Adapting the Novus Ordo Calendar

As a thought experiment, I decided to a bit of a private “reform of the reform” and imagine

what the current General Roman Calendar would look like if it were converted back towards the Divinu Afflatu (DA) era rubrics. The entirety of the current calendar is included with four major concessions to the DA calendar: (1) inclusion of some octaves which are no longer included in the new calendar, (2) inclusion of vigils which are no longer included in the new calendar, (3) inclusion of Ember Days and Rogation Days, and (4) the retention of the season of Septuagesima.

 

For the inclusion of octaves, I did not want to include every octave from the DA calendar, but I didn’t want to be limited to just two octaves. It was difficult to decide which octaves to include and which to cut. After some suggestions, I decided to use the following two criteria: (1) the feast must have had an octave on the DA calendar and (2) must be mentioned as a holy day of obligation in Canon 1246 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law. It was also necessary for me to then simplify and modify some of the rubrics concerning octaves. The full list of octaves and their ranks is shown below.

 

i.                    Feasts ranked Solemnity, Feast, and Memorial are counted as Double, Semidouble, and Simple respectively.

a.       Doubles and Semidoubles use festal psalms and antiphons.

b.      Simples use ferial psalms and antiphons.

ii.                  All Optional Memorials are counted as Simples and are not optional.

iii.                If more than one Optional Memorial set for the same day, then either may be celebrated as a Simple and the other(s) commemorated.

iv.                Sundays are ranked Semidouble and outrank any other Semidouble except for those feasts of Our Lord.

v.                  Suffrages (and preces in the Monastic Office) are not said on feasts ranked Semidouble and higher or within octaves.

vi.                All feasts with a Vigil in the traditional calendar keep their Vigil if the feast is ranked Semidouble on the new Calendar.

a.       If a Vigil occurs with a Simple, the Vigil is commemorated.

vii.              There are three ranks of octaves: Double Octave, Semidouble Octave, and Simple Octave.

a.       Every day within a Double Octave, including its octave day, is ranked Double.

b.      Every day within a Semidouble Octave is ranked Semidouble and its octave day is ranked Double.

c.       Every day within a Simple Octave is ranked Simple and its octave day is ranked Semidouble.

viii.            Days within octaves are outranked by any feast of the same rank.

ix.                The following feasts have octaves:

a.       Double Octave

                                                              i.      Easter

                                                            ii.      Pentecost

b.      Semidouble Octave

                                                              i.      Christmas

                                                            ii.      Epiphany

                                                          iii.      Corpus Christi

c.       Simple Octave

                                                              i.      Immaculate Conception

                                                            ii.      St. Joseph

                                                          iii.      Ascension

                                                          iv.      Ss. Peter & Paul

                                                            v.      Assumption

                                                          vi.      All Saints

 

August 2021 Ordo

1	X Sunday after Pentecost Ferial Office of Sunday. At Lauds: Comm. of St. Peter’s Chains; Comm. of St. Paul; Comm. of the Holy Maccabees. At Vespers: Comm. of St. Peter’s Chains; Comm. of St. Paul. No Suffrage & Preces.	Sd
2	St. Alphonsus Liguori Common Office, Ferial Psalms & Ants. At Vespers: Comm. of St. Nicodemus. No Suffrage & Preces.	D
3	Ferial Office of Tuesday Ferial Office. At Lauds: Comm. of St. Nicodemus. Suffrage & Preces at Lauds only. I Vespers of the following.
4	St. Dominic Common Office, Festal Psalms & Ants. At Vespers: Comm. St. Oswald. No Suffrage & Preces.	Gd
5	Ferial Office of Thursday Ferial Office. Suffrage & Preces at Lauds only. I Vespers of the following.
6	Transfiguration of the Lord Proper Office. At Vespers: Comm. of the following. No Suffrage or Preces.	D2
7	St. Cajetan Common Office, Ferial Psalms & Ants.	D
8	XI Sunday after Pentecost Ferial Office of Sunday. Suffrage and Preces are said.	Sd
9	Vigil of St. Laurence Ferial Office of Monday, Proper Collect. Suffrage & Preces at Lauds only. I Vespers of the following.	V
10	St. Laurence Proper Office. No Suffrage of Preces.	D2, SO
11	Ferial Office of Wednesday Ferial Office. At Vespers: Comm. of St. Clare. Suffrage & Preces are said.
12	Ferial Office of Thursday Ferial Office. At Lauds: Comm. of St. Clare. Suffrage & Preces are said.
13	Ferial Office of Friday Ferial Office. Suffrage & Preces are said.
14	Vigil of the Assumption of the BVM Ferial office of Saturday, Proper Collect. Suffrage & Preces at Lauds only. I Vespers of the following; Comm. of XII Sunday after Pentecost.	V
15	Assumption of the BVM Proper Office. At Lauds: Comm. of XII Sunday after Pentecost. At Vespers: Comm. of XII Sunday after Pentecost; Comm. of St. Joachim. No Suffrage & Preces.	D, SO
16	Day II within the Octave of the Assumption All as in feast. At Lauds: Comm. of St. Joachim. At Vespers: Comm. of Octave Day of St. Laurence. No Suffrage & Preces.	Sd
17	Day III within the Octave of the Assumption All as in feast. At Lauds: Comm. of Octave Day of St. Laurence. At Vespers: Comm. of Octave Day of St. Laurence; Comm. of St. Helena. No Suffrage & Preces.	Sd
18	Day IV within the Octave of the Assumption All as in feast. No Suffrage & Preces.	Sd
19	Day V within the Octave of the Assumption All as in feast. I Vespers of the following. No Suffrage & Preces.	Sd
20	St. Bernard of Clairvaux Common Office, Festal Psalms. At Lauds: Comm. of the Octave. At Vespers: Comm. of the Octave; Comm. of St. Jane Frances de Chantal. No Suffrage & Preces.	Gd
21	Day VII within the Octave of the Assumption All as in feast. At Lauds: Comm. of St. Jane Frances de Chantal. I Vespers of the following	Sd
22	XIII Sunday after Pentecost Ferial Office. At Lauds: Comm. Octave Day of Assumption. At Vespers: Comm. of the Octave Day of the Assumption. No Suffrage & Preces.	Sd
23	Vigil of St. Bartholomew Ferial Office of Monday, Proper Collect. Suffrage & Preces at Lauds only. I Vespers of the following.	V
24	St. Bartholomew Common Office, Proper Collect. At Vespers: Comm. of St. Louis; Comm. of St. Hilda. No Suffrage & Preces.	D2
25	Ferial Office of Wednesday Ferial Office. At Lauds: Comm. St. Louis; Comm. St. Hilda. Suffrage & Preces are said.
26	Ferial Office of Thursday Ferial Office. Suffrage & Preces are said.
27	Ferial Office of Friday Ferial Office. Suffrage & Preces at Lauds only.
28	St. Augustine of Hippo Common Office, Festal Psalms & Ants. I Vespers of the following; Comm. St. Augustine; Comm. Beheading of St. John. No Suffrage & Preces	Gd
29	XIV Sunday After Pentecost Ferial Office of Sunday. At Lauds & Vespers: Comm. Beheading of St. John. No Suffrage & Preces.	Sd
30	Ferial Office of Monday Ferial Office. At Vespers: Comm. St. Aidan. Suffrage & Preces are said.
31	Ferial Office of Tuesday Ferial Office. At Lauds: Comm. St. Aidan. At Vespers: Comm. St. Giles. Suffrage & Preces are said.

 

July 2021 Ordo

Two notes for this month. First, if you are not a Benedictine, you may consider lowering the rank of St. Benedict from a Double First Class to a Greater Double and removing the Octave. Secondly, you have the option of celebrating St. Anne and St. Joachim separately on their traditional dates July 26 and August 16, respectively or together on July 26. I have presented the conjoined option because that seems to the be the primary option chosen by the MD.

Thu	1	The Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ Proper Office. Festal Psalms. I Vespers of the following; Comm. of the preceding No Suffrage & Preces.	D2
Fri	2	The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Proper Office. Festal Psalms. No Suffrage & Preces.	D2
Sat	3	Fifth Day within the Octave of Ss. Peter & Paul Common office, except that which is proper. At Lauds: Comm. of St. Irenaeus. I Vespers of the following; Comm. of the Octave; Comm. of the Translation of St. Martin. No Suffrage & Preces	Sd
Sun	4	Sixth Sunday after Pentecost Ferial Office of Sunday. At Lauds: Comm. of the Octave; Comm. of the Translation of St. Martin. At Vespers: Comm. of the Octave; Comm. of Ss. Cyril & Methodius. No Suffrage & Preces.	Sd
Mon	5	Seventh Day within the Octave of Ss. Peter & Paul Common office, except that which is proper. At Lauds: Comm. of Ss. Cyril & Methodius. I Vespers of the following. No Suffrage & Preces.	Sd
Tue	6	Octave of Ss. Peter & Paul Common office, except that which is proper. No Suffrage & Preces.	Gd
Wed	7	Ferial Office of Wednesday. Suffrage and Preces are said.
Thu	8	Ferial Office of Thursday. Suffrage and Preces are said.
Fri	9	Ferial Office of Friday. Suffrage and Preces are said.
Sat	10	Saturday Office of Our Lady Proper Office. Ferial Psalms. I Vespers of the following; Comm. of the Sunday. Suffrage and Preces at Lauds and Prime only.	S
Sun	11	Solemnity of Our Holy Father Benedict Proper Office. At Lauds: Comm. of the Sunday. At Vespers: Comm. of Sunday; Comm. of St. John Gualbert. No Suffrage & Preces.	D1 CO
Mon	12	St. John Gualbert Common Office. Ferial Psalms. At Lauds: Comm. of the Octave of St. Benedict. At Vespers: Comm. of the Octave of St Benedict; Comm. of St. Silas. No Suffrage & Preces.	D
Tue	13	Third Day within the Octave of St. Benedict As on feast. At Lauds: Comm. of St. Silas. I Vespers of the following; Comm. of the Octave. No Suffrage & Preces.	Sd
Wed	14	St. Bonaventura Common Office. Ferial Psalms. At Lauds: Comm. of the Octave of St. Benedict. At Vespers: Comm. of the Octave of St Benedict; Comm. of the Translation of St. Swithun. No Suffrage & Preces.	D
Thu	15	Second Day within the Octave of St. Benedict As on feast. At Lauds: Comm. of the Translation of St. Swithun. I Vespers of the following; Comm. of the Octave. No Suffrage & Preces.	Sd M
Fri	16	Commemoration of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Common Office except that which proper. At Lauds: Comm. of the Octave. At Vespers: Comm. of the Octave; Comm. of the Translation of St. Osmund. No Suffrage & Preces.	Gd
Sat	17	Second Day within the Octave of St. Benedict As on feast. At Lauds: Comm. Translation of St. Osmund. I Vespers of the following; Comm. Octave Day of St. Benedict. No Suffrage & Preces.	Sd
Sun	18	Eighth Sunday after Pentecost Ferial office of Sunday. At Lauds: Comm. of Octave Day of St. Benedict. At Vespers: Comm. of Octave Day of St. Benedict; Comm. of St. Vincent de Paul. No Suffrage & Preces.	Sd
Mon	19	Ferial Office of Monday. At Lauds: Comm. St. Vincent de Paul. At Vespers: Comm. of Ss. Jerome Aemilianus, Joseph Calasanctius, & Jean Baptiste de la Salle; Comm. of St. Margaret of Antioch. Suffrage and Preces are said.
Tue	20	Ferial Office of Tuesday. At Lauds: Comm. of Ss. Jerome Aemilianus, Joseph Calasanctius, & Jean Baptiste de la Salle; Comm. of St. Margaret of Antioch. Suffrage and Preces are said.
Wed	21	Ferial Office of Wednesday. Suffrage and Preces are said at Lauds and Prime only. I Vespers of the following.
Thu	22	St. Mary Magdalene Common Office except that which is proper. At Vespers: Comm. St. Apollinaris. No Suffrage & Preces.	Gd
Fri	23	Ferial Office of Friday. At Lauds: Comm. of St. Apollinaris. Suffrage and Preces are said.	M
Sat	24	Vigil of St. James Feria Office. Proper Collect. I Vespers of the following; Comm. of the Sunday. No Suffrage & Preces.
Sun	25	St. James Common Office. Proper Collect. At Lauds: Comm. of Sunday. II Vespers of preceding; Comm. of following; Comm. of Sunday.	D2
Mon	26	Ss. Joachim & Anne, Parent B.V.M. Proper Office. No Suffrage & Preces.	D2
Tue	27	Ferial Office of Tuesday. Suffrage and Preces are said.
Wed	28	Ferial Office of Wednesday. At Vespers: Comm. of Ss. Felix, Simplicius, & Beatrice; Comm. of St. Martha. Suffrage and Preces are said.
Thu	29	Ferial Office of Thursday. At Lauds: Comm. of Ss. Felix, Simplcius, Faustinus, & Beatrice; Comm. of St. Martha. At Vespers: Comm. of Ss. Abdon & Sennen. Suffrage and Preces are said.
Fri	30	Ferial Office of Friday. At Lauds: Comm. of Ss. Abdon & Sennen. I Vespers of the following. Suffrage and Preces are said at Lauds and Prime only.	M
Sat	31	St. Ignatius of Loyola Common Office. Ferial Psalms. I Vespers of the following; Comm. of preceding. No Suffrage & Preces.	D