The Octave of the Nativity

The Holy Innocents

The feast of the Holy Innocents is a Double of the Second Class with, since the reform of 1911-13, a simple Octave. The feast of the Holy Innocents is unique in the Roman rite in that it changes its liturgical colour depending on whether it falls on a weekday or a Sunday. As this year it is celebrated on Sunday the liturgical colour is red. When it falls on a week-day the feast is celebrated in violet, the origin of this practice being a synthesis of the differences in Gallican and Roman praxis.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons and psalms from second Vespers of the Nativity were sung. From the chapter, Qui timet Deum, the Office was of St. John with commemorations of the Holy Innocents and of the Octave of the Nativity.

At Mattins the invitatory is Regem Martyrum Dominum, Venite adoremus and the Office hymn is Audit tyrannus anxius (sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation). In the first nocturn the antiphons Secus decursus aquarum etc are sung, doubled, with psalms 1, 2 and 3. The lessons are from the Prophet Jeremiah. In the second nocturn the antiphons Dabo Sanctis meis etc are sung, doubled, with psalms 14, 15 & 23. The lessons are from a sermon of St. Augustine on the Saints. In the third nocturn the antiphons Justi autem etc are sung with psalms 32, 33 & 45. However, the eighth antiphon, Isti sunt, is proper to the feast. The homily on St. Matthew's Gospel is from the writings of St. Jerome. As the feast occurs on a Sunday this year Gloria Patri is added to the eighth responsory, the ninth responsory is omitted and the Te Deum is sung in its place. At Lauds the antiphons Herodes iratus etc are sung, doubled, with the Dominical psalms. The Office hymn is Salvete, flores Martyrum (again, sung with the Doxology of the Incarnation). After the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the Octave of the Nativity.

At Prime and the Hours the antiphons of Lauds are sung, not doubled, with the festal psalms. The hymns have their Doxology changed in honour of the Incarnation. At Prime, Pss. 53, 118(i), 118(ii) the short lesson is of the feast, Hi empti sunt.

At Mass the Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Octave of the Nativity. The Alleluia and its verse given in the Missal are sung before the Gospel. The Creed is sung and the preface and communicantes are of the Octave of the Nativity.

At Vespers the antiphons and psalms of the Nativity are sung, but from the chapter are of the Holy Innocents. The Office hymn is Salvete, flores Martyrum. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the following feast of St. Thomas of Canterbury and of the Octave of the Nativity.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' today is the Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity. Vespers yesterday had the antiphons and psalms of the Nativity, from the chapter of St. John with a commemoration of the Sunday but not of the Holy Innocents nor of the Octave. Mattins has but a single nocturn. At Lauds there is a commemoration of the Holy Innocents but not of the Octave of the Octave. At the Hours the antiphons and psalms are of the Sunday and the hymns lose the Doxology of the Incarnation. At Prime the short lesson is of the season. At said Masses only there is a commemoration of the Holy Innocents. Vespers are of the Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity without any commemorations.

The Nativity of the LORD

May all readers and customers have a very blessed, and peaceful, celebration of the Nativity of Christ.

Meditating on the first antiphon of Vespers yesterday, Rex pacíficus * magnificátus est, cuius vultum desíderat univérsa terra, one cannot but be struck by the need of metanoia and the urgent need of the world to turni to Christ with the daily headlines of wars, the genocide in Gaza, piracy on the high seas, the corruption and venal greed of politicians etc, etc.

Minature of the Nativity, c. 1350, Master of Vyšší Brod, Mistr Vyšebrodský, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The fourth week of Advent

Fourth Sunday of Advent

The fourth Sunday of Advent is a semi-double Sunday of the second class and its liturgical colour is violet. Only a double of the first class feast may displace the Sunday in occurrence. So, this year, the feast of St. Thomas the Apostle is transferred to Monday, although his Vigil Mass was observed on Saturday. The Gospel pericopes from St. Luke concern the preaching of St. John the Baptist preaching the baptism of repentance by the Jordan and the reference to Isaias "Prepare ye the way of the LORD: make straight His paths: every valley shall be filled: and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways plain: and all flesh shall see the salvation of God."

Yesterday afternoon the antiphons Canite tuba, from Lauds, were sung, not-doubled, with the psalms of Saturday. The Office hymn was Creator alme siderum. The Great 'O' Antiphon O clavis David proper to the twentieth day of December sung standing. The Suffrage is omitted in Advent. At Compline the Dominical preces were sung.

At Mattins the invitatory is Prope est jam Dominus * Venite adoremus and the Office hymn is Verbum supernum prodiens. In the first nocturn the lessons are taken, as usual in Advent, from Isaias. In the second nocturn the lessons are again taken from St. Leo's sermon on the fast of the tenth month. The homily in the third nocturn is from the twentieth homily of St. Gregory on St. Luke's Gospel. A ninth responsory, Intuemini, quantus sit iste, is sung in place of the Te Deum. At Lauds the antiphons proper to the Sunday, Canite tuba etc., are sung with the Dominical psalms. The Office hymn is En clara vox. The Suffrage is omitted in Advent.

At the Hours the antiphons from Lauds are used in the usual sequence. At Prime the versicle in the short responsory is Qui venturus es in mundum and the Dominical preces are sung.

Mass is sung after Terce. The ministers wear violet folded chasubles. The Gloria is omitted. The second collect is of the BVM in Advent, Deus qui de beate, the third collect Ecclesiae etc. The Creed and the preface of the Trinity are sung. As the Gloria is not sung the dismissal is Benedicamus Domino, sung by the deacon facing the altar.

After None there is a colour change to red and first Vespers of St. Thomas are sung. The antiphons Hoc est praeceptum meum etc are sung, doubled, with Pss. 109, 110, 111, 112 & 116. The Office hymn is Exsultet orbis gaudiis. After the collect of the feast a commemoration of the Sunday is sung (the antiphon on the Magnificat being O Oriens). At Compline the Dominical preces are omitted.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the Vigil of St. Thomas has been abolished. At Vespers there are no commemorations. The Dominical preces have been abolished at Compline and Prime. Mattins is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons as usual. At Mass the ministers wear dalmatic and tunicle, there is only one collect and the dismissal is Ite, missa est Vespers are of the Sunday, without any commemorations. The feast of St. Thomas, except where it is '1Cl' is omitted this year entirely.

Art: Jerome Nadal

Ordo MMXXVI Update

 

As many readers are aware the initial print run of Ordo MMXXVI sold out within three days when the 'cart' went live.

To prevent this happening again, with all its inherent frustration and inconvenience to users, the reprint in now available on Amazon's websites.

Please visit the relevant Amazon site for your country and search for ISBN 9798275091038

Ordering via Amazon will give a better level of customer service in that packages can be tracked etc. It also means that customers fortunate to live in the European Union will no longer have their orders subject to import VAT and its associated administration charge.  Likewise, customers in the United States should get their copies without the need to pay the new US tariffs.

The third week of Advent - Ember Week