September 22nd - XVII Sunday after Pentecost

The seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour, from Mattins this year, is green. It is the fourth Sunday of September. The Gospel pericopes at Mattins and Mass come from the twenty-second chapter of St. Matthew and have the Pharisees asking the LORD what is the greatest commandment.

Yesterday afternoon at second Vespers of the feast of St. Matthew the Apostle the antiphons Juravit Dominus etc were sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 112, 115, 125 & 138. The Office hymn was Exsultet caelum laudibus. After the collect of the feast a commemoration was sung of the Sunday (the antiphon on the Magnificat being Adonai, Domine for Saturday before the fourth Sunday of September). 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 book of Judith. These lessons are the same as in the post-Clementine editions. In the second nocturn (Pss. 15, 16 & 17) the lessons are from St. Ambrose on Elias and fasting. These are significantly longer than those in the modern books. The text of the fifth and sixth lessons is not found in the modern books. In the third nocturn (Pss. 18, 19 & 20) the homily is from St. Chrysostom on St. Matthews's Gospel. The eighth and ninth lessons are are longer than those found in modern editions. Today they are read together to form an extended eighth lesson of the Sunday and the ninth lesson is of St. Maurice & Companions. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds, Pss. 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite 148-49-150, the Office hymn is Ecce. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of SS Maurice & Companions 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 etc.

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 of is of SS Maurice & Companions, the third collect is of A cunctis. 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 commemorations are sung of St. Linus and of St. Thecla 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 are sung. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung.

Art: Jerome Nadal