Passion Sunday

Passion Sunday is the fifth and penultimate Sunday in Lent. It is a semi-double Sunday of the first class.

The most apparent and visually striking feature of this Sunday is the Roman practice of veiling all crosses and images with violet cloth. Although the practice of veiling images for the duration of Lent e.g., the Lenten Array, the Lenten Veil or Cortina etc., is ancient the practice of Passiontide veiling appears to have only become universal for the Roman rite in relatively recent times. The custom seems to have developed from the words in the day's Gospel 'Jesus autem abscondit se' - but Jesus hid himself. The veiling takes place after Mass on the morning of Saturday before Passion Sunday before Vespers.

Yesterday morning's Vespers, along with the veiling, shows certain more penitential aspects in the Office. The Gloria Patri is omitted from the invitatory of Mattins, from the responsories of Mattins and from the short responsories of the Hours. It is also omitted from the Asperges ceremony before Mass on both Passion Sunday and on Palm Sunday. In Masses 'of the season' Gloria Patri is also omitted from the introit and Lavabo along with the psalm Judica me Deus. The Suffrage of the Saints is also omitted until after Trinity Sunday.

At Vespers the antiphons and psalms were of Saturday, the chapter proper to the Sunday. The Office hymn changes to the poignant and magnificent Vexilla Regis prodeunt. This hymn is sung at Vespers throughout Passiontide and at the Mass of the Pre-Sanctified on Good Friday. The antiphon on the Magnificat and collect were proper to the Sunday. A commemoration was then sung of St. Benedict. At Compline, as noted above, the Lesser Doxology was omitted from the short responsory. The Dominical preces were not said because of the occurring double feast.

At Mattins the invitatory is Hodie, si vocem Domini audieritis, Nolite obdurare corda vestra from Ps. 94 and a special rubric indicates the omission of that verse in the psalm. The hymn is Pange, lingua. The same invitatory and hymn are sung until the Sacred Triduum. The antiphons given in the Psalter for Sundays are used. As usual Mattins has three nocturns and nine lessons. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the book of Jeremiah. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from the ninth sermon on Lent by St. Leo the Great. In the third nocturn the lessons are a homily of St. Gregory on St. John's Gospel. The Te Deum is omitted as on other Lenten Sundays and a ninth responsory, Quis dabit capiti, sung in its place. At Lauds the antiphons are proper to the Sunday and the second scheme of Psalms sung (50, 117, 62, Benedictus es, 148). The chapter is proper to the Sunday and hymn is Lustra sex. A commemoration is sung of St. Benedict.

At Prime and the Hours the antiphons are proper to the Sunday. At Prime the psalms are 92, 99 (displaced from Lauds) and the first two stanzas of psalm 118. The Dominical preces are not sung because of the occurring double feast.

Mass is sung after Terce. The ministers wear folded chasubles. The Gloria is not sung. The second collect is of St. Benedict. There is no third collect in Passiontide. As usual in Lent a Tract is sung after the Gradual. The Creed is sung, the preface is of the Cross and the dismissal Benedicamus Domino.


(Note the veiled altar cross and images and the use of the folded chasuble in the photograph from the New Liturgical Movement above)

Vespers are of the Sunday (sung at the normal time). The antiphons and psalms are those used on Sundays, the chapter is proper and the hymn Vexilla regis prodeunt. A commemoration is sung of St. Benedict (which by a 'typo' is missing in Ordo 2010). At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted because of the commemorated double feast at Vespers.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' Mattins is cut down to three lessons as usual. St. Benedict is omitted this year, there are no commemorations at either Vespers, Lauds or Mass. At Prime the psalms are 53 and the first two stanzas of 118. At Mass thedismissal is Ite, missa est. The ministers wear dalmatic and tunicle instead of folded chasubles.

Art (top): Jerome Nadal

St. Joseph Spouse of the BVM

The feast of St. Joseph Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a double of the first class. The Office is proper.

The feast began with first Vespers on Thursday morning. Where the resources allow, six pluvialistae assist the Hebdomadarius, all wearing white copes. The solemn tone of Deus, adjutorium may be used. The antiphons were proper, Jacob autem etc, with the psalms from the Common of Apostles in Paschaltide (without, of course, the Alleluias). The hymn was Te Joseph celebrent agmina caelitum. A commemoration of the Lenten feria was made (Thursday in the fourth week). At Compline the Sunday psalms were sung.

At Mattins the invitatory, Christum Dei Filium, qui putari dignatus est filius Joseph, venite adoremus, is proper. The Office hymn at Mattins is Caelitum, Joseph decus atque nostrae. The antiphons are proper and the lessons in the first nocturn are from the Book of Genesis and the story of Joseph, using the Old Testament Joseph as a 'type' for St. Joseph. The second nocturn lessons are a sermon from St. Bernard and in the third nocturn the lessons are from a homily from St. Jerome on the first chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel. The ninth lesson is of the Lenten feria, which is a homily from the writings of St. Augustine. Although the ninth lesson of St. Joseph may be omitted and only the first lesson of the feria sung it is permissible, and the better practice to combine the eighth and ninth lessons of the feast, Anetequam convenirent... and Joseph autem... and read them as one and then read all three lessons of the Lenten ferial day as the ninth lesson. The Te Deum is sung after the ninth lesson. Again at Lauds six pluvialistae assist the Hebdomadarius. At Lauds the antiphons are again proper, Ibant parentes etc, and the Dominical psalms sung. A commemoration is made of the Lenten feria.

At the Hours the antiphons are proper and the psalms festal. At Prime the Sunday psalms are sung (Pss. 53, 118(i) & 118(ii). The short lesson, Profugum justum, is proper to the feast.

Mass follows Terce. The Gloria is sung. The second collect is a commemoration of the Lenten feria. The Credo is sung, the preface is of St. Joseph and the last Gospel is of the Lenten feria.

Second Vespers are, as for all weekdays of Lent, sung before mid-day, even on a great feast. The antiphons are those used at Lauds. A commemoration of the Lenten feria is made. At Compline the Sunday psalms are sung.

In the 1960s liturgical books St. Joseph's feast become a 1st class and is entitled 'St. Joseph Sponse of the BVM and Patron of the Universal Church' reflecting the axing by Pius XII of the more modern Solemnity of St. Joseph in Paschaltide. At Mattins there is no ninth lesson of the Lenten ferial day. At the Hours the antiphons are doubled and at Prime the short lesson is of the season. St. Joseph did not fare well under two of the twentieth century popes by the name of Pius as I commented in last years post.

Fourth Sunday in Lent

The Fourth Sunday in Lent is known as Laetare Sunday after the opening words of the Introit at its Mass Laetare, Jerusalem - Rejoice Jerusalem, and is also known as 'mid-Lent' Sunday and is also Mothering Sunday in many countries including the United Kingdom. It is a semi-double Sunday of the first class.

The distinguishing feature of this Sunday, in relatively modern times, is the use of rose coloured vestments. Rose is perceived as a lighter shade of violet and the use of rose vestments developed from the older praxis of a golden rose being given to female monarchs by the pope on this day. The use of rose vestments does not appear to go back further than about the sixteenth century. Cardinals of the Court of Rome wore rose choir dress too on this Sunday along with the corresponding Gaudete Sunday in Advent. In Lent Cardinals wore their 'winter violet' cassock, mantelletum and mozzeta (not the violet watered silk of their 'summer violet). The 'winter' material was of merino but on Laetare Sunday they wore watered rose silk and, presumably, hoped for mild weather. This practice disappeared during the 1920s.

In the developed practice the altar is dressed after Mass has been sung on Saturday morning with rose antipendia. Then Vespers were sung. The antiphons and psalms of Saturday were sung. The chapter was proper, the hymn Audi benigne Conditor. The Suffrage of the Saints was sung after the collect of the day. At Compline the Dominical preces were sung.

At Mattins the invitatory is, as previous Sundays of Lent, Non sit vobis and the hymn Ex more. The antiphons given in the Psalter for Sundays are used. As usual Mattins has three nocturns and nine lessons. In the first nocturn the lessons are from Exodus and the story of Moses and the Burning Bush. In the second nocturn they are from St. Basil the Great on fasting and in the third nocturn the lessons are a homily of St. Augustine on St. John's Gospel. At Lauds the antiphons are proper to the Sunday and the second scheme of Psalms sung (50, 117, 62, the canticle Benedictus es, 148). The chapter is proper to the Sunday and hymn is O sol salutis. After the collect of the day the Suffrage of the Saint is sung.

At Prime and the Hours the antiphons are proper to the Sunday. At Prime the psalms are 92, 99 (displaced from Lauds) and the first two stanzas of 118. The Dominical preces are sung and the short lesson is Quaerite Dominum.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is not sung. The second collect is A cunctis, the third Omnipotens, a Tract is sung after the Gradual, the Credo is sung, the preface is of Lent and the dismissal Benedicamus Domino. As folded chasubles are not worn the organ may be played. In the absences of rose vestments violet are worn, the deacon and subdeacon wearing dalmatic and tunicle.

Vespers are of the Sunday (sung at the normal time). The antiphons and psalms are those used on Sundays, the chapter is proper and the hymn Audi, benigne Conditor. The Suffrage of the Saints is sung after the collect of the Sunday. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' Mattins is cut down to three lessons. At Lauds the Suffrage of the Saints is omitted. At Prime the psalms are 53 and the first two stanzas of 118, the Domincial preces are omitted. At Mass the second and third collects are omitted. The dismissal is Ite, missa est. At Vespers the Suffrage of the Saints is omitted and at Compline the Dominical preces not sung.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Something else practical

During the Hours of the Triduum, which is fast approaching, the ending of each Hour has a special structure.

This consists of the antiphon Christus factus est etc followed by a silent Pater noster. Then the Miserere is recited on a low note (unless one is fortunate to have the choir singing Allegri's setting etc.) After the psalm, without Oremus, the prayer Respice is then monotoned by the Celebrant. Its conclusion is added silently.

At Tenebrae the antiphon Christus factus est is sung. At the other Hours it is recited.

To save having to turn the pages of one's choir books to find these texts, printed after Lauds, download this 'Cheat Sheet' (it will make two copies) and keep it in the book being used. Make sure all those in choir have a copy. When the end of each Hour is reached there will be no need to fiddle with turning back pages and the Hour can be finished without any irritating hiatus. After Respice simply move the cheat sheet to the end of the next Hour.

The Little Hours in the Triduum require very little in terms of effort, resources and time. Each of the Hours takes barely five minutes to recite. Whilst ideal if there are several people each side of choir to alternate their chanting as a minimum the Hours can be done with two people.

Having the Hours makes so much difference and adds to the completeness of the Triduum with minimal input. Why not decide now to start twenty minutes earlier each morning of the Triduum and have Prime, Terce, Sext and None - it really is well worth it! Likewise Compline. On Mandy [sic] Thursday and Good Friday Compline is so short and simple that it can be celebrated during the time it takes to light the altar candles and the candles on the Tenebrae hearse. An excellent 'warm up' for Mattins too...

Some Practical things

Recently, I received an interesting email asking about Triple Candles for Holy Saturday.

Readers may, or may not, find the following of practical use as we prepare for the Triduum.

Instructions on how to make a simple Tenebrae Hearse can be found here.

Instructions on how to make a Triple Candle can be found here.

N.B. The 3" - 4" in reference to the hole refers to its depth, not width - I'll amend the pdf file, sometime, to make that clear.

Third Sunday in Lent

The third Sunday in Lent is semi-double of the first class. No feast my be celebrated if it falls on such a Sunday. The Gospel pericopes from St. Luke recount the LORD casting out evil from a demoniac.

At Vespers yesterday morning the antiphons and psalms were of Saturday, the chapter proper, the hymn Audi benigne conditor was sung. A commemoration of the preceding feast of SS Perpetual and Felicity was sung followed by a commemoration of St. Thomas Aquinas. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted due to the occuring double feasts.

At Mattins the invitatory is Non sit vobis and the hymn is Ex more, as on the other Sundays of Lent. The antiphons and psalms of Sunday are sung. In the first nocturn the lessons are from Genesis and the story of Joseph, his coat of many colours and his brothers casting him into a pit. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from the Book of St. Augustine on Joseph. In the third nocturn the lessons are a homily of the Venerable Bede on St. Luke's Gospel. A ninth responsory, Lamentabatur Jacob, is sung in place of the Te Deum.

At Lauds the antiphons are proper to the Sunday and the second scheme of Psalms sung (50, 117, 62, Benedictus es, 148). The chapter is proper to the Sunday and hymn is O sol salutis. After the collect of the day a commemoration of St. Thomas Aquinas is sung.

At Prime and the Hours the antiphons are proper to the Sunday. At Prime the psalms are 92, 99 (displaced from Lauds) and the first two stanzas of 118. The Dominical preces are omitted due to the double feast.

Mass is sung after Terce. The deacon and subdeacon wear folded chasubles, planetis plicatis, instead of dalmatic and tunicle. There is no Gloria. The second collect is of St. Thomas Aquinas. The the third collect is omitted today because of the double feast. A Tract is sung after the Gradual, the Credo is sung, the preface is of Lent and the dismissal is Benedicamus Domino.

Vespers are of the Sunday, sung at the normal time. The antiphons and psalms are those used on Sundays, the chapter is proper and the hymn Audi, benigne Conditor. Commemorations are sung of the following feast of St. John of God and St. Thomas Aquinas. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted and the Domincal preces are not sung at Compline due to the commemorated double feasts.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' Mattins is cut down to one nocturn of three lessons as usual with the omission of most of the lessons and responsories. At Lauds the commemoration of St. Thomas Aquinas is omitted. At Prime the psalms are 53 and the first two stanzas of 118, the Domincial preces are omitted regardless of whether a double feast occurrs or not. At Mass the ministers wear dalmatic and tunicle, as in Septuagesima, there is only one collect. The dismissal is Ite, missa est. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal

The Liturgy of a Lenten Ferial Day

Today, Friday in the Second Week of Lent, will be used as an example to look in more detail at the structure of the Lenten liturgy. It may be of interest to compare with the Tridentine praxis, where the temporal cycle, this year, is now in synchrony between the Gregorian and Julian Calendars (although, of course, the Sanctorale is not).

At Mattins the invitatory, as on other ferial days and Sundays in the first four weeks of Lent, is Non sit vobis. The hymn is Ex more docti. Mattins has one nocturn of nine psalms and three lessons. As the rite is simple the antiphons (those given with their psalms in the Breviary at Feria Sexta Ad Matutinum) are not doubled. The nine psalms and antiphons are sung straight through ignoring the divisions marked for three nocturns for when an Office of nine lessons is sung. After the ninth antiphon is repeated the versicle Scapulis suis obumbrabit tibi with its response Et sub pennis ejus sperabis. The Pater noster is then said, sub secreto, followed by Et ne nos in inducas in tentationem and the response Sed libera nos a malo. The Absolution for Fridays is Ipsius pietas etc. The first reader (who as it is a Gospel to be read must be in deacon's orders or above) asks for a blessing with Jube, domne benedicere and the Officiant respond with Evangelica lectio etc. The reader chants the Gospel fragment from St. Matthew and then continues with Homilia sancti Ambrosi Episcopi. Plerique varias significantiones etc until its end concluding with Tu autem Domine miserere. The Choir respond Deo gratias. The first responsory Dum exiret Jacob etc is then sung. Then the second reader asks for a blessing, the Officiant sings Divinum auxillium etc and the reader then chants the second lesson, Unde bene secundum etc. The second responsory Si Dominus, Deus meus is then sung. The Officiant receives the blessing Ad societatem from the senior member of Choir and sings the third lesson, Aedificavit turrim etc. After the third lesson the responsory Erit mihi Dominus is sung.

Lauds follow immediately. The antiphons and psalms given in the Breviary Feria Sexta ad Laudes II are used (Pss. 50, 142, 84, Canticle of Habacuc, 147). After the chapter Clama, ne cesses etc the hymn O sol salutis is sung followed by the versicle Angelis suis mandavit de te and its response Ut custodiant te in omnibus viis tuis. The antiphon on the Benedictus is found in the Breviary with the Mattins lessons for the Friday in the Second Week of Lent. Only the fragment Malos male perdet is sung before the Canticle. The entire antiphon is then repeated. The the Choir kneels and the ferial preces are chanted. These begin with Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison, the the Pater noster chanted aloud by the Officiant alone, followed by a series of intercessions in format of versicles and responses. The collect of the day is then sung followed by the Suffrage of the Saints.

At Prime, again from the ferial psalter, the psalm displaced from Lauds by the Miserere, Ps. 98 is added after the three psalms (or rather three psalms fragments). The ferial chapter Pacem et veritatem is sung and then both the Dominical and ferial preces are sung, the Choir kneeling. Terce, Sext and None are all from the ferial psalter with the antiphons and chapters indicated in the Breviary for Lent. The short set of ferial preces are sung, again kneeling, at each of these Hours.

Mass is sung after None. As with all days from Ash Wednesday through Lent the Mass is proper to each day. For a 'greater feria' four candles are placed on the altar. The deacon and subdeacon wear folded chasubles and the ferial tones are used for the orations, preface and Pater noster. The introit is Ego autem cum justitia. There is no Gloria. The second collect is A cunctis, the third collect is Omnipotens. The preface is of Lent, after the last post-Communion oration the Oratio super populum is sung. The dismissal is Benedicamus Domino.

After Mass the liturgical mood changes somewhat and first Vespers of SS Perpetua and Felicity are sung this morning. The altar is vested in red. Although the antiphons and psalms are taken from the Breviary Feria Sexta ad Vesperas the antiphons are sung entire before and after each psalm. The chapter is Confitebor tibi from the Common of Non-Virgins from which the hymn, Fortem virili pectore, also comes. The antiphon on the Magnificat, Istarum est enim is sung in its entirety both before and after the Canticle. After the collect of the feast the Lenten feria is commemorated with the antiphon Quaeretes eum tenere etc, the versicle Angelis suis etc and the collect Da, quaesumus Domine. At the usual time Compline the psalms again come from the ferial psalter but the preces are not sung because of the double rank feast.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' all antiphons are doubled. At Lauds the Suffrage of the Saints is omitted. There are neither Dominical or ferial preces at Prime, nor a fourth psalm and the chapter is Regi saeculorum. The ferial preces are not sung at the other Little Hours. At Mass the ministers wear dalmatic and tunicle. There is only one collect sung. The dismissal is Ite, missa est. Vespers are sung as at other times of the year. Vespers are ferial, the ferial preces are said but there is neither Suffrage or even a commemoration of SS Perpetual and Felicity.

Image: one of two extant violet chasubles designed and worn, possibly in Lent, by the great Adrian Fortescue DD.