The Octave of the Nativity

St Stephen the Protomartyr

The feast of St. Stephen the Protomarty is a Double of the Second Class with a simple Octave and its liturgical colour is red. The feast takes the place of the Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity which is observed on Thursday. Originally many saints, more than now, were celebrated around the Nativity of the LORD. These were described as the 'comites Christi' . e.g. St. James the Lesser and King David. In 'modern' calendars we are left with St. Stephen, St. John the Evangelist, and the Holy Innocents although St. David the King is in the Kalendar as a greater double on the 29th December in the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. St. Stephen's celebration on this date is ancient probably dating back to the 3rd century.

At second Vespers of the Nativity yesterday afternoon a commemoration was sung of St. Stephen. At Mattins the invitatory is proper, Christum natum, qui beatum hodie coronavit Stephanum and the Office hymn is Deus, tuorum militum sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation. In the first nocturn the antiphons In lege Domini etc are sung, doubled, with psalms 1, 2 & 3 all from the Common of a Martyr. The lessons are from the Acts of the Apostles with responsories proper to the feast. In the second nocturn the antiphons Filii hominum etc are sung, doubled, with psalms 4, 5 & 8 and the lessons are from a sermon of St. Fulgentius on St. Stephen's martyrdom. In the third nocturn the antiphons Justus Dominus etc are sung, doubled, with psalms 10, 14 & 20. The homily is from St. Jerome on St. Matthew's Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the proper antiphons, Lapidaverunt Stephanum etc., are sung, doubled, with psalms 92, 99, 62, Benedicite & 148. The Office hymn is Invicte Martyr unicum sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation. After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the Octave of the Nativity.

At Prime the antiphon Lapidaverunt Stephanum is sung with the festal psalms (53, 118i & 118ii). The short responsory has the versicle of the Incarnation and the lectio brevis is Positis autem. At the other Little Hours the psalms of Lauds are used in the usual order. The hymns of the Little Hours have the tone and Doxology of the Incarnation.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung and the second collect is of the Octave of the Nativity. The Creed is sung, the preface and communicantes are of the Nativity.

At Vespers the antiphons and psalms are from Second Vespers of the Nativity are sung. From the chapter the Office is of St. Stephen. The Office hymn is Deus, tuorum militum, sung with the Doxology and melody of the Incarnation. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the following feast of St. John the Evangelist and of the Octave of the Nativity of the LORD.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the ancient practice of the feasts of St. Stephen, St. John and the SS Holy Innocents taking the place of the Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity has been abolished and today is the Sunday within the Octave. At Vespers yesterday afternoon there were no commemorations of St. Stephen or of the Sunday. At Mattins in the third nocturn psalm 88, Misericordias Domini is cut from 51 to 36 verses. The verses from Tu vero repulisti et despexisti to the end are omitted. The hymns of the Little Hours are sung without the Doxology of the Incarnation. At Lauds after the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of St. Stephen (but not of the Octave of the Nativity). At Prime and the Hours the antiphons and psalms of Sunday are sung, not the proper antiphons and festal psalms. The lectio brevis is Ipsi peribunt. At said Masses, only, there is a commemoration of St. Stephen (but not of the Octave of the Nativity). At Vespers there is no commemoration of St. John or of the Octave of the Nativity.

Ordo orders update - Christmas closure

All orders received by this morning, Monday 20th, have been dispatched. This year orders to Europe are taking longer to reach their destination than those to the US due to customs and administration checks, one of the acrid fruits of Brexit.

New orders will be processed, and any queries answered, from 29th December. However, that date is subject to change with the threat of yet another lockdown looming in blighted Britain.

May all customers and readers have a very blessed and happy Christmas.

The fourth week of Advent

Fourth Sunday of Advent

The fourth Sunday of Advent is a semi-double Sunday of the second class and its liturgical colour is violet. The Gospel pericopes from St. Luke concern the preaching of St. John the Baptist preaching the baptism of repentance by the Jordan and the reference to Isaias "Prepare ye the way of the LORD: make straight His paths: every valley shall be filled: and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways plain: and all flesh shall see the salvation of God."

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Canite tuba etc were sung, not doubled, with the psalms of Saturday. The Office hymn was Creator alme siderum. The antiphon on the Magnificat was the Great 'O' Antiphon O Adonai which, although the Sunday is of semi-double rite was sung entire, i.e. doubled, before and after the Canticle with the choir standing. The Suffrage is omitted in Advent. At Compline the Dominical preces were sung.

At Mattins the invitatory is Prope est jam Dominus * Venite adoremus and the Office hymn is Verbum supernum prodiens. In the first nocturn the lessons are taken, as usual in Advent, from Isaias. In the second nocturn the lessons are again taken from St. Leo's sermon on the fast of the tenth month. The homily in the third nocturn is from the twentieth homily of St. Gregory on St. Luke's Gospel. A ninth responsory, Intuemini, quantus sit iste, is sung in place of the Te Deum. At Lauds the antiphons proper to the Sunday, Canite tuba etc., are sung with the Dominical psalms. The Office hymn is En clara vox. The Suffrage is omitted in Advent.

At the Hours the antiphons from Lauds are used in the usual sequence. At Prime the versicle in the short responsory is Qui venturus es in mundum and the Dominical preces are sung.

Mass is sung after Terce. The ministers wear violet folded chasubles. The Gloria is omitted. The second collect is of the BVM in Advent, Deus qui de beate, the third collect Ecclesiae etc. The Creed is sung and the preface that of the Trinity. As the Gloria is not sung the dismissal is Benedicamus Domino, sung by the deacon facing the altar.

At Vespers the antiphons, Canite tuba etc, are sung, not doubled, with Pss 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113. The Office hymn is Creator alme siderum. The antiphon on the Magnificat is O radix Jesse which is sung doubled with the choir standing. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the significance of the doubling of the 'Great O' antiphons is lost as all antiphons are doubled regardless of the rank of the liturgical day or season. At Compline the Dominical preces are always omitted. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons as usual. At Prime the Dominical preces are omitted. At Mass the ministers wear dalmatic and tunicle, there is only one collect and the dismissal is Ite, missa est.

Art: Jerome Nadal

The third week of Advent

Third Sunday of Advent

The third Sunday of Advent is a semi-double Sunday of the second class. Only a double of the first class feast may displace the Sunday Office. This year it is also the Sunday within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception. This Sunday is often referred to as Gaudete Sunday from the words of its introit, Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico gaudete, sees a lightening of the Advent mood. 'Rejoice in the LORD always; again I say rejoice.' The same words begin the Epistle from Philippians (4:4). The Gospel pericopes from St. John contain the Baptist's famous words 'I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the LORD.' On this Sunday, mirroring Laetare Sunday in Lent, the penitential mood lifts a little with the deacon and sub-deacon wearing violet dalmatic and tunicle rather than their folded chasubles or, following the more modern praxis, of rose colour. The use of rose vestments is not obligatory. The absence of folded chasubles means that the organ may be played. On this Sunday Cardinals of the Court of Rome, in better days, removed their violet merino dress and wore rose watered-silk cassocks, with rose watered-silk mozzeta and mantelleta. The week ahead will see the celebration of the Advent Ember Days.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons from tomorrow's Lauds, Veniet Dominus etc, were sung, not doubled, with the psalms of Saturday. The Office hymn was Creator alme siderum, sung with the ordinary Doxology (prior to 1911-13 the Doxology of the Incarnation would have been sung). After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Damasus and of the Octave of the Immaculate Conception. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory is Prope est jam Dominus: Venite adoremus. This invitatory is now used until the 23rd of December inclusive. The Office hymn is Verbum supernum. In the first nocturn the antiphons Veniet ecce Rex etc are sung with the usual psalms for Sunday. The lessons are a continuation of Isaiah. In the second nocturn the antiphons Gaude et laetare etc are sung and the lessons are taken from St. Leo's sermon on the fast of the tenth month. In the third nocturn the antiphons Gabriel Angelus etc are sung and the homily is from St. Gregory on St. John's Gospel and the record of the Baptist. The Te Deum is omitted and in its place a ninth responsory, Docebit nos Dominus vias suas, is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons Veniet Dominus etc are sung with Pss. 92, 99, 62, Benedicite & 148. The Office hymn is En clara vox. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of the Octave of the Immaculate Conception. The Suffrage is omitted. At Prime the versicle in the short responsory is Qui venturus and the Dominical preces are omitted.

Mass is sung after Terce. The ministers wear dalmatic and tunicle. The Gloria not sung. The second collect is of the Octave of the Immaculate Conception. Today, being a Sunday within an Octave there is no third collect. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Trinity. As the Gloria is not sung the dismissal is Benedicamus Domino sung by the deacon facing the altar.

At Vespers the antiphons, Veniet Dominus etc, are sung, not doubled, with Pss 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113. The Office hymn is Creator alme siderum. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following Office of St. Lucy and of the Octave of the Immaculate Conception. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Octave has been abolished. There are no commemorations at either Vespers. Mattins is stripped down to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Mass there is but a single collect and the dismissal is Ite, missa est.

Art: Jerome Nadal depicts today's Gospel where the Jews sent priests and Levites to interrogate St. John the Baptist.

The second week of Advent

Second Sunday of Advent

The second Sunday of Advent is a semi-double Sunday of the second class and its liturgical colour is violet. The Gospel pericopes, from St. Matthew, tell of St. John the Baptist in prison sending two of his followers to meet the LORD.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Ecce in nubibus caeli etc were sung, not-doubled, with the psalms of Saturday. The Office hymn was Creator alme siderum. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Peter Chrysologus and of St. Sabbas. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted due to the commemorated double feast.

At Mattins the invitatory is Regem venturum and the Office hymn is Verbum supernum. In the first nocturn the antiphons Veniet ecce Rex etc are sung with the usual psalms for Sunday. The lessons are a continuation of Isaiah and today contain the beautiful symbolism of the Rod of Jesse. In the second nocturn the antiphons Gaude et laetare etc are sung and the them of the Rod of Jesse is continued as the lessons are taken from St. Jerome's Expositon on Isaias the Prophet. In the third nocturn the antiphons Gabriel Angelus etc are sung and the homily is from St. Gregory. The Te Deum is omitted and in its place a ninth responsory, Ecce Dominus veniet, is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons, Ecce in nubibus caeli etc are sung with the Sunday psalms. The hymn is En clara vox. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of St. Sabbas. At Prime the versicle in the responsory is Qui venturus es in mundum. The Dominical preces are sung.

Mass is sung after Terce, the deacon and subdeacon wear violet folded chasubles. The Gloria is not sung. The second collect is of St. Sabbas, the third collect is Deus, qui de beate. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Trinity. Benedicamus Domino is sung as the dismissal by the deacon facing the altar.

At Vespers the antiphons Ecce in nubibus caeli are again sung this time with Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113. The Office hymn is Creator alme siderum. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of the following feast St. Nicholas of Myra. 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. The Dominical preces have been abolished. At Mass the ministers wear dalmatic and tunicle, there is only one collect and the dismissal is Ite, missa est.

Art: Jerome Nadal