Sunday 3 February 2013

Sexagesima Sunday


Sexagesima Sunday is a semi-double of the second class and the liturgical colour is violet. The Sunday is characterised by a very lengthy Epistle, from St. Paul's Latter Epistle to the Corinthians. The Gospel pericopes are from St. Luke and the parable of the sower with his seed landing on rock, amongst weeds and on the good ground.

Vespers yesterday afternoon were second Vespers of the feast of the Purification of the BVM. The antiphons Simeon justus etc were sung with the psalms from the Common of the BVM. The Office hymn was Ave maris stella. After the collect of the feast a commemoration was sung of Sexagesima. At Compline Te lucis was sung with the melody of the Incarnation and with the Doxology Jesu tibi sit gloria etc. The Dominical preces were omitted.

At Mattins the antiphons and psalms are from the Psalter for Sundays. In the first nocturn the lessons continue to be read from Genesis (Ch. 5 & 6), 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, Cum turba plurima, 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, Secundum magnam misericordiam as are the chapter and antiphon on the Benedictus. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of St. Blaise followed by the Suffrage of All Saints.

At Prime the order of psalmody is Pss. 92, 99 (displaced at Lauds) and the usual first two divisi of Ps. 118. At the Hours the antiphons, Semen cecidit etc, and chapters are proper to Sexagesima Sunday. The Dominical preces are sung at Prime.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is omitted, the second collect is of St. Blaise, the third collect is A cunctis. A Tract is sung after the Gradual, the Creed is sung , the Preface is of Trinity and Benedicamus Domino is sung as the dismissal by the deacon facing the altar.

At Vespers the antiphons and psalms are those of Sundays, the chapter is proper as is the antiphon on the Magnificat. After the collect of the Sunday a commemoration is sung of the following Office of St. Andrew Corsini. The Suffrage is omitted as are the Domincal preces at Compline due to the concurrent double feast.

Following the 'liturgical books of 1962' there is no commemorations at Vespers of the Sunday. At Compline the hymn has the ordinary Doxology and melody. Mattins is reduced to one nocturn. At Lauds no commemoration is made of St. Blaise and the Suffrage is omitted. At Prime the arrangement of psalms is Pss. 53, 118(i), 118(ii). At Mass there are is only one collect and Benedicamus Domino is supressed in favour of Ite, missa est. At Vespers there are no commemorations.

Art: Jerome Nadal

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

When a local patron or Titular is celebrated occurring with a 'Gesima Sunday, is there commemoration of the Sunday, or is the mass transferred?

+DM said...

The Office of a Major Sunday of the Second Class - like the 'Gesima Sundays - is always said unless a Feast of the First Class occur. Local patron and titular are primary feasts of the double Rite of the First Class. Ergo, I believe that the Sunday is commemorated, along with its proper Last Gospel, as the patron/titular is celebrated.