Sunday 30 July 2023

The first week of August

IX Sunday after Pentecost

The ninth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. This year it is the first Sunday of August. The Gospel pericopes from St. Luke contain the account of the LORD casting out the money lenders in the temple.

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 Sapientia for the Saturday before the first Sunday of August. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Martha and of SS Abdon & Sennen followed by the Suffrage of the Saints. At Compline the Dominical preces were sung.

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. Gregory. 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 SS Abdon & Sennen 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 Abdon & Sennen, 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 commemoration is sung of the following Office of St. Ignatius. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the first Sunday of August is next week. (Although, this year it will not be observed as the feast of the Transfiguration is celebrated without commemoration of the Sunday). Yesterday at Vespers the antiphon on the Magnificat was Exaudisti Domine. There are no commemorations at either Vespers. The Suffrage of the Saints and the Dominical preces have been abolished. At Mattins, in the single nocturn, the first and second lessons continue to be read from the Third Book of the Kings. At Lauds there are no commemorations. Quicumque is only said once a year. At Mass there is a single collect.

Sunday 23 July 2023

VIII week after Pentecost

VIII Sunday after Pentecost


The eighth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. 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 St. Mary Magdalene, of St. Apollinaris and of St. Liborius. The Suffrage of the Saints was omitted due to the double feasts as were the Dominical preces at Compline.

At Mattins the invitatory is Dominum qui fecit nos and the Office hymn isNocte surgentes. In the first nocturn the lessons continue to be read from the third Book of the Kings. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from a St. Augustine's City of God. 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, commemorations are sung of St. Apollinarius and of St. Liborius. 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. Apollinaris, the third collect is of St. Liborius. 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 commemorations are sung of St. Apollinaris and of St. Christina. 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 a single nocturn of three lessons. There are no commemorations at Lauds. Mass has a single collect.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Sunday 16 July 2023

VII week after Pentecost

VII Sunday after Pentecost


The seventh Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. The Gospel pericopes from St. Matthew contain the words of warning from the LORD concerning false prophets appearing as sheep but who, in reality, are wolves.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms of Saturday were sung. The Office hymn was Jam sol recedit igneussung with the Doxology of the Incarnation, Jesu, tibi...Qui natus etc. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Henry the Emperor and of the BVM of Mount Carmel. The Suffrage of the Saints was omitted. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation and the Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory is Dominum qui fecit nos and the Office hymn is Nocte surgentes. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the Third Book of the Kings. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from am epistle of St. Jerome to Nepotianus. In the third nocturn the homily on St. Matthew's Gospel is from St. Hiliary. The Te Deum is sung. 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 the BVM of Mount Carmel. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted.

At Prime (Pss. 117, 118i & 118ii) and the Hours the hymns have the Doxology and melody of the Incarnation. Both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted and the versicle in the short responsory is Qui natus es.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the BVM of Mount Carmel. Today there is no third collect. The Creed is sung. the preface is of the Blessed Trinity and the last Gospel is of the BVM.

At Vespers the antiphons and psalms (109, 110, 111, 112 & 113) of Sunday are sung. 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 feast of St. Alexis and of the BVM. The Suffrage is omitted. At Compline Te lucis is sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation and the Dominical preces are omitted.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemoration at either Vespers. The ordinary Doxology is sung with all the Office hymns. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Prime the versicle is not changed. At Mass there is a single collect and the last Gospel is In principio.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Sunday 9 July 2023

The sixth week after Pentecost

VI Sunday after Pentecost

The sixth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. The Gospel pericopes from St. Mark's Gospel describe the Feeding of the Four Thousand with seven loaves and fishes.

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 a commemoration was sung of the preceding feast of St. Elizabeth followed by the Suffrage of the Saints. At Compliine the Dominical preces were sung.

At Mattins the invitatory is Dominum qui fecit nos, Venite adoremus and the Office hymn is Nocte surgentes. In the first nocturn the lessons are from the twelfth chapter of the Second Book of the Kings. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from St. Ambrose's Defence of David. Again, St. Ambrose provides the homily in the third nocturn 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 the Suffrage of the Saints is sung.

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 A cunctis, the third collect is chosen by the Dean or rector. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Blessed Trinity.

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 commemorations are sung of the following Office of the Seven Holy Brothers and of SS Rufina & Secunda followed by the Suffrage of the Saints. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations at either Vespers. The Suffrage of the Saints and the Dominical preces have been abolished. Mattins is reduced to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there are no commemorations nor Suffrage. At Prime Quicumque has been abolished but for one Sunday a year. At Mass there is but a single collect.

Sunday 2 July 2023

The Visitation of the BVM


The feast of the Visitation of the BVM is a Double of the Second Class and its liturgical colour, this year from Mattins, is white. The feast commemorates the Visitation made by the BVM to her cousin Elizabeth (c.f. Luke 1: 39-80). The feast originated as a concession to the Franciscans at the request of St. Bonaventure in 1263. Urban VI in 1389 confirmed the celebration of the feast with an Octave on July 2nd. Boniface IX in 1390, the Council of Basle in 1441 and Nicholas V in 1451 confirmed the feast but not the Octave, according to the notes of the Pian Commission. In the 1550 Breviary it became a double feast as it also appeared in the Tridentine Breviary, with a partially new Office in 1569. Clement VIII made the feast a greater double in the 1604 BR and Pius IX made it a double of the second class in 1850. The modern reformers couldn't cope with the feast on the day following the Octave Day of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist finding this illogical and so moved it to 31st May. The Byzantines keep the feast, which was only introduced in the nineteenth century, on March 30th. The fifth Sunday after Pentecost is commemorated in the Office and at Mass.

Yesterday afternoon second Vespers of the feast of The Most Precious Blood were sung. The antiphons Quis est iste etc were sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 147. The Office hymn was Festivis resonent compita vocibus. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of the feast of the Visitation of the BVM and of the Sunday. The Suffrage was omitted. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the melody and Doxology of the Incarnation, Jesu tibi sit gloria etc., and the Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the liturgial colour changes to white. The invitatory is proper, Visitationem Virginis Mariae celebremus: Christum ejus Filium adoremus Dominum. The Office hymn, antiphons and psalms are all from the Common of the BVM. In the first nocturn the antiphons Benedicta tu etc are sung, doubled, with Pss. 8, 18 & 23. The lessons are taken from the Canticle of Canticles. In the second nocturn the antiphons Specie tua etc are sung with Pss. 44, 45 & 86. The lessons are from a homily of St. John Chrysostom. In the third nocturn the antiphons Gaude, Maria Virgo etc are sung with Pss. 95, 96 & 97. The homily is from St. Ambrose on St. Luke's Gospel. The ninth lesson is of the Sunday. At Lauds the antiphons Exsurgens Maria etc are sung, doubled, with the Dominical psalms, the Office hymn is from the Common, O gloriosa virginum, and the antiphon on the Benedictus is proper to the feast, Cum audisset etc. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the Sunday and of SS Processus and Martinian. The Suffrage is omitted.

At Prime and the Hours the hymns are sung to the melody and Doxlogy of the Incarnation. The antiphons from Lauds are sung at the Hours in in the usual order. At Prime the festal psalms (53, 118i & 118ii) are sung, in the short responsory the versicle Qui natus es is sung, the lectio brevis is In plateis.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Mass Salve sancte parens is sung, the Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday, (in private Masses the third collect is of SS Processus and Martinian), the Creed is sung, the preface is of the BVM and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

All Masses, apart from the Conventual Mass, may be of the feast of the Precious Blood that, prior to the 1911-13 reform, was assigned to the first Sunday of July. The Mass Redemisti nos is sung in red vestments with Gloria, second collect of the Visitation, and third collect of the Sunday. The Creed is sung, the preface is of the Cross and the last Gospel is of the BVM. In the US the External Solemnity of SS Peter & Paul is observed in a similar manner.

At Vespers the antiphons Exsurgens Maria etc are sung, doubled, with the psalms from the Common of the BVM, Pss. 109, 112, 121, 126 & 147. The Office hymn is Ave, maris stella. After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the following feast of St. Leo II and of the Sunday. The Suffrage is omitted. At Compline Te lucis is sung with the Doxology and melody of the Incarnation and the Dominical preces are omitted.

In the 'liturgial books of 1962' the celebration of the 'green' Sunday takes precedence over the feast of the Visitation. At Vespers yesterday afternoon there were no commemorations. At Compline and at the Hours on Sunday there is no Doloxology of the Incarnation. The feast of the Visitation is commemorated at Lauds and in Low Masses only. At Mass the last Gospel is In principio. At Vespers there are no commemorations.