Continuing
my series on using an Ordo (and reducing your reliance on them!), today
Class I&II feasts.
Class
I vs Class II: 1 Vespers
Class
I&II feasts are essentially celebrated exactly the same way in the Office.
While
the difference in level affects things when there are two competing days (such
as Sundays) involved, the only real distinction between them in terms of the
how the Office is celebrated is that Class I feasts have a ‘1 Vespers’ in the
1962 rubrics, whereas Class II feasts do not.
And
even that distinction is blurred in many of the traditional monasteries, since
several do celebrate 1 Vespers for Class II feasts!
Finding
the texts
In
essence, if a feast is Class I or II:
·
it
will have antiphons for the psalms and canticles, as well as special texts for
the chapter, responsory, versicle etc (either specific to the feast or taken
from the relevant Common); and
·
it
will normally have festal psalms at Matins, Lauds and Vespers.
In terms
of the antiphons to use, the Rule is, if a particular Class I or II feast does
not have a set of antiphons for the psalms specific to it set out in the ‘sanctorale’
section of your Office book, you use those in the relevant Common (ie martyr,
confessor, virgin, etc).
Antiphon
number four in the set is usually only used at Lauds (for the canticle).
At
Prime, the first antiphon of Lauds is used; at Terce the second; at Sext the third;
and at None the fifth.
A
few feasts and days do have separate sets of antiphons for the day hours and/or
Vespers, but normally Vespers uses antiphons, 1, 2, 3 and 5 of Lauds.
December
feasts
There
are two feasts in December that illustrate the two possibilities.
The
feast of the Immaculate Conception, on December 8, for example, mostly has its
own specific texts, including antiphons for the psalms at all hours, as my Ordo
sets out:
Tuesday 8 December – The Immaculate
Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Class I [Patronal feast of the USA and
Solesmes Congregation]
Matins: Three Nocturns, with invitatory, hymn, antiphons, versicles,
readings, responsories and collect of the feast, LR 259/MB [16] ff;
psalms and canticles of the Common of the BVM.
Lauds: Festal psalms of Sunday with antiphons, chapter, responsory,
hymn, versicle, Benedictus antiphon
and collect of the feast, MD [13]/AM 763 ff; commemoration of the Advent
day, antiphon, MD 27*/AM 200, versicle, MD 11*/AM 185 and collect (Sunday II),
MD 11*/AM 198.
Prime: Antiphon 1 of Lauds, MD [13]/AM 763.
Terce to None: Antiphon [2, 3 and 5 respectively], chapter,
versicle and collect of the feast, MD [16-7]/AM 766.
Vespers: Psalms, antiphons, chapter, responsory, hymn and collect of
the feast as for 1 Vespers, MD [11]/AM 760 ff; versicle and Magnificat antiphon of 2 Vespers, MD
[17]/AM 767; commemoration of the Advent day, antiphon, MD 27*/AM 200,
versicle, MD 17*/AM 183, and collect (Sunday II), MD 11*/AM 198.
The
Le Barroux and Divinum Officium Ordos simply tell you the Class of the feast by
contrast.
The
other feast is St Thomas, on December 21, which mostly just uses the Common of
Apostles:
Monday 21 December – St Thomas, Class II
Matins: Three Nocturns, all of the Common
of apostles (LR 134/MB 5* ff) except for the readings for Nocturns
II&III, Gospel and collect, of the feast.
Lauds: Festal psalms; antiphons, chapter,
responsory, hymn and versicle of the Common of apostles, MD (9)/AM 622
ff; Benedictus antiphon and collect
of the feast, MD [22-3]/AM 774; commemoration of the Advent day, antiphon (Nolite
timere), MD 43*/AM 219, versicle, MD 11*/AM 185; and collect, MD 47*/AM
228.
Prime: Antiphon 1 of Lauds of the Common,
MD (9)/AM 622.
Terce to None: Antiphon [2,3 and 5 respectively], chapter and
versicle of the Common, MD (11)/AM 625 ff; collect of the feast, MD
[23]/AM 774.
Vespers: Psalms, antiphons, chapter, responsory, hymn and versicle of
the Common of apostles, MD (13)/AM 626 ff; Magnificat antiphon and collect of the feast, MD [22-3]/AM 774; commemoration of the Advent day, antiphon, O Oriens,
MD 36*/AM 210, versicle, MD 17*/AM 183, and collect,
MD 47*/AM 228.
Questions
of precedence
Another thing to keep in mind is that if a feast or day is Class I:
·
it
normally displaces all other feasts or commemorations that would have normally
occurred on that day - the key exception being Advent and Lent days, which are
still commemorated;
·
the
feast starts from 1 Vespers the night before.
Where
a Class I or II feast occurs on a Saturday, if the Sunday is Class II, Vespers
will be of the feast, with a commemoration of the Sunday.
Summary
table
And to finish off this set of notes, here is an updated summary table of everything I have covered so far.
|
Day
of the week
|
Level
of day
|
Effect
|
|
Sundays (Dominica)
|
Class
I or II only
|
Start
at 1 Vespers of Saturday
|
|
Class
I
|
Antiphons
and other texts displace normal Sunday
|
|
Class
II
|
(At
least) Canticle antiphons and collect of the Sunday
|
|
Weekdays (Feria II-VI, Sabbato)
|
Can
be Class IV – Class I
|
|
|
Monday
to Friday (aka feria II-VI)
|
Class
IV
|
‘Ferial’
or ordinary psalms and texts of season with collect of the liturgical week
|
|
Saturday
(Sabbato)
|
Class
IV
|
Office
of Our Lady on Saturday (Matins to None)
|
|
Monday
to Saturday
|
Class
IV + Memorial
|
Make
a commemoration at Lauds
|
|
Monday
to Saturday
|
Class
III feast
|
At
Matins, Invitatory, hymn, reading, responsory, chapter, versicle and collect
of the feast (or from the Common
|
|
|
With
its own antiphons
|
Festal
psalms and antiphons with propers of the feast at Lauds and Vespers; antiphon
of the feast at Prime; antiphon, chapter, versicle and collect of the feast at
Terce to None.
|
|
|
Without
its own antiphons
|
Ferial
antiphons and psalms at Lauds and Vespers, rest of the feast.
Antiphon
(of the Common) at Prime.
Antiphon,
chapter, vesicle and collect at Terce to None.
|
|
|
If
falls on a Saturday, or a Class I feast the next day:
|
No
Vespers.
|
|
|
Class
II
|
Matins
to Vespers, with antiphons and other proper texts for the feast and/or
Common.
|
|
|
Class
I
|
As
for Class II feasts but has 1 Vespers
|
Tomorrow, I will start looking more specifically at Advent.
