"Parts" in Passion readings
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,500
    Is there an official/semi-official division of the assignment of parts (crowd, narrator, etc) of the Passion readings? I'm looking for Matthew in the current lectionary and my resources don't divide it.
  • benedictgal
    Posts: 798
    Paschale Solemnitatis notes the following:

    33. The passion narrative occupies a special place. It should be sung or read in the traditional way, that is, by three persons who take the part of Christ, the narrator, and the people. The passion is proclaimed by deacons or priests, or by lay readers. In the latter case, the part of the Christ should be reserved to the priest.


    I suspect that you might have been looking at one of those red Passion proclamation books printed by LTP. These, I believe, are ilicit in that they are broken into chunks. If two lay people and a priest were reading them, at any given moment, the part of Christ would be read by a lay person. This violates No. 33 in PS. I would use the missalettes.
  • Steve CollinsSteve Collins
    Posts: 1,021
    The green Lectionary published by Liturgical Press back in the 1970s has all 4 Passions divided for multiple speakers, including the congregation. This is the old RSV translation. I further divided the individual speaking parts for 4 men and 1 woman. I think I have the MSWord files somewhere in my computer. You might also look at the Liber Usualis for a more traditional approach.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,160
    The 1923 Pustet book has a St Matthew Passion with parts prescribed, starting at p. 48 of the PDF (p. 42 of the book), with "C" for the narrator, "+" for Christ, and "S" for other speakers.
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,500
    I don't have the LTP resources. I'm thinking of the way the reading is divided among four speaking parts in missalettes, including Jesus as a single (clerical, obviously) speaker. I don't have missalettes and was wondering if there is an online source.

    I guess common sense will work, but if there's something more official, I'd prefer to use that.
  • Charles in CenCA
    Posts: 2,416
    I am not capable nor inclined to cite rubric evidence, but I believe (and have repeatedly seen it evidenced at televised Papal GF liturgies) that what is called for actually is: 1. Christus; 2. Narrator; 3. Vocem (which also covers the turbae.) The congregation is not rubrically compelled to participate as the turbae.
    Of course, if you do the Victoria, all that's taken care of quite handily.
    I can't count the number of years when we weren't asked to use the Victoria that I sit during the mumbling (like Mr. Droopy) of "kwoosihfy him, kwoosihfy him" while thinking "Oh, Lord, how long....?"
  • amanda.palisteramanda.palister
    Posts: 82
    Magnificat lays it out nicely for Palm Sunday Mass in the Holy Week 2011 Vol. 13 No. 1 for $2 at your local Catholic bookstore. Hope this helps.
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,500
    Amanda,

    That's actually the solution I'd hit upon--thank you!
Add a Comment