Terce for Septuagesima and Lent

I have started tagging all the recordings here. The front page of this Substack gives the opportunity to list posts sorted by tag. Somehow, up until now, I have neglected to post recordings for Septuagesima! This will be the first hour in plenty of time for next Septuagesima, 16 February 2025.Septuagesima Sunday is an old preparation for Lent. The name means “70th” and it is roughly 70 days before Easter. 64 days by my count. The reforms of the Roman Calendar last century thought they could dispense with this antiquated idea. Modern people are much more organised now and can launch boldly into the rigours of Lenten penance without the customary few weeks our forefathers took for easing into the extra prayer, fasting and almsgiving. There’s nothing forbidding a little extra penance in the lead up to Lent, so for any listeners out there who find Lent surprisingly sudden, you might like to mark Septuagesima Sunday on your calendar and see if it helps you prepare for Lent.Since the Little Office of Our Lady missed out on these reforms, it still includes provisions for Septuagesima. The main difference is avoiding all alleluias. The opening verses swap Alleluia with Laus tibi Domine, Rex aeterne gloriae. And for most of the hours, that is it!Theoretically, I could take this adjusted beginning and tack it on to all the existing recordings. But on the other hand, it would be satisfying to re-record each hour, with all the subtle differences of each rendition. It will probably come down to how much time I have to complete the project. Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe