Chair of the Octave of Christian Unity

The Chair of Unity Octave Prayer

Ant. That they all may be one, as Thou, Father, in me and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that Thou has sent me.

℣. I say to thee, that thou art Peter,
℟. And upon this rock I will build my Church.

Let us pray
Lord Jesus Christ, Who didst say to Thine Apostles: peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, look not upon my sins, but upon the faith of Thy Church; and vouchsafe unto Her that peace and unity which is agreeable to Thy will: Who livest and reignest God forever and ever. Amen.

Intentions of the Octave:

• 18 January, The Feast of Saint Peter's Chair at Rome: The union of all Christians in the one true faith and in the Church
• 19 January: The return of separated Eastern Christians to communion with the Holy See
• 20 January: The reconciliation of Anglicans with the Holy See
• 21 January: The reconciliation of European Protestants with the Holy See
• 22 January: That American Christians become one in union with the Chair of Peter
• 23 January: The restoration of lapsed Catholics to the sacramental life of the Church
• 24 January: That the Jewish people come into their inheritance in Jesus Christ
• 25 January, The Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul: The missionary extension of Christ's kingdom throughout the world

Prayers For Each Day of the Octave:

• Prayer for Pagans
• Prayer for Jews
• Prayer for Muslims
• Prayer for Schismatic Orthodox Christians
• Prayer for Protestant Sects
• Prayer for Freemasons
• Prayer for Lapsed Catholics
• Prayer for the True Faith

A plenary indulgence on the usual conditions at the end of the octave of prayers for the unity of the Church from the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter in Rome (Jan. 18) to the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul (Jan. 25). (Apostolic Brief, Feb. 25, 1916; S. P. Ap., Nov. 15, 1927 and Dec. 10, 1946).

Read more >>

Octave Day of the Holy Innocents

Simple (1954 Calendar): January 4th

In an effort to make available the traditional Catholic pre-1955 spirituality, I will be posting the Traditional Mass Propers for the Octave Day of the Holy Innocents, which was traditionally celebrated today. 

This Octave is a Simple Octave, meaning with the reforms of 1911, that only the Feastday and the Octave Day itself was kept. The intra Octave days are not commemorated in the Mass or in the Breviary, which is a departure from the pre-1911 practice where they would have been commemorated in the intervening days.  Those interested in the Breviary for the Octave Day of Holy Innocents as in place before the should click here. 

Dom Gueranger writes in his seminal work on the Liturgical Year for this Octave Day:

"We finish to-day the Octave consecrated to the memory of the Holy Innocents of Bethlehem. Thanks be to God, who has given them to us to be our intercessors and our models! Their name will not reappear on the Church’s Calendar until the return of the Christmas Solemnity; let us therefore devoutly approach these sweet Infant Saints—venerate them, love them, and address to them our farewell prayers.

"The Holy Church, which on the Feast vested in the colour of mourning, and this out of condolence with Rachel’s grief, now on the Octave Day clothes herself in the red of her Martyrs, in order to honour these Babes who shed their Blood for Jesus. Notwithstanding, she is full of tender compassion for those poor Mothers, who suffered such agonies of grief at the sight of the murder of their little ones; she continually alludes to them in to-day’s Liturgy, and reads in the Office of Matins a passage from an ancient Sermon which vividly describes their feelings...

"Among these Children thus cruelly massacred, from the age of two years and under, there were some belonging to those Shepherds of Bethlehem who had been called on the Night of our Saviour's Birth to go and adore him in his Crib. These, after Mary and Joseph the first worshippers of the Incarnate Word, thus offered to the God who had called them the most precious treasure they possessed. They knew to what Child their children were sacrificed, and a holy pride filled their souls as they thought of this new proof of God's singular mercy to them in preference to so many others of their fellowcreatures.

"As to Herod, he was foiled in his schemes, as must ever be the case with those who wage war against Christ and his Church. His edict for the murder of every male child that was two years old or younger, included Bethlehem and its entire neighbourhood; but the Child he alone cared for, and wished to destroy, escaped the sword and fled into Egypt. It was another proof of the world's folly in opposing the designs of God; and, in this instance, the very measure that was intended to effect evil produced good: the tyrant enriched the Church of heaven with Saints, and the Church militant with so many fresh patrons."

The American Ecclesiastical Review published in 1902, shared courtesy of Aleteia, explains a very interesting custom observed in a few places, sadly not even kept in the 1962 Missal, on the unique color vestments for both December 28th and January 3rd in honor of the Holy Innocents:

"On Holy Innocents [December 28] violet is ordinarily used at the Mass and Office. For the spirit of the feast indicates a twofold sentiment—that of sorrow with the weeping Hebrew mothers, and that of limbo where the little Innocents were necessarily to be detained until after the sealing of our Redemption in the Resurrection of our Lord. But when the feast of Holy Innocents happens on a Sunday, its spirit mingles with that of the joy peculiar to the octave of Christmas … Hence the Church does not permit violet, which is the color both of sorrow and of penance, on Sunday, indicating by the red color that on that day she forgets the sadness and regards the little victims of Bethlehem simply as martyrs of Christ.

 

"However, on the eighth day of Holy Innocents she uses rose color. Rose is red tempered by white. Red is the martyr’s sign; white the vane of peace and truth and innocence. Thus the Church indicates by the choice of this color on the eighth day, that at the termination of their course of martyrdom these little ones obtain the heavenly reward of innocence; they are virgins that have passed through the purifying process of a singular baptism by blood … white and red commingled mark the color of our little Innocents in fair, scarce-blushing rose."

Many other sources (e.g. Matters Liturgical, the Catholic Encyclopedia, the 8th Edition of the Baltimore Ceremonial, etc) just refer to the Octave Day of Holy Innocents as a day with red vestments, in contrast to the pre-1955 rubrics which prescribe violet for their December 28th feastday. 

Collect:

O God, whose praise the martyred Innocents on this day confessed, not by speaking, but by dying, destroy all the evils of sin in us, that our life also may proclaim in deeds, thy faith which our tongues profess. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Read more >>

Traditional Catholic Prayers for the Week (Octave) of Prayer for Christian Unity

PRAYERS FOR THE CHURCH UNITY OCTAVE

January 18 through 25 Official Octave Prayer (to be recited daily)

ANTIPHON: That they all may be one, as Thou, Father, in Me and I in Thee; that they also may
be one in Us; that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me. (John 17:21)

V. I say unto thee that thou art Peter,
R. And upon this Rock I will build My Church.

Let us pray: O Lord Jesus Christ, Who saidst unto Thine Apostles peace I leave with you, My
peace I give unto you, regard not our sins, but the faith of Thy Church, and vouchsafe to grant
unto Her that peace and unity which are agreeable to Thy Will Who livest and reignest, God,
forever and ever Amen

First Day of the Octave (January 18th) The Feast of St. Peter's Chair at Rome.

Intention of the Day: the return of the "other sheep" to the One Fold of Christ.

Prayer for the Return of the Other Sheep

Priest: Let us pray: O God, in Thy mercy thou dost set aright those who have gone astray and
Thou dost save those whom Thou hast gathered together. We beseech Thee to pour down upon
all Christian people the grace of union with Thee, so that putting aside disunion and attaching
themselves to the true shepherd of Thy Church, they may be able to serve Thee humbly and
lovingly. Through Christ Our Lord. People: Amen.

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Priest and People: O Immaculate Virgin, who wast preserved by a singular privilege of grace
from original sin, look down with pity upon our separated brethren, who are still thy children,
and call them back to the Center of Unity. Many have, even from afar, preserved a most tender
devotion towards thee, O Mother; reward them for their devotion by obtaining for them the grace
of conversion. Victorious over the powers of hell from the very first moment of thine existence,
renew, now that the necessity is more urgent, thy triumphant progress, as in ages past. Glorify
thy Son, O Mother, by bringing back to the One Fold His straying sheep. And may it be thy
glory, O Virgin Mary, to banish error from the earth, to put an end to disunity and to restore
peace to the world. Amen.

Priest: Our Lady of the Atonement intercede for us.

People:That there may be fulfilled the prayer of thy Divine Son, "That all may be one."

Prayer to St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles

Priest: O glorious St. Peter, as a reward for thy lively and generous faith, thy profound and
sincere humility, and thy ardent love, thou wast singled out by Our Lord and endowed with most
special privileges. Thou wast also constituted Prince of the Apostles with primacy over the
whole Church, of which thou wert made the Rock and Foundation. Obtain for us, we pray, a
lively faith and an ardent zeal so that all of us will labor for the return of our separated brethren.
May the desire of Our Divine Redeemer, that there might be but "one Fold and one Shepherd,"
be for us, as it wast for thee, the inspiration to work and pray for the return of all those who are
still outside the Fold. Strengthened by Divine Grace, may they be led back speedily to the bosom
of our common Mother, the Catholic Church. People: Amen.

Second Day of the Octave (January 19th)

Intention of the day: The return of Oriental Separatists to Communion with the Apostolic See

Prayer for the Reunion of the East and West

Priest: Let us Pray. O Lord, Who hast united all nations in the confession of Thy name, we pray
Thee for the Christian peoples of the East. Mindful of the eminent place they have held in Thy
Church, we beg of Thee to inspire them to occupy it again, so as to form with us one single fold.
Grant that they, together with ourselves, may be penetrated with the teaching of those holy
doctors of theirs, who are also our Fathers in the Faith. Grant us that the spirit of peace and
charity, which is the mark of Thy presence among the faithful, may hasten the day in which their
prayers may be united with ours, so that every people and every tongue may acknowledge and
glorify Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son. People: Amen.

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Priest and People: O Immaculate Virgin Mary, we thy servants and children, full of confidence in
thy powerful protection, humbly beseech thee to implore of the Holy Ghost the abundance of His
gifts for our brethren, the separated Christians of the East. Enlightened by His vivifying grace,
may they return to the bosom of the Catholic Church. We pray also that our Oriental brethren,
once more united to us by the indissoluble bonds of the same faith and the same charity, may,
with us, glorify by the practice of good works the most august Trinity, and at the same time pay
homage to thee, O Virgin Mother of God, full of grace, now and forever. Amen.
Priest: Our Lady of the Atonement intercede for us.

People:That there may be fulfilled the prayer of thy Divine Son, "That all may be one."

Prayer to the Fathers of the Eastern Church

Priest: O glorious martyrs, Saint Ignatius of Antioch and Saint Polycarp of Smyrna, and thou,
illustrious Doctors of the Church, Saint Athanasius, Saint John Chrysostom and Saint Basil, who
worked and suffered so much for the purity of faith and the salvation of the souls entrusted to thy
paternal care, look down from heaven upon thy beloved Eastern countries, which, forgetful of
thy teaching and example, live now separated from the body of the true Church. By thy powerful
intercession, O holy Eastern Fathers, obtain for all separated Oriental Christians the grace to
return to the Center of Unity, and to form with us one and the same family, in Christ Jesus, Our
Lord. People: Amen.

Third Day of the Octave (January 20th)

Intention of the day: The conversion of the Anglicans.

Prayer for the Conversion of England

Priest: Let us pray. O Jesus, Good Shepherd, look down benignly upon the great and noble
English nation. Converted to Thee through the labors of St. Augustine and his companions, it
was for many centuries rich in fruits of faith and sanctity. So devoted was this nation to Thy holy
and Immaculate Mother that it was known throughout Christendom as the "Dowry of Mary."
When it was separated from Thee in cruel fashion, many hundreds of its people willingly shed
their blood in testimony of their loyalty to Thee and Thy Church. O Loving Shepherd of souls,
recall this great nation once more to the unity of Thy Church, and grant peace of soul to all those
now separated from Thy flock. People: Amen.

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Priest and People: O Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and our own most gentle Queen and
Mother, look down in mercy upon England, thy Dowry, and upon us all who greatly hope and
trust in thee. Through thee it was that Jesus our Savior and our Hope was given unto the world;
and He has given thee to us that we might hope still more. Plead for us thy children, whom thou
didst receive and accept at the foot of the Cross, O sorrowful Mother. Intercede for our separated
English brethren, that they may be united with us in the One True Fold. Pray for us all, dear
Mother, that by faith fruitful in good works we may all deserve to see and praise God together
with Thee in our heavenly home. Amen.

Priest: Our Lady of the Atonement intercede for us.

People:That there may be fulfilled the prayer of thy Divine Son, "That all may be one."

Prayer to the English Martyrs

Priest: O Glorious Martyrs of England, Saint Thomas More, Saint John Fisher and thy
companions, who, to sustain the voice of the Supreme Head of the True Church against the
decrees of your rulers, didst willingly and courageously suffer death, pray now that the great
nation to which thou didst belong may once more return to the bosom of the Church from which
it was so cruelly wrested. People: Amen.

Fourth Day of the Octave (January 21st)

Intention of the day: That the Lutherans and other Protestants of continental Europe may find their way back to Holy Church.

Prayer for the Conversion of Protestants

Priest: Let us pray. O most beloved Lord Jesus Christ, Who hast redeemed the world at the price
of Thy Most Precious Blood, look down in Thy mercy upon the Christian peoples of Europe,
who are still outside Thy Fold, and let the full blaze of the light of Thy truth shine upon them.
Multiply, O God, the true messengers of Thy Gospel, inspire them with fervor, make them
fruitful in good works, and bless with Thy grace their zeal and their labors, so that the separated
Christians of Europe may be fully converted to Thee, their Creator and Redeemer. Recall the
stray sheep to Thy Fold, and the wanderers to the bosom of Thy one true Church. Hasten, O
dearest Savior, the happy advent of Thy Kingdom on earth, draw all men to the treasures of Thy
Sacred Heart, so that all may share in the priceless benefits of Thy Redemption in the eternal
happiness of Heaven. People: Amen.

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Priest and People: O Mary, Mother of Mercy and Refuge of Sinners, we beseech thee to look
with pitying eyes upon the Protestant peoples of Europe. O Seat of Wisdom, enlighten their
minds, so that they may come to know that the Catholic Church is the one, True Church of
Christ. Complete their conversion by obtaining for them the grace to believe every truth of our
Holy Faith. Once more united to us by the bonds of divine charity, they will sing with us forever
thy glorious praises. "Rejoice, O Virgin Mary, thou alone hast destroyed all error in the whole
world." Amen.

Priest: Our Lady of the Atonement intercede for us.

People:That there may be fulfilled the prayer of thy Divine Son, "That all may be one."

Prayer to St. Agnes on her feast

Priest: O singular example of virtue, glorious Saint Agnes, the lively faith that animated thee
from thy childhood rendered thee so acceptable to God that thou didst merit the crown of
martyrdom. Obtain for us, we pray, the grace to preserve entire in our hearts the Catholic Faith,
and to seek the conversion to the faith of our Christian brethren now separated from us, so that
all may become Christians not only in word but also in deed. Pray for us today that, as we
confess Jesus openly in the face of men, Jesus may give favorable testimony of us before His
Father in heaven. People: Amen.

Fifth Day of the Octave (January 22nd)

Intention of the Day: That Protestants in America may become one in union with the Chair of Saint Peter.

Prayer for the Conversion of America

Priest: Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, grant unto all Thy servants, but especially to the people
of our own nation, the grace of being fully united to Thee in Thy Church. O Divine Redeemer, of
Whom the prophet sang "all the kings of the earth shall adore Him and all the nations shall serve
Him," extend Thy Kingdom over the entire human race, but especially over our own beloved
country. Grant in Thy mercy that the people of our land may be converted to Thee, and humbly
and lovingly serve Thee. This we ask, O Savior, through the intercession of Thy Immaculate
Mother, the benevolent patroness and protectress of our country. People: Amen.

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Priest and People: Most Holy Virgin, who wast pleasing to the Lord and became His Mother,
Immaculate in body and spirit, in faith and in love, look down kindly upon us poor sinners. We
now implore thy powerful patronage for all the people of our beloved land. The wicked serpent,
against whom the first curse was hurled, continues fiercely to attack and ensnare the unhappy
children of Eve. O Blessed Mother, our Queen and our advocate, who crushed the head of the
enemy from the very first moment of thine existence, receive from us the prayers which we
implore thee to present at the throne of God. Pray that we may never fall into the snares laid out
for us, and that we may all arrive at the port of salvation. May the Church and Christian society,
now in so many dangers, sing once again the hymn of deliverance, of victory, and of peace.
Amen.

Priest: Our Lady of the Atonement intercede for us.

People:That there may be fulfilled the prayer of thy Divine Son, "That all may be one."

Prayer to Saint John the Baptist

Priest: O most zealous messenger of God, Saint John the Baptist, while thou didst work no
miracles on others, thou didst draw after thee crowds, to prepare them to receive Our Savior
worthily and to listen to His heavenly teaching. This thou didst do sole!y by the example of thy
holy life and the practice of every good work. Pray that we also may receive the grace to lead
many souls to God, but, above all, the souls of those who are still outside the One Fold in our
own beloved country. People: Amen.

Sixth Day of the Octave (January 23rd)

Intention of the Day: The return to the Sacraments of lapsed Catholics.

Prayer for Lapsed Catholics:

Priest: Let us pray. O Almighty Father, Who desirest not the death of the sinner,but rather that he
be converted and live pour out upon us thy mercy and listen to the prayers of Thy servants.
Soften the hearts of those children of Thine who have strayed from the true paths, which Thou
didst establish for their salvation. They are now forgetful of their duties as Catholics and pursue
only the transitory pleasures of the world. Grant that they may speedily return to the practice of
every Christian virtue, so that their fives may shine with the integrity of faith, the fervor of piety,
and the ardor of charity. Restore all of them to Thy Sacraments and to the life of Thy grace,
through the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Thy Son, Our Savior Jesus Christ. People:
Amen

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Priest and People: O Mother of Jesus Christ and our Mother, we pray thee to obtain for us the
grace of serving God faithfully in this world that we may have the happiness of loving Him
eternally in heaven. Hear the prayers that we address to thee, O Mother; defend us against the
enemies of our salvation, and against our own infirmities. Obtain for us pardon for our sins and
perseverance in the determination never to fall away again. We implore thee to take under thy
protection those who have abandoned the practice of their Catholic duties. May they be
converted again and become faithful servants of thy Son. O Mother of Mercy, be for us all "the
cause of our joy" and show unto us Jesus Christ, thy Son, as thy gift to us both for time and for
eternity. Amen.

Priest: Our Lady of the Atonement intercede for us.

People:That there may be fulfilled the prayer of thy Divine Son, "That all may be one."

Prayer to Saint Peter

Priest: O glorious Saint Peter, Prince of the Apostles and firm foundation of the Church, obtain
for us a lively faith, which we may openly and fearlessly profess in its integrity and purity, even,
if need be, to the shedding of our blood. Obtain for us also a true love of our Holy Mother the
Church, and make us zealous in the fulfillment of our religious duties. We pray to you today to
intercede for those who have wandered from the Church which Christ established for their
salvation. May they receive from Almighty God, through your intercession, the grace to return
speedily to their Father's love, so that they may enjoy here on earth peace and tranquillity, and
one day attain everlasting happiness in heaven. People: Amen.

Seventh Day of the Octave (January 24th)

Intention of the day: Conversion of the Jews.

Prayer for the Conversion of the Jews:

Priest: Let us pray. O God, Who dost manifest Thy mercy and compassion towards all peoples,
have mercy upon the Jewish race, once Thy Chosen People. Thou didst select them alone out of
all the nations of the world to be the custodians of Thy sacred teachings. From them Thou didst
raise up Prophets and Patriarchs to announce the coming of the Redeemer. Thou didst will that
Thine only Son, Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior, should be a Jew according to the flesh, born
of a Jewish maiden in the Land of Promise. Listen to the prayers we offer Thee today for the
conversion of the Jewish people. Grant that they may come safely to a knowledge and love of
Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah foretold by their Prophets, and that they may walk with us in
the way of salvation. People: Amen.

Prayer of the Congregation of Our Lady of Sion

Priest and People: God of all goodness and Father of mercies, we beseech Thee, through the
Immaculate Heart of Mary, and by the intercession of the Patriarchs and holy Apostles, to cast a
look of compassion upon the children of Israel, that they may be brought to the knowledge of our
only Savior, Jesus Christ, and may partake of the precious fruits of the Redemption. "Father,
forgive them, for they know not what they do." Amen.

Priest: Our Lady of the Atonement intercede for us.

People:That there may be fulfilled the prayer of thy Divine Son, "That all may be one."
Prayer to Saint Paul

Priest: O holy Apostle Paul of Tarsus, from thy glorious place in heaven, look down upon the
race thou didst love so well. True it is that many of them remained deaf to thy ringing words of
truth, and that some of them even stirred up persecution against thee and thy fellow believers, but
thou wert so devoted to thy people that thou didst will to become a castaway for the sake of their
conversion. Now that thou art glorious in heaven, obtain for thy brethren the grace of repentance
and conversion, so that they may finally take their rightful place in the great family of the
Catholic Church. People: Amen. Eighth Day of the Octave (January 25th)

Eighth Day of the Octave (January 25th) Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul

Intention of the day: The Missionary Conquest of the World for Christ.

Prayer for the Conversion of Our Brethren

Priest: Let us pray. Eternal God, Creator of all things, remember that the souls of unbelievers
have been created by Thee, and formed to Thine own image and likeness. Behold, O Lord, how
to Thy dishonor hell is being filled with these same souls. Remember, O God, that for their
salvation Thy Son Jesus Christ underwent a most cruel death. Do not permit, O Lord, that Thy
Divine Son be any longer despised by unbelievers; but be appeased by the prayers of the Saints
and of the Church, the Spouse of Thy most holy Son, and forgetting their idolatry and unbelief,
grant that they may at last come to acknowledge Thy Son Jesus Christ, Who is our Salvation,
Life and Resurrection, through Whom we have been saved and redeemed; to Whom be glory
forever and ever. People: Amen.

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Priest and People: O Blessed Mother of God, whose stainless heart is full of mercy and
compassion, look down in pity upon those who have not yet heard the tidings of the Gospel.
Remember that they are the work of the hands of thy Son that they have been created in His
image and redeemed by His Most Precious Blood. Obtain for these poor brethren of ours the
knowledge of our Holy Faith, and the grace to love, embrace, and to practice it faithfully.
Intercede at the throne of the Most High, O Mother, that many more missionaries may be sent to
pagan lands, there to win souls for thy Divine Son. O Virgin Mother of God, pray that all of us
may soon be united in one and the same hope, and in one and the same love. Attentive to the
words of thy Divine Son, may we dwell in peace and happiness in the Church He instituted for
our salvation. Amen.

Priest: Our Lady of the Atonement intercede for us.

People:That there may be fulfilled the prayer of thy Divine Son, "That all may be one."
Prayer to Saint Paul

Priest: O glorious Saint Paul, from a persecutor of the Christian name thou didst become an
Apostle of burning zeal, and in order that Jesus Christ might become known to the furthermost
bounds of the earth, thou didst joyfully suffer imprisonment, scourging, stoning, shipwreck, and
every kind of persecution. Obtain for us now the grace to pray at all times for those who have not
as yet been blessed with the gift of faith. Help us to use all our strength for the conversion of
those who have not as yet heard the Name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. People: Amen.

Read more >>

Octave Day of St. John the Evangelist

 

Coronation of the Virgin with St. Catherine of Alexandria, St. John the Evangelist, St. John the Baptist

Simple (1954 Calendar): January 3rd

Just as I mentioned yesterday on the Octave Day of St. Stephen, very little information is readily available on the Internet for the celebrations that were part of the Catholic Calendar before the 1950s, when changes to the Missal became more profound. 

This Octave is a Simple Octave, meaning with the reforms of 1911, that only the Feastday and the Octave Day itself was kept. The intra Octave days are not commemorated in the Mass or in the Breviary, which is a departure from the pre-1911 practice where they would have been commemorated in the intervening days. Those interested in the Breviary for the Octave Day of St. John as in place before the pre-1911 changes should click here.

Dom Gueranger writes in part concerning the Octave Day of St. John the Apostle:

"The Octave of the Beloved Disciple closes to-day: let us devoutly offer him our parting homage. We shall meet him again, during the year; for, on May 6, when the Resurrection of his Divine Master is gladdening the Church with the Easter joys, we shall have the Feast of our Apostle's Confession made before the Latin Gate: but his grand Feast ends to-day, and he has done too much on our behalf this Christmas for us to allow this Octave Day to pass without returning him our warmest thanks. Let us begin by exciting ourselves to a great reverence for our Saint; and to this end, let us continue the considerations we were making this day week on the favours conferred upon him by Jesus."

Collect:

Shine upon thy Church, O Lord, in thy goodness, that, enlightened by the teachings of Blessed John, thy Apostle and Evangelist, she may attain to everlasting gifts. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen

Read more >>

Octave Day of St. Stephen

Simple (1954 Calendar): January 2nd

Very little information is readily available on the Internet for the celebrations that were part of the Catholic Calendar before 1955 when changes to the Missal became more profound.  The 1962 Roman Catholic Missal does not include some of these older celebrations and is missing over a dozen octaves.

Like St. John the Evangelist and the Holy Innocents, the Octave of St. Stephen was a simple octave. The collect prayer for this Octave was as a result only said on the Octave Day and not on the intervening days within the Octave.  

When today is celebrated as the Holy Name of Jesus (on years when neither January 2nd, 3rd, 4th, nor 5th falls on a Sunday), the Mass is said for the Holy Name and not said for the Octave of St. Stephen. Rather, a second oration would be added for this Octave Day and a commemoration would be made during the praying of Lauds. Before the 1911 changes under Pope St. Pius X, the Holy Name of Jesus was always kept on the Second Sunday after Epiphany as one of the three Octave Days of the Comites, all previously ranked as Doubles, would have occupied this Sunday.

Those interested in the Breviary for the Octave Day of St. Stephen as in place before the 1911 changes should click here.

Taken from Dom Gueranger's Liturgical Year:

Yesterday we finished the Octave of the Birth of Jesus; to-day we shall finish the Octave of St Stephen; but this without losing sight one moment of the Divine Babe, whose Court is formed by Stephen, John the Beloved Disciple, the Holy Innocents, and St Thomas of Canterbury. In five days we shall see the Magi prostrate before the Crib of the new-born King; they are already on the way, and the Star is advancing towards Bethlehem. Let us spend the interval in reconsidering how great is the glory of our Emmanuel in his having lavished such extraordinary favours on these Saints whom he has chosen to be near him at his first coming into the world.

Let us begin with Stephen, for this is the last day of the Octave dedicated to him by the Church. We must take leave of him now till the month of August, when we shall again meet him on the Feast of the Finding of his Relics.

In a sermon which was for a long time thought to have been written by St Augustine, we find it mentioned that St Stephen was in the flower of his youth when he was called by the Apostles to receive the sacred character of deaconship. Six others were ordained deacons with him; and these seven, whose office was to minister at the Altar here below, represented the seven Angels, whom St John saw standing near the Altar in heaven. Stephen was appointed as the head of the Seven, and St Irenæus, who lived in the second century, calls him the Arch-Deacon.

The characteristic virtue of a Deacon is fidelity. Hence, he is intrusted with the care of the treasures of the Church, treasures which consist not merely in the alms destined for the poor, but in that which is the most precious thing in heaven and earth—the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, of which the Deacon is the minister, in virtue of his Order. For this reason, the Apostle St Paul, in his first Epistle to Timothy, bids the Deacons hold the Mystery of Faith in a pure conscience.[1]

It was, therefore, more than an appropriate coincidence, that the first of all the Martyrs was a Deacon, for Martyrdom is the great proof of fidelity, and fidelity is the official virtue of the Diaconate. This same truth is still more strongly impressed upon us by the fact that the three who stand pre-eminent amongst the Martyrs of Christ are vested in the holy Dalmatic—the three glorious Deacons: Stephen, the glory of Jerusalem; Laurence, the pride of Rome; and Vincent, of whom Spain so justly boasts. The present holy season gives us Stephen, who has been gladdening us with his festal presence ever since Christmas Day, and Vincent, whose feast falls on January 22. Laurence will come to us, with his rich waving Palm, in the sunny month of August; and Stephen, in the same month, will visit us, a second time, in the Feast of the Finding of his Relics.

With the intention of paying respect to the Holy Order of Deaconship in the person of its first representative, it is a custom in a great many Churches, on the Feast of St Stephen, that Deacons should fulfil every office which is not beyond their Order. For example, the Chanter yields his staff of office to a Deacon; the Choristers, who assist the Chanter, are also Deacons, vested in Dalmatics; and the Epistle of the Mass is sung by a Deacon, because it is the passage from the Acts of the Apostles which relates the history of the holy Martyr’s death.

The institution of St Stephen’s Feast, and its being fixed on the day immediately following that of our Lord’s Birth, are so ancient that it is impossible to assign their date. The Apostolic Constitutions, which were compiled at the latest towards the close of the third century, mention this Feast as already established, and that, too, on the morrow of Christmas Day. St Gregory of Nyssa and St Asterius of Amasea, both of them earlier than the miraculous discovery of the Holy Deacon’s Relics, have left us Homilies for the Feast of St Stephen, in which they lay stress on the circumstance of its having the honour to be kept the very day after the solemnity of Christmas. With regard to its Octave, the institution is less ancient, though the date cannot be defined. Amalarius, who wrote in the ninth century, speaks of this Octave as already established; and Notker's Martyrology, compiled in the tenth century, makes express mention of it.

But how comes it that the Feast of a mere Deacon has been thus honoured, whilst almost all those of the Apostles have no Octave? The rule followed by the Church in her Liturgy is to give more or less solemnity to the Feasts of the Saints, according to the importance of the services they rendered to mankind. Thus it is that the honour she pays to St Jerome, for example, who was only a Priest, is more marked than that she gives to a great number of holy Popes. It is her gratitude which guides her in assigning to the Saints their respective rank in her Calendar, and the devotion of the Faithful to the saintly benefactors whom she now venerates as members of the Church Triumphant is thus regulated by a safe standard. St Stephen led the way to Martyrdom; his example inaugurated that sublime witnessing by shedding one’s own blood, which is the very strength of the Church, ratifies the truths she teaches to the world, and confirms the hopes of eternal reward promised by those truths. Glory, then, and honour to the Prince of Martyrs! As long as time shall last, so long shall the Church on earth celebrate the name of Stephen, who was the first to shed his blood for the God who died on Calvary!

Collect:

O God, the teacher and ruler of them that are thy ministers, who didst adorn the early days of thy Church by the ministry and precious blood of blessed Stephen the Levite; grant, we beseech thee, that meeting with pardon at the hour of our death, we may deserve to follow his example, and be aided by his intercession. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Read more >>

Octave Day of the Immaculate Conception

Today up until 1955 was the Octave of the Immaculate Conception.  Originally referred to as the "Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary," December 8th became a Holy Day of Obligation in 1708 under Pope Clement XI, nearly 150 years before Pope Pius IX dogmatically and infallibly defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Earlier, in 1693, Pope Innocent XII raised the Immaculate Conception to the rank of “Double of the Second Class” with an octave for the Universal Church. Today is the culmination of that Octave.

Dom Guéranger writes of today:

This, the eighth day from that on which we kept the feast of the Immaculate Conception, is the octave properly so called; whereas the other days were simply called days within the octave. The custom of keeping up the principal feasts for a whole week is one of those which the Christian Church adopted from the Synagogue. God had thus spoken in the Book of Leviticus: 'The first day shall be called most solemn and most holy, you shall do no servile work therein. . . . The eighth day also shall be most solemn and most holy, and you shall offer holocausts to the Lord, for it is the day of assembly and congregation: you shall do no servile work therein.' We also read in the Book of Kings, that Solomon, having called all Israel to Jerusalem for the dedication of the temple, suffered not the people to return home until the eighth day.

We learn from the Books of the new Testament that this custom was observed in our Saviour’s time, and we find Him authorizing, by His own example, this solemnity of the octave. Thus, we read in Saint John, that Jesus once took part in one of the Jewish festivals, about the midst of the feast; and the same Evangelist relating how our Lord cried out to the people: 'If any man thirst, let him come to Me, and drink’: observes, that it was on the last and great day of the festivity.

In the Christian Church there are three kinds of octaves. Some feasts are celebrated with a privileged octave—that is, one of which the Office is said daily, or at least a commemoration is always made. Other feasts have a common octave, or one whose commemoration may, on greater feasts, be sometimes omitted. And, lastly, some have a simple octave, of which only the Octave Day itself is kept or commemorated. Privileged octaves, whose office is said or commemorated every day, are divided into three Orders. The octaves of the First Order are those of Easter and Pentecost. Those of the Second Order, of which days within the octave exclude all feasts except doubles of the First Class, are the octaves of the Epiphany and of Corpus Christi. The octaves of the Third Order, which must always be commemorated, although days within the octave exclude only the same feasts as do common octaves, are those of Christmas and of the Ascension of Our Lord. The octave of the Immaculate Conception, the first that occurs in the ecclesiastical year, is a common octave.

As this blog seeks to preserve our Catholic heritage, we will celebrate the Octave Day of the Immaculate Conception today by sharing the prayers of the Mass for this Octave Day:

INTROIT 

Isaias 61: 10
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, and my soul shall be joyful in my God: for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, and with the robe of justice He hath covered me, as a bride adorned with her jewels. (Ps. 29: 2) I will extol Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast upheld me: and hast not made my enemies to rejoice over me. v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

COLLECT - O God, who by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin didst prepare a worthy dwelling place for Thy Son: we beseech Thee, that as by the foreseen death of the same Thy Son, Thou didst preserve her from all stain, so Thou wouldst grant to us also, through her intercession, to come unto Thee with clean hearts. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who livest and reignest with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God Forever and ever. R. Amen

EPISTLE
Proverbs 8. 23-35
Lesson from the Book of Wisdom: Proverbs. The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His ways, before He made anything, from the beginning. I was set up from eternity, and of old, before the earth was made. The depths were not as yet, and I was already conceived neither had the fountains of waters as yet sprung out; the mountains with their huge bulk had not yet been established: before the hills I was brought forth He had not yet made the earth, nor the rivers, not the poles of the world. When He prepared the Heavens, I was there when with a certain law and compass He enclosed the depths; when He established the sky above, and poised the fountains of waters; when He compassed the sea with its bounds, and set a law to the waters that they should not pass their limits; when He balanced the foundations of the earth; I was with Him, forming all things, and was delighted every day, playing before Him at all times, playing in the world: and my delight is to be with the children of men. Now, therefore, ye children, hear me: blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, and that watcheth daily at my gates, and waiteth at the posts of my doors. He that shall find me, shall find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord. Thanks be to God.

GRADUAL
Blessed art thou, O Virgin Mary, by the Lord the most high God, above all women upon the earth. V. (Judith 15: 10) Thou art the glory of Jerusalem, thou art the joy of Israel thou art the honor of our people. Alleluia, alleluia. V. (Canticles 4: 7) Thou art all fair O Mary, and there is in thee no stain of original sin. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
Luke 1: 26-28
At that time, The Angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David: and the virgin's name was Mary. And the Angel being come in, said unto her: "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women."

OFFERTORY
Luke 1:28
Hail Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women. Alleluia.

SECRET  Receive the saving Victim we offer to Thee, O Lord, on the solemn feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary: and grant that, as we confess that by Thy preventing grace she was kept free from every stain of sin; so, by her intercession, we may be delivered from all our offenses. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God Forever and ever..

COMMUNION
Psalm 88: 36-38
Glorious things are told of thee, O Mary, for He who is mighty hath done great things unto thee.

POST COMMUNION -  May the Sacraments which we have received, O Lord, our God, heal in us the wounds of that sin, from which Thou didst alone preserve the Immaculate Conception of Blessed Mary. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God Forever and ever.

Sources: Saint Andrew Daily Missal and the Marian Missal, 1945

Read more >>

Octave Day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Today according to the 1962 Calendar is the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  Below are the Mass Propers for this Feast along with commemorations of the Octave Day of the Assumption which was in place up until the 1955 Calendar of Saints. Today is also the Feast of the Immaculate Heart.

History of Octaves

While the Novus Ordo calendar unfortunately only has 2 octaves, traditional Catholics will be familiar with the idea of multiple overlaping Octaves.  The practice of celebrating an Octave, while not only traced to the time spent by the Apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary awaiting the Paraclete, also has its origins in the Old Testament eight-day celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:36) and the Dedication of the Temple (2 Chronicles 7:9). Very truly, Christ did not come to abolish the Old Law but to fulfill it.

By the 8th century, Rome had developed liturgical octaves not only for Easter, Pentecost, and Christmas, but also for the Epiphany and the feast of the dedication of a church.

After 1568, when Pope Pius V reduced the number of octaves (since by then they had grown considerably), the number of Octaves was still plentiful.  Octaves were classified into several types. Easter and Pentecost had "specially privileged" octaves, during which no other feast whatsoever could be celebrated. Christmas, Epiphany, and Corpus Christi had "privileged" octaves, during which certain highly ranked feasts might be celebrated. The octaves of other feasts allowed even more feasts to be celebrated.

To reduce the repetition of the same liturgy for several days, Pope Leo XIII and Pope St. Pius X made further distinctions, classifying octaves into three primary types: privileged octaves, common octaves, and simple octaves. Privileged octaves were arranged in a hierarchy of first, second, and third orders. For the first half of the 20th century, octaves were ranked in the following manner, which affected holding other celebrations within their timeframes:

• Privileged Octaves
  
  • Privileged Octaves of the First Order
    
    • Octave of Easter
    • Octave of Pentecost
  • Privileged Octaves of the Second Order
    
    • Octave of Epiphany
    • Octave of Corpus Christi
  • Privileged Octaves of the Third Order
    
    • Octave of Christmas
    • Octave of the Ascension
    • Octave of the Sacred Heart

• Common Octaves
  
  • Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the BVM
  • Octave of the Solemnity of St. Joseph
  • Octave of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist
  • Octave of Saints Peter and Paul
  • Octave of All Saints
  • Octave of the Assumption of the BVM

• Simple Octaves
  
  • Octave of St. Stephen
  • Octave of St. John the Apostle
  • Octave of the Holy Innocents 

Octave of the Assumption Propers

INTROIT
Hebrews 4: 16
Let us go with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace in seasonable aid. (Ps. 44: 2) My heart hath uttered a good word: I speak my works to the King. v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

COLLECT - Let us pray. Almighty, everlasting God, who didst prepare in the Heart of the Virgin Mary a worthy dwelling-place for the Holy Ghost; mercifully grant that we, devoutly contemplating the festivity of the same Immaculate Heart, may be enabled to live according to Thy heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, Forever and ever. R.Amen.

COMMEMORATION OF THE OCTAVE DAY OF THE ASSUMPTION - Let us pray. Forgive, we beseech Thhe, O Lord, the sins of Thy servants, that we, who by our own deeds are unable to please Thee, may be saved by the intercession of the Mother of Thy Son, our Lord, Who with Thee liveth and reigneth in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, one God Forever and ever. R.Amen.

EPISTLE
Eccles. 24: 23-31
As the vine I have brought forth a pleasant odor, and my flowers are the fruit of honor and riches. I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope. In me is all grace of the way and of the truth in me is all hope of life and of virtue. Come over to me, all ye that desire me, and be filled with my fruits; for my spirit is sweet above honey, and my inheritance above honey and the honey-comb. My memory is unto everlasting generations. They that eat me, shall yet hunger; and they that drink me, shall yet thirst. He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded, and they that work by me, shall not sin. They that explain me shall have life everlasting. Thanks be to God.

GRADUAL
My heart shall rejoice in thy salvation: I will sing to the Lord, who giveth me good things: yea I will sing to the name of the Lord the most high. V. (Ps. 44: 18) They shall remember thy name throughout all generations. Therefore shall people praise thee for ever: yea, for ever and ever.

Alleluia, alleluia. V. (Luke 1: 46, 47) My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
John 19: 26-27
At that time, there stood by the cross of Jesus, His mother, and His mother's sister Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen. When Jesus therefore had seen His mother and the disciple standing, whom He loved, He saith to His mother,"Woman, behold thy son." After that He saith to the disciple, "Behold, thy mother." And from that hour the disciple took her to his own.

OFFERTORY
Luke 1: 46
Let us pray. My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior; because He that is mighty hath done great things to me: and holy is His name.

SECRET Offering the Immaculate Lamb to Thy Majesty, O Lord, we beg that the divine fire which ineffably inflamed the Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary may be lighted in our hearts. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God Forever and ever. R.Amen.

SECRET FOR THE OCTAVE DAY May the prayer of the Mother of God aid Thy people, O Lord: and although we know her to have passed out of this life, fulfilling the lot of the flesh, may we experience her intercession for us with Thee in Heavenly glory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God Forever and ever. R.Amen. 

COMMUNION
John 19: 27
Jesus said to His mother: Woman, behold thy son: Then He said to the disciple: Behold thy mother. And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own. 

POST COMMUNION - Let us pray. Refreshed by divine gifts, we humbly beseech Thee, O Lord, that, by the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the solemnity of whose Immaculate Heart we have just venerated, we may be freed from present dangers and may attain to the joys of eternal life Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God For ever and ever. R. Amen. .

POST COMMUNION FOR THE OCTAVE DAY - Let us pray. Now that we have received, O Lord, the Sacrament of salvation, grant, we beseech Thee, that through the merits and the intercession of the blessed Virgin Mary, who was taken up into heaven, we may be brought to the glory of the resurrection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God Forever and ever. R.Amen.

Sources: Saint Andrew Daily Missal and the Marian Missal , 1945

Read more >>

Octave Day of Ss Peter and Paul

Today is the traditional Octave Day of Ss Peter and Paul according to the pre-1955 Roman Catholic Liturgical Calendar. This Octave was eliminated in the 1955 reforms; however, those attached to the traditions of the Church still call to mind the spiritually appropriate for this Octave Day.

Sadly, the loss of the Apostles Fast, the Vigil of Ss. Peter and Paul as a day of fasting, and the loss of the Octave, in addition to losing June 29th as a Holy Day of Obligation, has eroded devotion to these princes of the Apostles. A return to Tradition must entail rediscovering these elements.

INTROIT Acts 12:11.

Now I know in very deed, that the Lord hath sent His angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. (Ps. 138: 1, 2) Lord, Thou hast proved me, and known me: Thou hast known my sitting down, and my rising up. v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

COLLECT

O God, Who hast consecrated this day to the martyrdom of Thine apostles Peter and Paul, grant to Thy Church in all things to follow their teaching from whom it received the right ordering of religion in the beginning. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, Forever and ever.

EPISTLE Acts 12:1-11

In those days, Herod the king stretched forth his hands to afflict some of the Church: and he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword; and seeing that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to take up Peter also. Now it was in the days of the Azymes: and when he had apprehended him, he cast him into prison, delivering him to four files of soldiers to be kept, intending after the pasch to bring him forth to the people. Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing by the Church unto God for him. And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains; and the keepers before the door kept the prison: and behold an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shined in the room and he striking Peter on the side, raised him up, saying, Arise quickly; and the chains fell off from his hands: and the angel said to him, Gird, thyself and put on thy sandals; and he did so: and he said to him, Cast thy garment about thee and follow me: and going out he followed him: and he knew not that it was true which was done by the angel; but he thought he saw a vision. And passing through the first and the second ward, they came to the iron gate that leadeth to the city, which of itself opened to them; and going out, they passed on through one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. And Peter coming to himself, said, Now I know in very deed that the Lord hath sent His angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. S. Thanks be to God.

GRADUAL/ALLELUIA Ps 44:17-18

Thou shalt make them princes over all the earth: they shall remember Thy name, O Lord. V. Instead of Thy fathers, sons are born to Thee; therefore shall people praise Thee. Alleluia, alleluia. V. (Matt 16: 18.) Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church. Alleluia.

GOSPEL Matthew 16:13-19

At that time, Jesus came into the quarters of Cæsarea Philippi, and He asked His disciples, saying, " "Whom do men say that the Son of man is?" But they said, Some, John the Baptist, and other some, Elias, and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. Jesus saith to them, "But whom do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered, Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answering, said to him, "Blessed art thou, Simon BarJona, because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but My Father Who is in Heaven: and I say to thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it; and to thee I will give the keys of the kingdom of Heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in Heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in Heaven."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Psalm 44:17-18

Thou shalt make them princes over all the earth: they shall remember Thy name, O Lord, throughout all generations.

SECRET

May the prayer of Thine apostles, O Lord, accompany the sacrifices which we offer to be consecrated to Thy name, and through it do Thou grant us to be pardoned and defended. Through our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God Forever and ever.

COMMUNION ANTIPHON  Matthew: 16-18

Thou art Peter: and upon this rock I will build My Church.

POSTCOMMUNION

Preserve, O Lord from all dangers, by the intercession of Thine apostles, those whom Thou hast filled with Heavenly nourishment. Through the Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God For ever and ever.

Read more >>

Video: Mass within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception

A low Traditional Latin Mass, celebrated according to the St. Pius X rubrics (pre 1955 changes) by Fr. Julian Larrabee at St. Gertrude the Great Catholic Church, West Chester, Ohio. The school choir sings all the unchanging parts of the Mass. The Mass was celebrated within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception.

Read more >>

Octave Day of All Saints

The Glory of All the Saints, by the Tuscan painter Giovanni da San Giovanni, 1630; fresco in the apse of the church of the Four Crowned Martyrs, Rome.

Today is the traditional Octave Day of All Saints according to the pre-1955 Roman Catholic Liturgical Calendar. This Octave was eliminated in the 1955 reforms; however, those attached to the traditions of the Church still call to mind the spirituality appropriate for this Octave Day.

History of Octaves

While the Novus Ordo calendar unfortunately only has 2 octaves, traditional Catholics will be familiar with the idea of multiple overlaping Octaves.  The practice of celebrating an Octave, while not only traced to the time spent by the Apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary awaiting the Paraclete, also has its origins in the Old Testament eight-day celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:36) and the Dedication of the Temple (2 Chronicles 7:9). Very truly, Christ did not come to abolish the Old Law but to fulfill it.

By the 8th century, Rome had developed liturgical octaves not only for Easter, Pentecost, and Christmas, but also for the Epiphany and the feast of the dedication of a church.

After 1568, when Pope Pius V reduced the number of octaves (since by then they had grown considerably), the number of Octaves was still plentiful.  Octaves were classified into several types. Easter and Pentecost had "specially privileged" octaves, during which no other feast whatsoever could be celebrated. Christmas, Epiphany, and Corpus Christi had "privileged" octaves, during which certain highly ranked feasts might be celebrated. The octaves of other feasts allowed even more feasts to be celebrated.

To reduce the repetition of the same liturgy for several days, Pope Leo XIII and Pope St. Pius X made further distinctions, classifying octaves into three primary types: privileged octaves, common octaves, and simple octaves. Privileged octaves were arranged in a hierarchy of first, second, and third orders. For the first half of the 20th century, octaves were ranked in the following manner, which affected holding other celebrations within their timeframes:

• Privileged Octaves
  
  • Privileged Octaves of the First Order
    
    • Octave of Easter
    • Octave of Pentecost
  • Privileged Octaves of the Second Order
    
    • Octave of Epiphany
    • Octave of Corpus Christi
  • Privileged Octaves of the Third Order
    
    • Octave of Christmas
    • Octave of the Ascension
    • Octave of the Sacred Heart

• Common Octaves
  
  • Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the BVM
  • Octave of the Solemnity of St. Joseph
  • Octave of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist
  • Octave of Saints Peter and Paul
  • Octave of All Saints
  • Octave of the Assumption of the BVM

• Simple Octaves
  
  • Octave of St. Stephen
  • Octave of St. John the Apostle
• Octave of the Holy Innocents 

Octave of All Saints Propers

INTROIT Ps. 78. 11, 12, 10.

Let the sighings of the prisoners come in before Thee, O Lord; render to our neighbors sevenfold in their bosom; revenge the blood of Thy Saints, which hath been shed. -- (Ps. 78. 1). O God, the heathens are come into Thine inheritance; they have defiled Thy holy temple: they have made Jerusalem as a place to keep fruit. V.: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Let the sighings of the prisoners come in before Thee, O Lord; render to our neighbors sevenfold in their bosom; revenge the blood of Thy Saints, which hath been shed.

COLLECT

O Almighty God, we pay honor to the bravery of Your glorious martyrs in bearing witness to You. Grant that we may feel the power of their intercession with You. Through Our Lord . . .

EPISTLE Heb. 11:33-39

Brethren: The saints by faith conquered kingdoms, wrought justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, recovered strength from weakness, became valiant in battle, put to flight the armies of foreigners. Women received their dead raised to life again. But others were racked, not accepting deliverance, that they might find a better resurrection. And others had trial of mockeries and stripes: moreover also of bands and prisons. They were stoned, they were cut asunder, they were tempted, they were put to death by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being in want, distressed, afflicted: Of whom the world was not worthy: wandering in deserts, in mountains and in dens and in caves of the earth. And all these, being approved by the testimony of faith, in Christ Jesus our Lord.

GRADUAL/ALLELUIA Exodus 15. 11, 6.

Glorious is God in His Saints, marvelous in majesty, doing wonders. V.: Thy right hand, O Lord, is magnified in strength: Thy right hand hath slain the enemy. Alleluia, alleluia. V.: (Eccli. 44. 14). The bodies of the Saints are buried in peace, and their name liveth unto generation and generation. Alleluia.

GOSPEL Matthew 5:1-12

At that time, Jesus, seeing the multitudes, went up into a mountain, and when he was set down, his disciples came unto him. And opening his mouth he taught them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land. "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill. "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. "Blessed are the clean of heart: they shall see God. "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. "Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for my sake: Be glad and rejoice for your reward is very great in heaven."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Psalm 67. 36

God is wonderful in His Saints: the God of Israel is He who will give power and strength to His people: blessed be God, alleluia.

SECRET

May the prayers of Your holy martyrs bring us Your bountiful blessings, O Lord, so that our gifts may be pleasing to you and be a means of grace for our redemption. Through Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON  Wisdom 3. 4-6.

And though in the sight of men they suffered torments, God hath tried them: as gold in the furnace He hath proved them, and as a victim of a holocaust He hath received them.

POSTCOMMUNION

You have comforted us by Your Sacraments, O Lord, and filled us with the joy of Heaven. May Your saints defend us, even as we glory in their own victory. Through Our Lord . . .

Octave of All Saints by Father Francis Xavier Weninger, 1876

The Catholic Church, which, every day in the year, places some Saints before our eyes to honor and imitate, represents them all to us today; hence today's festival is called: The Feast of All Saints. The origin of it was as follows : There was, at Rome, a magnificent temple, which had been built before Christ, by Marcus Agrippa, and was called the Pantheon or Temple of all the gods, because they were all worshipped therein. This idolatrous temple had not been torn down like many others, but Pope Boniface IV. consecrated it according to Catholic usage, to the Virgin Mother and all the Saints. To the greater edification of the people, he had many relics of holy Martyrs placed in it with due magnificence, whence this Church received the name of the Church of the holy Martyrs. In after years, it was ordered by Pope Gregory IV. that, not only the festival of the holy Martyrs, but also that of all other Saints, should be celebrated in the above mentioned Church and in all Christendom.

The reasons for instituting this festival were the following: First, it cannot be doubted that the number of Saints who reign with Christ in heaven is very large. "I saw so large a number," says St. John, " that nobody could count them." To speak only of those who became martyrs for Christ's sake, they, according to authentic historians, already in the first centuries of the Church, numbered 17 millions. Who can count the other Saints, as well of the Clergy as the laity, who served God faithfully and died in His grace? The number of the Saints is very great, but most of them are unknown to us. We know the names of the holy Apostles, of many apostolic men, many founders of religious orders, many popes, bishops, religious, hermits, virgins, widows, married people, nobles, princes, kings and emperors; but there is a number far exceeding these, whose very names are unknown to us. And as it is but just that we, who are yet in the Church Militant and are united by the bond of charity with the Saints, should honor them duly, as they are honored as true servants and friends by the Almighty Himself, the holy Church has appointed this day for honoring them all together, as it is not possible to consecrate a separate day to each of them.

The second reason is contained in the prayer which the Church on this day recites in Holy Mass: "That on account of the great number of our intercessors, God may bestow on us, more abundantly, the desired gifts of His liberality." No Catholic doubts that the Saints in heaven, because they enjoy the favor of the Almighty, can obtain for us by their intercession many graces, of which we are not worthy, on account of our sins. For, it is known that, while they were still living on earth, they not only averted much evil from mankind by their intercession, but also drew down many benefits upon them. That we may therefore obtain more surely all that we need or that is useful for our salvation, the holy Church has ordered that we shall today call upon all the Saints as our intercessors, trusting implicitly that the Most High will not disregard the entreaties of so many of His friends.

The third reason is as follows: The Church according to St. Bernard, represents to us so many Saints, in every station in life, to encourage us so that we may not only venerate them, but also imitate their virtues; and that as we call them blessed, so we too should strive after that salvation which they have already attained. Hence, also, the Gospel of the Eight Beatitudes is read today; as in it the road is pointed out and explained, by which the Saints have reached heaven; a road which we too must walk, if we wish to join them in heaven.

We will now explain, in few words, three other points, namely; what we ought especially to meditate upon, to learn and to do, on this day. In regard to the first of these points, we ought to meditate on the happiness of the Saints in heaven, and on the way they walked, or the means they employed to attain their blessedness. This blessedness, to say much in few words, is so great, that it can neither be described nor comprehended. "We can obtain it," says St. Augustine, "but cannot esteem it too highly.

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and it has not entered into the heart of man, what God has prepared for those that love Him," that is, for the Saints in heaven. The happiness of the least Saint in heaven is inexpressibly greater than the most perfect happiness on earth. We esteem those on earth happy, who are not persecuted, nor poor, nor sick, nor despised; but who are distinguished by their high rank, and are honored by all; who enjoy health, and possess a superfluity of riches and pleasures. And yet, how few ever attain such temporal happiness, and when they have attained it, how uncertain they are in its possession! But the happiness of the Saints is true, real happiness; for, nothing is wanted to make it most perfect. They are free from everything that could in the least sadden them; they possess all that can make them glad, all that they can desire, nay, much more than they can desire. They are surrounded by joys, they swim in happiness. Therefore it is written: " Enter into the joys of the Lord!" The happiness of the Saints is a secure happiness; for they have nothing to fear. No one can disturb their joy; no one can lessen it; no one can take it away from them. But what increases the bliss of the Saints most is the thought that it shall last eternally.

The Saints are in glory, and for evermore. They are filled with joys for evermore, for all eternity. They possess all honor and wealth, and all without end, without interruption. Oh! how great a bliss! But how have the Saints attained it? By the use of those means which God has left in His Church, by true faith; by holy baptism; by observing the Commandments, by avoiding sin, by practicing good works, by patience in crosses and sufferings. They walked in the path which Christ shows us in His holy Gospel, the path of innocence, or the path of penance. They served God faithfully and constantly while they were on earth; they earnestly worked for the salvation of their souls; they either committed no sin, or did true penance. When God sent them poverty, sickness, or other adversity, they bore it with Christian patience. In this manner, they attained to such great and eternal felicity. From all this you will doubtless be able to draw the lessons which today's festival offers. I will here give them to you in still shorter form.

Learn, firstly, how true to His promise God is and how richly He recompenses His servants. He leaves not the least good unrewarded, and the recompense He gives is great and eternal. For short labor and suffering, He gives great and everlasting joys. Who would not willingly serve so liberal a Master? Who would not gladly labor and suffer for Him? Who, that longs so ardently for the possession of mere temporal happiness, can hesitate to aim, with all the powers of his mind, at the eternal bliss prepared for the servants of the Most High? Should not every one be animated by the thought of eternal felicity, faithfully and zealously to serve the Lord?

Learn, secondly, that we can gain Heaven in any station of life; for in any station, we can make use of those means which God has given us to work out our salvation. In Heaven there are Saints of all ranks and conditions; emperors and empresses; kings and queens; princes and princesses; nobles and plebeians; learned men and unlettered men; poor and rich; officers and soldiers; magistrates, artisans and peasants; man-servants and maid-servants; unmarried and married persons; widowers and widows; youths, maidens and children. Many Saints lived in the same station in which you live; from it, they went to heaven; and so may you. You have only to live in your station as they did and use the means for your salvation as they used them.

Learn, thirdly, that you will have only yourself to blame, if you do not go to heaven to join the Saints; for, God asks no more from you than from them, and gives you the same means for salvation that He gave to them. The Saints were like you, human beings; like you, they lived in dangers and temptations; like you, they suffered and struggled; and yet they served God and went to heaven. Are you unable to do what they did? You are certainly able, if you have but a true and earnest desire to succeed. If you have it not, the fault is entirely your own. The example of so many Saints, who lived in your station, will convict you of falsehood, if you say that your station prevents you from gaining life everlasting.

All that now remains is to consider what must be done to celebrate today's festival worthily. A few words will teach you this. If you desire to attain the end and aim of this feast, endeavor according to the instructions of holy Church to honor the Saints of the Almighty and invoke them as powerful intercessors at His throne. They are true servants and friends of God, and they are honored by Him. Their intercession is all-powerful with the Almighty. While still on earth, they obtained for others great gifts from God; why then should they not be able to do so now that they are in heaven? To say that the Saints know nothing of us or of our prayers, is a sign of ignorance, and is against Holy Writ; for, we are assured therein that the Saints are equal to the Angels, and we can not doubt that these have knowledge of us and of our prayers.

The Gospel tells us that they rejoice when a sinner does penance; and St. John says that they offer our prayers to God. Hence, call on the Saints with confidence, that, through the merits of Christ, they would obtain for you the grace to live so that you may one day join them. But above all, endeavor to imitate the virtues of the Saints, as this is the best way to honor them. Each Saint calls from Heaven to us, in the words that St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians: "Be my followers," imitate my example. This is especially the call of those Saints, who lived in your station.

If you would enjoy their society in heaven, you must live as they lived on earth. To live as those lived who are in hell, and yet to hope to go, after this life, where they are whom we venerate as Saints, is senseless. Live as the Saints lived, and you will go to heaven as they did. Walk in their footsteps. No one ever obtained life everlasting without the true faith. No one was saved by faith alone. The Saints labored and suffered for heaven. You too must labor and suffer; heaven is worth it.

Read more >>