Luther Reed’s The Lutheran Liturgy shows the difference in pericopes for this day. The Tridentine Roman Missal has the Matthew Passion for the Holy Gospel. The 1928 Book of Common Prayer redacts the Matthew Passion to the first 54 verses of chapter 27. The 1979 BCP 3-year lectionary has the Passions of  Matthew, Mark and […]

Pius Parsch, “The Church’s Year of Grace” If Pre-Lent was only an introduction and the past four weeks a time of conversion and spiritual renewal, Passiontide in a special way commemorates Christ’s suffering. Christ is surrounded by hostile Jews; already they are lifting stones to kill Him. His death was decided upon, the act has […]

Two introits are given in the texts of the common service for the Annunciation. The first corresponds to non-martyr virgins in the Roman liber usualis. The second is the introit for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Rorate coeli with a different verse. It is this second introit that is attested to in early Lutheran chant sources […]

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit Three weeks ago, we heard Jesus tell Satan man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. The sign of feeding five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes […]

Dom Prosper Gueranger, “The Liturgical Year” This Sunday, called, from the first word of the Introit, Laetare Sunday, is one of the most solemn of the year. The Church interrupts her lenten mournfulness; the chants of the mass speak of nothing but joy and consolation; the organ, which has been silent during the preceding three […]