July 30: Bl. Mannes, C., O.P., Commemoration

Today, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Calendar, we make a commemoration of Blessed Mannes, Confessor, of the Order of Preachers.  Since today is a ferial day, the ferial office is prayed according to the rubrics, and a commemoration is made of Bl. Manes at Lauds only.  In addition, a commemoration is made at Lauds of Ss. Abdon and Sennen, Martyrs.

Yesterday, we read from the "Martyrology of the Sacred Order of Friars Preachers":

At Calaruega in Spain, Blessed Mannes, brother of our Father St. Dominic. He possessed sincerity and simplicity to a high degree, and was devoted to contemplation. Rich in merit and renowned for his miracles, he died a holy death in the Cistercian monastery of St. Peter at Gamiel.

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

Compline of Saturday & the Litany of the B.V.M.

A few years ago, while sitting down to pray Compline on a Saturday night after the children went to bed, I was arranging the ribbons and came across something that I had never noticed before in the Dominican Breviary.  The Psalter ends at Compline on Saturday, and the three psalms and their antiphon are contained on pages 214 - 215.  Since there is no reason, then, to flip that page, I never did.  But that night I flipped over the page, to see if there was anything there, and I came across this rubric:

On every Saturday throughout the year, after the recitation of the Hail O Queen, with its ℣. Permit, and the prayer Grant we besech you, the Litany of the Blessed Virgin and the invocation Mary, maid with its ℣. and prayer, p. 28* are said in choir.

Lo and behold!  Purely by accident, I stumbled across a wonderful devotion that has been a part of the Dominican Breviary for 400 years!  So on Saturdays throughout the year, after the Salve Regina and the versicle and prayer that follow, the commemoration of St. Dominic is not made.  In its place, the Litany of the Blessed Virgin is prayed.  This makes complete sense when you consider that, since time immemorial, the Church has always considered Saturdays to be especially devoted to the Our Lady.  And what better way to end the week, then to sing the praises of the Mother of God, who spreads forth her mantle of protection over the entire Order.

July 17: Bl. Ceslaus, C., O.P., Commemoration

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

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

July 13: Bl. James of Voragine, B., C., O.P., Commemoration

Today, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Calendar, we make a commemoration of Blesssed James of Voragine, Bishop, Confessor, of the Order of Preachers.  Since today is a ferial day, the ferial office is prayed.  A commemoration is made of Bl. James of Voragine at Lauds only.  The collect prayer for this holy bishop speaks of his love for peace and truth.  In these days where there is very little peace, whether between nations, peoples, citizens of the same country, members of Holy Mother Church, and even within families, due so often to a lack of knowledge of, or regard for, Truth, may this holy Dominican bishop pray for us and our deplorable times.

Blessed James is the author of the famous "Golden Legend", a medieval manuscript of saints’ lives that was extremely popular in the Middle Ages.  From “Short Lives of the Dominican Saints” (London, Kegan Paul, Trench, and Trübner & Co., Ltd., 1901):

July 11: Ss. Ignatius and Dominic, Bb, O.P., and Companions, Mm., III Class

Today, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Calendar, we celebrate the feast of Ss. Ignatius and Dominic, Bishops, and their Companions, Martyrs.  The feast is III Class, and as such the Ordinary Office is prayed according to the rubrics.

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

Of the glorious band of seventy-seven martyrs beatified by Pope Leo XIII on May 27, in the holy year of Jubilee, 1900, twenty-six are assigned in the Apostolic Brief to the Order of Preachers, nineteen by actual profession, and the remaining seven by their connection with the Dominican mission of Eastern Tonquin. They are often spoken of as the Martyrs of the Annamite Church, the name of Annam having been formerly applied to a larger extent of country than at the present day; and they suffered in the persecution which raged during the years 1838, 1839, and 1840.

July 9: SS. John, O.P., and Companions , Mm., III Cl.

On this day, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Calendar, we celebrate the Feast of SS. John of Cologne, O.P., and companions, the Martyr's of Gorcum.  The feast is III Class, so the Ordinary Office is prayed according to the rubrics.  This feast is one of those III Class feasts where everything is provided in the Proper of the Saints, so nothing is required from the Common of the Saints.  At Pretiosa, the obit of Fr. Thomas Hyacinth Cipolletti of Ascoli, 70th Master General of the Order, is made.

Dominican Sister's Office Book

A reader of this blog was kind enough to send along this weblink for an online archive of the 1941 Dominican Sister's Office Book.

This is a wonderful little book, which contains the entire Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary for Dominicans, as well as meditations on the pslams, canticles, and hymns of the office.  Finally, it contains the propers for making a commemoration of each of the Dominican Saints and Blesseds throughout the liturgical year.

(Please note that this online edition is missing pages 112-131, so most of Terce and the beginning of Sext is not included.)

Anyone who is interested in viewing the book can do so by clicking on this link:

archive.org/details/OfficeBookForDominicanSisters

July 7: Anniversary of the Bull "Consurgit in nobis"

On this day, in the year 1267, Pope Clement IV issued the Bull "Consurgit in nobis", granting the request of Blessed John of Vercelli to give official approval of the Dominican Office.  From "A History of the Dominican Liturgy, 1944, pp. 197-198:

"We are filled with the greatest spiritual joy, when we behold those who are dedicated to the divine service bonded together in virtuous harmony.  Especially when we perceive them desiring, for the honor of the Divine Name, that the cause of holy unity should prosper among them to such an extent that their state in life may enjoy not only lasting peace and tranquil devotion, but also appear always well-ordered - as propriety demands.  For both reasons there is a great cause for congratulations, since unity of faith and pious deeds so shine forth in these religious that this renowned Order may assume this praise:  it possesses every adornment of surpassing beauty, and it is entirely free of every blemish.

July 6: Anniversary Of Those Buried In Our Cemetaries

Tangipahoa Parish

Louisiana  USA

On this day, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Calendar, the anniversary of those buried in the cemeteries of the Order are remembered.

"Dear Brother and Sister Tertiaries, you have come into an Order which is devoted to the dead.  You will eventually profit by it, and in the meantime the Rule requires you to do your part to maintain this devotion".

Thus Fr. F.D. Joret, O.P., begins his Chapter entitled "Prayer For Our Dead", in his wonderful book "Dominican Life" (The Newman Bookshop, 1947).  He then proceeds to describe each of the four Anniversaries during which the Order prays for her dead.  Of today's Anniversary, he says:

July 4: Anniversary of the 1962 Breviarium juxta ritum ordinis prædicatorum

Today is the anniversary of the approval of the last official Breviary of the Order of Preachers.  On July 4, 1961, Master General of the Order Michael Browne, O.P., approved the new revised Breviary.  His letter of approval and introduction is in the front of the Breviary.  It is reprinted below.  The copyright date on the title sheet, however, is 1962 which explains why it is always referred to as the 1962 Breviarium sacri ordinis praedicatorum.  This particular breviary is the one that is authorized, under Pope Benedict XVI moto proprio "Summorum Pontificum", for use by the Order should a friar, or group of friars, or even a whole priory should decide to use it either occasionally, or even adopt it permanently.  

Miscellaneous Items

I hope everyone is enjoying the Summer.  I have been quite distracted of late, with some pretty significant changes in my personal life.  Good changes, that were long overdue.

Anyway, in response to a reader request, I have put together a copy of the 1923 Rule for Dominican Tertiaries (Rule of the Brothers and Sisters of the Secular Third Order of St. Dominic).  It is a beautiful Rule; much more precise and edifying (in my opinion) than the 1985 Rule.  The translation is the one found in "Dominican Life" by F.D. Joret, O.P. (The Newman Press, Westminster, MD, 1947).  The 1985 Rule can be found by clicking on the link to the Dominican Order and navigating your way through the Documents menu.  You can download the 1923 Rule here.  A link to it is also provided on the sidebar to the lower right.

Contacting Dominican Tertiary:  If you wish to contact me with a question, and would like a response, the best way is to email me directly at ste1701z@gmail.com.  For some bizarre reason, Blogger is blocking my attempts to respond to comments, when I use Google Chrome.  This makes no sense to me, since Chrome is a Google product, as is Blogger.  It word for the first two years I was doing this, but now all of a sudden it has stopped.  So if you are looking for a response, please email me at the above email address.