St. Thomas Aquinas...pray for us.
Sunday, March 23, 2025
Compline During Lent - III Sunday of Lent to Passion Sunday
St. Thomas Aquinas...pray for us.
Sunday, March 9, 2025
Dominican Compline During Lent - 1st Sunday of Lent to the III Sunday of Lent
The most unique and distinguishing element of the Dominican Breviary, that sets it apart from the Roman, is the variability in the Office of Compline. And no where is this rich variability more evident than during the seasons of Lent, Passiontide, Paschaltide, Ascensiontide, and throughout the octave of Pentecost, when the hymn, Little Chapter, and responses change substantially.
The Ferial Office During Lent
It seems as though we were just celebrating Christmas. Already, the wheel of the liturgical year has moved through the seasons of the Epiphany and Septuagesima, and now we have entered the holy season of Lent.
Friday, March 7, 2025
March 7: St. Thomas Aquinas, C., D., O.P., I Class
Today, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Calendar, we celebrate the feast of the Angelic Doctor, St. Thomas Aquinas, Confessor, Doctor of the Church, of the Order of Preachers. Piercing a hole straight through the somber, penitential season of Lent, the feast of the Angel of the Schools is I Class, so the festive office is prayed according to the rubrics. A commemoration of the Friday after Ash Wednesday is made at Lauds. All is given in the Proper of the Saints.
In the monastery of Fossa Nuova, near Terracina, St. Thomas Aquinas of the Order of Preachers, confessor and Doctor of the Church. He was most illustrious for nobility of birth, holiness of life, and knowledge of theology. He preserved until death the grace of virginity. On account of the extraordinary superiority of his learning, he rightly earned the title of "Angelic Doctor." His writings, remarkable for the solidity of doctrine and approved by our Lord Himself, marvelously illuminate as dazzling lights the Catholic Church and every school of the orthodox world. Leo XIII declared him to be the celestial patron of all Catholic schools.
The Blessed Thomas, Doctor of the Church, light of the world, glory of Italy, virgin shining with the bloom of chastity, rejoices in a twofold crown of glory.
Monday, February 17, 2025
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 of Septuagesima Monday is prayed (Psalm scheme II, preces, proper antiphon at Bened. and Magnif., and proper collect of the Sunday), and the commemoration is made at Lauds and Vespers with the propers given in the Proper of the Saints.
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.
Friday, February 14, 2025
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 2nd 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, a commemoration of St. Valentine, Martyr is made.
Thursday, February 6, 2025
February 6: Anniversary Of Our Deceased Parents
"The anniversary of our Fathers and Mothers;"
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.
Thursday, January 23, 2025
January 23: St. Raymond of Pennafort, C., O.P., III Class
Today, in the 1962 Dominican Rite Calendar, we celebrate the feast of St. Raymond of Pennafort, Confessor, of the Order of Preachers. At the time the 1962 Breviary was published, his feast was III Class and contained a near complete set of propers for the entire office. So the semi-festive office is prayed, according to the rubrics. Between then, and the printing of the 1967 English translation of the Breviary, the Order made his feast II Class. At Lauds, the Psalms of Sunday are prayed and a commemoration of St. Emerentiana, virgin and martyr is made.
Saturday, January 18, 2025
Season after the Epiphany: The Wounds Of Sin
I don't know anything about it's origin, but it is a brief and beautiful summary of the absolute necessity of humility and repentance for any healthy interior life. I look forward to praying it each year.
Tuesday, January 7, 2025
The Ferial Office During Epiphanytide
In the Dominican Breviary, the ferial office in Epiphany season is similar to that of the Roman Breviary, with slight differences. The hymn at Lauds is different, as are some of the versicles.
Thursday, January 2, 2025
The Ferial Office During Christmastide
In the 1962 Breviarium S.O.P., the ferial days of Christmastide (January 2-5) contained no feast days of saints or blesseds, so the ferial day was prayed on each of those days, unless one of them fell on Sunday. The liturgical rank of these ferial days was IV Class. Of course, in previous editions of the Breiary, January 2 was the feast of Blessed Stephana Quinzani and January 3 was the feast of St. (then blessed) Zedislavae Berkianae. On my calendar, I follow Fr. Augustine Thompson rule of including the Dominican saints who were merely blessed in the older calendar.