St. Sylvester of Rome

Today is the feast of St. Sylvester I Pope and Confessor. The feast is of double rite and the liturgical colour of the day is white.

At Mattins in the first nocturn the Epistle to the Romans continues to be read. The second nocturn lessons are historical and in the third nocturn the homily is Sint lumbi from the Common of Confessor non-Pontiffs with the responsories of Confessor-Pontiffs. At Lauds the antiphons and psalms are taken from the Psalter for Fridays and a commemoration of the Octave of the Nativity is sung.

At the Little Hours the hymns have the Doxology and melody in honour of the Incarnation. The antiphons and psalmody are from the ferial psalter. At Prime the lectio brevis is Fungi sacerdotio.

At Mass, Sacerdotes tui, the Gloria is sung, a commemoration of the Octave of the Nativity made, the Credo is sung and the preface and communicantes in the Canon are of the Nativity.

Vespers are first Vespers of the Circumcision without any commemorations.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' today is a day within the Octave of the Nativity. At Mattins the antiphons and psalmody are festal but there is only one nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds a commemoration of St. Sylvester is made. At the Little Hours ferial antiphons and psalms are used, the hymns do not have the tone or Doxology in honour of the Incarnation. The Mass is Puer natus with a commemoration of St. Sylvester in Low Masses only. Vespers are the same as the Old Rite.

The icon is from the All Merciful Saviour Mission's selection of icons of Western Saints.

Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity

Today is the Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity. It is of semi-double rite. The displaced Sunday's Mass and Office are transferred from the 26th December this year to today. Whenever the Nativity or the feasts of St. Stephen, St. John or the Holy Innocents fall on a Sunday the Sunday is transferred with its Office.

At Mattins the Incipit of the Epistle to the Romans was traditionally assigned to the 30th but was moved to the 29th in the 1911-13 reform, so today the first nocturn lessons are a continuation from Romans. In the second nocturn the lessons are from St. Leo on the Nativity. In the third nocturn the homily is taken from St. Augustine's writings on the second chapter of St. Luke's Gospel. At Lauds the antiphons from the Nativity are sung with the Dominical psalms. The chapter and antiphon on the Benedictus are proper to the Sunday. A commemoration of the Octave of the Nativity is sung.

At the Hours the antiphons are from the Nativity and the psalmody is festal. At Prime Pss. 53, 118(i), 118(ii) are sung and the lectio brevis is proper to the Sunday, Itaque jam non est servus. The hymns of the Little Hours are of course sung to the melody of the Doxology in honour of the Incarnation, Jesu tibi sit gloria etc.

The Mass, Dum medium, is proper, the Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Octave. The Credo is sung and the preface and communicantes are of the Nativity are sung.

Vespers of the Nativity are sung, from the chapter of the Sunday within the Octave with a commemoration of the following day's feast of St. Silvester and of the Octave of the Nativity.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' today is a day within the Octave of the Nativity. Mattins has the antiphons and psalmody of the Nativity (with the shortened Ps. 88 ) and one nocturn of three lessons from occuring scripture, the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans. In the Old Rite when the sixth day within the Octave was celebrated there were second nocturn lessons again from St. Leo and third nocturn lessons from St. Ambrose, these of course just get excised. Festal Lauds are celebrated. At the Hours ferial antiphons and psalmody are used. There is no proper Doxology (or melody) at the hymns of the Little Hours in honour of the Incarnation and the short lesson at Prime is 'of the season'. Mass is celebrated of a day within the Octave, Puer natus with but one collect. Vespers are of the Nativity with no commemorations.

St. Thomas of Canterbury

Today is the feast of St. Thomas of Canterbury, it is of double rite. In England the feast is a Double of the Second Class. The liturgical colour of the day is red. St. Thomas of Canterbury, or St. Thomas Becket, fell foul of the political machinations of King Henry II and was slain by the King's soldiers in Canterbury Cathedral on December 29th, 1170. The liturgical celebration of his feast entered Western calendars almost immediately after his canonisation.

Mattins has, as usual, three nocturns and nine lessons. The antiphons and psalms are taken from the Psalter for Wednesday. In the first nocturn the Incipit of the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans is read. In the second nocturn the lessons are historical and in the third nocturn the lessons are from a homily of St. John Chrysostom on St. John's Gospel. At Lauds again the psalmody is ferial. A commemoration of the Octave of the Nativity is sung. At the Hours the psalmody is ferial, at Prime the lectio brevis is Justus cor suum.

At Mass the Gloria is sung, a commemoration of the Octave of the Nativity is made, the Credo is sung and the preface and communicantes are of the Octave of the Nativity.

Vespers are of the Octave of the Nativity but from the chapter of the following Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity with a commemoration of St. Thomas Becket and of the Octave of the Nativity.

Following the 'liturgical books of 1962' St. Thomas is reduced to a commemoration in the fifth day within the Octave of the Nativity. The liturgical colour of the day is white. However, festal psalmody is used at Mattins and Lauds, as on the feast of the Nativity (this contrasts with the practice for third order Octaves in the old rite when a double feast falls within them). Mattins is reduced to one nocturn of three lessons. At the Hours the antiphons and psalmody are ferial, at Prime the lectio brevis is of the season. Mass is of a day within the Octave, with Gloria, commemoration of St. Thomas (at read Masses only), Credo, preface and communicantes of the Nativity. Vespers are of the Nativity without any commemorations.

The Holy Innocents

The feast of the Holy Innocents is a Double of the Second Class with a simple Octave. Today the altars and ministers change their recent festive colours to the violet of mourning. In practice, in larger churches, the most decorated violet vestments used for the Vigil of the Nativity and for the 'Gesima' Sundays (and Gaudete and Laetare Sundays) would be used this day. The feast of the Holy Innocents is unique in the Roman rite in that it changes its liturgical colour depending on whether it falls on a weekday or a Sunday. This year as the feast falls on a weekday it is celebrated in violet. When it falls on a Sunday, as it did last year, the feast is celebrated in red. The origin of this practice is a compromise between the differences in Gallican and Roman praxis.

Much of the Office comes from the Common of Several Martyrs. Mattins has nine lessons. The hymn Audit tyrannus anxius is proper to the feast. In the first nocturn the lessons are from the Prophet Jeremiah. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from a sermon of St. Augustine on the Saints and in the third nocturn the eigth antiphon, Isti sunt, is proper and the homily on the Gospel is from the writings of St. Jerome on St. Matthew's Gospel. The Te Deum is not sung but a ninth responsory in its place, Isti qui amicti sunt. At Lauds a comemmoration is sung of the Octave of the Nativity.

At the Little Hours the hymns have their Doxology changed in honour of the Incarnation, the festal psalms are sung and at Prime the short lesson is of the feast, Hi empti sunt

At Mass the Gloria is not sung, the second collect is of the Octave of the Nativity. The Alleluia and its verse given in the Missal is not sung today but in its place the Tract Effuderunt sanguinem Sanctorum. The Credo is sung and the preface and communicantes are of the Octave of the Nativity. The beautiful solemn tone of Benedicamus Domino is sung as the dismissal, heard only on the Vigil of Christmas, Holy Innocents' Day and Masses pro re gravi.

Vespers are of the Nativity, but from the chapter of the Holy Innocents with a commemoration of the following day's feast of St. Thomas of Canterbury and of the Octave of the Nativity.

Following the 'liturgical books of 1962' the feast of the Holy Innocents looses its penitential aspect (and Octave!) and is celebrated in red. The Te Deum replaces the ninth responsory. At the Hours the hymn tones and conclusions are ordinary and the psalmody is ferial. At Prime the short lesson is of the season. At Mass the Gloria and Alleluia are sung. The Tract and magnificent Benedicamus Domino are never heard. At Vespers there is only a commemoration of the Octave of the Nativity.

St. John the Evangelist

The feast of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist a Double of the Second Class with a simple Octave. The liturgical colour is white.

As for all days until Epiphany hymns of Iambic metre have the special Doxology and tone in honour of the Incarnation. The Office is largely taken from the Common of Apostles. Mattins has three nocturns. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the former Epistle of St. John. In the second nocturn the writings of St. Jerome provide the lessons and in the third nocturn the homily is from St. Augustine. At Lauds the antiphons Valde honorandus est etc are sung with the Dominical psalms, a commemoration of the Octave of the Nativity of the LORD is sung.

At the Hours the same antiphons, Valde honorandus est etc., are sung. At Prime the festal psalms are sung, the lectio brevis is In medio Ecclesiae.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung. A second collect if of the Octave of the Nativity. The Credo is sung. The preface and communicantes are of the Nativity.

Vespers are of the Nativity but from the chapter of St. John. A commemoration of tomorrow's feast of the Holy Innocents is made and of the Octave of the Nativity.

Following the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Doxology in honour of the Incarnation is omitted in the hymns of the Little Hours. At the Little Hours the ferial psalms are sung, at Prime the lectio brevis is of the season, not of the feast. At Vespers no commemoration is made of the Holy Innocents.

Miniature of St. John from Wikipedia.

St. Stephen the Protomartyr

Today is the feast of St. Stephen the Protomartyr, the feast is a Double of the Second Class with a simple Octave. The feast takes the place of the Sunday completely. The liturgical colour of the day is red. Many saints, originally more than now, were celebrated after the Nativity of the LORD. These were described as the 'comites Christi' . e.g. St. James the Lesser and King David. In 'modern' calendars we are left with St. Stephen, St. John the Evangelist, and the Holy Innocents.

Yesterday St. Stephen's Day was commemorated at Second Vespers of the Nativity. (Special rules apply to Vespers for the Octave of the Nativity). The Office is proper and Mattins has three nocturns of nine lessons. The Nativity of the LORD is commemorated at Lauds, Mass and Vespers. Hymns of Iambic metre have the special tone and Doxology in honour of the Incarnation.

At Mass, sung after Terce, the Gloria, the second collect is of the Nativity. The Credo are sung. The preface and communicantes are of the Nativity.

Vespers are Second Vespers of the Nativity, but from the chapter they are of St. Stephen with a commemoration of St. John the Evangelist and the Octave of the Nativity of the LORD.

Following the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity is celebrated, the liturgical colour is white. At Vespers yesterday there were no commemorations. Mattins is cut down to three lessons. St. Stephen is commemorated at Lauds and Low Mass. There is no commemoration of the Octave. The Doxology in honour of the Incarnation is omitted at the hymns of the Little Hours. At Prime the Dominical psalms are sung. At Vespers there is no commemoration of the Nativity or of St. John.

The Nativity of the LORD

The feast of the Nativity of the LORD is a Double of the First Class with a privileged Octave of the third order. The liturgical colour of the feast is white.

Mattins is ordinarily sung late in the evening, so that the Mass which immediately follows can begin at midnight. The Caeremoniale Episcoporum gives special instructions, Lib.II, Cap. XIV, 3, for Pontifical Mattins, but may be reasonably applied to other celebrations or arranging adequate candles to supply light for the service and talks of candelabris ferreis magnis to help provide this. One can easily see where the modern practice of candlelit nine lessons and carols comes from, but how unfortunate that the same effort is not made to celebrate solemn Mattins. The invitatory is proper, Christus natus es nobis: Venite adoremus. When intoning the hymn, Jesu, Redemptor omnium, the Hebdomadarius turns and bows to the altar. Mattins has three nocturns and the usual nine lessons. In the first nocturn the lessons are from Isaiah but, interestingly, are sung without a title. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from a homily on the Nativity by St. Leo. In the third nocturn three Gospel pericopes are sung, two from St. Luke and the third from St. John. After the Te Deum the collect is sung followed by Benedicamus Domino. Then the first of the three Masses for the Nativity is sung. The Gloria is sung (one theory of its origin in the Mass rite is from the song of the Angels on Christmas night to the shepherds) as is the Creed. The preface and communicantes are of the Nativity. At Lauds a different set of antiphons to those used at first Vespers, Quem vidistis pastores etc., with the Dominical psalms. Lauds immediately follows this Mass.

Later in the morning Prime is sung. All hymns of Iambic metre have the tone and Doxology in honour of the Incarnation, Jesu tibi sit gloria etc. The first antiphon from Lauds, Quem vidistis pastores, is sung with the festal psalms. In the short responsory the versicle Qui natus es de Maria Virgine is sung. Prime is followed by the second Mass, the Missa in aurora, that has a second collect to commemorate St. Anastasia. The Gloria and Creed are sung, the preface and communicantes are of the Nativity.

After Terce the third Mass is sung. This Mass too has the Gloria and Creed along with the preface and communicantes of the Nativity. As the Gospel pericope for this Mass is In principio the Gospel of the Epiphany, Cum natus esset Jesus, is read as a proper last Gospel.

Second Vespers has yet a third set of proper antiphons for the feast, Tecum principium etc., that are sung with psalms 109, 110, 111, 129 and 131. These antiphons and psalms will be used through the Octave. The following feast of St. Stephen is commemorated.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' at Mattins in the third nocturn, and for the Octave, psalm 88, Misericordias Domini is cut from 51 to 36 verses. The verses from Tu vero repulisti et despexisti to the end are omitted. The tone and Doxology in honour of the Nativity is not sung at the hymns of the Little Hours. In the third Mass the last Gospel is omitted and at Vespers no commemoration of St. Stephen is made.

A very blessed and Holy Christmass to all.