LOST FEASTS: Translation of the Relics of St. Catherine of Siena

Prior to the revision of the Dominican liturgical calendar in 1961, the Thursday after Sexagesima Sunday was the feast of the Translation of the Relics of St. Catherine of Siena.  In the 1909 Breviarium S.O.P., which contains the entire office, the feast had a rank of Totum Duplex.  The office was essentially the same as the saint's feast on April 30th.  The main difference is in the lessons and responsories at Matins.

Regular Dominican Rite Low Mass in Rome!

Fr. Augustine Thompson, O.P. is reporting, over at his Dominican Liturgy blog, that there will be a regular Saturday morning Dominican Rite Low Mass celebrated at the priory of San Clemente Via di San Giovanni in Laterano, in Rome.  The priory of San Clemente is under the care of the friars of the Irish Province, but apparently friars of other Provinces will be assisting with the Masses as well.

This is truly blessed news. Perhaps some day, in the not so distant future, a choral recitation of Solemn First Vespers could be added to the schedule.

2014 Calendar: UPDATE!!

In reviewing my copy of the 2014 Breviarium S.O.P. Calendar, I noticed some errors that slipped into the final print edition.  Mea culpa!

The most glaring of these is that the Ember Days during the Octave of Pentecost (June 11, 13, & 14) and the Ember Days during Advent (December 17, 19, & 20) were omitted.  The other mistake is that during the ferial days of February through September, under notes, it should indicate that the preces should be prayed at Lauds and Vespers.

If you purchased your calendar after January 9, it should not have these errors in it.  Those purchased before January 9, will no doubt contain the errors.  I apologize for the over-site.

The corrected pages can be downloaded as pdf files here.  The pages measure 6 inches x 9 inches.

February 17: Blessed Reginald, C., O.P., Commemoration

Today, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Calendar, we commemorate the feast of Blessed Reginald, confessor of the Order of Preachers.  The ferial office is prayed, and the commemoration is made at Lauds and Vespers with the propers given in the Proper of the Saints.

From the Martyrology:

At Paris, Blessed Reginald, confessor. He was dean of the Church of St. Aignan in Orleans. While at Rome, he received from the hands of our holy Father Dominic, the Dominican habit which the glorious Virgin Mary had shown him a short time before when he was dangerously ill.

Septuagesima Sunday - Medicaménto pæniténtiæ

At 1st Vespers yesterday evening, the holy Season of Septuagesima begins...the pre-preparation for the Season of Lent.  At Matins, we begin the scriptural cycle of reading from the Book of Genesis.  The Gospel reading is the parable of the householder who hires laborers to work in his vineyard.  Lesson iii is an excerpt from St. Gregory the Great's magnificant homily on this parable.  It is one of my favorite patristic homilies, and I return to it often during the year, reading bits and pieces of it now and again, for spiritual edification.  If you have a relative or loved one who has fallen away from the Church, and you are anxious for their eternal welfare, I highly recommend this homily.

For Septuagesima Sunday, the lessons are taken from the Creation narratives.  Accordingly, the versicle at 1st Vespers is drawn from Genesis:

℟.  Thus the heavens and the earth were finished and all the host of them; and on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done.  *  And he rested from all his work which he had done.  ℣.  And God saw all he had done, and it was very good. - And he rested. - Glory. - From all his work which he had done.

The remainder of 1st Vespers is the same as that of the Roman Breviary, with one interesting exception; the Magnificat antiphon.  In the Roman and Monastic Breviaries, the antiphon is:

The Lord said to Adam:  "Of the tree which is in the midst of paradise you must not eat; for the day you eat of it, you must die."

This is from the lessons at Matins (from Genesis), and it follows the custom that is observed with the Dominican, Roman and Monastic Breviaries of taking the antiphon for the Magnificat from the lessons at Matins.  However, for this Sunday, the Dominican Breviary uses the following antiphon for the Magnificat:

My sins, Lord, like arrows, are sunk deep in me.  But before they produce wounds in me, heal me, Lord God, with the antidote of repentance.

Peccáta mea, Dómine, sicut sagíttae infíxa sunt in me:  sed ántequam vúlnera génerent in me, sana me, Dómine, medicaménto pæniténtiæ, Deus. 

I know that I am partial to the Dominican Breviary, but to me this antiphon is striking in its imagery of repentance and seems perfectly apropos to the Season of Septuagesima.  Quick Lord! Before the effects of my sins begin to poison my soul...and I lose that inestimable gift of your supernatural life within me, send me the antidote.  And what is that antidote?  The spirit of repentance, which is precisely the spirit of the Season of Septuagesima.  I plan on using this antiphon as a source of meditation for this week, and for the entire Septuagesima and Quadragesima season.

A blessed Septuagesima Season to all who read this blog.

February 15: Blessed Henry Suso, C., O.P., III Class

Today, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Calendar, we celebrate the feast of Blessed Henry Suso, confessor of the Order of Preachers.  The feast is III Class and the ordinary office is prayed according to the rubrics.  What is proper to the feast is given in the Proper of the Saints.

February 14: Blessed Jordan of Saxony, C., O.P., III Class

Today, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Calendar, we celebrate the feast of Blessed Jordan of Saxony, confessor and 2^nd Master General of the Order of Preachers.  The feast is III Class, and the ordinary office is prayed, with propers taken from the Proper of the Saints.  At Lauds and Vespers a commemoration of St. Valentine, Martyr is made.

February 13: St. Catherine de Ricci, V., O.P., III Class

Today, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Calendar, we celebrate the feast of St. Catherine de Rici, virgin of the Order of Preachers.  The feast is III Class, yet it contains the full propers as if the feast were II Class.  At Lauds, the Psalms of Sunday are prayed.

From the Martyrology:

 At Prato in Etruria, St. Catherine de'Ricci of Florence, virgin, of the Order of Preachers. She was remarkable for the abundance of her divine gifts, and was canonized by the Sovereign Pontiff, Benedict XIV. She died rich in virtues and merit on February 2, but her feast is celebrated today.

From “Short Lives of the Dominican Saints” (London, Kegan Paul, Trench, and Trübner & Co., Ltd., 1901):

1949 Completorii Libellus

It is amazing the deals you can find on the internet these days.  I recently procured the 1949 Completorii Libellus (Compline Booklet) for a mere $9.00 (US)!  It is in pristine condition.  The volume is leather bound, and there isn't so much as a scratch on it.  The pages, made of a lesser quality and heavier stock than I am used to seeing in liturgical books from this era, are slightly yellowed from age.  But other than that, it is in mint condition.

February 6: Anniversary Of Our Deceased Parents

Today, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Calendar, we commemorate the Anniversary of the Deceased Parents of the members of our Order.  The ferial office is prayed, with a commemoration of Ss. Vedast and Amand.  At Pretiosa, the Anniversary is announced as follows:

The anniversary of our Fathers and Mothers;

At Pretiosa, Psalm 129 is prayed, as it always is on the day of an Anniversary.  Afterwards, the Prayer for the 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 Christ our Lord.

In addition, the Office of the Dead is prayed, and the Collect prayer for our parents is used:

O God, You have commanded us to honor our father and mother; in Your loving kindness have mercy on the souls of our parents; forgive them their sins, and bring us to see them in the joy of eternal light.  Through our Lord…

February 2: The Purification of the B. V. M., II Class

N.B.  My Ordo incorrectly shows today as the IV Sunday After The Epiphany, with a privileged commemoration of the Purification of the B. V. M..  This is incorrect.  Although the rubrics state that a II Class Sunday takes precedence over a II Class Universal Feast that is not of our Lord, the Feast of the Purification of the B. V. M. is considered a feast of our Lord, so it takes precedence over the occuring Sunday.