The first week of Advent

First Sunday of Advent

The first Sunday of Advent is a semi-double Sunday of the first class and its liturgical colour is violet. As with all the Sundays in Lent no feast may displace this Sunday. The liturgy of Advent is probably the most exquisite of the entire liturgical year with layers of meaning for both the first and second Comings of the LORD. There is a weave of both expectant joy and penance to be found throughout the liturgical texts. The eschatalogical theme of last Sunday's Gospel continues with St. Luke's Gospel today and the Coming of the Divine Judge. During Advent bishops of the Roman rite exchange their violet choir cassocks for black ones (with train) which are worn with either a black mozzeta or black mattelletum with violet linings. Cardinals of the Court of Rome wear their 'winter' violet merino apparel (in contrast to their summer mourning dress of violet watered-silk) in place of their scarlet watered-silk. Vespers on Saturday before Advent Sunday mark the beginning of the Pars Hiemalis or Winter volume of the Breviary.

It should be noted - and it is question we have been asked several times - that traditional Roman Ordines always followed the calendar year and never began with Advent Sunday.

   

The above is from a 1572 Roman ordo.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons In illa die etc were sung, not doubled, with the psalms of Saturday. The Office hymn was Creator alme siderum.  After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration was sung of the preceding Office of St. Silvester.  From this Vespers, until the end of None on the Vigil of the Nativity of the LORD, the antiphon Alma Redemptoris etc is sung with the versicle Angelus Domini etc and the collect Gratiam tuam. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory is Regem venturum and this is sung in both the Dominical and ferial Offices of Advent until the third Sunday. The Office hymn is Verbum supernum. In the first nocturn the antiphons Veniet ecce Rex etc are sung, not doubled, with the usual psalms for Sunday. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the prophet Isaiah. In the second nocturn the antiphons Gaude et laetare etc are sung and the lessons are taken from the writing of St. Leo on the fast of the tenth month, the theme of which is preparing for the Coming. In the third nocturn the antiphons Gabriel Angelus etc are sung and the homily is from St. Gregory continuing the theme of Coming with his commentary on St. Luke's Gospel about the end times. A ninth responsory is sung and the Te Deum is omitted in the Office of Advent. At Lauds the antiphons proper to the first Sunday In illa die etc, are sung, not doubled, with the Dominical psalms. The Office hymn is En clara vox. The Suffrage is omitted, as noted, during Advent.

At Prime the first antiphon from Lauds, In illa die, is sung, not doubled, with the usual Dominical psalms (117, 118i, 118ii). In the short responsory the versicle Qui venturus es in mundum replaces Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris for all of Advent except when an occurring feast has a proper versicle. The Dominical preces are sung. At the other Hours the remaining antiphons of Lauds are sung in the usual order.

Mass is sung after Terce. During Advent for both ferial and Dominical Masses in the Roman rite, with the exception of the third Sunday Gaudete, the deacon and sub-deacon do not wear the dalmatic and tunicle but violet folded chasubles, an ancient feature of the Roman liturgy. The Gloria in not sung, the second collect is Deus, qui de beatae, the third collect is Ecclesiae etc. The Creed is sung, the preface that of the Blessed Trinity and, as the Gloria was not sung, the dismissal is Benedicamus Domino, sung by the deacon facing the altar.

At Vespers the antiphons In illa die etc are sung, not doubled, with the Dominical psalms. The Office hymn is Creator alme siderum. The Suffrage is omitted throughout Advent. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. The Dominical preces have been abolished at Compline and at Prime. At Mass the there is the novelty for the the Roman rite of the deacon wearing the dalmatic and the sub-deacon the tunicle in a penitential Mass of the season. Folded chasubles, so ancient and so quintessentially Roman, have been cast aside. There is but a single collect and the dismissal is Ite, missa est.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Ordo Recitandi MMXXIII now available to order

The Saint Lawrence Press is pleased to announce that Ordo Recitandi MMXXIII is now available to order. We are still able to offer this edition at the same cover price as previous years although this will be the last year at £10 per copy. Outside of our control Royal Mail has yet again increased its postage charges but for UK postage only - so far!

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To our customers and friends in the EU last year was a veritable nightmare following the end of the UK's transition arrangements causing significant disruption, and delay, to the flow of packages to Europe.  It was frustrating and disheartening to find customers we have served for over 40 years have their orders disrupted.  Hopefully, this may be a smoother process this year. To all those customers and friends please do not think we all support Brexit! Some of us think it was a monumental act of self-harm, a shameful disgrace, a calamity for the poor,  and the worst thing to happen to these Islands since the Execution of King Charles I and the Protestant Revolt a century earlier and, indeed, all have similar motivational drivers. Another Spanish Armada, successful this time, to liberate us from the dark malaise would be most welcome!

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The fifth week of November

XXIV and last Sunday after Pentecost

Today is the twenty-fourth, and last, Sunday after Pentecost. The Sunday is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. It is also the fifth Sunday of November. The Gospel pericopes from St. Matthew's Gospel contain the prophetic words of the LORD concerning the last days and the coming of the Antichrist.

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 Super muros tuos for the Saturday before the fifth Sunday of November. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Elizabeth and of St. Felix of Valois. 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 Prophet Micheas. In the second nocturn the lessons are from St. Basil on the thirty-third psalm. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Jerome on 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 are sung of St. Felix of Valois. 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. Felix of Valois, today there is no third collect. The Creed is sung and the preface of the Blessed Trinity.

Vespers are of the Sunday (Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113). The Office hymn is Lucis creator sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following Office of the Presentation of the BVM and of St. Felix of Valois. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline. At Compline Te lucis is sung with the Doxlology of the Incarnation.

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. At Vespers and at Compline the Office hymns are sung with the ordinary Doxology.

Art: Jerome Nadal Nadal's image of the Antichrist enthroned whilst the clergy and people give him false worship.

The fourth week of November

XXIII Sunday after Pentecost

The twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. This year it is the fourth Sunday of November. The Gospel pericopes from St. Matthew contain the passages where the LORD heals a woman with an issue of blood and raises Jairus' daughter from the dead.

As 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 Qui caelorum for the Saturday before the fourth Sunday of November. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Martin and St. Didacus followed by the Suffrage of the Saints. At Compline the Dominical preces were sung.

At Mattins the invitatory is Adoremus Dominum and the Office hymn is Primo die. In the first nocturn the lessons are from the Incipit of the book of the Prophet Osee. In the second nocturn the lessons are from St. Augustine's City of God. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Jerome on the ninth 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. Didacus 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. Didacus, the third collect is A cunctis. The Creed is sung as is the preface of the Blessed Trinity.

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. Josaphat and of St. Didacus. 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. The Suffrage and the Dominical preces have been abolished. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn and three lessons. There are no commemorations at Lauds. At Prime Quicumque is only said on a single Sunday within the year. There is but a single collect at Mass.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Coming very soon

Ordo Recitandi MMXXIII will be available for order shortly. Please watch out for an announcement when it will be available to order.

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The third week of November

XXII Sunday after Pentecost

The twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. This year it is the third Sunday of November. It is also the Sunday within the Octave of All Saints. The second Sunday of November, and its week, are both omitted this year. 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.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the psalms of Saturday were sung. The Office hymn was Jam sol recedit igneus. The antiphon on the Magnificat was Muro tuo for the Saturday before the third Sunday of November. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration was sung of Octave of All Saints. 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 from the Incipit of the book of the Prophet Daniel. In the second nocturn the lessons are from St. Athanasius' book to Virgins. 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 is sung of the Octave of All Saints. 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 the Octave of All Saints. Being a Sunday within an Octave there is no third collect. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Blessed Trinity.

Vespers are of the Sunday. The Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration of the Octave is sung. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline due to the Octave.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Octave of All Saints (and its Vigil) have been abolished. The second Sunday of November is never celebrated. 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.

Art: Jerome Nadal