Friday, April 10, 2009

Good Friday Vespers

Vespers need only be read by those who attend not the Solemn Commemoration of the Lord's Passion; but, despite attending it, as it was held at 3 p.m. and over within an hour and a quarter, as day drew on toward evening I decided to say Good Friday's Vespers pro pia devotione.  

These Vespers parallel in structure the solemn sobriety of their brother Lauds during the Triduum, with one curious difference - while they begin at once with the first antiphon of the first psalm, and continue with five psalms, each without Gloria Patri but with antiphon before and after, unlike at Lauds there is no versicle: how strange.  (They continue of course with the Magnificat and its antiphon, followed by the Christus factus est, silent Pater noster, and Collect Respice, all kneeling; the silent doxology of the last brings the Hour to a close.)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

glad to see you're getting on with the Breviary during the Triduum.

I am finding it particularly hard, especially because of time (I have to go to Church early, etc.) and also because the rubrics are confusing and have them only in Latin.

Joshua said...

Don't worry, Mark - unlike me, you get to attend, and serve, at the ceremonies of the Triduum in the Traditional Latin Rite; and I have just enough Latin to understand the rubrics, LOL!

I'm having a very quiet Easter break from work, which makes it possible to spend some time in prayer.

Feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Anonymous said...

well, I suppose that's true... I only learned two months of Latin at school.

I think there is a fine balance to be struck. Having the warp and weft of the Breviary helps, and considering I can't understand it all, Pius Parsch helps draw it and the Mass together into one distinct whole.

Joshua said...

I suspect I only really have a grasp of Latin as if I knew "pidgin Latin" - but I thank God for having that much, which I consider at least partially infused knowledge, if it were not prideful to think so.

Pius Parsch is excellent.