Who Is Dominican Tertiary?

In case anyone out there is wondering, I am an American man, living in the United States.  I am married and have a family.  I am in the 45 - 55 year old age range.  I have been a Roman Catholic all my life, and I am completely loyal to the Magisterium of the Church, and our Holy Father Pope Francis.  I am also a novice in the Lay Fraternity of St. Dominic (Dominican Third Order).

Though my parents did the best job they could, during the turbulent 70's and 80's, to raise me Catholic,  I was not a truly "practicing" Catholic until about 2000.   Around that time a very dear friend of mine was trying to draw me closer to Christ and the Church, something my father had also been attempting for a number of years.  Their efforts were supplemented that year by my encounter with a Traditionalist priest, who introduced me to both the Traditional Mass, and St. Thomas Aquinas.  The rest, as they say, is history.

1967 Dominican Breviary On-Line

As has been reported over at New Liturgical Movement and Dominican Liturgy, the good folks at Corpus Christi Watershed, have posted a scan of Volume II of the 1967 English translation of the 1962 Breviarium Iuxta ritum sacri ordinis praedicatorum, and it is available as a pdf download.  This is the edition that I use daily when praying the office.

This edition was a project of the Irish Dominican Province, and was issued with the approbation of Fr. Aniceto Fernandez, O.P., who was Master General of the Order of Preachers during the tumultuous period from 1962 - 1974.  It was published in 1967 by St. Savrour's Press, Dublin, Ireland.  The translation of elements of the Old Testament are a combination of those from the Douay and the Revised Standard Version.  The psalm translation is that of the Grail edition.  Being issued after the close of Vatican Council II, the editors made the decision to remove the Office of Prime, which had been suppressed by the conciliar Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium.

December 25: The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, I Class

℣. Puer natus est nobis.	℣. To us a child is born.
℟. Et filius datus est nobis.	℣. To us a son is given.

(Versicle before Lauds)

Today, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Calendar, we celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.  The feast is 1^st Class, with a 2^nd Class octave.  The Festive Office is prayed. with everything being taken from the Proper of the Season for this day.

December 24: Vigil of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, I Class

℣. Tomorrow the transgression of the earth will be blotted out.  ℟. And the Savior of the world will reign over us.  (Versicle before Lauds for the Vigil of the Nativity).

Today, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Calendar, we celebrate the Vigil of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.  The feast is 1st Class so the Festive Office is prayed.  At Pretiosa, we read the Martyrology for December 25:

December 23: O Emmanuel

At Vespers on these days, we pray one of the "O" antiphons at the Magnificat.  Today, December 23, the antiphon is "O Emmanuel":

O Emmanuel, Rex et légifer noster, exspectátio Géntium, et Salvátor eárum: veni ad salvándum nos, Dómine Deus noster.

O Emmanuel, King and Lawgiver, the one longed for by the nations, their Savior; come and save us, Lord our God.

From "Liturgical Meditations for the Entire Year" by the Sisters of St. Dominic, Adrian, MI (B. Herder, 1960):

In her last great invocation to the King-Messiah, the Church calls Him by the greatest and holiest of His titles:  Emmanuel, God with us.  Looking to the throne of the Most High, she acknowledges His eternal royalty and infinite dominion.  With adoration, humility, and confidence she pleads for His coming.

As we go about our final preparations fo the visit of our divine Lord, let us repeat often in the depths of our soul His name:  Emmanuel.  Only by continual and reverent meditation upon His glorious title can we grasp its significance:  God with us.  To redeem our wretchedness and purchase forgiveness of our sins, the eternal Son of God becomes out brother, clothes Himself in our nature, assumes the pains, humiliations, and necessities of our humanity.

December 22: The Patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Comm.

Happy Anniversary to the Order of Preachers!

I truly enjoy this feast.  As a member of the Order, it brings me great joy to know that I am part of a family that is nearly 800 years old, and which has been endowed by almighty God with so many holy men and women.  It is also a great joy to me that there is a specific date which serves as the birthday, so to speak, for the Order.  The ferial Office for Advent is prayed, and a commemoration of the feast is made at Lauds only.

December 22: O Rex Géntium

At Vespers on these days, we pray one of the "O" antiphons at the Magnificat.  Today, December 22, the antiphon is "O Rex Gentium":

O Rex Géntium, * et desiderátus eárum, lapisque angularis, qui facis utráque unum: veni, et salva hóminem, quem de limo formásti.

O King and treasure of the nations, the corner-stone that makes the two into one; come and save man whom you fashioned from dust.

From "Liturgical Meditations for the Entire Year" by the Sisters of St. Dominic, Adrian, MI (B. Herder, 1960):

Today’s liturgy calls upon the Holy One of Israel, desired of all nations, to come and rescue the human race.  Formed of clay and corrupted by sin, man is in need of a Savior.  From the heights of heaven there comes to him the Lord of the world, the King of nations, the eternal Son of God.

Without a keen sense of our own wretchedness we shall fail to appreciate the benefit of redemption.  If we are not fully convinced that of our selves we are the dust of the earth incapable of a single good thought or meritorious action, we shall not cry out for help to Him who cometh to us from afar.  The more completely we realize our need, the more earnestly we shall implore Him to come quickly that He may relieve our misery.  There is no more fitting preparation for His arrival than the sincere admission of our dependence upon Him.  “Behold the afflictions of Thy people.  Come and deliver us as Thou hast promised” (Matins for the 1^st Sunday of Advent, Dominican Breviary).

December 21: O Óriens

At Vespers on these days, we pray one of the "O" antiphons at the Magnificat.  Today, December 21, the antiphon is "O Oriens":

O Óriens splendor lucis æternæ, et sol iustítiæ: veni, et illúmina sedéntes in ténebris, et umbra mortis.

O Dawn, Reflection of eternal Light and sun of justice; come, and give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

From "Liturgical Meditations for the Entire Year" by the Sisters of St. Dominic, Adrian, MI (B. Herder, 1960):

As the dawn of Christ’s nativity approaches, Holy Church cries out for His everlasting brilliance to disperse the shadows of our misery and sin.  Frequently in the Advent liturgy she speaks of Him as light to honor the splendor of His eternal divinity and the enlightenment of all men by His coming.  Today she calls upon Him as the dawn, the first appearance of celestial brilliance upon the dark horizon of our world.

The splendor that streams from Bethlehem’s cave is meant to cast upon our lives the radiance of eternal light.  Let us ask ourselves whether we shrink from this divine illumination.  Perhaps there are dark corners in our souls, lurking shadows of sin, cherished spots of blindness where God’s light is not permitted to enter.  If we allow the holy Infant only partial entrance to our thoughts and affections, He cannot dispel the darkness of our souls and lead us to everlasting light.

December 20: O clavis David

At Vespers on these days, we pray one of the "O" antiphons at the Magnificat.  Today, December 20, the antiphon is "O clavis David":

O clavis David et sceptrum domus Israël; qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis, et nemo aperit: veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris, sedentem in ténebris, et umbra mortis.

O Key of David and Sceptre of the house of Israel, who opens and no one shall shut, who shuts and no one opens, come and bring out from prison the prisoner who sits in darkness and in the shadow of death.

From "Liturgical Meditations for the Entire Year" by the Sisters of St. Dominic, Adrian, MI (B. Herder, 1960):

In the office for today Holy Mother Church refers to the royal ancestry of our divine Lord by calling upon Him as key of David and scepter of the house of Israel.  He is the key of eternal design fitted to open the entrance to the heavenly kingdom.  He is the scepter of infinite authority holding sway over all creation from eternity unto eternity.

  

It is this King of awful power and terrible majesty who will come to us in a few days as a little child, not demanding the rights of His royalty and absolute dominion, but pleading for a place in our hearts and in our lives.  We are not forced to accept Him.  In fact, we may be too busy with self and creatures even to listen; but in the dawn of eternity we shall appear before the throne of His infinite majesty to be ruled by Him forever.  Let us call upon Him earnestly in the words of the Advent liturgy to come and redeem our wretchedness by His might power.  “Come and deliver me, O Lord; to Thee have I fled” (Lauds of the last Friday of Advent.

December 19: O O radix Iesse

At Vespers on these days, we pray one of the "O" antiphons at the Magnificat.  Today, December 19, the antiphon is "O radix Iesse":

O radix Iesse qui stas in signum populórum, super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem Gentes deprecabúntur: veni ad liberándum nos, iam noli tardare.

O Root of Jesse, who stands as an ensign to the peoples; because of whom kings shall shut their mouths; whom the nations shall seek; come and free us, do not any longer delay!

From "Liturgical Meditations for the Entire Year" by the Sisters of St. Dominic, Adrian, MI (B. Herder, 1960):

Today's liturgy takes us back more than ten centuries before the birth of Christ to the Bethlehem shepherd, Jesse, and his son, David the king.  Called by God's prophet from his father's flocks to the throne of Israel, David was the head of the royal family glorified by the human ancestry of Christ.  Many weary decades of humiliation and obscurity were to visit the descendants of Jesse before the pre-eminent Son of David would come to save His people.

In the vicissitudes of the Hebrew family from whom Christ derived His human origin, we may see a figure of our spiritual lives.  Anointed to the royal priesthood of Christ by the charism of baptism, we must endure suffering and humiliation before His image appears in us.  Purified by trial and chastened by mortification, we shall in God's time yield the fruits of sanctification unto eternal life.

December 18: O Adonái

At Vespers on these days, we pray one of the "O" antiphons at the Magnificat.  Today, December 18, the antiphon is "O Adonai":

O Adonái et Dux domus Israël, qui Móysi in igne flammæ rubi apparuisti, et ei in Sina legem dedísti: veni ad redimendum nos in bráchio extento.

O Adonai, and leader of the house of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush and gave him the Law of Sinai, come, with outstretched arm, to redeem us.

From "Liturgical Meditations for the Entire Year" by the Sisters of St. Dominic, Adrian, MI (B. Herder, 1960):

Today the Church bids her children, sons of a new and glorious Israel, look back to that time when God Himself came in fiery vision to Moses that He might lead the chosen people from teh slavery of Egypt to the Promised Land.  The Red Sea through which they passed to their salvation is compared in the liturgy to the sacrament of baptism through whose saving waters we have reached the state of grace and the hope of life eternal.

As wonderfully as He led the Israelites  through the waters of the Red Sea, God led us by His divine providence to the font of baptism.  Moses expressed his appreciation of God's goodness in a magnificent canticle of praise.  Do we manifest in our lives the gratitude we owe to God for the grace of baptism which brought us "out of darkness into His marvelous light"?  (1 Peter 2:9)  We should not let this holy season pass without an increased appreciation of the gift of faith which makes our Christmas so different from the empty celebration of those who know not God.

December 17: O Sapiéntia

Beginning today, we enter a more profound period in the Advent Season.  The days from December 17 to December 23 are the Advent equivalent of Passiontide in Lent.  During this time, the ferial days are II Class, and take precedence over III Class feast of saints (a commemoration is made during this time, of any III Class feast in the Proper of the Saints).

At Vespers on these days, we pray one of the "O" antiphons at the Magnificat.  Today, December 17, the antiphon is "O Wisdom":

O Sapiéntia quæ ex ore Altíssimi prodiisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem, fórtiter suaviterque disponens ómnia: veni ad docendum nos viam prudéntiæ.

O Wisdom, who came forth from the mouth of the Most High, and reaches mightily from one end of the earth to the other, ordering all things well’ come and teach us the way of understanding.

From "Liturgical Meditations for the Entire Year" by the Sisters of St. Dominic, Adrian, MI (B. Herder, 1960):

Holy Mother Church begins today her immediate preparation for Christmas by contemplating the divine and eternal origin of Him who is to come.  From all eternity the only-begotten Son of God, eternal uncreated Wisdom, came forth from the depths of the divine Mind, the perfect image of the Father’s splendor, “the brightness of His glory and the figure of His substance.” (Heb. 1.3)  From all eternity He willed to become man in order to redeem us from our sins and to show us in human form the infinite goodness, truth, and beauty of God.

In eternal silence the Word proceeded from the divine Intellect and in profound silence He assumed our nature in the womb of the immaculate Virgin.  In silence the divine Word comes to our souls with His generous gifts and loving inspirations.  I n the tranquility of recollection and the profound peace of a silent soul we must receive Him who comes to us.  Let us never permit our duties to hinder our recollection and disturb our preparation for the coming of our divine Lord.  None of these external affairs can penetrate the sanctuary of our souls unless we allow them to do so by anxiety about the success of our endeavors or preoccupation with matters of small import for eternity.

December 6: St. Nicholas and the Dominican Order

The feast of St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, is one of those feasts in the Dominican Calendar which is III Class, as in the Roman Rite, but unlike the latter rite the Dominican Breviary contains a complete set of propers, as if the feast were II Class.  I was curious about the reason for this, so I did a little research in Fr. Bonniwell's "A History of the Dominican Liturgy", and this is what I found.

As the 13th century was drawing to a close, the Order elevated three (3) feasts on the calendar.  They were The Nativity of St. John the Baptist, the Feast of Ss. Peter and Paul, and St. Nicholas.  The two former feasts were elevated to totum duplex (the equivalent to a 1st Class Feast).  The feast of St. Nicholas was elevated to duplex (roughly equivalent to a II Class Feast).The reason for this is quite interesting.

BREVIARIUM S.O.P. 2015 DOMINICAN RITE CALENDAR

Just in time for Christmas!  I am pleased to announce the completion of my 2015 Dominican Rite Calendar, for praying the 1962 Dominican Breviary.  The Calendar is now available from Fr. Augustine Thompson's "Dominican Liturgy Publications" at Lulu.

The calendar is based on the Dominican Rite Liturgical Calendar that Fr. Augustine Thompson, O.P. prepares every year.  The format is similar to that of the Ordo published by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter for the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.  The calendar contains the entire liturgical year, according to the 1962 Breviarii Iuxta Ritum Ordinis Preædicatorum, updated with the most recent canonizations of Dominican saints.

December 1: Blessed John of Vercelli, C., O.P., Commemoration

Today, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Calendar, we make a commemoration of Blessed John of Vercelli, 6^th Master General of the Order.  The Advent ferial office is prayed, according to the rubrics, and the commemoration of Blessed John is made at Lauds and Vespers, since his is a privileged commemoration.  In addition, a second commemoration is made of SS. Cyriacus, Largus, and Smaragdus, Martyrs.  At Pretiosa, the obits of Thomas Turco of Cremona, 56th Master General of the Order and Alexander Vincent Jandel of Nancy in France, 73rd Master General of the Order are read.

The Ferial Office During Advent

This year, during the season of Advent, we will pray the ferial office 13 time.  In the Dominican Breviary, the ferial office in Advent draws heavily from the Book of Jeremiah for the Little Chapter (Lauds, Terce, Sext, and Vespers).  The versicle before Lauds is from Isiah 6.  Each one builds upon the Old Testament Prophets' anticipation of the coming of the Messiah, just as the Church now does during Advent.

The ferial days in Advent is III Class, until December 17.  During these days, when a III Class feast is celebrated, a commemoration is made of the ferial day at Lauds and Vespers.  From December 17 through December 23, the ferial days are II Class.  During this period, when a III Class feast occurs, the ferial office is prayed and a commemoration of the III Class feast is made at Lauds and Vespers.

Advent Is Upon Us! Are You "Excited"?

Excita!  Are you "excited"?  Advent is upon us, and the word "excita" is very prominent in the liturgy at this time of year.  This afternoon, we switch to Volume I of the Dominican Breviary, for 1st Vespers of the 1st Sunday of Advent.

This holy season is intended to prepare us by rousing (stirring) up sentiments of contrition and hope in us, as we count down the weeks till we celebrate the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  Contrition for our sins, and hope in the Child Jesus, who is our salvation.

St. Catherine of Alexandria, M., III Class

Today, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Calendar, we celebrate the feast of St. Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr.  The feast is III Class and therefore the ordinary office is prayed according to the rubrics.

There are a number of non Dominican saints whose feast days are, nevertheless, "emphasized" on the liturgical calendar of the Order of Preachers.  Examples of these are St. Augustine, St. Francis of Assisi, and St. Mary Magdalene.  One such saint is the illustrious philosopher and virgin, who shed her blood for the Truth, St. Catherine of Alexandria.

In times past, her feast was celebrated as a totum duplex feast, making approximately it equivalent to a 1st Class Feast in the 1961 rubrics.  A commemoration was made of the octave of her feast day on December 2. 

Coming Soon! The 2015 Breviarium S.O.P. Liturgical Calendar

A heartfelt "thank you" to everyone who purchased our 2014 calendar, for praying the 1962 Dominican Rite Breviary!  For 2015, we are publishing it again, but with a small modification.  In addition to an English translation of the Office of Pretiosa, we are also including an English translation of the Office of Prime, according to the Dominican Rite.  These two offices were left out of the 2-volume 1967 Dominican Breviary published by St. Saviour's Press.  We have also edited out some of the grammatical and spelling errors that found their way into the 2014 edition.

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 the semi-festive office is prayed according to the rubrics.

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.

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 according to the rubrics, 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.

From "Liturgical Meditations for the Entire Year" by the Sisters of St. Dominic, Adrian, MI (B. Herder, 1960):

The magnanimous spirit of our Order inspires devotion to the holy souls in purgatory. Love for the Church suffering, deeply rooted in the soul of St. Dominic, has been preserved for centuries in the traditions, Constitutions, and liturgy of the Order of Preachers. Today throughout our Order the Mass and Office of the Dead will be offered for the souls of Dominican priests, brothers, and sisters, who are now awaiting their release from the pains of purgatory. 

Our Dominican brothers and sisters are asking today for our prayers. The Office of the Dead is one contribution we can make to their needs, but it is very little compared with what we have within our means to give. Because it is the special suffrage assigned by our Constitutions, we owe it as a matter of justice. If we look forward to the careful performance of this duty today, we shall find it a joy to offer this and and many other acts of prayer and charity for the souls of our beloved departed. "O God, the giver of pardon and the author of human salvation, we beseech Thy clemency to admit the brothers and sisters of our congregation...to the fellowship of eternal bliss" (Office of the Dead).

The souls in purgatory are making reparation for the temporal punishment due to their sins.  As some sins are more serious than others, the punishment for some is of longer duration.  Likewise some sins are of greater adherence in the soul than others, according as man is attached to them and more inclined to commit them.  Therefore the sins that adhere more strongly to the soul are purged more slowly (Summa Theologica, Supplement, Appendix II, a.8.).

From this teaching of St. Thomas we learn that we must never cease to pray for our departed brothers and sisters, because they may be detained for a long time in purgatory. Although they lived holy lives and served God faithfully, attachment to venial sins may be separating them from the beatific vision. Let us be generous in our prayers for them and honest in our examination of conscience lest attachment to sloth, criticism, and disobedience may become habitual in our lives and require a lengthy and painful purgatory."We offer to Thee, O Lord, sacrifice of praise and prayers; do Thou receive them in behalf of those souls whom we commemorate this day." (Offeratory of the Mass for the Dead).

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 so the semi-festive office is prayed according to the rubrics. 

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 so the Ordinary Office is prayed according to the rubrics.  Like many III Class feasts, the Office 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.

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

LOST FEASTS: October 31 - Commemoration of the Holy Relics

One of the great tragedies of the 20th century liturgical changes was the "Romanization" of the Dominican calendar that occurred in the revision of 1960, and which is codified in the calendar of the 1962 Breviarium iuxta ritum sacri ordinis praedicatorum.  Many unique Dominican feasts were removed from the liturgical calendar of the Order, including those of many Dominican blessed's and many other feasts that were particular to the Dominican Order.One such feast was the Feast of the Holy Relics.

Collect prayer from the 1909 Breviarium
iuxta ritum sacri ordinis, when the feast
was celebrated on October 30.

As noted in the Martyrology of the Sacred Order of Friars Preachers (Bonniwell, 1955), this feast was a commemoration of "holy martyrs and of the other saints, whose bodies or relics are preserved in our churches."  In the 1909 Breviarium iuxta ritum sacri ordinis

praedicatorum  the feast is celebrated on October 30, however in the 1924 Breviarium S.O.P. it appears on  October 31, the Vigil of All Saints Day, and remained there until it was removed in 1960.  The feast  had the rank of a totum duplex feast, which in 1962 would have been considered a 1st Class Feast.   For the Office, everything was taken from the Common of Many Martyrs, except the Collect (see below), and lessons 4, 5, and 6 at Matins, which were taken from a tract by St. John Damascene's "De Fide Orthodoxa" .  A commemoration of St. Quintinus was also made.  Interestingly, this feast superseded the Vigil of All Saints at Matins, as noted in the 1924 Breviarium S.O.P., which states "De Vigilia Sanctorum in Officio nihil fit" at the end of the Office.

From "Liturgical Meditations for the Entire Year" by the Sisters of St. Dominic, Adrian, MI (B. Herder, 1960):

These are the saints…who constantly assist before the throne of God.

God is wonderful in His saints.

(from Lauds, Dominican Breviary)

Our Holy Order has set aside this day of special honor the saints whose relics are preserved in our churches.  Many of these saints are our own Dominican brothers and sisters; all of them are members of Christ who used their bodily faculties for the glory of God in the service of His holy Church.

We honor the relics of the saints because their bodies are, in a sense, the body of Christ.  In each of them the Son of God has been mystically incarnate; in every one of them He has prayed and labored and suffered in accordance with the Father’s will.  How precious is our participation in His work and in His passion!  How grateful we should be that He has deigned to share with us the pain and burden of His redemptive love.  “You are the body of Christ” (1 Cor. 12:27)

Relics of St. Thomas Aquinas at the Church of the Jacobins,

Toulouse, France.

The relics of the saints are honored because their souls enjoy the beatific vision, and the bodies once animated by these blessed souls are still in somewise associated with them.  Since human personality requires the union of body and soul, the citizens of heaven will one day regain the physical faculties with which they honored God and served their fellow men.

How truly worth of our reverence are the bodies of our heavenly brothers and sisters!  With their faculties of sight and speech and hearing, by their capacity for weariness and pain, they have done the work of Christ and shared the burden of His cross.  May it be joy for us to pay the price of suffering and exhaustion for the cause of God.  In eternal light our souls and bodies will exult in the sacrifice God asks of us today. ”My heart and my flesh have rejoiced in the living God” (Ps 83:3)

In the office for today’s feast, St. John Damascene tells us that the bodies of the saints should not be called dead in the sense of useless or inactive because their relics are the means whereby God confers countless blessings upon us.  In honoring the holy relics we are professing our faith in the resurrection of Christ and our hope that we may one day rise to eternal glory.

As we look forward joyfully t the feast of All Saints, we lift our eyes to that home where we hope to spend eternity united to one another in God.  How often do we travel heavenward in mind and heart?  Perhaps we sometimes sorry over temporal loss and separation as if we had no assurance of eternal joy.  In attaining God we shall possess all things, and were we to achieve all else without Him, we would have nothing.  He is Himself our one reward, exceeding great.  “What have I in heaven? And besides The wat do I desire upon earth?” (Ps. 72:25)

Prayer

O God, who willed to adorn this church with the relics of so many saints; grant that we Your servants may enjoy in heaven the fellowship of those whose memory we venerate on earth:  Through our Lord...

New Article on Dominican Chant

In case you missed this this post on the website of the Order of Preacher, Br. Innocent Smith, of the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C. in the USA (Province of St. Joseph), has published an article entitled "Dominican Chant and Dominican Identity" in the Journal "Religions".

This article discusses the role that chant has played in the development of the spirituality of the Order.  Here is the abstract:

The Order of Preachers possesses a venerable chant tradition that dates back to the thirteenth century. This essay describes Dominican chant, showing how it developed as a consequence of the attitudes to the liturgy expressed in the Ancient Constitutions of the Order of Preachers. These constitutions stressed that the liturgy was to be performed with careful attention to bodily posture, with a succinctness and brevity that would allow time for study and preaching, and with gradations of solemnity that would express the inner hierarchy of parts of the liturgy and of the liturgical year. After the initial development of the repertoire, Dominican chant has gone through periods of decline and revival, which are briefly traced in this article together with a consideration of the place of the chant in the contemporary practice of the Order. Throughout the last eight centuries, the chant of the Order of Preachers has played an important role in the inculcation and preservation of Dominican identity within the Order and in the lives of individual friars and sisters.

This is a very well written article, that is accessible to anyone who has even a rudimentary knowledge of the Office and Mass. You can download this fine article here.

October 9: St. Louis Bertrand, C., O.P., III Class

Today, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Calendar, we celebrate the feast of Saint Louis Bertrand, confessor of the Order of Preachers.  His feast is III Class, so the ordinary office is prayed according to the rubrics.  A commemoration of Ss. Denis, Bishop, and companions is made at Lauds only.  

October 7: The Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary, I Class

Today, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Calendar, we celebrate the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary.  The feast is I Class in the calendar of the Order, so the festive office is prayed according to the rubrics.  Traditionally, Dominican Tertiaries would fast on the vigil of this great feast.

The great feast was announced at Pretiosa yesterday:

The Commemoration of Our Lady of Victory, which Pope Plus V instituted to be made annually, on account of the famous victory gained on this very day by the Christians in a naval battle against the Turks, by the assistance of the same Mother of God. However, Gregory XIII decreed that for the same victory there should be celebrated on the first Sunday of this month the annual solemnity of the Rosary of the Most Blessed Virgin. 

September 20: Blessed Francis de Posadas, C., O.P., III Class

Today, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Calendar, we celebrate the feast of Blessed Francis Possadas, confessor of the Order of Preachers.  In the 1962 Breviarium sacri ordinis praedicatorum calendar, his feast is merely a commemoration.  By the time the 1967 English translation was published by the Irish Dominican Province, the Order had elevated his feast to III Class.  For anyone who has the calendar that I published, it shows today as a Saturday of the B.V.M., with a commemoration of Bl. Francis de Posadas.  I will be following the later calendar from here on out, so his feast will be III Class in the 2015 calendar.

September 18: St. John Massias, C., O.P., III Class

Today, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Calendar, we celebrate the feast of Saint John Massias, a lay brother of the Order of Preachers.  The feast is III Class, and the ordinary office is prayed according to the rubrics.

September 12: The Most Holy Name of Mary, III Class

Today, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Office, we celebrate the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary.  I truly love this feast, and I look forward to its return each year.  Like the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, it is a feast that is rich in devotion to our Blessed Lady.  It is also steeped in the glorious history of Christendom.  

The feast was announced in the Martyrology during Pretiosa yesterday:

The feast of the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Sovereign Pontiff, Innocent XI, commanded this feast to be celebrated because of the brilliant victory obtained over the Turks at Vienna in Austria by the help of the Blessed Virgin.

September 10: Blessed Alphonsus Navarrete, O.P., and Companions, Mm., III Class

Today, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Calendar, we celebrate the feast of Blessed Alfonso Navarrete and Companions.  The feast is III Class, so the ordinary office is prayed according to the rubrics.  A commemoration is made of St. Nicholas of Tolentino, Confessor.  The lesson at Matins describes the heroic virtue of these martyrs of Japan.  The Dominicans made up a large contingent of those who were killed.  Also represented were the Franciscans, Jesuits, and Augustinians.

September 6: Blessed Bertrand of Garrigue, C., O.P., Commemoration

Today, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Calendar, we make a commemoration of Blessed Bertrand of Garrigua, Confessor, of the Order of Preachers.  Since today is a ferial day, the ferial office is prayed, and a commemoration is made of Bl. Bertrand at Lauds only.

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

September 5: Anniversary of the Associates and Benefactors of our Order

Today, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Calendar, we commemorate the Anniversary of the Deceased Associates and Benefactors of our Order.  The commemoration is made at Pretiosa as follows:

The Anniversary of the deceased friends and benefactors of our Order. 

The Preces In The Dominican Rite Office

Recently, a reader emailed me about the rubrics for praying the preces in the Dominican Rite Office.  One of the many differences between the Dominican and Roman Breviaries is the content of the preces prayers, as well as the specific times when they are prayed throughout the year.

August 30: St. Rose of Lima, V, O.P., III Class

Today, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Calendar, we celebrate the feast of St. Rose of Lima.  The feast is III Class, so the Ordinary office is prayed according to the rubrics.  This is one of those III Class feasts in which the Proper of the Saints contains the entire office.  At Lauds, the Psalms of Sunday are prayed.  

From the Martyrology:

At Lima in Peru, St. Rose, virgin, of the Third Order of our holy Father St. Dominic. The Roman Pontiff Clement IX called her "the first flower from the Western World." At the age of five she took the vow of virginity; later she was received by Christ in a miraculous way as His spouse. She added the most severe penances to a life of purest innocence and her fame spread because of her many miracles. She died on August 24.

August 28: St. Augustine, B., C., D., II Class

Today, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Calendar, we celebrate the feast of St. Augustine, Bishop, Confessor, Doctor, and Father of the Church.  A III feast in the Roman Rite, the feast is II Class in the Dominican calendar with its own propers, so the semi-festive office is prayed, according to the rubrics.  This is due to the Order’s association with the Doctor of Grace via the Rule of St. Augustine, which our Holy Father adopted as the Rule for his Order in 1216.  Also, at Pretiosa, the obit is read of Albert de Chiavari of Genoa, 10th Master General of the Order.  

Collect Prayer for the Feast of the Assumption

Recently, while reading "Christ the Savior" by Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P. on the Assumption of the B.V.M., I came across the following passage:

Therefore the Blessed Virgin Mary, as Mother of the Savior and the new Eve, is also most closely associated with Christ's perfect victory over death, so that "she could not be held down or detained by the bonds of death, " as the liturgy says[19]; otherwise she would have been vanquished by death and would not have been the vanquisher, and her parallelism with Christ's resurrection and ascension, before the general resurrection of the dead, would be destroyed.  Moreover, the exceptional benediction, "blessed art thou among women," excludes the malediction "into dust thou shalt return." (emphasis mine)