In his great liturgical commentary, the Rationale Divinorum Officiorum, William Durandus follows the missal used in his episcopal see, the city of Mende in south central France. In this missal, the arrangement of the Masses for the Sundays after Pentecost differed in some ways from the tradition of the papal curia which became the Missal of St Pius V. Therefore, the following excerpts from book VI, chapters 140 and 141, are in part a paraphrase of the original text, in order to correspond to the tha latter missal, which we use today.
On the last Sundays of the year, the Mass chants are the same; on these days, the Church shows that She has the nuptial garment that is charity (Matt. 22, 1-14, the Gospel of the 19th Sunday after Pentecost), because She prays for the Jews, that they may be converted. This will happen at the end of the world, when they come to our faith, and this is signified in the Patriarch Joseph, who for a long time would not make himself known to his brothers, but did so at the end (Gen. 45), and they asked forgiveness from him and he said to them, “ ‘Fear not, I will feed you’, and they made merry with him.” (Gen. 50, 21; 43, 34) This merriment signifies the rejoicing of all at the conversion of the Jews; but this will be at the end of our earthly pilgrimage, and therefore this conversion is dealt with at the end of the time of pilgrimage.
Joseph Reveals Himself to His Brothers, 1657, by the Dutch painter Gerbrand van den Eeckhout (1621-74).
Therefore, on the 23rd Sunday, the introit is about the conversion of the Jews and the promise of the Lord, for he said through Jeremiah, “I think thoughts of peace, and not of affliction,” for the evils which I will bring upon you lead to this, that I may reconcile you to me.
Introitus, Jer. 29 Dicit Dóminus: Ego cógito cogitatiónes pacis, et non afflictiónis: invocábitis me, et ego exaudiam vos, et redúcam captivitátem vestram de cunctis locis. Ps. 84 Benedixisti, Dómine, terram tuam: avertisti captivitátem Jacob. Glória Patri... Dicit Dóminus: Ego cógito...
Introit The Lord saith: “I think thoughts of peace, and not of affliction. Ye shall call upon Me, and I will hear you; and I will bring back your captivity from all places.” Ps. 84 Thou hast blessed Thy land, o Lord, Thou hast turned back the captivity of Jacob. Glory be... The Lord saith...
In the gradual, David gives thanks for his liberation from captivity, both spiritual and corporal, saying, “Thou hast delivered us from those who afflict us”, and in the verse, he promises the praise of good works saying, “In God shall we be praised all the day.”
Graduale, Ps. 43 Liberasti nos, Dómine, ex affligéntibus nos: et eos, qui nos odérunt, confudisti. ℣. In Deo laudábimur tota die, et in nómine tuo confitébimur in saecula. (Thou hast saved us, o Lord, from our foes, and Thou hast put to shame those who hated us. ℣. In God we shall be praised all the day, and in Thy name we will give praise forever.)
In the offertory, he asks for forgiveness, as did the brothers of Joseph, saying, “Out of the depths I cried to Thee, o Lord.” And since Joseph, who represents Christ, answers, “Fear not, I will feed you”, for this very reason, that the Lord is generous and quick to forgive, there follows the communion, “Amen I say to you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you will receive it, and it shall be done unto you.”
Offertorium, Ps. 129 De profundis clamávi ad te, Dómine: Dómine, exaudi oratiónem meam: de profundis clamávi ad te, Dómine. (Out of the depths I have cried to thee, o Lord: o Lord, hear my voice. Out of the depths I have cried to thee, o Lord.)
The gospel from St Matthew (9, 18-26) begins, “As Jesus spoke to the crowds, behold a ruler came to Him, saying, ‘My daughter has just died; but come, lay Thy hand upon her, and she shall live.’ ” And while He was following him, behold a woman with an issue of blood said, “If I but touch his garment I shall be saved,” and she was healed by the Lord; then afterwards the Lord healed the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue.
Allegorically, this ruler of the synagogue signifies Moses, or one of the prophets, or even one of the apostles, who asked the Lord on behalf of the synagogue, and the Lord goes to heal it, because He does not cease to offer correction, that He might heal the Jews through various tribulations and servitudes, but their healing will happen at the end of the world. The woman who suffers the issue of blood represents the gentiles, and says, “If I but touch his garment,” that is, if I keep the least precepts, “I will be saved.” In the issue of blood is understood sin.
The healing of the woman with an issue of blood, and the raising of the daughter of Jairus, depicted in a 10th century fresco in the church of St George in Oberzell, on the German island of Reichenau in the lake of Constance. (Image from Wikimedia Commons by Wolgang Sauber, CC BY-SA 4.0.)
The synagogue will be saved later, which is signified by the daughter of Jairus, who is raised up later. Again, in the figure of Jairus, which means “enlightening” or “enlightened”, are understood the prelates. For a prelate, having been enlightened by the Lord, enlightens others, and as such must pray for his subjects, as this man prays for his daughter…
