Antiphons

[Pakesh]

I’ve got a question about the entrance and communion antiphons that are recited during Mass (usually Daily Mass). Let’s take today for example. Today was the Memorial of St. Cecelia. I use the St. Joseph’s Daily Missal. For today, it references the Common of Martyrs or Common of Virgins for the antiphons. Fine. I understand why. My question is: how do publications like the Magnificat and the soft-cover monthly missals that are in a lot of parishes pick the specific antiphon used? Is there a logic behind the choice? As far as I understand, any of the antiphons from the Common of Martyrs or Common of Virgins would have been acceptable (given the entrance and communion antiphons are from the same formulary). It seems that the Magnificat and the “disposable” Missals are always in sync somehow and I was just wondering how they choose which Antiphon is used.
Thank you and God Bless,
Pakesh

 

[jbuck919]

I’ve got a question about the entrance and communion antiphons that are recited during Mass (usually Daily Mass). Let’s take today for example. Today was the Memorial of St. Cecelia. I use the St. Joseph’s Daily Missal. For today, it references the Common of Martyrs or Common of Virgins for the antiphons. Fine. I understand why. My question is: how do publications like the Magnificat and the soft-cover monthly missals that are in a lot of parishes pick the specific antiphon used? Is there a logic behind the choice? As far as I understand, any of the antiphons from the Common of Martyrs or Common of Virgins would have been acceptable (given the entrance and communion antiphons are from the same formulary). It seems that the Magnificat and the “disposable” Missals are always in sync somehow and I was just wondering how they choose which Antiphon is used.
Thank you and God Bless,
Pakesh

The propers are associated with occasions by whoever does these things in Rome. Since all missal-type publications use the same source, naturally they print the same propers; it is not a matter of picking and choosing. On the other hand, I am not sure what book actually acts as the source for what gets reprinted in the missalettes The older propers were (and still are) available in the Graduale Romanum, along with their chants. Many if not most of the new (i.e., 1971) propers seem to have been cut from the whole cloth, the ancient, literate and richly suggestive propers of the former rite having been, not abandoned, but displaced in common usage (and then doubly so as most parishes ignore even the newer pedestrian entrance and communion antiphons).

 

[Pakesh]

Thanks, I think I understand your answer. For example, today was the optional memorial for Pope St. Clement I. The Missal says to use the Commons for Popes. Now, there are two formularies that could both be used, that are both for Popes. So, there is some ultimate source which determines to use say, Formulary 1 vs. Formulary 2?
Thanks, and God Bless
Pakesh

 

[jbuck919]

Thanks, I think I understand your answer. For example, today was the optional memorial for Pope St. Clement I. The Missal says to use the Commons for Popes. Now, there are two formularies that could both be used, that are both for Popes. So, there is some ultimate source which determines to use say, Formulary 1 vs. Formulary 2?
Thanks, and God Bless
Pakesh

That I don’t know. It may well be that the current missal contains more options for antiphons than were available in the old days, just as we now have several Eucharistic prayers instead of one and a lectionary that sometimes offers choices.

 

[Tepeyac]

Thanks, I think I understand your answer. For example, today was the optional memorial for Pope St. Clement I. The Missal says to use the Commons for Popes. Now, there are two formularies that could both be used, that are both for Popes. So, there is some ultimate source which determines to use say, Formulary 1 vs. Formulary 2?
Thanks, and God Bless
Pakesh

I don’t think there is an ultimate source that determines this, I think it’s probably just left to the celebrant’s discretion on which one to use. In the case of disposable missals they’re free to pick whichever one, so maybe they just pick the first one to be printed in the missal, or maybe whatever is better known. You’d have to call the publishers to find out their method of choosing.

The missal also gives the option to use the Common of Martyrs (Mass for One Martyr, Outside the Easter Season) so really there are 3 options to recite for the communion antiphon.

If I were a priest at Daily Mass, and our parish used a monthly missal, I would probably use whatever that monthly missal printed just to not confuse the people following in the pews.

In the Extraordinary Form the propers in the Missal pretty much matched the propers in the Gradual (the book that gives the music to the propers and not just the text). In the Ordinary Form they are now sometimes different but usually they do match or are almost exactly alike, like the communion antiphon for the Feast of Christ the King (from Psalm 29:10-11) or the entrance antiphon for the First Sunday of Advent (Psalm 25:1-3 in the modern Missal and verses 1-4 in the modern Gradual). If they now seem pedestrian remember that the ones printed in Magnificat, the monthly missal, or your St. Josephs Weekday missal are translations and not the original Latin (although I don’t know if and how the Latin ones might have changed in the Ordinary Form from the ones in the Extraordinary Form.)

Also don’t forget that the Extraordinary Form only had a 1 year cycle of readings but the Ordinary Form has a 3-year Sunday Cycle and a 2-year Weekday Cycle, plus a changed calendar and other things. There was a need for more antiphons in the modern missal.

 

[Pakesh]

Great! Thanks everyone for your answers, I really appreciate it!
God Bless, and have a great Thanksgiving
Pakesh