
The deacon changes into the white dalmatic of joy.
The Chanting of the Twelve Prophecies:
27
Mar
26
Mar
The Procession of the Dead Christ.
The Burial of the Body of Christ – The Office of Compline
The vigil before the sepulcher continues throughout the night.
25
Mar
(Above and below) New Vestments – the folded chasubles courtesy of the Society of St. Hugh of Cluny
(Above and below) The singing of the Passion
THE ANNUNCIATION AND PASSION.
by John Donne
TAMELY, frail body, abstain to-day ; to-day
My soul eats twice, Christ hither and away.
She sees Him man, so like God made in this,
That of them both a circle emblem is,
Whose first and last concur ; this doubtful day
Of feast or fast, Christ came, and went away ;
She sees Him nothing, twice at once, who’s all ;
She sees a cedar plant itself, and fall ;
Her Maker put to making, and the head
Of life at once not yet alive, yet dead ;
She sees at once the Virgin Mother stay
Reclused at home, public at Golgotha ;
Sad and rejoiced she’s seen at once, and seen
At almost fifty, and at scarce fifteen ;
At once a son is promised her, and gone ;
Gabriell gives Christ to her, He her to John ;
Not fully a mother, she’s in orbity ;
At once receiver and the legacy.
All this, and all between, this day hath shown,
Th’ abridgement of Christ’s story, which makes one—
As in plain maps, the furthest west is east—
Of th’ angels Ave, and Consummatum est.
How well the Church, God’s Court of Faculties,
Deals, in sometimes, and seldom joining these.
As by the self-fix’d Pole we never do
Direct our course, but the next star thereto,
Which shows where th’other is, and which we say
—Because it strays not far—doth never stray,
So God by His Church, nearest to him, we know,
And stand firm, if we by her motion go.
His Spirit, as His fiery pillar, doth
Lead, and His Church, as cloud ; to one end both.
This Church by letting those days join, hath shown
Death and conception in mankind is one ;
Or ’twas in Him the same humility,
That He would be a man, and leave to be ;
Or as creation He hath made, as God,
With the last judgment but one period,
His imitating spouse would join in one
Manhood’s extremes ; He shall come, He is gone ;
Or as though one blood drop, which thence did fall,
Accepted, would have served, He yet shed all,
So though the least of His pains, deeds, or words,
Would busy a life, she all this day affords.
This treasure then, in gross, my soul, uplay,
And in my life retail it every day.
(in 1608, as in 2016, the Annunciation and Good Friday fell on the same day)
(2 above and 2 below) Ecce Lignum Crucis

(Above) the Adoration of the Holy Cross
25
Mar
The Mass

(above) Ringing of bells at the Gloria.
The Procession
The Altar of Repose
The Stripping of the Altar
22
Mar
March 23 | TENEBRÆ
7:00 p.m. The complete office of Matins & Lauds for Holy Thursday
Tenebræ responsories (Lassus & anon. German, ca. 1550)
Miserere (George Malcolm)
March 24 | MAUNDY THURSDAY
7:00 p.m. The Mass of the Lord’s Supper
Missa Nos autem gloriari (La Rue)
O bone Jesu (Compère)
O vos omnes (Hieronymus Praetorius)
Ave verum corpus (Mawby)
Pange lingua (Victoria)
8:30 p.m. Vespers and Stripping of the Altars
9:00 p.m. All-Night Vigil
March 25 | GOOD FRIDAY
11:00 a.m. Via Crucis (Spanish)
12:30 p.m. Stations of the Cross (English)
3:00 p.m. The Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion
Passio Domini Nostri Jesu Christi secundum Joannem (Byrd)
The Reproaches (Senfl / plainsong)
Ecce lignum / Crux fidelis (Willaert)
Velum templi (Clemens)
Maria plena virtute (Fayrfax)
Vexilla Regis prodeunt (Roman tone) (Victoria)
Miserere (Victoria)
7:00 p.m. Outdoor Procession
8:00 p.m. Compline and All-Night Vigil
March 26 | EASTER VIGIL
2:00 p.m. Blessing of the Easter Food
7:00 p.m. The Great Paschal Vigil & First Mass of Easter
Messe solennelle (Widor)
Regina cæli (Aichinger)
Angelus Domini descendit (Lassus)
Dum transisset Sabbatum (Taverner)
Laudate Dominum omnes gentes (Byrd)
organ music of Tournemire
March 27 | EASTER SUNDAY
9:30 a.m. The Mass of Easter Sunday
Missa Pascale (Senfl)
Hæc dies (Byrd)
Congratulamini mihi omnes (Willaert)
organ music of Bach and Tournemire
22
Mar
The following churches will offer the Sung Office of Tenebrae this Wednesday evening:
St. Mary Church, Norwalk, CT, 7 pm (Traditional Mass at 6 pm)
Tenebræ responsories (Lassus & anon. German, ca. 1550)
Miserere (George Malcolm)
Church of the Holy Innocents, New York, 8 pm (Traditional Sung Mass at 6 pm)
St. Anthony of Padua, Jersey City, 7:30 pm
21
Mar
Also known as Palm or Pussy Willow Sunday (there are no palms this time of year in Russia). As celebrated at St. Michaels’ Russian Catholic Chapel, New York.
(Photo courtesy of Thomas Stadnik)
21
Mar
Palm (or Olive Branch) Sunday in the Traditional Ambrosian Rite. As celebrated at the church of the Traditional Ambrosian Rite Catholics in Milan: Santa Maria della Consolazione.