September 16th - XV Sunday after Pentecost

The fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour, from Mattins, is green. This year it is the third Sunday of September. The semi-double feast of SS Cornelius & Cyprian is transferred to Monday. The week ahead will see the celebration of the September Ember Days.

Yesterday afternoon second Vespers of the Octave Day of the Nativity of the BVM were sung. The antiphons Nativitas gloriosae etc were sung, doubled, with the psalms from the Common of the BVM (Pss. 109, 112, 121, 126 & 147). The Office hymn was Ave, maris stella. After the collect of the feast commemorations of the Sunday (the antiphon on the Magnificat being Ne reminiscarisfor the Saturday before the third Sunday of September) and of SS Euphemia, Lucy & Geminianus. The Suffrages were omitted as were the Dominical preces at Compline.

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 Book of Tobias. The first lesson continues with what is now the beginning of the second lesson Deinique, cum irent... to ...ministraret omnem decimationem. The second lesson begins Haec et his similia.. to ... salutis dabat eis, what is the end of the third lesson in the modern editions. The third lesson, absent from modern editions, begins Cum autem venisset... and continues until ...solicitus exhibebat. (vv. 16 - 20). In the second nocturn (Pss. 15, 16 & 17) the lessons are from a sermon of St. Leo. The sixth lesson is slightly longer than that found in the modern editions, the seventh and eighth lessons are the same. In the third nocturn (Pss. 18, 19 & 20) the homily is from St. Augustine on St. Luke's Gospel. The entire seventh lesson is absent from modern editions: Miracula Domini nostri ... quam suscitare iterum moriturum. The eighth lesson is significantly longer than that found in modern editions. The ninth lesson is the same as that found in the modern books. Today the eighth and ninth lessons are read together to form an extended eighth lesson of the Sunday and the ninth lesson is of SS Euphemia, Lucy & Geminianus. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the Dominical 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 Euphemia, Lucy & Geminanus 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 Euphemia, Lucy & Geminianus, the third collect is A cunctis. The Credo is sung as is the common preface.

At Vespers (Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113) the Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of the, transferred, feast of SS Cornelius & Cyprian 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.