The first 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 first Sunday of November and the Sunday within the Octave of All Saints. As this year the number of Sundays after Pentecost is greater than twenty-four, twenty-seven, the texts for today and the following two Sundays are taken from the IV, 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-seventh Sunday after Pentecost, the texts in the Missal and Breviary appointed for the twenty-fourth Sunday are used in their entirety. Today the Gospel pericopes at Mattins and Mass are from St. Matthew and the account of the LORD settling the storm at sea.

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 Vidi Dominum for the Saturday before the first Sunday in November. After the collect of the Sunday (Deus, qui nos in tantis periculis - taken from the texts for the fourth Sunday after the Epiphany) a commemoration of the Octave of All Saints was sung. 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 Ezechiel. In the second nocturn the lessons are from St. Gregory the Great’s Exposition on Ezechiel. In the third nocturn (from the texts for the fourth 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 a commemoration is sung of the Octave of All Saints. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted.

At Prime, Pss. 117, 118(i) & 118(ii), both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted.

Mass is sung after Terce. The introit (Dicit Dominus), gradual, Alleluia verse, offertory and communion texts are those of the twenty-third Sunday. The rest of the texts are those appointed for the fourth Sunday after the Epiphany. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Octave of All Saints. Today there is no third collect being within an Octave. 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. Charles Borromeo, of the Octave of All Saints and of SS Vitalis & Agricola. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Octave of All Saints has been abolished.  As the 'double Vespers' on All Saints' Day was also abolished, and Vespers of the Dead moved to the afternoon of All Souls' Day, this year Vespers of the Dead are omitted entirely.  At Vespers, of the Sunday, there were 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. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal