July 4th, 2021, apart from being a secular holiday in the United States, was the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost. You might reasonably have expected that the priest would thus be vested in green. Why, then, was he wearing red? Recall that the Feast of the Precious Blood fell during the previous week, on July 1st. We solemnized the feast, celebrating it as an External Solemnity by moving it to the Sunday. It is a first class feast, and so, once again, we sang Mass VIII, which is designated for ordinary feasts. We sang Credo III, which pairs nicely, musically, with Mass VIII.
For the processional, we sang Glory be to Jesus, most fitting for the Precious Blood. And again, for the offertory, we sang Stella Coeli Extirpavit, praying for an end to the current pestilence.
For the Preface, Father sang the Preface of the Holy Cross, which is sung on all feasts associated with the Passion.
At the communion, we sang a very pretty version of the Magnificat, written in a style of music called falso bordone (in Italian), or faux bourdon (in French). In this style of music, the verses alternate between the Gregorian Psalm melodies and (typically) a three-part harmonization. Why the Magnificat? This canticle was first recited by the Blessed Virgin herself, upon her visit to her cousin, Elizabeth, which feast we had celebrated earlier in the week, on July 2nd.
After the Magnificat, we sang Unus Militum, the words of which are taken directly from the Gospel, which is taken from St. John’s account of the Passion:
Unus mílitum láncea latus ejus apéruit, et contínuo exívit sanguis et aqua.
Which, translated, means:
But one of the soldiers with a spear opened His side, and immediately there came out blood and water.
Since this was the first Sunday of the month, the men of the Holy Name Society made their Sunday observances, and so, for the recessional, we sang the very rousing Holy Name Anthem, We Stand for God.