July 2nd - The Visitation of the BVM

The Visitation of the BVM commemorates the Visitation made by the BVM to her cousin Elizabeth (c.f. Luke 1: 39-80). The feast is of double rank and its liturgical colour is white. In the 1568BR the feast does not have proper antiphons and the user is directed to use the Office of the Nativity of the BVM substituting the word 'Visitation' for 'Nativity'.

So at Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Visitatio gloriosae etc were sung with Psalms 109, 112, 121, 126 & 147. The Office hymn was Ave Maris stella. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of the Octave Day of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, of the sixth Sunday after Pentecost, of the Octave of SS Peter and Paul and of SS Processus and Martinian. The Suffrages are omitted (both because of the double feast and concurrent Octaves) and at Compline Te lucis was sung with the Doxology Gloria tibi Domine etc. The Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory is Visitationem Virginis Mariae celebremus: Christum ejus Filium adoremus Dominum. The Office hymn is Quem terra. The antiphons and psalms are from the Common of the BVM. In the first nocturn the lessons are taken from the second chapter of the Canticle of Canticles. These are the same as in the modern editions. In the second nocturn the lessons are from a homily of St. Bede. These are not found in the later editions where they are replaced by a sermon of St. Chrysostom. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Chrysostom whilst the later editions have a homily from St. Ambrose. The eighth and ninth lessons are read as one and the ninth lesson is formed from the three lessons of the homily for the sixth Sunday after Pentecost. This homily on St. Mark's Gospel is from St. Ambrose. The seventh lesson (of the Sunday) includes the first sentence (Consequens igitur... a jejunio liberaret) from the modern eighth lesson. In the Tridentine Breviary the eighth lesson thus begins Itaque nemo and continues with most of the modern ninth lesson until ...sed nec adhuc quidem potestis. The ninth lesson begins In modum lactis but most of its text is not found in the modern books. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons Visitatio gloriosae etc are sung with Psalms 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite and 148-149-150. The Office hymn is O gloriosa Domina. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the sixth Sunday after Pentecost, of the Octave of SS Peter and Paul and of SS Processus and Martinian. The Suffrages are omitted.

At Prime and the Hours the hymns are sung to the melody of the Nativity and with its Doxology. At Prime the festal psalms (53, 118i & 118ii) are sung, in the short responsory the versicle Qui natus es is sung, the lectio brevis is In plateis.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Mass Salve sancte parens is sung, the Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday, the third collect of the Octave and the fourth collect of SS Processus and Martinian. The Creed is sung, the preface is of the BVM and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

At Vespers the antiphons Visitatio gloriosae etc are sung with the psalms for feasts of the BVM as at firt Vespers. The Office hymn is Ave, maris stella. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the Sunday and of the Octave of SS Peter and Paul.