Easter Vigil as the Mother of all Vigils-복사

Ecclesia orans 33 (2016) 7-48
Easter Vigil as the “Mother of all Vigils”:

he Signiicance of Structural Parallels
between the Easter Vigil and the Vigils of Pentecost
and the Tempora in Roman Rite
Wilfred Sumani
Introduction
he centrality of the paschal mystery in Christian life has been af-
irmed right from Christian antiquity. On a theological plane, the in-
vestigations of Odo Casel have consolidated the awareness of the colos-
sal importance of the notion of “mystery” as participation in divine life
communicated through rites, contrary to the intellectual model that
presents “mystery” primarily as doctrine. he essence and goal of every
liturgical celebration is the liturgical subject’s participation in the life,
death and resurrection of Jesus Christ1.
With the exception of the Quartodeciman intent on maintaining the
coincidence of the Lord’s Passover with the Jewish Passover2, Christian
tradition has for centuries celebrated the passion and the resurrection
of the Jesus on Holy Saturday during the Easter vigil. Historically, the
Easter vigil is also believed to be the «oldest attested vigil in the history
of Christianity»3. Augustine calls it the “mother” of all vigils4.
Wilfred Sumani is a Jesuit priest from Malawi. He obtained his doctorate in lit-
urgy from the Pontiical Institute of Liturgy, Sant’Anselmo, Rome and now teaches at
Hekima Jesuit School of heology in Nairobi, Kenya.
1
Cf. O. Casel, Le mystère du culte dans le christianisme (Lex orandi 6), Cerf, Paris
1946, 15-18.133-138.
2
Cf. T.J. Talley, he Origins of the Liturgical Year (A Pueblo Book), Liturgical
Press, New York 21991, 5-13.18-27.
3
P.F. Bradshaw, «Easter Vigil», in he New SCM Dictionary of Liturgy and Wor-
ship, ed. P.F. Bradshaw, SCM Press, London 2005, 162-163.
4
«Quanto ergo alacrius in hae vigilia, velut matre omnium sanctarum vigiliarum,
vigilare debemus, in qua totus vigilat mundus?», Augustinus, Sermo CCXIX, ed.
8 Wilfred Sumani
he historical precedence of the Easter vigil and its theological promi-

nence in the liturgical year means that all the other vigils directly or indi-
rectly draw their meaning from the Easter vigil. In the Roman tradition,
the derivation of the other vigils from the “mother” vigil is partly shown
by creating structural parallels between the Easter vigil and other vigils.
hus, the very structure of the ritual programme becomes a mechanism
for mediating the meaning of a particular celebration.
his essay studies the structural parallels between the Easter vigil, on
the one hand, and the vigils of Pentecost and the Tempora, on the other.
A historical investigation of the development of each vigil up to the li-
turgical reforms of the post-Vatican Council II will help to show the use
of structure as a tool for interpreting one liturgical celebration from the
standpoint of another. A limited exercise in comparative liturgy will help
to trace the function of certain texts in the history of the Easter vigil.
1. Structure of the Easter Vigil in the History of the Roman

Liturgy
In its historical development, the Easter vigil of the Roman rite has
known expansions and pruning. Here attention will be given to the
structure of the word of God and the rites inserted between the service
of the word and the liturgy of the Eucharist. he present writer shares
the conviction that patterns in the development of a liturgical tradition
are more clearly discernible when one delimits one’s investigation to
particular liturgical units of the celebration5.
1.1. Gregorian Sacramentary

In both Christian East and West, little is known about the content
of the Easter vigil before the fourth century6. he paucity of informa-
J.P. Migne (Patrologia Latina [= PL] 38), Migne, Paris 1865, 1088. [To the present
writer’s knowledge, a more recent critical edition of this sermon is not yet available].
5
Cf. R. Taft, «he Structural Analysis of Liturgical Units: An Essay in Metho-
dology», Worship 52 (1978) 314-329, at 317.
6
Bits and pieces of information regarding the annual celebration of the death
and resurrection of Christ are found in the following sources, among others: Epistula
Easter Vigil as the “Mother of all Vigils” 9
tion about the celebration of the Paschal night in the early centuries is
even more pronounced in Western liturgical traditions before the emer-
gence of sacramentaries, lectionaries and missals. Practically no detailed
information about the structure of the Roman Easter vigil is available
before the 7th century.
he Gregorian Sacramentary is said to represent the Roman papal
liturgy and was probably written in the early 7th century, during the
pontiicate of Honorius I (625-638). he sacramentary later evolved
into three distinct types in the second half of the seventh century, one
of which is the Hadrianum, the liturgical book which Pope Hadrian
sent to Charlemagne between 784 and 7917. he Hadrianum enumer-
ates the following lessons used in the service of the Word during the
papal Easter vigil8: Genesis 1; Exodus 14; Isaiah 4; Isaiah 54 and Psalm
41(42).
he service of readings was followed by the rite of baptism, for the
next formulae are prayers for the blessing of the baptismal font and
baptismal water9. In the Hanc igitur mention is made of those regener-
ated in water and spirit10. After baptism, there came the Eucharistic
celebration. he formula ad infantes consignandos11 is followed by two
Apostolorum 26, in Le Testament en Galilée de Notre-Seigneur Jésus-Christ. Texte éthiopi-

en, ed. L. Guerrier (Patrologia Orientalis 9), Firmin-Didot, Paris 1913, 198-199; Mé-
liton de Sardes, Sur la Pâques et fragments, 12-65, ed. O. Perler (Sources chrétiennes
[= SCh] 123), Cerf, Paris 1966, 66-95; Didascalia Apostolorum V, 19, in Didascalia et
Constitutiones Apostolorum, vol. 1, ed. F.X. Funk, F. Schoeningh, Paderbornae 1905,
289-291; Augustinus, Sermo 223A, 1, in Opere di Sant’Agostino. Discorsi, vol. 4/1:
Su i tempi liturgici. Testo latino dell’edizione maurina e delle edizioni postmaurine, edd.
P. Bellini-F. Cruciani-V. Tarulli (Nuova Biblioteca Agostiniana 32/2), Città Nuova,
Roma 1984, 322.
7
Cf. E. Palazzo, A History of Liturgical Books From the Beginning to the hir-
teenth Century, Liturgical Press, Collegeville (MN) 1998, 50-51.
8
«Hadrianum ex authentico. Ad idem codicis cameracensis 164» (= Ha) 362-372,
in Le sacramentaire grégorien. Ses principales formes d’après les plus anciens manuscrits,
vol. 1, ed. J. Deshusses (Spicilegium Friburgense 16), Editions Universitaires Fribourg
Suisse, Fribourg 31992, 183-185.
9
Cf. Ha 373-375.
10
Cf. Ha 381.
11
Cf. Ha 376.
10 Wilfred Sumani
prayers that appear to be ofertory prayers12, after which comes the pref-
ace for the Mass13.
1.2. Gelasianum Vetus

he identity of the Gelasianum Vetus remains shrouded in mystery.
While some scholars are of the opinion that it represents the liturgical
use of the Roman titular churches in the 7th and 8th centuries and then
“Gallicanised” later14, others maintain that this book is representative
of the attempt to “Romanise” the Gallican liturgical tradition, in which
case the Gelasianum Vetus would be a hybrid liturgical book containing
a mixture of Roman and Gallican practices15. A detailed appraisal of
these positions is beyond the purview of the present essay.
he Gelasian sacramentary lists ten Old Testament readings for the
service of the Word during the Easter vigil, as follows16:
12
Cf. Ha 377-378.
13
Cf. Ha 374.
14
Cf. E. Bishop, «he Earliest Roman Mass Book», in Liturgica Historica:
Papers on the Liturgy and Religious Life of the Western Church, Clarendon Press,
Oxford 1918, 43-45; E. Bourque, Étude sur les sacramentaires romains, vol. 1: Les
textes primitifs, Pontiicio Istituto di Archeologia Cristiana, Città del Vaticano 1948,
271-298. However, as Folsom clariies, the book contains liturgical celebrations for
both a bishop and a presbyter. Cf. C. Folsom, «I libri liturgici romani», in Scientia
liturgica. Manuale di liturgia, vol. 1: Introduzione alla liturgia, ed. A.J. Chupungco,
Piemme, Casale Monferrato 21999, 268. A more nuanced theory discerns two “stra-
ta” – one presbyteral and the other papal – within the same sacramentary, the latter
being the more recent. In this case, the papal elements (such as titular celebrations)
found in the Gelasian sacramentary would have been taken from a liturgical book
for papal celebrations.
15
Cf. L. Duchesne, Origines du culte chrétien. Étude sur la liturgie latine avant
Charlemagne, horin, Paris 1889, 119-127; M. Andrieu, «Les messes des jeudis de
Carême et les anciens sacramentaires», Revue des Sciences Religieuses 9 (1929) 343-375;
A.M. Martelli, Il sacramentario gelasiano, Cod. Vat. Reginense 316. Primo testimone
completo dell’esperimento della liturgia romana nella Gallia precarolingia, Vita Trentina
Editrice, Trento 2003, 7-24.
16
Cf. Sacramentarium gelasianum (= GeV) 432-443, edd. L.C. Mohlberg-L.
Eizenhöfer-P. Sifrin (Rerum Ecclesiasticarum Documenta, Series Maior, Fontes 4),
Herder, Roma 1960.
1. In principio fecit Deus (Genesis 1)

2. De Noe (Genesis 5)
3. De Abraham tertia (Genesis 22)
4. In Exodo quarta cum cantico: Cantemus Domino (Exodus 14-15)
5. In Esaia V (Isaiah 54)
6. In Ezechihel VI (Ezekiel 37)
7. VII in Esaia cum cantico vinea Domini (Isaiah 4-5)
8. Item in Exodo VIII (Exodus 12)
9. VIIII in Deuteronomio cum cantico (Deuteronomy 31)
10. In Danihelo X (Daniel 3)
Psalm 41, followed by a prayer.
After the readings, there was a litany, followed by the blessing of the
baptismal font, blessing of baptismal water and the administration of
baptism and conirmation17. he rites of Christian initiation were fol-
lowed by the Eucharistic celebration, as can be established from the of-
fertory prayers and the preface that come after the formulae for baptism
and conirmation18.
Since Isaiah 54 is mentioned in both the Hadrianum and the Gela-
sianum Vetus, and Daniel 3 appears in the latter but not in the former,
it would seem that the Gelasian Sacramentary represents a later de-
velopment of the Roman Easter vigil. Further, the Easter vigil ritual
programme in the Gelasianum is more developed and detailed than that
found in the Hadrianum. It is likely, therefore, that the more elaborate
structure of the Easter vigil presented in the Gelasianum represents Gal-
lican inluences. In fact, Vogel describes this sacramentary as a “Frank-
ish recension of a Roman book”19.
Amiet explains how the Gelasianum Vetus came to have ten readings
instead of four as in the Hadrianum. He hypothesises that in the 7th
century, the Roman Easter vigil had four Old Testament readings plus
one from the New Testament, all of which were executed both in Greek
and in Latin. However, as Greek was no longer understood by many
people, the titular churches suppressed the readings in Greek and added
17
Cf. GeV 443-452.
18
Cf. GeV 455-458.
19
Cf. C. Vogel, Medieval Liturgy: An Introduction to the Sources, W.G. Storey-
N.K. Rasmussen, he Pastoral Press, Washington (D.C.) 1986, 65.
12 Wilfred Sumani
ive other biblical texts to maintain the number ten20. It is not unlikely
that Daniel 3 would have made its entry into the order of lessons at
that point.
Botte’s reconstruction of the development of the Roman Easter vigil,
however, would paint a slightly diferent picture21. He surmises that the
original Roman Easter vigil had six Old Testament lessons, as is evident
in the recurrence of six readings in the vigils of the Quatuor Tempora.
He adds that there is no other Roman document that corroborates the
Gregorian coniguration of the Easter vigil readings. he “original” six
readings are given as follows: Genesis 1; Genesis 22; Exodus 14 and
canticle (Exodus 15); Deuteronomy 31 and canticle (Deuteronomy
32); Isaiah 4 and canticle (Isaiah 5), and Baruch. In his view, the Gre-
gorian Sacramentary represents a stage when the Roman church had
already distributed the Easter vigil readings between Holy Saturday and
the Pentecost vigil. Botte leaves out Daniel 3. Instead, he privileges
Baruch, which appears neither in the Hadrianum nor in the Gelasia-
num Vetus. herefore, Botte’s reconstruction is not conclusive, for he
cannot furnish evidence of the “pre-Gregorian” sourses to support his
hypothesis.
In his analysis of the readings assigned to the Easter vigil and Pente-
cost vigil, Herman Schmidt thinks that Genesis 22 is thematically more
itting to Easter vigil than to Pentecost vigil. Deuteronomy 31 speaks of
the testament of Moses in which the inidelity of the people is chided
and idelity is praised. hese baptismal motifs make this reading suit-
able for the Easter vigil. Isaiah 4, likewise, has relations with baptism
because it speaks of the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of
the new. Baruch 3 (Audi Israel), indicated as Jeremiah in the old sources
following the Old Latin version of Jerome, describes the spiritual life of
the people. Its relation with baptism is evident and is therefore suitable
for the Easter vigil22.
20
Cf. R. Amiet, La veillée pascale dans l’Église latine, vol. 1: Le rite romain, Cerf,
Paris 1999, 254.
21
Cf. B. Botte, «Le choix des lectures de la veillée Pascale», Questions Liturgiques
33 (1952) 65-70.
22
Cf. H. Schmidt, Hebdomada Sancta, vol. 2: Commentarius Historicus, Herder,
Romae 1957, 835-36.
However, the relevance of Baruch to the Easter vigil does not war-
rant the replacement of Daniel 3 with the former in the ancient order
of Easter vigil readings. In the extant Roman sources, in fact, Baruch
3 makes its appearance for the irst time in the Anian Supplement to
the Gregorian Sacramentary, which datum would point to the non-
Roman origin of this pericope. In the Anian Supplement23 the order of
the Old Testament lessons is as follows: Genesis 1 and prayer; Genesis
5 and prayer; Genesis 22 and prayer; Exodus 14 cum cantico Cantemus
Domino (Exodus 15), then prayer; Isaiah 54 and prayer; Baruch 3 (here
given as Jeremiah – Audi Israhel mandata vitae) and prayer; Ezekiel 37
and prayer; Isaiah 4 cum cantico Vinea facta est dilecto, then prayer;
Exodus 12 and prayer; Jonah 3 and prayer; Deuteronomy 31 cum can-
tico Adtende caelum, then prayer; Daniel 3 and prayer; Psalm 41 and
prayer24. Subsequent Roman sources follow this sequence of Old Testa-
ment readings, as will be seen in what follows.
1.3. Ordinal of Innocent III and the Tridentine Missal

By the 13th century, the Roman Easter vigil service of the Word had
appropriated Gallican elements and boasted twelve Old Testament
readings25, as in the Anian Supplement. he Ordinarium Innocentii III,
for example, appoints twelve readings executed both in Greek and Lat-
23
he Anian Supplement (so called because it is believed to be a composition of
St. Benedict of Aniane, the renowned monastic founder and reformer of the Carolin-
gian period) was meant to ill the lacunae of the Hadrianum, especially with regard
to celebrations presided by presbyters in the Frankish kingdom, for the Hadrianum
was meant for celebrations presided over by the bishop of Rome, cf. Vogel, Medieval
Liturgy, 86.
24
Cf. Hadrianum revisum anianense cum supplemento. Ad idem codicis camera-
censis 164 (= SupAn) 1024-1048, in Le sacramentaire grégorien. Ses principales formes
d’après les plus anciens manuscrits, vol. 1, ed. J. Deshusses (Spicilegium Friburgense
16), Editions Universitaires Fribourg Suisse, Fribourg 31992, 363-368; Amiet, La
veillée pascale, 258-259.
25
Cf. H.A. der Maur, Le celebrazioni nel ritmo del tempo, vol. 1: Feste del Signore
nella settimana e nell’anno (La Liturgia della Chiesa 5), Elle Di Ci, Leumann (TO)
1990, 146-148.
14 Wilfred Sumani
in26, depending on the pope’s disposition (sicut domino pap[a]e placet).

Kneeling is not allowed after the last reading (Daniel 3):
Cum autem ventum fuerit ad lectionem qua legitur Nabuchodonosor,
ad illam orationem que [sic] sequitur dicitur Oremus et non Flectamus
genua, eo quod rex ille omnem populum sub dictione sua coegerit lectere
genua ante statuam auream quam erexerat. Quod ecclesia reputans factum
in contemptu Dei onnipotens, post illam lectionem non lectit genua27.
According to this source, there is no kneeling after the last reading

because in Daniel 3 the Babylonian king coerces people to bend their
knee before the golden statue, which royal command is an afront to
God. Unlike in the Tempora vigils (to be seen later in this essay) where
kneeling is understood as a penitential gesture (in which case Daniel
3 marked the end of the penitential period and ushered in the East-
ertide28), the cessation of kneeling after Daniel 3 is now understood
as an act of resistance against the king’s idolatrous legislation29. his
scriptural justiication of the liturgical gesture possibly shows that the
original meaning of the prohibition of kneeling after Daniel 3 had been
lost sight of. he phenomenon of scriptural rehabilitation of liturgical
26
he practice of reading in Greek and Latin is traced back to the Byzantine
period between Honorius I (625-638) and Hadrian I (772-795) when nine of the
twenty-ive popes were from the East. Cf. G. Tampère, «Quatre-Temps de septembre.
Le formulaire liturgique: Histoire et signiication des Quatre-Temps», Assemblées du
Seigneur 72 (1964) 15; Vogel, Medieval Liturgy, 296.
27
«Ordinarium Innocentii III», in he Ordinal of the Papal Court from Innocent
III to Boniface VIII and Related Documents, edd. S.J.P. Van Dijk-J.H. Walker, he
University Press, Fribourg 1975, 264-265.
28
Cf. A. Rose, «Les “bénédictions” dans les vigiles et à l’oice du matin», in
Les bénédictions et les sacramentaux dans la liturgie. Conférences Saint-Serge XXXIVe
semaine d’études liturgiques, edd. A.M. Triacca-A. Pistoia (Biblioteca “Ephemerides
Liturgicæ”. “Subsidia” [= BEL.S] 44), CLV-Edizioni Liturgiche, Roma 1988, 246.
29
heodor Klauser points out that in the ancient world one of the meanings of
genulection was an expression of homage and adoration accorded to rulers or gods.
«Since genulection was in this case an expression of adoration, the Christians in the
age of persecution had, besides refusing to ofer sacriice, also to refuse to genulect to
images of the gods and the emperors», T. Klauser, A Short History of the Western Lit-
urgy: An Account and Some Relections, Oxford University Press, London 21979, 114.
gestures whose meaning is no longer understood is common in the

development of liturgical traditions, as noted by Baumstark and Taft30.
Missale romanum 1570 maintains the twelve readings and the three
canticles31. his missal writes out the readings entirely, and Daniel 3
ends thus: Et ambulabant in medio lammae laudantes Deum et benedi-
centes Domino32, after which comes the rubric: Hic non dicitur lectamus
genua33. he prayer spes unica mundi and Psalm 41 come after the lesson
from Daniel 3.
1.4. Pian Reform (1955)

he 1955 Pian reform of Holy Week reduced the number of Easter
vigil Old Testament readings to four, perhaps in an attempt to reclaim
the old tradition represented by the Hadrianum. he lessons conserved
in the Pian missal are those with canticles (Exodus 14, Isaiah 4 and
Deuteronomy 31), plus Genesis 134. he numerical correspondence be-
tween the Hadrianum and the Pian missal does not translate into cor-
respondence in content, for the 1955 reform maintained Deuteronomy
30
Cf. A. Baumstark, Liturgie comparée, Principes et méthodes pour l’étude his-
torique des liturgies chrétiennes, Chevetogne, Paris 1953, 145-148; R.F. Taft, «An-
ton Baumstark’s Comparative Liturgy Revisited», in Acts of the International Congress
Comparative Liturgy Fifty Years after Anton Baumstark (1872-1948), Rome, 25-29 Sep-
tember 1998, edd. R.F. Taft-G. Winkler (Orientalia Christiana Analecta 265), Ponti-
icio Istituto Orientalia, Roma 2001, 209.
31
Cf. Missale romanum. Editio princeps (1570) (= MR 1570), Anastatica, edd.
M. Sodi-A.M. Triacca (Monumenta liturgica Concilii Tridentini 2), Libreria Editrice
Vaticana, Città del Vaticano 1998, 265-278. A note about the ifth reading: while the
previous sacramentaries appoint Isa 54, the Tridentine missal indicates Isa 55, but
the irst verse of the reading is taken from Isa 54, 17, and then continues with Isa 55,
1-11. Later editions of the Tridentine missal clearly indicate this datum clearly. Given
that Haec est hereditas servorum Domini, often used as the title of the ifth reading, is
the last verse of Isa 54, it is likely that, even in the earlier liturgical books Isa 55, 1-11
was part of the reading.
32
Dan 3, 24.
33
MR 1570, 278.
34
Cf. Missale romanum ex decreto Sacrosancti Concilii Tridentini restitutum Sum-
morum Pontiicum cura recognitum, editio typica (= MR 1962), Typis Polyglottis Vati-
canis, Roma 1962, 195-198.
16 Wilfred Sumani
31, absent in the Hadrianum, and left out Isaiah 54, reported in the
latter, instead.
One of the consequences of the disappearance of Daniel 3 from the
sequence of Easter vigil Old Testament readings is that Deuteronomy
31 becomes the last reading, followed by the second canticle of Moses
(Deuteronomy 32), with the usual invitation to kneel before the collect
that accompanies this reading. his means that the vigil service ends
on a penitential note. Psalm 41 is also no longer part of the vigil. he
omission of this baptismal psalm is a signiicant transformation of the
structure of the Roman Easter vigil.
1.5. Post-Vatican II Reform

he post-Vatican II Roman missal increased the number of Old Tes-
tament readings to seven: Genesis 1; Genesis 22; Exodus 14; Isaiah 54,
5-14; Isaiah 55, 1-1135; Baruch 3, and Ezekiel 3636. One of the novelties
here is that each reading is followed by a responsorial psalm or a can-
ticle. he last reading, Ezekiel 36, is followed by Psalm 41 or Psalm 42.
1.6. Observations
In its various manifestations, the Roman Easter vigil has a fairly con-
stant structure. he service of the word comprises several Old Testa-
ment. In its later development, Daniel 3 was added. he prayers said af-
ter the Old Testament readings are preceded by the invitation to kneel,
with the exception of the last Old Testament reading, namely, Daniel
3. Of all the sources examined thus far, only the Ordinal of Innocent
III explains why the penitential gesture is omitted after the last reading.
Further, in all the Roman sources, except in the 1955 (then 1962) mis-
sal, Psalm 41 marks the transition to the baptismal liturgy.
35
As mentioned earlier, the ancient vigil (also relected in the Tridentine missal)
combined Isa 54, 17 and Isa 55, 1-11. he post-Vatican II reform divides this reading
into two separate readings; the new version of Isa 54 no longer includes verse 17.
36
Cf. Missale romanum ex decreto Sacrosancti Oecumenici Concilii Vaticani II in-
stauratum auctoritate Pauli PP. VI promulgatum Ioannis Pauli PP. II cura recognitum,
editio typica tertia (= MR 2008), Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, Roma 2008, 357-360.
2. Origin and Role of Daniel 3 in Roman Easter Vigil

In the Roman Easter vigil, Daniel 3 enjoys relative stability and oc-
cupies the last place in the order of Old Testament readings. Since the
Hadrianum does not include Daniel 3 among the vigil lessons, while
the Anian Supplement does, it is possible that the Danielic pericope
was not originally part of the Roman Easter vigil. However, the sources
below suggest that the use of Daniel 3 in the liturgy of Holy Saturday
goes back to ancient times, at least in non-Roman liturgical traditions.
In his Easter vigil discourses Zeno of Verona indirectly reports the
order of the vigil. In several instances, after the discourse entitled In-
cipit praefatio or praefatio paschalis, the order of discourses is as follows:
De Genesi, De Exodo, Item sequentia Exodi, De Esaia, De Danielis, and
Tractatus Psalmi XLI37. Often, the sermon on Psalm 41 is followed by
another exhortation making reference to baptism: Invitatio fontis38 or
Post traditum baptisma39. Zeno’s schema resembles that of the Hadria-
num. he only diference is that the latter appoints Isaiah 54 instead of
Daniel 3. he Hadrianum also omits the canticles.
In Zeno’s sequence, Daniel 3 comes last, just as in most of the Ro-
man sources examined above. Given that Zeno probably died before
38040, the presence of Daniel 3 in the Easter vigil would suggest that
this Old Testament reading was part of the primitive sequence of the
vigil lessons, at least by the 4th century41.
Another important source that features Daniel 3 is the Armenian
Lectionary of the 5th century. Scholars are generally agreed that this lec-
tionary represents the liturgy of the Holy Land in the period between
417 and 439. here are two manuscripts of the Armenian Lectionary:
Paris arm. 44 and Jerusalem 121 of the Armenian Patriarchate. Of the
37
Cf. Zeno Veronensis, Tractatus I, 7; I, 12; I, 17; I, 23; I, 27; I, 31; I, 45; I, 48,
ed. B. Löfstedt (Corpus Christianorum. Series latina [= CCSL] 22), Brepols, Turnholti
1971; G.P. Jeanes, he Day Has Come! Easter and Baptism in Zeno of Verona (Alcuin
Club Collection 73), Liturgical Press, Collegeville (MN) 1995, 23-25. 54-99. 200-201.
38
Cf. Zeno Veronensis, Tractatus I, 32; I, 49.
39
Cf. Zeno Veronensis, Tractatus I, 24.
40
M. Simonetti, «Zenone di Verona», in Nuovo dizionario patristico e di antichi-
tà cristiane, ed. A. Di Berardino, Marietti, Genova-Milano 2008, 5707.
41
Cf. Jeanes, he Day Has Come, 205.
18 Wilfred Sumani
two, Jerusalem 121 agrees more with Egeria’s account of the Jerusalem
liturgy at the time of her pilgrimage in the late 4th century42.
According to the Armenian Lectionary, the 5th century Jerusalem
Easter vigil service of the word had twelve Old Testament readings,
each followed by a prayer said while the assembly was kneeling. he list
of the Old Testament readings for the vigil service is as follows43:
1. Genesis 1,1-3, 24
2. Genesis 22,1-18
3. Exodus 12,1-24
4. Jonah
5. Exodus 14, 24-15, 22
6. Isaiah 60, 1-13
7. Job 38,1-28
8. 2Kings 2,1-22
9. Jeremiah 31, 31-34
10. Joshua 1, 1-9
11. Ezekiel 37, 1-14
12. Daniel 3, 1-90
Psalm 64.
A rubric in Jerusalem 121 states that while the Canticle of Daniel

was sung, a great number of the baptised led by the bishop entered the
church44. Further, after Daniel 3 and the Canticle of the hree Servants,
there was no more kneeling45. he Canticum trium puerorum signalled
the beginning of the Eucharistic celebration, because baptism has al-
ready been administered.
From the Gallican tradition, one can cite the Lectionary of Luxeuil,
which is one of the representatives of the Gallican lectionary, in ad-
dition to the palimpsest of Wolfenbüttel. he Lectionary of Luxeuil
42
Cf. Talley, he Origins of the Liturgical Year, 38; Rose, «Les “bénédictions”
dans les vigiles et à l’oice du matin», 246.
43
Cf. Le Codex armènien Jérusalem, 296-307; A. Baumstark, Nocturna laus.
Typen frühchristlicher Vigilienier und ihr Fortleben vor allem im römischen und monas-
tischen Ritus, Aschendorf, Münster 1957, 38-39.46.
44
Manuscript Paris 44, instead, speaks of a great number of deacons and the
bishop. In any case, both texts signal the beginning of the Eucharistic celebration.
45
Cf. Le Codex armènien Jérusalem 121. Introduction, textes, traductions et notes,
ed. A. Renoux (PO 36), Brepols, Turnhout 1971, 306-307.
is said to be the most complete of the Gallican lectionaries and is the

least inluenced by the Roman tradition46. he Easter vigil readings are
indicated as follows47:
1. inundaverunt terram (Genesis 1-5?)48
2. Genesis 22, 1-19
3. Genesis 27, 1-40
4. Exodus 12, 1-50
5. Exodus 13, 18-14, 9….15, 13-2149
6. Ezekiel 37, 1-14
7. Isaiah 1, 1-7….5, 10-2450
8. Joshua 3, 1-4, 25
9. Jonah 1, 1-3, 10
10. Daniel 3, 1-40… 64-10051.
his lectionary lists ten Old Testament readings, as does the Gelasia-
num Vetus, though the entries are not exactly the same. Here, again, the
last reading is Daniel 3. he Wolfenbüttel52, likewise, mentions Daniel
3, 12-19; 3, 20-24; 3, 49-51.52.
he Mozarabic Liber comicus lists the following Old Testament read-
ings53:
46
Cf. P. Salmon, «Introduction», in Le lectionnaire de Luxeuil (Paris Ms. lat
9427) : Edition et étude comparative. Contribution à l’histoire de la vulgate et de la litur-
gie en France au temps des Mérovingiens, ed. P. Salmon (Collectanea Biblica Latina 7),
Libreria Vaticana, Città del Vaticano 1944, LXXVIII.
47
Le lectionnaire de Luxeuil, ed. Salmon, 97-114.
48
Baumstark’s reconstruction starts with the third reading given as Gen 7, 10-8,
21. His list thus would have twelve readings. Cf. Baumstark, Nocturna laus, 47.
49
he editor notes that only the end of the Canticle of Moses remains in this
manuscript.
50
he editor mentions that here a folio is missing.
51
here is a lacuna in the Canticle, for the text begins from verse 64. A Trinita-
rian doxology is inserted at verse 88: Benedicamus Patrem et Filium et Spiritum sanc-
tum Dominum, hymnum dicamus et superexaltemus eum in saecula.
52
Cf. Liturgiebuch der lateinischen Kirche. Ein altgallikanisches Lektionar des 5/6.
Jhs aus dem Wolfenbütteler Palimpsest-Codex Weissenburgensis 76, ed. A. Dold (Texte
und Arbeiten I. Abteilung 26-28), Kunstverlag, Beuron-Hohenzollern 1936, 1-10.
53
Cf. Liber Comicus sive lectionarius missae quo Toletana Ecclesia ante annos mille
et ducentos utebatur, ed. G. Morin (Anecdota Maredsolana 1), Monasterium S. Bene-
dicti, Maredsoli 1893, 171-201.
20 Wilfred Sumani
1. Genesis 1-2, 6
2. Genesis 2, 7-3
3. Isaiah 55
4. Genesis 5, 31-8, 21
5. Exodus 13, 18-15, 21
6. Genesis 22, 1-18
7. Deuteronomy 31, 28; 32, 3.44-45
8. Genesis 27, 1-29
9. Exodus 12, 1-42
10. 2Chronicles 34, 1-4.30-33; 35, 1-19
11. Ezekiel 37, 1-14
12. Daniel 3, 1-24, 46-48, 49-51.
Daniel 3, 49-50 is entitled Prologo54, whose meaning the editor ex-

plains thus: «Id est verba quae in modum prologi praemitti solebant
hymno trium puerorum in reliquis anni sollemnitatibus». he prologue
suggests that the Hymn of the hree Servants was executed not only
during the Easter vigil but also in other solemnities of the liturgical
year.
he Ambrosian tradition, at least according to the 9th century Ber-
gomense55, does not report Daniel 3 in the Easter vigil. he Old Testa-
ment readings assigned to the Easter vigil in this source are Genesis 1,
Genesis 22, Exodus 13, Exodus 12, Isaiah 54 and Isaiah 156. his book
does not indicate the canticles or psalms that followed the readings, so
it is diicult to know whether Psalm 41 was part of the vigil. However,
the 1954 edition of the Ambrosian missal reproduces the aforemen-
tioned readings and indicates the psalms57 and canticles accompanying
the readings. Genesis 1 is followed by Psalm 88 (89); Genesis 22, then
Psalm 49 (50); Exodus 13, then Hymn of the hree Servants (Daniel 3,
54
Liber Comicus, 200.
55
his sacramentary dates back to about 850. Cf. G. Ramis, «Libri liturgici occi-
dentali non romani», in Scientia liturgica. Manuale di liturgia, vol. 1: Introduzione alla
liturgia, ed. A.J. Chupungco, Piemme, Casale Monferrato 21999, 334.
56
Cf. Sacramentarium Bergomense. Manoscritto del secolo IX della Biblioteca di S.
Alessandro in Colonna in Bergamo, ed. A. Paredi (Monumenta Bergomensia 6), Edi-
zioni Monumenta Bergomensia, Bergamo 1962, 163-164.
57
Here, the psalms, called psalmelli, are reduced to a verse or two, with a respon-
sory.
52.54.57.78.85 and the Trinitarian doxology58); Exodus 12, then a few

verses from the Song of Moses (Exodus 15); Isaiah 54, then Psalm 71
(72), and Isaiah 1, with Psalm 41 (42)59. In the post-Vatican Council
II Ambrosian lectionary, the Canticle of the hree Servants comes af-
ter Exodus 12, while the Song of Moses (Exodus 15) accompanies the
reading from Exodus 13, 18b-14, 860.
hus, if Daniel 3 made a late entry into the Roman Easter vigil,
this Old Testament reading has been part of the non-Roman liturgies
from early centuries. he old Ambrosian rite is an exception to the rule.
However, the Milanese rite has Psalm 41 in common with the Roman
liturgy. When used in the Easter vigil, Daniel 3 is often placed last
among the Old Testament readings. In most non-Roman sources, the
Canticle of the hree Servants marks a transition to the rite of baptism.
58
Benedicamus Patrem et Filium et sanctum Spiritum: hymnum dicamus, et super-
exaltamus eum in saecula.
59
Cf. «Repertorium seu lectiones, responsoria, psalmelli, orationes, psalmi,
hymni, antiphonae, evangelia, benedictiones, et alia: quae, suis locis distincta, ut
plurimum in ecclesiis collegiatis, certis diebus et temporibus legi et cantari solent»,
in Missale Ambrosianum juxta ritum sanctae Ecclesiae Mediolanensis, editio quinta post
typicam, Daverio, Milano 1954, 59-66.
60
Cf. Lezionario Ambrosiano secondo il rito della santa Chiesa di Milano, riformato
a norma dei decreti del Concilio Vaticano II, promulgato dal Signor Cardinale Dioni-
gi Tettamanzi, Arcivescovo di Milano e Capo Rito. Libro II: Mistero della Pasqua del
Signore, festivo, ITL, Milano 2008, 194-197. he Ambrosian Missal only indicates
the readings without the psalms and canticles. Cf. Missale Ambrosianum iuxta ritum
sanctae Ecclesiae Mediolanensis ex decreto Sacrosancti Oecumenici Concilii Vaticani II
instauratum auctoritate Ioannis Colombo sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Presbyteri Cardina-
lis Archiepiscopi Mediolanensis promulgatum, Centro Ambrosiano, Milano 1981, 247-
249. Norberto Valli’s attempt to ind thematic connections between Exodus 12 and
the Canticle of the hree Servants (salvation through the Lamb) is at best characte-
ristic of secondary liturgical hermeneutics and fails to account for the switch, in the
course of history, from Exodus 13 to Exodus 12 as the reading accompanied by the
Danielic canticle. His study of the use of the same canticle in the Ambrosian Good
Friday service of the burial of our Lord is more convincing and in line with the patri-
stic interpretation of the iery furnace as a igure of hell into which Christ descends
to liberate those in the bondage of death, an interpretation bolstered by the presence
of Daniel 3, 88b in the verses of the canticle appointed for the service, cf. N. Valli,
«La Veglia Pasquale nella liturgia ambrosiana (II). La catechesi veterotestamentaria»,
Ecclesia orans 31 (2014) 31-32; cf. Id., «Passione e deposizione del Signore nel rito
ambrosiano», Ecclesia orans 28 (2011) 259-263; 265-266.
22 Wilfred Sumani
Clemens Leonhard is of the opinion that “musical considerations

may have played a part in the choices” of some of the Old Testament
pericopes assigned to the Easter vigil. Taking his cue from Peter Jefery,
Leonhard writes:
he OT texts which contained cantica could have been especially welco-
me for such an occasion, because they were most naturally connected with a
song that had otherwise to be chosen from other corpora for the other texts
of the vigil. Ending the vigil with a reading from Daniel 3 may rather have
musical than theological reasons. his is an important assumption that
Dan 3 should have been chosen to represent something like an ‘eschatologi-
cal’ ending of the vigil 61.
When one considers the Easter vigil readings in the aftermath of the
Pian reform of Holy Week, one may be tempted to entertain the irst
part of Leonhard’s idea, for the lessons that survived the “knife” of the
reform are those with canticles: Exodus 14, Isaiah 4 and Deuteronomy
31. However, while one cannot discount the inluence of hymns in the
choice of Easter vigil lessons, it would equally be reductionist to dismiss
theological considerations in the appointment of Old Testament texts,
such as Daniel 3. he following are some of the reasons.
First, early Christian exegesis of this pericope clearly establishes con-
nections between the situation of the three servants of God in the iery
furnace and the mysteries celebration on the paschal night62. Hippoly-
tus of Rome, for instance, reads Daniel 3 in the light of the resurrection
of the body63. he dew that descended into the furnace has also been
interpreted as a igure of baptism. Ephrem the Syrian, for example,
61
C. Leonhard, he Jewish Pesach and the Origins of the Christian Easter: Open
Questions in Current Research (Studia Judaica 35), Walter de Gruyter, Berlin-New
York 2006, 310. I am grateful to Jean-Aimé Randrianirina, S.J. for having located this
book for me in the library of the Pontiical Biblical Institute, Rome.
62
he present writer, in his doctoral dissertation, dedicated the second chapter to
reviewing early Christian theological relection on Daniel 3, cf. W. Sumani, Benedicite
Omnia Opera Domini Domino: he Canticle of the hree Servants in the Fiery Furnace
(Dan 3, 52-88) as a Liturgical “Classic” in the Roman Tradition. Dissertatio ad Docto-
ratum Sacrae Liturgiae Assequendum in Pontiicio Instituto Liturgico, Romae 2014,
113-178.
63
Cf. Hippolyte, Commentaire sur Daniel, II, 28, 1-6, ed. M. Lefèvre (SCh 14),
Cerf, Paris 1947, 170.
relects that in baptism, God comes down and infuses his saving grace
into the baptismal water so that those who receive it may receive God’s
life. In this regard, the iery furnace of old was a preiguration of bap-
tism. he three triumphant confessors were baptised in the iery fur-
nace and came out of it. hey entered and were washed in the womb
of the lame; they were sprinkled with the heavenly dew. he ire in the
furnace represented the ire of the Holy Spirit hidden in the water64.
Second, if Daniel 3 was incorporated into the liturgy on account of
the canticle that accompanies it, one would be hard pressed to explain
why in the Roman tradition Daniel 3 was used in the Easter vigil with-
out the canticle. Instead of the Hymn of the hree Servants one inds
the traditional Psalm 41. he fact that Daniel 3 sometimes stands on its
own suggests that it has its own theological and celebrative value.
hird, while, as it will be seen later in this essay, before the reforms
of Vatican II the Pentecost vigil reproduces many of the Old Testament
readings assigned to the Easter vigil, the Pentecost vigil uses neither
Daniel 3 nor its canticle. Psalm 41 concludes, as in the Easter vigil, the
order of readings and marks a transition to the rite of baptism. Given
the popularity of the Canticle of the hree Servants, one can hardly
explain its absence in the Pentecost vigil if one writes of theological-
celebrative motifs, as will be seen later in this paper.
3. Structure of the Vigil of the Quatuor Tempora

he Quatuor Tempora65 is a liturgical tradition conceived and devel-
oped in the Roman Church and believed to have been derived from the
Roman pagan agricultural festivities, namely, the feriae messis (harvest
time) in June and July, feriae vindemiales (vintage) in September, and
feriae sementiae (planting time) in December. But the Christian com-
munity read these feasts in the light of Scripture66 and transformed
64
Cf. Ephrem Le Syrien, Hymnes sur l’épiphanie. Hymnes baptisimales de l’Orient
syrien, VIII, 5-6, ed. F. Cassingena (Spiritualité Orientale 70), Abbaye de Bellefontai-
ne, Maine-et-Loire 1997, 75.
65
For the sake of terminological variation, the English “Ember Days” will be
used interchangeably with Quatuor Tempora.
66
Cf. Joel 2, 15-19; Zech 8, 19.
24 Wilfred Sumani
them into Christian celebrations67. he Christianisation of these pagan

festivities is attributed to Pope Callistus I (c. 217-222)68. he Ember
Days were organised as follows: in winter, during the week after the
third Sunday of Advent; in spring, in the week after the irst Sunday of
Lent; in summer, in the octave of Pentecost; and in autumn, after the
feast of the Holy Cross (14th September).
he celebrations of the Ember Days included three days of fasting
(Wednesday, Friday and Saturday) and closed with a vigil service com-
prising ive or six Old Testament readings (read in Greek and in Latin,
and hence the title Sabato in XII lectiones), an epistle and a gospel read-
ing, and then the Eucharistic celebration69.
he oldest Tempora are said to be those of the seventh month (Septem-
ber) and of the tenth month (December), having existed well before the
pontiicate of Leo the Great (440-461)70, who mentions the Tempora of
the seventh month (September), tenth month (December) and Pentecost.
He treats the whole Lent as the “fourth” Tempora. Leo the Great compares
the four Tempora to the four cardinal points and to the four gospels:
Ita per totius anni circulum distributa sunt […] ieiunium vernum in
Quadragesima, aestivum in Pentecosten, autumnale in mense septimo, hi-
emale autem in hoc qui est decimus celebramus […] dum per ipsius mundi
cardines, quasi per quattuor Evangelia, incessabili tuba discimus quod et
praedicemus et agamus71.
67
Cf. A. Baumstark, On the Historical Development of the Liturgy (A Pueblo
Book), Liturgical Press, Collegeville (MN) 2011, 166-167.
68
he Liber pontiicalis reports thus: «Calistus […] hic constituit ieiunium die sab-
bati ter in anno ieri, frumenti, vini et olei, secundum prophetiam», Le liber pontiicalis,
vol. 1: Texte, introduction et commentaire, ed. L. Duchesne, E. De Boccard, Paris 1955,
141. However, Adrien Nocent thinks that the information in the Liber pontiicalis
cannot be regarded as authentic, so it is diicult to know with certainty the origins of
the Quatuor Tempora. Cf. A. Nocent, «Le quattro tempora – le rogazioni», in L’anno
liturgico. Storia, teologia e celebrazione, ed. M. Augé (Anàmnesis 6), Marietti, Genova
1988, 264. A more detailed history can be found in O. Granella, Le quattro tempora
nella primitiva tradizione romana, Eteria, Modena 1999, 15-48.
69
Cf. Nocent, «Le quattro tempora», 264-265.
70
Cf. A. Chavasse, «Le calendrier dominical romain au sixième siècle», Recher-
ches de Science Religieuse 38 (1951/52) 238.
71
Leo Magnus, Tractatus XIX, 2, ed. A. Chavasse (CCSL 138a), Brepols, Tur-
nholti 1973, 77.
he following paragraphs examine the structure of the Saturday vigil

of the Ember Days. Here, again, we limit ourselves to the study of the
pre-Eucharistic service of the word and the rites that follow the series
of readings. he purpose for analysing these liturgical units is twofold:
irst, to establish the “spirit” of the Tempora vigil celebrations; second,
to identify structural and/or thematic parallels between the Tempora
vigils and the Easter vigil.
3.1. he Tempora of September

In the centuries represented by the Hadrianum and the Gelasianum
Vetus, it is diicult to identify all the details of the Tempora vigil. While
the six-collect pattern in these sacramentaries would betoken a six-les-
son pattern of the vigil, it is not easy to establish with precision the
readings assigned to the celebration, since these sacramentaries report
prayers only. In addition, the irst collect probably opened the celebra-
tion, appearing before the commencement of the readings.
here has been an attempt to correlate Roman sacramentaries and
lectionaries. For instance, it is surmised that the Gelasianum Vetus cor-
responds to the Comes of Würzburg, both of which belong to the irst
stage in the development of Roman books. he Gregorianum is said
to be contemporaneous with the Comes of Alcuin, both belonging to
the second stage of the development of Roman liturgical books. he
third stage in the development of Roman lectionaries is believed to date
between 700 and 740 A.D. and corresponds to the Franco-Gelasian
sacramentary of the 8th century. In this phase the epistolary was unit-
ed with the evangeliary. Examples of epistolaries include the Comes of
Murbach, lectionary of Corbie and Liber comitis of Paris. he lectionary
of the Missale romanum (1570) is also traced to the third stage72.
However, when one follows the details of the Tempora vigils, such a
correlation proves inadequate. For instance, the liturgical books said to
belong to the same period seem to furnish divergent texts of the Tem-
pora vigils. herefore, the following analysis of the texts of the Tempora
vigils will not assume any direct relation between the readings reported
in lectionaries and the prayers contained in sacramentaries, unless the
72
Cf. Folsom, «I libri liturgici romani», 276-277.
26 Wilfred Sumani
liturgical books juxtapose the two elements or the prayers themselves

explicitly make allusions to particular biblical readings.
3.1.1. Comes of Würzburg

One of the sources of information concerning the readings appoint-
ed for the service of the word on Saturdays of the Ember Days is the
Comes of Würzburg, regarded as the oldest extant lectionary of the Ro-
man rite and said to represent the Roman system of readings of the 7th
century73. hat the lectionary depicts the state of the Roman liturgy
before the penetration of Gallican inluences is partly suggested by the
absence of Daniel cum benedictione in the sequence of Old Testament
readings during the Saturday vigil of the Tempora74. In the Comes of
Würzburg75, the readings for the September Saturday vigil are as fol-
lows:
1. Leviticus 23, 26-32
2. Jeremiah 30, 8-11
3. Leviticus 23, 39-43
73
Cf. G. Morin, «Le plus ancien Comes ou lectionnaire de l’église romaine»,
Revue Bénédictine (= RB) 27 (1910) 41-45; A. Chavasse, «Les plus anciens types du
lectionnaire et de 1’antiphonaire romains de la messe», RB 62 (1952) 65; Chavasse,
«Le calendrier dominical romain», 234-240.
74
Cf. Morin, «Le plus ancien Comes», 72.
75
Since Daniel 3 is not reported in this Comes, one would need to nuance the
view expressed by some scholars that this book of readings corresponds to the Gela-
sianum Vetus, for the latter reports a prayer based on the story of the three Hebrew
youths in the furnace. Perhaps the Comes of Würzburg represents an earlier stage of
the Roman liturgical tradition, at least as far as the readings are concerned. he absen-
ce of Daniel 3 and the Canticle of the hree Servants from the Comes of Würzburg
is explained diferently by diferent authors; on the one hand, Morin surmises that
Daniel 3 is not indicated because it is considered more of a chant than a reading. On
the other hand, Hesbert is of the opinion that the absence of the lesson from Daniel
simply means that the liturgy represented by the Comes did not employ this biblical
text in the celebration of the vigils of the Quatuor Tempora. It is probably under the
inluence of Gallican liturgical tradition that the reading and its canticle made inroads
into the Roman rite via the liturgical books used in France in the 8th century. he
present writer subscribes to Hesbert’s view, cf. Morin, «Le plus ancien Comes», 50;
R.-J. Hesbert, «Étude comparée des manuscrits», in Antiphonale missarum sextuplex,
ed. R.-J. Hesbert, Herder, Roma 1935, XLIII.
4. Micah 7, 14-20
5. Zechariah 8, 14-19
6. Exodus 32, 11-14
7. Hebrews 9, 2-12
8. Luke 13, 6-1776
he irst reading (Leviticus 23, 26-32) casts the Tempora celebration

in a key of the Jewish feast of Atonement observed during the seventh
month. he Jewish feast was characterised by rest from work, self-mor-
tiication and the presentation of a food-ofering to the Lord.
he second reading (Jeremiah 30, 8-11) is attested only in this wit-
ness of the Roman Comes77. Given that the Saturday vigil of the Tem-
pora normally has six readings (ive from the Old Testament, plus an
epistle), the presence of this lesson from Jeremiah raises the number
of Old Testament readings to six. Granella thinks that this reading is
extraneous to the theme of the September Tempora and was probably
inserted to serve a particular circumstance, without being intended to
become a permanent component of this vigil celebration78. While this
argument makes sense on numerical grounds, thematically this reading
is consistent with the spirit of expiation of sin and the renewal of the
covenant. In this pericope God promises to break the yoke of oppres-
sion and to gather his people back from dispersion, which theme is
partly treated by Micah 7, 14-20.
he harvest motif is articulated in Leviticus 23, 39-43 (third read-
ing): the people of God are instructed to keep the Lord’s pilgrim feast
from the ifteenth day of the seventh month, after gathering the harvest.
Micah 7, 14-20 contemplates God as one who, faithful to his promises
of old, remits the sins of his people and renews them in holiness. Zecha-
riah 8, 14-19 is a combination of a call to repentance, God’s promise to
help Jerusalem, and an instruction concerning the fasts of the fourth,
ifth, seventh and tenth months. Israel is to keep these fasts in a spirit of
76
he gospel readings corresponding to the Comes of Würzburg are found in the
Capitulare evangeliorum of Würzburg published by G. Morin, «Liturgie et basiliques
de Rome au milieu du VIIe siècle d’après les listes d’évangiles de Würzburg», Revue
Bénédictine 28 (1911) 296-330, here at 315.
77
Cf. Morin, «Le plus ancien Comes», 62.
78
Cf. Granella, Le quattro tempora, 275.
28 Wilfred Sumani
joy. In Exodus 32, 11-14 Moses intercedes for the sinful people of Israel
and persuades God to avert the disaster he plans to inlict upon them.
he Letter to the Hebrews (9, 2-12) speaks of the priesthood of
Christ, contrasting it with the priesthood of the old covenant. Unlike
the old priesthood which involved the ofering of material products and
the blood of animals in a tent made by human hands, the priesthood
of Christ is exercised in a tent not made by human hands, where Christ
ofers his own blood for the expiation of sin. Sacramentally, one might
state, this sacriice is actualised in the Eucharistic celebration79.
he gospel (Luke 13, 6-17) puts together two themes: spiritual fruit-
fulness and the meaning of the Sabbath. he ig tree risks being cut
down if it does not bear fruit within the grace period it has been allot-
ted. In the same story, Jesus cures a woman who has been sufering from
her illness for eighteen years. his healing is understood as liberation
from Satan.
Overall, the dominant themes in these readings are those of the sac-
riice of irst-fruits and healing from sin (expiation).
3.1.2. Comes of Alcuin

Some changes in the order of readings are evident in the Lectionary
of Alcuin, an epistolary composed probably under Pope Honorius I in
626. he additions and retouches meant to adapt the Roman liturgical
book to Gallican use are attributed to Alcuin. he manuscript dates to
the 9th century80. he sequence of readings is presented thus: Leviticus
23, 26-32; Leviticus 23, 33-43; Micah 7, 14-20; Zechariah 8, 14-19;
Exodus 32, 11-14 and Hebrews 9, 2-12. he only diference between
the Lectionary of Alcuin and the Comes of Würzburg is the absence of
Jeremiah 30, 8-11 in the former. As in the Comes of Würzburg, Daniel
3 has not yet made its way into the September Tempora.
79
80
Cf. Palazzo, A History of Liturgical Books, 98-99; A. Wilmart, «Le lection-
naire d’Alcuin», Ephemerides Liturgicæ (=EL) 51 (1937) 147-148; Vogel, Medieval
Liturgy, 340.
3.1.3. Comes of Murbach

According to Vogel, the Comes of Murbach is chronologically later
than the Comes of Alcuin. he former dates from the end of the 8th cen-
tury and represents a Roman-Frankish system of readings81. Vogel adds
that this system of lessons «is essentially the one that became manda-
tory in the whole Latin Church with the Missale romanum of 1570»82.
he list of readings for the September Saturday vigil of the Tempora
is as follows: Leviticus 23, 27; Leviticus 23, 34; Micah 7, 14; Zechariah
8, 14, and then a rubric: Hic leg. Danih. proph.; Hebrews 9, 2; Luke
13, 683. In the Comes of Murbach, Daniel 3 is included as one of the
September Tempora readings. he secondary character of the reading
from Daniel is clear from the fact that, unlike the other readings that
are indicated by their incipits, this lesson is signalled by the rubric hic
legitur Danihelem prophetam84, in a manner of an editorial addition.
3.1.4. Missale Romanum (1570)

In the Missale romanum of 1570, each of the Old Testament read-
ings is followed by a psalm and a prayer, with the exception of Daniel 3,
which is followed by the Canticle of the hree Servants. he Saturday
81
Cf. A. Nocent, «he Roman Lectionary for Mass», in Handbook for Liturgical
Studies, vol. 3: he Eucharist, ed. A.J. Chupungco (A Pueblo Book), Liturgical Press,
Collegeville (MN) 1999, 180.
82
Vogel, Medieval Liturgy, 347; A. Wilmart, «Le Comes de Murbach», RB 30
(1913) 33.
83
Cf. Wilmart, «Le Comes de Murbach», 50.
84
Similarly, in the Carolingian comes from North Italy – also called Liber Comitis
of Paris or lectionary of Mainz, dating to about 800 A.D. and said to be related to
either the Gelasianum Vetus or the Gelasians of the 8th century, readings from Dan
3 for the Pentecost, September and December Tempora are preceded by the rubrics:
Hic legitur lectio Danihelis prophetae; Hic legitur lectione [sic] Danihelis prophetae; and
Sequitur lectio Danihelis prophetae, respectively. he fact that of all readings only Dan
3 gets special rubrical mention may suggest that the source of the copyist did not have
the Danielic reading. Amiet also notes that the copyist reproduces Dan 3, 49-88 and
then indicates in the margin that the reading has to stop at verses 55 and 56 (Usque hic
lege). Cf. R. Amiet, «Un “comes” carolingien inédit de la haute-Italie», EL 73 (1959)
335-367. It is possible that the original text from which the amanuense was copying
had the entire Benedicite, just as in the Compendiensis.
30 Wilfred Sumani
vigil readings for the September Tempora are as follows: Leviticus 23,
26-32, then Psalm 78 (79), 9.10, and a prayer; Leviticus 23, 39-43,
then Psalm 83, 10.9, and a prayer; Micah 7, 14.16.18-20, followed by
Psalm 89 (90), 13.1 and prayer; Zechariah 8, 14-19, and Psalm 140
(141), 2, followed by a prayer; Daniel 3, 47-51, and the Canticle, af-
ter which comes the prayer Deus, qui tribus pueris85. At the end of the
Canticle, there is a rubric: Hic dicitur Dominus vobiscum sine lectamus
genua. he absence of kneeling after Daniel 3 (and its canticle) has also
been seen in the Easter vigil.
3.2. he Tempora of December

he December Ember Days were initially related to planting, hence the
term feriae sementiae. However, their location in the season of Advent
led to the superimposition of Advent motifs on these Tempora86.
he readings furnished in the Comes of Würzburg remained the
same until Missale momanum 1962, with the exception of the insertion
of Daniel 3 after the liturgical period represented by Würzburg. he
following table summarises the readings according to Würzburg and
Missale romanum of 196287.8889
Comes of Würzburg88 Missale romanum 196289

Isaiah 19, 20-22 Isaiah 19, 20-22
Psalm 18 (19), 7.2
Isaiah 35, 1-7 Isaiah 35, 1-7
Psalm 18 (19), 6.7
Isaiah 40, 9-11 Isaiah 40, 9-11
Psalm 79 (80), 20.3
85
Cf. MR 1570, 428-431.
86
Cf. Nocent, «Le quattro tempora», 265; Granella, Le quattro tempora, 281.
87
he scope of this synopsis is to show that the use of Dan 3 in the Saturday
vigil of the Tempora is a later development. Given that the Tempora entries in the MR
1570 are the same as those of the MR 1962, the latter liturgical book has been chosen
because of the clarity of the script and the speciicity of the biblical verses.
88
Cf. Morin, «Le plus ancient Comes», 64.
89
MR 1962, 8-12.
Isaiah 42, 1-9

Isaiah 45, 1-8 Isaiah 45, 1-8
Psalm 79 (80), 3.2.3
Daniel 3, 47-5190
Daniel 3, 52-56
2 hessalonians 2, 1-8 2 hessalonians 2, 1-8
Luke 3, 1-691 Luke 3, 1-6
Isaiah 19, 20-22 announces of a time when there shall be an altar to the
Lord in Egypt, and from this altar the prayer of the oppressed will be raised
to God, who will respond by sending a deliverer to rescue his people. hus
will the Lord make himself known to the people of Egypt, and they shall
ofer him the sacriice of grain-ofering. he Advent motif is evident in the
reference to the deliverer whom the Lord will send to rescue his people,
while the idea of the December Tempora as feriae sementiae is alluded to in
the mention of the grain-ofering to be ofered by the Egyptians.9091
he second reading (Isaiah 35, 1-7) is a prophecy about the Mes-
sianic times when the blind shall see, the lame leap like a deer, and the
dumb shout aloud. he Messianic character of this prophecy is clear
from the fact that Jesus quotes this pericope in his response to the in-
quiry of John the Baptist as to whether Jesus is the expected one92.
Isaiah 40, 9-11 proclaims the coming of God to rescue his people. he
same can be said of the servant song (Isaiah 42, 1-9), which describes
the mission of the Servant of Yhwh: he is to be a light to the nations, to
open the eyes of the blind and to free those in captivity.
he ifth reading (Isaiah 45, 1-8) is a combination of Advent and
agricultural elements. On the one hand, Cyrus is a type of the coming
Messiah, for the former is given the title of Christ (Christo meo Cyro). On
the other hand, agricultural imagery is pronounced in verse 8, where the
90
he Lectionary of Alcuin indicates Dan 3, 49-55; cf. Wilmart, «Le lectionnai-
re d’Alcuin», 162.
91
Unfortunately, the last pages of the Listes d’évangiles de Würzburg, which
probably contained the readings for the December Tempora, are missing. he reading
indicated in the table comes from Das römische Capitulare Evangeliorum, edited by T.
Klauser, said to represent the Roman liturgy of about 645; cf. Das römische Capitulare
Evangeliorum, ed. T. Klauser, Aschendorf, Münster 1972, 43.
92
Cf. Lk 7, 19-23; Mt 11, 2-6.
32 Wilfred Sumani
heavens are called upon to rain righteousness and the earth to receive it
so that it may bear the fruit of salvation and blossom with righteousness.
his language is redolent of what R. Dolle calls «mystical agriculture»93.
2 hessalonians 2, 1-8 speaks of the second coming of Christ, warn-
ing Christians not to heed the oracular utterances of false prophets al-
leging that the Day of the Lord has come94. hus, this reading focuses
on the Second Advent. he gospel is also a typical Advent pericope,
in which John the Baptist is presented as the voice in the wilderness
announcing the imminent coming of God’s deliverance. Baptism is a
ritual preparation for the messianic era.
On the whole, the readings for the December Tempora have a strong
Advent imprint with faint echoes of agricultural motifs.
3.3. he Pentecost Tempora

he Pentecost Tempora occurred a week after Pentecost. In the sec-
ond half of the 7th century, this fasting period was shifted to the third
week after Pentecost but was then brought back to its original place
during the pontiicates of Gregory VII (1073-1085) and Urban II
(1088-1099)95. he lessons for the Pentecost Tempora can be summed
up as follows96.
Comes of Würzburg Missale romanum 1962
Joel 2, 28-32 Joel 2, 28-32

Alleluia and John 6, 64 (Spiritus est qui viviicat:
caro autem non prodest quidquam)
Leviticus 23, 9-21 Leviticus 23, 9-21
Alleluia and Job 26, 13 (Spiritus eius ornavit caelos)
93
«Agriculture mystique», R. Dolle, «La voix d’un père de l’église. La mystique
des Quatre-Temps d’après saint Léon le Grand», Assemblées du Seigneur 72 (1964)
68-84, at 73.
94
Lawlessness here does not designate the rejection of the Mosaic Law but «con-
duct against the will of God, the practical equivalent of sin», A.J. Malherbe, he
Letters to the hessalonians: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary (An-
chor Yale Bible 32B), Yale University Press, New Haven-London 2008, 419.
95
Cf. Nocent, «Le quattro tempora», 264.
96
Cf. Morin, «Le plus ancien Comes», 59-60; MR 1962, 366-369.
Deuteronomy 26, 1-11 Deuteronomy 26, 1-11

Alleluia and Acts 2, 1 (Cum complerentur dies
Pentecostes, erant omnes pariter sedentes)
Leviticus 26, 3-12 Leviticus 26, 3-12
Alleluia (Hic genulectitur); Veni, Sancte Spiri-
tus, reple tuorum corda idelium: et tui amoris in
eis ignem accende.
Daniel 3, 47-51
Hic non respondetur Deo gratias.
Alleluia and Daniel 3, 52 (Benedictus es, Domine
Deus patrum nostrorum, et laudabilis in saecula)
Romans 5, 1-5 or Romans 5, 1-5
Romans 8, 18-2397
Matthew 20, 29-34 Luke 4, 38-44
or Luke 6, 36-4298
he irst reading (Joel 2, 28-32) is connected with Pentecost, for it
announces the outpouring of God’s spirit on all humanity. he second
reading (Leviticus 23, 9-21) takes up the harvest theme typical of the
Tempora. he mention of the iftieth day as the day for presenting the
grain-ofering is in harmony with Pentecost occurring on the iftieth
day after the celebration of the Lord’s resurrection. he same theme
of the ofering of the irst-fruits runs through the third reading (Deu-
teronomy 26, 1-11). Leviticus 26, 3-12 reports God’s promises to the
people of Israel: if they abide by the Law of the Lord, their land shall be
fruitful and they shall multiply.9798
Romans 5, 1-5 recalls that God’s love has been poured into the hearts
of believers through the Holy Spirit given to them. Romans 8, 18-23
makes allusions both to the gift of the Holy Spirit and to the harvest.
Paul airms that the whole universe groans as it awaits its liberation.
his hope also extends to those who have received the Holy Spirit as
irst-fruits: «sed et nos ipsi primitias Spiritus habentes, et ipsi intra nos
gemimus adoptionem iliorum exspectantes, redemptionem corporis
nostri»99.
97
Mistakenly indicated as Corinthians.
98
Cf. Morin, «Liturgie et basiliques de Rome», 307.
99
Rom 8, 23.
34 Wilfred Sumani
Matthew 20, 29-34 recounts the healing of two blind men outside
Jericho. he theme of blindness returns in Luke 6, 36-42, where Jesus
airms that it is hypocritical to see a speck in another’s eye while being
blind to the plank in one’s own eye. Luke 4, 38-44 is about the cure
of Simon’s mother-in-law. It is diicult to igure out the connection
between these readings and the Pentecost Tempora, except if one under-
stands sickness as a manifestation of evil and the Tempora as moments
for combatting the power of Satan.
All the tracts (responsories) in the Missale romanum are replete with
Pentecost motifs, with the exception of the gradual that follows the
reading from Daniel 3. Apropos of the latter, the lectionary of Alcuin
has the following rubric: «Hic debes legere angelus Domini. Require in
vigilia paschae». In the same source, the Easter rubric reads, «Dan. An-
gelus Domini – et superexaltatus in saecula [III, 49-55]»100. his rubric
connects the reading of Daniel 3 during the Tempora vigil with the
execution of the same pericope during the Easter vigil.
3.4. he Lenten Tempora

Granella estimates that the March Tempora may have been intro-
duced between the pontiicates of Leo the Great (440-461) and Gela-
sius I (492-496), because the former does not mention them, while
the latter includes them among the ixed occasions for ordinations101.
Kunzler, instead, holds that the Lenten Ember Days were introduced
in the 7th century102.
Below are the readings assigned to the Lenten Ember Days: 103
Comes of Würzburg103 Missale romanum 1962

Psalm 78 (79), 9.10
100
Cf. Wilmart, «Le lectionnaire d’Alcuin», 158.
101
102
Cf. M. Kunzler, La liturgia della chiesa (AMATECA 10), Jaca Book, Milano
2
2003, 537.
103
Cf. Morin, «Le plus ancien Comes», 50-51.

Psalm 83 (84), 10.9
2Maccabees 1, 23-27 2Maccabees 1, 23-27
Psalm 89 (90), 13.1
Sirach 36, 1-10 Sirach 36, 1-10
Psalm 140 (141), 2
Daniel 3, 47-51104
Daniel 3, 52-56105
1hessalonians 5, 14-23 1hessalonians 5, 14-23
or Psalm 116(117), 1-2
1hessalonians 4, 1-7
Matthew 17, 1-9106 Matthew 17, 1-9
Deuteronomy 26, 12-19 is an invitation to the people of Israel to of-

fer a tithe of their produce to the Levites, the aliens, the orphans and the
widows. he ofering of the tithe would appear to be in harmony with
the spirit of the Tempora consisting in thanksgiving for harvest, accom-
panied by fasting, prayer and works of charity. In Deuteronomy 11, 22-
25, the people of Israel are told that if they abide by the commandments
of God, they shall inherit the land currently inhabited by other nations.
2Maccabees 1, 23-27, set in the context of the invitation to celebrate
the feast of Tabernacles, recounts the “miracle” of ire when Nehemiah
ofered sacriices, after he had built the temple back in Jerusalem. Sirach
36, 1-10 is a prayer for God’s help; it opens by imploring God to have
pity on his people, and then asks God to renew the wonders of old so
that the nations may know that he is the only true God.104105106
1hessalonians 5, 14-23 is an admonition directed at Christians to
respect church leaders and to be at peace among themselves. hey are
to be joyful and to pray without ceasing; they are not to stile the Holy
Spirit, but are to test everything, accepting what is good and repudiat-
ing what is bad. Matthew 17, 1-9 is the account of the transiguration
of Jesus on the mount, concluding with Jesus’ announcement of his
104
he Lectionary of Alcuin indicates Dan 3, 49-55.
105
he text, already reviewed above is a mixture of elements of the Benedictus es
and the Benedicite.
106
Cf. Morin, «Liturgie et basiliques de Rome», 302.
36 Wilfred Sumani
death and resurrection. he Gospel breathes Lenten air, insofar as it

foretells the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Psalm 79, 9-10 has a penitential tone: «propitius esto peccatis nos-
tris propter nomen tuum», while the other graduals (Psalm 84, 9, Psalm
90, 13.1 and Psalm 141, 2) ask God to hear the prayer of his people,
without explicit request for forgiveness.
Dominant in these readings are the themes of repentance-forgive-
ness and sacriice-blessing.
3.5. he Tempora in the Sacramentaries

he Roman sacramentaries contain collects used in XII lectiones die
Sabbati107 – Saturdays when twelve readings are executed. As in the Eas-
ter vigil, the collects accompany biblical pericopes. his is not the place
to undertake a comprehensive analysis of the content of each collect
used in the Tempora. Suice the following general remarks.
he Veronense does not seem to know the use of Daniel 3 in the cel-
ebrations of the Tempora and does not have a prayer inspired by the story
of the liberation of the three Hebrews in the iery furnace108. It would ap-
pear that the six-lesson (or ive-lesson) system had not yet become part of
the Tempora vigil celebrations, unless some of the readings were executed
without collects. he formulary for the Tempora comprises two collects,
secreta, a preface, a post-communion and a super populum109.
In the Gelasianum Vetus, the Saturday vigil celebration of the Sep-
tember Tempora has six prayers before the secreta110. With the exception
of the Lenten Tempora111, the last collect makes reference to Daniel 3.
For instance, the last collect for the September Tempora is given as fol-
lows: «Deus, qui tribus pueris mitigasti lammas/igneas, concede, quae-
sumus, ut nos famulos tuos non exurat lamma viciorum»112.
107
GeV 1044f.
108
109
Sacramentarium Veronense (= Ve) 226-231; 861-904; 900-904; 906-941;
1294-1327.
110
Cf. GeV 134-139; 666-671; 1044-1049; 1169-1174.
111
Cf. GeV 139.
112
GeV 1049. My translation: «God, who paciied the lames/ires in favour of the
three young men, grant, we pray, that the lame of vices may not consume us, your servants».
he prayers reported in the Hadrianum are reproduced in the 1570

and 1962 Roman missals. In all the Tempora, the last collect is Deus qui
tribus pueris, based on Daniel 3113.
3.6. he Tempora and the Rite of Ordination

Pope Gelasius I is reported to have appointed the Saturdays of the
Quatuor Tempora as occasions for the ordination of presbyters and dea-
cons. he fast leading into the Saturday vigil was probably seen to be a
suitable preparation for the reception of holy orders. he Liber diurnus,
dated to between the 6th and 7th centuries, prescribes that the ordina-
tion of presbyters or deacons was to be done on the Saturday conclud-
ing the fasts of the irst, fourth, seventh and tenth months of the year114.
Similarly, the Roman-Germanic Pontiical of the 10th century informs
us that the fast of the Ember Days was also ofered for those to be
ordained: «In quattuor temporibus, quando agimus duodecim lectio-
nes, solemus ieiunare pro ordinandis»115. his liturgical witness further
speciies that the rite of the ordination began with the singing of the
Canticle of the hree Servants:
Expleta autem lectione, quae est Danielis prophetae, canunt benedic-
tionem. Et dum benedictio canitur, qui ordinandi sunt stent in pogio sub
gradibus. Et tunc descendens ad eos archidiaconus, revestit eos […]. Bene-
dictione completa, incipit clerus letaniam116.
113
Cf. Ha 199, 550, 717, 802.
114
«Ordinationes vero presbiterorum seu diaconorum nonnisi primi, quarti,
septimi & decimi mensum ieiuniis sed & ingresso quadragesimali atque medianae
vespere sabbati noverit celebrandas», Liber diurnus romanorum pontiicum, ed. H. Fo-
erster, Francke, Bern 1958, 81; GeV 140.
115
Le pontiical romano-germanique du dixième siècle (= PRG), vol. 2, XCIX,
450, edd. C. Vogel-R. Elze (Studi e Testi 227), Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Città
del Vaticano 1963, 135. However, the ordination (by then known as consecration)
of bishops continued to be done on Sunday, because of the connection between this
day and the coming of the Holy Spirit. Cf. PRG, vol. 1 (Studi e Testi 226) LXI,
198-199.
116
PRG, XCIX, 37. Emphasis mine.
38 Wilfred Sumani
he lowering of new ministries in the Christian community was

poetically compared to the harvest117.
4. Parallels between the Easter Vigil and the Vigils of the

Tempora
he study of the liturgical unit (service of the word) in the Satur-
day vigils of the Tempora has yielded a number of data. To begin with,
Daniel 3 makes a relatively late entry into the sequence of readings for
the Tempora. Second, there is little, if any, direct thematic commonal-
ity between Daniel 3 (with its canticle) and the other readings of the
Tempora. he thematic disparity between the Tempora and Daniel 3 is
exacerbated by the fact that the latter is assigned to all the four seasons,
their thematic and contextual variability notwithstanding. A possible
motive for the universal assignment of Daniel 3 and its canticle to all
the Saturday vigils of these penitential periods is to model these vigils
after the Easter vigil. he analogy between the vigils of the Quatuor
Tempora and the Easter vigil is evident in at least three elements:
1) he Tempora vigil is presented as having twelve readings though in
reality there are only ive Old Testament lessons. he title in XII lec-
tiones is redolent of the structure of Old Testament readings during
the Easter vigil as attested by more developed Roman sources.
2) Daniel 3 comes last in the sequence of readings both during the
Easter and Tempora vigils. In both ritual programmes, there is no
kneeling after this reading. hus, the reading from Daniel 3 marks
a transition from the penitential phase to the joyous stage of the
celebration. Signiicantly, both the Easter vigil and the Tempora Sat-
urday celebrations were preceded by a period of fasting, and the
penitential spirit continued into the irst part of the celebration as
evidenced by the kneeling before the collects that accompany the
Old Testament readings.
117
Cf. R.E. McNally, «Ember Days», in New Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 5,
McGraw-Hill, New York 1967, 296-298; P. Rouillard, «Quatre-temps», in Catholi-
cisme hier, aujourd’hui, demain, vol. 12, edd. G. Mathon-G.H. Baudry-E. hiery,
Letouzey et Ané, Paris 1990, 348-349; Granella, Le quattro tempora, 7.
3) In both the Easter and Tempora vigils, Daniel 3 marks the beginning
of the rites of baptism and ordination, respectively. In the Easter
vigil of the 5th-century Jerusalem liturgy, the Canticle of the hree
Servants was sung while the neophytes entered the main church,
led by the bishop. In the Roman Easter vigil tradition, the reading
from Daniel, though followed by Psalm 41, lowed into the rite of
baptism. he location of the sacraments of initiation and holy or-
ders after Psalm 41 and the Hymn of the hree Servants during the
Easter vigil and the Tempora vigils, respectively, creates a structural
analogy between these two vigils.
It can therefore be airmed that Daniel 3 and its canticle serve to
model the Tempora vigil celebrations on the Easter vigil. he Tempora,
with their fasting, become a “mini-Lent”, while the Saturday vigil con-
cluding the Tempora is like a “mini-Easter vigil”. In fact, the Tempora
are designated annua festivitas118 or annua festa119, celebrated with great
solemnity approximating the celebration of Easter120. During the Tem-
pora, the paschal mystery is re-lived, and the saving eicacy of Christ’s
death and resurrection is expressed through the expiation of sins121.
In view of the parallels between the Easter vigil and the Tempora
vigils, one can hardly agree with Paul Bradshaw’s claim that the aboli-
tion of the Ember Days from the Roman liturgical calendar was due
to Sacrosanctum Concilium’s «decision to regard “the paschal mystery”
as the primary principle around which to organise its theology of the
sacraments [and of liturgy]»122. On the contrary, way before Vatican
Council II, the Tempora tradition shows the Church’s attempt to imbue
principal celebrations with the paschal spirit. It is also a fact that the
Tempora have not been abolished. Instead, they are to be adapted to the
needs of the local church, except that the Mass formulary is to be cho-
118
Cf. Ve 860.
119
Cf. Ve 899.
120
Cf. Granella, Le quattro tempora, 195-196.
121
Cf. Granella, Le quattro tempora, 203-205.
122
P. Bradshaw, «Diiculties in Doing Liturgical heology», Paciica 11 (1998)
181-194, at 188.
40 Wilfred Sumani
sen from Masses for various needs123. Admittedly, the “reduction” of the
Tempora vigil Masses to Masses for various needs inadvertently dimin-
ishes the structural parallels between the Tempora and the Easter vigil.
5. Pentecost Vigil
In the Jewish tradition, Pentecost fell ifty days after Passover and was
initially a thanksgiving celebration for the gift of the harvest and later
became the commemoration of the giving of the Law at Sinai124. Chris-
tianity initially understood Pentecost as the ifty days of Easter. Christian
Pentecost was what is now called Eastertide. Tertullian calls the ifty days
laetissimum spatium, the most joyful space [of time]125. Athanasius of Al-
exandria likewise uses the plural sanctae Pentecostes sollemnia to describe
the Eastertide126. During this period of continual rejoicing, every day was
to be observed «in a manner similar to Sundays: the faithful were to stand
rather than kneel for prayer, and they were not permitted to fast on any
day during this time»127. However, with the passage of time, Christian
Pentecost came to mean, like its Jewish counterpart, the iftieth day after
Easter. Consequently, Pentecost developed its own vigil celebration128.
123
Cf. Normae universalis de anno liturgico et de calendario 46, in MR 2008, 98.
According to Nocent, the need to adapt the Tempora to the needs of the local church
emanates from the diversity not only of seasons but also of the needs faced by various
local communities. For instance, rural and urban communities may have diferent
needs, cf. Nocent, «Le quattro tempora», 266.
124
Cf. A. Nocent, «Il tempo pasquale», in L’Anno liturgico. Storia, teologia e
celebrazione ed. M. Augé (Anàmnesis 6), Marietti, Genova 31992, 139; R. Cabié,
La Pentecôte. L’évolution de la Cinquantaine pascale au cours des cinq premiers siècles,
Desclée, Tournai 1965, 15-27.
125
Cf. Tertullianus, De baptismo XIX, 2, ed. J.G.P. Borlefs (CCSL 1), Brepols,
Turnhout 1954, 293-294.
126
Cf. Athanasius Alexandrinus, Epistolae festales IV, 5, ed. J.P. Migne (PG
26), Migne, Paris 1857, 1379.
127
M.F. Connell, «From Easter to Pentecost», in Passover and Easter: he Sym-
bolic Structuring of Sacred Seasons, edd. P.F. Bradshaw-L.A. Hofmann (Two liturgical
traditions 6), University of Notre Dame Press, Notre Dame 1999, 94.
128
Cf. M. Augé, L’anno liturgico. È Cristo stesso presente nella sua Chiesa (Mo-
numenta studia instrumenta liturgica 56), Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Città del Vati-
cano 2009, 132-133; Nocent, «Il tempo pasquale», 127-128.
5.1. Structure of Pentecost Vigil

Structurally and thematically, the Pentecost vigil is the closest to
the Easter vigil. In fact, Rose calls it the “younger sister” of the Easter
vigil129. Herman Schmidt also airms that it is to be supposed that the
Pentecost vigil is a later imitation of the Easter vigil130. he ainity be-
tween the two vigils is heightened by the use of many of the Old Testa-
ment readings employed in the Easter vigil: Genesis 1, Genesis 22, Exo-
dus 14, Deuteronomy 31, Isaiah 4, Isaiah 54 and Baruch 3 (here cited
as Jeremiah)131. his is the case, with varying numbers of readings, in
the Hadrianum132 and its Supplement133, in the Gelasianum Vetus134, in
the thirteenth-century ordinal of Pope Innocent III135, and in the Mis-
sale romanum of 1570136. he Easter vigil canticles were also executed
during the Pentecost vigil: irst canticle of Moses (Exodus 15), second
canticle of Moses (Deuteronomy 32), song of the Vineyard (Isaiah 5),
and Psalm 41. In addition, baptism was also conducted during the Pen-
tecost vigil. he rubric in MR 1570 reads, «His initis descendendo ad
fontes cantant tractus Sicut cervus»137.
However, the order of readings in the Pentecost vigil follows the
order of biblical books, unlike the Easter vigil that does not completely
129
French: soeur cadette; cf. A. Rose, «La signiication des grandes vigiles dans
l’année liturgique», in La liturgie. Son sens, son esprit, sa méthode. Conférences Saint-
Serge XXVIIe Semaine d’Etudes Liturgiques, ed. A.M. Triacca-A. Pistoia (BEL.S 27),
CLV-Edizioni Liturgiche, Roma 1982, 280.
130
Cf. Schmidt, Hebdomada Sancta, vol. 2, 832.
131
his pericope enters the Easter vigil in the Anian Supplement, as was men-
tioned above.
132
Cf. Ha 507-519, 222-224.
133
Cf. SupAn 1049-1063.
134
Cf. GeV 618-623.
135
Cf. Ordinarium Innocentii III, 318.
136
Cf. MR 1570, 379-381.
137
MR 1570, 380. Muroni rightly airms that the ifty days of the Eastertide
are to be understood liturgically and theologically as a single day, cf. P.A. Muroni, Il
mistero di Cristo nel tempo e nello spazio. La celebrazione cristiana (Manuali Teologia,
Strumenti di Studio e Ricerca 38), Urbaniana University Press, Città del Vaticano
2014, 200.
42 Wilfred Sumani
follow the order of books in the Bible138. his symmetrical presentation

of the readings in the Pentecost vigil would seem to support Schmidt’s
observation that this vigil is a later imitation of the Easter vigil. Imita-
tion, in this case, does not mean slavish reproduction but rather in-
cludes some modiication of the paradigmatic celebration.
In Missale romanum 1962 this vigil is simply a Eucharistic celebra-
tion beginning with an entrance antiphon. It no longer has a series of
Old Testament readings analogous to those of the Easter vigil139.
he ordinary Pentecost vigil in the post-Vatican II Roman missal
does not have a series of Old Testament readings140. In the missal of
Paul VI, the Pentecost vigil has become optional and is found in the
supplement to the missal. It is called forma protracta141. he post-con-
ciliar reformers introduced the Canticle of the hree Servants into the
Pentecost vigil without the reading from Daniel 3. If the vigil Mass does
not include vespers, the celebration opens with the entrance hymn, fol-
lowed by the penitential act and collect. After the collect the priest
introduces the service of the Word with the following admonition:142143
Easter Vigil142 Pentecost Vigil 143
Vigiliam sollemniter ingressi, fratres Vigiliam Pentecostes ingressi, fratres
carissimi, quieto corde nunc verbum carissimi, ad exemplum Apostolorum et
138
Cf. Schmidt, Hebdomada Sancta, vol. 2, 832-833.
139
Cf. MR 1962, 354.
140
Cf. Missale romanum ex decreto Sacrosancti Oecumenici Concilii Vaticani II
instauratum auctoritate Pauli PP. VI promulgatum. Lectionarium, editio typica, vol. 1,
Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, Roma 1971, 848-853.
141
«In ecclesiis ubi celebratur Missa vigiliae in forma protracta, haec Missa
celebrari potest modo sequenti», MR 2008, 1271.
142
MR 2008, 356. My translation: «Having solemnly entered into the vigil, dearest
brethren, let us now listen to the word of God with a silent heart. Let us meditate on how
in times past God saved his people and how God ultimately sent us his Son as our re-
deemer. Let us pray that our God may bring to fulilment this paschal work of salvation».
143
MR 2008, 1271. My translation: «Having entered into the Pentecost vigil,
dearest brothers, following the example of the apostles and the disciples who, with
Mary, the Mother of Jesus, were gathered in prayer, waiting for the Spirit promised by
the Lord, with a silent heart let us now listen to the word of God. Let us meditate on
what the Lord has done for his people and let us pray that the Holy Spirit, whom the
Father sent as irst-fruits to believers, may accomplish his work in the world».
Dei audiamus. Meditemur, quomodo discipulorum qui, cum Maria, Matre

Deus populum suum elapsis tempori- Iesu, instabant in oratione, exspectantes
bus salvum fecerit, et novissime nobis Spiritum a Domino promissum, quieto
Filium suum miserit Redemptorem. corde nunc verbum Dei audiamus. Me-
Oremus, ut Deus noster hoc paschale ditemur quanta fecit Deus populo suo
salvationis opus ad plenam redemptio- et oremus, ut Spiritus Sanctus, quem
nem perfíciat. Pater misit primitias credentibus, opus
suum in mundo periciat.
he Pentecost admonition follows closely that of the Easter vigil.
Both contain the invitation to listen to the word of God with a silent
heart (quieto corde nunc verbum Dei audiamus) and to meditate on the
works of the Lord144. he diference between the two admonitions is
that each singles out the event being celebrated: the sending of the
Son of God as Saviour (Easter vigil) and the sending of the Holy Spirit
(Pentecost vigil). In the admonition, the priest also invites the assembly
to pray that God may bring to fulilment the paschal work of salvation
(hoc paschale salvationis opus) and the work of Holy Spirit in the world,
respectively.
After each reading comes a responsorial psalm, which can be re-
placed by a moment of silent meditation. After the responsorial psalm
(or the moment of silence), all stand and the priest says a prayer145. he
same rubric appears in the Easter vigil146. he Old Testament readings
are followed by the Gloria in excelsis, then a collect, which lead to New
Testament readings. Here, again, the structure reproduces that of the
Easter vigil.
he Old Testament readings appointed for the Pentecost vigil are as
follows147:
1. Genesis 11, 1-9, followed by Psalm 33, 10-11.12-13.14-15
2. Exodus 19, 3-8.16-20b,
followed by the Canticle of the hree Servants (Dan 3, 52.53.54.55.56)
3. Ezekiel 37, 1-14, then Psalm 107, 2-3.4-5.6-7.8-9
4. Joel 3, 1-5, followed by Psalm 104, 1-2a.24.35c.27-28.29c-30.
144
Cf. MR 2008, 356.
145
«Omnibus deinde surgentibus, sacerdos dicit Oremus», MR 2008, 1271.
146
Cf. MR 2008, 356.
147
Cf. MR 2008, 1271-1274.
44 Wilfred Sumani
Before Vatican II, despite the reproduction of the Easter vigil read-
ings in this celebration, Daniel 3 (and its canticle) was not one of the
Old Testament readings assigned to the Pentecost vigil. he motive for
the introduction of Daniel 3 into the post-Vatican II Pentecost vigil is
diicult to determine, for it is the irst time, at least in extant sources,
that this text has become part of the Pentecost vigil. Nor does the new
vigil maintain the traditional position of the Danielic pericope when it
is used in the Easter and Tempora vigils.
Another signiicant diference between the Easter vigil and the an-
cient Pentecost vigil is that in the latter, the orations after the Old Testa-
ment readings were not preceded by the invitation to kneel. he rubric
in the Tridentine missal instructs thus: «In ine prophetiarum dicuntur
orationes sine lectamus genua»148. he absence of this penitential non-
verbal language points to the fact that the Pentecost vigil is a continu-
ation of the Eastertide inaugurated during the Easter vigil when, after
the reading from Daniel 3, kneeling was proscribed. he ifty days of
Easter are, as Augustine describes them, a period when the Church
sings Alleluia and prays standing149. Indeed, among the early Chris-
tians, «standing was primarily the Easter form of prayer»150.
5.2. Some Observations

In terms of structure and content, the ainity between the Pentecost
vigil and the Easter vigil is greater than that between the Tempora vigils
and the Easter vigil, perhaps in order to show that Pentecost is part and
parcel of the Eastertide. Before the reforms of the late 20th century, in
fact, the Pentecost vigil reproduced most of the Old Testament read-
ings and canticles assigned to the Easter vigil, though Daniel 3 was left
out. he Hymn of the hree Servants only became part of the vigilia
148
MR 1570, 379.
149
«Ut autem autem alleluia per illos solos dies quinquaginta in Ecclesia cantetur,
non usquequaque observatur […]. Ut autem stantes et in illis diebus et omnibus domi-
nicis oremus», Augustinus, Epist. LV, 32, ed. Kh.D. Daur (CCSL 31), Brepols, Tur-
nhout 2004, 261.
150
J. Ratzinger, he Spirit of the Liturgy, Ignatius Press, San Francisco 2000,
195.
protracta after Vatican Council II. In both vigils, Psalm 41 was followed
by the administration of the sacrament of baptism.
After the post-conciliar reform, the parallels between the Easter
and Pentecost vigils are no longer based on Old Testament pericopes
but rather on the admonitions that introduce the two vigils. Another
parallel is that in both vigils, the Old Testament readings are followed
by the hymn Gloria. In addition, in both vigils, the readings, followed
by a responsorial psalm or moment of silence, are followed by a col-
lect.
Concluding Remarks
he study of the structure and content of the major vigils of the
Roman tradition have revealed some parallels meant to illustrate that
Easter is the source and summit of all celebrations in the liturgical year.
he vigils of the Tempora and Pentecost are modelled on the Easter
vigil, the “mother of all vigils”. Being closer to (and in fact part of )
Easter, the Pentecost vigil shares many elements with the Easter vigil: a
certain number of Old Testament readings, Psalm 41 and baptism. he
Tempora are thematically and liturgically a little farther from the Easter
vigil. Consequently, the structural parallels between the two vigils are
limited to the title in XII lectiones, the use of Daniel 3 as the last Old
Testament reading and the cessation of kneeling after Daniel 3. Instead
of baptism, the Tempora administer the sacrament of holy orders. In-
stead of Psalm 41, the Tempora use the Canticle of the hree Servants,
which, paradoxically, is found in more ancient (non-Roman) Easter
vigils.
he practice of modelling one celebration on a more foundational li-
turgical celebration is not limited to the Roman rite. Nicholas E. Deny-
senko, for instance, analyses the feast of the Dormition of Mary in the
Byzantine rite and notes striking parallels with Holy Saturday paschal
celebrations. For instance, the fast in preparation for the feast of the
Dormition is parallel to the Lenten fast, just as the “burial rite” for the
Dormition is similar to the Holy Saturday “burial rite” of our Lord. He
therefore concludes that the feast of the Dormition is modelled on the
Easter celebration and becomes a paschal experience in summer. he
46 Wilfred Sumani
modelling of one celebration on another is termed “liturgical cliché” or,

in this case, “paschal cliché”151.
In the same tradition, the annual ceremony of blessing water on
heophany (6th January) contains many elements (prayer of blessing,
hymns and the submersion of the cross into the water, to mention but
a few) that point to the rite of baptism as a paradigmatic celebration on
which the former is modelled152.
his practice has signiicant implications for liturgical hermeneutics.
In contemporary liturgical scholarship, the interpretation of a celebra-
tion is often limited to the meaning of the elements of the ritual pro-
gramme, analysing their sources, theological content, historical evolu-
tion and their role in the ritual programme153. Very little attention is
paid to how the structure of a celebration can be designed to mirror
another (more paradigmatic) celebration. Without awareness of this
ancient technique, one can hardly understand the meaning and role of
certain texts or gestures in some celebrations, especially ancient ones.
Just as the signiicance of an event is partly measured by the social im-
portance of the people who attend, even if they do not give speeches,
the celebrative relief of a liturgical action is partly signalled by the texts
employed therein, even if the latter do not speak directly to the “theme”
of the particular celebration. he role of such texts is to create a nexus
between one celebration and another.
151
“Cliché” is here understood not in the negative sense of being commonplace
or overused, but in the sense of applying the structure (and content) of one (more
foundational) feast to another (derivative) feast, cf. N.E. Denysenko, «Mary’s Dor-
mition: Liturgical Cliché, Summer Pascha», Studia Liturgica 43 (2013) 256-280.
152
Cf. N.E. Denysenko, «Baptismal hemes in the Byzantine Blessing of Waters
on heophany», Logos 52 (2011) 55-88.
153
To undertake an adequate interpretation of a text, as De Zan suggests, one has
to study the text’s immediate context (the liturgical unit in which the text is located),
proximate context (the whole ritual programme in which the text is inserted), remote
context (the mystery being celebrated) and general context (the liturgical season in
which the celebration is found). Cf. R. De Zan, «Ermeneutica (del lezionario)», in Li-
turgia, edd. D. Sartore-A.M. Triacca-C. Cibien, San Paolo, Cinisello Balsamo 2001,
663-675, at 669; R. De Zan, «Interpretation of Liturgical Sources», in Handbook for
Liturgical Studies, vol. 1: Introduction to the Liturgy, ed. A.J. Chupungco (A Pueblo
Book), Liturgical Press, Collegeville (MN) 1997, 331-365, at 339-345.
his structural “mimesis” is a more extended form of intertextuality,

whereby one celebration is read in the light of another. For instance,
one cannot understand the signiicance of Daniel 3 in the Tempora
without making reference to the use of this text in the Easter vigil, no
more can one igure out why the Canticle of the hree Hebrews (Dan-
iel 3, 56-88) is used every Sunday at Lauds, if one does not discover its
roots in the Easter vigil of non-Roman traditions154.
Further, without familiarity with the ancient structural approach to
meaning-making, the composition of ritual programmes may tend to
be based solely on the semantic propriety of texts and gestures to their
immediate or proximate liturgical contexts. Such a symmetrical as-
semblage of texts and gestures may produce a ritual programme better
suited for pedagogy than for celebration. A certain tolerance for asym-
metry (due to the presence of texts or gestures not immediately related
to the celebration in which they are located but pointing to a more
foundational celebration) will preserve deeper structural hermeneutical
currents at work, especially in ancient liturgies.
Abstract
his article is an exercise in what might be called “structural herme-
neutics”, taking as a case study the major vigils of the Roman rite: Eas-
ter, Pentecost and Tempora vigils. It focuses on the organisation of the
service of the word in order to discern structural analogies between the
Easter vigil and the other vigils. he structural parallels are interpreted
as a ritual illustration of the theological fact already stated by Augus-
tine in the ifth century, that the Easter vigil is the mother of all vigils.
On the basis of the basis of the patterns emerging from the historical
investigation of the three vigils, the essay discusses some implications
of structural “mimesis” for the science of the interpretation of liturgical
texts, on the one hand, and the art of the composition of ritual pro-
grammes, on the other.
154
he role of “stereotyped” texts, as distinguished from “occasional” texts in
creating these structural parallels will be treated in a separate study.
48 Wilfred Sumani
Sommario
Questo articolo indaga il fenomeno delle analogie strutturali tra la
Veglia Pasquale, da una parte, e la veglia della Pentecoste e quelle delle
Tempora, dall’altra. Si privilegia in questo studio l’analisi della liturgia
della parola che sbocca nel rito del battesimo e anche in quello delle
ordinazioni. Risulta che le somiglianze strutturali tra la Veglia Pasquale
e le altre due illustrano ritualmente quanto disse sant’Agostino: «La
Veglia Pasquale è la madre di tutte le veglie». In base allo studio storico
dello sviluppo di queste veglie, si rilevano delle implicazioni del feno-
meno della “mimesi strutturale” sull’interpretazione dei testi liturgici e
sulla composizione dei programmi rituali.

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Ecclesia orans 33 (2016) 7-48

Easter Vigil as the “Mother of all Vigils”:

he historical precedence of the Easter vigil and its theological promi-

1. Structure of the Easter Vigil in the History of the Roman

1.1. Gregorian Sacramentary

Apostolorum 26, in Le Testament en Galilée de Notre-Seigneur Jésus-Christ. Texte éthiopi-

1.2. Gelasianum Vetus

1. In principio fecit Deus (Genesis 1)

1.3. Ordinal of Innocent III and the Tridentine Missal

in26, depending on the pope’s disposition (sicut domino pap[a]e placet).

According to this source, there is no kneeling after the last reading

gestures whose meaning is no longer understood is common in the

1.4. Pian Reform (1955)

1.5. Post-Vatican II Reform

2. Origin and Role of Daniel 3 in Roman Easter Vigil

A rubric in Jerusalem 121 states that while the Canticle of Daniel

is said to be the most complete of the Gallican lectionaries and is the

Daniel 3, 49-50 is entitled Prologo54, whose meaning the editor ex-

52.54.57.78.85 and the Trinitarian doxology58); Exodus 12, then a few

Clemens Leonhard is of the opinion that “musical considerations

3. Structure of the Vigil of the Quatuor Tempora

them into Christian celebrations67. he Christianisation of these pagan

he following paragraphs examine the structure of the Saturday vigil

3.1. he Tempora of September

liturgical books juxtapose the two elements or the prayers themselves

3.1.1. Comes of Würzburg

he irst reading (Leviticus 23, 26-32) casts the Tempora celebration

3.1.2. Comes of Alcuin

3.1.3. Comes of Murbach

3.1.4. Missale Romanum (1570)

3.2. he Tempora of December

Comes of Würzburg88 Missale romanum 196289

Isaiah 42, 1-9

3.3. he Pentecost Tempora

Joel 2, 28-32 Joel 2, 28-32

Deuteronomy 26, 1-11 Deuteronomy 26, 1-11

3.4. he Lenten Tempora

Comes of Würzburg103 Missale romanum 1962

Deuteronomy 11, 22-25 Deuteronomy 11, 22-25

Deuteronomy 26, 12-19 is an invitation to the people of Israel to of-

death and resurrection. he Gospel breathes Lenten air, insofar as it

3.5. he Tempora in the Sacramentaries

he prayers reported in the Hadrianum are reproduced in the 1570

3.6. he Tempora and the Rite of Ordination

he lowering of new ministries in the Christian community was

4. Parallels between the Easter Vigil and the Vigils of the

5.1. Structure of Pentecost Vigil

follow the order of books in the Bible138. his symmetrical presentation

Dei audiamus. Meditemur, quomodo discipulorum qui, cum Maria, Matre

5.2. Some Observations

modelling of one celebration on another is termed “liturgical cliché” or,

his structural “mimesis” is a more extended form of intertextuality,

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