Sunday 15 February 2009

Sexagesima Sunday



Sexagesima Sunday is a semi-double of the second class.

At Mattins, as last Sunday the antiphons and psalms are those used on Sundays. In the first nocturn the lessons are from Genesis and the beginning of the story of Noah. In the second nocturn the lessons are from St. Ambrose on Noah and the Ark and in the third nocturn the lessons are a homily from St. Gregory on the Gospel of the seed falling on good and poor ground. A ninth responsory is sung in place of the Te Deum.

At Lauds the 'second scheme' of psalms is sung: Pss 50, 117, 62, Canticle of the Three Children (Benedictus es) and 148. The antiphons at Lauds are proper for Sexagesima Sunday as are the antiphon at the Benedictus and collect. A commemoration is made of SS Faustinus and Jovita. The Suffrage of the Saints is sung.

At Prime the order of psalmody is that used when the second schema of Lauds is sung, Pss. 92, 99 (displaced at Lauds) and the usual first two stanzas of 118. The Dominical preces are sung. At all the Hours the antiphons and chapters are proper to Sexagesima Sunday.

In Mass there is no Gloria, the second collect is of SS Faustinus and Jovita, the third collect is A cunctis, a Tract is sung after the Gradual, the Credo is sung , the Preface is of Sunday and Benedicamus Domino is sung as the dismissal.

At Vespers the antiphons and psalms are those used on Sundays, the chapter is proper as in the antiphon at the Magnificat. The Suffrage of the Saints is sung. At Compline the Domincal preces are sung.

Following the 'liturgical books of 1962' mattins is reduced to one nocturn. At Lauds no commemoration is made of SS Faustinus and Jovita and there is no Suffrage of the Saints. At Prime the arrangement of psalms is Pss. 53, 118(i), 118(ii), there are no preces. At Mass there are is only one collect and Benedicamus Domino is supressed in favour of Ite, missa est. At Vespers the Suffrage of the Saints is not sung and there are no preces at Compline. Looking at two sites offering 1962 liturgy 'on line' today neither can get the psalms for Prime correct which probably says a lot about '1962-ism'.

As mentioned in the posting for Septuagesima Sunday the choir dress of Cardinals and Bishops changes to mourning dress in Septuagesima. The simplification and diminution of prelatial dress began in the 1950s and was completed in the late 1960s when the practice of wearing mourning ceased. Interestingly, mourning dress for prelates was still observed in 1962 yet no prelate using that rite, or variant upon, seems to dress according to the ceremonial in force then.



This picture, captured from this morning's highly recommended live web stream from St. Gertrude the Great Church , shows Bishop Daniel Dolan dressed absolutely correctly in black mantelletum with violet facings. Note that the violet zuchetto and biretta are not changed.

Art(Top): Jerome Nadal

4 comments:

Kevin said...

I love the Saint Gertrude website! They gave me back daily Mass!. When I can't get to a true Mass I tune in to one of their Masses from wherever I may be. It's a blessing

Anonymous said...

It should also be noted that a bishop's mourning dress [as is Bishop Dolan's here]is also worn during Sede Vacante. As one such bishop, I dress accordingly.
+DM

Rubricarius said...

Interestingly members of the Papal Court who have the privilege of wearing prelatial dress e.g. Domestic Prelates and Protonotaries Apostolic do not exchange their violet cassocks and mantelleta for black in Septuagesima and the other 'mourning days'. However, they too wear mourning during Sede Vacante as do bishops and cardinals as +DM points out.

Anonymous said...

Would this not mean that Bishop Dolan should be wearing it all the time - i.e. not just in Septuagesima-tide ?
Alan Robinson