St. Sylvester of Rome

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

At Mattins the invitatory is Regem Confessorum Dominum, Venite adoremus and the Office hymn Iste Confessor. The antiphons and psalms from the Psalter for Wednesday are sung. In the first nocturn the Epistle to the Romans continues to be read. The second nocturn lessons are hagiographical 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 again taken from the Psalter for Wednesday. The Office hymn is Jesu, Redemptor omnium and it is sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation. After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the Octave of the Nativity.

At the Hours the hymns have the Doxology of the Incarnation. The antiphons and psalmody are from the ferial psalter for Wednesday. At Prime the lectio brevis is Fungi sacerdotio.

Mass is sung after Terce. The formulary is Sacerdotes tui etc. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is a commemoration of the Octave of the Nativity. The Creed is sung and the preface and communicantes in the Canon are of the Nativity.

Vespers are first Vespers of the following feast of the Circumcision without any commemorations.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' today is the seventh day within the Octave of the Nativity. At Mattins the antiphons and psalmody are festal (of the Octave) but there is only one nocturn of three lessons, from occurring Scripture. The curtailed version of Ps.88 is used. At Lauds the Dominical psalms are sung. A commemoration of St. Sylvester is sung after the collect of the Octave. At the Hours ferial antiphons and psalms are sung, the hymns do not have the tone or Doxology in honour of the Incarnation. At Prime the lectio brevis is of the season. 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.

The Holy Innocents

The feast of the Holy Innocents is a Double of the Second Class with, since the reform of 1911-13, a simple Octave. 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. As this year it is celebrated on Sunday the liturgical colour is red. When it falls on a week-day the feast is celebrated in violet, the origin of this practice being a synthesis of the differences in Gallican and Roman praxis.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms from second Vespers of the Nativity were sung. From the chapter, Qui timet Deum, the Office was of St. John with commemorations of the Holy Innocents and of the Octave of the Nativity.

At Mattins the invitatory is Regem Martyrum Dominum, Venite adoremus and the Office hymn Audit tyrannus anxius (sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation). In the first nocturn the antiphons Secus decursus aquarum etc are sung with psalms 1, 2 and 3. The lessons are from the Prophet Jeremiah. In the second nocturn the antiphons Dabo Sanctis meis etc are sung with psalms 14, 15 & 23. The lessons are from a sermon of St. Augustine on the Saints. In the third nocturn the antiphons Justi autem etc are sung with psalms 32, 33 & 45. However, the eighth antiphon, Isti sunt, is proper to the feast. The homily on St. Matthew's Gospel is from the writings of St. Jerome. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons Herodes iratus etc are sung with the Dominical psalms. The Office hymn is Salvete, flores Martyrum (again, sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation). After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the Octave of the Nativity.

At Prime and the Hours the antiphons of Lauds are sung with the festal psalms. The hymns have their Doxology changed in honour of the Incarnation. At Prime (Pss. 53, 118i, 118ii) the short lesson is of the feast, Hi empti sunt.

At Mass the Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Octave of the Nativity. The Alleluia and its verse given in the Missal are sung before the Gospel. The Credo is sung and the preface and communicantes are of the Octave of the Nativity. T

Vespers have the antiphons and psalms of the Nativity, but from the chapter are of the Holy Innocents. The Office hymn is Salvete, flores Martyrum. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the following feast of St. Thomas of Canterbury and of the Octave of the Nativity.

Following the 'liturgical books of 1962' today is the Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity. Vespers yesterday had the antiphons and psalms of the Nativity, from the chapter of St. John with a commemoration of the Octave of the Nativity but not of the Holy Innocents (or the Sunday within the Octave). Mattins has but a single nocturn. At Lauds there is a commemoration of the Holy Innocents but not of the Octave of the Nativity. At the Hours the antiphons and psalms are of the Sunday and the hymns lose the Doxology of the Incarnation. At Prime the short lesson is of the season. At said Masses only there is a commemoration of the Holy Innocents. Vespers are of the Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity without any commemorations.

St. Stephen the Protomartyr

The feast of St. Stephen the Protomarty is a Double of the Second Class with a simple Octave. The liturgical colour of the day is red. Many saints, originally more than now, were celebrated around 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 although St. David the King is in the Kalendar as a greater double on the 29th December in the Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

At second Vespers of the Nativity yesterday afternoon a commemoration was sung of St. Stephen. At Mattins the invitatory is proper, Christum natum, qui beatum hodie coronavit Stephanum. The Office hymn is Deus, tuorum militum sung with the Doxology of the Nativity. In the first nocturn the antiphons In lege Domini etc are sung with psalms 1, 2 & 3 all from the Common of a Martyr. The lessons are from the Acts of the Apostles with responsories proper to the feast. In the second nocturn the antiphons Filii hominum etc are sung with psalms 4, 5 & 8 and the lessons are from a sermon of St. Fulgentius on St. Stephen's martyrdom. In the third nocturn the antiphons Justus Dominus etc are sung with psalms 10, 14 & 20. The homily is from St. Jerome on St. Matthew's Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the proper antiphons, Lapidaverunt Stephanum etc., are sung with psalms 92, 99, 62, Benedicite & 148. The Office hymn is Invicte Martyr unicum sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation. After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the Octave of the Nativity.

At Prime the antiphon Lapidaverunt Stephanum is sung with the festal psalms (53, 118i & 118ii). The short responsory has the versicle of the Incarnation and the lectio brevis is Positis autem. At the other Little Hours the psalms of Lauds are used in the usual order. The hymns of the Little Hours have the tone and Doxology of the Incarnation.

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

At Vespers the antiphons and psalms are from Second Vespers of the Nativity but from the chapter of St. Stephen. The Office hymn is Deus, tuorum militum, sung with the Doxology and melody of the Incarnation. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the following feast of St. John the Evangelist and of the Octave of the Nativity of the LORD.

Following the 'liturgical books of 1962' there is no commemoration of St. Stephen in Second Vespers of the Nativity. The Office hymns are sung without the Doxology of the Incarnation. At Prime and the Hours the antiphons and psalms of Friday are sung, not the proper antiphons and festal psalms. The lectio brevis is Ipsi peribunt. At Vespers there is no commemoration 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 later in the evening than usual, so that the Mass which immediately follows can begin at midnight. The Caeremoniale Episcoporum gives special instructions, Lib.II, Cap. XIV, for Pontifical Mattins, but may be reasonably applied to other celebrations, for the arrangement of adequate candles to supply light for the service and talks of candelabris ferreis magnis to help provide this. The invitatory is proper, Christus natus est nobis: * Venite adoremus. When intoning the Office 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 antiphons Dominus Dixit etc are sung with psalms 2, 18 & 44. The lessons are from Isaiah but, interestingly, are sung without a title. In the second nocturn the antiphons Suscepimus etc are sung with psalms 47, 71 & 84. The lessons in the second nocturn are taken from a homily on the Nativity by St. Leo. In the third nocturn the antiphons Ipse invocabit etc are sung with psalms 88, 95 & 97. The lessons are three Gospel pericopes, 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. Lauds immediately follow Mass. The antiphons Quem vidistis pastores etc are sung the Dominical psalms. The Office hymn is A solis ortus cardine.

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 (53, 118i & 118ii). In the short responsory the versicle Qui natus es de Maria Virgine is sung. The lectio brevis is Ipsi peribunt. Prime is followed by the second Mass, the Missa in aurora. In the second Mass the Gloria is sung, there is a second collect to commemorate St. Anastasia. The Creed is sung and 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. After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the following feast of St. Stephen. At Compline the Dominical psalms are sung.

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 are 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.

Vigil of the Nativity

The Vigil of the Nativity is unique in the Liturgical Year in that it is of simple rite at Mattins and then becomes of double rite from Lauds onwards. The liturgical colour of the Vigil is violet. At Mass the ministers do not wear folded chasubles but dalmatic and tunicle.

Mattins has a single nocturn of three lessons. The invitatory is Hodie scietis and the Office hymn is Verbum supernum. The antiphons, Speciosus forma etc., and psalms are from the ferial psalter for Wednesday (with psalm 50 as the last psalm as the second scheme of Lauds will not be sung) but the versicles, lessons and responsories are proper to the day. The homily is taken from St. Jerome's commentary on the first chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel. At Lauds the antiphons, Judaea et Jerusalem nolite timere etc, are sung with psalms 92, 99, 62, Benedicite and 148. The Office hymn is En clara vox. The chapter, antiphon on the Benedictus, and collect are proper to the Vigil. The ferial preces are not sung the Office now being of double rite.

Prime is festal with the first antiphon from Lauds, as usual, and psalms 53, 118(i) and 118(ii). The Martyrology is sung with extra solemnity today. The Hebdomadarius dons a violet cope and preceded by acolytes bearing candles and a thurifer with incense enters the choir. After reverencing the choir and altar the Martyrology is censed, as a Gospel book, three times. The the choir rise and the Hebdomadarius chants 'Octavo Kalendas Januarii. Luna quarta. Anno a creatione mundi, quando in principio Deus creavit coelum et terram, quinquies millesimo centesimo nonagesimonono: A diluvio etc., listing the years since the birth of Abraham, the Exodus from Egypt, the anointing of David, the time since Daniel the Prophet, since the founding of Rome and the conception of the LORD by the Holy Ghost. He continues until '...novemque post conceptionem decursis mensibus', then raising the pitch of the chant, whilst the choir kneel, he continues, 'in Bethlehem Judae nascitur ex Maria Virgine factus Homo'. Then, in the tone of the Passion: 'Nativitas Domini nostri Jesu Christi secundem carnem.' The choir then rise and sit whilst in the normal tone the Hebdomadarius (or a lector, depending on the custom of the place) continues with the entries for the day: 'Eodem die natalis santae Anastasiae etc. The lectio brevis, Per quem accepimus, is proper to the Vigil. The antiphons from Lauds are used in sequence at the rest of the Hours.

Mass is sung after None. Today the ministers do not wear folded chasubles but violet dalmatic and tunicle. There is just one collect. The dismissal, Benedicamus Domino, is sung by the deacon to a most beautiful and ornate tone reserved for today, the feast of the Holy Innocents and pro re gravi Masses.

First Vespers of the Nativity are sung in the afternoon. The antiphons Rex pacificus etc are sung with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn is Jesu, Redemptor omnium. All hymns of Iambic metre have the Doxology Jesu, tibi sit gloria, qui natus es de Virgine for the Octave and up until the feast of the Epiphany. At Compline the Domincial psalms are sung, Te lucis has the Doxology of the Incarnation and the Domincal preces are omitted.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there is no change of rank between Mattins and the rest of the day. The antiphons at both Mattins and the Hours are doubled. At Prime the special short lesson is omitted and the one used for all of Advent is sung. Not having folded chasubles the distinction of the lightening of the penitential tone is lost at Mass and the beautiful chant of the Benedicamus Domino is replaced by Ite, missa est. Mass is sung after Terce, not after None. The hymns at the Little Hours through the Octave etc do not have the special tone and Doxology in honour of the Incarnation.

St. Thomas the Apostle

The feast of St. Thomas the Apostle is a Double of the Second Class. As this year St. Thomas' feast fell on one of the greater Sundays its celebration is transferred to today. The liturgical colour of the feast is red. According to tradition St. Thomas preached the Gospel in Asia and the Indian sub-continent. He is believed to have founded, inter alia, the St. Thomas Christians on the West coast of India, one of several groups using the East-Syrian family of liturgies.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Hoc est praeceptum meum etc were sung with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn was Exsultet orbis gaudiis. The antiphon on the Magnificat was proper to the feast, Quia vidisti me etc. After the collect of the feast the fourth Sunday of Advent was commemorated with the Great 'O' Antiphon appointed for the 21st December O Oriens and the collect of the Sunday. At Compline the Dominical psalms were sung and the preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory is Regem Apostolorum Dominum, Venite adoremus and the Office hymn is Aeterna Christi munera. In the first nocturn the antiphons In omnem terram etc are sung with psalms 18, 33 & 44. The lessons are Sic nos existimet homo from St. Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians. In the second nocturn the antiphons Principes populorum etc are sung with psalms 46, 60 & 63. The fourth lesson is proper to the feast, the fifth and sixth are taken from the Common. In the third nocturn the antiphons Exaltabuntur etc are sung with psalms 74, 96 & 98. The homily on St. John's Gospel is from St. Gregory. At Lauds the antiphons Hoc est praeceptum meum etc are sung with the Dominical psalms (92, 99, 62, Benedicite & 148). The Office hymn is Exsultet orbis gaudiis. The antiphon on the Benedictus, Quia vidisti me, Thoma, credidisti: beati, qui non viderunt, et crediderunt, alleluia, is proper to the feast and refers to the incident recorded in the Gospel of St. John about St. Thomas' doubt in the Risen LORD. A commemoration is then sung of the Advent feria, the antiphon on the Benedictus is Dicit Dominus etc for the Monday of the fourth week of Advent (the antiphon appointed to be sung on the 21st day of December does not transfer with St. Thomas' feast).

The antiphons sung at Lauds are sung in due order at the Horae Minores. At Prime the festal psalms (53, 118i & 118ii) are sung and the lectio brevis is Ibant Apostoli.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Advent feria. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Apostles.

At second Vespers the antiphons Juravit Dominus etc are sung with psalms 109, 112, 115, 125 & 138. The antiphon on the Magnificat is Quia vidisti me, Thoma etc and the Advent feria is commemorated with the Great 'O' Antiphon O Rex Gentium and collect of the preceding Sunday. At Compline the Dominical psalms are sung and the preces are omitted.

According to the 'liturgical books of 1962' St. Thomas' feast is entirely omitted this year - as was that of St. Andrew three weeks ago - except where locally it is observed as I class. Even for the grey-haired amongst us the absurdity of just omitting the feast of an Apostle still shocks. The 1962 books observe today as an Advent feria but there are no preces, the festal Regi saeculorum is sung at Prime, a single collect is sung at Mass, the ministers wear dalmatic and tunicle and Ite, missa est is sung as the dismissal. Very trad.

Art: Wikipedia: a Russian Icon of St. Thomas, 18th century.

Fourth Sunday of Advent

The fourth Sunday of Advent is a semi-double Sunday of the second class and its liturgical colour is violet. The Gospel pericopes from St. Luke concern the preaching of St. John the Baptist preaching the baptism of repentance by the Jordan and the reference to Isaias "Prepare ye the way of the LORD: make straight His paths: every valley shall be filled: and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways plain: and all flesh shall see the salvation of God." The feast of St. Thomas the Apostle is transferred to tomorrow.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Canite tuba etc were sung with the psalms of Saturday. The Office hymn was Creator alme siderum. The antiphon on the Magnificat was the 'Great O' series, O clavis David etc., appointed for the twentieth of December. This was sung doubled before and after the Canticle. Being Advent the Suffrage was omitted. At Compline the Dominical preces were sung.

At Mattins the invitatory is Prope est jam Dominus * Venite adoremus and the Office hymn is Verbum supernum prodiens. In the first nocturn the lessons are taken, as usual in Advent, from Isaias. In the second nocturn the lessons are again taken from St. Leo's sermon on the fast of the tenth month. The homily in the third nocturn is from the twentieth homily of St. Gregory on St. Luke's Gospel. A ninth responsory, Intuemini, quantus sit iste, is sung in place of the Te Deum. At Lauds the antiphons proper to the Sunday, Canite tuba etc., are sung with the Dominical psalms. The Office hymn is En clara vox. The antiphon on the Benedictus is Nolite timere etc., proper to the twenty-first day of December. The Suffrage is omitted in Advent.

At the Hours the antiphons from Lauds are used in the usual sequence. At Prime the versicle in the short responsory is Qui venturus es in mundum and the Dominical preces are sung.

Mass is sung after Terce. The ministers wear violet folded chasubles. The Gloria is not sung. The second collect is of the BVM in Advent, Deus qui de beate, the third collect Ecclesiae. The Creed is sung and the preface that of the Trinity. As the Gloria is not sung the dismissal is Benedicamus Domino, sung by the deacon facing the altar.

At Vespers there is a colour change to red and first Vespers of St. Thomas the Apostle are sung. The antiphons Hoc est praeceptum meum etc., are sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 and 116. The Office hymn is Exsultet orbis gaudiis. The antiphon on the Magnificat is proper to the feast, Quia vidisti me, Thoma etc. After the collect of the feast the Sunday is commemorated with the Great 'O' Antiphon appointed for the twenty-first day of December O Oriens, V&R and collect of the Sunday. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted due to the double feast.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' St. Thomas gets entirely omitted this year - save where his feast is locally observed as I class - as was St. Andrew three weeks ago. At Compline the Dominical preces are always omitted. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons as usual. At Prime the Dominical preces are omitted. At Mass the ministers wear dalmatic and tunicle, there is only one collect and the dismissal is Ite, missa est. Vespers are of the Sunday with not even a mention of St. Thomas.

Art: Jerome Nadal