May 30th - Dominica Pentecostes - Pentecost Sunday

Pentecost is a double feast with an Octave. The liturgical colour of the feast and its Octave is red. This year the simple feasts of St. Felix and of St. Petronilla (tomorrow) are omitted this year.

After the beautiful and splendid ceremonies of the Vigil of Pentecost yesterday morning in the afternoon at Vespers the antiphons Dum complerentur dies Pentecostes etc were sung, doubled, with psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The chapter was Dum complerentur dies Pentecostes etc and the Office hymn was Veni, Creator Spiritus. There were no commemorations nor Suffrages. All hymns of Iambic metre have the Doxology Gloria Patri Domino, Natoque, qui a mortuis, Surrexit ac Paraclito, In saeculorum saecula during the Octave. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted.

Mattins for the feast, and Octave, is like Pascha in only having a single nocturn of three psalms and three lessons. The invitatory is Alleluia, Spiritus Domini replevit orbem terrarum, Venite adoremus Alleluia. The Office hymn is Jam Christus aster ascenderat. The antiphons Factus est etc are sung, doubled, with Pss. 47, 67 & 103. The lessons are from a homily of St. Gregory the Great on St. John's Gospel. The lessons are the same as those appearing in the later editions of the Breviary. At Lauds the antiphons, Dum complerentur dies Pentecostes etc, are the same as those at Vespers and are sung with psalms 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite and 148-149-150. The Office hymn is Beata nobis gaudia. The Suffrages are not sung throughout the Octave.

At Prime the festal psalms are sung (Pss. 53, 118i & 118ii) under the antiphon Dum complerentur dies Pentecostes. In the short responsory the versicle Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, alleluia, alleluia is sung. The short lesson is Judaei quoque. At Terce instead of the usual hymn Nunc Sancte nobis the hymn Veni Creator is sung as it was at the third hour the Holy Ghost descended on the Apostles.

At Mass the Gloria is sung and there is a single collect. After the Alleluia the beautiful sequence Veni, Sancte Spiritus is sung. The Credo is sung. The preface, Communicantes and Hanc igitur are proper to the feast and used throughout the Octave.

At second Vespers the antiphons Dum complerentur dies Pentecostes etc are sung, doubled, with the Dominical psalms (109, 110, 111, 112 & 113). The Office hymn is Veni, Creator Spiritus. The versicle and response and antiphon on the Magnificat are proper to second Vespers. There are no commemorations.

May 23rd - Sunday within the Octave of the Ascension

Sunday within the Octave of the Ascension is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is white. The theme of last Thursday's great feast of the Ascension continues with the majority of the texts used today coming from the feast itself.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons of the feast, Viri Galilaei etc were sung, not doubled, with the psalms as sung on the feast (Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116). The chapter was of the Sunday, the Office hymn for the Ascension, Jesu nostra redemptio, and the antiphon on the Magnificat and collect were both proper to the Sunday. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration was sung of the Octave. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the Ascension Doxology, Gloria tibi Domine, Qui scandis super sidera, Cum Patre et Sancto Spiritu, In sempiterna saecula. The Dominical preces were omitted because of the Octave.

At Mattins the invitatory is Alleluia, Christum Dominum ascendentem in coelum, Venite adoremus. The Office hymn is Aeterne Rex altissime. In the first nocturn the antiphons Elevata est etc are sung with Pss. 8, 10 & 18. The lessons are the Incipit of the First Epistle of St. John and the responsories are of the feast. The lessons are the same as those found in post-Clementine editions of the Breviary. In the second nocturn the antiphons Exaltare Domine etc are sung with Pss. 20, 29 & 46. The lessons are taken from a sermon on the Ascension by St. Augustine, These are the same as those in the modern editions. In the third nocturn the antiphons Nimis exaltatus etc are sung with Pss. 96, 98 & 102. The homily on the Gospel from John is also from St. Augustine, these are the same as those in the modern editions. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons Viri Galilaei etc are sung, not doubled, with Pss. 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite & 148-149-150. The chapter is of the Sunday, the Office hymn is of the Ascension Jesu nostra redemptio. The antiphon on the Benedictus, versicle & respond and collect are proper to the Sunday. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of the Octave.

At the Little Hours the hymns are sung with the Doxology of the Ascension. At Prime the festal psalms (Pss. 53, 118i, 118ii) are sung rather than the Dominical ones (117, 118i, 118ii) the short lesson is Si quis loquitur. The Dominical preces are omitted due to 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 is sung and the preface and communicantes are of the Octave.

At Vespers the antiphons Viri Galilaei etc are again sung, not doubled, with Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The chapter is of the Sunday and the Office hymn Jesu nostra redemptio. The antiphon on the Magnificat and collect are of the Sunday. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of the Octave. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted due to the Octave.

Art: Jerome Nadal

May 16th - Fifth Sunday after Pascha

The fifth Sunday after Pascha is of semi-double rite and its liturgical colour is white. The Gospel pericopes from St. John's Gospel describe how the LORD tells His disciples to ask for anything in His name after He has ascended to the Father. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of the week ahead are the three days of the Lesser Litanies or Rogation Days.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the psalms of Saturday (Pss. 143, 144, 145, 146 & 147) were sung under the single antiphon, Alleluia. The Office hymn was Ad cenam Agni providi. After the collect of the Sunday the Paschal Commemoration of the Cross was sung. At Compline (Pss. 4, 30 vv 1-6, 90 & 133) Te lucis was sung with the Paschal Doxology and the Dominical preces were sung.

At Mattins the invitatory is Surrexit Dominus vere Alleluia and the Office hymn is O Rex aeterne Domine. In the first nocturn psalms 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 & 14 are sung under a single antiphon Alleluia, Lapis revolutus etc., the lessons are the Incipit of the first Epistle of St. Peter. The lessons are the same as in the post-Clementine editions. In the second nocturn (Pss. 15, 16 & 17) the lessons are taken from the book of St. Ambrose on faith in the Resurrection. These too are the same as in modern recensions. In the third nocturn (Pss. 18, 19 & 20) the homily is from St. Augustine. The seventh lesson is longer than in modern recensions including Unde qui hoc... nomine non petit from the 'modern' eighth lesson (sharp eyed readers will notice the non). The eighth lesson runs Qui vero quod est de illo ... proculdubio tunc erit plenum, i.e. continuing into half of what is now the ninth lesson. The ninth lesson begins Quidquid ergo petitur and continues for several more sentences absent from the post-Clementine books. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds psalms 92, 99 and 62-66 are sung under a single antiphon, the ancient nine-fold Alleluia. Benedicite is sung with the antiphon Surrexit Christus etc, and Pss. 148, 149 and 150 are sung under a single antiphon, a four-fold Alleluia as on previous Sundays. The Office hymn is Aurora lucis rutilat. After the collect of the Sunday the Paschal Commemoration of the Cross is sung.

At the Hours the Office hymns are sung with the Paschal Doxology and the psalms are sung under a four-fold Alleluia. At Prime (Pss. 53, 118i, 118ii) both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are sung.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is Concede nos, the third collect is Ecclesiae etc. The Credo is sung, the preface is of Paschaltide.

At Vespers the Dominical psalms (109, 110, 111, 112 & 113) are sung under the single antiphon Alleluia. The Office hymn is Ad cenam Agni providi. After the collect of the Sunday the Paschal Commemoration of the Cross is sung. At Compline (Pss. 4, 30 vv 1-6, 90 & 133) Te lucis is sung with the Paschal Doxology and the Dominical preces are sung.

Art: Jerome Nadal

May 9th - St. Gregory the Theologian

The feast of St. Gregory the Theologian, St. Gregory Nazianzen as he appears in the later editions, is of double rite and its liturgical colour is white. The fourth Sunday after Pascha is commemorated at Vespers, Mattins, Lauds and Mass. St. Gregory the Theologian (St. Gregory Nazianzen) was a fourth century Archbishop of Constantinople and made a significant impact on the development of Trinitarian theology. Along with St. Gregory of Nyssa and St. Basil the Great he is one of the Cappodocian Fathers. He died in either 389 or 390AD.

Vespers yesterday afternoon were second Vespers of the feast of the Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel. The antiphons Stetit Angelus etc were sung, doubled, with Psalms 109, 110, 111, 112 & 137. The Office hymn was Tibi Christe splendor patris. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of the St. Gregory the Theologian and of the Sunday. At Compline the Dominical preces were omitted because of the occurring double feasts.

At Mattins the invitatory is Regem Confessorum Dominum, Venite adoremus and the hymn Iste Confessor. In the first nocturn Pss. 1, 2 & 3 are sung under the,doubled, antiphon Beatus vir etc. The lessons in the first nocturn are the Incipit of the Epistle of St. James. These are the same as those found in modern editions of the Breviary. The responsories are from the Common. In the second nocturn Pss. 4, 5 & 8 are sung under the antiphon Invocantem exaudivit etc. The historical lessons in the second nocturn are the same as those found in the modern editions. In the third nocturn Pss. 14, 20 & 23 are sung under the antiphon Domine iste sanctus etc. Lessons seven and eight are a homily of St. Augustine on St. Matthew's Gospel. These are longer than those found in the modern editions. The ninth lesson is entirely absent from the modern books. However, today the eighth and ninth lessons of the feast are read together to form an extended eighth lesson of the day and the ninth lesson is formed of the three lessons of the homily of the Sunday. This is from St. Augustine and the text is the same as in the later editions. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons Ecce sacerdos magnus etc are sung, doubled with Pss. 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite & 148-49-150. The Office hymn is Jesu Redemptor omnium. After the collect of the feast a commemoration of the Sunday is sung.

At the Hours the hymns are sung with the Paschal Doxology. The antiphons Ecce sacerdos magnus etc are sung with the festal psalms in the usual order. At Prime (Pss. 53, 118i & 118ii) both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday. The Creed is sung, the preface is of Paschaltide and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

Vespers are of feast. The antiphons Ecce sacerdos magnus etc are, again, sung doubled with Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 113. The Office hymn is Iste Confessor. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the Sunday and of the following feast of SS Gordian and Epimachus. At Compline (Pss. 4, 30 vv 1-6, 90 & 133) the Dominical preces are omitted due to the double feasts.

Icon: A fresco of St. Gregory from Wikipedia.

May 2nd - St. Athanasius

The feast of St. Athanasius is of double rite and its liturgical colour, from Mattins to None, is white. The feast takes precedence over the third Sunday after Pascha which is commemorated in the Office and at Mass.

Yesterday afternoon second Vespers of the feast of SS Philip and James were sung. The antiphons Domine ostende nobis Patrem etc were sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 112, 115, 125 & 138. The Office hymn was Tristes erant Apostoli, sung with the Paschal Doxology. After the collect of the feast commemorations were sung of St. Athanasius and of the third Sunday after Pascha. The hymns at Compline and the Hours are sung with the Paschal Doxology.

At Mattins the liturgical colour changes to white. The invitatory is Regem Confessorum Dominum, Venite adoremus and the hymn Iste Confessor. In the first nocturn Pss. 1, 2 & 3 are sung under the antiphon Beatus vir etc. The lessons are the Incipit of the Book of the Apocalypse. The lessons are followed by the responsories from the Office of a Confessor-Bishop Euge serve bone etc. The lessons are the same as those found the post-Clementine editions in the modern editions. In the second nocturn Pss. 4, 5 & 8 are sung under the antiphon Invocantem etc. The lessons in the second nocturn are historic lessons for St. Athanasius with the responses again taken from the Common. The lessons differ very slightly from those found in the modern editions. In the third nocturn Pss. 14, 20 & 23 are sung under the antiphon Domine etc.the homily is taken , 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 & 14) the lessons are Incipit of the Book of the Apocalypse. The lessons are the same as in the later books. In the second nocturn (Pss. 15, 16 & 17) the lessons are taken from the a sermon by St. Augustine. These too are the same as in modern recensions. In the third nocturn (Pss. 18, 19 & 20) the homily is from St. Athanasius's Apology for his flight. The lessons are slightly different to the form found in the modern editions. The responsories are again taken from the Common. The ninth lesson is formed of the three lessons for the homily appointed for the Sunday on St. John's Gospel from St. Augustine, again the text is the same as in the post-Clementine editions. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons Ecce sacerdos magnus etc from the Common are sung, doubled, with the Dominical psalms (Pss. 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite & 148-49-150). The Office hymn is Jesu Redemptor omnium. A commemoration of the Sunday is sung after the collect of the feast.

At the Hours the hymns are sung with the Paschal Doxology. The antiphons Ecce sacerdos magnus are sung with the festal psalms (at Prime Pss. 53, 118i & 118ii).

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday. The Creed is sung, the preface is of Paschaltide and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

In the afternoon first Vespers of the feast of the Invention of the Holy Cross are sung with a colour change to red. The antiphons Helena Constantini mater etc (which are absent from the modern editions) are sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn is Vexilla Regis prodeunt, sung with the Paschaltide stroph in the sixth verse. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of St. Athanasius, the Sunday and of SS Alexander and his Companions. At Compline (Pss. 4, 30 vv 1-6, 90 & 133) the Dominical preces are omitted due to the double feasts.

Icon: Wikipedia

April 25th - St. Mark the Evangelist - Greater Litanies

The feast of St. Mark the Evangelist is of double rite and takes precedence over the second Sunday after Pascha. The liturgical colour of the feast is red. Today, although the feast falls on a Sunday, the procession of the Greater Litanies takes place after None. One of the most famous churches in Europe with St. Mark as its Titular is of course the Ducal Basilica of San Marco in Venice. A blessed feast to our friends at Traditio Marciana.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons from the Common of Evangelists in Paschaltide, Sancti tui etc., were sung, doubled, with Pss. 19, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn was Tristes erant Apostoli, sung with the Paschal Doxology. After the collect of the feast a commemoration was sung of the Second Sunday after Pascha. The hymn at Compline, Te lucis, and the hymns of the Hours have the Paschal Doxology, Gloria tibi Domine, Qui surrexisti a mortuis, Cum Patre et almo Spiritu, In sempiterna saecula.

At Mattins the invitatory is Regem Apostolorum Dominum, Venite adoremus. The Office hymn is again Tristes erant Apostoli. In the first nocturn the antiphon is Stabunt justi etc sung, doubled with Pss. 18, 33 & 44.The lessons are taken from the Incipit of the book of Ezechiel. The lessons are longer than those found in the modern editions: the first lesson includes half of the modern second lesson (Et ex medio ejus... to ... quasi aspectus aeris cadentis). The second lesson begins Et manus hominis... and includes all of what is now the third lesson. The third lesson is absent from the modern editions - vv. 13 - 20. In the second nocturn the antiphon Ecce quomodo etc is sung, doubled, with Pss. 46, 60 & 63. The fourth lesson, taken from the writings of St. Jerome consists of both the four and fifth lessons as found in the modern editions of the Breviary. The fifth and sixth lessons are from an exposition on Ezechiel by Gregory the Great. In the third nocturn the antiphon Lux perpetua etc is sung, doubled, with Pss. 74, 96 & 98. The lessons are from a homily of St. Gregory on St. Luke's Gospel. The eighth and ninth lessons are read as one and the ninth lesson is formed of the three lessons of the homily for the Sunday, again taken from St. Gregory. These are actually the same as in the modern editions. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons Sancti tui etc are sung, doubled, with the Dominical psalms. The Office hymn is Claro Paschali gaudio. After the collect of the feast a commemoration of the Sunday is sung. At Prime and the Hours the hymns are sung with Paschal Doxology. The antiphons Sancti tui etc are sung in the usual order, at Prime the lectio brevis is Scimus quoniam.

In Collegiate and Cathedral Churches Vidi aquam and the Mass of St. Mark is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday. The Creed is sung, the preface is of the Apostles and the last Gospel of the Sunday.

After None the Procession of the Greater Litanies takes place. The liturgical colour is violet and the deacon and subdeacon wear dalmatic and tunicle respectively. During the Procession the petitions of the Litany and there responses are sung first by the cantors and then by the choir and congregation. The Procession may visit other churches on its way in which case a station is made. After the Procession the Mass Exadivit is sung with ferial chants. The additional orations are of the season.

At Vespers after the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the following feast of SS Cletus & Marcellinus and of the Sunday.

Icon: St. Mark from Emmanuel Tzanes

April 18th - Dominica in Albis - Low Sunday

Dominica in Albis or Low Sunday is of double rite and its litugical colour is white. The Gospel at Mattins and Mass is the account of the LORD appearing in to His disciples behind the shut doors of the room and the doubting of St. Thomas.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the psalms of Saturday (Pss. 143, 144, 145, 146 & 147) were sung under the single antiphon, Alleluia. Chapters and hymns returned to the Office with this service, the Octave having ended with the Office of None. The Paschaltide hymn Ad cenam Agni providi was sung. Its Doxology is sung at all hymns of Iambic metre: Gloria tibi Domine, Qui surrexisti a mortuis, Cum Patre et Sancto Spiritu, In sempiterna saecula. After the collect of the Sunday the Paschal Suffrage was omitted. From this Office of Vespers, the dismissal, Benedicamus Domino, is sung without the double Alleluia that had been sung since Pascha. At Compline Te lucis is sung to the Paschal tone with the Doxology Gloria tibi Domine etc. This Doxology is sung with all hymns of Iambic metre until the Ascension. The Dominical preces are omitted.

At Mattins the invitatory Surrexit Dominus vere Alleluia continues to be sung. The Office hymn is O Rex aeterne Domine. In the first nocturn psalms 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 & 14 are sung under the single antiphon Alleluia, Lapis revolutus etc. The lessons in the first nocturn are from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Colossians; the first begins Igitur si consurrexistis otherwise it and the other two first nocturn lessons are the same as in the post-Clementine editions. In the second nocturn psalms 15, 16 & 17 are sung under the single antiphon Alleluia, quem quaeris mulier etc. The lessons are from a sermon of St. Augustine and are the same as in the modern editions. In the third nocturn psalms 18, 19 & 20 are sung under the single antiphon Alleluia, noli flere Maria etc. The homily is from the writings of St. Gregory on St. John's Gospel and the same same as in modern editions except they are missing the words 'Dixit eis' at the beginning of the ninth lesson. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the first group of Sunday psalms, 92, 99 & 62-66, are sung under a single antiphon, a nine-fold Alleluia - an ancient feature of the Roman rite that would be destroyed in the 1911-13 reform. TheBenedicite has the antiphon Surrexit Christus etc and Pss 148, 149 & 150 the antiphon Alleluia.The Office hymn is Aurora lucis rutilat.

At Prime the Dominical psalms 53, 118(i), 118(ii) and Quicumque are sung under the antiphon Alleluia. The Dominical preces are omitted. At the other Little Hours Alleluia is also sung as the antiphon, the hymns have the Paschal Doxology.

Mass is sung after Terce. Before Mass the antiphon Vidi aquam is sung during the aspersion. At Mass the Gloria is sung. There is a single collect. The Creed is sung and the preface is of Paschaltide.

At Vespers there is a colour change to white and first Vespers of the transferred feast of St. Leo the Great are sung. The antiphons Ecce sacerdos magnus etc are sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn is Iste Confessor. After the collect of the feast a commemoration of the Sunday is sung. At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted.