What a Liturgically Rich Year!
  • bkenney27bkenney27
    Posts: 444
    Is anyone else as excited as I am for this liturgical year? 2014 is packed with magnificent feasts that are so rarely celebrated on a Sunday and, as such, unknown to the majority of our congregations I would guess!

    THE PRESENTATION OF THE LORD, Feb 2
    SS. PETER AND PAUL, APOSTLES, Jun 28 (Vigil), Jun 29
    THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS, Sep 14
    THE COMMEMORATION OF ALL THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED, Nov 2 (Though, we lose the Obligation for All Saints'... :-\)
    THE DEDICATION OF THE LATERAN BASILICA, Nov 9

    For those of us who rarely provide music for Masses that are not obligatory, this is a big year! Any tips on making sure these are done proper justice would be welcomed, for sure.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,116
    Actually, the rich-year cycle does automatically repeat every 5th, 6th or 11th year.

    One problem is that a lot of liturgists or priests forget about the year before, when those observances fall on Saturday and properly provide the propers for Saturday late-afternoon Masses...
    Thanked by 1Chris_McAvoy
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,513
    Everyone should totally buy my book. It will help you in years like this.
    Thanked by 3Chris_McAvoy ryand CHGiffen
  • bkenney27bkenney27
    Posts: 444
    Well, yes. But I would still classify feasts only celebrated in the "public" eye every five, six, or eleven years rare! Not to mention, I have only been responsible for DIRECTING music for 2.5 years so I'm pretty happy with this calendar.

    One problem is that a lot of liturgists or priests forget about the year before, when those observances fall on Saturday and properly provide the propers for Saturday late-afternoon Masses...


    So we're in error when we use the Sunday propers on Saturday? I thought the point of the Anticipated Mass WAS that it is a Sunday observance. I've often wondered about this, actually.
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,116
    The anticipation of Sunday has to do with meeting one's preceptual obligation, not about which propers to use. The latter is governed by the table of precedence in the universal calendar. I allow that it's squishy if the time of Mass on Saturday is well past the usual window for evening prayer (say, 8 or 9 pm).

    I also acknowledge that many priests and liturgists prefer to ignore the issue because they can avoid preparing two homilies and music programs, under the pretext that it would be insuperably confusing to the faithful who might be worried they did not fulfill their preceptual obligation (the solution to that pretext is much easier: tell them they did).
    Thanked by 1Chris_McAvoy
  • bkenney27bkenney27
    Posts: 444
    WAHT.
    My mind is blown. I always thought the Sunday Propers took over on Saturday afternoon. Huh.
  • Chris_McAvoyChris_McAvoy
    Posts: 389
    Kathy, are these hymns new compositions or based on old latin types?
    I guess either way they will be very high quality and splendid..
    As you known I am strongly biased toward basing new english texts on older latin texts... it gives them an air of authority thats hard to compete with.
  • Chris_McAvoyChris_McAvoy
    Posts: 389
    Interesting point, Liam I was told that a few monthes ago and was surprised by it. It is a little known fact for certain.

    On a similar note I was told by someone that within the canons of the byzantine rite, I attending vespers on saturday can fulfill your obligation to attend the Sunday Eucharistic Divine Liturgy in some circumstances. I still find the concept of having a mass on Saturday evening instead of Vespers a bit odd... but not quite as odd as having a Sunday Mass on Sunday evening, AFTER Sunday Vespers !
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,513
    Chris, many thanks for your kind words. The hymns are (or were, a decade ago) brand-new texts, with suggestions for common-use tune pairings.

    Here is a sample (scroll down a bit) http://www.canticanova.com/articles/hymns/art2i1.htm


  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,985
    Yes, it is true we Byzantines can attend Vespers instead of Sunday Divine Liturgy. Ideally, both would be good, but sometimes it isn't possible to attend both. We don't do obligations, that's a Latin thing. The obligation we have is one of love, not sin. For some reason, the "Hours" have fallen by the wayside in the west. That is too bad, since what you would hear on Saturday evening perfectly sets the stage for what happens on Sunday.
    Thanked by 2M. Jackson Osborn CHGiffen
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,116
    Actually, at least in the strict Russian tradition, you don't receive Communion unless you've attended Vespers and then morning prayer before Divine Liturgy.
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,116
    Btw, the USCCB liturgy committee staff long confused this issue, and then in 2010 got it right when Christmas fell on a Saturday and they acknowledged that, if parishes had a Mass on Saturday evening (it would be an unusual parish, at least in my experience - that's the one occasion, other than Holy Saturday, where parishes disrupt their usual Saturday schedule), the propers would be those of Christmas, not Holy Family.

    Then, in private correspondence, they muddied the waters back again this year and acknowledged what parishes have tended to do (which is to ignore the rule for practical reasons).

    http://forum.musicasacra.com/forum/discussion/comment/86445
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,985
    Some Orthodox churches also require confession before communion. Fortunately, my Byzantine Catholic church is not that strict.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,220
    Here's the document about the precedence of liturgical days:
    http://www.catholicliturgy.com/index.cfm/FuseAction/documentText/Index/2/SubIndex/38/ContentIndex/100/Start/97
    It doesn't go out of its way to deal with the cases described above clearly.
  • David DeavyDavid Deavy
    Posts: 105
    So for a Novus Ordo Mass that means Requiem Mass propers on November 2nd right? How about the Dies Irae as a offertory meditation? Like that would every happen where I live.
  • quilisma
    Posts: 136
    For a while, I have felt that the Sunday 'obligation' should be either to attend Mass OR the Divine Office (in the Latin church, that, is). There are frequent calls to give more prominence to the Office, but, for the majority, attending 2 services at a weekend is not going to happen.

    Re. Nov. 2nd - I exploited the 'alius cantus aptus' earlier this year and sang Dies irae at the offertory. I think I'll do it again next year...
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