional.




The red cope is in significantly better condition than the green one with no visible signs of decay.