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.