Unity and Depth

Is the multi-year Lectionary of the Novus Ordo, containing vastly greater quantities of Scripture, superior to the old one-year Lectionary of the usus antiquior? For a very long time, this question was hardly taken seriously, its answer being assumed to be a self-evident yes. It is therefore gratifying to see more and more people awakening to the seriousness of the question and undertaking comparisons and studies, rather than assuming, in a distinctively modern fashion, that bigger is better.

Decades' worth of experience with both lectionaries has led me, in fact, to just the opposite conclusion: the new Lectionary is unwieldy and hard to come to terms with, whereas the old cycle of readings is beautifully proportioned to its liturgical purpose and to the natural rhythm of the year. The regular and comforting recurrence of the readings helps the worshiper absorb their teaching ever more deeply.

One who immerses himself in the traditional liturgy becomes aware that its annual readings, over time, are becoming bone of one’s bone, flesh of one’s flesh. One begins to think of certain months and seasons of the year, certain Sundays or categories of saints in tandem with their fixed readings, which open up their meaning more and more to the devout soul. If the Word of God has an infinite depth to it, the traditional liturgy bids us stand beside the same well year by year, dropping down our bucket into it, and in that way awakening to an inexhaustible depth that may not be so clear to someone who is dipping his bucket into different places of a stream over the course of two or three years ...

A wider selection of readings could have been (and can still be) incorporated into the old missal, without destroying the correlations I am defending. There could be a more ample distribution of pertinent readings for martyrs, virgins, popes, confessors, doctors, etc. Even with such a distribution, however, the profound unity of the liturgy will be perfectly maintained whenever the fitting harmony of prayers, antiphons, readings, and Ordinary is respected throughout. Specific propers and readings could be appointed for certain saints, emphasizing the contemplative vocation of one or the missionary vocation of another; but again, all with a view towards the integrity of the liturgy as a coming together of the communion of saints to celebrate victory already accomplished and victory yet to be achieved.

The English Bible

What does one do to turn the word of God into Nabbish? Blunt it whenever possible; grind down the word of God into a dull-edged sword. Here, for example, is a famous verse from Psalm 23, translated into early modern English in the King James Bible: Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. That is exactly what it says in Hebrew. The King James translators, naive as they were, believed their task was to submit wholly to the word of God, its meaning, its connotation, its imagery, its rhetorical force. They found the unusual compound tzal-maweth and shuddered from the beauty of it: the shadow of death. Imagine walking through that valley. The trees loom; a strange silence comes over us; we do not know what awaits. It is, unquestionably, one of the most memorable images in all of Scripture. Most English Bibles retain it.

Between Ascension and Advent

The lectionary from the Missale Ambrosianum is quite distinct. Nonetheless, it shows -- rather, betrays -- the same densities of topic and theme, albeit in a very unique order.

As always, click images to enlarge.

Another

The Ordinal of the papal court from Innocent III to Boniface VIII and related documents by Stephen J. P. van Dijk; completed by Joan Hazelden Walker (Fribourg: University Press, 1975) is one of those books one just can't find anywhere. So far as I can read it online, it gives a completely different rendering of the beginning of the sequence:

1. Domine in tua: O Lord, I trust in your merciful love. My heart will rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord who has been bountiful with me.

   Deus in te sperantium: O GOD, the strength of all those who put their trust in thee; Mercifully accept our prayers; and because, through the weakness of our mortal nature, we can do no good thing without thee, grant us the help of thy grace, that in keeping thy commandments we may please thee, both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

   1 St. John iv. 8. (Love Comes from God)

   St. Luke vi. 36. (Love Your Enemies)

2. Factus est: The Lord became my protector, and He brought me forth into a large place: He saved me, because He was well pleased with me.

   Sancti nominis tuis: O LORD, who never failest to help and govern those whom thou dost bring up in thy stedfast fear and love; Keep us, we beseech thee, under the protection of thy good providence, and make us to have a perpetual fear and love of thy holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

   1 St. John iii. 13. (Love One Another)

   St. Luke xiv. 16. (The Parable of the Banquet)

3. Respice in me: Look Thou upon me, O Lord, and have mercy on me: for I am alone and poor. See my abjection and my labor; and forgive me all my sins, O my God.

   Protector in te sperantium: O GOD, the protector of all that trust in thee, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy; Increase and multiply upon us thy mercy; that, thou being our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we finally lose not the things eternal. Grant this, O heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ's sake our Lord. Amen.

   1 St. Peter v. 6. (Cast Your Cares on Him)

   St. Luke xv. 1. (The Parable of the Lost Sheep)

4. Dominus illuminatio: The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life: of whom shall I be afraid? My enemies that trouble me have themselves been weakened and have fallen.

   Da nobis … Domine: GRANT, O Lord, we beseech thee, that the course of this world may be so peaceably ordered by thy governance, that thy Church may joyfully serve thee in all godly quietness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

   Romans viii. 18. (Future Glory)

   St. Luke v. 3. (Jesus Calls His First Disciples)

5. Exaudi Domine: Hear, O Lord, my voice with which I have cried to Thee: be Thou my helper, forsake me not, nor do Thou despise me, O God, my Savior

   Deus qui diligentibus: O GOD, who hast prepared for those who love thee such good things as pass man's understanding; Pour into our hearts such love toward thee, that we, loving thee above all things, may obtain thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

   1 St. Peter iii. 8. (Turn from Evil)

   St. Matthew v. 20. (Jesus Fulfills the Law)

6. Dominus fortitudo: The Lord is the strength of His people, and the protector of the salvation of His anointed: save, O Lord, Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance, and rule them for ever.

   Deus virtutum: LORD of all power and might, who art the author and giver of all good things; Graft in our hearts the love of thy Name, increase in us true religion, nourish us with all goodness, and of thy great mercy keep us in the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

   Romans vi. 3. (Dead to Sin, Alive to God)

   St. Mark viii. 1. (The Feeding of the Four Thousand)

7. Omnes gentes: Clap your hands, all ye nations: shout unto God with the voice of joy.

   Deus cujus providentia: O GOD, whose never-failing providence ordereth all things both in heaven and earth; We humbly beseech thee to put away from us all hurtful things, and to give us those things which are profitable for us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

   Romans vi. 19. (The Wages of Sin)

   St. Matthew vii. 15. (A Tree and its Fruits)

8. Suscepimus Deus: We have received Thy mercy, O God, in the midst of Thy temple; according to Thy Name, O God, so also is Thy praise unto the ends of the earth; Thy right hand is full of justice.

   Largire nobis: GRANT to us, Lord, we beseech thee, the spirit to think and do always such things as are right; that we, who cannot do any thing that is good without thee, may by thee be enabled to live according to thy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

   Romans viii. 12. (Heirs with Christ)

   St. Matthew xvi. 1. (Pharisees and Sadducees Seek a Sign)

9. Ecce Deus adiuvat: Behold God is my helper, and the Lord is the protector of my soul: turn back the evils upon my enemies, and cut them off in Thy truth, O Lord my protector.

   Pateant aures: LET thy merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of thy humble servants; and, that they may obtain their petitions, make them to ask such things as shall please thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

   1 Corinthians x. 6. (Warnings from Israel’s Past)

   St. Luke xix. 41. (Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem)

10. Cum clamarum: When I cried to the Lord He heard my voice, from them that draw near to me; and He humbled them, who is before all ages, and remains for ever: cast thy care upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee.

    Deus qui omnipotentiam: O GOD, who declarest thy almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity; Mercifully grant unto us such a measure of thy grace, that we, running the way of thy commandments, may obtain thy gracious promises, and be made partakers of thy heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    1 Corinthians xii. 2. (Spiritual Gifts Bestowed)

    St. Luke xviii. 9 (The Pharisee and the Tax Collector)

11. Deus in Loco: God in His holy place; God who maketh men of one mind to dwell in a house; He shall give power and strength to His people.

    Omnipotens sempiterne Deus: ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear than we to pray, and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve; Pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy; forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask, but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen.

    1 Corinthians xv. 1. (The Resurrection of Christ)

    St. Mark vii. 31. (Jesus Heals a Deaf and Mute Man)

12. Deus in adjutorium: Incline unto my aid, O God: O Lord, make haste to help me: let my enemies be confounded and ashamed, who seek my soul.

    Omnipotens et misericors: ALMIGHTY and merciful God, of whose only gift it cometh that thy faithful people do unto thee true and laudable service; Grant, we beseech thee, that we may so faithfully serve thee in this life, that we fail not finally to attain thy heavenly promises; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    2 Corinthians iii. 4. (Ministers of a New Covenant)

    St. Luke x. 23. (Good Samaritan)

Conclusions

The answer to this question is now apparent: no one got it all right. Anglicans and Lutherans did preserve the greatest slice of Epistle and Gospel readings after Pentecost.

Here is my best guess as to what the actual connection of propers, collects and readings should be. The readings show Jesus as a teacher, a miracle worker, and a purveyor of parables. The theme is Trust in God by means of Life in the Spirit.

First, Trinity Sunday displaced the First Sunday after Pentecost but Lutherans and Anglicans preserved the traditional readings: Rev. iv. 1. (The Throne in Heaven) and St. John iii. 1. (Jesus and Nicodemus) -- which "kicks off" the following sequence. So, the list is of Sundays after Trinity (assuming, of course, that the preservation of the proper sequence ought best be accomplished by simply pushing the First Sunday after Pentecost onto the next Sunday -- and not to the next weekday, as in Trent):

1. Domine in tua: O Lord, I trust in your merciful love. My heart will rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord who has been bountiful with me.

   Deus in te sperantium: O GOD, the strength of all those who put their trust in thee; Mercifully accept our prayers; and because, through the weakness of our mortal nature, we can do no good thing without thee, grant us the help of thy grace, that in keeping thy commandments we may please thee, both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

   1 St. John iv. 7. (Love Comes from God)

   St. Luke xvi. 19. (The Rich Man and Lazarus)

2. Factus est: The Lord became my protector, and He brought me forth into a large place: He saved me, because He was well pleased with me.

   Sancti nominis tuis: O LORD, who never failest to help and govern those whom thou dost bring up in thy stedfast fear and love; Keep us, we beseech thee, under the protection of thy good providence, and make us to have a perpetual fear and love of thy holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

   1 St. John iii. 13. (Love One Another)

   St. Luke xiv. 16. (The Banquet)

3. Respice in me: Look Thou upon me, O Lord, and have mercy on me: for I am alone and poor. See my abjection and my labor; and forgive me all my sins, O my God.

   Deprecationem nostram: O LORD, we beseech thee mercifully to hear us; and grant that we, to whom thou hast given an hearty desire to pray, may, by thy mighty aid, be defended and comforted in all dangers and adversities; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

   1 St. Pet. v. 5. (Cast Your Cares on Him)

   St. Luke xv. 1. (The Lost Sheep)

4. Dominus illuminatio: The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life: of whom shall I be afraid? My enemies that trouble me have themselves been weakened and have fallen.

   Protector in te sperantium: O GOD, the protector of all that trust in thee, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy; Increase and multiply upon us thy mercy; that, thou being our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we finally lose not the things eternal. Grant this, O heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ's sake our Lord. Amen.

   Rom. viii. 18. (Future Glory)

   St. Luke vi. 36. (Love your Enemies)

5. Exaudi Domine: Hear, O Lord, my voice with which I have cried to Thee: be Thou my helper, forsake me not, nor do Thou despise me, O God, my Savior

   Da nobis … Domine: GRANT, O Lord, we beseech thee, that the course of this world may be so peaceably ordered by thy governance, that thy Church may joyfully serve thee in all godly quietness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

   1 St. Pet. iii. 8. (Turn from Evil)

   St. Luke v. 1. (Jesus Calls His First Disciples)

6. Dominus fortitudo: The Lord is the strength of His people, and the protector of the salvation of His anointed: save, O Lord, Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance, and rule them for ever.

   Deus qui diligentibus: O GOD, who hast prepared for those who love thee such good things as pass man's under standing; Pour into our hearts such love toward thee, that we, loving thee above all things, may obtain thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

   Rom. vi. 3. (Dead to Sin, Alive to God)

   St. Matt. v. 20. (Jesus Fulfills the Law)

7. Omnes gentes: Clap your hands, all ye nations: shout unto God with the voice of joy.

   Deus virtutum: LORD of all power and might, who art the author and giver of all good things; Graft in our hearts the love of thy Name, increase in us true religion, nourish us with all goodness, and of thy great mercy keep us in the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

   Rom. vi. 19. (The Wages of Sin)

   St. Mark viii. 1. (Feeding of the Four Thousand)

8. Suscepimus Deus: We have received Thy mercy, O God, in the midst of Thy temple; according to Thy Name, O God, so also is Thy praise unto the ends of the earth; Thy right hand is full of justice.

   Deus cujus providentia: O GOD, whose never-failing providence ordereth all things both in heaven and earth; We humbly beseech thee to put away from us all hurtful things, and to give us those things which are profitable for us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

   Rom. viii. 12. (Heirs with Christ)

   St. Matt. vii. 15. (A Tree and its Fruits)

9. Ecce Deus adiuvat: Behold God is my helper, and the Lord is the protector of my soul: turn back the evils upon my enemies, and cut them off in Thy truth, O Lord my protector.

   Largire nobis: GRANT to us, Lord, we beseech thee, the spirit to think and do always such things as are right; that we, who cannot do any thing that is good without thee, may by thee be enabled to live according to thy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

   1 Cor. x. 1. (Warnings from Israel’s Past)

   St. Luke xvi. 1. (The Unrighteous Steward)

10. Cum clamarum: When I cried to the Lord He heard my voice, from them that draw near to me; and He humbled them, who is before all ages, and remains for ever: cast thy care upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee.

    Pateant aures: LET thy merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of thy humble servants; and, that they may obtain their petitions, make them to ask such things as shall please thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    1 Cor. xi. 1. (Roles in Worship)

    St. Luke xix. 41. (Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem)

11. Deus in Loco: God in His holy place; God who maketh men of one mind to dwell in a house; He shall give power and strength to His people.

    Deus qui omnipotentiam: O GOD, who declarest thy almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity; Mercifully grant unto us such a measure of thy grace, that we, running the way of thy commandments, may obtain thy gracious promises, and be made partakers of thy heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    1 Cor. xv. 1. (The Resurrection of Christ)

    St. Luke xviii. 9. (Pharisee and the Tax Collector)

12. Deus in adjutorium: Incline unto my aid, O God: O Lord, make haste to help me: let my enemies be confounded and ashamed, who seek my soul.

    Omnipotens sempiterne Deus: ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear than we to pray, and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve; Pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy; forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask, but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen.

    2 Cor. iii. 4. (Ministers of the New Covenant)

    St. Mark vii. 31. (Jesus Heals a Deaf and Mute Man)

13. Respice Domine: Have regard, O Lord, to Thy covenant, and forsake not to the end the souls of Thy poor: arise, O Lord, and judge Thy cause, and forget not the voices of them that seek Thee.

    Omnipotens et misericors: ALMIGHTY and merciful God, of whose only gift it cometh that thy faithful people do unto thee true and laudable service; Grant, we beseech thee, that we may so faithfully serve thee in this life, that we fail not finally to attain thy heavenly promises; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    Gal. iii. 16. (The Purpose of the Law)

    St. Luke x. 23. (Good Samaritan)

14. Protector Noster: Behold, O God, our protector, and look on the face of Thy Christ; for better is one day in Thy courts above thousands.

    Omnipotens sempiterne Deus: ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain that which thou dost promise, make us to love that which thou dost command; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    Gal. v. 16. (Living by the Spirit)

    St. Luke xvii. 11. (Ten Lepers)

15. Inclina Domine: Bow down Thine ear, O Lord, to me and hear me: save Thy servant, O my God, that trusteth in Thee: have mercy on me, O Lord, for I have cried to Thee all day.

    Custodi quaesumus: KEEP, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy Church with thy perpetual mercy; and, because the frailty of man without thee cannot but fall, keep us ever by thy help from all things hurtful, and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    Gal. vi. 11. (Paul’s Final Warning)

    St. Matt. vi. 24. (Lamp of the Body)

16. Misere Mihi Domine: Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I have cried to Thee all the day; for Thou, O Lord, art sweet and mild, and plenteous in mercy to all that call upon Thee.

    Ecclesiam tuam: O LORD, we beseech thee, let thy continual pity cleanse and defend thy Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without thy succour, preserve it evermore by thy help and goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    Ephes. iii. 13. (The Mystery of the Gospel)

    St. Luke vii. 11. (Widow of Nain)

17. Justus est Domine: Thou art just, O Lord, and Thy judgment is right; deal with Thy servant according to Thy mercy.

    Tua nos … Domine: LORD, we pray thee that thy grace may always prevent and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    Ephes. iv. 1. (Unity in the Body)

    St. Luke xiv. 1. (Man with Dropsy)

18. Da Pacem Domine: Give peace, O Lord, to them that patiently wait for Thee, that Thy prophets may be found faithful: hear the prayers of Thy servant, and of Thy people Israel.

    Da quaesumus Domine populo: LORD, we beseech thee, grant thy people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil; and with pure hearts and minds to follow thee, the only God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    1 Cor. i. 4. (Thanksgiving)

    St. Matt. xxii. 34. (Summary of the Law)

19. Salus Populi: I am the salvation of the people, saith the Lord: in whatever tribulation they shall cry to Me, I will hear them; and I will be their Lord for ever.

    Dirigat corda nostra: O GOD, forasmuch as without thee we are not able to please thee; Mercifully grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    Ephes. iv. 17. (Living as Children of Light)

    St. Matt. ix. 1. (A Paralytic)

20. Omnia Quae Fecisti: All that Thou hast done to us, O Lord, Thou hast done in true judgment: because we have sinned against Thee, and we have not obeyed Thy commandments: but give glory to Thy Name, and deal with us according to the multitude of Thy mercy.

    Omnipotens et misericors Deus: O ALMIGHTY and most merciful God, of thy bountiful goodness keep us, we beseech thee, from all things that may hurt us; that we, being ready both in body and soul, may cheerfully accomplish those things which thou commandest; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    Ephes. v. 15. (Children of Light)

    St. Matt. xxii. 1. (Wedding Feast)

21. In Voluntate Tua: All things are in Thy will, O Lord; and there is none that can resist Thy will: for Thou hast made all things, heaven and earth, and all things that are under the cope of heaven: Thou art Lord of all.

    Largire quaesumus Domine: GRANT, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy faithful people pardon and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    Ephes. vi. 10. (The Full Armor of God)

    St. John iv. 46. (The Official’s Son)

22. Si Iniquitates Observaveris: If Thou shalt observe iniquities, O Lord, Lord, who shall endure it? for with Thee is propitiation, O God of Israel.

    Familiam tuam: LORD, we beseech thee to keep thy household the Church in continual godliness; that through thy protection it may be free from all adversities, and devoutly given to serve thee in good works, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    Phil. i. 3. (Thanksgiving and Prayer)

    St. Matt. xviii. 21. (The Unforgiving Servant)

23. Dicit Dominus: The Lord saith: I think thoughts of peace, and not of affliction: you shall call upon Me, and I will hear you; and I will bring back your captivity from all places.

    Deus refugium: O GOD, our refuge and strength, who art the author of all godliness; Be ready, we beseech thee, to hear the devout prayers of thy Church; and grant that those things which we ask faithfully we may obtain effectually; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    Phil. iii. 17. (Citizenship in Heaven)

    St. Matt. xxii. 15. (Render unto Caesar)

For further consideration

... at a later date.

The Oxford American Prayer Book Commentary from 1950 by Massey Shepherd, suggests there is little rationale for the specific ordering of the Epistles and Gospels.

The early Roman system of reckoning the Sundays of this season was to group them about certain fixed feasts. … Medieval sacramentaries and missals developed other schemes of numeration, some dating the Sundays after Pentecost, and others after Trinity. The result was a dislocation of many of the propers originally belonging together. The Prayer Book of 1549 made further alterations, so that there is seldom a unity of theme in the propers for these Sundays. In most cases we have no way of knowing the reason for the selections in the first place, except that the Epistles preserve relics of a course reading.

So if we take this as the sum of scholarship, we will not even look for a detailed rationale. And in fact the skewing of the Epistles from the related Gospels in the Roman missal, as pointed out by David Curry, does in fact mean that Epistles and Gospels in this season do not form as coherent a teaching on any given Sunday in the Roman missal. The scholarship which Shepherd sums up was used by the Roman Catholic Church and mistakenly taken by our own Church as part of the justification for replacing the Traditional one year lectionary that we have in our Book of Common Prayer with the modern three year Eucharistic lectionary.

But the modern understanding that a rationale is unknowable because of all the dislocations of the propers only applies to the lectionary preserved in the Roman missal. The situation for Anglicans is different. Our lectionary can be compared with The Comes of St. Jerome, a 5th century lectionary attributed to St. Jerome but which some scholars believe was developed by Claudianus Mamertus. Robert Crouse did the comparison and found that the Comes of St. Jerome has largely the same lections as are found in the Sarum missal – the medieval lectionary used in Salisbury Cathedral and which has largely been kept intact in our Book of Common Prayer. Sunday by Sunday throughout Trinity season the readings are very close.

Orthopraxy

An excellent "take," merely excerpted below (read the whole thing):

As I reflected on this, I found it disconcerting to realize that this was an action that was so typical of the radical 1960’s – a time that I don’t exactly consider to be the zenith of western culture. Further study revealed that while this action was carried out by proponents of the Liturgical Movement, it actually betrayed the movement’s own original principles.

In his excellent book The Organic Development of the Liturgy, Alcuin Reid makes a very convincing argument that the liturgical changes produced by Vatican II did not reflect the founding goals of the Liturgical Movement. Surveying the evidence he writes:

This is but another example of the emergence, by the end of the nineteenth century, of a principle of liturgical reform that we may call the principle of liturgical piety. It seeks to reform not the liturgical rites and prayers, but the spiritual dispositions and practices of the Catholic faithful. A correct understanding of this principle, and of its origins, is essential for any evaluation of twentieth-century liturgical reform

The Liturgical Movement was not originally focused on changing the liturgy. It was “a movement that sought to return liturgical piety to its rightful place in the life of the Church. Only later, and secondarily, would questions of appropriate reform arise” ...

Meanwhile, the rise of (1) "pastoralism"; (2) historico-criticism; and (3) the 'antiquity' criterion.

I found all of this to be troubling for two reasons. First, I realized that the radical break with past liturgical tradition does not reflect what the Lutheran Confessions say about this subject. The dominant attitude of the confessors is that wherever possible they seek to retain the liturgical traditions they have inherited. They do this for two reasons: 1) For the sake of good order, harmony and avoiding offense; and 2) Because the traditions teach the faith ...

I would argue that the one year lectionary in [the] Lutheran Service Book provides a good example of organic development of the liturgy. It has retained the one year lectionary that has been present during the entire history of Lutheranism, and which has a firm continuity with catholic practice. The addition of Old Testament lessons is new, but as we have seen, it is actually a return to older practice and is necessary for any church that does not want functionally to be Marcionite.

The Last Sunday

Wrong again

So I was wrong (won't be either the first or the last time). In various churches, the sequences of introits, of collects, of epistles, and of gospels themselves have been preserved. But in all cases -- Roman, Lutheran, Anglican -- the interrelationships between them have been scrambled. In the Tridentine missal, the only mass, after Pentecost, that preserves everything is The Second Sunday (although the collects, epistles and gospels are well preserved in the BCP).

Older missals -- such as that of York -- make this perfectly clear.

The reason the scrambling and jumbling appears to make no real difference is that all of these Sundays after Pentecost are but variations on a single theme. But it would be nice to verify that, in a thorough fashion.

Frere provides the following reckoning of "the 26 Gospels in question" (pp. 114-115):

P. S. That last entry is supposed to read "Cum sublevasset." The theme I referred to? Providence -- De la confiance en Dieu.

The Church of St. Mary Magdalene

I. Fashions

1908

1950s

1960s onward

(The sanctuary was extensively remodeled in 1963 by Rambush & Company of New York.)

II. Patrimony

SMM's role in the development of liturgy in the Anglican Church of Canada can also be seen in claim that the "reordered" 1962 Eucharistic Rite contained in the BAS was partially inspired by developments at SMM. For some time the parish had experimented by literally cutting and pasting pages of the Canadian Book of Common Prayer into the Anglican Missal. The resulting "reordered rite" combined the sequence of Roman usage, Canadian BCP prayers, and supplemental liturgical material (e.g. minor propers) from more ancient sources.