XVII Sunday after Pentecost

The seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour, until Vespers this year, is green. This year it is the fourth Sunday of September. The Gospel pericopes at Mattins and Mass come from the twenty-second chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel and have the Pharisees asking the LORD what is the greatest commandment. The Vigil of St. Matthew the Apostle was anticipated yesterday, not in the Office as Ember Saturday excluded that, but at Mass.

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 Adonai, Domine for the Saturday before the fourth Sunday of September. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of SS Januarius & Companions and of SS Eustace & Companions. The Suffrage of the Saints was omitted as were the Dominical preces at Compline.

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 Book of Judith. In the second nocturn the lessons are from a sermon of St. Ambrose on Elias and fasting. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Chrysostom on St. Matthew's Gospel. 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 Eustace & Companions. 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 Gloria is sung, the second collect is of SS Eustace & Companions. Today, there is no third collect. The Creed and the preface of the Blessed Trinity are sung.

Prior to the reform of 1911-13 the third Sunday in September was the feast of the Seven Dolours of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A Mass, other than the Conventual Mass, may be celebrated of the feast in white vestments. The Mass Stabant juxta Crucem is sung with Gloria, second collect of the Sunday, third collect of SS Eustace & Companions, the sequence Stabat Mater, Creed, preface of the BVM and last Gospel of the Sunday.

After None there is colour change to red and first Vespers of St. Matthew the Apostle are sung. The antiphons Hoc est praeceptum meum etc are sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn is Exsultet orbis gaudiis. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the Sunday and of SS Eustace & Companions. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' today is the third Sunday of September and the Ember Days will fall this coming week. The Vigil of St. Matthew has been abolished. At Vespers there were no commemorations. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Mass there is but a single collect. Vespers are of the Sunday with no commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal