January 25th - The Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle

The feast of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle is of double rite and its liturgical colour is white. The third Sunday after the Epiphany is commemorated in the Office and at Mass.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the proper antiphons, Ego plantavi etc, were sung, doubled, with the psalms from first Vespers of the Common of Apostles (Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116). The chapter, Office hymn (Doctor egregie, Paule), versicle & response, antiphon on the Magnificat and collect were all proper to the feast. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of St. Peter the Apostle and then of the third Sunday after the Epiphany. The Suffrages were omitted as were the Dominical preces at Compline.

At Mattins the invitatory is proper, Laudemus Deum nostrum, In conversione Doctoris Gentium. The Office hymn is proper, Doctor egregie, Paule, as sung at Vespers. In the first nocturn the antiphons Qui operatus est etc are sung, doubled, with psalms 18, 33 & 44. The first nocturn lessons are from the Acts of the Apostles detailing the account of Paul falling from his horse and the LORD asking Saul why he persecutes the brethren. These are longer than those found in the later books: the text of the entire second lesson in the later books is contained within the first lesson in the Tridentine book. The second lesson consists of the text of the modern third lesson and, in addition, continues with Et abiit Ananias... to ...et cum accepisset cibum, confortatus es i.e. vv 17 & 18. The third lesson begins Fuit autem... and continues to ...agens in nomine Domine, i.e. vv 19 - 28, These verses are entirely absent from the later books. In the second nocturn the antiphons Tu es vas electionis etc are sung, doubled, with psalms 46. 60 & 63 The lessons are from St. Augustine's fourteenth sermon on the Saints. These are longer than those found in the post-Clementine editions. In the third nocturn the antiphons Saulus, qui et Paulus etc are sung, doubled, with psalms 74, 96 & 98. The homily is from St. Jerome on St. Matthew's Gospel. The later books substitute a homily of St. Bede. The eighth and ninth lessons are read together and the ninth lesson of the day is formed from the three lessons given for the homily of the Sunday. These are again taken from St. Jerome on St. Matthew's Gospel and are the same as in the post-Clementine editions. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons Ego plantavi etc are sung, doubled, with Pss. 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite & 148-14--150. The Office hymn is from the Common, Exsultet caelum laudibus. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of St. Peter the Apostle and of the Sunday. The Suffrages are omitted.

At the Hours the antiphons, Ego plantavi etc., are sung with festal psalmody in the usual order. At Prime the lectio brevis is proper to the feast, Saulus, adhuc spirans. Quicumque is not sung nor are the Dominical preces.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Mass is proper with the introit Scio cui credidi. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Peter the Apostle, the third collect is of the Sunday. The Creed is sung, the preface is of the Apostles and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

At second Vespers the antiphons Ego plantavi etc are again sung, doubled, with the psalms from Second Vespers of Apostles (Pss. 109, 112, 115, 125 & 138). The Office hymn is, again, Doctor egregie, Paule. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of St. Peter, the Sunday and then of the following Office of St. Polycarp. The Suffrages are omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

Icon: From an Orthodox Church in Pennsylvania featured here.