Absolutely No Spin

Guest Review: Monastic Diurnal 7th Edition

2013-08-27T17:03:00.001-04:00

A hearty thank you to fellow Catholic Jonny, for sending over this great review of the 7th Edition of the St. Michael's Abbey Monastic Diurnal. For my review of the previous edition, click here.

Here is a great little prayer book! My name is Jonny, and I first ran across the Monastic Diurnal on this very blog, while browsing through the Book Review section. I knew at once it would be a great devotional tool for me, so I ordered it right away (through Amazon.) I was so pleased with the book that I decided to write a review to share my thoughts.

First of all, for those who are unfamiliar with the pre-Vatican II Breviary, I might do well to mention a few things. The hours are arranged as follows, Prime (6 am), Lauds (Dawn), Terce (9 am), Sext (12 noon), None (3 pm), Vespers (evening prayer), and Compline (night prayer.) The hours are arranged in a one-week cycle, and the hours are of varying lengths. The longest hour is Lauds, then Vespers, and the rest are pretty short. They consist of Psalms with antiphons, hymns, Bible readings, and canticles. This method of prayer dates back to the early centuries of the Church, but especially refined by St. Benedict in the 6^th century. The name “Monastic Diurnal” refers to its use in monasteries as daily prayer. The only hour missing from this book is Matins, which is actually the longest hour of all, traditionally recited at midnight.

This MD is published through a Benedictine Monastery, St. Michael’s Abbey, Farnborough, UK. The edition previously reviewed on this blog was the Sixth Edition, copyright 2004, whereas this Seventh Edition is copyright 2011. The first five editions were published between 1948 and 1953, and the seventh is a reprint of the fifth edition, which was granted an imprimatur by the Bishop of St. Cloud, Peter W. Bartholome, Oct. 4^th, 1963. This Breviary is authorized under Summorum Pontificum, although the Latin text is what is officially approved. The Monastic Diurnal includes both the Latin (the Vulgate in the case of the Scripture readings) and an English translation thereof.

What really attracted me to the MD was the formal language, as in the Challoner Douay-Rheims Bible, as well as the use of the Vulgate, including the Gallican Psalter. I am by no means proficient in Latin, but this will be an aid for me to learn more. The Scripture readings in English are not quite as literal as the DRC Bible, but that is mostly to make it easier to understand. After praying out loud with my family, I began to appreciate that a lot. Also, I was hoping that the hymns would include music, but since they did not I just had to recite them. I also came to appreciate that as well, in that the English translation is majestic, poetic, and even rhymes. Overall, I must say that the English translation makes an excellent prayer book. This is especially for those who like the traditional prayers… you will be praying “O God, come to my assistance” and “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost.”

Now about the book: it is one of the nicest leather-bound books that I own. It has soft Moroccan leather wrapped over two semi-stiff boards. The six ribbon bookmarks are nice but will need a single loop knot at the end to keep them from unraveling. The type is in red and black, and I find it very easy on the eyes, not too cramped or busy. And last but not least, it has a sewn binding. Amazon lists the dimensions as such: 5.9 x 4.1 x 2.1. I measured with a ruler and it looks about right as the measure including the covers. It sits open comfortably in the palm of your hand.

The other great thing about the book is that with all the options for hours, it is easy for one to integrate it into his daily prayer. I am still praying Christian Prayer early in the morning, but now I can also pray Prime (being short as it is) with my wife before I leave early for work. I also look forward to None when I get home from work, and possibly Vespers and Compline depending on our schedule limitations. If you especially like the Vulgate and language of the Douay-Rheims Bible, you will love the Monastic Diurnal from St. Michael’s Abbey Press!

Knox Bible Review: Love at First Opening

2013-08-12T14:51:00.001-04:00

This was long overdue. I finally splurged to get myself a new Knox Bible from Baronius Press. The catalyst for the purchase was an old pocket New Testament edition that I bought some time ago at a used book store.

This post is not about the translation itself. For information you can Google it or go here to read from it and about it.

I just received my copy today from Baronius Press today and am completely thrilled. It is only unboxed for a few hours and I need no more time with it to show you. This is probably the highest quality book that I have from them. It is going to last you a long time. Let's begin.

The book itself is all class. And by that I mean it is absolutely classic. The boards are thick and covered with genuine leather. It reminds me of the old TAN Douay-Rheims edition in all the best ways.

This Bible is newly typeset. Most old copies of the Knox are pretty bad. The print in them is tiny, the binding lousy and/or beaten up. This one is not like that. You are going to enjoy sitting and reading it. The only complaint I have is that dialog is not in quotations and that can be confusing.

There are no typical extras in this. No maps, no concordance, no calendar. You get just the Knox text and a forward by Scott Hahn. I hope the extras are added in future editions.

As far as I can tell, there are not a whole lot of decent photos of the book anywhere on the internet. For your viewing and decision making needs, I present the following:

The ever popular single column setting.

This photo is interesting. You can see little bumps and a scar on the gilt edge. I believe this came from the shrink wrap machine. The top and bottom of the spine are also slightly bent. This is a quality control issue at the bindery. If you have the option and are lucky enough to have a good Catholic bookstore nearby that carries Baronius' editions, go there and pick the best one.

It opened flat immediately after I unboxed it. The ribbons used here are far superior to the ones used in their Latin-English Breviary.

Here you go http://www.baroniuspress.com/book.php?wid=56&bid=60#tab=tab-1 . Worth every penny, shilling, or ruble.

Blessed Triduum

2013-03-29T21:22:00.001-04:00

I would like to take a minute on this Good Friday to wish all of you a blessed Triduum. If you have the opportunity to experience the Church's "traditional" liturgy this weekend, I highly recommend you do so. There really is no proper substitute for it. The chant is some of the best in the liturgical year.

Also of note - I received an email this morning from a long time reader letting me know he is going to be confirmed tomorrow. He is a convert and previously was serving as an Anglican priest. Please keep him and his family in your prayers during this most holy time of year!

Pope Benedict XVI LOTH Photo

2013-03-28T15:51:00.003-04:00

I found this photo while doing a Google search and thought I would share it. Here we see our beloved Pope Emeritus praying the Liturgy of the Hours next to his brother Georg. This is an old photo, not one of his current hermetical life. Have a happy Triduum.

Photo credit to this site: http://dioscg.org/wordpress/?place=vatican-city&paged=4

Popes' Letters to the New Archbishop of Canterbury

2013-03-21T10:25:00.000-04:00

from News.va: http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-sends-greetings-to-new-archbishop-of

The difference between the two letters is striking isn't it? I don't mean to prop either up or put either down. Just observing.

-Matt

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Pope Francis today sent a message to the new Archbishop of Canterbury on the occasion of Dr. Justin Welby's enthronement at Canterbury Cathedral.

Below, please find the full text of Pope Francis' greetings to Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury:

To the Most Reverend and Right HonourableJustin WelbyArchbishop of Canterbury
"May grace and peace be multiplied to you" (1 Pet 1:2b)
I thank you for the kind words contained in your message to me at my election, and I wish in turn to offer my greetings and best wishes on the occasion of your Enthronement at Canterbury Cathedral.

The pastoral ministry is a call to walk in fidelity to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Please be assured of my prayers as you take up your new responsibilities, and I ask you to pray for me as I respond to the new call that the Lord has addressed to me.
I look forward to meeting you in the near future, and to continuing the warm fraternal relations that our predecessors enjoyed.

From the Vatican, 18 March 2013
FRANCIS

Before his resignation, Pope Benedict XVI sent greetings to the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Justin Welby. Below, please find the complete text of Pope Benedict’s greeting to the new Archbishop:

To the Most Reverend and Right HonourableJustin WelbyArchbishop of Canterbury
In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord JesusChrist, for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love thatyou have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven(Col 1:3)

With these words of Saint Paul, I greet you joyfully in the name of the Lord Jesus, "whom God made our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption" (1 Cor 1:30), and I offer you my prayerful good wishes on the occasion of your installation as Archbishop of Canterbury.

You take up your office at a time when the Christian faith is being called into question in many parts of the Western world by those who claim that religion is a private matter, with no contribution to offer to public debate. Ministers of the Gospel today have to respond to a widespread deafness to the music of faith, and a general weariness that shuns the demands of discipleship. Yet the hunger for God, even if unrecognized, is ever-present in our society, and the preacher's task, as a messenger of hope, is to speak the truth with love, shedding the light of Christ into the darkness of people's lives. May your apostolate yield a rich harvest and may it open the eyes and ears of many to the life-giving message of the Gospel.

Let us give thanks to God that the bonds of affection between Catholics and Anglicans have become firmly established in recent decades, through dialogue and collaboration, as well as personal meetings between our respective predecessors. It is greatly to be hoped that we will continue to build upon that important legacy. The disappointments that have been encountered and the challenges that remain on our journey towards full communion are well known, but there have also been signs of hope. Recognizing that our unity will arise only as a gift from the Lord, let us entrust ourselves to his Holy Spirit, as we renew our determination to seek genuine unity in faith and to engage more profoundly in common witness and mission.

With sentiments of fraternal regard, I assure you of my prayers as you take up your new responsibilities. Whatever challenges you encounter, may the Lord grant you strength and wisdom, and may the Holy Spirit guide you in all that you undertake in his name.

From the Vatican, 4 February 2013
BENEDICTUS PP XVI

Guest Post: Rebinding the Catechism

2013-03-20T11:29:00.001-04:00

One of my readers, Corey, sent this wonderful guest post in upon the rebinding of his Catechism. Please enjoy the photos and his testimony on why it was important for him to rebind this book.

-Matt

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Matt, thank you for asking me to do a write-up regarding my recent re-bind of my full-size copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (hardcover). Note that I have linked the out-of-print (I think) hardcover version of the CCC. I'll discuss why shortly.

For the reason that I have had wonderful prior experiences having Leonard's Book Restoration do my prior re-binding work, there was no reason for me to go elsewhere. I have previously had an RSV-2CE New Testament and Psalms and an RSV-2CE (full Bible) rebound by Leonard's, and I continue to be very pleased.

The specs of this rebind are as follows:

Leonard's "18th Century Revivalist Style (Softcover Version)" rebind.
Genuine Calf-Skin (my prior Leonard's rebinds were all Goat - a little softer, but the calf feels more durable)
Addition of 4, dark-brown, ribbons - a necessity I think for the CCC.
Leonard's recommended using the imitation leather end-pages (versus the antique-paper) for durability. I think Leonard's may start offering leather end pages (I say that only because solicited a survey on that topic on Facebook recently - along with other potential options - leather end pages "won" the survey I believe).
I used a somewhat hard to find hardcover, green CCC because it has a "sewn" binding (versus the glued binding of the softcover green CCC). That cost me about $45 on Amazon.com for a "like new" quality.
Price with shipping: $210 (excluding cost of the CCC)

I am extremely pleased with this product. I can not say enough about the craftsmanship of Leonard's. This is real, mom & pop shop, work done by good Christian people up in Indiana. I have no idea how much time goes into the product, but I'm sure we're talking a number of hours. That, combined with the quality of the materials, more than justifies the price. We gave a few NT/Psalms (Ignatius) rebinds from my family to some close priest friends over Christmas and they loved them. As expected, they have nothing like them.

I was asked "why have the CCC re-bound in not-inexpensive genuine calf-skin by Leonard's?" The reason is simply this (for me): After the Bible, the CCC is the most important document in my life. It is arguably the quintessential document issued by the Catholic Magisterium (the teaching office of the Church). But as we know well as Catholics, without Sacred Tradition, we (all Christians) have no way of knowing that the Bible, in all its parts, is exactly what it purports to be. And it is only through the Magisterium that we have the necessarily infallible teaching of what is, and what is not, inspired and actually Sacred Tradition. The Magisterium is the doctrinal glue. (If we only rely on what "our heart tells us" is inspired and true, I think we know that the Canon of the New Testament would still be growing today.)

It is true that the CCC is merely a self-professed "compendium," but what a compendium it is! Our Blessed John Paul the Great provided us the value of the document in the Apostolic Constitution Fidei Depositum (1992) (Deposit of Faith), where the saint explained (in pertinent part):

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, which I approved 25 June last and the publication of which I today order by virtue of my Apostolic Authority, is a statement of the Church's faith and of Catholic doctrine, attested to or illumined by Sacred Scripture, Apostolic Tradition and the Church's Magisterium. I declare it to be a valid and legitimate instrument for ecclesial communion and a sure norm for teaching the faith. May it serve the renewal to which the Holy Spirit ceaselessly calls the Church of God, the Body of Christ, on her pilgrimage to the undiminished light of the kingdom!
...
Therefore, I ask the Church's Pastors and the Christian faithful to receive this catechism in a spirit of communion and to use it assiduously in fulfilling their mission of proclaiming the faith and calling people to the Gospel life. This catechism is given to them that it may be a sure and authentic reference text for teaching Catholic doctrine and particularly for preparing local catechisms. It is also offered to all the faithful who wish to deepen their knowledge of the unfathomable riches of salvation (cf. Jn 8:32). It is meant to support ecumenical efforts that are moved by the holy desire for the unity of all Christians, showing carefully the content and wondrous harmony of the Catholic faith. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, lastly, is offered to every individual who asks us to give an account of the hope that is in us (cf. 1 Pt 3:15) and who wants to know what the Catholic Church believes.

What a wonderful and powerful attestation to the importance of this Magisterial document in the lives of all Christians!

We have all (hopefully) owned the Catechism for years. But only recently I acquired a used hardcover copy of the Companion to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The book is amazing. [Matt interjects: the companion IS amazing. Buy one.] Every single Bible verse, Church Document, Writing of the Saints, etc. that is reference/paraphrased, but not explicitly quoted, in the CCC is found in the Companion. Merely reading the CCC reflects how soaked in Scripture is the entirety of Catholic doctrine (contrary to popular belief). But if the Christian would simply crack open the Companion to the CCC, he or she would be amazed at the hundreds and hundreds of specific scriptural references there are in the CCC. The CCC is truly a symphony of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. What a blessing for all Christians.

I highlight the intensely Scriptural nature of the CCC (further highlighted by the Companion) because I think that fact needs to, in turn, be related to our non-Catholic brethren, who simply believe the Catholic Faith is not scriptural, when the opposite is true. The Catholic Church is "full(est) Gospel." When the CCC was published it was labeled by some left-leaning theologians in the Church as "fundamentalist" because the Church had the audacity to affirm the historicity of the Gospels, including all miracles and prophecy. That sort of criticism of the CCC should actually tend to make many non-Catholics comfortable with picking up the CCC and reading it knowing that it affirms every letter of the (entire) Bible as inspired and inerrant.

As a Catechist myself at my parish, I owe much of my recent "continuing education" to Dr. Brant Pitre at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, La. His seminarian and graduate level courses on CD (some DVD) are a gold mine for the faithful. And they are intensely orthodox. Dr. Pitre is a Catholic Bible scholar who gets his students to love scripture. But he also bases all of his classes squarely within the authoritative Magisterial teaching found in the CCC - while frequently venturing outside of the confines of the CCC to the very documents referenced in the CCC footnotes. For those of us who have ample time in the car (or even just a 15-20 minute ride to and from work), I highly recommend anything by Dr. Pitre. He will lead you to the Bible every day.

Thank you for your patience reading. The foregoing is why the Bible and the Catechism both justify such a nice rebind and place of prominence in our house before our children.

And may God Bless Pope Francis and you all. Pax Christi.

Amazing Bible Binding Video

2013-03-12T10:28:00.000-04:00

This is an excellent Bible binding video put together by one of the nicest Bible producers out there. They are King James only, and so while I am certainly not endorsing that, it is really something to see this happen and learn to appreciate the care put into each Bible.

So who among us Catholics binds Bibles, breviaries, or other books like this? Pretty much nobody. Notice the quality gilt edging. Most companies spray their edges on. This is a small non-profit company that does this as a ministry, which accounts for the care put in. It is said that you can put these Bibles up against anything from Cambridge or R.L. Allen.

Its really a shame that to my knowledge, we have nothing like this in the Church.

Holy Week Chant

2013-03-05T12:40:00.003-05:00

Holy Week is coming. If you attend the traditional Mass and are looking for a book to sing from or follow along with, try checking out the Holy Week Gregorian Chant from Preserving Christian Publications. You probably already have a missal, which is great. But perhaps you don't realize that there are symbolic things going on in the music that you are missing. This is the case at every Mass by the way.

So, check it out!

New Diurnal ordered

2013-03-05T12:30:00.002-05:00

I've ordered one of those new Pocket Diurnals. Apparently it takes almost a month to receive one however. I plan on reviewing it here. I have not been so excited for a new breviary since well, the Baronius.

I previously reviewed the larger version, put out some time ago by PCP. You can read that review and see the photos here. Since then, my diurnale was put on eBay so that I could save space and purchase other things. I have regretted it ever since. The diurnale was amazing and I would buy another one in a heartbeat.

Now along comes this new pocket edition and while it took me a few weeks, I decided to snag one. Ordering it was extremely difficult. So if you are planning to purchase one be ready for frustration. Barroux's website errored repeatedly and I was forced to resubmit the order. In the meantime my card was blocked and I received a fraud prevention phone call from the bank. They were concerned because I was trying to buy something from out of the country. Eventually I got through the mess and the order was completed.

Hopefully you'll all see the review on this blog when it arrives! In the meantime, check out Maximus' review here.

A Favor To Ask

2012-12-07T09:51:00.001-05:00

I have a favor to ask of everyone. Would you please take a moment to watch and pass along this video from Gregory the Great Academy? We are trying to found a new school in the same tradition as the old. It is a cause that is very important to a lot of folks.

In a world and a Church which is lacking real men and true Catholic leaders, our school aims to form both. We need help to do this. Thank you!

Gregory the Great Promotional Video from Matt Williams on Vimeo.

DOW-ay Rheims and Knox Bible Video

2012-11-19T12:41:00.001-05:00

The Knox Bible is out - no doubt everyone has seen that. I don't have one to show you, because I am poor. Still, here is a Youtube video from EWTN's Bookmark regarding Baronius' publication of both the Douay-Rheims and Knox Bibles.

The pronunciation here of DOW-ay Rheims in the video is something I have never heard before. Is that the right way of saying it? It sounds like nails on a chalkboard to me.

The whole interview seems overly scripted and preachy. But I'm glad these great publications are being promoted.

Baronius to Release Knox Bible

2012-10-05T12:03:00.001-04:00

Baronius Press is about to release its new edition of the Knox Bible. This is a very exciting release and I encourage everyone to check out the site they have put up about it. The Knox translation will be appreciated by those who want a solid version but is more readable than the Challoner-Rheims version. It can be a little "free" at times, and I often think of it as a traditionalist's NLT. It is a well respected edition and a lot of folks out there have been waiting for this.

I hope to show it to you on these pages when I can get a copy.

Regarding the Kindle

2012-09-20T21:49:00.000-04:00

Anyone who knows me in real life knows that I love my gadgets. I surmise that I am not alone in that. Many of us are addicted to computers, iPads and Pods, cell phones, and the like. But there is no other device in my possession in which I feel more of an attachment to than my Kindle. I like my iPad, I love my Kindle.

To be pried from my cold, dead, fingers.

The Kindle makes reading a whole lot easier. I have never read so many books in my life. Before purchasing my Kindle I had something called "Book ADD". My shelf is absolutely filled with half finished books that for whatever reason could not keep my attention. The screen keeps me focused. The lightness of the device and shorter pages on the display combined with the click to turn mechanism keep me moving through the book. It is to the point where I can read a novel a week if I set aside the time.

"But Matt, I like the idea of a Kindle, and it sounds great, but I would miss holding an actual book in my hands!"

So say you now. Go get a Kindle and start reading. I still appreciate fine binding, as everyone here knows, with leather covers and ribbons. This is not an either-or situation. The Bible and Breviary don't work well on the Kindle at all. Nevertheless, a few weeks ago I purchased such a copy of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. It was my intention to read a nice hardcover. Things were slow going and I got frustrated with my progress. It is a nice edition of the book with near perfect typesetting, guilt edges, and sewn binding. 40% of the way through I downloaded it onto my Kindle for free and finished it shortly thereafter. (Btw, as an aside - I was surprised to read anti-Catholic cliches in that book...)

For the past few years while teaching at a Classical Liberal Arts school I have realized that my public education gipped me out of an appreciation for good literature. Now that is being fixed with the help my Kindle. We read a few decent novels in our day but it was very "vanilla" in the sense that no real understanding or desire to go deeper was impressed upon me. My college literature class was a five week summer course joke in which we were expected to read a book or two per week. This was an impossible task for someone with other classes, a job, and a life. We also read some real modern trash in that class.

Now I am challenging myself. For years I have been unable to get through the Lord of the Rings. I just started yesterday and am speeding through it. Thank you Kindle. I can't wait for the new Paperwhite, for which I will use an Amazon gift certificate. I will miss the buttons and audio but the light is well worth it. If you like reading, go get a Kindle.

Whither the blogger?

2012-09-10T15:37:00.000-04:00

A reader recently sent in a comment, asking where this blog has gone. Basically, it has gone nowhere recently. There are several reasons for this.

I normally don't post personal things here because the internet is a scary place. But in this case and since I did actually gain a good number of followers here, I'll indulge a little.

Over the past year things have been relatively tumultuous. The school I worked for (which many of you know) closed. It was the greatest job I ever had. I was teaching Gregorian Chant and Sacred Music at a traditional Catholic boarding school. There was a bit of tumult with the closing as you can imagine.

Then we tried to found another school with many of the same folks, but under a different religious group. For a long time, things were going rather smoothly - and I was very busy. Then all of a sudden, with a huge thud, they dropped us. No school and everyone out of a job again. I had also turned away another job for it, which would have been a huge opportunity. That was my choice though and I was comfortable making it.

So now I am trying to figure out just what the heck I'm suppose to be doing. I have another job, a church gig, and my own TLM parish where I sing and sometimes play the organ. But its really just not enough. Things can get rather depressing at times. I'm still busy but blogging hasn't been a priority.

There also isn't a lot of good news lately in the Catholic fine books publishing world. All of the "excitement", if there be any, is in new editions of the NABRE and NRSV. But even there the options aren't that great. I really want to show you a particular NABRE. Perhaps I'll get to that at some point.

I have all but stopped using my Baronius Breviary set, but I hope to pick them back up at some point. The main reason comes down to the form factor. They are large books to carry around. The second reason is all of the commentary in them. Just give me the psalms and be done with it. I have been using other breviaries instead. Its unfortunate but that's really the case. Oh and btw, I did Exacto knife the ribbons, and put a card down the spine from CPB. Works great and looks even better.

So for now I can't tell you how often I will be posting. Perhaps I can find another topic to run with for the blog. Although, I really enjoy looking at fine publications here with everyone. I also want to tell you about my train ride I took to Utah this summer. We'll see.

On my way to Colloquium

2012-06-21T23:22:00.002-04:00

I'm on my way to the Sacred Music Colloquium. But I've already had one near disaster and three irritations. God is allowing trials to keep me on the narrow path! 50 miles into the trip my car broke down. So a family member came to the rescue and traded me cars so I could catch my train. After another 50 miles I hit a nasty traffic jam on i80. I hate traffic jams more than anything, especially on interstates. I hit another traffic jam here in Pittsburgh and then went to the wrong parking garage. Finally getting here, my train is delayed by an hour. Huzzah.

Summer Reading

2012-06-11T16:23:00.000-04:00

I have been looking forward to the Summer so that I can assimilate some good literature. Right now I am reading The King's Achievement by one of my favorite authors - Msgr. Robert Hugh Benson. His Come Rack! Come Rope! and The Lord of the World were two of the best books I have ever read. The King's Achievement is about Henry VIII's destruction of the monasteries. In addition to the Benson I am also making my way through the very short Dominus Est - It is the Lord by Archbishop Athanasius Schneider.

Another summer book will be The Path to Rome by Hillaire Belloc. I am going to save that for my trip next week to the Colloquium. The book is about a journey so I thought it was appropriate. On the list for July will be Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewicz and some other secular classic yet to be chosen. That will take me all the way up to the beginning of the school yet no doubt.

Updates

2012-06-07T10:50:00.001-04:00

A reader asked in the comments if the new Latin-English breviary be the one I regularly use? Honestly - I don't know. It is certainly too big to be a summer travel companion - even taking it to church with me is a haul. That being said, it has been the one I've been using since I got it save for a few days. It has become easier to get around in, and the psalter-up-front has become less annoying. When I get a chance I hope to add a part 2 to my review of it. Things are still a bit hectic.

Some of you know that the school I worked for just closed. Graduation weekend was an incredible success. But afterwards, we all had to move out of our offices, get our grades in, and whatever else needed to be done. Graduation was a happy occasion but the closing of the school itself was not. Life goes on.

Now another one is opening and I've been helping a bit to get that set up. I hope to continue my music role there as well. Things will be different but there is a lot of hope, grace, and good will flowing.

If you would like to support the new school, and get something in return, you can purchase our new CD! It has music by yours truly on it that I wrote for the students. Please be forgiving with the shipping speed - it will get to you shortly - but the office is not yet finished being set up.

In a few weeks I'll be attending the Sacred Music Colloquium. I'm a pretty stoked about that because I am in serious need of a vacation. Colloquium is anything but a vacation, however the trip out there itself will be my time off. That is because I have decided to take a train across the country. Can't wait.

Review: Baronius Press Latin-English Breviary (pt 1)

2012-05-11T00:56:00.000-04:00

After long wait, Baronius Press has at last released its 3 volume Latin-English 1962 Breviary. This set, for many Catholics, is the most important release in years. Those in religious orders now have a new edition to use liturgically with English helps and rubrics which will make switching to the Extraordinary Form office less daunting and more accessible. The laity have a beautiful new English version that has an imprimatur with which to follow along or use privately.

I have been using this for the past two weeks and have found it a pleasure to use. They have done a nice job in so many ways. There are a few things that could have been done better and I'll discuss those as the review moves along. None of the small issues I have would preclude me from heartily recommending the BP Breviary. They should be seen as recommendations for future releases.

The slip cases are nice and worth using while you are storing the two unused volumes.

The IHS symbol is nice and shiny. However I could just as easily do without it.

Here we see a closeup example of a Matins lesson. Some ghosting is seen here. But its not too bad.

A non-closeup of the same Matins lesson shows the page layout for this hour. From a distance the pages look rather busy. But as you use it you will realize it isn't.

The three above photos show the position of the Psalter in the breviary. I am not a fan (as readers know) of the Psalter being in the front of the book. It is one of the reasons I stopped using the Anglican Breviary. It can be very tough on the spine over time. The BP breviary is by far the best example of having the Psalter in the front of the breviary. It moves far enough into the book to not be a downer or irritating. However, I still prefer the Psalter in the middle because I find it difficult to remember the placement of the other sections. Some day I will try to do a post solely on why psalter up front it best.

The artwork is, of course, done extremely well.

Comparison of size to the modern Liturgy of the Hours.

The above two photos are a comparison on the BP Breviary and the modern Liturgy of the Hours. They are both nice for different reasons. I post this only because it is an interesting study in Divine Office typesetting.

I have been reading complaints about the ribbons around the internet. They aren't great, thats for sure. I suspect future printings will fix this. In the meantime...mine will probably be cut out and replaced with a card down the spine set. If you do that, make sure you get ones that are long enough.

The level of flexibility of the leather. No breviary-yoga with this set! That's ok of course. The size of the books requires a slightly more firm cover. I think you will be happy with the covers. They are very appropriately done.

Side view, just because.

The Rituale excerpts are in Latin only.

I love the fact that the common parts such as the Venite, Benedictus, and Magnificat are in the back pages. No reason to use cards!

Well, ok. It comes with a TON of cards. BP did a nice job giving you a card for every and any contingency. You really get a lot for your money!

The books layer flat for me just minutes after opening.

This shows the thickness of the books. Each volume is roughly the same thickness of the Anglican Breviary. They are rather large but don't feel too big.

Don't they look nice?

Three cheers for Baronius Press. I have been using this set for the past two weeks and am very happy with it. It is extremely pleasant to use and worth every penny you will spend. There is more I will say in part 2 of my review. Stay tuned!

Comments on this Blog

2012-04-26T14:59:00.003-04:00

I just realized that Blogger changed its comments method. When I first started this blog I allowed anyone registered with Blogger to comments. Then they got bought by Google and anyone on that was allowed. Then I switched to moderate everything because chinese spammers were getting through. Then I allowed anything within the last two weeks to be freely be published by registered folks.

Now it appears the publish button in my comment email is removed and only a "moderate" button is present. This is annoying because I didn't realize that comments weren't getting through. My apologies. I am going to try to change this and allow comments again.

Please join me in praying against the intentions of the irritating and useless Chinese comment spammers.

Its Here!

2012-04-26T14:07:00.001-04:00

My Baronius Press Breviary has arrived, and along with my celebration I had a fresh cup of Midnight Vigils Blend. This has been a long time coming and so I am very excited to share this new set with everyone.

Please be patient for a full review. I am extremely busy this weekend. Some of you I know "IRL" are aware that I will be performing in the Brahm's Requiem (chorus member) tomorrow night with the Northeast Pennsylvania Philharmonic. That is taking a lot of my extra time.

I have a few initial impressions:

The books are very nice.
The print is easy on the eyes, but there is a bit of ghosting.
I was nervous of the leather when I saw the NLM photos. My fears were unfounded. You will be pleased.
The books are rather large and heavy.
I really like the common texts put into the back of the book.
The ribbons leave much to be desired.
This set is worth the money.

Almost here...

2012-04-12T13:50:00.002-04:00

UPDATE:
I received a note in my email from Baronius yesterday saying the breviaries have cleared customs and will begin shipping this Friday (April 19th) from the warehouses. I assume that means those who ordered them should receive them sometime next week, depending on where you are located.

Original post:
Chatter regarding thew new Baronius Breviary arriving this week in the warehouses has been brewing on various forums and social networking sites. Apparently some folks took time to call BP and ask. However one of my readers pointed out to me that the books may still have to go through customs once they arrive on these shores. If that is so there may be another delay.

For the traditional Catholic world, or even the mainstream one for that matter, this is one of the most important publications to come out in years. It is understandable that so many are waiting by their door for the delivery man to arrive. We've seen some pictures around the net (mine will be better), read some reviews, and now the waiting continues.

This breviary is one of the reasons I started doing reviews. As the long wait crept from year to year I realized that my Divine Office collection was growing as I tried to satisfy the desire for this set. So I decided to begin showing these things and helping people make better purchases.

And now we know this set is on the way. It is actually going to arrive. I feel like a kid who knows his parents already bought the Christmas gifts, knows where they are, but can't open them until the day comes.

Holy Thursday Altars of Repose in Scranton

2012-04-06T11:28:00.000-04:00

On Holy Thursday it is traditional to visit seven churches to visit the Blessed Sacrament in its altar of repose. I have heard this tradition reduced to three churches, which may be more realistic. The last two years I was able to make it to seven, this year I accidentally skipped one and only made it to six.

Here in the Diocese of Scranton if you decide to make this little pilgrimage you won't be alone. The churches are crawling with visitors moving from place to place. It is nice to see folks taking part in this great tradition.

I took a photo of each altar last night. They were more modest than usual.

St. Michael's Church (FSSP)

St. Patrick's Church

St. Ann's Basilica - (Passionists)

St. Peter's Cathedral

Nativity B.V.M. Church (Scranton)

Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Catholic Book Publishing - New Site

2012-03-29T14:13:00.004-04:00

Catholic Book Publishing Corp. has a new website. I point this out because they are one of the most important publishers of Catholic books out there. True, they lean to the more "mainline" Catholic ethos (rather than the conservative or traditionalist) but they do have some important books and an important history.

The website looks a whole lot more interesting and up to date than the previous one. It looks a lot easier to use as well.

My advice to CBP is to begin reprinting old editions. I know their policy is to publish only books approved for use by the USCCB...but they'd do a whole lot of business by reprinting their myriad editions of1962 Missals and other resources.

One of the best old books they came out with was the St. Joseph Continuous Sunday Missal. For the past couple of years I have used it during the Summer months when my choirs have off. It is so easy to use when you just want to go to Mass and not have to flip back and forth.

If you want an old St. Joseph's missal you can find them around the internet, on the freebie table at your parish, or used book stores. They are particularly nice for their larger print.

Benedictine Daily Prayer (and a new toy...)

2012-03-15T21:09:00.000-04:00

In anticipation of the new Baronius Breviary, I've bought a new toy. Here we see my first "test" of my just opened miniature photo studio. I decided to show off a breviary that is very prevalent on the market: The Benedictine Daily Prayer. A full post will hopefully be showing up here, but I will say a few things about it.

First lets take a look at the photo. I did a little, very little, editing to take out the edges of the photo studio sides. It was quick, but with more time it would be better. The light is good.

The cover of the book is one of the best treatments for bonded leather I have every seen. The burgundy color works well and makes for an attractive prayerbook.

The side lights on the studio provide the perfect amount of illumination, especially for my purposes. Here we see the text of the breviary. It is single column throughout with a standard serif font. The text is moderately sized and well spaced. Notice the hymn on the right...it is a translation of the Latin hymn for Epiphany. The proper hymns are used throughout, not the like the ones in the Liturgy of the Hours.

The collects (example on the left page here) range from well done to ridiculous. They are not the same old ICEL collects found in the Liturgy of the Hours.

Here is the texture of the cover. You can also see the un-ironed floor of the photo studio, which were left on purpose for you to see. I have some techniques to perfect.

Here you see a comparison with Volume II of the Liturgy of the Hours. It is shorter but about the same thickness.

A couple more points about the BDP Breviary...

The psalms are inclusive language version of the Grail psalms used in the LOTH. Unless you know those well these don't really seem that bad. I tend to dislike inclusive language used for its own sake.
The antiphons are not new compositions from the 1970s, like the LOTH, but are translations of the traditional antiphons for the hours which go back in some cases to the first millennium of the Church.
There are some readings at Vigils (Matins, Office of Readings) that come from magazine/journal articles and other sources. No, I am not kidding, but it looks like they are alternate readings. If you know how to avoid silliness you can.
There are some feasts included that are "special" to non-Catholics. This is meant to be ecumenical.
This breviary is not approved for actual liturgy.

In short, there are many really really good things about the BDP. With the exception of the non-Catholic and silly language problems, this is a better version of the hours than the LOTH. The antiphons, hymns, and (some) of the collects are worlds better than the official version. But because of the howlers and weirdness I cannot recommend it for everyone. Catholics use with caution, if at all!

Pre-ordered

2012-03-03T19:40:00.002-05:00

I submitted my pre-order today for the Baronius Breviary. No doubt many of you have already seen Fr. Z's mini-review of the new set. As promised, a larger and more robust review with many photos of the breviaries will appear on these pages. When you google "Baronius Breviary" this blog shows up just under the Baronius site, so no doubt many will view this review. Believe it or not, many folks still find this blog looking for TAN's Bibles and then stick around to view the other pages here.

One of the things I try to do here is to provide an accurate as possible testimony about important Catholic books on the market because I know money is tight for a lot of people. Things have slowed a little because I am incredibly busy with my job. Although, as some of you no doubt have read around the internet...that will soon be ending...

Your donations have helped defray some of the cost for me and I hope that will help you make a good buying decision. Baronius Press worked hard and had many setbacks. From the looks of things, they have put together a decent product. I am looking forward to telling you about it as soon as possible.