August 2nd - VIII Sunday after Pentecost

The eighth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour, from Mattins this year, is green. It is the first Sunday of August.

Yesterday afternoon second Vespers of the feast of St. Peter ad vincula were sung. The antiphons Herodes rex etc were sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 112, 115, 125 & 138. The Office hymn was Petrus beatus catenarum laqueos. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of St. Paul, the Sunday (the antiphon on the Magnificat being Sapientia for the Saturday before the first Sunday of August) and of St. Stephen Pope & Martyr. 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) 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. Ambrose on Psalm 118. These are the same as those found in modern recensions.In the third nocturn (Pss. 18, 19 & 20) the homily is from St. Jerome on St. Luke's Gospel. Again the text in the Tridentine Breviary is longer than that found in later editions. Today the eighth and ninth lessons are read together to form an extended eighth lesson and the ninth lesson is formed of the two lessons given in the sanctorale for St. Stephen. 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 of St. Stephen 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) both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are sung.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Stephen, the third collect is A cunctis. 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 a commemoration is sung of the following feast of The Finding of the Body of St. Stephen the Protomartyr 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