September 8th - The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin

The Nativity of the Mother of God is a double feast with Octave. The liturgical colour of the feast, and of its Octave, is white. The feast takes precedence over the fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost which is, this year, the second Sunday of September.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Nativitas gloriosae etc were sung, doubled, with the psalms from the Common of the BVM (Pss. 109, 112, 121, 126 & 147). The Office hymn was Ave, maris stella. The antiphon on the Magnificat and collect are proper to the feast. After the collect of the feast a commemoration of the Sunday was sung (the antiphon on the Magnificat being In omnibus his for the Saturday before the second Sunday of September). At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation with the Doxology Gloria tibi Domine etc.

At Mattins the invitatory is Nativitatem Virginis Mariae celebremus: * Christum ejus Filium adoremus Dominum, the hymn, from the Common, Quem terra, pontus, aethera. In the first nocturn the antiphons Benedicta tua etc are sung with psalms 8, 18 & 23. The lessons in the first nocturn are the Incipit of the Song of Songs, with its exquisite imagery. These are the same as in modern editions of the Breviary. The responsories are proper to the feast, Hodie est nata est beata Virgo Maria etc. In the second nocturn the antiphons Specie tua etc are sung with psalms 44, 45 & 88. The lessons are taken from a sermon attributed to St. Augustine. These are longer than those found in the modern books. The fourth lesson continues with Eva enim luxit..., the beginning of the modern fifth lesson, to ...ista edidit innocentem. The fifth lesson begins Mater generis nostri and contains all the remaining text of the modern fifth lesson and additional text too. The sixth lesson is the same as in the modern editions. The responsories are again proper to the feast, Nativitas gloriosae etc. In the third nocturn the antiphons Gaude, Maria virgo etc are sung with psalms 95, 96 & 97. St. Jerome provides the homily on St. Matthew's Gospel. The seventh lesson is the same as that found in the modern Breviary, the eighth a sentence longer with the addition of Naason autem genuit Salmon princeps Iudae, sicut in Numeris legimus. The ninth lesson is of the Sunday formed of the three lessons from St. Augustine on St. Luke's Gospel. The entire seventh lesson (of the Sunday) is absent from modern editions: Miracula Domini nostri ... quam suscitare iterum moriturum. The eighth lesson is significantly longer than that found in the post-Clementine editions. The ninth lesson is the same as that found in the modern books. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons Nativitas gloriosae etc are again sung, this time with the festal psalms (Pss. 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite & 148-149-150)). The hymn is O gloriosa Domina. After the collect of the day commemorations are sung of the Sunday and of St. Hadrian.

At Prime the first of the antiphons used at Vespers and Lauds, Nativitas gloriosae etc, is sung with the festal psalms (Ps. 53, 118i & 118ii). In the short responsory the versicle Qui natus es is sung. The short lesson is In plateis. At the Hours the hymns are sung with the Doxology and tone of the Incarnation.

Mass is sung after Terce. In some countries a blessing of seeds, figs, grapes or other fruits takes place (the fruits in question depending on the climate of the place. The introit is Salve, sancta Parens, the Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday, (in private Masses the third collect is of St. Hadrian). The Creed is sung and the preface is of the BVM, Et te in Nativitate and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

At Second Vespers all is sung as yesterday except the antiphon on the Magnificat which is proper, Nativitas tua etc., and after the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the Sunday and of St. Gorgonius.

Icon: Russian, 18th century