April 11: Monday of Passion Week; St Leo, Memorial

Westminster Cathedral, London

Today's Gospel reading is John 7:32-39 - Our Lord preaches and the Jewish leader try to arrest him:

"The Pharisees heard the crowd thus muttering about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him.

Jesus then said, "I shall be with you a little longer, and then I go to him who sent me; you will seek me and you will not find me; where I am you cannot come."

The Jews said to one another, "Where does this man intend to go that we shall not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? What does he mean by saying, `You will seek me and you will not find me,' and, `Where I am you cannot come'?"

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, "If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, `Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.'" Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."

Vespers Hymn for Passiontide: Vexilla Regis

April 10: Passion Sunday

James Tissot c1886-96

Today's Gospel is John, 8:46-59 - the Jews attempt to stone Our Lord for blasphemy, but he escapes:

"Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? He who is of God hears the words of God; the reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God."

The Jews answered him, "Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?"

Jesus answered, "I have not a demon; but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it and he will be the judge. Truly, truly, I say to you, if any one keeps my word, he will never see death."

The Jews said to him, "Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, as did the prophets; and you say, `If any one keeps my word, he will never taste death.' Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you claim to be?"

Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing; it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is your God. But you have not known him; I know him. If I said, I do not know him, I should be a liar like you; but I do know him and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see my day; he saw it and was glad." The Jews then said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am."

So they took up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple."

Lent Pt 2 - the rubrics for Passiontide week I

As noted in an earlier post on the rubrics for Lent, Lent in the Benedictine Office actually encompasses a number of quite diverse sets of rubrics:

• Ash Wednesday to first Vespers of the First Sunday of Lent, when the Office basically stays as if it were still Septuagesimatide;
• First Sunday of Lent up until first Vespers of First Passion Sunday - the rubrics of Lent;
• Passiontide (First Passion Sunday to Palm Sunday); and
• Holy Week (up until the Easter Vigil).

The notes here cover the Passiontide week I, that is, from First Passion Sunday to Palm Sunday.

 The Ordinary of the Office during Passiontide

The Ordinary of the ferial Office, used from the Monday after First Passion Sunday, in Lent is set out in the Farnborough edition of the Monastic Diurnal at MD 240*ff.

For those saying Matins (not in the Diurnal):

• the invitatory antiphon is for the season (Hodie si vocem Domini audieritis)
• the hymn is for the season of Lent and is the same each day (Pange lingua);
• the readings during the week are usually patristic sermons, relating to the Gospel of the Mass set for that day;
• the chapter verse for Nocturn II is for the season (Jer 11:18-19).

At Prime to None:

• the antiphons, chapters and versicles are of the season of Passiontide, and can be found in the psalter section;
• the collect for Terce to None is the same as for Lauds of that day;

At Lauds and Vespers:

• chapters, hymns, etc of the season replace those in the psalter section;
• the responsories omit the Gloria Patri, instead repeating the opening verse;
• the canticle antiphons are proper for each day. They generally reflect the (EF) Gospel for the day; and
• there is a specific collect for both Lauds and Vespers each day.

It is also important to be aware that when a feast displaces the Lent texts, a commemoration of the day is made at both Lauds and Vespers using the respective collects, canticle antiphon and versicle that occurs before the relevant canticle at that hour.

April 4: St Isidore, Bishop and Doctor, Memorial

Murillo, 1665

St Isidore of Seville (c. 560 – 4 April 636)  may or may not have been a monk, but as bishop he certainly acted as protector of them and as a great promoter of the monastic life. 

The saint is best known as the first Christian encyclopedist, attempting to compile a summa of all of the known knowledge of the time.  He was also a diligent historian of the Spanish regions.  He saw education as a way of unifying the diverse peoples of his diocese, and uniting them against the barbarian invaders.  Due to his efforts, much classical learning was preserved that might otherwise have been lost.

As a bishop, he played a key role in converting the reigning dynasty from Arianism and suppressing heresy.



Map of the known world
from the first printed edition of the Etymologies of St Isidore
University of Texas collection



March 30: St John Climacus

Today the Roman Martyrology celebrates the death of St John Climacus (c525-606) and Orthodox monk who was a near contemporary of St Benedict, and wrote an important and influential work of spiritual instruction, The Ladder of Divine Ascent.

You can read a nice article on his life over at the excellent Catholic Herald.

Lent Office hymns - Vespers: Audi benigne conditor