Category: Epiphany

Grace Notes: The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

This is the fifth Sunday after Epiphany – the last Sunday after Epiphany for this year. The priest will be wearing green and so, again, according to our rule of thumb, we will be singing Mass XI, and Credo I.

Importantly, this is the last Sunday in which it is permitted to use the word Alleluia, which will be scrupulously avoided beginning with Septuagesima (next) Sunday and continuing until Easter. We have the period of Septuagesima and Lent coming up, and the music we choose then will reflect the penitential nature of those seasons.

But that is for next Sunday! This Sunday, we still rejoice! Along with Mass XI and Credo I, we will once again sing the propers from the third Sunday after Epiphany.It is the month of the Holy Name of Jesus so we will sing the Vespers hymn from the Feast of the Holy Name, Jesu Dulcis Memoria at the offertory. Otherwise, our hymns will be rather more generic in nature as we move from the joyous seasons of Christmas and Epiphany to the more somber seasons of Septuagesima and Lent.

Grace Notes: The Feast of the Purification

This day is, most importantly, the Feast of the Purification, but it is also the Feast of the Presentation of the Infant Jesus in the Temple, and it is Candlemas. Because it is primarily a Marian Feast, we will sing Mass IX, the Mass for Feasts of the Blessed Virgin. We will also choose hymns that honor Our Lady. The propers are those of the feast. For the blessing of Candles, we will sing Lumen ad revelationem gentium. For the procession, we will sing a suggested antiphon, and the Magnificat.

The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

This year, there will be five Sundays after Epiphany, before Septuagesima Sunday. This, of course, is determined by working back from where Easter will fall. There can be as few as one, or as many as six Sundays after Epiphany. When there are more than three, the sung propers for subsequent Sundays are the same as for the 3rd Sunday. So, this Sunday, we will be singing the propers we didn’t sing last Sunday, since we had a low Mass.The priest will be wearing Green, and so we will, according to our rule of thumb, be singing Mass XI, and Credo I. This is the first Sunday of the month, the Sunday on which them men of the Holy Name Society honor the Holy Name of Jesus, and so we will sing the vespers hymn from the Feast of the Holy Name, Jesu Dulcis Memoria.

Grace Notes: The Third Sunday after Epiphany

For any given Sunday or feast, we have to decide what will be sung. This means choosing the propers, the commons, the Credo and the hymns. Many different factors influence our choices. Among other things, we consider:

  • The liturgical feast
  • The liturgical season
  • The readings and propers of the day
  • The calendar month

We also have to take into account the availability of choir members, how well the congregation knows the music, how well the various pieces work together musically, and how much time there will be to sing a hymn. And believe it or not, sometimes it comes down to personal preference.

Saint Anthony’s congregation has a rich repertoire in terms of which Mass commons we can choose. We’ve been singing Mass II (two), which is appropriate for the heart of the Christmas season, since it is intended for solemn feasts. 

We’ve now entered the period after Epiphany. It’s a good general rule that if the priest is wearing green (which means the Sunday is a second-class feast), then Mass XI (for Sundays throughout the year) is the right choice. Musically speaking, Credo I goes nicely with Mass XI and so we will be singing Mass XI and Credo I for the next several Sundays.

Grace Notes: The Second Sunday after Epiphany

Music is, of course, an important part of the Mass. Some parts are sung only by the priest. Other parts are sung by the congregation. And other parts are sung by the Schola Cantorum. 

A Schola Cantorum can only consist of males. It is their role to sing the Propers of the Mass, and in doing so, they fulfill a liturgical role and a clerical office, which is why they dress in cassock and surplice. They also sing hymns, and they lead the congregation in singing the Commons and hymns, but in doing so, they are not fulfilling a clerical office.

For singing polyphonic hymns, we also have a mixed choir, consisting of males and females. Their role is not liturgical, as hymns are not part of the Mass, per se, but rather serve to embellish the Mass.

For such a small congregation, we are blessed to have a choir that has a fairly rich repertoire, and we put it in the service of praising God (and edifying the faithful) whenever we can.

One of our many considerations in choosing hymns is the availability of singers. The music the choir sings, polyphony, typically requires 2 sopranos, 2 altos, 2 tenors and 2 basses. And each must know the piece thoroughly well. 

It can happen that we plan for the choir to do a certain piece, say, at communion, but we have to change our plans if it turns out that we don’t have all the singers we need. But when everything comes together nicely, you will hear some of the most beautiful music ever written, all for the greater glory of God!