July 12th - V Sunday after Pentecost

The fifth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms (Pss. 143, 144, 145, 146 & 147) of Saturday were sung. The chapter was O Altitudo and the Office hymn was O lux beata Trinitas. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration of SS Nabor & Felix was sung followed by the Suffrages of the BVM Sancta Maria succurre etc, of 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 Nocte surgentes. In the first nocturn (Pss. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 & 14) the lessons are the Incipit of the Second Book of the Kings. These are identical to the lessons found in the post-Clementine editions. In the second nocturn (Pss. 15, 16 & 17) the lessons are taken from St. Gregory's Book on Morals. The fifth lesson is slightly longer and the sixth lesson considerably longer than those found in the later editions. In the third nocturn (Pss. 18, 19 & 20) the homily is from St. Augustine on St. Matthew's Gospel. The Gospel fragment has the additional words Amen dico vobis. The lessons, from the ninth chapter of the first book on the LORD's Sermon on the Mount, are all longer than those found in the later books. 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 is sung of SS Nabor & Felix followed by the Suffrages of the BVM Santa Maria succurre etc, of the Apostles Gloriosi principes etc, of the Patron and lastly for peace Da pacem Domine etc.

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

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloriais sung, the second collect is of SS Nabor & Felix, the third collect is A cunctis nos. The Credo is sung and the Common Preface is sung.

Lucis creator optime. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of the following feast of St. Anacletus followed by the Suffrages of the BVM Sancta Maria succurre etc, of 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

July 5th - IV Sunday after Pentecost

The fourth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is red due to it being this year the Sunday within the Octave of the feast of SS Peter & Paul.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Juravit Dominus etc were sung, not doubled, with psalms 109, 112, 115, 125 & 138. The chapter was O Altitudo and the Office hymn was O lux beata Trinitas. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration was sung of the Octave of SS Peter & Paul. Being within an Octave 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 and the lessons continue to be taken from the First Book of the Kings. The first lesson is the same as found in modern recensions, the second lesson continues David autem...grandaevus inter viros (from the modern third lesson) and the third lesson begins Abierunt autem ... quadraginta diebus. However, it then continues Dixit autem... sicut Isai - from v. 17 through to half of v. 20. The responsories are Praeparate corda vestra etc. In the second nocturn (Pss. 15, 16 & 17) the lessons are taken from a Sermon of St. Augustine. These are the same as found in the post Clementine editions. In the third nocturn (Pss. 18, 19 & 20) the homily is from St. Ambrose on St. Luke's Gospel, but the lessons are longer than in modern editions. 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 the Octave of SS Peter & Paul. The Suffrages are omitted.

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

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Octave of SS Peter & Paul. Being within the Octave there is no third collect. The Credo is sung and the preface of the Apostles is sung.

Vespers of the Octave Day of SS Peter & Paul are sung. The antiphons Hoc est praeceptum meum etc are sung, doubled, with Pss 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn is Exultet. After the collect of the Octave Day a commemoration of the Sunday is sung. The Suffrages are omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

Art: Jerome Nadal

June 28th - III Sunday after Pentecost

The third Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite. Its liturgical colour is white due to it being within the Octave of St. John the Baptist. The Vigil of the feast of SS Peter and Paul was liturgically observed yesterday. The feast of St. Leo II is tranferred until after the Octave of SS Peter & Paul (rubric pro loco) on 7th July.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Elisabeth Zachariaeetc were sung, not doubled, with Pss. 109, 112, 115, 125 & 138. The chapter was O Altitudo and the Office hymn O lux beata Trinitas. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration of the Octave of St. John the Baptist was sung. The Suffrages were omitted due to the Octave. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted due to the Octave.

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 First Book of the Kings. These are the same as in modern recensions, the responsories are Praeparate corda vestra etc. In the second nocturn (Pss. 15, 16 & 17) the lessons are taken from the Exposition on the book of Kings of St. Gregory. In the third nocturn (Pss. 18, 19 & 20) the homily is from St. Augustine but the lessons are longer than in the post-Clementine books. The seventh lesson is consists of text which forms the seventh and eighth lessons in the later books. The eighth lesson is several sentences longer than the modern ninth lesson and the ninth lesson is not found in the later books. 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 the Octave of St. John the Bapist is sung. The Suffrages are omitted due to the Octave.

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

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Octave. There is no third collect being a Sunday within an Octave. The Creed and the Common Preface are sung.

Vespers are of the following feast of SS Peter and Paul with a corresponding liturgical colour change to red. The antiphons Petrus et Joannes etc are sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn is Aurea luce. There are no commemorations (not even of a minor Sunday until the changes of Leo XIII) nor Suffrages. The Dominical preces are omitted at Compline.

June 21st - Sunday within the Octave of Corpus Christi - Second Sunday after Pentecost

Sunday within the Octave of Corpus Christi, the second Sunday after Pentecost, is of semi-double rite. As with all Sundays celebrated within Octaves the liturgical colour is of the Octave which, in this case, is white.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons of the feast, Sacerdos in aeternum etc, were sung, not doubled, with psalms 109, 110, 115, 127 & 147. The chapter was of the Sunday, the hymn, versicle and response as on the feast. The antiphon on the Magnificat was proper to the Sunday along with the collect. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration of the Octave was sung. The Suffrages were omitted being within an Octave.  At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Doxlogy Gloria tibi Domine etc and the Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory is Christum Regem adoremus dominantem Gentibus: Qui se manducantibus dat spiritus pinguedinem, as on the feast. The Office hymn is Sacris solemnis. The antiphons and psalms are as on the feast of Corpus Christi. In the first nocturn the antiphons Fructum salutiferum etc are sung with Pss. 1, 4 & 15. The lessons in the first nocturn they are taken from the First Book of Kings. The first lesson continues with the beginning of the second lesson found in modern editions Misit ergo populus...Ophni et Phinees. The responsories are as on the feast. The second lesson begins Cumque venisset arca...and includes what is now the third lesson, ending ...Ophni et Phinees. The third lesson, not present in the modern editions, begins at verse 12 of the fourth chapter Currens autem vir... and continues until the middle of the eighteenth verse ...cirvicibus mortuus est. In the second nocturn the antiphons Memor sit Dominus etc with Pss. 19, 22 & 41. The lessons are taken from a sermon of St. Chrysostom to the people of Antioch. The fourth lesson is longer than in modern editions beginning, at the same point, with Quoniam Verbum dicit... but continuing until ...proponitur indigne sumentibus (appoximately half-way through the fifth lesson in modern editions). The fifth lesson begins Considera quantum adverus (Considera being replaced by Cogita in modern editions) and continues until ..sumus unum Christi corpus, et una caro. The sixth lesson begins Quis loquetur potentias (halfway through L.6 in the modern books) and continues for several more sentences of the sermon ending with ..qui vero sanctificat ea et immutat, ipse est. In the third nocturn the homily in is from St. Gregory on St. Luke's Gospel. Again the lessons are longer than in the modern editions so that the ninth lesson Sed superna...quod praesto est, perat is not found in the later books. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons are those sung on the feast of Corpus Christi, Sapientia etc but they are not doubled. These are sung with Psalms 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite and 148-149-150. The chapter is of the Sunday, the hymn as on the feast, Verbum supernum. The antiphon on the Benedictus and collect are of the Sunday. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration of the Octave is sung. The Suffrages are omitted.

At the Little Hours the hymns are sung to the same tone as on the feast of the Nativity of the LORD with the with the Doxology Gloria tibi Domine etc. At Prime the festal psalms are sung (Pss. 53, 118i & 118ii), the versicle in the short responsory is Qui natus es for the feast and Octave, the short lesson is Filioli mei, of the Sunday.  Quicumque is not sung as the Office is festal, nor are the Dominical preces.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Octave. Being within an Octave there is no third collect. The Creed is sung and the preface is that of the Nativity.

At Vespers the antiphons Sacerdos in aeternum etc are again sung, not doubled, with psalms 109, 110, 115, 127 & 147. The Office hymn is Pange lingua. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the Octave and of St. Paulinus. The Suffrages are omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

Art: Jerome Nadal