January 12th - Sunday within the Octave of the Epiphany

The Sunday within the Octave of the Epiphany, and first Sunday after the Epiphany, is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is white. The Gospel pericopes from St. Luke's Gospel describe the Finding in the Temple with the LORD debating with the learned doctors to the amazement of those who witnessed this manifestation of Him.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Ante luciferum genitus etc were sung, not doubled, with Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113. The chapter, Fratres: Obsecro vos, was proper to the Sunday. The Office hymn was Hostis Herodes impie. After the collect of the Sunday within the Octave a commemoration of the Octave of the Epiphany was sung (the antiphon on the Magnificat being proper to the sixth day within the Octave (11th January), Admoniti Magi. The Suffrages were omitted. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Doxology Gloria tibi Domine, Qui apparuisti hodie etc as are the hymns of the Hours throughout the Octave.

At Mattins the invitatory is Christus apparuit nobis, Venite adoremus. The hymn is Hostis Herodes impie. The antiphons and psalms are as on the second day within the Octave. In the first nocturn the Incipit of St. Paul's Epistle to the Corinthians is read. The lessons are longer than those found in the post-Clementine editions: The first lesson includes the modern second lesson Gratias ago Deo meo ... Christi, Domini nostri. The second lesson begins Obsecro autem, the same as the modern third lesson. The third lesson is absent from the modern editions, Gratias ago Deo...prudentiam reprobabo, i.e. vv. 14 - 19. The first responsory is Hodie, the other responsories as on the feast. In the second nocturn the lessons are from a sermon of St. Leo (again these are longer than in the post-Clementine editions of the Breviary). In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Augustine, the lessons are the same as in the modern editions. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons from the feast, Ante luciferum genitus etc are sung, not doubled, with Pss. 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite, 148-149-150. The chapter is proper to the Sunday, as sung at Vespers yesterday, the Office hymn is O Sola magnarum urbium. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of the Octave, the antiphon on the Benedictus is Hodie caelesti etc.

At the Hours the psalms of Lauds are used in the usual sequence. At Prime, Pss. 53, 118(i), 118(ii), the versicle in the short response is Qui apparuisti hodie (as it is for the entire Octave) and the lectio brevis is Sicut enim in uno corpore etc. The Dominical preces are omitted being within the Octave.

The Mass In excelso throno is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Octave. Being a Sunday within an Octave there is no third collect. The Creed is sung and the communicantes and Hanc igitur are of the Epiphany.

Vespers are first Vespers of the Octave-Day of the Epiphany. The antiphons Ante luciferum genitus etc are sung, now doubled, with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn is Hostis Herodes impie. The collect is proper to the Octave Day. After the collect a commemoration was sung of the Sunday within the Octave. The Suffrages are omitted as are the Domincal preces at Compline.

Art: Jerome Nadal

January 5th - Vigil of the Epiphany

The Vigil of the Epiphany is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour, from Mattins, is white. In the Tridentine Missal and Breviary, and its reformed editions until 1956, the Vigil of the Epiphany takes the place of the Office of the Sunday which occurs between the 1st to 5th January and has all the privileges of that Sunday. The liturgical rank of the Comities Christi Octave Days meant the Sunday was perpetually outranked and had to be resumed on the 5th January. When January 5th falls on a Sunday the Creed is sung at Mass. Pre-Trent praxis sees a differentiation between the second Sunday after the Nativity of the LORD and the Vigil.

Yesterday afternoon second Vespers of the Octave Day of the Holy Innocents were sung. The antiphons Herodes iratus etc were sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 115. The Office hymn was Salvete flores martyrum, sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation. After the collect of the feast a commemoration was sung of the Vigil of the Epiphany (with the antiphon on the Magnificat and collect from the Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity).

At Mattins the invitatory, hymn, antiphons and psalms are those used for the feast of the Lord's Circumcision. In the first nocturn the lessons are from the seventh chapter of the Epistle to the Romans (c.f. the post 1911-13 rite). The lessons are longer than those found in the post-Clementine editions. The first lesson consists of the text of both the post-Clementine first and second lessons. The second lesson begins Quid ergo dicemus? (the beginning of the post-Clementine third lesson)and continues, beyond the limits of the post-Clementine third lesson Ego autem mortuus sum.. until per illud occidit i.e. vv. 10-11. The third lesson, entirely absent from the later books begins Itaque lex quidem... and continues until sed quod nolo malum, hoc ago i.e. vv. 12-19. The responsories are from the feast of the Circumcision. In the second nocturn the lessons are from a sermon by St. Augustine. These are significantly longer than those found in the later editions. In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Jerome's commentary on the second chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel. The lessons differ slightly from those found in the later editions. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds and the Hours again the antiphons are those from the Circumcision, O admirabile commercium etc. The Dominical psalms are sung (Pss. 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite & 148-149-150) The chapter is proper to the Vigil, the hymn A solis ortus cardine as sung for the Nativity and the Circumcision, and the antiphon on the Benedictus is Dum medium silentium and the collect, Omnipotens.

At the Hours the antiphons of Lauds are sung in sequence in the usual order. At Prime, Pss. 53, 118(i), 118ii), the preces are omitted and the lectio brevis is Itaque jam non est servus. The hymns of the Little Hours are sung with the Doxology and melody in honour of the Incarnation.

At Mass, sung after Terce, the Gloriais sung, the second collect of the BVM, Deus, qui salutis, the third collect Ecclesiae etc. The preface is of the Nativity.

Vespers are first Vespers of the great feast of the Epiphany. The antiphons Ante luciferum genitus etc are sung, doubled, with the psalms from the First Vespers of the Common of Apostles (Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116). The chapter, Surge, illuminare, Jerusalem is from Isaiah, the Office hymn Hostis Herodes impie. For the feast and its octave a Doxology in honour of the LORD's manifestation is sung at all hymns of Iambic metre: Gloria tibi Dominic, Qui apparuisti hodie, Cum Patre, et Sancto Spiritu, In sempiterna saecula. The rest of the Office is proper. At Compline Te lucis is sung with the Doxology and tone of the feast.

Baptism of Christ. 1497. Church of the Assumption of the Mother of God, Kilillo-Byelozhersk - own photo by shakko, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

December 29th - Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity

Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour, from Mattins, is white. The semi-double feast of St. Thomas of Canterbury is transferred to Monday. Today is also the Sunday within the Octaves of St. Stephen, St. John and the SS Holy Innocents.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms of the Nativity were sung, the antiphons being doubled. From the chapter the Office was of the Holy Innocents. The Office hymn was Salvete, flores Martyrum sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of the Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity, the Octave of the Nativity, the Octave of St. Stephen and the Octave of St. John. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation and the Dominical preces were omitted being within Octaves.

At Mattins the invitatory is Christus natus est nobis, Venite adoremus and the Office hymn is Christe, Redemptor omnium,> The antiphons, not doubled, and psalms are as on the feast of the Nativity of the LORD. In the first nocturn the Incipit of the Epistle to the Romans is read. The first lesson is identical to that found in the later editions (in the post-1914 Breviary Romans begins on the 29th December not the 30th). The second lesson is longer and continues with about half of the verses from the modern third lesson, Nolo autem vos ignorare fratres (...) qui Romae estis, evangelizare. The third lesson begins Non enim erubesco... and continues until ...se esse sapientes, stulti facti sunt, i.e. until v. 22. The responsories of the Octave are sung. In the second nocturn the lessons are from St. Leo on the Nativity. These are longer than those found in the post-Clementine editions so the fourth and fifth lessons contain the text of the later fourth, fifth and sixth. The sixth lesson is absent from the later editions. In the third nocturn the homily is taken from St. Augustine's writings on the second chapter of St. Luke's Gospel. These are marginally longer than those found in the later editions. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons from the Nativity, Quem vidistis etc., are sung, without doubling, with psalms 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite & 148-149-150. The chapter is proper to the Sunday and the Office hymn is A solis ortus cardine. The versicle is Verbum caro etc and its respond Et habitavit etc. The antiphon on the Benedictus and collect are proper to the Sunday. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the Octave of the Nativity, the Octave of St. Stephen, the Octave of St. John and the Octave of the Holy Innocents.

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

Mass is sung after Terce. The Mass formulary isDum mediumetc. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Octave of the Nativity, the third collect of the Octave of St. Stephen, the fourth collect of the Octave of St. John and the fifth collect of the Octave of the Holy Innocents. The Creed is sung and the preface and communicantes are of the Nativity.

At Vespers the antiphons, not doubled, and psalms of the Nativity are sung. From the chapter of the Sunday within the Octave. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the trasferred feast of St. Thomas of Canterbury, the Octave of the Nativity, the Octave of St. Stephen, the Octave of St. John and the Octave of the Holy Innocents. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted.

December 22nd - Fourth Sunday of Advent

The fourth Sunday of Advent is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour, this year from Mattins onwards, is violet.

Yesterday afternoon second Vespers of the feast of St. Thomas the Apostle were sung. The antiphons Juravit Dominus etc were sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 112, 115, 125 & 138. The Office hymn was Exsultet caelum laudibus. After the collect of the feast the fourth Sunday of Advent was commemorated with the Great 'O' antiphon O Oriens and the collect of the Sunday. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory is Prope est jam Dominus and the Office hymn is Verbum supernum. In the first nocturn the antiphons Veniet ecce Rex etc are sung, not doubled, with Pss. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 & 14. The lessons in the first nocturn are taken from the prophet Isaiah. The first and second lessons are the same as those found in the post-Clementine editions of the Breviary. The third lesson is slightly longer continuing Viderunt insulae ... eum clavis, ut non moveretur, (i.e. the addition of Cap. 41 vv. 5 -7). In the second nocturn the antiphons Gaude et laetare etc are sung, not doubled, with Pss. 15, 16 and 17. The lessons are taken from a sermon of St. Leo on fasting in the tenth month. These lesson are substantially longer than in the modern editions of the Breviary. The sixth lesson text is completely absent from the modern editions. In the third nocturn the antiphons Gabriel Angelus etc are sung, not doubled, with Pss. 18, 19 and 20. The homily is from St. Gregory's writing on St. Luke's Gospel. These are the same as those found in the modern editions. A ninth responsory, Intuemini, is sung and the Te Deum omitted in the Office of Advent.

At Lauds the antiphons Canite tuba in Sion etc are sung, not doubled, with psalms 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite and 148-149-150. The Office hymn is Vox clara ecce intonat.

At Prime the first antiphon from Lauds, Canite tuba in Sion, is sung with the usual Dominical psalms 53, 117, 118(i), 118(ii) and Quicumque. In the short responsory the versicle Qui venturus es in mundum replaces Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris. The Dominical preces are sung. At the other Hours the other antiphons of Lauds are sung in the usual order.

Mass is sung after Terce. The ministers wear violet folded chasubles. The introit is the delightful Rorate, caeli. The Gloria in not sung, the second collect is of the Blessed Virgin in Advent, Deus, qui de beate, the third collect Ecclesiae etc. The Creed is sung and the common preface is sung. As the Gloria was not sung, the dismissal is Benedicamus Domino sung by the deacon facing the altar.

Vespers are of the Sunday. The antiphons from Lauds, Canite tuba in Sion etc, are sun, not doubled, with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113. The Office hymn is Conditor alme siderum. The antiphon on the Magnificat is O Rex Gentium etc which is sung entire both before and after the Canticle with the choir standing. The Suffrages are omitted. Following Vespers of the Sunday Vespers of the Dead are sung. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung.

Art: Jerome Nadal