Once again, I am forced to add an additional post to the original setup, due to all of the liturgical researchers and authors commenting upon this unusual and rare part of the Mass. This is the Sequence. Although it only occurs at a minimum two times a year, and at most four or five times, it is deeply historical and such a part of the tradition of the Roman Liturgy, I discerned it was worth a brief post. Each sequence will, however, be covered in more depth on their respective occasions.
The two mandatory sequences are the Victimae Paschali of Easter Sunday, which is optional during the next seven days of the Easter Octave, and the Veni Sancte Spiritus, not to be confused with the Veni Creator Spiritus, on Pentecost Sunday. The two optional sequences currently in use are the Lauda Sion on Corpus Christi and the Stabat Mater on the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. Lastly, I have not been able to determine if the Dies Irae may be used in Masses for the Dead, but it is worth mentioning as it is actually quite old and is used within the Extraordinary Form for Masses for the Dead.
Liturgically, in the Ordinary Form, on the few days it is used, it occurs after the Second Reading or Responsorial Psalm and before the Alleluia and its verse. However, in the Ordinary Form, when used, it occurs after the Alleluia and its verse. The reason for the switch is not apparent, for as Gueranger notes, "It received the name of Sequence, that is to say, sequel, because it originally consisted of certain words adapted to the notes which form a sequel to the word Alleluia . . . . It was a real piece of prose, which was sung . . . as a way of putting words to the pneuma of the Alleluia (Dom Prosper Gueranger, The Holy Mass, Section: Sequence)." Nevertheless, we may, in my opinion, still make sense of it in its current location.
The five sequences currently in use really bear no relation to each other, stylistically or in their purpose. This should not be particularly surprising, as the sequence during the Middle Ages was extremely common. As Jungmann notes, there have been about 5000 collected in manuscripts (437). During this period, especially in France, every feast day had its own sequence. The freedom in writing these hymns and their usage, intended for a deepening of devotion and the passing on of doctrine, was eventually suppressed by Pope St. Pius V, and there were left within the Liturgy only the above mentioned ones, with the exception of the Stabat Mater, which was written and came later.
Let us now take just a brief look at each of the sequences. As said above, an in-depth covering of them will occur on their respective feasts. The Victimae Paschali is the oldest of the sequences. It is used on Easter Sunday, and thus carries a great deal of joy; speaking of the Risen Christ it goes back and forth in recounting events of the Resurrection and the glory attained through it. At one point it takes up Mary Magdalene attesting to the Resurrection. While it may seem somewhat loose poetically, it sums up well the glory and joy of the day. In contrast to this, we have the Lauda Sion of Corpus Christi, written by St. Thomas Aquinas. This is very scholastic in its form in that it is heavily laden with doctrinal teachings. Nevertheless, it still contains a joyful praise of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, done in a poetic and very straightforward style.
As a sort of middle between these two is the Veni Sancte Spiritus. This one is written very clearly as a pleading for the coming of the Holy Spirit. It has a very simple style, but still contains a great deal of joy within its words. It contains the teachings on the Holy Spirit, without the Scholastic emphasis on doctrine. The Dies Irae is similar in this regard, with the exception that it meditates on the Final Judgment. It therefore takes a much more sorrowful tone, of course keeping the theme of hope in Christ within it. However, it is more of a prayer with many teachings on the Last Judgment scattered throughout.
And then, there is the Stabat Mater. Addressed to Mary, it contains a poetic and sorrowful structure which meditates upon the sufferings endured by our Blessed Mother during the Passion of our Lord, how we were the cause of them, and it contains a plea that we may join her in her suffering.
Besides the fact these are all hymns essentially, what else do they have in common? Certainly not their structure or form, nor the emotions they wish to stir up within us. Rather, I believe their common theme is that they all center our thoughts on something greater, i.e. our supernatural life.
The Victimae Paschali does this by recalling Christ's triumph over sin and death. The sequence itself says, "Christ indeed from death is risen, our new life obtaining." Then, within the Veni Sancte Spiritus, we see our supernatural life in the pleas we make to the Holy Spirit. We beg Him to sanctify us and draw us into that life. The Lauda Sion shows it by reminding us that the Eucharist is the ultimate Food to nurture our souls while still on this earth; it also speaks of the Eucharist bringing our supernatural life to perfection in Heaven. Within the Dies Irae this is done by the fervent petitions it makes to our Lord to spare us on the dreadful Judgment Day, by bringing us to eternal life. Finally the Stabat Mater recalls our supernatural lives by begging that we may be conformed to Christ's Passion, the source of our salvation. Let us here remember the words of Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, "Great saints are only made in the shadow of the Cross." To contemplate the Cross then, is to meditate on our spiritual life.
Through this connecting theme between the sequences we can easily see how they are a preparation for the Gospel. The Word of God is also food for our spiritual lives, and within the Gospel, Christ Himself speaks to us, educating us on our spiritual lives. The Sequence, then, is fitting to come right after the Second Reading. As stated within its respective post, the Second Reading is primarily an education on our new life in Christ. Therefore, to follow it with a sequence, which focuses our attention on a specific aspect of our spiritual life, which the Liturgy wishes us to derive from the feast day. After our attention has been focused on this aspect, the Alleluia will follow, in which we proclaim our joy at the coming Gospel and rejoice in the feast day.
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