Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Have Breviaries, Will Travel

To-morrow I leave for my European holiday; I'm finalizing packing, and have decided to take with me not just my brick of a Breviary (the F.S.S.P. reprint, 50×120×180mm, weighing nearly a kilogram), but – that I may have a pocket prayerbook, not necessitating a backpack – the 1956 Dominican Diurnal I bought while in Rome last time: it only weighs 150g, and measures a much more convenient 25×88×130mm, including slipcase.

The other day, for the feast of St Stephen, I prayed Matins from my full 1962 Dominican Breviary, mainly because he is my confirmation patron, and I knew that the Office of the Friars Preachers includes proper Matins antiphons for his feast (as for St John's and the Holy Innocents'); the Lessons, by the way, are slightly shorter than the Roman, so the Hour would have been about the same length overall.



(This is not my Diurnal!)

Why not just bring the Breviarium S.O.P., midway in size and weight between the two?  Well, I will be catching up in Italy with a priest I know who sometimes likes to say parts of the Office in common...  So I can have a little book of Horæ Diurnæ S.O.P. on my person, and have the full Roman Breviary either back at my lodgings, or bring it along if I know it will be needed.

Only one tedious task has been involved: I've just had to pencil in all the changes to the Dominican Office between 1956 and 1962!  One must follow the rubricks.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Have a great trip Josh. Look forward to reading about it here!

Rob A

Joshua said...

Your wish is my command!

Thanks, Rob.

Mark said...

Josh:

I'm still separating out my pages! Thanks! :D

Maybe you could explain to me the changes between '56 and '62?

Also, I'm still learning to drive it, so you might want to remind me of any pitfalls--that is, in terms of variances with the Roman Breviary. For example, it took me forever to find the Antiphons for today's little Hours (despite them being but a few pages on...)!!

God bless you!
Mark