Advent Begins

The holy season of Advent is upon us.  It officially begins at First Vespers today.  Personally, this is my favorite liturgical season of the year.  The more deeply I have entered into the liturgical spirituality of this season, and that of Christmas as well, the more deeply I come to appreciate and love it.

The Dominican Breviary & The Reforms Of St. Pius X

The Tablet, the Catholic weekly newspaper published in England, has been digitizing their archives of past issues.  There are many good articles to be found among these pages.  I found this article regarding the effect of St. Pius X reform of the Breviary and Psalter on the Breviarium S.O.P..

It is interesting to read this piece, which was written only three (3) years after the reforms went into effect, in the form of the 1924 Breviarium S.O.P..  The author doesn't dwell on what was lost in the revision, like Father Bonniwell does in "A History of the Dominican Liturgy"; rather he describes those characteristics and practices which distinguish the Dominican from the Roman Breviary.  Sadly, many of those characteristics, practices and feasts that did survive were gradually removed by the time the 1962 Breviarium S.O.P. was published.

The article can be found here at The Tablet website.
 

November 15: St. Albert the Great, B., C., D., O.P., II Class

Today, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Calendar, we celebrate the feast of St. Albert the Great, Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor of the Church.  The feast is II Class and therefore contains a full set of propers for the entire office.  At Lauds, the Psalms of Sunday are prayed.

It is truly remarkable to me to think that it was not until the early 20^th Century that the Universal Church raised this saintly teacher to the altars of the Church.  Nevertheless, his sanctity and spirit are a model for all Christians, but in particular for Dominicans, given the broad scope of his erudition.

LOST FEASTS: November 13 - St. Thomas Aquinas - Patron of Catholic Schools

One year after his landmark engyclical Aeternis Patris on the philosophical and theological methods of St. Thomas Aquinas, Pope Leo XIII declared:

“We, for the glory of Almighty God and in honor of the Angelic Doctor, for the increase of the sciences, and for the common benefit of human society, declare by Our Supreme Authority , that St. Thomas Aquinas is Patron of Studies in Universities, Colleges, Lyceums, and Catholic Schools; and We desire that he be so held by all…” "Cum hoc sit", Brief of Leo XIII, August 4, 1880.

Beginning with the 1924 Breviarium iuxta ritum sacri ordinis praedicatorum, November 13 was the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas - Patron of Catholic Schools in the Dominican liturgical calendar. Fr. Bonniwell's "History of the Dominican Liturgy" gives no date for when exactly the Order adopted this feast. 

November 13: Anniversary of the Brothers and Sisters

Today, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Calendar, we commemorate the Anniversary of the Deceased Brothers and Sisters of our Order.  The ferial office is prayed, and at Lauds a commemoration is made of St. Brice, Bishop and Confessor.  At Pretiosa, the Anniversary is announced as follows:

The Anniversary of the Brothers and Sisters of our Order. 

At Pretiosa, Psalm 129 is prayed, per the rubrics for the day of an Anniversary.  Afterwards, the Prayer for an Anniversary is prayed.

O God, Lord of mercies, give to the souls of your servants, whose anniversary we keep, the home of refreshment, the blessedness of peace and the  brightness of light.  Through our Lord...

The Office of the Dead is also prayed, if not during the day, at least within the same week.

Being a true family, albeit a supernatural one,  the members of our Order pray for one another, just as we pray for members of our earthly families.  And just as we depend on the intercessory prayers of the Dominican Saints in heaven, so our brothers and sisters in Purgatory depend on our sufferages here on earth.  Let us remember our duty in charity to them on this special day set aside in the liturgical calendar of the Order, to offer up prayers for them.

November 12: Feast of All Saints of the Dominican Order, II Class

Today, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Calendar, we celebrate the feast of All Saints of the Dominican Order.  The feast is II Class and therefore contains a full set of propers.  At Lauds, the Psalms of Sunday are prayed. 

How truly humbling it is to be part of a religious Order which includes over 30 saints, 3 Doctor's of the Church, innumerable martyrs and 4 Popes.  Not only are these holy men and women, drawn from every station in life, models of sanctity for us, they are powerful intercessors for us before the heavenly throne of our loving God and Father.  The litany of the Dominican Saints can be downloaded here.

November 5: St. Martin de Pores, C., O.P., III Class

Today, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Calendar, we celebrate the feast of St. Martin de Pores.  The feast is III Class, yet it contains a full set of propers as if it was a II Class feast.  At Lauds, the Psalms of Sunday are prayed. 

From the Martyrology:

At Lima in South America, [Saint] Martin de Porres, a tertiary of the Order of Preachers. Having pronounced his solemn vows to God, he united integrity of life so perfectly with the most severe penances, that both before and after death he merited to become famous for his miracles.