The Vigil of Pentecost

Today, the Vigil of Penetecost, is one of the most sublime of all days in the Liturgical Year. The Vigil is a semidouble of the first class.

The ceremonies before Mass, very similar to Holy Saturday, are very beautiful but will, sadly, only be celebrated in a handful of places around the world. At the time of blogging I know of one to be held at St. Gertrude the Great in Ohio (from which the images come), one in the Philippines and one in London.

At Mattins the invitatory, hymn, psalms and antiphons are from the feast of the Ascension. The lessons in the first nocturn are the Incipit of the Apostle Jude, in the second nocturn the lessons are from a discourse of St. Augustine to catechumens on the Creed and St. Augustine sermon s 74 & 75 on St. John's Gospel from the third nocturn. At Lauds the Sunday psalms are sung as on the previous Sunday but without commemoration of the Octave. A commemortion of St. Felix is sung but the Commemoration of the Cross is omitted.

At the Little Hours the hymns are sung with the Doxology of Ascensiontime to Tone4. A white antependium etc. is on the choir altar covering a violet one which in turn covers a red one. The candles are not lit. At Prime the first entry in the Martyrology is that of the great feast of Pentecost. After None the white antependium is removed. The altar has no flowers or ornaments decorating it and the candles remain unlighted until Mass.

The celebrant in violet chasuble, assisted where possible by deacon and subdeacon in violet folded chasubles comes to the altar preceded by acolytes without candles. The celebrant kisses the altar at the centre and goes to the epistle corner. The celebrant begins reading, in a low voice, the first of six prophecies at the missal. Meanwhile a lector comes to a lectern in the middle of choir accompanied by the 2nd MC, reverences the altar and choir and then sings the first prophecy. The celebrant and ministers may sit after reading the prophecy returning to the altar as the lector finishes chanting the same. After the prophecy has been sung the celebrant sings Oremus, but unlike Holy Saturday without Flectamus genua and Levate, and sings the first collect Deus, qui in Abrahae.

(A lector is before the book medio chori having sung a prophecy. The bishop, at the faldstool, sings a collect. Note the deacon wearing a folded chausuble.)

Where resources permit the six prophecies are sung by lectors in ascending order of seniority but for most celebrations they will be sung by the same or by a couple of lectors. The prophecies and collects are:

Prophecy 1: Genesis XXII: 1- 19 (Holy Saturday 3rd prophecy) In diebus illis: Tentavit Deus Abraham… Collect 1: Deus, qui in Abrahae...; Prophecy 2: Exodus XIV: 24-31, XV: 1 (Holy Saturday 4th prophecy) In diebus illis: Factus est in vigilia matutina... This is followed immediately by the tract Cantemus Domino and then Collect 2: Deus, qui primis temporibus... Prophecy 3: Deuteronomy XXXI: 22 -30 (Holy Saturday 11th prophecy) In diebus illis: Scripsit Moyses canticum ... followed by the tract Attende, caelum then Collect 3: Deus, glorificatio fidelium...; Prophecy 4: Isaiah IV: 1 – 6 (Holy Saturday 8th prophecy) Apprehendent septem mulieres..., the tract Vinea facta est... and Collect 4: Omnipotens sempiterne Deus...; Prophecy 5: Baruch III: 9 – 38 (Holy Saturday 6th prophecy) Audi, Israel, mandata vitae... Collect 5: Deus, qui nobis...; and Prophecy 6: Ezechiel XXXVII: 1-14 (Holy Saturday 7th prophecy) In diebus illis: Facta est super me... and Collect 6: Domine, Deus virtutum...

During the sixth prophecy, if there is a font, the acolytes light their candles on the credence table. A server lights the Paschal Candle and holds it near the credence. The celebrant goes to the sedilia and removes the chasuble and maniple and puts on a violet cope. A procession is now made to the Baptistery. The Paschal Candle bearer leads followed by Crucifer between acolytes. The choir sings Sicut cervus.

At the entrance to the Baptistery the collect Concede, quaesumus is sung (as opposed to Omnipotens sempiterne Deus sung on Holy Saturday). Everything then is done to bless the font as on Holy Saturday with the solemn blessing of the water and infusion with Chrism. During the blessing of the font cushions are laid in the sanctuary for the celebrant and ministers to prostrate on.

After the blessing of the font the procession reforms and returns to the sanctuary the Paschal Candle bearer leading it. Two cantors begin the Litany as the procession leaves the Baptistery. The petitions are doubled i.e. the cantors sing the petition and response entire and then it is repeated by the choir and people e.g. C: Pater de caelis Deus, miserere nobis; P: Pater de caelis Deus, miserere nobis.

When the procession enters the sanctuary the candle bearer takes the Paschal Candle back to the sacristy and extinguishes it. The Crucifer and acolytes go to the credence. The cantors kneel in the middle of the choir. The celebrant and ministers go to the sedilia and removes their vestments. They then prostrate on the cushion before the altar, all others kneel. After the invocation Peccatores the celebrant and ministers rise and return to the sacristy where the celebrant vest in red. Meanwhile servers remove the violet antependium etc. and vest the altar for festal Mass. Where there is no font after the sixth prophecy the cushions are laid on the altar steps and the Litany follows.

(The bishop, without cope, and wearing the golden mitre kneels at the faldstool during the Litany of the Saints)

As the choir sing Agnus Dei the procession returns to the sanctuary. Mass follows as usual except, like Holy Saturday, it has no introit. During the Gloria the bells are rung. There is only one collect. At the Gospel the acolytes do not carry candles. The Creed is not sung. The preface, communicantes and Hanc igitur are of Pentecost.

(The bishop is incensed by the deacon. Note the Pontifical Canon in the centre of the altar.)

(The Epistle. The train from the bishop's choir cassock may be seen)

(In principio erat Verbum...)

In the afternoon solemn first Vespers of Pentecost are sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Vigil of Pentecost has been excoriated. At Mattins the ferial psalms are used, there is but one nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds and the Hours the ferial psalms are sung, there is no commemoration of St. Felix. The prophecies and blessing of the font are all gone. The Vigil ceremonies were supressed in churches where the, optional, 1952 form of the Easter Vigil was introduced and universally in 1956 with the New Order of Holy Week. As no one has argued that the times of the Pentecost Vigil were putatively wrong its reason for suppression was lest it reminded the faithful of the traditional Ordo. Mass has the introit added (previously this was only used in private Masses, all else has been cast aside.

Rubricarius has an old Newsletter of the SSPX in Britain, with a prefatory letter from the then District Superior, Fr. Edward Black, dated 5th May 1981. It is an interesting read, the Calender for June clearly shows pre-1962 praxis with the Octaves of the Ascension, the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, Corpus Christi and the Sacred Heart all being celebrated. However, most interesting and poignant for today, on the rear cover the timetable for the Vigil of Pentecost, Saturday 6th June 1981 at St. Michael’s House, Highclere, Berkshire:

10.00 am Prophecies followed by Sung Mass
3.00 pm Vespers
5.00 pm Mattins and Lauds

I doubt if it would be worth visiting Highclere today.

St. Bede the Venerable

Today is the feast of St. Bede the Venerable within the Octave of the Ascension. It is interesting to see how a double feast 'fits in' with a third order privileged Octave.

At Mattins the antiphons and psalms are from the feria (in contrast to the Office of the Octave), in the first nocturn the lessons are from occuring scripture and in the third nocturn the ninth lesson is for St. John I pope and martyr. At Lauds again the antiphons and psalms are ferial but a commemoration of the Octave and St. John is sung.

At the Little Hours the ferial psalter is used, hymns of Iambic metre have the Ascension Doxology and tone. At Prime in the Martryology the first place is the announcement of tomorrow's Octave Day of the Ascension.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Octave, the third of St. John. The Credo is sung, the preface and communicantes in the Canon are of the Ascension. (If we were not in the Octave the Creed would still be sung as St. Bede is a Doctor of the Church.)

Vespers are first Vespers of the Octave Day of the Ascension with a commemoration of St. Bede and St. Augustine of Canterbury.

Sunday within the Octave of the Ascension

Today is Sunday within the Octave of the Ascension. The Sunday is of semi-double rite. The theme of the great feast of the Ascension continues with most of the texts coming from the feast. However, the antiphons are of course not doubled. The Gospel pericope from St. John has the beautiful words of the LORD promising the gift of the Paraclete:

When the Paraclete cometh, whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceedeth from the Father, he shall give testimony of me: and you shall give testimony, because you are with me from the beginning.

At first Vespers yesterday the antiphons for the feast, Viri Galilaei etc, were sung along with the festal psalms. The chapter was of the Sunday, the hymn for the Ascension and the antiphon on the Magnificat and collect of the Sunday. A commemoration of the Octave was then sung. The Commemoration of the Cross was not sung, because of the Octave and at Compline the Dominical preces were omitted for the same reason.

At Mattins again the antiphons and psalms are as on the feast. However, in the first nocturn the lessons are the incipit of the First Epistle of St. John, the responsories are of the feast. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from a sermon on the Ascension by St. Augustine and the writings of the same provide the third nocturn lessons reflecting on St. John's Gospel. At Lauds all is from the feast except the chapter, antiphon on the Benedictus and collect. A commemoration of the Octave is sung.

At the Little Hours the hymns are sung to the melody for the Ascension Dolology (Tone 4). At Prime the festal psalms (Pss. 53, 118i, 118ii) are sung rather than the Dominical ones (117, 118i, 118ii) the short lesson is Si quis loquitur.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is that of the Octave. However, a third collect is not sung as Sundays within Octaves only have two collects unless there is an occuring commemoration. The Credo is sung and the preface and communicantes are of the Octave.

At Vespers again the antiphons and psalms are as on the feast. The chapter, antiphon on the Magnificat and collect are of the Sunday. A commemoration is sung of the following Office of St. Gregory, of the Octave and St. Urban.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Octave has been stripped from the feast as already noted. At Vespers on Saturday the psalms of Saturday were sung under a single antiphon Alleluia, no commemorations would have been made. At Mattins, reduced of course to one nocturn, the invitatory and hymn of the Ascension are sung but the psalms are those for Sunday under a single antiphon. At Lauds the psalms are sung under the single antiphon and there is no commemoration of the Octave.

At Prime the Dominical psalms are sung and the short lesson is, surprisingly, Viri Galilaei for Ascensiontime. The hymns do not have the Ascension Doxology and are sung to the ordinary melody for Sundays.In Mass there is only one collect. The preface of the Ascension is sung but not the communicantes in the Canon.

Vespers are of the Sunday, the psalms sung under one antiphon and are sung without any commemorations.

Within the Octave

Today is the second day within the Octave of the Ascension.

The days within the Octave are celebrated as on the feast with the following exceptions. The rank of days within the Octave is semi-double so the antiphons are not doubled at Mattins, Lauds or Vespers.

The psalms are used as on the feast. Mattins has three nocturns: in the first nocturn the lessons are from occuring scripture. The Ascension Doxology is sung at all hymns of Iambic metre. Because of the Octave the Commemoration of the Cross is not sung at Lauds and at Prime and Compline there are no preces.

Mass follows Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect Concede nos, the third collect Ecclesiae. The Creed is sung and the preface and communicantes are proper to the Ascension.

Vespers are of the Octave, the antiphons on the psalms and Magnificat are not, of course, doubled.

Saturday is the third day within the Octave and the same structure is followed except for Vespers which are of the following Sunday within the Octave with a commemoration of the Octave.

According to the 'liturgical books of 1962' today is a fourth class feria of Ascension time. Mattins has but one nocturn of three lessons, the ferial psalter is used. At Mass there is one collect, no Creed and no proper communicantes. Saturday is kept as the Office of the BVM on Saturday.

The Ascension of the LORD

The feast of the Ascension of the LORD is a double of the first class with a privileged octave of the third order.

The Office began with first Vespers yesterday afternoon. The antiphons were proper. Four pluvialistae in pariti assist the Hebdomadarius at Vespers and Lauds. At Mattins the invitatory is proper: Alleluia, Christum Dominum ascendentem in caelum, Venite adoremus, alleluia. The hymn Aeterne Rex altissime is sung. In the first nocturn the lessons are taken from the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles, in the second nocturn they are from a sermon of St. Leo and in the third nocturn a homily from St. Gregory. At Lauds the antiphons are those sung at Vespers and the hymn is Salutis humane Sator.

At the Hours Sunday psalms are sung, Prime is as on feasts (Pss. 53, 118(i) & 118(ii). At Prime the verse Qui scandis super sidera is sung in the short responsory today and until the Vigil of Pentecost. Hymns (with the exception of Salutis humane Sator) have the Ascension Doxology and are sung in tone 4.

At Mass the Gloria is sung. After the Gospel the Paschal Candle is exinguished. The Credo is sung and the preface and communicantes are proper to the feast. After Mass the Paschal Candle is removed from the sanctuary, it makes a brief re-appearance on the Vigil of Pentecost.

Second Vespers are the same as first except for the versicle and response and antiphon on the Magnificat.

In 'the liturgical books of 1962' the antiphons at the Little Hours are doubled and the Ascension Doxology is sung at the hymn of Mattins only. The hymns at the Little Hours are sung to the general feastal tone. The feast's octave was stripped from it in 1956.

The icon is by the great Russian iconographer Andrei Rublev and featured on Wikipedia.

St. Bernardine of Sienna - Vigil of the Ascension

Today is the feast of St. Bernardine of Sienna a Franciscan who died on the Vigil of the Ascension in 1444. The feast is of semi-double rite. Today is also the Vigil of the Ascension and Rogation Wednesday.

At Mattins the lessons in the first nocturn are taken from the Common, Beatus vir. In the third nocturn the ninth lesson is a homily for the Vigil from St. Augustine. At Lauds a commemoration of the Vigil is sung as is the Commemoration of the Cross in Paschaltide.

At the Little Hours the Paschaltide Doxology and tone is sung at the hymns (for the last time this year). At Prime the Dominical preces are sung and the short lesson is for a Confessor, Justum deduxit.

Mass follows Terce. The Gloria is sung the second collect is of the Vigil, the third of the Rogations, the Paschaltide preface is sung (for the last time this year) and the last Gospel is of the Vigil. Private Masses may be of the Vigil, the Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Bernardine and the third collect that of the Rogations, the preface is of Paschaltide and, unusually for a Vigil, the vestments are white.

Where the Rogation Procession takes place and there is only one Mass it is sung after None. The Rogation Procession takes place as described in the post for Rogation Monday. At Mass (Exaudivit) the second collect is of St. Bernardine, the third collect of the Vigil, the Paschaltide preface (sung in the ferial tone like the orations), Benedicamus Domino as the dismissal and the last Gospel that of the Vigil.

First Vespers of the great feast of the Ascension are Sung. At Compline and the other Hours hymns of Iambic metre have the Ascensiontide Doxology: Jesu tibi sit gloria, Qui victor in caelum redis, Cum Patre et almo Spiritu, In sempiterna saecula. Amen.

Following the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Vigil has been raised in rank to II class and takes precedence over St. Bernardine's feast. St. Bernardine is commemorated at Lauds, the Commemoration of the Cross is not sung. At the Hours the Paschaltide Doxology and tone are not sung for the hymns, at Prime the Dominical preces are omitted, the festal chapter Regi saeculorum is sung even though the Office is classed as ferial, the short lesson is of the season. In said Masses of the Vigil St. Bernardine is commemorated.

Where a Procession takes place the Litany is not duplicated and may be in the vernacular. At the votive Mass following the 'preparatory prayers' are chopped the Vigil is commemorated but not St. Bernardine, Ite missa est is sung as the dismissal. The Ascensiontide Doxology is not sung at the Little Hours.

The picture is a 'screen dump' of the start of the Rogation Procession held today at St. Gertrude the Great Church in West Chester, USA. Bishop Dolan is kneeling before the choir altar at the start of the Litany. How refreshing that a least one Catholic church on the planet is bothering to celebrated the liturgy well. St. Gertrude's have had a Procession for each of the Rogation Days and have sung Liturgy every day. The school children sing beautifully and may Almighty God bless their splendid efforts for the Liturgy abundantly. Their excellent web-broadcast programme has first Vespers of the Ascension scheduled for 19:30 BST this evening. The picture below is of Bishop Dolan singing the nine collects after the Litany.

St. Peter Celestine - Rogation Tuesday

Today is the double rite feast of St. Peter Celestine. It is also Rogation Tuesday but the feria is not commemorated in the Office today. St. Peter Celestine was born in 1221 and became a Benedictine. Attracting many followers these later became known as Celestines from the name St. Peter took after being elected Bishop of Rome only holding that office for a few months before resigning. He died May 19th 1296.

At Mattins the first nocturn lesson are from occuring scripture. The ninth lesson is of St. Pudentiana. A commemoration of St. Pudentiana is also sung at Lauds.

At the Little Hours the Paschaltide Doxology and tone is used for the hymns. At Prime in the Martyrology the first entry is for the Vigil of the Ascension, the short lesson is Fungi sacerdotio for a Confessor-Bishop.

Mass follows Terce. The Gloria is sung the second collect is of the Rogations (from the Mass Exaudivit), the third collect for S. Pudentiana.

Where the Rogation Procession takes place and there is only one Mass this takes place after None as described in yesterday's post. The Mass Exaudivit is sung with ferial tones for the prayers and preface. The second collect is of St. Peter Celestine, the third of St. Pudentiana and Benedicamus Domino sung as the dismissal.

At Vespers a commemoration is made of the following feast of St. Bernardine of Sienna.

Following the 'liturgical books of 1962' St. Peter Celestine is reduced to a third class feast of three lessons. There is no commemorated lesson at Mattins of St. Pudentiana. At the Little Hours the Paschaltide Doxology and tone are not sung at the hymns, the short lesson at Prime is of the season. At Mass (without a Procession) there is no commemoration of the Rogations but of St. Pudentiana in said Masses only. Where the Procession takes place the same rules as yesterday apply so the Litany may be sung in the vernacular (the petitions not duplicated) and the 'preparatory prayers' chopped from the beginning of the votive Mass etc and Ite, missa est as the dismissal. Vespers are without a commemoration. There is no longer any obligtion for clergy to pray the Litany if they do not take part in a Procession.

The photograph is from a series of a Rogation Procession at St. Clement's Episcopal Church, Philadelphia. A Google image search showed many Anglican Rogation Processions (but not using the Roman Rite!) but where are the Catholic ones?