Old and New Breviary Comparison

Recently I ordered two copies of the Breviarium Romanum. The price difference was quite significant, one being an old used copy. Showing them together gives a good comparison between what book publishing used to be like compared with what we have today...

A quick disclaimer. The new breviary I have here is the "Econe Breviary" published by the SSPX. It does not fulfill Canon Law's requirement for publishing. Neither did my Diurnale, Anglican Breviary, or apparently the new Mother Angelica prayer book...or some other books that have appeared here. I've recently discovered this. We're going to look at these solely for quality.

Top: Desclee and Socii (1961) Below: Econe Breviary (2008)





Left: Econe at 7x5in. Its an odd shape for a breviary. Right: Desclee at 6x4in. Smaller than most.






The edging. The top one is 49 years old and used. Think about that for a second.




A closer look. The new edition's edging will flake off like fairy dust if touches water. The top one has lost all that it will. Notice the dent on the Econe. It came like that...grr....



The edging on the Econe Breviary.

Let's move to the insides. Here the Econe Breviary will fair quite a bit better. The layout is identical to the Diurnale Romanum published from PCP Books. However it is retypeset and they did a great job making it readable and pleasant on the pages. The Desclee and Socii Breviary is double column and very similar, save for the font choice, to the recent Nova et Vetera Breviary.

Desclee and Socii page layout. The font adds a nice touch to the book, which is small and designed with convenience in mind. Without engravings the fancy font is welcome.




Psalter in the Desclee.



The Desclee has one of those nifty secret compartment flaps in the back for storing your cards.




Page layout in the Econe. The font choice and size make it extremely easy on the eyes. I have to say this is really the best feature of the book. Also, the ribbon color choice is interesting. All of the colors are rather muted and I appreciate that they aren't flashy.



Econe Psalter. It is very nice. I've seen in some breviaries where people have written notes in them. May they did that word translations or if something struck them in a passage as important. There's plenty of room for that here.


Supplemental Propers for the SSPX... they appear to come from older office books. Would using these fulfill ones office obligation?



The ghosting (NOT bleed through) is significant but not terrible.




Econe binding. Pretty solid as far as I can tell.



The cover is rather a disappointment. I think its bonded but I'm not sure. Anyone know? It feels hardy.





The Desclee leather cover. In its day this must have been magnificent.

I bought the SSPX Econe Breviary because I saw my priest's Nova et Vetera edition. After only 2 or 3 years of use it looked like it had been through a war. These things are expensive and they need to last. Will the Econe? I have no idea, but I doubt the edging will. The binding...I think so. If you are looking to buy a new Breviarium you should consider every aspect. If you are obligated to pray the office you should inquire as to whether or not it will fulfill your obligation if you use a non-canonical book. (We could even discuss whether or not we are participating in some sort of sin by even purchasing it...but I digress...)

Here we are only looking at quality. Suffice to say even our nicest books today are shadows of their much older and distinguished cousins. I suppose there are many reasons, mostly financial, for this.

I'll be praying for you.

The Jehovah's Witnesses called today. Here is the conversation:

"Hi I'm (so and so) with the Jehovah's Witnesses Kingdom Hall, are you a Bible reader?" the caller said with a very chipper church lady voice.

"Yes, absolutely." I replied.

"Oh well I'm calling to invite you to [this big event at some massive place] where we are going to discuss God's love for us all," she said.

"I'm sorry but I won't be able to come, I'm Catholic."

"Oh well so was I!" she said with a great deal of excitement.

"I don't doubt that," I sighed, "Catholics do a poor job of catechizing these days. But you know I'm going to be praying for you because Jehovah's Witnesses are really just teaching a reincarnated version of an old heresy. You should look up the Arian heresy from the 4th century...."

I could tell at that point, given the know it all giggle she gave, that she wasn't interested in hearing what I had to say. I ended the conversation by simply saying "I'll be praying for you. God bless you now and have a good day."

A new good work.

God works in great ways. I seems I have picked up a new part time job teaching Gregorian Chant and Sacred Polyphony at a local Catholic high school. We still need to get the paperwork and contract in order. A lot of it I already have done from the parish (background checks, etc.).

I'm very excited to begin this fall doing something I really love, which is sacred music. Please say a prayer for my success and guidance moving forward.

Review: The Three Marks of Manhood

Disclaimer: There are three appendixes at the end of the book. I haven't read them yet so I can't vouch for them. But the rest was outstanding.

I honestly meant to write a full book review on this title but I am busy preparing for something big this week and will going away next week. So there is a lot to do. However I believe I can do the book justice in short order.

This book is the answer. I loved it. In it G.C. Dilsaver presents to us the ideal of Christian Patriarchy, that a man is to be the priest, prophet, and king of his family. The book is very direct and extremely well written. Every man - married, engaged, or single should pick this one up today. It is particularly good for a young man starting out in life. I wish it had existed 10 or 15 years ago and that someone would have smacked me over the head with it and said "read this." But guys, a word of caution, if you are already married or engaged, it could be tough for you and especially your ladies. The results will be worth it though.

Mr. Dilsaver presents men as they should be and its refreshing. Everyone knows our society has been emasculated but nobody seems to know what to do about it. If you even suggest familial patriarchy today, you are ridiculed...even by other men.

Have you ever heard someone joke that once you get married you find out who really wears the pants in the family? Usually the person in pants turns out to the be overbearing wife who constantly chastises the lazy husband who continues in perpetual state of adolescence. I have also just described to you nearly every sitcom on television. That is what this book addresses. And it addresses it in a way that I believe will frankly reverse course most if not all of the problems facing the Church today.

There are too many interesting points in the book to go over here. But I'll bring one up which I found interesting. In discussing chastity in marriage Mr. Dilsaver says that it is necessary for a man to be chaste in his marriage because otherwise he becomes essentially enslaved to his wife. Living in an unchaste marriage actually hurts a man's patriarchal status. He also discusses how to educate and bring up sons to become their Christian patriarchs themselves.

However strong the book is in many ways, I found the last chapter a bit deflating. The chapter titled "The Heart of the Home" is all about the ideal wife. Men, if you buy this, do not let your wife or fiancee read this chapter until you have implemented everything else in the book. (I jest.) Single guys wait until you have quite literally rescued your true love from her castle. That woman probably won't mind either way. To give you a small hint: One of the footnotes in it suggests that women should not leave the house and presume her husbands consent to do so. ... I know, I know. The women reading this just recoiled. But see thats because you haven't read the rest of the book...

...which you should do. And frankly, women, if your husband is not living up to his patriarchal Christian duties, take this book and smack him over the head with it.

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I hope to write more on this book soon.

Updates

Well the Diurnal sold and shipped. I pray the new owner puts it to good use and gets many hours of prayer time with it. My new breviary should appear on these pages in a few days. I am once again waiting for the wagon train to come in.

In a couple of weeks I'm going to have the opportunity to go to a used Catholic bookstore and I can't wait to find out what they have there. In fact I'm almost more excited to find old books than I am to attend Colloquium. I also am planning a side trip to this place: St. Anthony's Chapel in Pittsburgh.

For Sale: Diurnale Romanum

I'm selling my Diurnale Romanum on eBay for $55.00. It has some light wear.

I've gone and upgraded to the full Breviarium Romanum so I no longer need it. Some of the cost from that expense has to be offset somewhere. There are a few more books I'll probably be selling but I wanted to give my readers the first crack at this one.

Link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140413727959


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New RSV-CE Reference Bible Coming Soon!

I heard some news today. A new RSV-CE reference Bible will be coming this fall. It will have commentary, maps, pictures, a topical index, is associated with Catholic Scripture Study International and will be published by St. Benedict Press.

This is the whole Bible, not just the New Testament. Its not quite a study Bible but much more than a text edition. I understand this is meant to be used in the context of Bible studies or just for regular home use. It will, unlike the ICSB, have ribbons.

The motto of CSSI is "Tradition - Scripture - Magisterium" so that should make for a welcome new edition.

Hopefully more information will be coming soon.

Review: The Judas Syndrome by Thomas Colyandro

Since finishing this book last week I have mulled over this review for quite a while. There isn't much for me to say but I'd like to cover a few things I liked about it and a few things I didn't. There are also two points in the book I found to be, at best, ambiguous.

The idea behind the Judas Syndrome is that old heresies have once again reared their ugly heads to attack the Church again. That is absolutely true. It is called the "Judas Syndrome" by the author because its perpetrators have exchanged the truth for something else. (In Judas' case, it was money.)

Thomas Colyandro has covered the bases here by talking about:

• Gnosticism/Docetism (Scientologists)
  
• Arianism (Jehovah's Witnesses, Unitarians)
  
• Pelagianism (American individualistic society)
  
• Iconoclasm (society taking down Christmas displays, churches that don't look like churches)
  
• Macedonianism (New Age Movement)
  
• Origenism (Modern secularism)
  
• Messalianism (Buddhists, Quakers, Pentecostals)
  

When I opened the book I expected to read a lot about these new incarnations of old heresies. I wanted to know the ins and outs of Jehovah's Witnesses and their Arianism. I wanted to read examples of modernist iconoclasts. But what I got was page after page of review material about the original errors, their founders, and Church teaching against them. Near the end of each chapter there is a page or two about the new version of the heresy. But the brunt of the text deals with the Church teaching against the original heresy. I struggled to get through the book because the application of the premise frustrated me.

But its not a bad book. It just wasn't for me. If someone out there has perchance heard of these heresies but doesn't know anything about them then it provides a great overview of seven major problem areas in the early Church. The information is good and thorough but not heady at all which means the average layman can pick up the book with ease. The language used is very plain spoken and conversational in style. I also like the idea of expounding on Church teaching by pointing out the errors of her wayward children.

Scripture verses and Church Father commentary are provided throughout. I skipped a lot (almost all) of the Scripture references completely because they were very familiar to me. For the beginner, especially a lay Catholic who doesn't know the Bible very well at all, having them along with the text is a plus. Let's face it, many Catholics simply do not know the Bible well no matter how many times we're told the 3 year Lectionary cycle at Mass is infinitely superior to the traditional one. Being a bit more knowledgeable, I would have been much happier with just simple footnotes. A good compromise would be an appendix with the verses written out.

There were two sections in this book which gave me pause. Here is the first:

"When the believer faithfully follows Jesus Christ, the fearful experience of evil and sin is transformed into acts of love and obedience. In this way, the believer may look forward to death. In addition however, we believe that our prayers for the dead are effective in God's eternity. Even though we do not believe people can willingly change after death, we do believe our prayers assist sinners before the judgment seat of Christ. In this way, we believers have the confidence that even unbelievers will have hope in death."

Page 111 - Chapter 7: Origenism Ignoring the Last Judgment

We do? I read that last sentence when I was in the adoration chapel. I read it several times but I could not square it with Catholic doctrine. There is nowhere in Church doctrine which I know of that says we can pray non-believers into heaven after they have died. If an unbeliever dies without the state of grace they cannot possibly have hope in death. Also there is no "hope" in heaven since there is no need and there is no "hope" in hell because those there know they aren't getting out. The only place after death that hope may be possible is in purgatory (and I'm not sure how to put that theologically). Our prayers for those souls go to repay their debt not put them in a state of grace - which they are already in.

Perhaps though there is an orthodox reading of the text. I cannot imagine this author, who seems otherwise orthodox, meant to put an error in his book about heresy. If by "hope in death" he means that our prayers can lessen their punishments or torments in hell then I think its possible. The reason I mention this is that just below his paragraph, Mr. Colyandro quotes St. John Crysostom who does not say we can save the sinner (rather that we weep for him) but that maybe our prayers can do a little good for them.

The other line that made me wince was right at the end. In the chapter Liturgy - The Antidote to the Judas Syndrome, Mr. Colyandro writes that the "ancient Eucharistic Churches have maintained the true faith since the time of Christ." Its just not true. The heresies he just wrote about were almost all Eastern and sometimes, if not often, were led by their Patriarchs. We in fact as Catholics do not believe the Orthodox even today to have the "true faith". Otherwise we would be in communion.

Other than these two very small parts of the book I think it is a good introduction to the old heresies which have indeed returned and always will. I would be interested to see what else the author has in store in the future.

Review: Ignatius Catholic Study Bible NT - Hardcover

God Bless you Ignatius Press, the authors, and editors who put this together.

Well its here. I present to you the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible (ICSB) New Testament in its hardcover form. It is a beauty. There are a few flaws which we'll discuss but all in all this is a major publication for the conservative Catholic world. Even though it is still missing the Old Testament...we finally have our study Bible.

This is the Catholic answer to all those protestant study Bibles you see when you go to Borders and think "I wish we had one of those" as you look longingly at the Oxford Catholic Study Bible and wish it were actually decent.

Ironically, some of the points below that make this a good study Bible also contribute to its flaws.

Good things:

• The text is large and easy to read.
• Thick paper. Good for writing on. The original RSV-2CE suffered from glossy paper that made it hard to read in many lighting situations. Not this one.
  
• Sturdy construction. Really sturdy, as far as I can tell.
  
• Sewn and glued binding.
• Copious notes.
• Cross references.
• Concise, but thorough, concordance.
• Color maps.
• Wider, but not wide, margins.
• I really like the cloth-like end papers. Its a very nice touch. The cross-hatch texture will keep papers from falling out of it.
• Its actually Catholic.

Could have been better:

• No ribbons. What the heck?
• Its a little too large.
• The maps are a little underwhelming. Very basic.
• Maps dispersed throughout the text should be in color when the full version comes out.
• Margins could be wider.

I'm really glad I bought the hardcover edition, btw. Without further ado I give you want you really came here for: pictures.

Below: glue protruding from the binding. Small irritant with the quality control. The binding however it sturdy.

Below: cross-hatch end papers. I like this feature a lot.

Below: Common page layout with a map in it. Notice the wider, but not wide, margins. We still have no true Catholic Bible with truly wide margins. I guess we'll have to continue waiting for that one.

Below: Maps at the end.

Below: I took this picture to show you where the extras begin. As you can see there is a lot of material in the back of the book. It adds a great deal of value. You get a lot of book for the price. Note the thickness of the pages in this photo.

Below: Wavy pages. Yuck. I don't know why this happens on some books. Perhaps its the paper choice. We'll live with it.

Below: A close up of the fantastic stamping on the front cover. In all, the cover is a bit busy for me. But its not ugly. In the future I'd like to see a simple or even plain cover for the ICSB. Just put the text on the spine and that'll do.

Below: I like sephia tone, so there. This shows a size comparison with some other well known books. The Leather RSV-2CE and Volume III LOTH.

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Do you like these book reviews? If so, please consider donating to the "book fund" so I can bring you the latest reviews of the best new Catholic titles! Right now we're trying to get enough dough for the upcoming Latin-English Breviary. Thanks and God Bless!

More Patience

Apparently the used copy of the Breviary I ordered is coming via covered wagon.  I assume it is stuck somewhere in a muddy puddle around Pittsburgh.  However there is always the chance it was attacked by angry Indians somewhere in the Ohio territory.  Then of course you always have the cholera happening to one of your party and hunting to do.  And should you try to ford the river or float across?  So much peril on the Oregon trail!

New Ignatius Study Bible!

I just recieved my new Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament in
the mail from Amazon. I ordered the hardcover edition.

In a word: Wonderful.

Pictures forthcoming.

Pius XII Psalter is Easier?

I'm not a Latin scholar. I'm just someone trying his best to learn Latin. So read this post with that in mind.

After I wrote about the 1958 BR I decided to give the Pius XII Psalter another look. My main office book has become the Diurnale Romanum from PCP (with the 1964 Benziger in English for Matins) and so I have for a few of the hours over the past week been switching between the two for the Psalter.

At the chance of losing all Catholic-blogger-street-cred I would like to share my new opinion on the Pius XII Psalter.

I think its easier to read...(though uglier) at least from the perspective of someone who is learning Latin from a textbook. The other reason is that most of us today read the Psalms from a direct Hebrew translation rather than from the Vulgate. The modern translation into Latin will reflect latinisms that we use in our modern languages. Grammar and syntax also follow. So in a sense it is much closer to what we're used to.

In the past week there have been times when I've been moving along in the Diurnale, which has the Vulgate Psalter, and wished I was using the 1958 BR so that I could comprehend what I was reading more easily.

Let's look at Psalm 85:1-3 as a quick example. There are probably better ones but this one was handy.

"Traditional" Vulgate version:

1 Inclína, Dómine, aurem tuam et exáudi me,

quóniam inops et pauper sum ego.

2 Custódi ánimam meam, quóniam sanctus sum ;

salvum fac servum tuum, Deus meus, sperántem in te.

3 Miserére mei, Dómine,

quóniam ad te clamávi tota die ;

Ugly Pius XII Version:

1 Inclina, Domine, aurem tuam, exaudi me,

quia miser et pauper sum ego.

2 Custodi animam meam, quia devotus sum tibi;

salvum fac servum tuum sperantem in te.

3 Deus meus es tu: miserere mei, Domine,

quia assidue ad te clamo.

Notice in the first verse I highlighted inops and miser, respectively. I had to look up inops. Miser I can figure out in context of "pauper sum ego". In English, a "miser" is an old nasty person. And if you look it up you will see in Latin it means "wretched". I looked up inops and it means "without resources". Perhaps this is where in English we get "inoperable"? Still I think miser is easier.

In verse three I highlighted clamavi and clamo respectively. I know what clamavi means, but I wanted to show you how the case endings in the Pius XII can be easier to understand. With my beginner Latin I know that when I see a verb ending in "o" it usually means I am doing that. "Ad te clamo" means to "to you I cry".

I highlighted assidue in red to be fair. I had to look that word up. The word "assiduus" means "tribute payer".

Go back up to the first verse. This is a subtle change here but this theme runs throughout the Pius XII psalter. It is much more direct. The Vulgate has "aurem tuam et exáudi me" which means "your ear AND hear me." while the new psalter has "aurem tuam, exaudi me" which translated is "your ear, hear me." There is no "and." The Pius XII is much more curt in a lot of places. That makes it easier for me to analyze with my limited knowledge.

I personally like the Hebrew/Pius XII rendering of the second verse. "Custodi animam meam, quia devotus sum tibi." "Keep my soul, for I am devoted to you." Rather than "for I am holy" in the Vulgate. It is much easier for me to consider myself devoted than holy.

But still...

If I was Pius XII, I never would have asked for the new Psalter. It may be that it actually caused more harm than good and now it is slowly being forgotten. New breviaries are being printed with the Vulgate psalter and Pope Pius' version can be found on eBay for less than half the price. It doesn't take a genius to see where that's headed. So I think it is much more worthy and profitable to learn the Vulgate Psalter since in 20 years all those breviaries from the 1940/50s/60s will be pretty badly decomposed. But taking another look at Pope Pius' version has been a good exercise for me.

Patience

Today is a day that God is teaching me patience. On Saturday I bought, from a used book store, a copy of a 1961 Breviarium Romanum which I plan on showing you as a comparison to the 1958 edition that recently appeared on these pages. I got an exceptional deal on it.

It could have been here today at the earliest. But that was not to be...unless...

Maybe they shipped it UPS and it'll show later in the afternoon. ;-)

Today's Benedictus Antiphon

Here is today's Benedictus antiphon from Lauds this morning. (Monday in the Octave of Pentecost) I translated while I read it but it didn't connect for some reason. Then later on I used my 1964 Benziger Roman Breviary in English and it caught my eye. I had an "aha" moment.

Before you go looking this up, try to figure it out. Its not hard and the text is extremely well known. It is probably the most famous verse in the Bible if I had to guess.

Sic Deus dilexit mundum, ut Filium suum unigenitum daret: ut omnis, qui credit in ipsum, non pereat, sed habeat vitam aeternam, alleluia.

Get it?

Coming in for the landing.

Wow, its been a week since I last posted. I've been busy getting ready, musically, for Pentecost. Now the feast has come and this is the time when things begin to settle down, thankfully. The only feasts left are Trinity Sunday and Corpus Christi.

I feel like we're approaching the landing strip and beginning our descent into the rest of the year. I love the feasts but honestly I'm ready for the summer.

My review of The Judas Syndrome should appear this week. After that I'm going to start on the Three Marks of Manhood.

Donations it is then.

The vote is in and it seems only three of you are opposed to donating. I received some notes by email that others are interested in donating who may have not voted. So then what I'll do is put up a PayPal button soon so you can donate a couple bucks if you want. This money will go solely for the upcoming Latin-English 1962 Breviary. The money goal will be $300.

I am basing this goal only on the fact that two other recent breviaries (Latin only) have been approximately that price. Nobody has given me any information on pricing or release dates and I don't want anyone to think they have.

If for some reason we come way short of the goal and I still cannot afford the new breviary or for some reason it never gets released then we'll have a poll for a different book to purchase and review OR we'll give it to a solid Catholic charity.


I PROMISE THAT THE REVIEW...

• Will contain no less than 25 high quality photographs.
• Will be at least 700 words.
• Will list the best features of the new Breviary.
• Will list the things we would like to have been done better.

UPDATE FRIDAY 4:21PM - We have our first donation! Huzzah! Btw, check out the "Book Review" page at the top of the website for an updated list of reviews and some other information.

I realize some of you receive this by email. The link for the review page is here: http://absnospin.blogspot.com/p/book-reviews.html

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Review: The Essential Belloc

Imagine a world where the "revolutionaries" of our age looked to Hillaire Belloc and G.K. Chesterton rather than the likes of Karl Marx and Saul Alinsky. I believe the Church - along with its literary giants of our "modern age" are the antidote for correcting the mistakes of this generation. This book is a wonderful primer on a relatively unknown figure in secular circles - one you should consider giving to your prolateriat-loving Marxist friends or the greedy capitalist pigs in your life.

St. Benedict Press recently released this new title of classic wisdom from Hillaire Belloc compiled and edited by the Rev. C. John McCloskey, Scott J. Bloch, and Brian Robertson. The book contains all kinds of short readings which make it the type you can pick up at any time.

The inside font and layout will be familiar to TAN fans. There is something comforting about that. In fact it seems SBP and TAN are sticking with this classic setting, as the other books they sent me look the same inside.

The world needs more Belloc and Chesterton these days and "The Essential Belloc" is a nice reference book to keep around for those times when you need a quick and thoughtful quote on almost any given subject. For instance, with Anglicans now rafting the Tiber we can look to Belloc and see...

Catherine had died before her [Anne Boleyn]. Henry's marriage with Jane Seymour , which took place immediately after Anne's death, was therefore, quite legitimate in the eyes of the Church, and quite probably there would have been a reconciliation with Rome had it not been for Thomas Cromwell's having already launched the policy of confiscating church property, beginning with the monasteries, a policy which created a vested interest of great power against reunion.

-CTR

Interesting no? I never thought of that, frankly. This book would make a great starting point in discussion groups or adult formation classes. We could probably talk for an hour on just the above quotation alone. Would the English people have gone along with reunion (I say they would have.)

The book strings together topics from across the spectrum of his writing. Just below the quote above, but on the same page, we can get a perspective on how Henry VIII and the Reformation impacted our own economic situation.

"The Reformation...is at the root of the whole change from economic freedom to capitalism."

-CC

Notice the "CTR" and "CC" at the end of the quotation. Each entry has a reference which tells you where it came from. At the end of the book there is an acronym index. "CTR" stands for "Characters of the Reformation" and "CC" for "Crisis of Civilization" respectively - both of which you can purchase from TAN Books.

I think Belloc's distrust of the Socialist and Communist systems will sit comfortably with most conservatives. But many will probably (like myself when I first heard of him) be a little uncomfortable with his chastisement of capitalism. Our country is intellectually enslaved to left-versus-right debates that allow no outside arguments and thus we are programmed to see only Red and Blue.

Maybe there is something better? Perhaps Belloc can open a door for us.

Link: The Essential Belloc - St. Benedict Press

Goodbye, Paschaltide

Paschaltide ends after None is finished, and thus begins Ascension.

They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To - Breviary Edition

Among all my prized books, there stand a few which are indeed the oldest but the most beautiful specimens of their kinds. They are unmatched today even in the most expensive printings. Today we are going to look at an old 1958 Breviarium Romanum - pars Autumnalis I picked up while I was doing my catechesis to become a Catholic.

This breviary must have been magnificent when it was new. No doubt today it would go for over $100 per volume, newly minted.

Around the top and bottom of the spine there is a little wear. But the cover has remained soft and supple. It has dried out just a little.

Take a look at the gilding. Nobody does it like this anymore except specialty binders and printers.

Some of you may never have seen "red under gold" edge gilding before. It used to be standard. I have an old Confraternity Bible (1954) that also has it. The gilding doesn't flake off when you touch it, by the way. I bet I could take sandpaper to it. (I wouldn't dare...)

You can see the red/gold difference in this picture well.

The book on top is the 2007 printing of the Monastic Diurnal. A great book with a fine leather cover by today's standards. Below is the 1958 Breviarium Romanum. See what I mean?

Notice how incredibly tight the binding is on the Breviarium. Its like it hasn't budged in 50 years. Incredible.


(Just to compare, the recent Diurnale Romanum reprint from PCP)

The typesetting is unsurpassed. Look at how majestic the text is as it appears on the page. The spacing, font, and text distribution is wonderful.

Single column Psalm setting. Unfortunately it is the Pius XII Psalter. But we like the single column setting.

Some older breviaries had secret compartments for the Magnificat and Benedictus cards. This one is a good example of that.

My dog Sophie agrees with everything I write on this blog. She loves the 1958 Breviarium Romanum too.

Expensive Books and Reviews

I'm a little hesitant to post this...

I've been thinking about something for a while now and I want to pitch an idea to everyone out there. There are several titles soon to be released that are going to be prohibitively expensive for me to review. Money is tight for everyone right now.

On my mind at the moment is the new breviary in Latin and English which we've been waiting for since 2006. I don't know that review copies will be available when it is released and some companies simply don't have the resources to provide them. (I can ask...) I expect that in order to bring this title to you I will have to pay out of pocket. Other titles also apply.

But so will you. And what if its awful? What if its fantastic and you just aren't so sure by looking at pictures? There are quite a few books here which I've bought out of pocket and have led people to purchase (or not). I'd like to provide that service for you when it comes to the "big one" or "ones" we've all been waiting for.

I'm thinking about putting up a Paypal link for donations solely to offset the cost of book reviews. The money will go for books. Books only. I view this as a type of ministry after all.

So I'm going to put up a poll on the right hand sidebar. You don't have to leave a comment if you don't want to. Just vote. Would you donate a buck or two to support the reviews?

New Books Arrival

I just received in the mail copies of new books put out by TAN and St. Benedict Press. The covers are wonderfully designed and the topics could not be more appropriate for our times. We'll be talking about them more on the blog in the coming weeks. Keep your eyes peeled.

• The Three Marks of Manhood
• The Mystery of Predestination
• Bleeding Hands, Weeping Stone
• The Essential Belloc
• The Judas Syndrom
  

Feeling Medieval Today

Today for whatever reason I'm feeling rather medieval. This happens every once in a while that I begin to pine for the days of kings, queens, chivalry, saints, and the modest peasant life. It usually culminates in my searching for a new album to buy.

Today I purchased a CD of medieval ballads.. It sounds a little modern and I don't understand French but it has quelled my desire to hear a medieval troubadour walk by my house with a lute.



When thinking about the middle ages I generally leave out the plagues, starvation, famine, and a host of other unseemly things. There is a place in history for that stuff, but its not in my imagination. This was the age of the Faith, Kingdoms, and incredible art.

No More Chinese Commenters, Please

I am sick of having to sign in and delete fake Chinese comments, advertisers who "love" my blog and just want to share some website or cause they just founded, and other junk.

I may turn comment moderation back on. We'll see.

New Translation a Setback for Latin?

Everyone is excited about the new translation coming out for the Novus Ordo. It will be better no doubt. The texts are more theologically precise. They are closer to the Latin text of the Novus Ordo. Those texts are much richer than what we have now.

But I am not all that excited. Don't get me wrong, I look forward to using them musically and praying with them generally. But I am afraid it will set back the progress made with the expansion of the Traditional Latin Mass and the use of Latin in the Novus Ordo.

Many people attending the TLM go for the increased solemnity. They are searching for true Catholic worship. The new translation will provide that...sort of. Some may find less of a reason to ask for the TLM to be celebrated in their parish. Priests will be busier learning the new version of the Ordinary Form.

I imagine there are those who will use it as an excuse. "We have this now, why do you want that?" The problem here is that no matter how you translate the text of the Novus Ordo...put it in Elizabethen English for that matter...it still represents a break with the continual and organic development of the liturgy. For instance, the prayers are more focused on us than God. A new translation won't turn the altars around and it won't end communion in the hand either. Perhaps eventually with a greater understanding of what is actually happening at Mass through the better texts it will. But it is not going to be instant.

It may also harm the progress made in using Latin during the Novus Ordo. Take for instance my case. As a parish musician who has been given great freedom by a good pastor to incorporate Latin into the liturgical music, we will now, out of necessity, move to the newer English text. The congregation will need to become comfortable with their parts. That takes time. And while it won't be as difficult a burden as some church-leftists claim, I envision needing to ditch the Latin for the new text for at least a year. I pray that is not the case.

However there is a flip side to consider. Using a text closer to the original may in fact increase the interest in and promote the use of Latin during the liturgy. If for instance hand missals (and altar missals for that matter) are printed in double columned Latin-English it would allow for moving between the two easily. This could happen - but I fear with the new text that "sacral English" will be all the rage and Latin will be its benevolent uncle with a slightly higher pride of place than it is afforded now.

This text, at the end of the Penitential Rite, disturbs me. It is quite Anglican, frankly.

The 2002 Missale Romanum says:

Sequitur absolutio sacerdotis: Misereátur nostri omnípotens Deus et, dimissís peccátis nostris, perdúcat nos ad vitam aetérnam.

But the new English text says...

May almighty God have mercy on us and lead us, with our sins forgiven, eternal life.

I guess it depends on where you put the comma in the Latin? But that phrase "dimissis peccatis nostris" has always, always, always been translated as "forgive us our sins". I assume that is because it is understood that a simple confiteor does not normally remove mortal sins. I wonder if this will help promote the sacrament of confession or if it will confuse the issue more. You can understand this text in an orthodox way, being that we cannot enter eternal life without our sins forgiven. But I wonder if people in the pews will correctly perceive that.

With all these doubts of mine regarding the new texts, I still think it will be better than what we have now. It will provide for a greater Catholic identity and will arm the people with better tools with which to get to Heaven...which is of course the goal. So I pray they come out quickly, are incorporated quickly, and that we can then move on to rediscovering the tradition of the Church.

Review: St. Augustine Answers 101 Questions on Prayer

St. Augustine Answers 101 Questions on Prayer is not an apologetics book. It is also not merely a book for those seeking answers to questions such as “what is prayer?” or “how are we supposed to pray always?” These questions are indeed answered by St. Augustine, but this paperback should be used for meditation. The editor, Fr. Cliff Ermatinger, ED., has put the work together in such a way that as you work your way through the book, it draws deeper into a life of prayer. You should not read this book straight through. The read would be better served by selecting one question or even a chapter to use for a Holy Hour or home meditation.

A quick scan of the table of contents also shows the immensity of the subject matter. Father Ermatinger has done us a great service by compiling such a complete compendium on St. Augustine’s thoughts on prayer so that we can all share in the mind one of the Church’s greatest doctors.

This book is set up in the standard and classic question and answer format often seen in various catechisms. Father connects St. Augustine’s words with his own which puts them into context for the reader. Since St. Augustine wrote no explicit treatise on prayer itself, this is necessary to see his full view of the subject.

I believe St. Augustine Answers 101 Questions on Prayer would find a great place in any home or adoration chapel. It could also make a fantastic gift for the religious “seeker” that could potentially lead them to the Catholic Church.

So many readers, including myself, have derived a great benefit from reading St. Augustine’s Confessions. The Confessions are perhaps St. Augustine’s greatest “prayer”. This additional book from Sophia Institute Press provides us with insight into the Confessions in a new way by showing us how St. Augustine viewed his own prayer and how it brought him closer to God.

You can purchase this book from Aquinas and More here: St. Augustine Answers 101 Questions on Prayer.

I've reviewed this book as part of the Tiber River Reviewers program. I do not receive monetary reimbursement, but I do receive free review copies of their books.

Snail Church for Padre Pio

I found this on the Messenger of Saint Anthony website:

The young Francesco, the future Padre Pio, wanted his crib scene to be as beautiful as possible. He also wished to light it up to make the scene as evocative as possible. At that time in Pietrelcina, there was no electricity and it was necessary to use oil lights. They had to be very small to enable Francesco to insert them in the moss, next to the tiny houses and beside the flocks of sheep.

The ingeniousness of the young boy was remarkable for those times. Francisco and his friends had learned to make lights made from snail shells. They would look for empty shells in the fields, clean them well, fill them with oil, add a wick and they would thus have a magnificent little lantern.

And so, of course the natural thing, out of all of St. Pio's incredible story, would be to entomb him in a resting place shaped like a giant snail made of stone and metal. That's what St. Pio would want that, right?

Some people are mad because the tomb is too glitzy. I personally think it is an outrage because of its obvious ugliness and ridiculous architecture. I mean, it is obviously hideous.

For pictures and links go to Rorate here: http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2010/04/padres-pios-new-resting-place.html

SBP Bibles on Amazon - "Look inside!"

St. Benedict Press' sacramental Bibles are now "searchable" over at Amazon, which means you can take a closer look at the inside via their "Look Inside!" function.

Also, kind readers, do take a moment and leave your own review there if you have bought one. The reason I ask this is because there is *rather unfortunate* review written about these Douay-Rheims Bibles under the item listing. If nothing else, go respond to this "review".

Here it is:

This Bible translation is not appropriate for a young child as it is the translation from the Latin in the late 1500s, even though the copyright is 2009 (this refers to the notes). It is not an approved translation; hasn't been for decades. Later translations take advantage of biblical studies and other research over the past 500 years as well. Currently the New American Bible is the only translation authorized for use in the USA by the Vatican for liturgy. If you're going to give the child a Bible get the New American translation. Though a book of Bible stories might be more age appropriate as the Bible is not written on a second grader's level.

The (Challoner) Douay-Rheims Bible isn't an approved translation? ROFL. When was it condemned may I ask?

Non-Review: The Horologion (2 Edition) - Sophia Press

I dare not review this title, due to my general ignorance of the Eastern Divine Office. My review would be embarrassing and sometimes its best not to say anything. But I wanted to show at least the physicals of this beautiful book to you. This is the second edition. I used the first edition in a Melkite monastery once, and this one is of superior quality.

The Horologion (Sophia Press)

The cover isn't limp but it is sturdy and flexible.

Lays flat relatively well. Though as an Office book I don't see the need for it to do so. This is a sewn binding.

Strangely, the ribbons are clumped together. It is the same with the Publican's Prayer Book.

The spine of this beautiful book. In this photo you can really see how nice and thick the leather cover is. This cover feels the same as the Publican's Prayer Book. I'm not sure if it is a type of bonded or genuine leather. Still - its wonderful. Publishers should take note of this cover and copy it to the best of their ability.

An example of the modest but well done artwork in the Horologion.

The typesetting is excellent, and the wider margins with large text are extremely easy on the eyes.

Buy it from Sophia Press here.

Christopher West taking break from speaking to reflect on advice :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Christopher West taking break from speaking to reflect on advice :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

...good...

Review: Sacramental Douay-Rheims Bibles - St. Benedict Press

Well this is embarrassing. The camera was on the photo printer. Right in the open. Who would have looked there? Without further ado...



I present St. Benedict Press' sacramental Douay-Rheims Bibles. On top is the First Communion, on the bottom is the Confirmation Bible. In short, these are great gifts for any Catholic receiving these sacraments. They are also good for anyone who just wants a hardcover Douay-Rheims Bible. Let's dive right in.


Above is a photo of the spine and the gold embossed text. I personally would have liked the stamping to have some depth to it. But they did a nice looking job with what we have here. Its unlikely your 6 or 13 year old will care.


Both books lay flat nicely. That makes them great for personal use and especially Bible study.


In the First Communion edition, there are children saints profiled; and in the Confirmation edition we have the patron saints of young men and women. Here we see the Patron Saint of Altar Boys, St. Tarcisius, from the First Communion edition. A lot of the very nice art in these books are from stained glass windows. I suspect this will help the kids grow up appreciating fine artwork in their parishes. Wouldn't that be a nice thing?

In both editions the extras are tailored to the audience. The following photos are from the Confirmation edition and focus on discerning your vocation.


Apologies for the spotty light. I work with what I have at the moment. Below is a close-up of the art in these sections.


These books also include short catechetical works. In the First Communion Bible there is an explanation of the Seven Sacraments, and in the Confirmation Bible we have a question and answer section on frequent questions asked by young people.

Sacrament section in the First Communion Bible.

And here is the frequent questions section in the Confirmation Bible. It also contains a Latin/English prayers section.

There is much more in these Bibles than I have time to write about. The inside text by the way, is identical to the paperback edition which I reviewed here. I think it is safe to say that these make great gifts or even personal editions for any Catholic. If you are looking for a hardback Douay-Rheims this is a good choice.

Buy them here:
Douay-Rheims First Communion Bible
Douay-Rheims Confirmation Bible

St. Hermenegild - What would we have done?

I was particularly impressed with today's saint on the traditional calendar. Here is Lesson iii from Matins this morning. I wonder, what would any of us done in this situation? Receive the Eucharist even though consecrated by an Arian? Could we even be sure of its validity? What of those in other schismatic communities? What would St. Hermenegild have to say about receiving from them?

From the book of Dialogues of St. Gregory, Pope

King Hermenegild, son of Leovigild, King of the Visigoths, was converted from the Arian heresy to the Catholic faith by the preaching of the venerable Leander, Bishop of Seville, one of my oldest and dearest friends. His father, an Arian, tried to persuade him to return to that heresy, both by gifts and by threats. And when Hermenegild repeatedly answered that he never could abandon the true faith, after having once known it, the father, in a fit of displeasure, deprived him not only of his right to the throne, but of all his property. And he had him put into close confinement, with chains on his neck and hands. Then the youthful King Hermenegild began to despise the earthly kingdom, and ardently to long for the heavenly kingdom; lying fettered, and wearing a hairshirt, he asked almighty God to strengthen him. But when the feast of Easter came, in the dead of night, his unbelieving father sent, as the price of his favor, an Arian bishop to him, to offer him reception of sacrilegiously consecrated Communion at the hands of said bishop. But this man, who had given himself to God, rebuked the Arian bishop when he came, as he deserved, and repudiated his bad faith with fitting reproaches. The bishop, therefore, returned to the Arian father who, being angry, immediately sent his officers to kill the unflinching Confesor of God in the place where he was imprisoned.

Taken from the Roman Breviary in English, 1964 Benziger Brothers Edition

Camera Frustration

It seems that whenever I go to do a book review, or several reviews, I either lose the camera or it breaks. Right now, I cannot find the (broken?) camera. There is another one I can use to shoot photos of these great books but it takes lousy pictures. I'm trying my best to get good light with it. Thanks for your patience. :-(

Review: Rule of St. Benedict from St. Benedict Press

Last week I received several titles in the mail for review. One of them was the new edition of the Rule of St. Benedict from St. Benedict Press. The book itself is very straightforward. This is a simple text edition of the Rule. I have a small booklet edition of the "1980 Rule" and this edition is superior.

The scripture quotes are taken from the New American Bible. The text is large print and easy to read.



Technically, the book does lay flat. (I know, a knee slapper right?) The Rule is a small devotional book and it fits nicely into a bag or a large pocket.

The real gem on this little book is the cover. It is extremely pleasant to the touch. St. Benedict Press has used the same material from the "Ultrasoft" Bible editions and put it over semi-flexible boards. This makes for a great cover and I would frankly like to see this application on many other titles. Prayerbooks, Missals, Bibles, and even regular books would benefit greatly from this treatment. Hopefully we'll see it in the future again.



I stylized this photo a bit in iPhoto but its here so you can see the size. Underneath the Rule is the Ultrasoft RSV from St. Benedict Press.



The Rule of St. Benedict in Premium Ultrasoft.
The Rule of St. Benedict is available in paperback also.

Three Years a Catholic

Today, the 7th of April, is my 3 year anniversary of being a Catholic. It's gone by really quick. God has blessed me greatly - more than I deserve - in these years. I pray for the unity of all Christians and invite everyone out there to do the same. I wouldn't be the Christian I am today without my non-Catholic roots and I know many converts feel the same way.

May we all some day worship under the same roof and have true unity.

God bless!

Prolife "Cast the Gauntlet" Conference

My parish Knights of Columbus Council are having a conference this weekend in Scranton. It is our first event. Our registration deadline has been extended to this Wednesday and costs $25. Lunch is included in the price.

Our speakers are Alice von Hildebrand, Fr. Thomas Euteneuer, and Raymond D'Souza. The day begins with a Byzantine Divine Liturgy at 9:00am and the event ends at 4:30 in the afternoon.

For more information and to register, go here: www.prolifeknights.com

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Holy Thursday at My Parish

My friend and fellow parishoner Gary put together this set of clips from my parish's Holy Thursday Mass. The audio and visuals are fantastic!

The Triduum is Here. How did you do during Lent?

So the Sacred Triduum is here.  How did we all fare?  I think I had a good Lent.  It wasn’t as difficult to stick to my penance as I had thought it would be.  Sure, there were days I slipped from my strict diabetic diet routine.  But they were only because I had nothing else to eat and it would have caused a good bit of difficulty to find something with low or zero carbs.  However I did pretty well and lost a bit of weight.  I’m not going to let this Lenten season go to waste by going back to the way things were before…physically or spiritually.  Yes, praise God, I think my spiritual life has benefitted from this time.