January 15th - Second Sunday after the Epiphany

The second Sunday after the Epiphany is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. The Gospel fragment at Mattins and the Gospel at Mass are St. John's account of the Marriage Feast at Cana. The semi-double feast of St. Paul the first Hermit is transferred to Thursday of the coming week.

Vespers yesterday afternoon were second Vespers of the feast of St. Hiliary. The antiphons Ecce sacerdos magnus etc were sung with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 131. From the chapter the Office was of the Sunday. The Office hymn was O lux beata Trinitas. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations were sung of the preceding feast of St. Hiliary and of St. Maurus 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 were sung. At Compline the Dominical preces were sung.

At Mattins the invitatory is Adoremus Dominum and the Office hymn Primo dierum omnium. In the first nocturn (Pss. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 & 14) the lessons are the Incipit of the Epistle to the Galatians. The first and second lessons are the same as those in the post-Clementine editions of the Breviary. The third lesson is longer and continues Cum autem placuit (...) eum diebus quindecim, i.e. the addition of vv. 15 - 18. In the second nocturn (Pss. 15, 16 & 17) the lessons are from St. Augustine's Expositon on the Epistle to the Galatians. These are the same as those found in later editions. In the third nocturn (Pss. 18, 19 & 20) the homily is from St. Jerome on St. Matthew's Gospel. Again, the lessons are the same as those found in later editions. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds psalms 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite & 148-49-150 are sung. The Office hymn is Aeterne rerum conditor. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of St. Maurus 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 Domineetc.

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

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Maurus, the third collect is of the BVM, Deus, qui salutis. The Creed and the common preface are sung.

Vespers are of the Sunday with Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113. The Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday commemorations are sung of the following Office of St. Marcellus 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 etc. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung.

Art: Jerome Nadal

January 8th - Sunday within the Octave of the Epiphany

The Sunday within the Octave of the Epiphany is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is white as on the feast. The Gospel pericopes from St. Luke describe the Finding in the Temple with the LORD debating the learned doctors to the amazement of those who witnessed this manifestation of Him.

At Vespers yesterday the antiphons and psalms of the feast of the Epiphany were sung, Ante luciferum genitus etc, not doubled, with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113. The chapter, Fratres, Obsecro vos, is proper to the Sunday, the Office hymn, Hostis Herodes impie, with the versicle Reges Tharsis etc of the Octave and the antiphon on the Magnificat, Remansit puer Jesus, proper to the Sunday. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration was sung of the Octave of the Epiphany the antiphon being proper for the 7th January, Videntes stellam Magi etc. At Compline Te lucis was sung with a Doxology of the Epiphany Gloria tibi Domine, Qui apparuisti hodie, Cum Patre et Sancto Spiritu, In sempiterna saecula. The Dominical preces are omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory is Christus apparuit nobis, Venite adoremus. The Office hymn is Hostis Herodes impie. The antiphons and psalms are as on the second day within the Octave. In the first nocturn the Incipit of St. Paul's Epistle to the Corinthians is read. The lessons are longer than those found in the modern editions: The first lesson includes the modern second Gratias ago Deo meo ... Christi, Domini nostri. The second lesson begins Obsecro autem, the same as the modern third. The third lesson is absent from the modern editions, Gratias ago Deo...prudentiam reprobabo, i.e. vv. 14 - 19. The first responsory is Hodie, the other responsories as on the feast. In the second nocturn the lessons are from a sermon of St. Leo (again they are longer than in later editions of the Breviary). In the third nocturn the homily is from St. Augustine, the lessons are the same as in the modern editions. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons from the feast, Ante luciferum genitus etc are sung, not doubled, with the Dominical psalms (Pss. 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite, 148-149-150). The chapter is proper to the Sunday, as sung at Vespers yesterday and the Office hymn is O Sola magnarum urbium. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of the Octave, the antiphon on the Benedictus being Hodie etc, as on the feast.

At the Hours the psalms of Lauds are used with the feastal psalms (at Prime Pss. 53, 118(i), 118(ii)). At Prime the versicle Qui apparuisti hodie is sung (as it is for the entire Octave). The Dominical preces are omitted. The hymns have the Doxology and melody of the Epiphany.

The Mass In excelso throno is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Octave. As it is a Sunday within an Octave there is no third collect. The Creed is sung and the communicantes and Hanc igitur are of the Epiphany.

At Vespers the antiphons and psalms are as on the feast. The chapter is proper to the Sunday and the Office hymn is Hostis Herodes impie. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of the Octave of the Epiphany the antiphon on the Magnificat being Tribus miraculis. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted.

Art: Jerome Nadal

January 1st - The Circumcision and Octave-Day of the Nativity

The feast of the Circumcision of the LORD and Octave Day of the Nativity is of double rite and its liturgical colour is white. It is also the Sunday within the Octaves of St. Stephen, St. John and the Holy Innocents but these are not commemorated today in either the Office or Mass.

At first Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons O admirabile commercium etc were sung, doubled, with the psalms for feasts of the BVM (Pss. 109, 112, 121, 126 & 147). The Office hymn was Christe Redemptor omnium (as on the feast of the Nativity). The Doxology which has been sung since first Vespers of the Nativity Gloria tibi Domineetc continues to be sung until the Epiphany. After the collect of the feast there were no commemorations nor Suffrages. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory is Christus natus es nobis, Venite adoremus and the Office hymn is Christe Redemptor omnium. In the first nocturn the antiphons Dominus dixit ad me etc, are sung with psalms 2, 18 & 23. In the first nocturn the lessons are from the Epistle to the Romans, Chapters 3 and 4 , 'What advantage then hath the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? and all of St. Paul's discourse on circumcison and the Gentiles. They are, therefore, longer than those found in the post-1911 books. In the second nocturn the antiphons Speciosus forma etc are sung6 & 95. The lessons are from St. Leo's seventh sermon on the Nativity of the LORD. These are significantly longer than those found in post-Clementine editions. In the third nocturn the antiphons In principio etc are sung with psalms 96, 97 & 98 and the homily is from the writings of St. Ambrose on St. Luke's Gospel. These are the same as in later editions of the Breviary. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the same antiphons that were sung at Vespers, O admirabile commercium etc, are sung with psalms 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite, 148-149-150. The Office hymn is as on the feast of the Nativity, A solis ortus cardine. The antiphon on the Benedictus, Mirabile mysterium etc, is proper to the feast. There are no commemorations nor Suffrages.

At the Hours, the antiphons from Lauds are used in the usual order. The Doxology in honour of the Incarnation is sung at the hymns. At Prime the antiphon O admirabile commercium is sung with the festal psalms (Pss. 53, 118i & 118ii). In the short responsory the versicle Qui natus es is sung, as it has been from the feast of the Nativity and will be sung until the Vigil of the Epiphany inclusive. The lectio brevis is Ipsi peribunt. The chapters at the Hours of Sext and None are the same as those sung on the feast of the Nativity.

Mass is sung after Terce. The introit Puer natus is sung, there is a single collect, the Creed is sung and the preface and communicantes are of the Nativity.

At Second Vespers the antiphons O admirabile commercium are again sung with the same psalms as at first Vespers (Pss. Pss.109, 112, 121, 126 & 147). The versicle and its respond and the antiphon on the Magnificat are proper to Second Vespers of the feast. A commemoration is sung of the following Octave Day of St. Stephen.

December 25th - The Nativity of the LORD

The feast of the Nativity of the LORD is a double feast with an Octave and its liturgical colour is white. The feast takes precedence over the Sunday and the Sunday is transferred to within the Octave.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Rex pacificus magnificatus est etc were sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113. The Office hymn was Christe Redemptor omnium. At Compline, and the Hours throughout the Octave, a proper Doxology, Gloria tibi Domine, Qui natus es de Virgine, Cum patre et almo Spiritu, In sempiterna saecula, is sung at all hymns of Iambic metre until the Epiphany. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory is Christus natus est nobis, Venite adoremus. When intoning the hymn, Christe, Redemptor omnium, the Hebdomadarius turns and bows to the altar. Mattins has three nocturns and the usual nine lessons. In the first nocturn the lessons are from Isaiah but, interestingly, are sung without a title. These are the same as in the modern editions. In the second nocturn the lessons are taken from a homily on the Nativity by St. Leo. All three lessons are longer than in the post-Clementine editions. In the third nocturn three Gospel pericopes are sung, two from St. Luke and the third from St. John. The seventh lesson does not begin at the words Quia, largiente Domino, as in the later editions, but at Quid est, quod nascituro Domino. It is longer by a couple of sentences. The eighth lesson is longer by a sentence and the ninth lesson by several sentences. After the Te Deum the collect is sung followed by Benedicamus Domino. Then the first of the three Masses for the Nativity is sung. The Gloria is sung (one theory of its origin in the Mass rite is from the song of the Angels on Christmas night to the shepherds) as is the Creed. The preface and communicantes are of the Nativity. Lauds immediately follow this Mass.

At Lauds a different set of antiphons to those used at first Vespers, Quem vidistis pastores etc., are sung, doubled, with the Dominical psalms (92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite, 148-149-150). The Office hymn is A solis ortus cardine.

Later in the morning Prime is sung. The first antiphon from Lauds, Quem vidistis pastores, is sung with the festal psalms (53, 118i & 118ii). In the short responsory the versicle Qui natus es de Maria Virgine is sung. Prime is followed by the second Mass, the Missa in Aurora, that has a second collect to commemorate St. Anastasia. The Gloria and Creed are sung, the preface and communicantes are of the Nativity.

After Terce the third Mass is sung. This Mass too has the Gloria and Creed along with the preface and communicantes of the Nativity. As the Gospel pericope for this Mass is In principio the Gospel of the Epiphany, Cum natus esset Jesus, is read as a proper last Gospel.

Second Vespers has yet a third set of proper antiphons for the feast, Tecum principium etc., that are sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 110, 111, 129 and 131. These antiphons and psalms will be used through the Octave. After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the following feast of St. Stephen.

A very blessed and Holy, Julian Kalendar, Christmass to all.