Wednesday, September 14, 2016

September 14: Exaltation of Holy Cross, Class II


Once upon a time there were two feasts in the calendar associated with the recovery of the true Cross.

The first, on May 3, celebrated St Helena's finding of the Cross in Jerusalem in 326.

The second, on September 14, celebrated the dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulcre nine years later, and the placement of a portion of the Cross there for veneration by the faithful on this day.

In the 1962 calendar, the two were combined.

There is a nice Benedictine connection to the veneration of the true Cross in the saints invocation of the Cross in many of the miracles that he worked.  And this is carried forward today in the indult that allows the medal of St Benedict to be used in place of a fragment of the true cross in the blessing of St Maurus for the sick.

Traditionally, the Spring/Autumn (depending on which hemisphere you live in) Ember Days occur in the calendar week after September 14, and it is for this reason presumably that St Benedict uses the date as the changeover from the summer to the winter meal schedule in his Rule (ch 41).

It is also of course the anniversary of the coming into effect of the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum by which Pope Benedict XVI freed access to the Extraordinary Form of the Mass.

The Vespers hymn is Vexilla Regis Prodeunt.


4 comments:

KevinG said...

I confused myself this morning with Tuesday Lauds. Sept 14th. Question, which Sunday Psalms are the festal Psalms? Also, there were five Antiphons. Which Psalm goes with which Antiphon? Would I have used Ant 1 with Psalm 66, or would I have started this first Psalm elsewhere? My apologies for being so thick headed!

Kate Edwards said...

Kevin - Psalm 66 never has an antiphon, on this occasion all the others do.

The festal psalms are 92 on MD 44(said with antiphon 1 O magnum), 99 (said with antiphon 2), 62 (with antiphon 3), Canticle Benedicite omnia (with antiphon 4), then ps 148, 149, 150 (with antiphon 5).

KevinG said...

Terra - Thanks, that certainly cleared things up for this mornings prayer. Now, I want to pray the Matins. As I had mentioned in an earlier post, I have transitioned for LOTH to MD. I truly miss the "Office of Readings". I purchased the Andrewes Press "Monastic Breviary-Matins". Is there an ordo for matins similar to what you have kindly done for us?

Blessings,
KevinG

Kate Edwards said...

No that I'm aware of kevin.