July 14th - VII Sunday after Pentecost

The seventh Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is green. The Gospel pericopes from St. Matthew contain the words of warning from the LORD concerning false prophets appearing as sheep but who, in reality, are wolves. The semi-double feast of St. Bonaventure is transferred to Monday.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Qui me confessus fuerit etc were sung with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 115. From the chapter, O Altitudo, the Office was of the Sunday and the Office hymn was O lux beata Trinitas. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration was sung of sung of the preceding Office of St. Anacletus 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 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 Third Book of the Kings. The first lesson includes what is now most of the second lesson in the post-Clementine editions ending ...qui adjuvabant partes Adoniae. The second lesson begins Sadoc vero sacerdotes and continues (including verses 9 & 10 omitted in the modern editions) until ...et complebo sermones tuos, the penultimate sentence in modern third lesson. The third lesson begins Ingressa est itaque and continues until ...Nathan propheta venit. (v.22) In the second nocturn (Pss. 15, 16 & 17) the lessons are from St. Jerome's Letter to Nepotianus. These are substantially different from those found in the later recensions. In the third nocturn (Pss. 18, 19 & 20) the homily is from St. Hiliary on St. Matthew's Gospel. These are the same as in modern editions. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds Pss. 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite & 148-49-150 are sung. The Office hymn is Ecce jam noctis. After the collect of the Sunday 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 are sung.

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

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is A cunctis, the third collect is chosen by the Dean or Rector. The Creed and the common preface are sung.

Vespers are of Sunday. The Office hymn is Lucis creator. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of the following, transferred, feast of St. Bonaventure followed 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

July 7th - VI Sunday after Pentecost

The sixth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite. The liturgical colour, from Mattins onwards this year, is green.

Yesterday afternoon second Vespers of the Octave Day of SS Peter and Paul were sung. The antiphons Juravit Dominus etc were sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 112, 115, 125 & 138. The Office hymn was Aurea luce. After the collect of the Octave Day a commemoration was sung of the Sunday. 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 are a continuation of the Second Book of the Kings. The lessons are the same as in the post-Clementine editions of the Breviary. In the second nocturn (Pss. 15, 16 & 17) the lessons are from St. Ambrose's Defence of David. These, again, are the same as found in the modern editions. In the third nocturn (Pss. 18, 19 & 20) the homily is from St. Ambrose on St. Mark's Gospel. The seventh lesson includes the first sentence (Consequens igitur... a jejunio liberaret) from the modern eighth lesson. In the Tridentine Breviary the eighth lesson thus begins Itaque nemo and continues with most of the modern ninth lesson until ...sed nec adhuc quidem potestis. The ninth lesson begins In modum lactis but most of its text is not found in the later books. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds Pss. 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite & 148-49-150 are sung. The Office hymn is Ecce jam noctis.  After the collect of the Sunday the Suffrages of the BVM Santa Maria succurre etc, the Apostles Gloriosi principes etc, of the Patron and lastly for peace Da pacem Domine etc are sung.

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

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is A cunctis, the third collect is chosen by the Dean or Rector. The Creed and the common preface are sung.

Vespers are of the Sunday, Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113, the Office hymn is Lucis Creator.  After the collect of the Sunday 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 are sung. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung.

Image: Missale Romanum, 1572, Paris.

June 30th - The Commemoration of St Paul the Apostle

The feast of the Commemoration of St. Paul the Apostle is of double rite and its liturgical colour, until Vespers, is red. The fifth Sunday after Pentecost, this year the Sunday within both the Octaves of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist and the Octave of SS Peter and Paul, is commemorated in the Office and at Mass.

Yesterday afternoon second Vespers of the feast of SS Peter & Paul were sung. The antiphons Juravit Dominus etc, from the Common were sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 112, 115, 125 and 138. The Office hymn was Aurea luce. After the collect of the feast a commemoration of the Sunday was sung. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted. At Mattins the invitatory is Regem Apostolorum Dominum, Venite adoremus and the Office hymn is Doctor egregie Paule. In the first nocturn the antiphons Qui operatus est etc are sung, doubled, with psalms 18, 33 & 44. The lessons are taken from the thirteenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. These are identical to those found in the post-Clementine editions. 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 book on grace and free will. These are longer than those found in the later editions with most of the text of the sixth lesson absent from the later books. In the third nocturn the antiphons Saulus, qui et Paulus etc are sung, doubled, with psalms 74, 96 & 98. The homily is from St. Chrysostom on St. Matthew's Gospel. These are the same as in the later editions. The eighth and ninth lessons are read together to form the eighth lesson of the day and the ninth lesson is formed of the three lessons appointed for the homily of the Sunday. These are 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 antiphons Ego plantavi etc are sung, doubled, with psalms 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite & 148-149-150. The Office hymn is Exsultet caelum laudibus. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of St. Peter the Apostle, the Sunday and of the Octave of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. The Suffrages are omitted.

At Prime and the Hours the antiphons of Lauds are used in the usual order. At Prime, Pss. 53, 118(i) & 118(ii), the lectio brevis is proper to the feast, Ego enim etc. The Domincal preces are omitted.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of St. Peter the Apostle, the third collect is of the Sunday and the fourth collect is of the Octave of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. The Creed is sung, the preface is of the Apostles and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

At Vespers the antiphons Juravit Dominus etc are sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 112, 115, 125 and 138. From the chapter the Office is of the Octave Day of St. John the Baptist. The Office hymn is Ut queant laxis. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of SS Peter & Paul (with the antiphon of the Suffrage, Petrus Apostolus, et Paulus Doctor Gentium etc and collect of the feast Deus, qui hodiernam diem) and of the Sunday. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted.

Observant readers will note in previous years a mistake in concurrence, the danger of quickly checking something in a later edition!

June 23rd - IV Sunday after Pentecost

The fourth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour, until Vespers this year, is green. The Vigil of St. John the Baptist was anticipated yesterday.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms of Saturday. Pss. 143, 144, 145, 146 & 147, were sung. The chapter was O Altitudo and the Office hymn was O lux beata Trinitas. After the collect of the Sunday 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 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 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 the Suffrages of the BVM Santa Maria succurre etc, the Apostles Gloriosi principes etc, of the Patron and lastly for peace Da pacem Domine etc are sung.

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

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is A cunctis, the third collect is chosen by the Dean or Rector. The Creed and the common preface are sung.

After None there is a colour change to white and first Vespers of the feast of St. John the Baptist are sung. The antiphons, Ipse praeibit etc, are sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn is Ut queant laxis resonare fibris. The hymn famously rises through a scale in its verses: Ut (Doh), Resonare, Mira, Famuli, Solve, Labii. The Suffrages are omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

Art: Jerome Nadal