Judica me, Deus, et discerne causam meam de gente non sancta...

Today is the Dominica de Passione, Passion Sunday, the first day of what is traditionally called Passiontide, next Sunday being Palm Sunday, the second Sunday of the Passion and the beginning of Holy  Week. In the Pauline Rite I believe it is simply the 5th Sunday of Lent (and Palm Sunday is called Passion Sunday with Palms or something like that). 

The clever will realise that Psalm 42 is omitted from its usual place at the Introibo today. Hmm; what else changes in Passiontide-- I have to check but some of the instances of the lesser doxology (Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto, sicut erat in principio...) are suppressed, the suffragia after the orations of Vespers and Lauds are suppressed, the preface of the Holy Cross is utilized at Mass, and most obviously in most places, the crosses and sacred images in the churches are veiled in purple... well,  violet. It was on my agenda yesterday all day to search out my purple cloths to veil the crosses in my little room but of course I didn't do it until the very end of the day, after Compline. 

At Mass at Saint-Eugène, the Schola will sing Charpentier's setting of the Stabat Mater (H 15) by Jacopone da Todi (or not, depending where you look) during the Communion. And François de Fénelon's Au sang qu’un Dieu va répandre will return during the departure of the clergy from the sanctuary at the end of Mass, in the melody composed by Amédée Gastoué. (The poem was earlier set to a melody from an opera by Pergolesi!)

A couple of versions this morning of the Vexilla Regis prodeunt-- which is the hymn at Vespers ("first sung... November 19, 569": there are not too many works from the 6th century the 'premiere' date we know) during Passiontide and beyond by Saint Venantius Fortunatus-- including the entrance, now, in an harmonisation by Maxime Kovalevsky (1903-1988).

M. Durodié is sermonizing. I missed the very beginning of the preceding announcements, one of which mentioned an 'innovation at Saint-Eugène', having to do with nothing more important than scheduling, I believe. The Gradual of the Mass, Eripe me Domine.

And the Tract, Saepe expungnaverunt me. 

'After the homily', the antiphona ad elevationem of Loyset Compère (ca. 1445-1518) Adoramus te, Christe will be sung; from his Missa Galeazescha, a suite of motets rather than an ordinary Mass setting. At the Offertory the Vexilla regis is sung by Anthoine de Bertrand (1530-1581).

There is a video recording in Fr Maximilien-Marie's post about Au sang qu’un Dieu va répandre some six years ago of the closing music for a French television program for children (1962- 1973) that uses the Pergolesi melody. I wonder which opera it is from. 

I notice that M. Benjamin Intartaglia is at the organ this morning; Dr Radovondrahety is perhaps having a holiday. He is an aficionado of jazz and ragtime but also of Cistercian chant. 

Time for the Night Office.

LDVM