Christ the King - XXIII Sunday after Pentecost

The feast of Christ the King is a Double of the First Class and its liturgical colour is white. This year it is also the twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost and the first Sunday of November.  The Sunday is commemorated in the Office and at Mass. The Vigil of All Saints was anticipated yesterday.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Pacificus etc were sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn was Te saeculorum Principem. After the collect of the feast a commemoration of the Sunday was sung (the antiphon on the Magnificat being Vidi, Dominum for the Saturday before the first Sunday of November. At Compline the Dominical psalms were sung and Te lucis was sung with the Doxology Jesu, tibi sit gloria, Qui sceptra mundi temperas, Cum Patre et almo Spiritu, In sempiterna saecula.

At Mattins the invitatory is Jesum Christum, Regem regum Venite adoremus. In the first nocturn the antiphons Ego autem etc are sung, doubled, with Pss.2, 8 & 23. The lessons are taken from St. Paul's Epistle to the Colossians. In the second nocturn the antiphons Sedebit etc are sung, doubled, with Pss. 28, 44 & 46. The lessons are taken from Pius XI's encyclical Quas primas. In the third nocturn the antiphons Benedicentur in ipso are sung, doubled, with Pss. 71, 88i, 88ii. The homily on St. John's Gospel is taken from the writings of St. Augustine. The ninth lesson is the homily appointed for the twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost, a sermon of St. Jerome on St. Matthew's Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons Suscitabit etc are sung, doubled, with the Dominical psalms. The Office hymn is Vexilla Christus inclyta. After the collect of the feast a commemoration of the Sunday is sung.

At Prime and the Hours the antiphons Suscitabit etc are sung with the festal psalms (at Prime Pss. 53, 118i & 118ii). The Doxology Jesu, tibi sit gloria etc is sung with the hymns of the Hours. At Prime the versicle in the short responsory is Qui primatum in omnibus tenes and the lectio brevis In ipso.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday, the Creed is sung. The preface is proper to the feast and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

In the afternoon first Vespers of the feast of All Saints is sung. The antiphons Vidi turbam magnam etc are sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 and 116. The Office hymn is Placare, Christe, servulis. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of Christ the King and of the Sunday. At Compline the Dominical psalms are sung and the Dominical preces are omitted.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Vigil of All Saints has been abolished. At first Vespers there was no commemoration of the Sunday (if there were it would be of the fifth Sunday of October, not the first Sunday of November). There is no proper Doxology for Te lucis. At Mattins in the third nocturn, the third psalm (Ps. 88ii) gets stripped of over half of its verses. Verses Tu vero repulisti... to Benedictus Dominus in aeternam, fiat, fiat, 39 - 53, are omitted. The former eighth lesson is split into two to provide an eighth and ninth lesson as the homily of the Sunday is omitted. At Lauds there is no commemoration of the Sunday. At Prime and the Hours the Doxology for the feast is omitted. At Prime the lectio brevis is of the season. At Mass there is no commemoration of the Sunday and the last Gospel is In principio. Vespers are of Christ the King with a commemoration of All Saints but not of the Sunday.

Image: Christ as Pantocrator from the apse of the magnificent Cathedral of Monreale.

The 4th week of October

XXII Sunday after Pentecost - Mission Sunday

The twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. This year it is the fourth Sunday of October. The Gospel pericopes from St. Matthew's Gospel contain the account of the Pharisees trying to trap the LORD over tribute to Caesar and the LORD's rebuttal of "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God those things that are God's. As this is the penultimate Sunday of October it is also Mission Sunday. At the request of the Superior Council of the Pontifical Work for the Propagation of the Faith the Sacred Congregation of Rites directed in 1926 that the prayer, from the Votive Mass Pro Propagatione Fidei, should be added to all Masses today as an oratio imperata pro re gravi.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the psalms of Saturday were sung. The Office hymn was Jam sol recedit igneus. The antiphon on the Magnificat was Exaudiat Dominus for the Saturday before the fourth Sunday of October. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration was sung of St. Raphael the Archangel. The Suffrage of the Saints was omitted as were the Dominical preces at Compline.

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 Second Book of the Machabees. In the second nocturn the lessons are from a tract of St. Chrysostom on the forty-third psalm. In third nocturn the lessons are taken from a commentary of St. Hiliary on St. Matthew's Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the Office hymn is Aetere. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration of St. Raphael the Archangel 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. Raphael the Archangel, the third collect is the oration Deus, qui nos homines..., for the propogation of the faith. This is taken from the Votive Mass Pro Propagatione Fidei. The Creed is sung,the preface of the Blessed Trinity and the last Gospel is of St. Raphael the Archangel.

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 SS Chrysanthus & Daria and of St. Raphael the Archangel. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations at either Vespers. Mattins is cut down to one nocturn. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Mass the prayer Deus, qui omnes homines is added to the collect of the Sunday under one conclusion. There are no other collects and the last Gospel is In principio. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal

The 3rd week of October

XXI Sunday after Pentecost

The twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour, until Vespers this year, is green. This year it is the third Sunday of October. The Gospel pericopes from St. Matthew contain the parable of the unjust and ungrateful servant who, forgiven his debts by the King, demands what is owed to him from others and shews complete ingratitude.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms of Saturday were sung. The Office hymn was Jam sol recedit igneus. The antiphon on the Magnifcat was Lugebat autem Judam for the Saturday before the third Sunday of October. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Hedwig and of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. The Suffrage was omitted, as were the Dominical preces at Compline.

At Mattins the invitatory is Adoremus Dominum and the Office hymn isPrimo die. In the first nocturn the lessons continue to be read from the first book of 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. Jerome on the eighteenth chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the Office hymn is Aeterne rerum Conditor. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. 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> Margaret Mary Alacoque. Today there is no third collect. The Creed is sung as is the preface of the Blessed Trinity.

At Vespers there is a colour change to red and first Vespers of the feast of St. Luke the Evangelist are sung. The antiphons Hoc est praeceptum meum etc are sung, doubled, with 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. Margaret Mary Alacoque. 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 cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Mass there is but a single collect. Vespers are of the Sunday.

Art: Jerome Nadal

The 2nd week of October

XX Sunday after Pentecost

The twentieth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour, until Vespers this year, is green. This year it is the second Sunday of October. The Gospel pericopes from St. John give the account of the healing of the ruler's son at Capharnaum.

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 Refulsit sol for the Saturday before the second Sunday of October. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding feast of SS Denis & Others and of St. Francis Borgia followed by the Suffrage of the Saints. At Compline the Dominical preces were sung.

At Mattins the invitatory is Adoremus Dominum etc and the Office hymn is Primo die. In the first nocturn the lessons continue to be read from the First Book of the Machabees. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from St. Augustine writings on the City of God. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Gregory on St. John's Gospel. At Lauds the Office hymn is Aeterne rerum Conditor. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration of St. Francis Borgia 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. Francis Borgia, the third collect is A cunctis. The Creed is sung as is the preface of the Blessed Trinity.

At Vespers there is a colour change to white and the antiphons Beata es, etc, proper to the feast, are sung doubled with Pss. 109, 112, 121, 126 & 147. The Office hymn is Ave, maris stella. After the collect of the feast a commemoration of the Sunday is sung. The Suffrage is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline. At Compline Te lucis is sung with the melody and Doxology of the Incarnation, Jesu, tibi sit gloria etc.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations at Vespers and the Suffrage has been abolished. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there are no commemorations nor Suffrage. At Prime there is neither Quicumque nor the Dominical preces. At Mass there is but a single collect. Vespers are of the Sunday without any commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal

The 1st week of October

XIX Sunday after Pentecost

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

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms of Saturday were sung. The Office hymn was Jam sol recedit igneus. The antiphon on the Magnifcat was Adaperiat Dominus for the Saturday before the first Sunday of October. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of the Holy Guardian Angels and of St. Teresa of the Child Jesus. The Suffrage of the Saints was omitted 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 rerum. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration of St. Teresa of the Child Jesus 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 double feast.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Teresa of the Child Jesus. Today there is no third collect. The Creed is sung and the the preface of the Blessed Trinity.

Prior to the reform of 1911-13 the first Sunday in October was the feast of the Most Holy Rosary of the BVM. All Masses, except the Conventual Mass (although a Double of the Second Class the feast had special privileges), may be of the feast. The Mass Gaudeamus is sung in white vestments. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday and the third collect is of St. Teresa of the Child |Jesua. The Creed is sung, the preface is of the Blessed Virgin and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

Vespers are of the Sunday (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. Francis of Assisi and of St. Teresa of the Child Jesus. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline due to the occurring double feast.

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

Art: Jerome Nadal