Sunday 26 November 2023

The fifth week of November

XXVI and last Sunday after Pentecost


The twenty-sixth, and last, Sunday after Pentecost 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. The texts of the Mass and Office come from the twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost which are always used on the last Sunday before Advent.

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. Catharine, of St. Sylvester the Abbot and of St. Peter of Alexandria. 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 commemorations are sung of St. Sylvester and of St. Peter of Alexandria. 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. Sylvester, the third collect of St. Peter. The Creed is sung amd the preface is of the Blessed Trinity.

Vespers are of the Sunday. The Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday acommemoration is sung of St. Sylvester. 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. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Mass there is but a single collect.

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

Tuesday 21 November 2023

Ordo Recitandi MMXXIV now available to order

The Saint Lawrence Press is pleased to announce that Ordo Recitandi MMXXIV is now available to order. Unfortunately we have had to raise the cover price slightly, the first such increase in 20 years. Outside of our control Royal Mail has yet again increased its postage charges too.

Please visit the Online Shop to place your order.

The prices are inclusive of the cost of postage, either 2nd class post for the UK or 'International Standard' (olim AirMail) to all other countries. Please note the different options (UK, Europe, Zone1, Zone2 & Zone3) and choose the one that applies to your country. USA customers please note you are in your own, exclusive, Zone 3. If you are unsure of which Zone you are in please visit here. There are also different options depending on the number of copies you require. E.g. if you want two copies (to the same address) then order one of '2 copies of Ordo 2023' etc rather than two single copies. If you require more than 5 copies, but less than 10, then e.g. for 7 copies please order 2 a copies option and a 5 copies option - the postage is cheaper that way.

If you live outside of the UK e.g in the USA, France etc and choose the option of a copy/copies to a UK address then, unfortunately, your payment will have to be refunded and you will be invited to re-order the correct option for where you live.

To our customers and friends in the EU we are, painfully, aware of the inconvenience and cost, in terms of import VAT, that Brexit, a monumental and disgraceful act of self-harm, has caused.  We do intend to try and find a solution, possibly by re-location of The Saint Lawrence Press to within the Single Market but that has not been possible previously whilst having had care duties but is possible for the future, though not  for this year.
Brexit Commemorative Stamp

Sunday 19 November 2023

The fourth week of November

XXV Sunday after Pentecost


The twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour, from Mattins, is green. This year it is the fourth Sunday of November. Texts for the sixth Sunday after the Epiphany are used along with those from the twenty-third Sunday in the same manner as last week. The Gospel pericopes from St. Matthew are of the parable of the mustard seed and the leaven.

Yesterday afternoon second Vespers of the feast of the Dedication of the Basilicas of SS Peter and Paul were sung. The antiphons Domum tuam Dominus etc were sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 and 147. The Office hymn was Caelestis urbs Jerusalem beata. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of the Sunday (the antiphon being Qui caelorum etc for the fourth Sunday of November), of St. Elizabeth and of St. Pontianus. 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 Book of the Prophet Osee. In the second nocturn the lessons are from St. Augustine's Book the City of God. In the third nocturn (that appointed for the sixth Sunday after the Epiphany) 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 commemorations are sung of St. Elizabeth and of St. Pontianus. 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 introit, gradual, Alleluia verse, offertory and communion texts are, again, those of the twenty-third Sunday. The rest of the texts are those of the sixth Sunday after the Epiphany. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Elizabeth, the third collect is of St. Pontianus. The Creed is sung and the preface is 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 feast of St.Felix of Valois and of St. Elizabeth. The Suffrage is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' on Saturday Vespers are of the Sunday without any commemorations. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Mass there is only one collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Image: Missale Romanum 1572 Paris Google Books. As explained in the post above the introit Adorate is not actually sung today but Dicit Dominus from the XXIII Sunday.

Tuesday 14 November 2023

Coming soon!

Ordo Recitandi MMXXIV will be available to order soon. Please watch out for an announcement on the 'blog when it will be available to order.

Please kindly do not use the shopping cart for the 2023 edition to order copies of 2024. An updated cart will appear when Ordo MMXXIV is ready for despatch.

As always thank you to our valued and loyal customers for your support.

Sunday 12 November 2023

The third week of November

XXIV Sunday after Pentecost

The twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. This year it is the third Sunday of November. As this year the number of Sundays after Pentecost is greater than twenty-four, twenty-six, the texts for today and for next Sunday are taken from the V and VI Sundays after Epiphany respectively, combined with the introit, gradual etc from the twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost. On the last Sunday, this year the twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost the texts in the Missal and Breviary appointed for the twenty-fourth Sunday are used in their entirety.

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 Muro tuo for the Saturday before the third Sunday in November. After the collect of the Sunday (taken from the texts for the fifth Sunday after the Epiphany) commemorations were sung of the preceding feast of St Martin of Tours and of St. Martin I of Rome. 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 Book of the Prophet Daniel. In the second nocturn the lessons are from St. Athanasius’ book to Virgins. In the third nocturn (from the text for the fifth Sunday after the Epiphany) the homily is from St. Augustine 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 sung of St. Martin 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 introit, gradual, Alleluia verse, offertory and communion texts are those of the twenty-third Sunday. The rest of the texts are those appointed for the fifth Sunday after the Epiphany. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Martin, the third collect is A cunctis. 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 commemorations are sung of the following Office of St. Didacus and of St. Martin 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 cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Prime Quicumque is said only once a year. At Mass there is only one collect.

Sunday 5 November 2023

The second 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 second Sunday of November and the Sunday within the Octave of All Saints. 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 Aspice, Domine for the Saturday before the second Sunday of November. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Charles Borromeo and of the Octave of All Saints. The Suffrage of the Saints was omitted being within an Octave 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 continue to be read from Ezechiel. In the second nocturn the lessons are from an exposition on Ezechiel by St. Jerome. 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 the Octave of All Saints. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted.

At Prime (Pss. 117, 118i & 118ii) both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted being a Sunday within an Octave.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Octave. Today there is no third collect. 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 a commemoration is sung of the Octave. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Second Sunday of November has been perpetually abolished as has the Octave of All Saints. Today the first Sunday of November is observed. There are no commemorations at either Vespers. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn and three lessons. There are no commemorations at Lauds. There is but a single collect at Mass.

Art: Jerome Nadal