February 14th - Sexagesima Sunday

Sexagesima Sunday is of semi-double rite. The Gospel pericopes are from St. Luke and the parable of the sower with his seed landing on rock, amongst weeds and the good ground. Violet is the liturgical colour.

At Vespers yesterday the antiphons and psalms (Pss. 143, 144, 145, 146 & 147) were of Saturday, the chapter, antiphon at the Magnificat and collect proper to Sexagesima Sunday. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration of St. Valentine was sung followed by the Suffrages of the BVM Sancta Maria succurre etc, the Apostles Petrus Apostolus etc, of the Patron and lastly for peace Da pacem Domine etc. At Compline the Dominical preces were sung.

At Mattins, as for Septuagesima Sunday, the invitatorium is Praeoccupemus and the hymn Primo dierum. In the first nocturn psalms 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 & 14 are sung. The lessons continue to be taken from Genesis are read concerning the story of Noah. The lessons are longer than those found in the modern editions of the Breviary. The first continues Videns autem Deus ...me fecisse eos, i.e with most of the text of the modern second lesson. The second lesson begins Noe vero invenit ... and continues with all of the modern third lesson and the addition of verse 16: Fenestram in arca facies ... tristega facies in ea. The third lesson, the text of which is entirely absent from the modern books, begins Ecce ego ... and continues until Fecit igitur omnia quae praeceperat illi Deus, Gen. 6:17 - 22. In the second nocturn psalms 15, 16 & 17 are sung, the lessons are from St. Ambrose on Noah and the Ark. These are identical to those found in the modern edtions. In the third nocturn (Pss. 18, 19 & 20 the lessons are taken from a homily of St. Gregory. The eighth and ninth lessons are slightly longer than in the modern editions. A ninth responsory, Cum turba plurima, is sung in place of the Te Deum.

At Lauds the antiphons are proper to the Sunday and sung with Pss. 50, 117, 62-66, Benedicite, 148-149-150. The versicle after the hymn Aeterne, chapter, antiphon at the Benedictus and collect are proper to the Sunday. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration of St. Valentine is sung followed by the Suffrages of the BVM Sancta Maria succurre etc, the Apostles Gloriosi principes etc, of the Patron and lastly for peace Da pacem Domine etc are sung.

At Prime the order of psalmody is Pss. 53, 92, 118(i), 118(ii) and Quicumque, the 'Athanasian' Creed. The Dominical preces are sung. At all the Hours the antiphons and chapters are proper.

In Mass there is no Gloria, the second collect is of St. Valentine, the third collect A cunctis. A Tract replaces the Alleluia after the Gradual, the Credo is sung and the Common Preface is sung. Following the general rule as the Gloria is not sung Benedicamus Domino is sung as the dismissal. The ministers wear violet dalmatic and tunicle.

Vespers are of the Sunday (Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113). After the collect of the Sunday the Suffrages of the BVM Sancta Maria succurre etc, the Apostles Petrus Apostolus etc, of the Patron and lastly for peace Da pacem Domine etc are sung. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung.

Art: Jerome Nadal