Catholics/Tracts and Graduals

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Expert: - 8/12/2010


Question
What is the difference between a Tract and a gradual?  

Answer
On penitential days, as in Lent, the Tract substitutes for the Alleluia Verse following the Gradual because in a penitential seasons "Alleluia," a joyous expression, is not used.  The Tract (from the Latin for "drawn out") is usually much more extended than an Alleluia Verse and contains a number of verses from a Psalm text.

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Fr. Michael

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A traditional Catholic priest, who provides forthright answers to questions FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF TRADITIONAL CATHOLICISM (not the New Order) on topics pertaining to TRADITIONAL Roman Catholicism, including theology, the Bible, Church history, the Latin language, liturgy (especially the Traditional Latin Mass), and music (especially Gregorian chant), and current events in the Catholic Church.

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