New link: Traditional breviary

Regular readers know that I try to follow the current and traditional Carmelite and Church liturgical calendars. If you would like to pray the Divine Office (commonly known as Liturgy of the Hours) in part or full, there are several ways you can join in the official prayer of the Church.

You may:

• get the 1 volume Christian prayer used by many active communities, priests, and third order members, which includes Lauds, Vespers and Compline
• get the 4 volume Divine Office used by nuns and monks (any faithful is welcome to use it!), which includes Lauds, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, Compline and Matins
• go online to Universalis and pray online any or all of the prayers in the 4 volume set
• go online to Divinum Officium and pray the traditional office (1962, 1960 or 1955), which includes Matins, Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers and Compline in both English and Latin

Baronius Press is scheduled to release the traditional Roman Breviary (1962) in English and Latin later this year. Deo gratias!

I have included a permanent link to Divinum Officium under Magisterium (scroll down, left column). I have purposely not included one to Universalis. With the recent approval of a new English translation for the Liturgy (praise God!), I'm hoping and praying that we'll soon have new breviaries that follow the new translation. It is my understanding that the English version approved is that of the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition of the Bible (see link on the left column). This is a beautiful literal translation. If you compare the psalms or the readings in the current breviaries with the RSV-CE, you will notice some major changes in the interest of musical harmony, according to the introduction to the 4 volume set (see volume I). Personally, I find this sad and sometimes difficult. 

The traditional breviary uses Challoner's Douai-Rheims and the Vulgate. 

Years ago, Vespers were prayed in Church, and often times Lauds before Sunday Mass. Would that we returned to that custom... With these online resources you may also join the thousands of priests, religious and lay faithful praying the Divine Office. 

Pray without ceasing.

A note on the liturgical calendars

As most, if not all of you know, the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI issued the Apostolic Letter Summorum Pontificum on 7 July 2007. In it His Holiness unquestionably opened the way for all priests to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass in its 1962 form, and use of the 1962 Roman Missal, without having to request permission from anyone. This letter, in part, responds to the desires of the many faithful who love the Traditional Latin Mass and did not have access to it. In my diocese, unfortunately, there isn't a single Church offering this Mass (yet). I'm hoping and praying that this will change soon so that those of us who enjoy worshiping in the traditional form may do so. (Anyone care to join me in prayer?)

For the most part, I follow the Carmelite Proper Liturgical Calendar and the General Liturgical Calendar in the blog. The 1962 Liturgical Calendar includes several feasts that are not observed in the General Calendar (and vice versa). I will not get into a discussion here as to why there is a difference between the two calendars. But, in order to take advantage of the literally and spiritual wealth of the Church and foster devotion, I will be incorporating readings commemorating (at least) some of these traditional feasts. As such, you may notice a difference here and there in the feast of the day in the blog and the one observed in your diocese. I'll try to offer a note pointing out any differences between the calendars to minimize confusion. My hope is, rather than confuse you, offer a wide variety of excerpts, particularly from Carmelite writers (followed by the Fathers of the Church and other Catholic works), to provide and encourage spiritual reading, and perhaps provide a meditation point.

I normally schedule several blog entries about 2-3 weeks in advance since I don't always have time to check my e-mail or go online. Thus, I may inadvertently miss a memorial (hopefully not a solemnity or feast!).

(May you) Enjoy your reading!