The Finding of the Body of St. Stephen

The feast of the Finding of the Body of St. Stephen Protomartyr is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is red.

At Mattins the lessons in the first nocturn are from the Acts of the Apostles. In the second nocturn the third and fourth lessons relate the finding of the St. Stephen's body and the fifth is from St. Augustine's City of God detailing the restoration of her sight to a blind woman who laid flowers on St. Stephen's relics. In the third nocturn the homily on St. Matthew's Gospel is from St. Jerome. At Lauds the antiphons Lapidaverunt Stephanum etc are sung with the Dominical psalms, the chapter and collect are proper. After the collect of the feast the Suffrage of the Saints is sung.

At the Little Hours the antiphons and psalms are of Wednesday but the lectio brevis at Prime is proper, Positis autem genibus. The Dominical preces are sung at Prime.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Mass texts are the same as those used on December 26th except 'finding' is substituted for 'birth' in the collect. The second collect is A cunctis nos, the third collect chosen by the Dean or Rector. There is no Creed and the Common Preface is sung.

Vespers are of the following feast of St. Dominic with a commemoration of the feast of the Finding of the Body of St. Stephen.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the feast of the Finding of the Body of St. Stephen has been ripped out of the Calendar. The Office of the day is a 'IV class' feria with no mention of St. Stephen. A 1962 mess of the feast may be celebrated from the Pro aliquibus locis section of the messal.

Lammas Day - St. Peter's Chains

The first day of August is traditionally known as Lammas Day when bread made from the newly harvested wheat was blessed in church. The custom almost certainly had pagan origins. Lammas Day itself developed as a Quarter Day along with Candlemass, Whitsun and Martinmass (11 November) and retained significance as a date for the collection of rents and taxes until Georgian times. As a previous commenter pointed out Lammas Day remains a black-letter day in the Book of Common Prayer.

The feast of St. Peter's Chains is of greater double rite and its liturgical colour is white. The feast is the dedication feast of the Basilica of St. Peter ad vincula in Rome.

At Mattins the invitatory is Regem Apostolorum Dominum, Venite adoremus and the Office hymn Quodcumque in orbe nexibus revinxeris. The antiphons and psalms for the three nocturns come from the Common of Apostles. In the first nocturn the lessons come from the Acts of the Apostles and contain the account of the Angel visiting St. Peter in gaol and the chains that held him falling from his hands. In the second nocturn the lessons tell of Eudoxia, daughter of the Emperor Theodosius, receiving part of the chains in Rome from her mother Eudocia and seeing them re-united with links that had been prserved there. In the third nocturn the homily on St. Matthew's Gospel is taken from St. Augustine's twenty-ninth sermon on the saints. The ninth lesson is for the Holy Machabees.

At Lauds the antiphons Herodes Rex etc are sung with the Dominical psalms. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of St. Paul the Apostle and the Holy Machabees.

At Prime the festal psalms are sung and the lectio brevis is Et Petrus ad se reversus dixit.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Paul, the third collect of the Holy Machabees. The Creed is sung and the preface if of the Apostles.

At Vespers the antiphons Herodes Rex etc are sung with psalms 109, 112, 115, 125 & 138. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of St. Paul, the following feast of St. Alphonsus and St. Stephen.

In the ancient use 'liturgical books of 1962' the feast of St. Peter's Chains, only dating to the eighth century, has been abolished. (The 1948 Memoria #133 discussed a possibility of the dedications of several minor basilicas being joined.) Today becomes a commemoration of the Holy Machabees in a IV class liturgical day. Occurring scripture is from the Monday after the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost and not from the Monday of the first week of August. Ferial Vespers are celebrated without a commemoration of St. Alphonsus.

VII Sunday after Pentecost

The seventh Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite. This year it is also the first Sunday of August and its liturgical colour is green. The Gospel pericopes from St. Matthew contain the words of warning from the LORD concerning false prophets appearing as sheep but who, in reality, are wolves.

At Vespers yesterday the psalms of Saturday were sung. The antiphon on the Magnificat was Sapientia for the Saturday before the first Sunday of August. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration was sung of the following feast of St. Ignatius. The Suffrage of the Saints was omitted as were the Dominical preces at Compline due to the occurring double feast.

At Mattins there are the usual three nocturns. The invitatory and hymn are as sung on previous 'green' Sundays. In the first nocturn the lessons are taken from the Incipiunt of Proverbs of Solomon with their responsories. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from a treatise of St. Ambrose on Psalm 118. In the third nocturn the homily on St. Matthew's Gospel is from St. Hiliary. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds a commemoration is sung of St. Ignatius. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted.

At Prime psalms 117, 118i & 118ii are sung. The Dominical preces are omitted due to the double feast.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St Ignatius, there is no third collect. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Blessed Trinity.

Vespers are of the Sunday with commemorations sung of the following feast of St. Peter's Chains, St. Paul, St. Ignatius and the Holy Machabees.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the antiphon on the Magnificat is Unxerunt Salomonem. No commemoration is sung. Mattins is cut down to one nocturn of three lessons, the first and second lesson are from the Incipit of the Third Book of Kings. At Lauds there is no commememoration of St. Ignatius. Mass has a single collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations. The feast of St. Peter' Chains has been abolished.

St. James the Apostle

The feast of St. James the Apostle is a Double of the Second Class. The liturgical colour of the day is red. St. James, often referred to as St. James the Great to distinguish him from St. James the Less (May 1st), suffered martyrdom by the sword under Agrippa I. His remains were tranferred to Santiago di Compostella in northern Spain, resulting in the city becoming a major pilgrimage site in Medieval times.

At Mattins the invitatory is Regem Apostolorum Dominum, venite adoremus. The antiphons In omnem terram etc are sung with the psalms from the Common of Apostles. In first nocturn the lessons are Sic nos existimet homo from the former Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. In the second nocturn the lessons are proper to the feast. In the third nocturn the homily is taken from St. Chrysostom's sixty-sixth sermon on St. Matthew's Gospel. At Lauds the antiphons Hoc est praeceptum meum etc are sung with the Sunday psalms. After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of St. Christopher.

At the Hours the antiphons from Lauds are used. At Prime the feastal psalms are sung (Pss. 53, 118i, 118ii). The lectio brevis is Ibant Apostoli.

Mass is sung after Terce. The introit is Mihi autem nimis. The Gloria is sung, (in private Masses the second collect is of St. Christopher). The Creed is sung, the preface is of the Apostles.

Vespers are of the feast with a commemoration of the following feast of St. Anne.

Follows of the 'ancient use' 'liturgical books of 1962' did without first Vespers of St. James yesterday. The Little Hours have the ferial psalms, the lectio brevis at Prime is of the season. At Vespers there is no commemoration of St. Anne.

Icon: Eighteenth century Russian icon of St. James from Wikipedia.

VI Sunday after Pentecost

The sixth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite. The liturgical colour is green. The Gospel pericopes from St. Mark describe the Feeding of the Four Thousand with seven loaves and fishes.

At Vespers yesterday the psalms of Saturday were sung. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Apollinaris and of St. Christina. The Suffrage of the Saints was not sung nor were the Dominical preces at Compline because of the commemorated double feast. Yesterday was also the anticipated Vigil of St. James the Apostle but the Vigil is not commemorated at Vespers.

At Mattins there are the usual three nocturns. The invitatory and hymn are as sung on previous 'green' Sundays. In the first nocturn the lessons continue to be read from the Second Book of the Kings. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from St. Ambrose's Defence of David. Again St. Ambrose provides the homily in the third nocturn on St. Mark's Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds a commemoration is sung of St. Christina, this is followed by the Suffrage of the Saints.

At Prime psalms 117, 118i & 118ii are sung. Quicumque is sung as the Dominical preces.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Christina, the third collect A cunctis. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Blessed Trinity.

At Vespers the liturgical colour changes to festive red and Vespers are first Vespers of St. James the Apostle. The antiphons Hoc est praeceptum meum etc were sung along with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The collect of the feast was proper. After the collect of the feast a commoration of the Sunday is sung. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations at Vespers. The Vigil of St. James has been abolished. Mattins is cut down to one nocturn of three lessons. There are no commemorations or Suffrage at Lauds. At Prime there is neither Quicumque is sung nor the Dominical preces. Mass has a single collect. Vespers are of the Sunday without even a commemoration of St. James.

Art: Lambert Lombard's painting of the miracle of the seven loaves and fishes from Wikipedia.

V Sunday after Pentecost

The fifth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite. The liturgical colour is green.

At Vespers yesterday the psalms of Saturday were sung. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of the Commemoration of the BVM of Mount Carmel and St. Alexius. The Suffrage of the Saints was not sung due to the double feast. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Doxology Jesu tibi sit gloria etc. The Dominical preces were omitted due to the occurring double feast.

At Mattins there are the usual three nocturns. The invitatory and hymn are as last Sunday. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the Second Book of the Kings. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from St. Gregory the Great's Book on Morals. In the third nocturn the homily on St. Matthew's Gospel is from St. Augustine. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds a commemoration is sung of St. Alexius followed by the Suffrage of the Saints.

At Prime psalms 117, 118i & 118ii are sung. Quicumque is sung as are the Dominical preces.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Alexius, the third collect is A cunctis. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Blessed Trinity.

Vespers are of the Sunday. After the collect of the day commemorations are sung of the following feast of St. Camillus, of St. Alexius and of St. Symphorosa and her sons. As the feast of St. Camillus is a double the Suffrage of the Saints is omitted at Vespers and the Dominical preces not sung at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are neither commemorations nor Suffrage at Vespers. Te lucis does not have the Incarnational Doxology, or tone. Mattins is cut down to one nocturn of three lessons. There is no commemoration or Suffrage at Lauds. At Prime Quicumque is omitted as are the Dominical preces. Mass has a single collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal

IV Sunday after Pentecost

The fourth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and the liturgical colour is green.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon after the collect of the Sunday a commemoration was sung of the Seven Holy Brothers & SS Rufina and Secunda followed by the Suffrage of the Saints. At Compline the Dominical preces were sung.

At Mattins the invitatory is Dominum qui fecit nos and the 'summer' hymn Nocte surgentes is sung. In the first nocturn the lessons are taken from the First Book of Kings. In the second nocturn the lessons are from a sermon of St. Augustine and in the third nocturn from St. Ambrose on the Gospel of St. Luke on the huge catch of fish at the lake of Genesareth. At Lauds a commemoration of the Seven Holy Brothers etc is sung followed by the Suffrage of the Saints.

At Prime Quicumque is sung as are the Dominical preces.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Seven Holy Brothers etc., the third collect is A cunctis. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Blessed Trinity.

Vespers are of the Sunday with commemorations of the following feast of St. Pius I, the Seven Holy Brothers etc. These are followed by the Suffrage of the Saints. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there is neither commemoration nor Suffrage at Vespers. At Comline the Domincal preces are never said. Mattins is cut down to one nocturn of three lessons. There is neither commemoration nor Suffrage at Lauds. At Prime Quicumque is not sung and the Dominical preces are omitted. Mass has a single collect. Vespers has no commmemorations and no Suffrage.

Art: Jerome Nadal