August 13th - XIII Sunday after Pentecost

The thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite. This year it is the third Sunday of August and the Sunday within the Octave of St. Lawrence. The liturgical colour is red.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Laurentius ingressus est etc were sung with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 115. From the chapter, O Altitudo, the Office was of the Sunday with the Office hymn O lux beata Trinitas. The antiphon on the Magnificat was Omnis sapientia for the Saturday before the third Sunday of August. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the Octave of St. Lawrence and of SS Hippolytus and Cassian. The Suffrages were omitted due to the Octave as were the Dominical preces at Compline.

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 Incipit of the Book of Wisdom. The first lesson is longer than the form given in the modern editions. It continues Spiritus enim ... superveniente iniquitate. The second lesson begins Benignus est enim and continues until quod mentitur occidit animam - what is now the end of third lesson. The text of the third lesson is not found in the modern editions Nolite zelare ...qui sunt ex parte illius, vv. 12-16. In the second nocturn (Pss. 15, 16 & 17) the lessons are from St. Ambrose. Lessons IV and V are substantially longer than those in the modern books with additional text not appearing in the modern editions, lesson VI is longer by a sentence. In the third nocturn (Pss. 18, 19 & 20) the homily is taken from St. Augustine on St. Luke's Gospel. These lessons are longer than those found in modern editions with lessons seven and eight comprising of the complete text of the three third nocturn lessons found in the later editions. The text of the ninth lesson is absent from the post-Clementine editions. Today the eighth and ninth lessons are read together to form an extended eighth lesson of the day and the ninth lesson is of SS Hippolytus & Cassian. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the Dominical psalms (Pss. 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite & 148-149-150) are sung. The Office hymn is Ecce jam noctis. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations of the Octave and of SS Hippolytus & Cassian are sung. The Suffrages are omitted.

At Prime (Pss. 53, 117, 118i & 118ii) Quicumque is sung but the Dominical preces are omitted.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Octave, the third collect is of SS Hippolytus & Cassian. The Credo and the common preface are sung.

Vespers are of the Sunday with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113. The Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the Octave of St. Lawrence and of St. Eusebius. The Suffrages are omitted due to the Octave as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

Art: Jerome Nadal

August 6th - The Transfiguration of the LORD

The feast of the Transfiguration of the LORD is a feast of double rank and its liturigcal colour is white. A commemoration is made in both the Office and Mass of the XII Sunday after Pentecost.

At first Vespers yesterday afternoon the, proper, antiphons Assumpsit Jesus Petrum et Jacobum etc were sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn was Quicumque Christum quaeritis. The antiphon on the Magnificat was Christus Jesus, splendor Patris etc and the collect was proper to the feast. Commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of the Dedication of Sancta Maria ad Nives, followed by a commemoration of Sunday (the antiphon on the Magnificat was Ego in altissimis for the Saturday before the second Sunday of August) and a commemoration of SS Xystus, Felicissimus and Agapitus. The Suffrages were omitted at Vespers due to the double feasts and, at Compline, the Dominical preces were omitted. At Compline, and at all the Hours, the hymns have the Doxology Gloria tibi Domine, Qui apparusti hodie, Cum Patre et almo Spiritu, In sempiterna saecula and its melody.

At Mattins the invitatory is Summum Regem gloriae, Venite adoremus. The Office hymn is as at Vespers. In the first nocturn the antiphons are proper, Paulo minus etc, are sung with psalms 8, 28 & 44. The lessons in the first nocturn are from the Second Epistle of St. Peter. These are identical to those found in modern editions. In the second nocturn the antiphons Illuminans etc are sung with psalms 75, 83, and 86. The lessons are from a sermon of St. Leo. Again, these are identical to those found in modern edtions of the Breviary. In the third nocturn the antiphons Thabor et Hermon etc are sung with psalms 88, 96 and 103. The homily in the third nocturn is taken from St. Chrysostom's 57th homily on St. Matthew's Gospel. The eighth lesson is shorter in the Tridentine Breviary ending with ... a melioribus confirmari. The ninth lesson is of the Sunday formed of the three lessons given for its third nocturn. These are from St. Bede on St. Luke's Gospel. These lessons are longer than those found in modern editions with lessons seven and eight (of the Sunday) comprising of the text of all of the later text for the third nocturn lessons. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons Assumpsit Jesus Petrum et Jacobem etc are sung, doubled, with psalms 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite, 148-149-150. The Office hymn is Amor Jesu dulcissime. The antiphon on the Benedictus is Et ecce vox de nube dicens etc. Following the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the Sunday and of SS Xystus etc.

At Prime and the Hours the hymns have the proper Doxology as noted above. The antiphons from Lauds are sung at the Hours in the usual order. At Prime the festal psalms are sung (53, 118i & 118ii), the verse in the short response is Qui apparuisti and the lectio brevis is Sustulit me.

Mass is sung after Terce. Where it is the custom, after the Asperges, a blessing of grapes takes place. The introit is Illuxerant. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday, the third collect of SS Xystus etc. The Credo is sung, the Preface of the Nativity is sung and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

At Vespers all is sung as was sung at first Vespers except the antiphon on the Magnificat, Et audientes, which is proper to second Vespers. After the collect of the feast commemoration are sung of the Sunday and of the following Office of St. Donatus. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted.

July 30th - XI Sunday after Pentecost

The eleventh Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite. This year it is the first Sunday of August. The liturgical colour is green.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Haec est Virgo sapiens etc., not doubled, were sung with psalms 109, 110, 112, 121, 126 & 147). From the chapter the Office was of the Sunday with O Altitudo and the Office hymn O lux beata Trinitas. The antiphon on the Magnificat was Sapientia for the Saturday before the first Sunday of August. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding Office of St. Martha and then of SS Abdon & Sennen. These were 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 . At Compline the Dominical preces were sung.

At Mattins the invitatory is Adoremus Dominum and the Office hymn is 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 Incipit of the Parable of Solomon. Their arrangement is different from that found in the modern editions. The first lesson continues as far as ut addatur gratia capiti tuo et torques collo tuo (i.e. vv 7 & 8 now forming the opening of the second lesson. The second lesson begins Fili mi, si te lactaverint... and continues, through what is now the third lesson and concludes, animas possidentium rapiunt. The third lesson is not found in the modern books and consists of vv 20 - 27: Sapientia foris praedicat...vos tribulatio et angustia. In the second nocturn (Pss. 15, 16 & 17) the lessons are from the writings of St. Ambrse on Psalm 118. These are the same as those found in the later editions. In the third nocturn (Pss. 18, 19 & 20) the lessons are from a homily of St. Gregory on St. Mark's Gospel. These are the same as those found in the post-Clementine editions. The eighth and ninth lessons are read as one and the ninth lesson is of SS Abdon & Sennen. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the Sunday psalms (Pss. 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite & 148-49-150) are sung. The Office hymn is Ecce jam noctis. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of SS Abdon & Sennen followed by the Suffrages of the BVM Sancta Maria succurre etc, the Apostles Gloriosi principes etc, of the Patron and lastly for peace Da pacem Domine etc.

At Prime (Pss. 53, 117, 118i & 118ii) both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are sung.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of SS Abdon & Sennen and the third collect is A cunctis. The Credo is sung, the Common Preface is sung.

Vespers are of the Sunday. The Office hymn is Lucis creator. 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 are sung. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung.

Art: Jerome Nadal

July 23rd - X Sunday after Pentecost

The tenth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour, from Mattins this year, is green. The semi-double feast of St. Apollinaris is transferred to Monday.

Vespers yesterday afternoon were second Vespers of St. Mary Magdalen. The antiphons Dum esset Rex etc were sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 112, 121, 126 & 147. The Office hymn was Lauda mater Ecclesia. After the collect of the feast a commemoration was sung of the Sunday. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory is Adoremus Dominum and the Office hymn is Nocte surgentes. In the first nocturn (Pss. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 & 14) the lessons are taken from the fourth Book of the Kings. These are the same as those found in the post-Clementine editions. In the second nocturn (Pss. 15, 16 & 17) the lessons are from a sermon on Romans by St. Chrysostom. These longer than those found in the modern books. In the third nocturn (Pss. 18, 19 & 20) the homily is from St. Augustine on St. Luke's Gospel. These lessons are considerably longer in the Tridentine Breviary than the form found in post-Clementine editions so the text of the ninth lesson is now entirely absent the 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 a commemoration of St. Pantaleon is sung followed by the Suffrages of the BVM Sancta Maria succurre etc, the Apostles Gloriosi principes etc, of the Patron and lastly for peace Da pacem Domine.

At Prime (Pss. 53, 117, 118i & 118ii) Quicumque and the Dominical preces are sung.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is A cunctis, the third collect is chosen by the Dean or rector of the church. The Credo is sung as is the Common Preface.

Vespers are of the Sunday (Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113) and the Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following, transferred, feast of St. Apollinaris and of St. Christina. These are 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. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung.

Art: Jerome Nadal