All Souls' Day

All Souls' Day is of Double rite. Since 1917 it has a standing almost like that of a primary Double of the First Class of the Universal Church. The day gained an independent Office after the 1911-13 reform. Prior to then Vespers, Mattins and Lauds of the Dead were sung in addition to the Office of the second day within the Octave of All Saints (as indeed was the Office of the Dead sung on the Mondays of Lent and Advent and certain other days). The reforms of Pius X gave the day its own Office with the creation of Little Hours of the Dead and some adjustments to the lessons of Mattins. The day excludes the occurrence of any other Office.

At Mattins the invitatory and psalms are those used for Mattins of the Dead. The invitatory is Regem cui omnia vivunt, * Venite adoremus. In the first nocturn the antiphons Dirige etc (hence the English term Dirge) are sung, doubled, with psalms 5, 6 & 7. As at Vespers yesterday Requiem aeternam is sung in place of Gloria Patri at the end of each psalm. The lessons are taken from the Book of Job. The first lesson, Parce mihi, is the first lesson from the Office of the Dead but the second and third lessons are now proper to the day in their current arrangement. Homo natus de muliere etc, the second lesson (the fifth lesson before 1911), is highly poignant being familiar as a Funeral Sentence in the Book of Common Prayer, its source being the Sarum Office. In the second nocturn the antiphons In loco pascuae etc are sung with psalms 22, 24 & 26. The lessons in the second nocturn are new and taken form the book of St. Augustine on the care for the Dead. In the third nocturn the antiphons Complaceat etc are sung with psalms 39, 40 and 41. The lessons are from the First Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians (pre-1911 these too were taken from the Book of Job). At Lauds the antiphons Exsultabunt etc are sung with psalms 50, 64, 62, Ego dixi and 150. After the antiphon on the Benedictus has been sung at the end of the canticle the choir kneels, as at Vespers yesterday, and a Pater noster is said followed by a series of versicles and their responses and the collect Fidelium.

The Hours have a special form as introduced in the 1911-13 reform. At Prime the Office begins after the silent recitation of the Pater, Ave and Credo with psalms 87, 27 & 31 without antiphons. Although the Miserere is sung at Lauds the displaced psalm is not transferred to Prime as on other days. At the reading of the Martyrology a special preamble is read, Hac die Commemoratio Omnium Fidelium Defunctorum..., before the announcement of the next day Tertio Nonas Novembris.etc. The psalms are sung either to the tone in directum or to a tone introduced with the Office of All Souls Day. Terce follows a similar, simplified, form and has psalms 37i, 37ii & 55. Sext has psalms 69, 84 & 85 and None psalm 101 divided into three sections. The Office of the day ends with None.

In the Universal Church three Masses may be celebrated by every priest on this day. This practice was first observed in Spain with an indult from Benedict XIV and extended to the Universal Church by Benedict XV in 1915 after the carnage of the First World War. The accepted practice of Collegiate churches is for the first Mass to be celebrated after Lauds, the second after Prime and the third after None. In all three Masses the sequence Dies irae is sung and the preface of the Dead is sung. Common practice is to have the Absolution of the Dead at a catafalque after the principal Mass. The Office of the day ends with the Mass after None.

Vespers see a colour change to green and Vespers of the following Sunday are sung. The antiphon on the Magnificat is Vidi, Dominum for the Saturday before the first Sunday of November. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration of the Octave of All Saints is sung. The Suffrage is omitted, as are the Dominical preces at Compline, being within an Octave.

In 'the liturgical books of 1962' the sequence Dies irae may be omitted in the second and third Masses when they are not sung. The last Gospel is omitted when the Absolution takes place. Vespers of the Dead, which were transferred in the 1955 stage of the reform from the evening of All Saints' Day to the evening of All Souls' Day, are entirely omitted this year. At Vespers of the Sunday there are no commemorations and the Octave of All Saints has been abolished.

Image: Wikipedia. Note the two choir rulers in copes.

All Saints' Day

The feast of All Saints is a Double of the First Class with an Octave. The universal celebration of this feast developed from the dedication of the Pantheon in Rome to St. Mary and the Martyrs. This dedication took place on May 13th, 610. In some places, and the in Byzantine East to this day, a celebration of All Saints took place after Trinity Sunday. The celebration of the feast spread and Gregory IV transferred the feast and dedication to November 1st in 835. Louis the Pious spread the celebration throughout his empire and the feast entered the Universal Calendar. Sixtus IV gave the feast an Octave in the fifteenth century. The liturgical colour for the feast, and its Octave, is white.

At Vespers, yesterday afternoon, the antiphons Vidi turbam magnam etc were sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 and 116. The Office hymn was Placare, Christe, servulis. At Compline the Dominical psalms were sung and the Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory is proper to the feast and octave, Regem regum Dominum venite adoremus, Quia ipse est corona Sanctorum omnium, and the Office hymn is Placare, Christe, servulis. In the first nocturn the antiphons Novit Dominus etc are sung with psalms 1, 4 & 8. The lessons are taken from the book of the Apocalypse. In the second nocturn the antiphons Domine, qui operati etc are sung with psalms 14, 23 & 31 and the lessons are taken from a sermon of the Venerable Bede. In the third nocturn the antiphons Timete Dominum etc are sung with psalms 33, 60 & 96. The homily on St. Matthew's Gospel is from St. Augustine. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons Vidi turbam magnam etc are sung, doubled, with the Sunday psalms (Pss. 99, 92, 62, Benedicite & 148) and the Office hymn is Salutis aeterne dator.

At Prime and the Hours the antiphons Vidi turbam magnum etc are sung in the usual order. At Prime (Pss. 53, 118i & 118ii) the lectio brevis is proper to the feast, Benedictio et claritas,.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria and Creed are sung.

At second Vespers the antiphons Vidi turbam magnam etc are sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 115. The Office hymn is Placare, Christe, servulis. After Benedicamus Domino etc the verse Fidelium is omitted and the choir sits as the festive white is removed and is exchanged for the black of mourning. Vespers of the Dead are then sung in choir. These begin with the antiphon Placebo Domino in regione vivorum sung, doubled, with Pss. 114, 119, 120, 129 and 127. Requiem aeternam etc is sung at the end of each psalm in place of Gloria Patri etc. After the psalms there is a versicle and response but no hymn. After the antiphon on the Magnificat the choir kneels for a Pater noster, some versicles and the collect. Following the 1911-13 changes Compline takes a special form, newly created in that reform, 'Compline of the Dead', with psalms 122, 141 and 142.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' both the Vigil and Octave of All Saints have been abolished. At Prime the lectio brevis is of the season and at the Little Hours the antiphons are doubled. The 'double Vespers' has been abolished and Vespers for the Dead will not be sung at all this year as being moved to the afternoon of All Souls' Day Vespers of the following Sunday will be sung.

Vigil of All Saints - All Hallows Eve

The Vigil of All Saints is of simple rite and its liturgical colour is violet. As with simple rite Vigils the Office runs from Mattins to None.

At Mattins the inivitatory, hymn, antiphons, psalms, versicle and response are from the Psalter for Thursday. The lessons in the nocturn are a homily of St. Ambrose from the Common of Several Martyrs. The responsories are from the Thursday of the fifth week of October. The Te Deum is not sung. The second scheme of Lauds for Wednesday is sung. After the antiphon on the Benedictus has been repeated the ferial preces are sung, with the choir kneeling. After the collect of the Vigil the Suffrage of the Saints is omitted. (Prior to the reform of 1911-13 the Suffrages would have been sung).

At Prime the psalm displaced from Lauds by the Miserere, Ps. 96, is added to the psalmody of the day: Pss. 25, 51, 52 & 96. Both the Dominical and ferial preces are sung, the choir kneeling. At the other Horae Minores the short series of ferial preces are sung, again with the choir kneeling, before the collect of the Vigil.

Mass is sung after None. Following the normal rules for Vigils four candles are placed on the altar, in contrast with two on ordinary ferial days. The deacon and sub-deacon wear violet dalmatic and tunicle, not folded chasubles. The ferial tone is used for the orations and for the preface and Pater noster. There is no Gloria. The second collect is of the Holy Ghost, Deus,qui corda, the third collect Ecclesiae. As it is a 'kneeling day' the choir kneels for the prayers and from the Sanctus until Pax Domini. As the Gloria is not sung the dismissal is Benedicamus Domino.

Vespers are first Vespers of All Saints with a corresponding colour change to festive white. The Office is proper and the antiphons Vidi turbam magnam etc are sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 and 116. The Office hymn is Placare, Christe, servulis. At Compline the Dominical psalms are sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Vigil of All Saints has been abolished. Today is kept as a IV class ferial 'green' day. Mass is of Pentecost XX, there is but a single collect. Although the Gloria is not sung Ite, missa est is the dismissal.

Christ the King - XX Sunday after Pentecost

The feast of Christ the King is a Double of the First Class and its liturgical colour is white. This year it is also the twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost and the fifth Sunday of October. The Vigil for the feast of SS Simon & Jude was anticipated yesterday.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Pacificus etc were sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn was Te saeculorum Principem. After the collect of the feast a commemoration was sung of the Sunday (the antiphon on the Magnificat being Tua est potentia for the Saturday before the fifth Sunday of October. At Compline the Dominical psalms were sung and Te lucis was sung with the Doxology Jesu, tibi sit gloria, Qui sceptra mundi temperas, Cum Patre et almo Spiritu, In sempiterna saecula.

At Mattins the invitatory is Jesum Christum, Regem regum Venite adoremus. In the first nocturn (Pss.2, 8 & 23) the lessons are taken from St. Paul's Epistle to the Colossians. In the second nocturn (Pss. 28, 44 & 46) the lessons are taken from Pius XI's encyclical Quas primas. In the third nocturn (Pss. 71, 88i, 88ii) the homily on St. John's Gospel is taken from the writings of St. Augustine. The ninth lesson is the homily appointed for the twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost from St. Jerome on the gospel of St. Matthew. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons Suscitabit etc are sung, doubled, with the Sunday psalms. The Office hymn is Vexilla Christus inclyta. After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the Sunday.

The Doxology Jesu, tibi sit gloria etc is sung with the hymns of the Hours. At Prime and the Hours the antiphons Suscitabit etc are sung with the festal psalms (at Prime Pss. 53, 118i & 118ii). At Prime the versicle in the short responsory is Qui primatum in omnibus tenes and the lectio brevis In ipso.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday, the Creed is sung. The preface is proper to the feast and the last Gospel is that of the Sunday.

At Vespers all is sung as yesterday at first Vespers except for the versicle & its response and the antiphon on the Magnificat which are proper to second Vespers. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the following feast of SS Simon & Jude and of the Sunday.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Vigil of SS Simon & Jude has been abolished. At Vespers there was no commemoration of the Sunday. There is no proper Doxology for Te lucis or at the Little Hours of the Sunday. At Mattins in the third nocturn, the third psalm (Ps. 88ii) gets stripped of over half its verses. Verses Tu vero repulisti... to Benedictus Dominus in aeternam, fiat, fiat, 39 - 53, are omitted. The former eighth lesson is split into two to provide an eighth and ninth lesson as the homily of the Sunday is omitted. At Lauds there is no commemoration of the Sunday. At Prime and the Hours the Doxology for the feast is omitted. At Prime the lectio brevis is of the season. At Mass there is no commemoration of the Sunday and the last Gospel is In principio. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Image: Christ Pantorcrator from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre by Andrew Shiva / Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

XIX Sunday after Pentecost

The nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost is, this year, the fourth Sunday of October. It is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. As it is also the penultimate Sunday of October it is also Mission Sunday. At the request of the Superior Council of the Pontifical Work for the Propagation of the Faith the Sacred Congregation of Rites directed in 1926 that the prayer, from the Votive Mass Pro Propagatione Fidei, should be added to all Masses today as an oratio imperata pro re gravi. The Gospel pericopes contain the parable of the wedding feast from St. Matthew's Gospel with the sobering concluding words of the LORD Multi enim sunt vocati, pauci vero electi.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the psalms of Saturday were sung. The Office hymn was Jam sol recedit igneus. The antiphon on the Magnificat was Exaudiat Dominus for the Saturday before the fourth Sunday of October. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Peter of Alcantara and of St. John Cantius. 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 Second Book of the Machabees. In the second nocturn the lessons are from a tract of St. Chrysostom on the forty-third psalm. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Gregory on St. Matthew's Gospel. At Lauds the Office hymm is Aeterne. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration of St. John Cantius is sung. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted.

At Prime (Pss. 117, 118i & 118ii) both Quicumque and 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. John Cantius, the third collect is the oration Deus, qui nos homines..., for the propogation of the faith. This is taken from the Votive Mass Pro Propagatione Fidei. The Creed is sung and the the preface of the Blessed Trinity.

Vespers are of the Sunday (Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113). The Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following Office of St. Hilarion, of St. John Cantius and of SS Ursula & Companions. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline due to the occurring double feast.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations at either Vespers. The third Sunday of October and its week are omitted and the '62 rite also keeps today as the fourth Sunday of October. Mattins is cut down to one nocturn. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Mass the prayer Deus, qui omnes homines is added to the collect of the Sunday under one conclusion. There are no other collects. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal

XVIII Sunday after Pentecost

The eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. This year it is the third Sunday of October. The Gospel pericopes from St. Matthew relate the healing of a paralytic, both by being forgiven his sins and physically healed by the LORD.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms of Saturday were sung. The Office hymn was Jam sol recedit igneus. The antiphon on the Magnifcat was Lugebat autem Judam for the Saturday before the third Sunday of October. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration was sung of St. Edward the Confessor followed by the Suffrage of the Saints. At Compline the Dominical preces were sung.

At Mattins the invitatory is Adoremus Dominum and the Office hymn isPrimo die. In the first nocturn the lessons continue to be read from the first book of Machabees. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from the book of St. Ambrose's Book of Offices. In the third nocturn the lessons are a homily from St. Peter Chrysologus 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 of St. Edward is sung followed by the Suffrage of the Saints.

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

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Edward the Confessor, the third collect is A cunctis. The Creed is sung as is the preface 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. Callistus and of St. Edward the Confessor. The Suffrage is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' at Vespers the antiphon on the Magnificat is Refulsit sol for the second Sunday of October. There are neither commemorations nor Suffrage. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons the first and second lessons are from the fourth chapter of the Machabees which were read last Sunday in the traditional rite. At Lauds there are no commemorations, nor Suffrage. At Prime both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted. At Mass there is a single collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal

XVII Sunday after Pentecost

The seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour, until Vespers, is green. This year it is the second Sunday of October. 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. Being also the first Sunday in October it is Rosary Sunday.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the psalms of Saturday were sung. The Office hymn was Jam sol recedit igneus. The antiphon on the Magnificat was Refulsit sol for the Saturday before the second Sunday of October. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of St. Bruno. The Suffrage of the Saints was omitted due to the double feast 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 continue to be read from the First Book of the Machabees. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from St. Augustine writings on the City of God. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Chrysostom on St. Matthew's Gospel. At Lauds the Office hymn is Aeterne rerum Conditor. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of St. Bruno. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted.

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

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

As, prior to the reform of 1911-13, the first Sunday in October was the feast of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, all Masses, except the Conventual Mass may be of the feast. The Mass Gaudeamus is sung in white vestments. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday and the third collect is of St. Bruno. The Creed is sung, the preface is of the Blessed Virgin and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

At Vespers the liturgical colour changes to white and first Vespers of the feast of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary are sung. The antiphons Quae est ista are sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 112, 121, 126 & 147. The Office hymn is Caelestis aulae Nuntius. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the Sunday and of St. Bruno. The Suffrage is omitted. At Compline Te lucis is sung with the melody and Doxology of the Incarnation, Jesu, tibi...Qui natus etc. The Dominical preces are omitted.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' today is the first Sunday of October. At Vespers the antiphon on the Magnificat was Adaperiat Dominus, there were no commemorations. Mattins is cut down to one nocturn the first and second lesson are from the Incipit of the Book of Machabees. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Mass there is but a single collect. The feast of the Most Holy Rosary of the BVM has been renamed BVM of the Rosary. A votive Mass of that may be celebrated today but without commemoration of St. Bruno and without the last Gospel of the Sunday. Vespers are of the Sunday.

Art: Jerome Nadal