June 20th, Fourth Sunday after Pentecost: GRACE NOTES: WHY WE SING WHAT WE SING

Green Vestments!

On this, the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, for the first time since January 24th (The Third Sunday after Epiphany), we see the priest wearing green vestments.

The color of the vestments that a priest wears on a given day is (strictly) determined by the Liturgy, specifically, by the Mass he will say.

There are 18 Gregorian Masses (plus the Requiem). Each of these consists of a Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, and Ite Missa Est. Taken together, these are referred to as the Commons, or as a Kyriale. The choice of which Kyriale we will use is influenced (not always strictly determined) by the Mass the priest says on that day. Some broad generalizations:

  • Black is used at the Requiem Mass, and so the Commons would come directly from the Requiem Mass.
  • Violet is used throughout Advent and Lent and that normally means Mass XVII (designated Sundays of Advent and Lent).
  • White is used for feasts, and that usually means Mass IV or Mass VIII (each of these is designated For Ordinary Feasts).
  • Some feasts have greater solemnity. Gold is used as a substitute for white on solemn feasts, and that calls for Mass II (designated For Solemn Feasts).
  • Rose is only used twice, once during Advent and once during Lent, and that means Mass XVII.
  • Green is used for the long stretch of Sundays after Pentecost, fully half of the year, unless the Sunday also happens to be a feast. Thus, when you see the priest wearing green, you should expect to hear Mass XI (designated For Sundays throughout the Year).

Two noteworthy exceptions:

  1. For Marian feasts, at which the priest will wear white or gold, we will sing Mass IX (designated For Feasts of the Blessed Virgin).
  2. During Eastertide, the priest will wear white or gold and we will sing Mass I (designated In Paschal Time).

There are 6 Gregorian Credos, the selection of which is fairly arbitrary.

And so, on the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, with the priest wearing green, we did, indeed, sing Mass XI. And we sang Credo I, which goes well musically with Mass XI.

There are several different Prefaces, and which one Father will sing is likewise strictly determined by the Liturgy. The Preface of the Holy Trinity is designated For Sundays throughout the Year, and so, in general, if the priest is wearing green, you will hear him sing that particular Preface.

June is the month of the Sacred Heart, and thus, we sang the Processional, To Christ the Prince of Peace, and the Communion, Cor Arca, in honor of the Sacred Heart.

July will be the Month of the Precious Blood, and in anticipation of that, we sang Glory be to Jesus for the Recessional, which is also quite fitting for the Sacred Heart.

And of course, we sang Stella Coeli Extirpavit at the Offertory. Please God, soon enough, we will drop that from the repertoire.

Grace Notes: Why we sing what we sing: WHICH MASS WILL WE SAY!?:

WHICH MASS WILL WE SAY!?

  • Third Sunday after Pentecost
  • Sacred Heart
  • Saint Anthony

June 13 was the Third Sunday after Pentecost. It was also the Feast of Saint Anthony, but the Sunday takes precedence . The Friday before the Third Sunday was the Feast of the Sacred Heart, and as you will recall, this is one of the feasts that is solemnized by default. Thus, in most places on June 13 the Feast of the Sacred Heart was solemnized.

Ah, but things are not always so simple. Our FSSPX Mission Chapel is named for Saint Anthony of Padua, and so for us, the day, which would normally be a Second Class Feast is elevated to a First Class Feast, and so we chose to celebrate the Mass for the Feast of Saint Anthony of Padua. Frankly, it was a difficult call because when the Feast of the Sacred Heart is solemnized, it is customary to also have Benediction and recite the Act of Reparation before the Blessed Sacrament exposed, and to recite or sing the Litany of the Sacred Heart. One of our considerations in the decision was the fact that the Feast of Saint Anthony had not previously fallen on a Sunday since 2010!

Thus, the propers we sang were from the Common of Doctors (In medio). For the Feast, Father wore white vestments and once again, that is a correlated with the commons that we would sing. This would not be a Solemn Feast and so Mass II (for Solemn Feasts) would not have been fitting. We went with Mass IV (for Ordinary Feasts). We paired that with Credo IV.

Naturally, we would want to give our homage to the Sacred Heart as well and so for the Processional, we sang To Christ the Prince of Peace, a hymn very much in keeping with the theme of the Sacred Heart. Among other beautiful phrases, it contains the line:

Deep in His heart for us, the wound of love He bore; that love wherewith He still inflames the hearts that Him adore.

As the Offertory, we again sang Stella Coeli Extirpavit, and we will continue to sing this until we are confident that the current pestilence is behind us.

At the Communion, again, for the Sacred Heart, we sang the sublimely beautiful Lauds Hymn for the Feast of the Sacred Heart, Cor Arca.

We concluded with a hymn in honor of the Holy Trinity, O Thou Immortal Holy Light.

THE SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST: Grace Notes: Why we sing what we sing

There is a general principle that says that if a reasonable number of the Faithful are unable to attend Mass on a given feast, the Mass for that feast can also be celebrated on the following Sunday. This provision is referred to as an external solemnity. You will recall that we did this for the Feast of the Ascension.

Universally, there are three feasts which may always be solemnized in this way, simply at the discretion of the priest. They are:

  1. The Feast of the Holy Rosary
  2. The Feast of the Sacred Heart
  3. Saints Peter and Paul

In 1885, an Apostolic Indult was granted to the Catholic hierarchy of the United States allowing the Mass and Procession for the Feast of Corpus Christi to be held on the Sunday following the Feast. Corpus Christi, always on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, was last week. Thus, on this Sunday, we had the Mass and procession of Corpus Christi in lieu of the Mass of the Second Sunday after Pentecost.

There is something else that we had to consider. This was the first Sunday of the month, normally on which the men of the Holy Name Society have special observances in honor of the Holy Name.

There’s more! It is also now June, month of the Sacred Heart.

We started as the men of the Holy Name entered with the clergy in procession, singing the hymn Hail True Victim, rather a standard in the repertoire for the Blessed Sacrament.

We are no longer in Paschaltide, and so we did the Asperges, followed by Cibavit, the Introit of the Feast.

We’ve covered in the past how there is a correlation between the color of the priest’s vestments and the Kyriale. Father wore gold today. But gold is really a substitute for the liturgical color of white, and white is for solemn feasts. Mass II (two) is dubbed For Solemn Feasts and so it will happen often enough that when Father wears white (or Gold) we will sing Mass II.

There is no liturgical relationship between the Kyriale (Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei) and the Credo. Today, we rather arbitrarily selected Credo IV.

Given that we are no longer in Paschaltide, we sang a Gradual followed by an Alleluia. And, today was once again one of only five masses at which a Sequence is sung. These are the five:

  1. Pentecost Veni Sancte Spiritus
  2. Corpus Christi Lauda Sion
  3. Our Lady of Sorrows Stabat Mater
  4. Easter Victimae Paschali Laudes
  5. Requiem Dies Irae

Today’s extraordinarily beautiful Sequence was composed by the great Doctor of the Holy Eucharist, Saint Thomas Aquinas. In 1264, he and Saint Bonaventure were challenged by Pope Urban IV to compete in writing the propers for the newly-instituted Feast of Corpus Christi. When Bonaventure heard what Thomas had written, he simply tore up his own work, folded his hand, and conceded the victory to Saint Thomas.

Of course, at the Offertory, we again sang the Marian hymn in time of pestilence, Stella Coeli Extirpavit. The Offertory Antiphon was very brief, so we managed to also fit in Jesu Dulcis Memoria. This is the vespers hymn for the Feast of the Holy Name, and it’s fitting to use that on the first Sunday of the Month when the men honor the Holy Name.

For the Communion, we sang the very brief Ave Verum, and followed that with the great classic for this month of the Sacred Heart, Cor Arca.

Given the procession to immediately follow Mass, rather than sing Ite Miss Est, Father sang Benedicamus Domino. There was no last Gospel, and because the Blessed Sacrament had been exposed on the altar, we omitted our customary Holy Name Pledge and Holy Name Anthem. We sang O Salutaris Hostia, also written by Saint Thomas, as Father incensed the Blessed Sacrament. And then, as is customary, as the procession commenced, we sang the first four verses of the Pange Lingua, also written by Saint Thomas Aquinas!

During the procession, we sang a portion of the Litany of the Sacred Heart, wrapping it up as we approached the outdoor altar. We then resumed the Pange Lingua, singing the two verses that customarily precede Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament, and that are often sung as a separate hymn, the Tantum Ergo.

There is a very special provision for what took place next. After the Tantum Ergo, the following versicle and response are sung:

℣ Panem de caelo praestitisti eis.

℟ Omne delectamentum in se habentem.

During Paschaltide, these are each succeeded by the word alleluia. Extraordinarily, that is also done on this special feast of the Holy Eucharist.

Returning to the Church, we sang To Jesus Christ Our Sovereign King, and Hail Holy Queen Enthroned Above, to honor the respective Kingship and Queenship of Our Lord and Our Lady.

As the Benediction ceremony resumed inside the Church, we sang the prayer for the Pope, Oremus pro Pontifice. And in preparation for the second Benediction, we again sang the Tantum Ergo, but according to a different melody. We then again sang the versicle and response, once again with the alleluias.

We concluded with Adoremus in Aeternum, another great classic in honor of the Blessed Sacrament and a fitting end for the beautiful External Solemnity of Corpus Christi.

Grace Notes is a newsletter sent to the Faithful of Saint Anthony of Padua each week to explain the rationale behind the music that had been sung at Mass the previous Sunday.

Grace Notes: Holy Thursday Mass of the Last Supper

The music this day is remarkable for a number of reasons. This is not a Sunday, so there is no Asperges. And since there is no Asperges, we will sing the Introit (Nos autem) as the processional. Typically, the Introit consists of an antiphon followed by a verse from one of the psalms, which is then followed by the Gloria Patri, after which the antiphon is repeated. Today is unique for two reasons: 1) Of course, since we are in Passiontide, we omit the Gloria Patri, and 2) We have the possibility of singing thee additional verses from the psalm, each of which would be followed by the antiphon (Nos autem). How many verses we will sing will depend on the available time according to how long the prayers at the foot of the altar take. Note that they are abbreviated today with the psalm Judica me and the Gloria Patri omitted.

The priest is not wearing Violet (he will be wearing White) so you might imagine that Mass XVII is probably out, and so it is. The rubrics for the day suggest that if the Mass of the Holy Oils had been said in the morning, at which Mass IV would have been used, then we could sing Mass IX in the evening. Otherwise, Mass IV is suggested for the evening Mass, and that is indeed what we will sing.

Holy Thursday is special because, even though it falls in Holy Week, it is a time of rejoicing since it commemorates the institution of Holy Orders and the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist. In keeping with the somber side of things, the Kyrie is unaccompanied, but on the other hand, the Gloria is accompanied by the organ – the last time we will hear it until the Gloria at the Mass of the Paschal Vigil. The Gloria is also accompanied by a glorious ringing of the bells, but they too will disappear until the Gloria at the Mass of the Paschal Vigil. In place of the bells, you will hear the knocking of the clacker.

The Gradual (Christus factus est) is a recurring theme throughout Holy Week, and in particular, at Tenebrae. Given the dual nature of the feast, what follows on the Gradual? Certainly not an Alleluia! Not during Lent, and certainly not during Holy Week. A Tract? Not on such a day of rejoicing! So, what follows on the Gradual? Nothing! And that is a rarity indeed! We proceed directly from the Gradual to the Gospel.

There is no Credo because, even though it is a time of rejoicing, the day itself is a Feria, and the Credo is not said on days of Feria.

During the Washing of the Feet, the Schola will sing a number of antiphons. We will keep a close eye on the proceedings because as Father approaches the last of the Apostles, we must conclude with the other antiphons and start with the Ubi Caritas, which is mandatory.

The Gloria Patri is omitted at the Lavabo. At the Offertory, the Choir will sing a polyphonic version of what was sung at the Gradual (Christus factus est).

You will notice as we begin to sing the responses before the Preface that the tones are slightly different. There are three variations on the responses as there are three variations on the Preface itself: 1) the simple, or ferial tone, 2) the solemn tone, and 3) the more solemn tone. You will know that the more solemn Preface is coming (and it is exquisitely beautiful) as soon as you hear the more solemn responses prior. The Preface is that of The Holy Cross.

The character of the Mass has changed, and has now become more somber. This is very apparent as we sing the Agnus Dei. We repeat the phrase miserere nobis three times and do not sing dona nobis pacem.

The second Confiteor is omitted. At the Communion, the choir will sing Byrd’s Ave Verum, in honor of the Blessed Sacrament. The Schola will sing the antiphon and several verse from Psalm 22 (The Lord is my Shepherd), which is suggested for the day.Instead of the Ite Missa est, Father will sing Benedicamus Domino. There is no Last Blessing and no Last Gospel. As soon as Mass is ended, the Blessed Sacrament will be translated in procession to the Altar of Repose. We will sing the Pange Lingua in procession, repeating verses 2 through 4 until we arrive at the Altar of Repose, at which time we will sing verse 5. The procession will return to the Church for the Stripping of the Altar during which the Schola will solemnly chant the now familiar Psalm 21 – Deus, Deus meus.