Year: 2019

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(Usus Antiquior) Holy Thursday, Solemn Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper (I Classis) – Thursday, 18 April 2019 : Holy Gospel

Liturgical Colour : Violet

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

John 13 : 1-15

Ante diem festum Paschae, sciens Jesus, quia venit hora ejus, ut transeat ex hoc mundo ad Patrem : cum dilexisset suos, qui erant in mundo, in finem dilexit eos. Et cena facta, cum diabolus jam misisset in cor, ut traderet eum Judas Simonis Iscariotae : sciens, quia omnia dedit ei Pater in manus, et quia a Deo exivit, et ad Deum vadit : surgit a cena et ponit vestimenta sua : et cum accepisset linteum, praecinxit se.

Deinde mittit aquam in pelvim, et coepit lavare pedes discipulorum, et extergere linteo, quo erat praecinctus. Venit ergo ad Simonem Petrum. Et dicit ei Petrus : Domine, Tu mihi lavas pedes? Respondit Jesus et dixit ei : Quod ego facio, tu nescis modo, scies autem postea. Dicit ei Petrus : Non lavabis mihi pedes in aeternum. Respondit ei Jesus : Si non lavaro te, non habebis partem mecum.

Dicit ei Simon Petrus : Domine, non tantum pedes meos, sed et manus et caput. Dicit ei Jesus : Qui lotus est, non indiget nisi ut pedes lavet, sed est mundus totus. Et vos mundi estis, sed non omnes. Sciebat enim, quisnam esset, qui traderet eum : proptera dixit : Non estis mundi omnes.

Postquam ergo lavit pedes eorum et accepit vestimenta sua : cum recubuisset iterum, dixit eis : Scitis, quid fecerim vobis? Vos vocatis me Magister et Domine : et bene dicitis : sum etenim. Si ergo ego lavi pedes vestros, Dominus et Magister : et vos debetis alter alterius lavare pedes. Exemplum enim dedi vobis, ut, quemadmodum ergo feci vobis, ita et vos faciatis.

 

English translation

Before the festival day of the Pascha, Jesus knowing that His hour had come, that He should pass out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them unto the end. And when supper was done, the devil now had put into the heart of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Him. Knowing that the Father had given Him all things into His hands and that He came from God and would go to God.

He rose from the supper and laid aside His garments and having taken a towel, He girded Himself. After that, He put water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples and wiped them with the towel with which He was girded. He came therefore to Simon Peter, and Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do, you do not know now, but you shall understand hereafter.” Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you shall have no part with Me.”

Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” Jesus said to him, “He who washed only needs to wash his feet, and he is already wholly clean, but not all of you.” For He knew who was to betray Him, and therefore He said, “You are not all clean.”

Then after He had washed their feet and taken His garments, He sat down again and said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Master and Lord, and you say it well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that as I have done to you, so you also should do.”

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(Usus Antiquior) Holy Thursday, Solemn Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper (I Classis) – Thursday, 18 April 2019 : Gradual

Liturgical Colour : Violet

Gradual

Philippians 2 : 8-9

Christus factus est pro nobis oboediens usque ad mortem, mortem autem crucis.

Response : Propter quod et Deus exaltavit illum : et dedit illi Nomen, quod est super omne nomen.

 

English translation

Christ became obedient for us unto death, even the death on the cross.

Response : Therefore God also had exalted Him, and had given Him a Name which is above every name.

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(Usus Antiquior) Holy Thursday, Solemn Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper (I Classis) – Thursday, 18 April 2019 : Epistle

Liturgical Colour : Violet

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

1 Corinthians 11 : 20-32

Fratres : Convenientibus vobis in unum, jam non est Dominicam cenam manducare, Unusquisque enim suam cenam praesumit ad manducandum. Et alius quidem esurit : alius autem ebrius est. Numquid domos non habetis ad manducandum et bibendum? Aut ecclesiam Dei contemnitis, et confunditis eos, qui non habent? Quid dicam vobis? Laudo vos? In hoc non laudo.

Ego enim accepi a Domino quod et tradidi vobis, quoniam Dominus Jesus, in qua nocte tradebatur, accepit panem, et gratias agens fregit, et dixit : Accipite, et manducate : hoc est Corpus Meum, quod pro vobis tradetur : hoc facite in Meam commemorationem.

Similiter et calicem, postquam cenavit, dicens : Hic calix novum Testamentum est in Meo Sanguine : hoc facite, quotiescumque bibetis, in Meam commemorationem. Quotiescumque enim manducabitis panem hunc et calicem bibetis : mortem Domini annuntiabitis, donec veniat.

Itaque quicumque manducaverit panem hunc vel biberit calicem Domini indigne, reus erit Corporis et Sanguinis Domini. Probet autem seipsum homo : et sic de pane illo edat et de calice bibat. Qui enim manducat et bibit indigne, judicium sibi manducat et bibit : non dijudicans Corpus Domini. Ideo inter vos multi infirmi et imbecilles, et dormiunt multi. Quod si nosmetipsos dijudicaremus, non utique judicaremur. Dum judicamur autem, a Domino corripimur, ut non cum hoc mundo damnemur.

 

English translation

Brethren, when you come therefore together into one place, it is not now to eat the Lord’s supper. For everyone takes, before, his own supper to eat. And one indeed is hungry and another is drunk. What, do you have no houses to eat or to drink in? Or do you so despise the Church of God and put those to shame, those who does not have? What shall I say to you? Do I praise you? In this I do not praise you.

For I have received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, on the same night in which He was betrayed, took bread, and giving thanks, broke it and said, “Take all of you and eat. This is My Body, which shall be delivered for you. Do this for the commemoration of Me.”

In like manner He also did to the chalice, after the supper had ended, saying, “This chalice is the New Testament in My Blood. Do this all of you, as often as you shall drink, for the commemoration of Me.” For as often as you shall eat this bread and drink the chalice, you shall show the death of the Lord, until He comes.

Therefore, whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink of the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the Body and the Blood of the Lord. But let a man prove himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of the chalice. For he who eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Body of the Lord. Therefore there are many infirm and weak among you, and many sleep. But if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But while we are judged, we are chastised by the Lord, that we should not be condemned with this world.

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(Usus Antiquior) Holy Thursday, Solemn Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper (I Classis) – Thursday, 18 April 2019 : Introit and Collect

Liturgical Colour : Violet

Introit

Galatians 6 : 14 and Psalm 66 : 2-4

Nos autem gloriari oportet in Cruce Domini nostri Jesu Christi : in quo est salus, vita et resurrectio nostra : per quem salvati et liberati sumus.

Response : Deus misereatur nostri, et benedicat nobis : illuminet vultum suum super nos, et misereatur nostri. Nos autem gloriari oportet in Cruce Domini nostri Jesu Christi : in quo est salus, vita et resurrectio nostra : per quem salvati et liberati sumus.

Response : Ut cognoscamus in terra viam Tuam : in omnibus gentibus salutare Tuum. Nos autem gloriari oportet in Cruce Domini nostri Jesu Christi : in quo est salus, vita et resurrectio nostra : per quem salvati et liberati sumus.

Response : Confiteantur tibi populi, Deus : confiteantur tibi populi omnes. Nos autem gloriari oportet in Cruce Domini nostri Jesu Christi : in quo est salus, vita et resurrectio nostra : per quem salvati et liberati sumus.

English translation

But it behooves us to the glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is our salvation, life, and resurrection, by whom we are saved and delivered.

Response : May God have mercy on us, and bless us. May He cause the light of His countenance to shine upon us, and may He have mercy on us. But it behooves us to the glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is our salvation, life, and resurrection, by whom we are saved and delivered.

Response : That we may know Your way upon the earth, Your salvation among all nations. But it behooves us to the glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is our salvation, life, and resurrection, by whom we are saved and delivered.

Response : Let the peoples praise You, o God. Let the peoples praise You. But it behooves us to the glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is our salvation, life, and resurrection, by whom we are saved and delivered.

 

Collect

Deus, a quo et Judas reatus sui poenam, et confessionis suae latro praemium sumpsit, concede nobis Tuae propitiationis effectum : ut, sicut in passione sua Jesus Christus, Dominus noster, diversa utriusque intulit stipendia meritorum; ita nobis, ablato vetustatis errore, resurrectionis suae gratiam largiatur. Qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

 

English translation

O God, whom Judas received the punishment of his crime, and the thief the reward of his confession, grant us the effect of Your clemency, that as Jesus Christ, our Lord, in His passion dealt according to their deserts with the one and the other, so, putting away from us the error of the past, He may bestow upon us the grace of His resurrection. Who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

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Thursday, 18 April 2019 : Chrism Mass (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this occasion of the Chrism Mass celebrated on the morning hours of the Holy Thursday, at the beginning of Paschal Triduum, when the holy oils to be used for the entire liturgical year will be presented and blessed, in the presence of the entire presbyterate, all the priests of each dioceses united to their respective bishops, in the sign of unity and service to God, and a renewal of their commitment to serve God and His people.

That is why today’s Scripture passages for the Chrism Mass showed us all the true nature and importance of the consecrated and priestly vocation, those who have been called and chosen by God, to be His own servants, to be the ones through whom God wants to bring us all together again, as the intermediary between Him and all of us via their role as the representatives of Our Lord Jesus Christ, acting ‘in Persona Christi’ during the celebration of the Holy Mass and in the administration of the Sacraments.

And every year, at this occasion of the Chrism Mass, the whole diocese, the bishop and his priests, gather together to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, to renew their commitment to serve the Lord faithfully despite all the challenges, difficulties and the many obstacles that each and every one of them must have encountered along their journey and throughout their respective ministries among the people of God.

In the first reading and in the Gospel passage today, we heard of the important roles that each of the priests and all those who have dedicated themselves to the Lord’s service are required to do, in administering to the people of God, and in obeying God’s will and bringing good deeds to the people, in reaching out to the poor and the needy, in extending their hands and efforts to help those who are marginalised, ostracised, and even more importantly, those who have fallen into sin.

Unfortunately, many of the priests today have often fallen into a state of laxity and complacency in carrying out their missions to which they have been called to do. And sadly, some among them even succumbed to the temptations of the world, and as widely reported in various occasions recently, they caused scandal to rock the whole foundation of the Church, and caused many others to lose their faith in God, because of the most unbecoming attitudes of these priests.

And this is what happens when those who have embraced the calling to priesthood failed or forgot to realise what it is that they have been called to do, that is to be the very image and representation of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the one true High Priest of all, and the model of all of our priests. When they instead behave with pride, desiring attention and fame, putting themselves at the limelight and become the focus of personal attention during the celebrations of the Mass and in other occasions instead of putting the Lord first, these are the causes of the downfall of many of our priests.

The Lord Himself has shown all of us, what true priesthood is all about. It is about loving service rendered faithfully and selflessly to God, and by extension, to all of fellow mankind. The Lord Jesus loved His heavenly Father, obeyed Him and listened to Him in all things, and fulfilled the most important mission He has been entrusted to, the focus of our sacred Paschal Triduum celebrations, that is to suffer for our sins, to bear the burden of the cross of our iniquities, and to die for our sake on that same cross.

The Lord was not prideful, but instead was humble, so humble that even though He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, yet, He stripped Himself of all glory, honour and power, of all prestige and even human dignity, lowering Himself to the condition of a servant and slave. When at the Last Supper, that we are all going to celebrate later tonight at the Mass of Our Lord’s Supper, He took off His garment, and wearing the vesture of a servant, washed the feet of each of His disciples, a work that only servants did.

He became a servant to all, so that He might show us all, how each and every one of us, and especially our priests and all those who have been called to the sacred, consecrated life, ought to act in their own lives and in their own respective calling. And if each and every one of us has kept steady focus on the examples and the inspiration that the Lord Himself has shown us, it would have been much more difficult for the devil to cause us to stumble and create scandal among the faithful.

Today, let us all put our prayers together for our priests, for our bishops, for all those who have been entrusted with the governance and guidance of the entire Universal Church in their various capacities, and for our Pope, the leader of the Universal Church. Let us all pray that many of them, who remain truly faithful to the calling of their ministry of priesthood, will continue to remain faithful and devoted to the same calling that they have received, that they will be able to commit themselves wholeheartedly and resist the temptations to sin.

And for us all, let us all also make the same commitment to live righteous and God-abiding lives from now on, and do our best in our various capacities, as the members of the Body of Christ the Church, that we support the works and the efforts of the priesthood, so that each and every one of us will be able to join our efforts and contribute enormously to the many good works of the Church, supporting those who are at the forefront of the spiritual warfare of this world, namely, our holy priests.

May the Lord continue to guide and bless them, and may He grant them the strength and the courage to carry out their missions faithfully, that they will continue to show us the examples of Christ and inspire us with their own selfless service and love, that we too may follow in their examples and be people worthy of God and His love. Amen.

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Thursday, 18 April 2019 : Chrism Mass (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 4 : 16-21

At that time, when Jesus came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, as He usually did. He stood up to read, and they handed Him the book of the prophet Isaiah.

Jesus then unrolled the scroll and found the place where it is written : “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me. He has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and new sight to the blind; to free the oppressed and to announce the Lord’s year of mercy.”

Jesus then rolled up the scroll, gave it to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. Then He said to them, “Today these prophetic words come true, even as you listen.”

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Thursday, 18 April 2019 : Chrism Mass (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Revelations 1 : 5-8

And from Jesus Christ, the faithful Witness, the Firstborn of the dead, the Ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him Who loves us and has washed away our sins with His own Blood, making us a kingdom and priests for God His Father, to Him be the glory and power forever and ever. Amen.

See He comes with the clouds and everyone will see Him, even those who pierced Him; on His account all the nations of the earth will beat his breast. Yes. It will be so. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, He Who is, Who was and Who is to come : the Master of the universe.

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Thursday, 18 April 2019 : Chrism Mass (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 88 : 21-22, 25 and 27

I have found David my servant, and with My holy oil I have anointed him. My hand will be ever with him and My arm will sustain him.

My faithfulness and love will be with him, and by My help he will be strong. He will call on Me, ‘You are my Father, my God, my Rock, my Saviour.’

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Thursday, 18 April 2019 : Chrism Mass (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Isaiah 61 : 1-3a, 6a, 8b-9

The Spirit of the Lord YHVH is upon Me, because YHVH has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up broken hearts, to proclaim liberty to the captives, freedom to those languishing in prison; to announce the year of YHVH’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God; to give comfort to all who grieve; (to comfort those who mourn in Zion) and give them a garland instead of ashes.

But you will be named priests of YHVH, you will be called ministers of our God. I will give them their due reward and make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants shall be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a race YHVH has blessed.

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Wednesday, 17 April 2019 : Wednesday of Holy Week (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day, the Wednesday of the blessed Holy Week, we focus on the betrayal of our Lord Jesus by one of His own disciples, the infamous Judas Iscariot. As such, traditionally today is also known as ‘Spy Wednesday’ for it was told that Judas Iscariot went to the chief priests and the elders to sell out his own Lord and Master on this day, which was done in utter secrecy that none of the other disciples knew about his betrayal until the very end.

We heard of how Judas Iscariot went to the chief priests and the elders asking them for an offer of money in exchange for the betrayal that he himself put on the discussion table. And they agreed on a sum of thirty pieces of silver. This may seem to be a lot, but in fact, as compared to the value of other things, this is a merely very small amount, and in fact, historical research and records showed that the price was the rough average price of a slave in the market.

And this is a very significant and meaningful thing to think about, that the Lord, God and King, Master of the entire Universe, was betrayed and sold to His enemies at the price of a mere slave, a most worthless and indeed, a mere commodity to be traded at the time, when slaves were not even treated as a human being should have been treated. And that was exactly what the Lord willingly accepted, the role of a faithful Servant and a suffering slave to all of us mankind.

As written in the first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, God sent His Saviour into this world, a Servant Who would obediently fulfilled the mission which has been entrusted to Him, even though it would require Him to go through enormous suffering, persecution, rejection, ridicule and humiliation, to endure all that the worst of the world could raise up against Him. And that was exactly what the Lord Jesus had to suffer from.

He was willing to endure all of that sufferings, because of nothing less than His pure, selfless and enduring desire to love each and every one of us sinners, all those whom He loved from the beginning of time, but because of our sins, we have been sundered and separated from His love. Without the love of God, there would have been no hope for us all. And that is precisely because of the love that He has for us, that He was willing to forgive us our sins and be reconciled with us.

God could have destroyed us outright with His will alone. Our sins are despicable to Him, and our refusal to obey Him and our continued sinful actions are truly hurtful to Him. And yet, He was ever patient and forgiving, knowing that there are still good in us, as He created us all good and perfect before sin came and corrupted us. He wants to be reconciled with us, and that desire and compassion in Him allowed Him to do what He has willingly undertook for our sake.

And that is to humble Himself and empty Himself, humbling Himself before God and man alike, to obey the will of the Father so perfectly and be filled with so much love for Him and for His fellow men, that He bore that cross upon His shoulders, as the perfect Man, the New Adam, by which God made a new Covenant with the whole race of man. The first Adam had sinned because he chose to side with the devil and believe in the devil’s lies, and submitted to his greed and pride, and Christ as the New Adam showed us all how each and every one of us ought to be like in our own lives.

Judas fell into sin because he was selfish, and so did the chief priests and all those who plotted with Judas against the Lord. The former cared about his own desire for money, which he had done earlier as he helped himself corruptly to the group’s own treasure money, a wicked act to serve his own greed, while the latter wanted to preserve their own status, prestige and standing in the society, and could not bear to have the opposition from the Lord Jesus, His authority and His teachings.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, how should we choose to proceed with our lives from now on? Do we follow the example of Judas Iscariot, the chief priests and the elders in their prideful and haughty attitudes, in their greed and desires for power, glory and worldly satisfactions? Or should we instead follow the example of Our Lord Jesus Christ, His humility before all, and His love for His heavenly Father and for us all, as the perfect example for all of us to follow?

Let us all reflect on all these things as we prepare ourselves to enter the most sacred Paschal Triduum beginning tomorrow on Holy Thursday, that we may truly reflect and ponder on our own lives, our every words and actions, so that in everything we say and do, we will grow ever more devoted to the Lord, and shunning behind all of our past wicked ways, that we do not follow the path of sin any longer, and be true disciples of the Lord from now on.

Let us all have a wonderful time celebrating together the sacred Paschal Triduum, and allow the Lord to enter into our lives, that He may transform each and every one of us to be true children of light and to be worthy recipients of God’s everlasting inheritance and wonders. Amen.