Month: March 2017

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(Usus Antiquior) Passion Sunday (I Classis) – Sunday, 2 April 2017 : Offertory, Secret Prayer of the Priest, Preface, Communion and Post-Communion Prayer

Liturgical Colour : Violet

Offertory

Psalm 118 : 17, 107

Confitebor Tibi, Domine, in toto corde meo : retribue servo Tuo : vivam, et custodiam sermones Tuos : vivifica me secundum verbum Tuum, Domine.

 

English translation

I will confess to You, o Lord, with my whole heart, render to Your servant. I shall live and keep Your words. Enliven me according to Your word, o Lord.

 

Secret Prayer of the Priest

Haec munera, quaesumus Domine, et vincula nostrae pravitatis absolvant, et Tuae nobis misericordiae dona concilient. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

 

English translation

May these offerings, we pray to You, o Lord, both loosen the bonds of our sins, and win for us the gifts of Your mercy. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

 

Preface of the Holy Cross

Vere dignum et justum est, aequum et salutare, nos Tibi semper et ubique gratias agere : Domine, Sancte Pater omnipotens, aeterne Deus : Qui salutem humani generis in ligno Crucis constituisti : ut, unde mors oriebatur, inde vita resurgeret : et, qui in ligno vincebat, in ligno quoque vinceretur : per Christum, Dominum nostrum.

Per quem majestatem Tuam laudant Angeli, adorant Dominationes, tremunt Potestates. Caeli caelorumque Virtutes ac beata Seraphim socia exsultatione concelebrant. Cum quibus et nostras voces ut admitti jubeas, deprecamur, supplici confessione dicentes :

 

English translation

It is truly meet and just, right and profitable for us, at all times, and in all places, to give thanks to You, o Holy Lord, Father Almighty, Eternal God. Who had established the salvation of mankind in the wood of the cross, that from whence death came into the world, thence a new life might spring, and that he who by a tree overcome, by a tree might be overthrown. Through Christ our Lord.

Through Whom the Angels praise, the Dominations adore, the Powers, trembling with awe, worship Your majesty, which the heavens, and the forces of heaven, together with the Blessed Seraphim joyfully do magnify. And may You command that it be permitted to our lowliness to join with them in confessing You and unceasingly to repeat :

 

Communion

1 Corinthians 11 : 24, 25

Hoc corpus, quod pro vobis tradetur : hic calix novi Testamenti est in Meo sanguine, dicit Dominus : hoc facite, quotiescumque sumitis, in Meam commemorationem.

 

English translation

This is My Body, which shall be delivered for you. This is the chalice of the New Testament in My Blood, says the Lord. Do this, as often as you receive it, in commemoration of Me.

 

Post-Communion Prayer

Adesto nobis, Domine, Deus noster : et, quos Tuis mysteriis recreasti, perpetuis defende subsidiis. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

 

English translation

Draw near to us, o Lord, our God, and with Your perpetual succour defend those whom You have refreshed with Your mysteries. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

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(Usus Antiquior) Passion Sunday (I Classis) – Sunday, 2 April 2017 : Holy Gospel

Liturgical Colour : Violet

Sequentia Sancti Evangelii secundum Joannem – Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to St. John

John 8 : 46-59

In illo tempore : Dicebat Jesus turbis Judaeorum : Quis ex vobis arguet me de peccato? Si veritatem dico vobis, quare non creditis mihi? Qui ex Deo est, verba Dei audit. Propterea vos non auditis, quia ex Deo non estis.

Responderunt ergo Judaei et dixerunt ei : Nonne bene dicimus nos, quia Samaritanus es tu, et daemonium habes? Respondit Jesus : Ego daemonium non habeo, sed honorifico Patrem Meum, et vos inhonorastis Me. Ego autem non quaero gloriam Meam : est, qui quaerat et judicet.

Amen, amen, dico vobis : si quis sermonem Meum servaverit, mortem non videbit in aeternum. Dixerunt ergo Judaei : Nunc cognovimus, quia daemonium habes. Abraham mortuus est et Prophetae; et Tu dicis : Si quis sermonem Meum servaverit, non gustabit mortem in aeternum. Numquid Tu major es patre nostro Abraham, qui mortuus est? Et Prophetae mortui sunt. Quem teipsum facis?

Respondit Jesus : Si Ego glorifico meipsum, gloria Mea nihil est : est Pater Meus, qui glorificat Me, quem vos dicitis, quia Deus vester est, et non cognovistis eum : Ego autem novi eum : et si dixero, quia non scio eum, ero similis vobis, mendax. Sed scio eum et sermonem ejus servo. Abraham pater vester exsultavit, ut videret diem meum : vidit, et gavisus est.

Dixerunt ergo Judaei ad Eum : Quinquaginta annos nondum habes, et Abraham vidisti? Dixit eis Jesus : Amen, amen, dico vobis, antequam Abraham fieret, Ego sum. Tulerunt ergo lapides, ut jacerent in Eum : Jesus autem abscondit se, et exivit de Templo.

 

English translation

At that time, Jesus said to the multitudes of the Jews, “Which of you shall convince Me of sin? If I say truth to you, why do you not believe Me? He Who is of God, hears the words of God. Therefore you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”

The Jews therefore answered and said to Him, “Do we not say well, that You are a Samaritan, and had a devil?” Jesus answered, “I do not have a devil, but I honour My Father, and you have dishonoured Me. But I do not seek My own glory, there is one who seeks and judges.”

“Amen, Amen, I say to you, if any man keeps My word, he shall not see death forever.” The Jews therefore said, “Now we know that You have a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets, and You said, ‘If any man keeps My word, he shall not taste death forever. Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Whom do You make Yourself?”

Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing. It is My Father Who glorified Me, of Whom you say that He is your God. And you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I shall say that I do not know Him, I shall be like to you, a liar. But I do know Him, and do keep His word. Abraham your father rejoiced that he might see My day. He saw it, and was glad.”

The Jews therefore said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Amen, Amen, I say to you, before Abraham was made, I AM.” They took up stones therefore to cast at Him, but Jesus hid Himself, and went out of the Temple.

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(Usus Antiquior) Passion Sunday (I Classis) – Sunday, 2 April 2017 : Gradual and Tract

Liturgical Colour : Violet

Gradual

Psalm 142 : 9, 10 and Psalm 17 : 48-49

Eripe me, Domine, de inimicis meis : doce me facere voluntatem Tuam.

Response : Liberator meus, Domine, de gentibus iracundis : ab insurgentibus in me exaltabis me : a viro iniquo eripies me.

 

English translation

Deliver me from my enemies, o Lord, teach me to do Your will.

Response : My Deliverer, o Lord, from the angry nations, You will lift me up above those who rise up against me, from the unjust man You will deliver me.

 

Tract

Psalm 128 : 1-4

Saepe expugnaverunt me a juventute mea.

Response : Dicat nunc Israel : saepe expugnaverunt me a juventute mea.

Response : Etenim non potuerunt mihi : supra dorsum meum fabricaverunt peccatores.

Response : Prolongaverunt iniquitates suas : Dominus justus concidit cervices peccatorum.

 

English translation

Often have they fought against me from my youth.

Response : Let Israel now say, often have they fought against me from my youth.

Response : But they could not prevail over me, the wicked have wrought upon my back.

Response : They have lengthened their iniquities, the Lord Who is just will cut the neck of sinners.

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(Usus Antiquior) Passion Sunday (I Classis) – Sunday, 2 April 2017 : Epistle

Liturgical Colour : Violet

Lectio Epistolae Beati Pauli Apostoli ad Hebraeos – Lesson from the Epistle of Blessed Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 9 : 11-15

Fratres : Christus assistens Pontifex futurorum bonorum, per amplius et perfectius tabernaculum non manufactum, id est, non hujus creationis : neque per sanguinem hircorum aut vitulorum, sed per proprium sanguinem introivit semel in Sancta, aeterna redemptione inventa.

Si enim sanguis hircorum et taurorum, et cinis vitulae aspersus, inquinatos sanctificat ad emundationem carnis : quanto magis sanguis Christi, qui per Spiritum Sanctum semetipsum obtulit immaculatam Deo, emundabit conscientiam nostram ab operibus mortuis, ad serviendum Deo viventi?

Et ideo novi Testamenti mediator est : ut, morte intercedente, in redemptionem earum, praevaricationum, quae erant sub priori Testamento, repromissionem accipiant, qui vocati sunt aeternae hereditatis, in Christo Jesu, Domino nostro.

 

English translation

Brethren, Christ having come, a High Priest of the good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, neither by the blood of goats or of calves, but by His own Blood, entered once into the Holies, having obtained eternal redemption.

For if the blood of goats and of oxen, and the ashes of an heifer being sprinkled sanctify such as are defiled, to the cleansing of the flesh, how much more shall the Blood of Christ, Who, through the Holy Spirit, offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse our conscience from dead works, to serve the Living God?

And therefore He is the Mediator of the New Testament, that by means of His death, for the redemption of those transgressions which were under the former testament, they who are called may receive the promise of eternal inheritance, in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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(Usus Antiquior) Passion Sunday (I Classis) – Sunday, 2 April 2017 : Introit and Collect

Liturgical Colour : Violet

Introit

Psalm 42 : 1-2 and 3

Judica me, Deus, et discerne causam meam de gente non sancta : ab homine iniquo et doloso eripe me : quia Tu es Deus meus et fortitudo mea.

Emitte lucem Tuam et veritatem Tuam : ipsa me deduxerunt et adduxerunt in montem sanctum Tuum et in tabernacula Tua.

Response : Judica me, Deus, et discerne causam meam de gente non sancta : ab homine iniquo et doloso eripe me : quia Tu es Deus meus et fortitudo mea.

 

English translation

Judge me, o God, and distinguish my cause from the nation that is not holy. Deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man. For You are my God and my Strength.

Send forth Your light and Your truth, they have conducted me, and brought me unto Your holy hill, and into Your tabernacles.

Response : Judge me, o God, and distinguish my cause from the nation that is not holy. Deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man. For You are my God and my Strength.

 

Collect

Quaesumus, omnipotens Deus, familiam Tuam propitius respice : ut, Te largiente, regatur in corpore : et, Te servante, custodiantur in mente. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

 

English translation

Look with favour upon Your household, we beseech You, o Almighty God, that, by Your gift, it may be governed in body and, by Your preservation, may be guarded in Spirit. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

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Saturday, 1 April 2017 : 4th Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we are reminded again that the world itself had rejected Christ and His ways, as shown through the examples of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, who debated about the nature of the works which Jesus our Lord had performed as He went about His earthly ministry. They disputed the claim that Jesus was the Messiah and Saviour which God had promised His people, refusing to believe in Him, even though they had seen the multitudes of miracles and great deeds that He had performed before them.

And therefore all of us are reminded to guard ourselves against all those temptations and all the things that have caused man to resist against God, and to harden their hearts against God’s love and mercy. First of all, is the temptation of human greed, which led us to crave for more and more things of this world, such as wealth, fame, renown, knowledge and many other things that we mankind often seek, in order to satisfy that greed we have in us.

Unfortunately, the nature of greed is such that we cannot be satisfied by worldly things we have received. It is in our nature to want for even more after we have received, and when we have something like power, money, possessions and other things, we try to look for even more of these to satisfy our desires and cravings. And when we do not get what we want, we get jealous and are filled with hatred.

That was why the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law were so adamant and stubborn in their opposition against Jesus. They were the ones who were supposed to be those who would first welcome the Lord, because they were knowledgeable on the matters of the Scriptures, and would have recognised the Messiah of God when He came into the world.

Unfortunately, because they were blinded with jealousy, anger and fear, they were unable to bring themselves to believe in the Lord Jesus, and instead, they acted to preserve their own human and worldly interests. They were those who held great power and influence in the community, and they saw Jesus as a great threat to their power, influence and standing among the Jewish people. As such, they were driven by those to oppose the Lord and His good works.

And then of course, is the temptation of human pride, which is the most dangerous of all forms of sins and temptations. It is the pride of most of the Pharisees and the elders of Israel, that they refused to bend their knee before the Lord Who came before them, and as their ego and pride overtook them, they ended up doing all that they could to thwart the good works of God, even though some among them, including Nicodemus, tried to point out to them the truth of God.

How are all these relevant to us, brothers and sisters in Christ? It is through understanding that if we do not restrain ourselves, our desires and wants, we will end up like the Pharisees and the scribes, being too busy with their own preoccupations with their power, worldly schemes and plans, to notice the grace of God at work around us.

Many of us Christians call ourselves as such, and yet, if we look more carefully at our actions, we will indeed be ashamed. We call ourselves Christians and yet in our actions and deeds, and also in our words, we do not act in the way that Christians should have done. Instead, we committed things and deeds that are wicked in the sight of God and man alike.

We cause pain and suffering for others, just because we are too greedy in desiring for more money and influence. We treat our fellow men badly because we exploit them and we did not treat them in the manner that we should be treating our fellow brethren in the Lord. We exploit others for our own personal benefit and advantage, and in our selfishness we have caused others to be sorrowful.

This is what we all need to avoid, and if we have done all these things, perhaps it is time indeed during this season of Lent for us to take a step back and reflect on our past actions and deeds. Have we been faithful to the Lord as how He had taught us to be faithful, by loving and showing care and compassion to our fellow brethren? Or have we instead acted out of our human pride, greed and selfishness? Have we treated our fellow men badly simply in order to satisfy our wants and desires?

Brothers and sisters in Christ, in this wonderful and extraordinary time of mercy, let us all turn towards God and seek His forgiveness. Let us all repent from our past sins and wrongdoings, and let us throw away all of our human pride, greed and all the things that had separated us from God and His love. Let us welcome the Lord and allow Him to come into our hearts, so that He may transform us into those who are worthy to receive His grace and inheritance.

May the Lord be with us all, and may He strengthen our faith within us, so that we may persevere through the temptations and challenges of the world. May we all draw closer to Him and to His love, so that in everything we say and do, we will always proclaim the glory of God, now and forevermore. God bless us all. Amen.

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Saturday, 1 April 2017 : 4th Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
John 7 : 40-53

At that time, many who had been listening to these words began to say, “This is the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some wondered, “Would the Christ come from Galilee? Does Scripture not say that the Christ is a descendant of David and from Bethlehem, the city of David? The crowd was divided over Him. Some wanted to arrest Him, but no one laid hands on Him.

The officers of the Temple went back to the chief priests, who asked them, “Why did you not bring Him?” The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this Man.” The Pharisees then said, “So you, too, have been led astray! Have any of the rulers or any of the Pharisees believed in Him? Only those cursed people, who have no knowledge of the Law!”

Yet one of them, Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier, spoke out, “Does our law condemn people without first hearing them and knowing the facts?” They replied, “Do you, too, come from Galilee? Look it up and see for yourself that no prophet is to come from Galilee.” And they all went home.

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Saturday, 1 April 2017 : 4th Week of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Psalm 7 : 2-3, 9bc-10, 11-12

O Lord, my God, in You I take shelter; deliver me and save me from all my pursuers, lest lions tear me to pieces with no one to rescue me.

O Lord, my righteousness; You see that I am blameless. Bring to an end the power of the wicked, but affirm the just, o righteous God, searcher of mind and heart.

You cover me as a shield. Oh God, for You protect the upright. A righteous judge is God, His anger ever awaiting those who refuse to repent.

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Saturday, 1 April 2017 : 4th Week of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Jeremiah 11 : 18-20

YHVH made it known to me and so I know! And You let me see their scheming. But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. I did not know it was against me that they were plotting, “Let us feed him with trials and remove him from the land of the living and let his name never be mentioned again.”

YHVH, God of hosts, You Who judge with justice and know everyone’s heart and intentions, let me see Your vengeance on them, for to You I have entrusted my cause.

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Friday, 31 March 2017 : 4th Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day all of us are reminded of the fact that all those who follow the Lord, those who are walking in the way of the Lord, all of us who are faithful to God, Christians in name and in deeds, will be the target of those who would seek our downfall. We will be the target of all those who are opposed the Lord and His ways.

That was what happened to the prophets, as reiterated from the Book of Wisdom as per of first reading today. The prophets encountered great resistance from the people, beginning from the time of Moses, when the Israelites often rebelled against his authority and followed their own way, to the days of Samuel and the Judges, when the Israelites again and again disobeyed and sinned against God.

The prophets encountered great troubles in the days of Elijah and Elisha, as the kings of the northern kingdom of Israel and the people refused to listen to them. They were persecuted and oppressed, and had to flee even their community in the case of Elijah, who had to flee to desert. The other prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah also suffered ridicule and rejection, particularly Jeremiah, who was hated by others in his community and was ridiculed as a doomsayer.

People plotted against them and did all sorts of nasty things against them, just as much as they acted in this manner against the Lord and His disciples. They harassed them, rejected their message and persecuted them. They littered their path with obstacles and challenges, and made martyrs from many of these faithful servants and disciples of our Lord.

Why is that so, brothers and sisters in Christ? That is because, it is the very nature of our sins, the sins of mankind. Sin has made us to turn against the ways of the Lord our God, into our own selfish ways, and as sin had permeated the whole race of man, the whole world itself has become filled with wickedness and corruption. People have become morally corrupt and evil in their words and deeds.

But we Christians are beacons of light in the midst of this great darkness. We bring forth into this darkened world, none other than the true Light of Christ, the Light of the world. For those who have closed their hearts against God and His love, who are stubbornly refusing to welcome His mercy and forgiveness, the light brought about by our actions and works in this world is an eyesore to them, and thus, that is why there will be lots of opposition to us and to whatever we are doing in the Name of the Lord.

However, we have to remember, brothers and sisters in Christ, that God is always with us, no matter what happens. There may indeed be very difficult times and moments in our lives, but even if we do not realise it, God is always by our side, supporting us and providing us with the necessary help, often in His own mysterious ways. And thus, God is our helper, our strength and our hope.

In this time of Lent, we are all called to draw closer to God, to be closer to Him and to appreciate more of the love and mercy which He had shown to us all these while. Sometimes, in our busy life schedule and activities, we have the tendency to forget about God, to overlook His grace and love for us, and that is when we end up distancing ourselves from Him, and fall into a higher risk of stumbling on the path littered with challenges and obstacles as we proceed with these lives of ours.

And let us also not forget about all those who have hated us and persecuted us. Am I serious when I said this, brothers and sisters? You must be wondering why I said so. Indeed, I am truly serious about it. Remember, the Lord Jesus Himself said, “Forgive your enemies and pray for all those who persecute you.” If the Lord Jesus Himself has forgiven those who have made Him to suffer and die on the cross, and indeed, all of us, because it is by our sins that He had suffered, then why should we not do the same?

Let this season and time of Lent be the beginning of a new chapter of our life, where we will no longer be angry or be filled with hatred at others, especially at those who hate us because we belong to Christ. Instead, let us counter their hatred with love, with forgiveness and mercy. Who knows, that because of the love which we show them, they may be touched in their hearts and be converted to the truth of Christ too.

May the Lord be with us, and may He strengthen our faith, that we may always be faithful to Him in all the things we say and do in this life we have. May God bless us all, now and forevermore. Amen.