Septuagesima Sunday

Septuagesima is a semi-double Sunday of the second class and its liturgical colour is violet.

Yesterday afternoon the liturgical mood became more sombre as penitential violet became the liturgical colour of the season. Although more sombre than the season after the Epiphany the short season of Septuagesima is not as penitential as Lent. However, at Mass the ministers do not wear folded chasubles but dalmatic and tunicle for these three Sundays and for ferial days. The organ is still played until Ash Wednesday and the appearance of folded chasubles. However, from Septuagesima until Holy Saturday the dress of some prelates changed. Cardinals of the Court of Rome exchanged their scarlet choir dress for that of violet. Correspondingly bishops did not wear violet choir dress but their black, or mourning dress. Protonotaries Apostolic and Domestic Prelates do not change their choir dress (except sede vacante).

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms of Saturday were sung. The chapter was proper to Septuagesima Sunday and the Office hymn was Jam sol recedit igneus. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. John Chrysostom, St. Peter Nolasco and of St. Agnes' second feast. The Suffrage was omitted. At the end of Vespers Alleluia was added, twice, to both Benedicamus Domino and to its response. After that Alleluia will not be heard again until the Vesperal Liturgy of Holy Saturday. At Compline after the Lesser Doxology, and at all Hours until Compline on Holy Saturday, Laus tibi Domine Rex aeterne gloriae is sung in place of Alleluia. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory is Praeoccupemus and the Office hymn Primo die. The antiphons and psalms are as on previous 'green' Sundays. In the first nocturn the Incipit of the Book of Genesis is read. In the second nocturn the lessons are from the Enchiridion of St. Augustine, in the third nocturn the lessons are a homily from St. Gregory on the Gospel of the labourers in the vineyard. The Te Deum is not sung but in its place is sung a ninth responsory, Ubi est Abel frater tuus?.

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 to the Sunday as are the versicle after the Office hymn Aeterne, chapter, antiphon at the Benedictus and collect. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of St. Peter Nolasco and of St. Agnes. The Suffrace is omitted.

At the Hours the antiphons and chapters are proper. At Prime the order of psalmody is changed and four psalms are sung, Pss. 92, 99 (displaced from Lauds) and the usual first two stanzas of Ps. 118. Quicumque is omitted as are the Dominical preces.

At Mass the Gloria is omitted. The ministers wear violet dalmatic and tunicle. The second collect is of St. Peter Nolasco, the third collect is of St. Agnes. A Tract replaces the Alleluia after the Gradual, the Creed is sung and the Preface is of the Blessed Trinity. Benedicamus Domino is sung, by the deacon facing the altar, as the dismissal.

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 feast of St. Francis de Sales and of St. Peter Nolasco. The Suffrage is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations at either Vespers. Mattins is reduced to a single nocturn. At Prime the arrangement of psalms is truly bizarre with the festal arrangment of Pss. 53, 118i, 118ii. At Mass there is only one collect and Benedicamus Domino is suppressed in favour of Ite, missa est.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Third Sunday after the Epiphany

The third Sunday after the Epiphany is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. The Gospel pericopes from St. Matthew record the LORD healing the leper and the centurion's servant.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms appointed for Saturday were sung. The Office hymn was Jam sol recedit igneus. The antiphon on the Magnificat was Suscepit Deus. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of SS Fabian and Sebastian and of St. Agnes. 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 Primo die. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of St. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians. In the second nocturn the lessons are from an exposition of this Epistle to the Galatians by St. Augustine and in the third nocturn the homily is from St. Jerome. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the Office hymn is Aterne rerum conditor. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of St. Agnes. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted.

At Prime both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted.

At Mass the Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Agnes. Today there is no third collect. The Creed is sung and the preface is that of the Blessed Trinity.

At Vespers the Dominical psalms are sung (109, 110, 111, 112 & 113) and the Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following Office of SS Vincent & Anastasius and of St. Agnes. 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. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Mass there is but a single collect.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Second Sunday after the Epiphany

The second Sunday after the Epiphany is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour, from Mattins, is green. The Gospel pericopes at Mattins and Mass are from St. John's account of the Marriage Feast at Cana.

Yesterday afternoon second Vespers of the Octave Day of the Epiphany were sung. The antiphons Ante luciferum genitus etc were sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 110 111, 112 & 113. The Office hymn was Crudelis Herodes. The antiphon on the Magnificat was Tribus miraculis and the collect was of the Octave Day. After the collect of the Octave Day commemorations were sung of the Sunday (the antiphon on the Magnificat being Suscepit Deus which will be used on all Saturdays when Vespers are of the Sunday until Septuagesima), of St. Hilary of Poitiers and of St. Felix. The Suffrage was omitted as were the Dominical preces at Compline. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Doxology of the Epiphany.

At Mattins the invitatory is Adoremus Dominum and this will be sung on Sundays until Septuagesima. The Office hymn is Primo die and this will be sung at Sunday Mattins until the first Sunday in Lent. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians. In the second nocturn a sermon of St. Chrysostom provides the lessons and, in the third nocturn, the homily is from St. Augustine. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the Office hymn is Aeterne and that too is sung at Sunday Lauds until the first Sunday of Lent. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of St. Hilary and of St. Felix. The Suffrage is omitted.

At Prime both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted.

At Mass the Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Hilary, the third collect is of St. Felix. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Blessed Trinity.

At Vespers the antiphons and psalms of Sunday are sung. The Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following feast of St. Paul the first Hermit, of St. Hilary and of St. Maurus. The Suffrage is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline due to the double feasts.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Octave Day of the Epiphany, as such, has been abolished and replaced with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. However, textually, the new feast is essentially the same as the Octave Day.  At Vespers of the feast on Saturday there are no commemorations.  At Compline Te lucis has the ordinary Doxology.  Mattins is reduced to a single nocturn of three lessons. There are no commemorations at Lauds. At Mass there is a single collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Ordo MMXXIV now available to order again

Ordo 2024 is now available to order again.  Demand has been unprecedented this year - a good thing in itself as interest in the old rite grows - but we are very sorry that we had to cancel some recent orders and offer our apologies to those customers affected.

The Octave of the Epiphany

Sunday within the Octave of the Epiphany - The Holy Family

The feast of the Holy Family is of greater-double rite and its liturgical colour is white. The feast was granted by Leo XIII in 1893 in response to numerous petitions from Ordinaries and originally placed on the third Sunday after the Epiphany. Following the reforms of 1911-13 - which aimed to remove the celebration of feasts assigned to Sundays - Benedict XV assigned it to the Sunday within the Octave of the Epiphany and extended the feast to the Universal Kalendar. Although of only greater-double rite it is classed as a feast of the LORD and so takes precedence over the semi-double Sunday within the Octave of the Epiphany.

Yesterday afternoon second Vespers of the Epiphany were sung. The antiphons Ante luciferum genitus etc were sung, doubled,  with psalms 109, 110, 11, 112 & 113. The Office hymn was Crudelis Herodes Deum. The antiphon on the Magnificat was Tribus miraculis. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of the feast of The Holy Family and of the Sunday within the Octave of the Epiphany. The Suffrage and Dominical preces are omitted during the Octave. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Doxology of the Epphany Jesu, tibi..Qui apparuisti etc.

At Mattins the invitatory is proper to the feast, Christum Dei Filium etc and the Office hymn is Sacra jam splendent. In the first nocturn the antiphons Cum inducerent etc are sung, doubled, with psalms 8, 18 & 23 and the lessons are from St. Paul's Epistle to the Colossians. In the second nocturn the antiphons Consurgens Joseph etc are sung, doubled, with psalms 44, 45 & 86 and the lessons are taken from a brief of Leo XIII. In the third nocturn the antiphons Ibant parentes Jesu etc are sung with psalms 95, 96 & 97. The homily is from St. Bernard on St. Luke's Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons Post triduum etc are sung, doubled, with the Dominical psalms. The Office hymn is O gente felix hospita. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the Sunday within the Octave of the Epiphany and of the Octave of the Epiphany (the antiphon on the Benedictus being proper to the 7th January, Ab Oriente etc.

At Prime and the Hours the antiphons from Lauds are sung in the usual order. The hymns of the Hours have the Doxology proper to the feast, Jesu, tuis obediens etc. At Prime (Pss. 53, 118i & 118ii) the versicle Qui Mariae et Joseph subditus fuisti is sung in the short responsory and the lectio brevis is Semetipsum exinanivit.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday within the Octave of the Epiphany and the third collect is of the Octave of the Epiphany. The Creed is sung, the preface and communicantes are of the Epiphany.

In the afternoon the antiphons Post triduum etc are sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 112, 121, 126 & 147. The Office hymn is O lux beata caelitum. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the Octave (the antiphon on the Magnificat being proper to the 7th January, Videntes stellam Magi etc) and of the Sunday within the Octave. At Compline Te lucis has the Doxology of the feast.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the feast of the Holy Family has been raised to II Class (in order for it to precedence over the Sunday). The Octave of the Epiphany has been abolished. At second Vespers of the Epiphany yesterday there were no commemorations. At Compline and the Hours the hymns have the ordinary Doxology. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Prime and the Hours the antiphons and psalmody are of the Sunday, at Prime the lectio brevis is of 'Epiphanytide'. At Mass there is a single collect. Vespers are of the feast without any commemorations.

The Epiphany of the LORD

The feast of the Epiphany is a Double of the First Class with a privileged Octave of the Second Order. The liturgical colour of the feast and its Octave is white. The Epiphany was kept in the East from the third century, or earlier, and spread to the West a century later. Originally, it seems, in the East at least, that this 'manifestation' of the LORD was the same celebration as the Nativity and so to this day the Armenian rite celebrates a single feast of Theophany on January 6th.

The feast was preceded by a Vigil. At Vespers on yesterday afternoon the antiphons Ante luciferum genitus etc were sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The chapter, from Isaiah was Surge, illuminare, Jerusalem and the Office hymn was Crudelis Herodes. For the feast and its octave a Doxology in honour of the LORD's manifestation is sung at all hymns of Iambic metre: Jesu, tibi sit gloria, Qui apparuisti Gentibus, Cum Patre, et almo Spiritu, In sempiterna saecula. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Doxology and tone of the feast. The Blessing of the Waters traditionally took place after Compline or later after the ninth lesson of Mattins.

The antiquity of the feast can be clearly seen in the structure of the Office of Mattins, unique to this day. The, historically later, Domine labia me, invitatory and hymn are omitted on the feast itself and the Office begins after the usual Pater, Ave & Credo with the first antiphon Afferte Domino etc sung, doubled, with Ps. 28. Two further antiphons are then sung with Pss. 45 & 46 in the first nocturn. The lessons in the first nocturn are from Isaiah. In the second nocturn the antiphons Omnis terra adoret te etc are sung, doubled, with psalms 65, 71 & 85 and the lessons are from a sermon on the Epiphany by St. Leo. In the third nocturn the antiphons Venite adoremus eum etc is sung, doubled, with Ps. 94, Venite , the usual invitatory psalm, in a responsorial manner. Psalms 95 and 96 are also sung in the third nocturn. The homily on St. Matthew's Gospel if from St. Gregory. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons sung at Vespers yesterday, Ante luciferum genitus etc., are sung, doubled, with the Dominical psalms. The chapter is Surge, illuminare from Isaiah and the Office hymn is O sola magnarum urbium.

At the Little Hours the antiphons from Lauds are sung with the festal psalms. At Prime (Pss. 53, 118i & 118ii), in the short responsory, the versicle Qui apparuisti hodie is sung today and during the Octave, the short lesson is Omnes de Saba. The Doxology Jesu, tibi sit gloria, Qui apparuisti gentibus etc is sung at the hymns of the Little Hours.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Mass, Ecce advenit, is proper. The Gloria is sung and, traditionally after the Gospel the Announcement of Moveable Feasts for the coming year is sung. The Creed is sung and the preface and communicantes are proper to the feast.

At Vespers the antiphons Ante luciferum genitus etc are again sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 110, 11, 112 & 113. The Office hymn is Crudelis Herodes Deum. The antiphon on the Magnificat is Tribus miraculis. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the feast of The Holy Family and of the Sunday within the Octave of the Epiphany.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the only textual changes today are the omission of any commemorations at second Vespers, the abolition of the Doxology in honour of the Epiphany at the hymns of the Little Hours and the duplication of antiphons at the same. The feast has been stripped of its Vigil and Octave.

The first week of January

Ordo MMXXIV - Temporarily sold out!

As of this morning Ordo Recitandi MMXXIV  has sold out. All orders received to date have been fulfilled.  A reprint is being organised and we will advise when we can resume sales.  Until available we will publish a weekly extract.