Friday 19 September 2014

Ember Friday - SS Januarius and Companions

Today the Ember Friday in September. Traditionally it was a day of fast and abstinence. Today is also the double feast of St. Januarius and Companions. The liturgical colour of the feast is red.

At Mattins the lessons in the first nocturn are those appointed for Monday of this week (when the lessons from occurring Scripture could not be read due to the proper lessons for the feast of the Seven Dolours and the transferred Incipit of the Book of Tobias) sung with the responsories appointed for today. In the third nocturn the ninth lesson is of the Friday. The Te Deum is sung. At Lauds after the collect of the feast a commemoration is sung of the Ember Friday.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Ember Friday, the Common Preface is sung and the last Gospel is of the Ember Friday.

Private Masses may be of the Ember Friday with violet vestments. The Mass texts are proper, the second collect is of the feast and the dismissal is Benedicamus Domino. In Cathedral and Collegiate churches there are two Masses. The first, of the feast, is after Terce. There is no commemoration of the Ember Day and the last Gospel is In principio. After None the Mass of the Ember Friday is sung without commemoration of the feast. The deacon and sub-deacon wear violet folded chasubles rather than dalmatic and tunicle.

Vespers are, from the chapter, of the following feast of SS Eustace and Companions with a commemoration of the preceding feast. The liturgy of the Ember Day ends with None so there is no commemoration of it at Vespers.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' Ember Friday is postponed until next week. Today is the II class feast of SS Januarius and his Companions with a single nocturn at Mattins. Vespers are of the feast with no commemorations.

No comments: