June 22: Blessed Innocent V, P, C, O.P., Comm.

 Today, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Calendar, we celebrate the commemoration of Blessed Innocent V, one of the four Dominican Popes.  The ferial office is prayed, and a commemoration is made of Bl. Innocent at Lauds only.

Coat of Arms of Bl. Innocent V

We anticipated his feast yesterday at Pretiosa, during the reading of the Martyrology:

Time To Switch To Volume II

With the arrival of the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity, we officially close Volume I of the Dominican Breviary and open Volume II.  We opened Volume I in late November, to start the holy and penitential season of Advent. 

From there, we went through the seasons Christmas, Epiphany, Septuagesima, Lent, Easter, Ascension and Pentecost.  Now, we open Volume II and settle in for the season of Time after Pentecost.  This season is marked by some wonderful feasts, such as Corpus Christi and the Sacred Heart, the Nativity of John the Baptist and Ss. Peter and Paul, and of course the Assumption.

The Dominican Breviary has always been divided into two (2) volumes.  The oldest known editions, from the middle of the 13th Century, are in two (2) volumes.  Recently, Loome Theological Booksellers was offering a four (4) volume edition of the 1962 Breviarium S.O.P., but this was probably a custom edition that was made for someone.

So we bid farewell to Volume I, and begin the second half of the liturgical year.  When we pick up Volume I again, it will be to prepare for the season of Advent, when the year begins anew.