June 14th - St. Basil the Great

Today is the feast of the great Eastern doctor St. Basil the Great, Bishop of Caesarea, and one of the most distinguished theologians of the Church. St. Basil was born probably in 329. He died 1 January, 379. He was a friend of Gregory of Nazianzus and his brother Gregory of Nyssa, and with them makes up the trio known as 'The Three Cappadocians'. The feast is of double rite and the liturgical colour is white.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Ecce sacerdos magnus etc from the Common of Confessor Pontiffs were sung with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn was Iste confessor Domini sacratus. The antiphon on the Magnificat was O Doctor optime, Ecclesiae sanctae lumen, beate Basili, divinae legis amator, deprecare pro nobis Filium Dei. A commemoration was sung of the fifth Sunday after Pentecost with the antiphon Montes Gelboe etc. As the feast is a double the Suffrages were omitted. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted for the same reason.

At Mattins the invitatory is Regem Confessorum Dominum, Venite adoremus. The Office hymn is Iste confessor as above. In the first nocturn the antiphons, from the Common, Beatus vir etc, are sung with psalms 1, 2 & 3. The lessons in the first nocturn are the Incipit of the Second Book of the Kings, of the fifth Sunday. The third lesson is slightly shorter than in modern editions and ends ..ut occideres Christum Domini. In the second nocturn the antiphons Invocantem exaudivit etc are sung with psalms 4, 5 and 8. The lessons are historical ones of the feast, Basilius, nobilis Cappadox etc. These are followed by the responsories Inveni David etc from the Common. These are the same as in the modern editions. In the third nocturn the antiphons Domine iste Sanctus etc are sung with psalms 14, 20 and 23. The lessons are taken from St. Basil's Longer Book of Rules, Question 8. They are substantially longer than those found in the modern editions. They are followed by responsories from the Common. The eigth and ninth lessons are read as one and the ninth lesson is made up of the three lessons of the Sunday's homily from St. Augustine read as one. Again these are substantially longer than in modern recensions. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons Ecce sacerdos magnus etc are sung with psalms 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite, 148-149-150. The Office hymn is Jesu redemptor omnium. A commemoration of the fifth Sunday after Pentecost is sung after the collect of the day.

At Prime and the Hours the antiphons of Lauds are sung. At Prime the festal psalms are sung (53, 118i & 118ii). Quicumque is omitted. The lectio brevis is Fungi sacerdotio.

Mass is sung after Terce and the Asperges. The introit is In medio. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday. The Credo is sung, the Common Preface is sung and the last Gospel is of the fifth Sunday after Pentecost.

Vespers are of the feast, the antiphons are again Ecce sacerdos magnus etc sung with psalms (109, 110, 111, 112 & 131). After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the Sunday and the following Office of SS Vitus, Modestus and Crescentia. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted.

Icon: St. Basil the Great - an icon from Holy Dormition Orthodox Church in the USA.

June 7th - IV Sunday after Pentecost

The fourth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite. The liturgical colour is green.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms of Vespers for Saturday (Pss. 143, 144, 145, 146 & 147) were sung. The chapter was O Altitudo and the Office hymn O lux beata Trinitas. 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 were sung At Compline the Dominical preces were sung.

At Mattins the invitatory is Adoremus Dominum and the Office hymn Nocte surgentes. In the first nocturn (Pss. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 & 14) are sung and the lessons continue to be taken from the First Book of the Kings. The first lesson is the same as found in modern recensions, the second lesson continues David autem...grandaevus inter viros (from the modern third lesson) and the third lesson begins Abierunt autem ... quadraginta diebus. However, it then continues Dixit autem... sicut Isai - from v. 17 through to half of v. 20. The responsories are Praeparate corda vestra etc. In the second nocturn (Pss. 15, 16 & 17) the lessons are taken from a Sermon of St. Augustine. These are the same as found in the modern editions. In the third nocturn (Pss. 18, 19 & 20) the homily is from St. Ambrose on St. Luke's Gospel, but the lessons are longer than in modern editions. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the Sunday psalms (Pss. 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite & 148-49-150) are sung. After the collect of the Sunday the Suffrages of the BVM, SS Peter and Paul, the Patron and for peace are sung.

At Prime (Pss. 117, 118i & 118ii) Quicumque is sung as are the Dominical preces.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is A cunctis nos the third collect is chosen from those available by the Dean or Hebdomadarius . The Credo is sung, the Common Preface is sung.

Vespers are of the Sunday, with psalms (109, 110, 111, 112 & 113). The Suffrages of the BVM, SS Peter and Paul, the Patron and for peace are sung. At Compline the Domincal preces are sung.

Art: Jerome Nadal

May 31st - III Sunday after Pentecost

The third Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite. The liturgical colour is green.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms of Vespers for Saturday (Pss. 143, 144, 145, 146 & 147) were sung. The chapter was O Altitudo and the Office hymn O lux beata Trinitas. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration was sung of St. Petronilla 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 the invitatory is Adoremus Dominum and the Office hymn Nocte surgentes. In the first nocturn (Pss. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 & 14) are sung the lessons are the First Book of the Kings. The are the same as in modern recensions, the responsories are Praeparate corda vestra etc. In the second nocturn (Pss. 15, 16 & 17) the lessons are taken from the Exposition on the book of Kings of St. Gregory. In the third nocturn (Pss. 18, 19 & 20) the homily (found near the end of the Breviary) is from St. Augustine but the lessons are longer than in modern editions. The seventh lesson is what is now L7 + L8. The eighth lesson is several sentences longer than the modern L9 and the ninth lesson is not found in the modern books. At Lauds the Sunday psalms (Pss. 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite & 148-49-150) are sung. A commemoration of St. Petronilla is sung followed by the Suffrages of the BVM, SS Peter and Paul, the Patron and for peace.

At Prime (Pss. 117, 118i & 118ii) Quicumque is sung as are the Dominical preces.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Petronilla, the third collect A cunctis nos. The Credo is sung, the Common Preface is sung.

Vespers are of the Sunday, with psalms (109, 110, 111, 112 & 113). The Suffrages of the BVM, SS Peter and Paul, the Patron and for peace are sung. At Compline the Domincal preces are sung.

Art: Jerome Nadal

May 24th - Sunday within the Octave of Corpus Christi

Sunday within the Octave of Corpus Christi, the Second Sunday after Pentecost, is of semi-double rite. As with all Sundays within Octaves the liturgical colour is of the Octave, white in this case.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Sacerdos in aeternum etc were sung with psalms 109, 110, 115, 127 & 147 as on the feast of Corpus Christi but the antiphons were not doubled. The chapter was of the Sunday, the hymn, versicle and response as on the feast. The antiphon on the Magnificat was proper to the Sunday along with the collect. A commemoration was sung of the Octave. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Doxlogy Gloria tibi Domine etc.

At Mattins the invitatory is Christum Regem adoremus dominantem Gentibus: Qui se manducantibus dat spiritus pinguedinem, as on the feast. The Office hymn is Sacris solemnis. The antiphons and psalms are as on the feast of Corpus Christi. In the first nocturn the antiphons Fructum salutiferum etc are sung with Pss. 1, 4 & 15. The lessons in the first nocturn they are taken from the First Book of Kings. The first lesson continues with the beginning of the second lesson found in modern editions Misit ergo populus...Ophni et Phinees. The responsories are as on the feast. The second lesson begins Cumque venisset arca...and includes what is now the third lesson, ending ...Ophni et Phinees. The third lesson, not present in the modern editions, begins at verse 12 of the fourth chapter Currens autem vir... and continues until the middle of the eighteenth verse ...cirvicibus mortuus est. In the second nocturn the antiphons Memor sit Dominus etc with Pss. 19, 22 & 41. The lessons are taken from a sermon of St. Chrysostom to the people of Antioch. The fourth lesson is longer than in modern editions beginning, at the same point, with Quoniam Verbum dicit... but continuing until ...proponitur indigne sumentibus (appoximately half-way through L5 in modern edtions). The fifth lesson begins Considera quantum adverus (Considera being replaced by Cogita in modern editions) and continues until ..sumus unum Christi corpus, et una caro. The sixth lesson begins Quis loquetur potentias (halfway through L6 in the modern books) and continues for several more sentences of the sermon ending with ..qui vero sanctificat ea et immutat, ipse est. In the third nocturn the homily in is from St. Gregory on St. Luke's Gospel. Again the lessons are longer than in the modern editions so that the ninth lesson Sed superna...quod praesto est, perat is not found in the later books.

At Lauds the antiphons are those sung on the feast of Corpus Christi, Sapientia etc. These are sung with Psalms 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite and 148-149-150. The chapter is of the Sunday, the hymn as on the feast, Verbum supernum. The antiphon on the Benedictus and collect are of the Sunday. A commemorations is sung of the Octave.

At the Little Hours the hymns are sung to the same tone as on the feast of the Nativity of the LORD with the with the Doxology Gloria tibi Dominieetc. At Prime the festal psalms are sung (Pss. 53, 118i & 118ii), the versicle in the short responsory is Qui natus es for the feast and Octave, the short lesson is Filioli mei, of the Sunday. Quicumque is not sung as the Office is festal.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Octave. The Creed is sung and the preface is that of the Nativity.

At Vespers the antiphons and psalms are as at Second Vespers of the feast. The chapter is of the Sunday, the hymn, versicle & response of the feast and the antiphon on the Magnificat and collect of the Sunday. Commemorations are sung of the Octave and St Urban.