Saturday, November 12, 2016

Brush up your rubrics - Getting ready for Advent: commemorations (of the feria)

I have yet to look at Lauds and Vespers in this series on getting ready for Advent, but there is one issue common to both of them that I thought I would deal with first, namely commemorations (aka) memorials.

What is a commemoration of the feria?

If you look at the instructions in the Diurnal for feasts of saints during Advent you will come across instructions to make a commemoration of the feria.

Feria just means day, and so it is telling you to make a remembrance of the Advent day that would have been said had they not been displaced by a feast.

During Advent the feria is commemorated at both Lauds and Vespers.

The way this is done is exactly the same as for a normal memorial of a saint: after the collect (of the feast), you say (or sing) the canticle antiphon that would have been said at Lauds or Vespers if not for the feast, the versicle (of the season) and the collect (of the Advent week or day).

Finding the texts: a Diurnal trap

The Diurnal, however, does not make it easy for you in this case, because for each Advent day, in order to save space, it usually only sets out the canticle antiphons.

That means you need to go find the versicle and the collect for the appropriate day or week in the Ordinary.  The Ordo will give you the page numbers in the Diurnal for this purpose, but those using older editions will need to hunt down the correct pages for themselves.

SUMMARY - COMMEMORATIONS IN ADVENT

Commemorations of the feria - Lauds

Benedictus antiphon
Of the Advent day

Versicle (of the season)
V. Vox clamantis in desérto: Parate viam Dómini.
R. Rectas fácite sémitas eius.

Collect
Of the Advent week or day

Commemoration of the feria - Vespers

 Magnificat antiphon
Of the Advent day

Versicle (of the season)
V. Rorate cæli désuper, et nubes pluant iustum.
R. Aperiatur terra et gérminet Salvatórem.

Collect
Of the Advent week or day



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