May 9th - St. Gregory the Theologian - Third Sunday after Pascha

The feast of St. Gregory the Theologian, St. Gregory Nazianzen as he appears in the later editions, is of double rite. The third Sunday after Pascha is commemorated at Vespers, Mattins, Lauds and Mass. St. Gregory the Theologian (St. Gregory Nazianzen) was a fourth century Archbishop of Constantinople and made a significant impact on the development of Trinitarian theology. Along with St. Gregory of Nyssa and St. Basil the Great he is one of the Cappodocian Fathers. He died in either 389 or 390AD. The liturgical colour of the feast is white.

Vespers yesterday afternoon were second Vespers of the feast of the Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel. The antiphons Stetit Angelus etc were sung, doubled, with Psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 @ 137. The Office hymn was Tibi Christe splendor patris. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of the St. Gregory the Theologian and of the Sunday. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted because of the occurring double feasts.

At Mattins the invitatory is Regem Confessorum Dominum, Venite adoremus and the hymn Iste Confessor. In the first nocturn Pss. 1, 2 & 3 are sung under the antiphon Beatus vir etc. The lessons in the first nocturn are the Incipit of the Epistle of St. James. These are the same as those found in modern editions of the Breviary. The responsories are from the Common. In the second nocturn Pss. 4, 5 & 8 are sung under the antiphon Invocantem exaudivit etc. The historical lessons in the second nocturn are the same as those found in the modern editions. In the third nocturn Pss. 14, 20 & 23 are sung under the antiphon Domine iste sanctus etc. Lessons seven and eight are a homily of St. Augustine on St. Matthew's Gospel. These are longer than those found in the modern editions. The ninth lesson is entirely absent from the modern books. However, today the eighth and ninth lessons of the feast are read together to form an extended eighth lesson of the day and the ninth lesson is formed of the three lessons of the homily of the Sunday. This is from St. Augustine and the text is the same as in the later editions. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the Dominical psalms (Pss. 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite & 148-49-150) are sung with the antiphons Ecce sacerdos magnus etc from the Common. The Office hymn is Jesu Redemptor omnium. A commemoration of the Sunday is sung after the collect of the feast.

At the Hours the hymns are sung with the Paschal Doxology. The antiphons Ecce sacerdos magnus etc are sung with the festal psalms in the usual order. At Prime (Pss. 53, 118i & 118ii) both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday. The Creed is sung, the preface is of Paschaltide and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

Vespers are of feast. The antiphons Ecce sacerdos magnus etc are, again, sung doubled with Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113. The Office hymn is Iste Confessor. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the Sunday and of the following feast of SS Gordian and Epimachus. At Compline (Pss. 4, 30 vv 1-6, 90 & 133) the Dominical preces are omitted due to the double feasts.

Icon: A fresco of St. Gregory from Wikipedia.