You read that right, folks! This coming Sunday is NOT the Fourth Sunday of the Year. This Sunday, February 2, is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, a feast that trumps the usually numbered Sunday of the Year. This is the feast that is also known by many as Candlemas, as the liturgy starts with the Blessing of Candles. In the traditional (Extraordinary Form, that is, the Roman Missal of 1962) calendar, this Sunday would be known as the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, though the liturgical pattern and Sacred Scripture is very similar.
After Mass, there will be the Blessing of Throats, a custom in honor of Saint Blaise, whose feast is the next day (February 3).
In terms of music, the beginning of Mass will depend on the priest. He may opt to do a blessing of candles and process afterwards, or do a simple entrance. The hymn during said procession (or entrance hymn if simple entrance) is Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates. Though it seems to be an Advent hymn (and is grouped in sections marked "Advent" in most hymnals that are arranged by season/category), Lift up your heads... includes passages from Psalm 24:7-10, the Responsorial Psalm of the day.
The offertory hymn, In his temple now behold him, is taken from the Gospel reading of the day and is sung to a very familiar tune, the Tantum Ergo set to the tune "St. Thomas" (named aptly after St. Thomas Aquinas, author of the Tantum Ergo and the larger hymn it is excerpted from, Pange Lingua.)
During Communion, the Canticle of Simeon will be sung, using a tone by the French Jesuit Pérè Joseph Gelineau, SJ. This proclamation made by Simeon is also presented in the day's Gospel. While this canticle is not contained in the response (Guard us, O Lord, while we sleep, and keep us in peace), it is contained in the verses. This is known in Latin as Nunc Dimittis and is chanted in the Office of Compline (or "Night Prayer").
While I originally programmed Praise the Lord, ye heavens, adore him as the recessional hymn, the celebrants of both Masses (Frs. Unsworth and Lemoi, respectively) agreed to bless the throats after Mass, so Praise the Lord... (two verses) will be the meditation hymn instead. We will disperse with the recessional hymn and postlude this weekend.
That said...
MUSIC FOR HOLY MASS
Processional hymn: Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates ("Truro") (Listen)
Psalm 24: Who is this King of glory? It is the Lord! (Jon Laird)
Offertory hymn: In his temple now behold him ("St. Thomas") (Listen)
Communion responsory: Canticle of Simeon, R./ Guard us, O Lord, while we sleep, and keep us in peace (response by Guy Weitz and Dom Anthony Gregory Murray, OSB; versicles by Pérè Joseph Gelineau, SJ)
Meditation hymn: Praise the Lord, ye heav'ns, adore him (Listen)
