Monday 20 December 2010

'Twas the week before Christmass

The Liturgy of Advent intensifies from the 17th December. From that day not only are the Great 'O' Antiphons sung at Vespers but at Lauds and the Hours special sets of antiphons are sung for each weekday preceding the Vigil of the Nativity. From the 17th all Octaves of local feasts cease and private Votive and Requiem Masses are prohibited.

Both the Great 'O' Antiphons and the antiphon sets are to be found in the Breviary after the Third Sunday of Advent. Today, being Monday, the set of antiphons Ecce veniet etc are sung. At Lauds and the Hours the ferial preces are sung, with the choir kneeling. Today is also the Vigil of St. Thomas the Apostle but this does not get commemorated in the Office. However, Mass is of the Vigil of St. Thomas celebrated after None. The texts of the Mass come from the Common of Vigils, Ego autem etc. The ministers wear violet dalmatic and tunicle - a rare sight in Advent - there is no Gloria, the second collect is of Advent feria (Note the typo in Ordo MMX, mea culpa) the third collect of the BVM in Advent Deus, qui de beate. As the Gloria has not been sung Benedicamus Domino is sung as the dismissal. Vespers are first Vespers of St. Thomas, a commemoration of the Advent feria is made, O clavis David is the 'O' antiphon used.

Tuesday is the feast of St. Thomas, a Double of the Second Class. At Lauds the commemoration of the Advent feria is made with an antiphon proper to the 21st of December, Nolite timere. Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the Advent feria is commemorated, the Creed is sung and the preface is of the Apostles. At Vespers the Advent feria is commemorated with the Great 'O' Antiphon O Oriens.

On Wednesday at Lauds and the Hours the antiphon set Prophetae praedicaverunt etc are sung. The ferial preces are sung, kneeling, at Lauds and the Hours. Mass, of the preceding Sunday, is celebrated after None. There is no Gloria, the second collect is of the BVM in Advent, Deus qui de beate, the third collect Ecclesiae or Deus omnium. The Alleluia and its verse are omitted. The dismissal is Benedicamus Domino. At Vespers the antiphon is O Rex Gentium, the ferial preces are sung, kneeling. At Compline the preces are sung, kneeling, too.

On Thursday at Lauds and the Hours the antiphon set De Sion etc are sung. At Lauds the antiphon on the Benedictus is proper to the day, Ecce completa sunt. The ferial preces are sung, kneeling, at Lauds and the Hours. Mass, of the preceding Sunday, is celebrated after None. There is no Gloria, the second collect is of the BVM in Advent, Deus qui de beate, the third collect Ecclesiae or Deus omnium. The Alleluia and its verse are omitted. The dismissal is Benedicamus Domino. At Vespers the antiphon is O Emmanuel, the ferial preces are sung, kneeling. At Compline the preces are sung, kneeling, too.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here in the U.S., 22 December is the Feast of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini - Double Second Class. Canonised in 1946, as a naturalised citizen, she is considered the first Saint of the United States.
+DM

Joshua said...

An interesting point of comparison - in the Dominican Breviary, when the O Antiphons are sung, the preces are omitted: "Et tunc in Vesperis nec Preces dicuntur nec prostrationes fiunt, etiamsi Officium de Feria fuerit".

Furthermore, the 22nd of December is the Feast of the Patronage of Our Lady (Totum Dupex), since 'twas on that day in 1216 that Pope Honorius III approved the Order of Preachers, and 'tis piously held that this provision of a new Order for the salvation of souls was granted by Our Lord at the intercession of His Mother.