23 May 2010

Whit Week

I know that the week which begins today, Pentecost Sunday, ought to be the Octave of Pentecost. But ... for a moment ... I make a proposal about the Real (postconciliar) World.

The New Office invented, for the Octave of Christmass, the idea of celebrating a Saint at Morning Prayer etc; but of keeping the Octave at Vespers. Taking a leaf out of this book, next week those of you who possesss preconciliar breviaries could use your postconciliar books for Mass, Morning Prayer etc.; but for Vespers say the Vespers of the Octave from your Breviary. It is of course permitted to do this chopping-and-changing by the decree authorising the Liturgia Horarum.

This expedient would to a degree preserve the Octave while enabling you to share some commonality with the Novus Ordo Church - which will be celebrating some rather dishy Saints this week, including S Philip, S Augustine, S Bede ...

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BTW, I suspect that the Oratories will, on Tuesday infra Octavam, be having Old Rite First Vespers ... but of S Philip. Is this strictly licit?

4 comments:

  1. The Oratorians will no doubt sing a votive Vespers in such a case.

    I do hope, Fr H., you'll be attending: St Philip is a great favourite of mine (a reproduction painting of him at the altar having a vision hangs above my desk), but I find that I cannot make it to the Oxford Oratory on Wednesday...

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  2. I guess that for those Oratorians following the 1962 rubrics, S. Philip would be transferred to the Monday after Trinity?

    In any case, these are interesting days for local feasts; BVM Aux.Chris; Jeanne d'Arc...

    -Dr. Lee Fratantuono

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  3. But why destroy the integrity of the Octave? From Wednesday double feast will be commemorated anyway.

    Higher ranking feasts, such as Patrons etc, would be transferred.

    The English Oratories follow the post-1970 calendar.

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  4. Fr H. means that the Oratorians prefer to do Vespers from the Breviary rather than the Liturgy of the Hours: five psalms, etc.

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