Sunday 20 February 2022

Sexagesima Sunday


Sexagesima Sunday is a semi-double Sunday of the second class and its liturgical colour is violet. The Sunday is characterised by a very lengthy Epistle from St. Paul's Latter Epistle to the Corinthians. The Gospel pericopes are from St. Luke and contain the parable of the sower with his seed landing on rock, amongst weeds and on the good ground.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms of Saturday were sung. The chapter was proper to the Sunday, Fratres: Libenter suffertis, and the Office hymn was Jam sol recedit igneus. After the collect of the Sunday the Suffrage of the Saints was sung as were the Dominical preces at Compline.

At Mattins the antiphons and psalms are from the Psalter for Sundays. In the first nocturn the lessons continue to be read from Genesis (Ch. 5 & 6), the beginning of the story of Noah. In the second nocturn the lessons are from St. Ambrose on Noah and the Ark and in the third nocturn the lessons are a homily from St. Gregory on the Gospel of the seed falling on good and poor ground. A ninth responsory, Cum turba plurima, is sung in place of the Te Deum.

At Lauds the 'second scheme' of psalms is sung: Pss 50, 117, 62, Canticle of the Three Children (Benedictus es) and 148. The antiphons at Lauds are proper for Sexagesima Sunday, Secundum magnam misericordiam etc as are the chapter and antiphon on the Benedictus. After the collect of the Sunday the suffrage of the Saints is sung.

At Prime the order of psalmody is Pss. 92, 99 (displaced at Lauds) 118i & 118ii. The Dominical preces are omitted. At the Hours the antiphons, Semen cecidit etc, and chapters are proper to Sexagesima Sunday.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is omitted, the second collect is A cunctis, the third collect chosen by the Dean or rector. A Tract is sung after the Gradual, the Creed is sung, the Preface is of the Trinity and Benedicamus Domino is sung as the dismissal by the deacon facing the altar.

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 the Suffrage is sung as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Suffrage of the Saints has been abolished as have the Dominical preces at Compline and Prime. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn. At Prime the arrangement of psalmody is festive, Pss. 53, 118i, 118ii. At Mass there is single collect and Benedicamus Domino is suppressed in favour of Ite, missa est.

Art: Jerome Nadal

3 comments:

Thomas said...

Rubricarius,

I read in the Bute Breviary that in the Province of Westminster 'in the Suffrages of the Saints and in the Prayer 'A cunctis', a Commemoration should be made of St. George only' with exceptions for Religious Orders to commemorate their founders and excepting special permissions (which were granted to Hexham and Newcastle, Northampton, Portsmouth and Plymouth). Was this decree still in effect after the 1911-13 reforms? Would those who had the privilege to add an extra commemoration of their proper patron include 2 saints in 'A cunctis'?

Rubricarius said...

@Thomas,

O'Connell is very clear that the Patron is no longer named only the Titular (in consecrated churches) following the reform and the changes to the wording of A cunctis. Where there are co-titulars they are both named and regulars may add the name of their founder along with the Titular.

Thomas said...

Thank you very much