Shivvery this morning, although I only stuck myself...

Out onto the front stoop for approximately thirty seconds; a brilliant spectacle in the sky, however. 25 degrees F. or 29: one of these days perhaps I will find a set of covens that agree with each other about the local temperature. Perhaps not. It is the feast of Saint Gertrude the Great, Virgin, Abbess-- today is a good example of an instance where a minor precision ought to be made in the Traditional Rite; she is simply Virgin in the Kalendarium and ought to be given her other titles (I must admit that, when I began this sentence, I had thought that she had been given the title Doctor by Benedict XVI; I was evidently mistaken, tsk; the tricks one's memory plays on one).

The Mass is Dilexisti iustitiam.

Am having to prepare to go out for the shopping and to stop at the bank so must curtail my enthusiasm here.

Pft. Had been thinking it was Thursday ever since I was at the ATM at the bank, until this moment. In the cold, the scrub jays are flying up to the window sill and seizing peanuts; one or two of the braver ones, anyway. The Steller's jays perch at the window as they weigh their options, one after the other, whether it is 25 or 95. 

Introitus. Ps. 44, 8. Dilexísti justítiam, et odísti iniquitátem: proptérea unxit te Deus, Deus tuus, óleo lætítiae præ consórtibus tuis. Ps. ibid., 2. Eructávit cor meum verbum bonum: dico ego ópera mea Regi. ℣. Glória Patri.

Oratio. Deus, qui in corde beátæ Gertrudis Vírginis jucúndam tibi mansionem præparásti: ipsíus méritis et intercessióne; cordis nostri máculas cleménter abstérge, et ejúsdem tríbue gaudére consórtio. Per Dóminum.

Léctio Epístolæ beáti Pauli Apóstoli ad Corínthios.
2. Cor. 10, 17-18; 11, 1-2.
Fratres: Qui gloriátur, in Dómino gloriétur. Non enim, qui seípsum comméndat, ille probátus est; sed quem Deus comméndat. Utinam sustinerétis módicum quid insipiéntiæ meæ, sed et supportáte me: ǽmulor enim vos Dei æmulatióne. Despóndi enim vos uni viro vírginem castam exhibére Christo.

Graduale. Ps. 44, 5. Spécie tua et pulchritúdine tua inténde, próspere procéde et regna. ℣. Propter veritátem et mansuetúdinem et justítiam: et dedúcet te mirabíliter déxtera tua.

Allelúja, allelúja. ℣. Ibid., 15 et 16. Adducántur Regi Vírgines post eam: próximæ ejus afferéntur tibi in lætítia. Allelúja.

✠ Sequéntia sancti Evangélii secúndum Matthǽum.
Matth. 25, 1-13.
In illo témpore: Dixit Jesus discípulis suis parábolam hanc: Simile erit regnum cœlórum decem virgínibus: quæ, accipiéntes lámpades suas, exiérunt óbviam sponso et sponsæ. Quinque autem ex eis erant fátuæ, et quinque prudéntes: sed quinque fátuæ, accéptis lampádibus, non sumpsérunt óleum secum: prudéntes vero accepérunt óleum in vasis suis cum lampádibus. Horam autem faciénte sponso, dormitavérunt omnes et dormiérunt. Média autem nocte clamor factus est: Ecce, sponsus venit, exíte óbviam ei. Tunc surrexérunt omnes vírgines illæ, et ornavérunt lámpades suas. Fátuæ autem sapiéntibus dixérunt: Date nobis de óleo vestro: quia lámpades nostræ exstinguúntur. Respondérunt prudéntes, dicéntes: Ne forte non suffíciat nobis et vobis, ite pótius ad vendéntes, et émite vobis. Dum autem irent émere, venit sponsus: et quæ parátæ erant, intravérunt cum eo ad núptias, et clausa est jánua. Novíssime vero véniunt et réliquæ vírgines, dicéntes: Dómine, Dómine, aperi nobis. At ille respóndens, ait: Amen, dico vobis, néscio vos. Vigiláte ítaque, quia nescítis diem neque horam.

Offertorium. Ps. 44, 10. Fíliæ regum in honóre tuo, ástitit regína a dextris tuis in vestítu deauráto, circúmdata varietate.

Secreta. Accépta tibi sit, Dómine, sacrátæ plebis oblátio pro tuórum honóre Sanctórum: quorum se méritis de tribulatióne percepísse cognóscit auxílium. Per Dóminum.

Communio. Matth. 25, 4 et 6. Quinque prudéntes vírgines accepérunt óleum in vasis suis cum lampádibus: média autem nocte clamor factus est: Ecce, sponsus venit: exite óbviam Christo Dómino.

Postcommunio. Satiásti, Dómine, famíliam tuam munéribus sacris: ejus, quǽsumus, semper interventióne nos refóve, cujus sollémnia celebrámus. Per Dóminum.

LDVM