Sexagesima Sunday 1863

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8 SUNDAY. SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY, semidouble. Second prayers A Cunctis. Third prayers Ad libitum. Violet. First Vespers of St Ignatius, Pope Martyr with commemoration of the Sunday and of St Apollonia, Virgin Martyr. Red. [In diocese of Hexham and Newcastle, Plenary Indulgence.]

9 Monday. St Ignatius, Pope Martyr, double (transferred from 1 February). Second prayers of St Apollonia, Virgin Martyr. Red.

10 Tuesday. St Scholastica, Virgin, double. White.

11 Wednesday. St Titus, Bishop Confessor, double (transferred from 6 February). White.

12 Thursday. St John of Matha, Confessor, double (transferred from 8 February).  White.

13 Friday. The Passion of OUR LORD, greater double. Creed. Preface of the Cross. Red. Plenary Indulgence. Abstinence.

14 Saturday. Of the Immaculate Conception of the BVM, semidouble. Second prayers of St Valentine, Martyr. Third prayers of the Holy Ghost (Deus qui corda). Preface of the BVM. White. Plenary Indulgence.

The most striking thing to a twenty-first century dweller about this week's calendar is that there is no feast of Our Lady of Lourdes on Wednesday: that's because the apparitions at Lourdes haven't yet taken place. Even leaving aside the number of saints canonised by John Paul II, any future reform of the calendar to return it to a more traditional shape will have to think about what to do with the natural increase in feasts.  This series isn't proposing answers: it just gives an idea of the way the calendar was a century and a half ago when there were a lot of ferias, and, more importantly, what the calendar gave to the Church.

Otherwise, we have a shuffle of transferred feasts finding a place in the calendar, and the Passion being commemorated as the Friday preparation for Lent.  Eight weeks before Good Friday, six weeks before Passion Sunday, and we have a feast devoted to the Passion.  This simultaneously gives the lie to the fact that pre-Pius X the calendar was simply full of saints, while also showing that duplication and triplication are perfectly worthy tools to focus the minds of people: here, on the fact that Our Lord became Man and died for us; died, in fact most horribly for us.

Saturday isn't just Our Lady's Saturday: this Saturday we specifically commemorate the Immaculate Conception, and that commemoration is sufficiently important to push St Valentine into second place (the "calendar full of saints" meme is wrong again).  It's very rare that a feast in the calendar is completely missed, but we have to be prepared to budge saints about a bit.  Speaking purely for myself, I find this a very human aspect of the calendar: "we'll find somewhere to fit you in" is a lot nicer than "these are the rules".  If you were fanciful, you might even think back to Christmas Eve.

Two more plenary indulgences for the souls in Purgatory are available on Friday and Saturday: you'd almost think the Church was encouraging frequent communion as well as the liberation of the Holy Souls if you didn't believe that frequent communion was something thought up by Pope St Pius X.

The parish of St Marie in Sheffield is served by the Rev Canon William Fisher as Missionary Rector, and he is supported by the Revv Charles James Locke, Thomas Loughran and Patrick Kennedy.  Masses on Sunday are at 7.30, 9.00 (with Discourse), and High Mass at 10.30 (with Sermon).  Catechism, Instruction, and Devotions for children are at 3.00.  Vespers, Sermon and Benediction at 6.00 pm.  On Holydays, Masses are at 7.00 and 9.00, with High Mass and Sermon at 10.30, with Catechism, Instruction, and Devotions for children at 3.00, and  Vespers, Sermon and Benediction at 8.00 pm.  On weekdays, Masses are at 8.00 and 8.30.  On Days of Devotion and on every Thursday evening at 8.00 there are Prayers, Devotions and Benediction.  Every Friday from Septuagesima to Palm Sunday and on the first Friday of every month there are Stations of the Cross.  On other Fridays, the Bona Mors Devotions are said in the Mortuary Chapel.  Every Saturday evening at 8.00 Prayers, Rosary, Litany etc of the BVM are sung. In May, for the month of Mary, there are Devotions and a Discourse every evening.  There are Devotions, a Discourse and Benediction every evening in the Octave of Corpus Christi.  Every evening in the Octave of All Souls there are Devotions in the Mortuary Chapel.  There are Confraternities of the Blessed Sacrament, the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the Conversion of Sinners, the Scapular, the Rosary, and of Christian Doctrine.  Marriages are on Sunday at 9.00, and other days at 10.00.  Baptisms on Sunday at 2.00 pm and Wednesday at 10.00 am. Churchings on Monday mornings at 9.00.

(The Bona Mors devotions are fairly simple: a pall is put on the ground to stand as the catafalque and the Office for the Dead is recited.  In some places there are Confraternities of the Bona Mors.)

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