Non me permíttas, Dómine, fámulum tuum a te separári...

Great gusts of wind in the night but at this point, rather more than an hour before sunrise, it is simply windy and raining. This is the weather on the basis of which the one coven predicted snow for tomorrow-- although their 31 degrees F. is not exactly close to this morning's 46. It would 'feel like Spring' except that one knows that December, Æffra Geola, is about to begin.

Dawn is hidden by the clouds: it is pouring down, the rain, for forty minutes at least. The last of the leaves that fall will be gone from the trees after this.

There are evidently two names for December in the Old English Martyrology: Æffra Geola and Æftera Geola, the first for the part of the month before the solstice and the second for the part after (although the explanation in the OEM itself is simply confusing, I believe that is the sense of it). Geola is Yule (and more or less pronounced like Yule although with an unsilent final vowel). My recollection is that 'Midwinter', the 'feast of Midwinter', was a common way of naming the feast of Our Lord's Nativity; it may be that people simply were able to gloss over the fact that the solstice occurs on the 21st-- is the difference of four days perceptible? I suppose it is, if one is paying attention and if clear skies prevail for five or six days running. Hmm.

Dr DiPippo's citation infra of Durandus occasioned my reading of the rest of the chapter devoted to Saint Andrew's feast in the Rationale (7,38); of most interest here is the first two sentences. 

Sanctus Andreas niger fuit colore, barba prolixa, staturae mediocris. Hoc ideo dicitur, ut sciatur qualis in Ecclesia debet depingi, quod de unoquoque Apostolorum, et aliorum multorum Sanctorum sciendum esset.

Saint Andrew was of middle height, with very dark skin, and beard violent and copious. This is written so that it should be known how to depict him in the churches, as each of the Apostles and many other saints have their own characteristics. I see that barba prolixa in other places etc means the hair, too. 

It would be interesting, perhaps, to compare these three lessons (of the 2nd nocturn at Matins) to the account given in the the Golden Legend earlier this morning (ahem), here. 

Dr DiPippo a couple of years ago on the evolution of the observance of today's feast in the Roman Rite.

... Before the Tridentine reform, the vigil of a Saint consisted solely of the Mass, and had no presence in either the Roman version of the Divine Office, or in that of most other Uses. A minority custom, which seems to have been predominantly German, gave an Office to the vigils of Saints, which consisted of a homily at Matins, and the use of the collect of the vigil as the principal collect of the day; the rest of the Office was that of the feria. The Breviary of St Pius V adopted this latter custom for the vigils of Saints, a rare example of change in an otherwise extremely conservative reform; but even for the Roman Rite, this was not an absolute novelty. Historically, the vigils of the major feasts of the Lord (Christmas, Epiphany etc.) did include the Office, and the change in 1568 simply extended the scope of a well-established custom.

Writing in the mid-12th century, the liturgical commentator John Beleth states that the feast of St Andrew the Apostle “has no vigil, because it occurs in a time of fasting, (i.e. Advent), wherefore it was not necessary that a vigil be instituted for it.” (Summa de Ecclesiasticis Officiis 164). At the end of the 13th century, William Durandus repeats this statement word for word ("Vigiliam ex institutione non habet, quia est in tempore jejuniorum, quare non fuit necesse institui ei vigiliam..." Rationale 7,38). It may safely be assumed that this is not said merely in error, and does reflect a custom which they both knew to be in use at the time. Nevertheless, the vigil of St Andrew is a very ancient observance of the Roman Rite, attested in the oldest sacramentaries and lectionaries with its own proper Mass, alongside those of the Assumption, the Birth of St John the Baptist, Ss Peter and Paul, and St Lawrence.

This is the motet Doctor bonus amicus Dei Andreas of the venerable priest Tomás Luis de Victoria, a setting of the 3rd responsorium at Matins. The Mass is Mihi autem.

R. Doctor bonus et amícus Dei Andréas dúcitur ad crucem, quam a longe aspíciens dixit: Salve, crux,
* Súscipe discípulum ejus, qui pepéndit in te magíster meus Christus.
V. Salve, crux, quæ in córpore Christi dedicáta es, et ex membris ejus tamquam margarítis ornáta.
R. Súscipe discípulum ejus, qui pepéndit in te magíster meus Christus.
V. Glória Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto.
R. Súscipe discípulum ejus, qui pepéndit in te magíster meus Christus.

Lectio 4

Andréas Apóstolus, Bethsáidæ natus, qui est Galilǽæ vicus, frater Petri, discípulus Joánnis Baptistæ, cum eum de Christo dicéntem audísset: Ecce Agnus Dei; secútus Jesum, fratrem quoque suum ad eúndem perdúxit. Cum póstea una cum fratre piscarétur in mari Galilǽæ, ambo a prætereúnte Christo Dómino ante álios Apóstolos vocáti illis verbis: Veníte post me, fáciam vos fíeri piscatóres hóminum; nullam interponéntes moram, et relíctis rétibus, secúti sunt eum. Post cujus passiónem et resurrectiónem, Andréas, cum in Scýthiam Európæ, quæ ei província ad Christi fidem dísseminandam obtígerat, venísset, deínde Epírum ac Thráciam peragrásset; doctrína et miráculis innumerábiles hómines ad Christum convértit. Post, Patras Achájæ proféctus, et in ea urbe plúrimis ad veritátem evangélicam perdúctis, Ægéam procónsulem, prædicatióni evangélicæ resisténtem, libérrime increpávit, quod, qui judex hóminum habéri vellet, Christum Deum ómnium júdicem, a dæmónibus elúsus, non agnósceret.

Lectio 5

Tum Ægéas irátus, Désine, inquit, Christum jactáre, cui simília verba nihil profuérunt, quóminus a Judǽis crucifigerétur. Andréam vero de Christo nihilóminus líbere prædicántem quod pro salúte humáni géneris se crucifigéndum obtulísset, ímpia oratióne interpéllat, ac demum hortátur, ut sibi cónsulens, diis velit immoláre. Cui Andréas: Ego omnipoténti Deo, qui unus et verus est, ímmolo quotídie, non taurórum carnes, nec hircórum sánguinem, sed immaculátum Agnum in altári; cujus carnem posteáquam omnis pópulus credéntium manducáverit, Agnus, qui sacrificátus est, ínteger persevérat et vivus. Quam ob rem ira accénsus Ægéas, jubet eum in cárcerem detrúdi unde pópulus Andréam fácile liberásset, nisi ipse sedásset multitúdinem, veheméntius rogans, ne se ad optatíssimam martýrii corónam properántem impedírent.

Lectio 6

Igitur paulo post in tribúnal prodúctum, cum Ægéas crucis extolléntem mystéria sibíque suam impietátem exprobrántem diútius ferre non posset, in crucem tolli, et Christi mortem imitári jussit. Addúctus Andréas ad locum martýrii, cum crucem vidísset, longe exclamáre cœpit: O bona crux, quæ decórem ex membris Dómini suscepísti, diu desideráta, sollícite amáta, sine intermissióne quæsíta, et aliquándo cupiénti ánimo præparáta: áccipe me ab homínibus, et redde me magístro meo; ut per te me recípiat, qui per te me redémit. Itaque cruci affíxus est: in qua bíduum vivus pendens, et Christi fidem prædicáre nunquam intermíttens, ad eum migrávit, cujus mortis similitúdinem concupíerat. Quæ ómnia presbýteri et diáconi Achájæ, qui ejus passiónem scripsérunt, se ita ut commemoráta sunt, audísse et vidísse testántur. Ejus ossa primum Constantíno imperatóre Constantinópolim, deínde Amálphim transláta sunt. Caput, Pio secúndo Pontífice, Romam allátum, in basílica sancti Petri collocátum est.

M l'Abbé Grodziski is the celebrant this morning, and Dr Ratovondrahety is at the organ, although 'quietly and in a subdued manner', ha. 

Introitus. Ps. 138, 17. Mihi autem nimis honoráti sunt amíci tui, Deus: nimis confortátus est principatus eórum. Ps. ibid., 1-2. Dómine, probásti me et cognovísti me: tu cognovísti sessiónem meam et resurrectiónem meam. ℣. Glória Patri.

Kyrie, Gloria.

Oratio. Majestátem tuam, Dómine, supplíciter exorámus: ut, sicut Ecclésiæ tuæ beátus Andréas Apóstolus éxstitit prædicátor et rector; ita apud te sit pro nobis perpétuus intercéssor. Per Dóminum.

Oratio. Excita, quǽsumus, Dómine, poténtiam tuam, et veni : ut ab imminéntibus peccatórum nostrórum perículis, te mereámur protegénte éripi, te liberánte salvári : Qui vivis et regnas.

Léctio Epístolæ beáti Pauli Apóstoli ad Romános.
Rom. 10, 10-18.
Fratres: Corde enim créditur ad justítiam: ore autem conféssio fit ad salútem. Dicit enim Scriptúra: Omnis, qui credit in illum, non confundétur. Non enim est distínctio Judǽi et Græci: nam idem Dóminus ómnium, dives in omnes, qui ínvocant illum. Omnis enim, quicúmque invocáverit nomen Dómini, salvus erit. Quómodo ergo invocábunt, in quem non credidérunt? Aut quómodo credent ei, quem non audiérunt? Quómodo autem áudient sine prædicánte? Quómodo vero prædicábunt, nisi mittántur? sicut scriptum est: Quam speciósi pedes evangelizántium pacem, evangelizándum bona! Sed non omnes oboediunt Evangelio. Isaías enim dicit: Dómine, quis crédidit audítui nostro? Ergo fides ex audítu, audítus autem per verbum Christi. Sed dico: Numquid non audiérunt? Et quidem in omnem terram exívit sonus eórum, et in fines orbis terræ verba eórum.

Graduale. Ps. 44, 17-18. Constítues eos príncipes super omnem terram: mémores erunt nóminis tui, Dómine. ℣. Pro pátribus tuis nati sunt tibi fílii: proptérea pópuli confitebúntur tibi.

Allelúja, allelúja. ℣. Diléxit Andréam Dóminus in odórem suavitátis. Allelúja.

✠ Sequéntia sancti Evangélii secúndum Matthǽum. 
Matth. 4, 18-22.
In illo témpore: Ambulans Jesus juxta mare Galilǽæ, vidit duos fratres, Simónem, qui vocátur Petrus, et Andréam fratrem ejus, mitténtes rete in mare (erant enim piscatóres), et ait illis: Veníte post me, et fáciam vos fíeri piscatóres hóminum. At illi contínuo, relíctis rétibus, secúti sunt eum. Et procédens inde, vidit álios duos fratres, Jacóbum Zebedǽi et Joánnem, fratrem ejus, in navi cum Zebedǽo patre eórum reficiéntes rétia sua: et vocávit eos. Illi autem statim, relíctis rétibus et patre, secúti sunt eum.

I caught the sense at least of the first part of Fr Grodziski's homily: they are, at Saint-E., beginning a novena preparatory to consecration to Our Lady's Immaculate Heart at the feast of her Immaculate Conception on December 8. (As Fr Maximilien-Marie pointed out the other day this ought to happen from the 29th through the 7th but if one must live in a world without vigils... eh.)

Credo.

Offertorium. Ps. 138, 17. Mihi autem nimis honoráti sunt amíci tui, Deus: nimis confortátus est principátus eórum.

Secreta. Sacrificium nostrum tibi, Dómine, quǽsumus, beáti Andréæ Apóstoli precátio sancta concíliet: ut, in cujus honóre sollémniter exhibétur, ejus méritis efficiátur accéptum. Per Dóminum.

Secreta. Hæc sacra nos, Dómine, poténti virtúte mundátos ad suum fáciant purióres veníre princípium. Per Dóminum nostrum.

Communio. Matth. 4, 19-20. Veníte post me: fáciam vos fíeri piscatóres hóminum; at illi contínuo, relíctis rétibus, secúti sunt Dóminum.

Postcommunio. Súmpsimus, Dómine, divína mystéria, beáti Andréæ Apóstoli festivitáte lætántes: quæ, sicut tuis Sanctis ad glóriam, ita nobis, quǽsumus, ad véniam prodésse perfícias. Per Dóminum.

Postcommunio. Suscipiámus, Dómine, misericórdiam tuam in médio templi tui : ut reparatiónis nostræ ventúra sollémnia cóngruis honóribus præcedámus. Per Dóminum.

The novena prayers are being said at the foot of the altar rather than the usual prayers to Saint Michael et cetera-- this 'Mass with organ' being considered something other than a missa lecta, I have been presuming: they began with the Très Sainte Vierge Marie conçue sans peché priez pour nous qui avons recours a Vous but beyond that I didn't follow. Perhaps it simply was judged best not to extend the 'supplementary orations' beyond the one set of them.

Father de Victoria's Mass Alma Redemptoris Mater, recorded by The Sixteen. The proper sequence of the parts is usually kept when one uploads multiple videos....

LDVM