Review of "A Short Breviary"

The "Short Breviary," which I recently won on e-bay arrived. It is an interesting and useful book, but not exactly what I had been hoping for. As advertised, it is a short version of the Roman Breviary, but certain things have been reduced that needn't have been. Even though this edition was released in 1954 with several years to go till Vatican II, and is still "traditional," you can see the changes already starting. It is divided into five parts: The Psalter, the Saturday Office of the B.V.M., the Common of Feasts, the Proper of the Season, and the Proper of the Saints. Unlike the full breviary, there is no "ordinary." Which part of the book you use for the main parts of the office on a given day changes with the season and feast. The psalter contains "the Office for Sunday and weekdays as prayed from January fourteenth until first Vespers of the first Sunday of Lent, and from Monday after the feast of the Most Holy Trinity until first Vespers of the first Sunday of Advent." Vespers and Lauds have four psalms each, while the lesser hours only have one psalm (couldn't they have stayed with three?) Matins has the Inviatory as well as three psalms, and a surprisingly good selection of patristic lessons for most important feasts of the year. The Saturday of the B.V.M. is fairly self explanatory, being an abridged version of the same office in the regular office. The Common of Feasts is used on every feast with the exception of the last three days of Holy Week and the feast of All Souls which are given in their entirety. The Common of Feasts replaces the Common of Saints, with one office for every occasion supplemented by proper antiphons, hymns, chapters, and collects from the Propers of the Saints and Seasons. This is where the "shortness" of the breviary can really be felt. All of the major feasts are included, with very few saint's days. Especially pre-schism saints. If you want to celebrate a feast not included in the breviary, you are instructed to simply insert the collect from your missal into the office of the day. As previously noted, the Office of the Dead is given in full for All Souls, and can be used at any time during the year. Also contained are two supplements. One allows you to recite the entire psalter over a period of three weeks at Matins. The second contains scripture readings for every day of the year, which are especially useful during octaves or days which have no lessons of their own. They are to be read at Matins, but is says that they can be read at any time. It is the grandfather of the modern Office of Readings. This book was a good idea, but it was definitely a contributor to the virtual destruction of the office with Vatican II. To me it will be useful for days when I really don't have time to figure out the rubrics in my Monastic Diurnal, as well as for traveling since no ordo is required. It is a nice compromise between the full office and the little office. It is certainly much superior to the BCP office. If you are a breviary fanatic or a dunce when it comes to the divine office (like me), I recommend this book. If you are already proficient at using your Monastic Diurnal or Roman Breviary I wouldn't bother, especially since often this book sells for anywhere from $40-130.00