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

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

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.

Monastic Diurnal: Lancelot Andrewes -vs- St. Michaels Press

A reader writes:

I have a question about the Monastic Diurnal: Contents aside, which of the two editions out there is better quality as far as durability is concerned? (One thing that concerns me, for example, about the LA Press edition is its location of the Psalter - similar to the Anglican Breviary). I have read mixed reviews of both books on that subject and was wondering what your experience with each of them has been in that area. Thanks!

It is tough to discuss the two editions without touching on some of the content. There are folks out there that will purchase based on quality alone but be disappointed later on. I want them to have a better idea of what they might be purchasing but I'll try to keep it short.

Here are the two diurnals again, with a pen in front (my Red Pen of Doom, used to grade papers, mwuhaha) to give you some perspective on the size. The Lancelot Andrewes Press edition is noticeably thinner and slightly taller. However the thinness of the Andrewes edition means that it can easily fit in your back pocket. I have done this several times. Just try not to sit down on it because the cover takes a bit to get its shape back... The cover is the same material as the Anglican Breviary. It feels like a hard but flexible shell, not imitation leather.

I got my copy on eBay, so I don't know how long it has been in use. Nevertheless you can see here that because the Andrewes edition uses a stiff-shell material its end papers want to pull away from the cover . When this happens it reveals that the stiffness is not a result of undercover boards but the material itself. This is easy enough to glue for a quick fix. Yes it is a lesser quality than leather, but it adds to the durability because it isn't so delicate. This is a tough material.

Here we see the print in the Andrewes edition. The text is good size and bold. Keep in mind that both of these editions are reprints of revisions of books going back to the first half of the 20th Century. So the text formats in both represent that time period. Take a look at the collects here and you will three present for St. Luke. There is a fourth on the next page. This is pretty common and is done to accommodate Anglicans and Catholics of different stripes. The introduction to the book gives a good indication of how to tell the difference.



The Andrewes editions gives you the prayers before and after the Divine Office, as well as the Ave. Pater. Credo. previously said before each hour.

Here is the St. Michael's Abbey Press Monastic Diurnal. I bought mine some time ago. In fact is it one of the first books I ever mentioned on this blog. The cover is a flexible Moroccan Leather previously used by Baronius Press back in the day to clothe their Missals and Bibles. It is really nice and getting better with age. Hands down, this cover is more elegant than the Andrewes edition.   I tried to take a photo that would show you the quality, which I hope you can see. I hope they are still printing this book with the same material.

Here is the psalter. I like having the Latin and English. This is the Vulgate translation of the Psalms and a proprietary English. A benefit of this edition is that if you visit a traditional Benedictine monastery or convent then you can use this to participate. You can't do that with the Andrewes press, at least as a Catholic.  [I stand happily corrected!  Comment from Brian M:  Dear Matt, you may wish to note that the All Saints Sisters of the Poor, a former Anglican sisterhood in Catonsville, MD, which recently converted en masse to the Church and was established as a priory of Diocesan right, uses the Andrewes Press edition of the Diurnal for their daily office.] 



Here is the psalter, in the middle, where all breviary psalters should be placed.

Here is the Andrewes Press psalter placement. Up front. I find it a bit more confusing than the the St. Michael's edition. This photo also shows the shorter ribbons and the thinness of the cover material. I think the gilt edges are better on the Andrewes edition though.

The St. Michael's edition comes with cheater cards to help you find your way around the Office.

The Catholic St. Michael's edition has an updated table of moveable feasts until 2066.

I hope this helps. Quality wise I think this is a toss up. The Lancelot Andrewes edition is more of a workhorse. It is slightly more portable. Both versions have beautiful English. The Anglican one has the Coverdale Psalter. If it helps you to know which one I prefer, it is the Catholic St. Michael's Abbey edition because I appreciate having the Vulgate and English side by side.

Breviaries Again Printing from Baronius (not yet selling)

I apologize for the hiatus here. My schedule at the school is doubled from last year and I am still struggling with finding the time balance for lots of things I need to do. At any rate, Baronius has yet again updated us on their Breviary printing. It looks like things are back on track. Remember, they originally said it would take a few months from the printing to ordering. So...January? We'll see!

Buy something from them today to help them out. I heartily recommend the Divine Intimacy. It is the best spiritual "direction" book I have ever used.

From Baronius:

----- Update 20th October 2011 -----

We are very aware that this project has been delayed significantly – even the printing is now well over schedule.

Our printer in the Philippines has been beset by a series of typhoons since we gave the instruction to start printing the Breviary. This year the weather has been particularly bad – there have been floods in the area around the plant, electrical shortages and the humidity has been very high for a much longer period than normal, causing technical problems and making it very difficult to print continuously.

The good news is that printing has now resumed, and we are now awaiting a revised completion date from our printer which we will post in the next few days. We understand that the wait for this title has been extremely frustrating. We also realise that we have not always been good at keeping customers updated, and we will try to post more regular updates. We hope we can assure you that we and the printer are doing our utmost to get the Breviaries completed as soon as possible.

--------------------------------

Hymns for May 24th

My work computer is down at the moment. Something is wrong with the power. So here is something I saw this morning that was interesting.

From the Monastic Diurnal, which I used this morning for Lauds, comes this translation of the Marian hymn Te Redemptoris to Our Lady Help of Christians:

Mother of our Lord and Savior,

First in beauty as in power,

Glory of the Christian nations,

Ready help in trouble's hour.

Though the gates of hell against us,

With profoundest fury rage;

Though the ancient foe assault us,

And his fiercest battle wage;

Naught can hurt the pure in spirit,

Who upon thine aid rely;

At thy hand secure of gaining

Strength and mercy from on high.

Safe beneath thy mighty shelter,

Though a thousand hosts combine,

All must fall or flee before us,

Scattered by an arm divine.

Firm as once on holy Sion,

David's tower reared its height;

With a glorious rampart girded,

And with glistening armor bright.

So th'Amlighty's Virgin Mother

Stands in strength for everymore;

From Satanic hosts defending

All who her defense implore.

Through the long unending ages,

Blessed Trinity, to Thee!

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!

Praise and perfect glory be.

Amen.

The Vespers hymn is greater still...the imagery is incredible. This is the translation of Saepe dum Christi:

Oftimes, when hemm'd around by hostile arms,

The Christian people lay all sore dismayed,

Faith's eye hath traced the Virgin gliding down,

To lend her loving aid.

So speak the monuments of olden time,

And shrines that bright with votive spoils appear;

So speak the festivals in her sweet praise,

Returning year by year.

Now for new mercies a new song ascends,

While with our Lady's ensigns all unfurled,

Rome in procession long high triumph holds,

And with great Rome the world.

Oh, happy day! on which Saint Peter's throne

Receives the faith's great Ruler back again;

Returning from his banishment, in peace

O'er Christendom to reign.

Ye youths and maidens,

priests and people all!

Pour out your grateful hearts on this glad day,

Striving with all your strength, to Heaven's high Queen

Her well-earned praise to pay.

Virgin of virgins, Jesus' Mother blest!

Add yet another mercy to the past;

And help our Pastor all his flock to lead

Safe into heaven at last.

To Thee, great Trinity,

be endless praise,

Blessing, and majesty, and glory due;

To Thee may we our hearts and voices raise;

Al the long ages through.

Amen.

Breviary Progress

We really do appreciate them updating us.

From the Baronius Press website:

The excellent news is that the final corrections from the Censor have been received a few days ago. We anticipate that the implementation of the corrections and the finalising of the Breviary will take a couple of weeks.

After this, we will formally apply for the Concordat cum originali to be granted – the necessary approval that liturgical texts require in order to be used and also to ensure that the text is accurate. As soon as the permission is granted, the printing will commence.

We are very grateful for all the prayers and support we have received in order to complete this huge undertaking.

Latin Liturgia Horarum by MTF

Ramil, in the comments a few weeks back, informed me that Midwest Theological Forum has an edition out of the Liturgia Horarum. I have contacted them and am still waiting to hear back. Their contact web form however may be just an internet black hole.

The set of 6 books costs $900 for genuine leather covers. $450 for the hardcover edition. The hardcover looks like it might come in the fruity colored covers just like Catholic Book Publishing Company's english version. But since the online catalog only shows volume one there is no way to tell.

At any rate, kudos to MTF for promoting the Latin version of the current Divine Office.

Review: Nova et Vetera 1962 Breviary

You can click on any image in this post to make it larger.

Thanks to the generous lending of Maximus Scriptorus over at ChurchLatin.com I was finally able to get my hands on one of these to show you. When this edition of the 1962 Breviary first came out I always thought the cost of acquiring such a set would prohibit me from sharing them with you.




Of course, I have seen them before. These breviaries are used by many members of the FSSP and so I've had the chance to hold one and look inside briefly. In that past, I have heard complaints about them and indeed I've seen the results of what they look like after 2 years of steady use. It is not pretty. But they could have been dropped, stepped on, who knows really.

At any rate I can compare these now to the Econe Breviary. One thing right off the bat that I'll say is this: This set makes a better case for the $300 price tag. I'm not saying they are perfect, as we'll get to, but they do certainly have a more expensive feel to them.



The leather is calfskin and I believe it is what we would call an "ironed" calfskin which makes it very thin. In fact it is too thin. The cover, however beautiful, makes the book seem "delicate". The Econe breviary, for whatever else may be wrong with it, is a warhorse by comparison.

Yet the calfskin is still nice overall for a cover. It feels better in your hands even if it gives you the impression the book could fall apart (though it won't). Not all calfskin is like this by the way.

Many older breviaries typically had their cover glued or at least attached in some way to their spines. This one doesn't. Nor for that matter does the Econe. That style keeps the binding tight indefinitely. The thinness of the leather here creates an odd lump in your hands when reading. I've tried to give an example here in the following photos:



(The following photo looks horrible, but I assure you I am being extremely gentle with the book! No worries Maximus!)



The actual binding is very decent. It is of course sewn. The breviary contains six ribbons whereas the Econe has 4. Having used both now I can say 4 are necessary, but 6 is convenient.

Which brings me to another topic. The N&V Breviary comes with a massive amount of cards. I only ever use the Matins and Benedictus/Magnificat cards. But some people may have a different preference. Again, this is a convenience and it is nice to have options in this regard. It also came with a Hymni Antiqui card, which contain the old office hymns still found in the Benedictine Monastic office. We won't go into that subject at the moment, but I really like this feature.



Let's talk ribbons. These are soft, dark colored ribbons. I greatly prefer these to the Econe which are much brighter. These have a serious quality that others do not. However I would prefer them to have been stronger. These will fray very easily. My parish priest has them tied in knots on his set so they stay in tact. Once they are frayed, which for some could be a matter of months, you will either have to pay to get the whole thing rebound, re-ribboned, or cut them and go to your local Catholic book shop and try to squeeze in (or mangle) one of those Catholic Book Publishing Company sets down the spine.

The end papers are perfect. I like them a bit rough like this because it helps keep the cards, which are slippery and laminated, inside the book. Sure, leather would have been nice too, but you have to use this thing, right?

The text inside could not be more clear. They've done a nice job on the fonts and the presentation of the text. The set up is double column the whole way through. Some find that irritating, others appreciate that. You decide. For my part, I've found that sometimes it can be difficult to tell where you are in the book when you first open it because it takes a more careful look to tell the difference between the sections. In the Econe the Psalms are single column so it is simpler. This is a matter of preference and the major experiential difference between the two editions.

I would have preferred if Nova et Vetera indented the first line of each verse in the Psalms as some breviaries have done. It makes it easier to find your place should you get distracted.

The fonts in this edition are superior to the Econe in my opinion.

In the front you have card stock pages for the ordinary parts of the offices.

Maximus also sent his covers along. The first is the one sold and produced by Nova et Vetera themselves. Its very nice.



You have to put the cards in after the book, just so you know. Its difficult the other way around.

This one he made himself and it makes great way to store your non-used volume.



And this one, by the way, works well too. It is the Volume I leather cover from Catholic Book Publishing company. It fits nicely but test it first before you just shove your extra thin calfskin breviary covers into it.




Conclusion
Given the fact that this version carries an imprimatur and the overall quality is superior I would recommend this edition over the Econe breviary. However the Econe is definitely sturdier construction. There isn't a whole lot else more to say, its really just that simple.

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.

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


.

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.

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?

St. Ignatius of Antioch

Today in the traditional Roman calendar is the feast of St. Ignatius of Antioch. I had the opportunity a few days ago to attend his feast in a local Melkite Greek-Catholic Monastery. Growing up, we always heard of the early Christian martyrs in Rome but never discussed them in any great detail as Presbyterians. We knew people were killed for Christ, but that was it. It wasn’t until I was 26 and interested in the Church did I read of St. Ignatius or those like him.

From today’s Matin’s reading (scraped from DivinumOfficium.com)

From the book of St. Jerome, Presbyter (priest), on the Ecclesiastical writers.

Ignatius was the third Bishop of Antioch after the Apostle Peter. When Trajan stirred up his persecution, he was condemned to be devoured by wild beasts, and sent to Rome in chains. When on his journey thither he arrived at Smyrna, where Polycarp, the disciple of John, was Bishop, he wrote an Epistle to the Ephesians, another to the Magnesians, a third to the Trallians, and a fourth to the Romans and after leaving Smyrna, he addressed a further Epistle to the Philadelphians, and another to the Smyrnians, along with a private Epistle to Polycarp, to whose care he commended the Church of Antioch. In this last he quoteth a passage regarding the Person of Christ from the Gospel, which I have recently translated.

“It is fitting that, as we have made mention of a man of so much importance, we should also note briefly the Epistle which he addressed to the Romans. I am on my way, saith he, from Syria to Rome, and am already fighting with beasts on sea and on land all the way. I may say I am chained day and night to ten leopards, for indeed the soldiers, who have charge of me, are no better. The more courteous I am to them, the worse they use me. But still their wickedness is good schooling for me, though I know that my mere sufferings cannot in themselves gain me justification. I earnestly wish for the beasts which are to devour me; at any rate, I pray they may put me out of pain quickly, and ( fly on me willingly, that I be not like some other Martyrs, whose bodies the animals have refused to touch. If I find that they will not come on, I will run at them as quick as I can, to make them devour me. Let me be, my little children I know what is good for me.

I feel now that I am beginning to be Christ's disciple; I desire none of those things which are seen, if so be I may find Christ Jesus. I care not that there come upon me fire, or cross, or wild beasts, or breaking of my bones, or sundering of my members, or destruction of my whole body, yea, or all the torments of the devil, if only so be I may win Christ. “

When he was brought condemned to the theatre, and heard the roaring of the beasts which were to devour him, he felt so strong an eagerness to suffer, that he cried out I am Christ's wheat, and so let the beasts' teeth be my mill, that I may be ground, and be found to make good bread. He suffered in the eleventh year of Trajan. What was left of his body lieth at Antioch, in the graveyard outside the gate which leadeth toward Daphne.

Without Further Ado - My Rebound 62 Breviary

Back in Advent I sent away my Benziger Brothers 1962 (64) Roman Breviary in English to be rebound. Unfortunately, I did not take a picture of its delapidated condition. Truly this was the "Veleteen Breviary". I even put contact paper over its tattered leather cover to make it usable. The ribbons (which the bindery sent back) were frayed and barely long enough from 45 years of life. I had put tape on the ends and man was it ugly.

Voila.

I opted for the semi-yapp cover which hangs over the edge of the book in order to protect the pages from errant scuffs. The years were not so kind to the pages but they are in tact (save for the first page). But they aren't covered you say? Bah! That extra half inch of leather does a lot. Trust me.

The leather is thick, not thin or flimsy.

Here is the bottom of the book. The quality of McSpadden's premium calfskin is wonderful. It feels like butter in your hand. You can see that I asked for six ribbons: 1) Proper of Season 1 2) Proper of Season 2 - post Pentecost 3)Ordinary 4)Psalter 5)Proper of Saints 6)Commons. You need all six when using a totum, as opposed to a Breviary split into parts, where 5 are sufficient. Notice the colors. They are not the ones I asked for. It was meant to have all dark ribbons and I even gave them a specific color order...so I don't know what happened. Some light ribbons discolor over time. I hope these don't.

You can see why I opted to protect the pages.

Above you see how the cover extends out from under the book when it is open. The semi-yapp does a nice job framing the text block so your eyes focus on the psalms and prayers while reading. I didn't expect this effect but it is akin to putting up a new painting in a frame that enhances the art and draws your attention to it. Notice the ribbon has re-enforced edges along the sides.





There is another slight disappointment here in that the title on the spine is off-center. You don't have to look too closely to notice. This is an unfortunate part of getting a book rebound: one should have realistic expectations. It is not lined up by a computer but by hand and having this corrected would probably mean sending it back and having the whole thing done over. So I'll live with it as is. My Liber Usualis by the way, also bound by McSpadden's, is centered properly.




The Breviary opens flat but the text block doesn't. This is due to little flaps that McSpadden's puts along the inside cover in order to protect the binding. They loosen up with time and are eventually unnoticeable. This is part of the breaking-it-in process. Do not be alarmed if you get a book rebound and it comes back like this - it's meant to give your book a longer life.

It just looks great, doesn't it?

They used a different grain of calfskin for my Liber Usualis. The Liber is much more flexible. The Breviary is stiff right now but it won't stay that way. The semi-yapp technique used here prevents it from doing (or attempting) "Bible Yoga". With the sensitivity of the older pages in this book however this comes out as a plus. I'm glad it came back this way.

So there you have it. Another good experience with book binding. Originally I paid $75 for the book and it cost $86 to get this project done. I have seen lesser books of this kind on eBay go for over $500. They were not freshly bound in a semi-yapp calfskin. So this was worth every penny and maybe a few extra.

McSpadden's Book Bindery does not nickel and dime you by the way. The gold stamping and ribbons were included in the flat fee for both of my projects. On a hardcover I have there right now the die of a crest I re-drew cost extra from the die-caster but they don't appear to be charging me for the stamping itself. I like these people and hope you will too, should you send a book their way for a shiny new coat.