Septuagesima Sunday

Septuagesima Sunday is a semi-double Sunday of the second class. Yesterday afternoon the liturgical mood became more sombre with Vespers of Septuagesima as penitential violet became the liturgical colour of the season. Although more sombre than the season after the Epiphany the short season of Septuagesima is not as penitential as Lent. Although the colour violet is used at Mass the ministers do not wear folded chasubles but dalmatic and tunicle for these three Sundays and for ferial days. The organ is still played until Ash Wednesday. However, from Septuagesima until Holy Saturday the dress of some prelates changes. Cardinals of the Court of Rome no longer wear scarlet choir dress but that of violet. Correspondingly bishops do not wear violet choir dress but their black, or mourning dress. In the case of the latter this is not to be confused with their habitus pianus, or house dress. The black choir cassock has a train, like the violet one, and the mozzeta or mantelletum are faced with violet. However, Protonotaries Apostolic and Domestic Prelates do not change their choir dress (except sede vacante). (To the person who asked about the anticipated fourth Sunday after the Epiphany that does not occur this year, whoever told you that it did is incorrect in their understanding of the liturgy).

At Vespers on Saturday afternoon the antiphons and psalms of Saturday were sung. The chapter was proper to Septuagesima Sunday and the Office hymn was Jam sol recedit igneus. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding feast of St. John Chrysostom, of St. Peter Nolasco and of St. Agnes. The Suffrage was omitted. At the end of Vespers Alleluia was added, twice, to both Benedicamus Domino and to its response. After that Alleluia will not be heard again until the Vesperal Liturgy of Holy Saturday. At Compline after the Lesser Doxology, and at all Hours until Compline on Holy Saturday, Laus tibi Domine Rex aeterne gloriae is sung in place of Alleluia. The Dominical preces were omitted at Compline.

At Mattins the invitatory is Praeoccupemus as on preceding Sundays and the hymn Primo die. The antiphons and psalms are as on previous 'green' Sundays. In the first nocturn the Incipit of the Book of Genesis is read. In the second nocturn the lessons are from the Enchiridion of St. Augustine, in the third nocturn the lessons are a homily from St. Gregory on the Gospel of the labourers in the vineyard. The Te Deum is not sung but in its place is sung a ninth responsory, Ubi est Abel frater tuus?.

At Lauds the 'second scheme' of psalms is sung: Pss 50, 117, 62, Canticle of the Three Children (Benedictus es) and 148. The antiphons at Lauds are proper to the Sunday as are the versicle after the hymn Aeterne, chapter, antiphon at the Benedictus and collect. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of St. Peter Nolasco and St. Agnes. The Suffrage is omitted.

At all the Hours the antiphons and chapters are proper. At Prime the order of psalmody is changed and four psalms are sung, Pss. 92, 99 (displaced from Lauds) and the usual first two stanzas of Ps. 118. Both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted.

At Mass the Gloria is omitted. The ministers wear violet dalmatic and tunicle. The second collect is of St. Peter Nolasco, the third collect is of St. Agnes. A Tract replaces the Alleluia after the Gradual, the Credo is sung and the Preface is of the Blessed Trinity. Benedicamus Domino is sung, by the deacon facing the altar, as the dismissal.

At Vespers the antiphons and psalms of Sunday are sung. The Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following feast of St. Francis de Sales and of St. Peter Nolasco. The Suffrage is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' atVespers there were no commemorations. Mattins is reduced to a single nocturn. At Prime the arrangement of psalms is truly bizarre with the festal arrangment of Pss. 53, 118i, 118ii (!) At Mass there is only one collect and Benedicamus Domino is suppressed in favour of Ite, missa est. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Third Sunday after the Epiphany

The third Sunday after the Epiphany is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. The Gospel pericopes from St. Matthew record the LORD healing the leper and the centurion's servant.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms appointed for Saturday were sung. The Office hymn was Jam sol recedit igneus. The antiphon on the Magnificat was Suscepit Deus. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of SS Fabian & Sebastian and of St. Agnes. The Suffrage of the Saints was omitted due to the double feasts and, for the same reason, at Compline the Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory is Adoremus Dominum and the hymn Primo die . Mattins has the usual three nocturns. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of St. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians. In the second nocturn the lessons are from an exposition of this Epistle to the Galatians by St. Augustine and in the third nocturn the homily is from St. Jerome. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the Office hymn is Aterne rerum conditor. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is of St. Agnes. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted. At Prime both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted.

At Mass the Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Agnes, today there is no third collect. The Credo is sung and the preface is that of the Blessed Trinity.

At Vespers the Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following feast of SS Vincent & Anastasius and of St. Agnes. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations at either Vespers. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Mass there is only a single collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Second Sunday after the Epiphany

The second Sunday after the Epiphany is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour, from Mattins this year, is green. The Gospel pericopes at Mattins and Mass are from St. John's account of the Marriage Feast at Cana.

Vespers yesterday afternoon were second Vespers for the Octave-Day of the Epiphany. The antiphons Ante luciferum genitus etc were sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113. The Office hymn was Crudelis Herodes. After the collect of the Octave-Day commemorations were sung of the Sunday (the antiphon on the Magnificat being Suscepit Deus, of St. Hiliary and of St. Felix. The Suffrage of the Saints was omitted. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Doxology and melody of the Epiphany and the Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory is Adoremus Dominum and this will be sung until Septuagesima. The Office hymn is Primo die and this is sung at Sunday Mattins until the first Sunday in Lent. In the first nocturn the lessons are the Incipit of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians. In the second nocturn a sermon of St. Chrysostom provides the lessons and, in the third nocturn, the homily is from St. Augustine. At Lauds the Office hymn is Aeterne and that too is sung at Sunday Lauds until the first Sunday of Lent. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of St. Hiliary and of St. Felix. The Suffrage of the Saints is omitted. At Prime both Quicumque iand the Dominical preces. are omitted.

At Mass the Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Hiliary, the third collect is of St. Felix. The Creed is sung and the preface is of the Blessed Trinity.

At Vespers the antiphons and psalms of Sunday are sung. The Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following feast of St. Paul the first Hermit, of St. Hiliary and of St. Maurus. The Suffrage is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the former Octave-Day, following the abolition of the Octave, has been re-branded the 'Commemoration of the Baptism of the Lord'. There were no commemorations at Vespers. Mattins is reduced to a single nocturn of three lessons. There are no commemorations at Lauds. At Mass there is a single collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Sunday within the Octave of the Epiphany - The Holy Family

The feast of the Holy Family is of greater-double rite and its liturgical colour is white. The feast was granted by Leo XIII in 1893 in response to numerous petitions from Ordinaries and originally placed on the third Sunday after the Epiphany. Following the reforms of 1911-13 - which aimed to remove the celebration of feasts assigned to Sundays - Benedict XV assigned it to the Sunday within the Octave of the Epiphany and extended the feast to the Universal Kalendar. Although of only greater-double rite it is classed as a feast of the LORD and so takes precedence over the semi-double Sunday within the Octave of the Epiphany.

Vespers yesterday afternoon were second Vespers of the feast of the Epiphany. The antiphons Ante luciferum genitus etc were sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 110, 11, 112 & 113. The Office hymn was Crudelis Herodes Deum. The antiphon on the Magnificat was Tribus miraculis. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of the Holy Family and of the Sunday with the Octave of the Epiphany. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Doxology of the Epiphany Jesu, tibi sit gloria, Qui apparuisti gentibus etc.

At Mattins the invitatory is proper to the feast, Christum Dei Filium etc and the Office hymn is Sacra jam splendent. Today hymns of Iambic metre are sung with the Doxology Jesu, tuis obediens etc. In the first nocturn the antiphons Cum inducerent etc are sung with psalms 8, 18 & 23 and the lessons are from St. Paul's Epistle to the Colossians. In the second nocturn the antiphons Consurgens Joseph etc are sung with psalms 44, 45 & 86 and the lessons are taken from a brief of Leo XIII. In the third nocturn the antiphons Ibant parentes Jesu etc are sung with psalms 95, 96 & 97. The homily is from St. Bernard on St. Luke's Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons Post triduum etc are sung with the Dominical psalms. The Office hymn is O gente felix hospita. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the Sunday within the Octave of the Epiphany and of the Octave of the Epiphany.

At Prime and the Hours the antiphons from Lauds are sung in the usual order. The hymns of the Hours have the Doxology proper to the feast. At Prime (Pss. 53, 118i & 118ii) the versicle Qui Mariae et Joseph subditus fuisti is sung in the short responsory and the lectio brevis is Semetipsum exinanivit.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday within the Octave of the Epiphany and the third collect is of the Octave of the Epiphany. The Creed is sung, the preface and communicantes are of the Epiphany.

At Vespers the antiphons Post triduum etc are sung with psalms 109, 112, 121, 126 & 147. The Office hymn is O lux beata caelitum. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the following day within the Octave of the Epiphany and of the Sunday within the Octave. At Compline Te lucis has the Doxology of the feast.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the feast of the Holy Family has been raised to II Class (in order for it to precedence over the Sunday). At second Vespers of the Epiphany there were no commemorations. The Octave has been abolished. At Compline and the Hours the hymns do not have the Doxology of the feast. At Lauds there are no commemorations. At Prime and the Hours the antiphons and psalmody are of the Sunday, at Prime the lectio brevis is of 'Epiphanytide'. At Mass there is a single collect. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity of the LORD

Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is white. It is also the Sunday within the Octaves of St. Stephen, St. John and of the Holy Innocents but since the reform of 1911-13 those Octave are all but invisible.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms of the Nativity were sung, the antiphons not being doubled. The Office hymn was Jesu, Redemptor omnium. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the Octave of the Nativity and of St. Sylvester. The Suffrage was omitted. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted. Throughout the Octave hymns of Iambic metre are sung with the Doxology and melody of the Incarnation.

At Mattins the invitatory and hymn, antiphons (not doubled) and psalms are those that were sung on the feast of the Nativity. In the first nocturn the lessons are from the Epistle to the Romans. In the second nocturn the lessons are from St. Leo on the Nativity. In the third nocturn the homily is taken from St. Ambrose on the second chapter of St. Luke's Gospel. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds the antiphons from the Nativity, Quem vidistis etc., are sung (not doubled) with psalms 92, 99, 62, Benedicite and 148. The chapter and antiphon on the Benedictus are proper to the Sunday as is the collect. The Office hymn is A solis ortus cardine. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of St. Sylvester and of the Octave of the Nativity.

At the Hours the antiphons from Lauds are sung with the festal psalms. The hymns of the Hours are sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation. At Prime (Pss. 53, 118i, & 118ii) the lectio brevis is proper to the Sunday, Itaque jam non est servus.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Mass formulary is Dum medium etc. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Sylvester, the third collect is of the Octave of the Nativity. The Credo is sung and the preface and communicantes are of the Nativity.

Vespers are first Vespers of the feast of the Circumcision. The antiphons O admirabile commercium etc are sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 112, 121, 126 & 147. The Office hymn is Jesu, Redemptor omnium. There are no commemorations. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' there are no commemorations at Vespers on Saturday. Mattins has the psalmody of the Nativity (with the curtailed Ps. 88 ) and the usual cut-down single nocturn of three lessons. At the Hours the antiphons and psalmody are of from the Sunday Office, not of the Nativity. There is no proper Doxology at the hymns of the Hours. Mass has but a single collect.

Vigil of the Nativity - Fourth Sunday of Advent

The Vigil of the Nativity takes precedence over the fourth Sunday of Advent which is commemorated in the Office and at Mass. The Office is of semi-double rite until the end of Mattins and then becomes of double rite. The liturgical colour is violet. At Mass the ministers do not wear folded chasubles but dalmatic and tunicle.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Canite tuba etc (of the fourth Sunday) were sung with the psalms of Saturday. The Office hymn was Creator alme siderum. The antiphon on the Magnificat was that appointed for the twenty-third day of December, the last in the 'Great O' series, O Emmanuel etc. This was sung doubled before and after the Canticle. The collect was of the fourth Sunday of Advent. Being Advent the Suffrage was omitted. At Compline the Dominical preces were sung.

At Mattins the invitatory is Hodie scietis (from the texts appointed for the Vigil) and the Office hymn is Verbum supernum. In the first nocturn the antiphons and psalms are of Sunday, Veniet ecce Rex etc with Pss 1, 2 & 3. The lessons continue to be read from Isaias. In the second nocturn the antiphons Gaude et laetare etc are sung with Pss. 8, 9i & 9ii and the lessons are from St. Leo on fasting. In the third nocturn the antiphons Gabriel Angelus etc are sung with Pss. 9iii, 9iv & 10. The versicle and response after the psalms is from the Vigil Hodie scietis etc. The lessons and their responsories are those appointed for the Vigil with a homily from St. Jerome on St. Matthew’s Gospel. The ninth lesson is not of the Sunday (c.f. specific rubric in the Breviary). At Lauds the antiphons, Judaea et Jerusalem nolite timere etc, are sung, doubled, 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. After the collect of the Vigil a commemoration of the Sunday is sung.

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 septima. 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 in the normal order.

Mass is sung after Terce. Today the ministers do not wear folded chasubles but violet dalmatic and tunicle. As always the absence of folded chasubles means the organ may be played. After the collect of the Vigil a commemoration of the Sunday is sung. The last Gospel is In principio. 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.

In the afternoon first Vespers of the Nativity are sung. The antiphons Rex pacificus etc are sung, doubled, 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. From this Vespers the until Candlemas the Marian antiphon is Alma Redemptoris with the versicle Post partum etc and the collect Deus, qui salutis. At Compline the Domincial psalms are sung, Te lucis has the Doxology of the Incarnation and the Dominical preces are omitted.

In the liturgical books of 1962 the Dominical preces are omitted at Compline. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn with the three lessons of the Vigil. At Lauds there is no commemoration of the Sunday. At Mass there is no commemoration of the Sunday and the dismissal is Ite, missa est. At Compline Te lucis is sung without the Doxology of the Incarnation.

Main Image: Entry from an 1865 Ordo.

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