May 14th - Dominica in Pentecostes - Pentecost Sunday

The feast of Pentecost is a double feast with an Octave preceded by a Vigil similar to that of Pascha. The liturgical colour of the feast and its Octave is red.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Dum complerentur dies Pentecostes etc were sung with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The chapter was Dum complerentur dies Pentecostes etc and the Office hymn was Veni, Creator Spiritus. All hymns of Iambic metre have the Doxology Gloria Patri Domino, Natoque, qui a mortuis, Surrexit ac Paraclito, In saeculorum saecula during the Octave.

Mattins for the feast, and Octave, is like Pascha in only having a single nocturn of three psalms and three lessons. The invitatory is Alleluia, Spiritus Domini replevit orbem terrarum, Venite adoremus Alleluia. The Office hymn is Jam Christus aster ascenderat. The antiphons Factus est etc are sung with Pss. 47, 67 & 103. The lessons are from a homily of St. Gregory the Great on St. John's Gospel. The lessons are the same as those appearing in the later editions of the Breviary. At Lauds the antiphons, Dum complerentur dies Pentecostes etc, are the same as those at Vespers and are sung with psalms 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite and 148-149-150. The Office hymn is Beata nobis gaudia. The Suffrages are not sung throughout the Octave.

At Prime the festal psalms are sung (Pss. 53, 118i & 118ii) under the antiphon Dum complerentur dies Pentecostes. In the short responsory the versicle Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, alleluia, alleluia is sung. The short lesson is Judaei quoque. At Terce instead of the usual hymn Nunc Sancte nobis the hymn Veni Creator is sung as it was at the third hour the Holy Ghost descended on the Apostles.

At Mass the Gloria is sung and there is a single collect. After the Alleluia the beautiful sequence Veni, Sancte Spiritus is sung. The Credo is sung. The preface, Communicantes and Hanc igitur are proper to the feast and used throughout the Octave.

At second Vespers the antiphons Dum complerentur dies Pentecostes etc are sung with the Dominical psalms (109, 110, 111, 112 & 113). The versicle and response and antiphon on the Magnificat are proper to second Vespers. There are no commemorations.

May 7th - Sunday within the Octave of the Ascension of the LORD

Sunday within the Octave of the Ascension is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour, from Mattins, is white. The theme of Thursday's great feast of the Ascension continues with the majority of the texts used today coming from the feast itself.

At Vespers yesterday the antiphons and psalms were from second Vespers of the feast of St. John before the Latin Gate. The antiphons Sancti tui etc, from the Common of Apostles in Paschaltide, were sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 112, 115, 125 & 138. The Office hymn was Tristes erant Apostoli. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of the Sunday and of the Octave. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Ascension Doxology, Gloria tibi Domine, Qui scandis super sidera, Cum Patre et Sancto Spiritu, In sempiterna saecula. The Dominical preces were omitted because of the double feast and Octave.

At Mattins the invitatory is Alleluia, Christum Dominum ascendentem in coelum, Venite adoremus. The Office hymn is Aeterne Rex altissime. In the first nocturn the antiphons Elevata est etc are sung with Pss. 8, 10 & 18. The lessons are the Incipit of the First Epistle of St. John and the responsories are of the feast. The lessons are the same as those found in post-Clementine editions of the Breviary. In the second nocturn the antiphons Exaltare Domine etc are sung with Pss. 20, 29 & 46. The lessons are taken from a sermon on the Ascension by St. Augustine, These are the same as those in the modern editions. In the third nocturn the antiphons Nimis exaltatus etc are sung with Pss. 96, 98 & 102. The homily on the Gospel from John is also from St. Augustine, these are the same as those in the modern editions. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons Viri Galilaei etc are sung with Pss. 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite & 148-149-150. The chapter is of the Sunday, the Office hymn is of the Ascension Jesu nostra redemptio. The antiphon on the Benedictus, versicle & respond and collect are proper to the Sunday. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration of the Octave is sung.

At the Little Hours the hymns are sung with the Doxology of the Ascension. At Prime the festal psalms (Pss. 53, 118i, 118ii) are sung rather than the Dominical ones (117, 118i, 118ii) the short lesson is Si quis loquitur. The Dominical preces are omitted due to the Octave.

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

Vespers are first Vespers of the feast of the Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel. The antiphons Stetit Angelus etc are sung with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn is Tibi Christe spledor Patris. After the collect of the feast a commemoration of the Sunday is sung. At Compline (Pss. 4, 30 vv 1-6, 90 & 133) the Dominical preces are omitted.

April 30th - Fifth Sunday after Pascha

The fifth Sunday after Pascha is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is white. The Gospel pericopes from St. John's Gospel describe how the LORD tells His disciples to ask for anything in His name after He has ascended to the Father. The week ahead will see the three days of the Lesser Litanies.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the psalms of Saturday (Pss. 143, 144, 145, 146 & 147) were sung under the single antiphon, Alleluia. The Office hymn was Ad cenam Agni providi. After the collect of the Sunday the Paschal Commemoration of the Cross was sung. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Paschal Doxology and the Dominical preces were sung.

At Mattins the invitatory is Surrexit Dominus vere Alleluia and the Office hymn is O Rex aeterne Domine. In the first nocturn psalms 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 & 14 are sung under a single antiphon Alleluia, Lapis revolutus etc., the lessons are the Incipit of the first Epistle of St. Peter. The lessons are the same as in the post-Clementine editions. In the second nocturn (Pss. 15, 16 & 17) the lessons are taken from the book of St. Ambrose on faith in the Resurrection. These too are the same as in modern recensions. In the third nocturn (Pss. 18, 19 & 20) the homily is from St. Augustine. The seventh lesson is longer than in modern recensions including Unde qui hoc... nomine non petit from the 'modern' eighth lesson (sharp eyed readers will notice the non). The eighth lesson runs Qui vero quod est de illo ... proculdubio tunc erit plenum, i.e. continuing into half of what is now the ninth lesson. The ninth lesson begins Quidquid ergo petitur and continues for several more sentences absent from the post-Clementine books. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds psalms 92, 99 and 62-66 are sung under a single antiphon, the ancient nine-fold Alleluia. Benedicite is sung with the antiphon Surrexit Christus etc, and Pss. 148, 149 and 150 are sung under a single antiphon, a four-fold Alleluia as on previous Sundays. The Office hymn is Aurora lucis rutilat. After the collect of the Sunday the Paschal Commemoration of the Cross is sung.

At the Hours the psalms are sung under an antiphon consisting of a four-fold Alleluia. At Prime the Dominical psalms are sung, Pss. 53, 118i, 118ii and Quicumque as are the Dominical preces. The Paschal Doxology is sung at the hymns of the Hours.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is Concede nos, the third collect is Ecclesiae. The Credo is sung, the preface is of Paschaltide.

At Vespers there is a colour change to red and first Vespers of the feast of SS Philip and James are sung. The antiphons are proper to the feast, Domine, ostende nobis Patrem etc and these are sung with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The chapter is Stabant justi and the Office hymn is Tristes erant Apostoli. The antiphon on the Magnificat, Non turbetur etc., and collect are proper to the feast. At Compline Te lucis is sung with the Paschaltide Doxology and the Dominical preces were omitted.

Art: Jerome Nadal

April 23rd - Fourth Sunday after Pascha

The fourth Sunday after Pascha is of semidouble rite and its liturgical colour is white. The semi-double feast of St. George is transferred to Monday.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Sancti tui etc were sung with Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 115. From the chapter the Office was of the Sunday and the Office hymn was Ad cenam Agni providi. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration was sung of the preceding feast of SS Soter & Cajus followed by the Paschal Commemoration of the Cross. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Paschal Doxology and the Dominical preces were sung.

At Mattins the invitatory and hymn are sung as previous Sundays of Paschaltide. Again, at the nocturns the psalms are sung under one antiphon. In the first nocturn (Pss. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 & 14) the lessons are the Incipit of the Epistle of St. James. The lessons are the same as in post-Clementine editions. In the second nocturn (Pss. 15, 16 & 17) the lessons are taken from the Treatise of St. Cyprian on the boon of patience. These too are the same as in modern editions. In the third nocturn (Pss. 18, 19 & 20) the homily is from St. Augustine, again, unusually, the same as in post-Clememtine editions. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds psalms 92, 99 & 62-66 are sung under the nine-fold Alleluia. Benedicite is sung under the antiphon Surrexit Christus and psalms 148-49-150 are sung under the antiphon Alleluia. The Office hymn is Aurora lucis rutilat. After the collect of the Sunday the Paschal Commemoration of the Cross is sung.

At the Hours the Office hymns are sung with the Paschal Doxology and the psalms are sung under a four-fold Alleluia. At Prime the Dominical psalms (Pss. 53, 118i, 118ii and Quicumque) are sung as are the Dominical preces.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is Concede nos, the third collect is Ecclesiae . The Credo is sung and the preface is of Paschaltide.

At Vespers the Dominical psalms are sung under the single antiphon Alleluia. The Office hymn is Ad cenam Agni providi. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration of the, transferred, feast of St. George is sung followed by the Paschal Commemoration of the Cross is sung. At Compline (Pss. 4, 30 vv 1-6, 90 & 133) Te lucis is sung with the Paschal Doxology and the Dominical preces are sung.

Art: Jerome Nadal