Month: January 2022

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Wednesday, 2 February 2022 : Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, World Day of Consecrated Life (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 2 : 22-40

When the day came for the purification according to the law of Moses, they brought the Baby up to Jerusalem, to present Him to the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord : Every firstborn male shall be consecrated to God. And they offered a sacrifice, as ordered in the law of the Lord : a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.

There lived in Jerusalem at this time a very upright and devout man named Simeon; the Holy Spirit was in him. He looked forward to the time when the Lord would comfort Israel, and he had been assured, by the Holy Spirit, that he would not die before seeing the Messiah of the Lord. So he was led into the Temple by the Holy Spirit at the time the parents brought the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the Law.

Simeon took the Child in his arms, and blessed God, saying, “Now, o Lord, You can dismiss Your servant in peace, for You have fulfilled Your word and my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You display for all the people to see. Here is the Light You will reveal to the nations, and the glory of Your people Israel.”

His father and mother wondered at what was said about the Child. Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary, His mother, “Know this : your Son is a Sign, a Sign established for the falling and rising of many in Israel, a Sign of contradiction; and a sword will pierce your own soul, so that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed.”

There was also a prophetess named Anna, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. After leaving her father’s home, she had been seven years with her husband, and since then she had been continually about the Temple, serving God as a widow night and day in fasting and prayer. She was now eighty-four. Coming up at that time, she gave praise to God, and spoke of the Child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem.

When the parents had fulfilled all that was required by the law of the Lord, they returned to their town, Nazareth in Galilee. There the Child grew in stature and strength, and was filled with wisdom: the grace of God was upon Him.

Alternative reading (shorter version)

Luke 2 : 22-32

When the day came for the purification according to the law of Moses, they brought the Baby up to Jerusalem, to present Him to the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord : Every firstborn male shall be consecrated to God. And they offered a sacrifice, as ordered in the law of the Lord : a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.

There lived in Jerusalem at this time a very upright and devout man named Simeon; the Holy Spirit was in him. He looked forward to the time when the Lord would comfort Israel, and he had been assured, by the Holy Spirit, that he would not die before seeing the Messiah of the Lord. So he was led into the Temple by the Holy Spirit at the time the parents brought the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the Law.

Simeon took the Child in his arms, and blessed God, saying, “Now, o Lord, You can dismiss Your servant in peace, for You have fulfilled Your word and my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You display for all the people to see. Here is the Light You will reveal to the nations, and the glory of Your people Israel.”

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Wednesday, 2 February 2022 : Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, World Day of Consecrated Life (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 23 : 7, 8, 9, 10

Lift up, o gateways, your lintels, open up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may enter!

Who is the King of glory? YHVH, the Strong, the Mighty, YHVH, valiant in battle.

Lift up your lintels, o gateways, open up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may enter!

Who is the King of glory? YHVH of Hosts, He is the King of glory!

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Wednesday, 2 February 2022 : Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, World Day of Consecrated Life (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Malachi 3 : 1-4

Now I am sending My messenger ahead of Me to clear the way; then suddenly the Lord for Whom you long will enter the sanctuary. The Envoy of the covenant which you so greatly desire already comes, says YHVH of hosts. Who can bear the day of His coming and remain standing when He appears? For He will be like fire in the foundry and like the lye used for bleaching.

He will be as a refiner or a fuller. He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. So YHVH will have priests who will present the offering as it should be. Then YHVH will accept with pleasure the offering of Judah and Jerusalem, as in former days.

Alternative reading

Hebrews 2 : 14-18

And because all those children share one same nature of flesh and blood, Jesus, likewise, had to share this nature. This is why His death destroyed the one holding the power of death, that is the devil, and freed those who remained in bondage all their lifetime, because of the fear of death.

Jesus came, to take by the hand, not the Angels but the human race. So, He had to be like His brothers and sisters, in every respect, in order to be the High Priest, faithful to God and merciful to them, a Priest, able to ask pardon, and atone for their sins. Having been tested through suffering, He is able to help those who are tested.

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(Special) Tuesday, 1 February 2022 : Lunar New Year Mass (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today for all those of us who are celebrating the Lunar New Year, also known as the Chinese New Year to the Chinese people who celebrate it every year. This day marks the celebration of the beginning of the end of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, as it was noted as the Spring Festival due to the period of time being the time when the temperatures of the ground and the environment begin to increase again after it has declined over the past few weeks and months.

It is a time of gathering of families and great celebrations, when large extended families came back together to their ancestral places and hometowns, bearing the tidings and stories of what had happened throughout the previous year. It is a time when the family reunites and shares in each others’ love and as a reminder of the important bonds and relationships between us, among the members of our close and extended family members both. It is a time for thanksgiving, giving thanks for all the wonders and blessings that we have received.

Yet, if we realise, the tone of the Lunar New Year celebrations in the recent years have increasingly become more and more materialistic and excessive in nature, focusing a lot on prosperity and wealth, fortunes and worldly pleasures. And it did not help that many companies and organisations also took part in propagating this culture of excess and materialistic focus in the Lunar New Year celebrations. Ultimately, all these were meant to drive up profits in the weeks leading up to the festivities, and it is often corporate and marketing greed that gained from making use of our desires and wants.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Numbers of the words of the Lord speaking to Moses regarding the blessing that Aaron and all the priests God has appointed to be the priests over all the Israelites ought to give to the people, a blessing that came from the Lord and reminded all the people that all grace and blessings came from the Lord alone. The Lord’s blessings and kindness have always been extended to all His people, as He continued to watch over us and provided for us, even when we constantly disobeyed and disregarded Him all the time.

The Lord’s blessings have always been extended to us and many of us have been fortunate to receive more blessings than others. Yet, there are those among us who worry unnecessarily because we worry about what we shall have, what we are to enjoy in life, as mentioned in the Gospel passage today. The Lord wants to remind us that it is foolish and futile for us to worry about all these things, as in the end, if we walk in the right path and trust in the Lord, then all these worries are really unnecessary and irrational for of us to do.

St. James in his Epistle which is our second reading today also echoed the same sentiment, as he spoke of the folly of putting one’s trust in their plans and preparations, how people often planned well ahead and worry about what will come in the future, and often overthinking things and being too paranoid of what we may lose out on. It is therefore timely and apt that we heard these readings from the Scriptures today, which served as a reminder for us all not to give in to the excesses of worldly temptations and desires as we celebrate the great festivities of the Lunar New Year.

We are reminded that as we rejoice today this Lunar New Year, we must not lose sight of what the celebrations of the Lunar New Year is all about. It is not about prosperity and fortune, but rather about love and family. It is not about the food and feasts, but rather about the time spent with each other and the quality interactions we have with our loved ones. The Lunar New Year should be the opportunity for us to remember the love which each and every one of us ought to have for those who are precious and close to us, a time for forgiveness and reconciliation, and a time for seeking true happiness.

How do we do so, brothers and sisters in Christ? It is by seeking the Lord and focusing our lives and attention on the Lord and remembering all that He had taught us, in loving Him and one another, in being virtuous and just in all the things we do. Let us all remember that even as we rejoice during this great occasion of the Lunar New Year, that there are those who are not as fortunate as us and who struggle even to make their ends meet each day to be able to celebrate at all. And let us not forget that we are still currently suffering the effects from the extended pandemic and many people out there are still enduring difficulties in various aspects.

Let us therefore share our blessings and instead of seeking personal prosperity and selfish desires this New Year, we instead be ever more generous in giving, both of ourselves and our extra blessings, especially to those who are not as fortunate as we are. For it is in giving and sharing that we will find true happiness, and God’s love, favour and joy will be upon us too, rather than us hoarding all the glory and happiness for ourselves. Let us give thanks to the Lord for all His kindness and blessings as well. May God be with us all, our families and loved ones and bless our year ahead. Amen.

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(Usus Antiquior) Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Candlemas (Double II Classis) – Wednesday, 2 February 2022 : Offertory, Secret Prayer of the Priest, Communion and Post-Communion Prayer

Liturgical Colour : White

Offertory

Psalm 44 : 3

Diffusa est gratia in labiis tuis : propterea benedixit te Deus in aeternum, et in saeculum saeculi.

English translation

Grace is poured abroad in your lips. Therefore, God had blessed you forever, and for ages of ages.

Secret Prayer of the Priest

Exaudi, Domine, preces nostras : et, ut digna sint munera, quae oculis Tuae majestatis offerimus, subsidium nobis Tuae pietatis impende. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

Hear our prayers, o Lord, and, in Your loving kindness, help us, so that the gifts we offer may be found worthy in the eyes of Your majesty. 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.

Communion

Luke 2 : 26

Responsum accepit Simeon a Spiritu Sancto, non visurum se mortem, nisi videret Christum Domini.

English translation

Simeon received an answer from the Holy Spirit, that he should not see death until he had seen the Christ of the Lord.

Post-Communion Prayer

Quaesumus, Domine, Deus noster : ut sacrosancta mysteria, quae pro reparationis nostrae munimine contulisti, intercedente Beata Maria semper Virgine, et praesens nobis remedium esse facias et futurum. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

O Lord our God, we beseech You, by the intercession of Blessed Mary ever Virgin, make the sacred mysteries, which You have given for the preservation of our spiritual life, a healing remedy for us, both for the present and for the future. 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) Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Candlemas (Double II Classis) – Wednesday, 2 February 2022 : Holy Gospel

Liturgical Colour : White

Sequentia Sancti Evangelii secundum Lucam – Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke

Luke 22 : 22-32

In illo tempore : Postquam impleti sunt dies purgationis Mariae, secundum legem Moysi, tulerunt Jesum in Jerusalem, ut sisterent eum Domino, sicut scriptum est in lege Domini : Quia omne masculinum adaperiens vulvam sanctum Domino vocabitur. Et ut darent hostiam, secundum quod dictum est in lege Domini, par turturum aut duos pullos columbarum.

Et ecce, homo erat in Jerusalem, cui nomen Simeon, et homo iste justus et timoratus, exspectans consolationem Israel, et Spiritus Sanctus erat in eo. Et responsum acceperat a Spiritu Sancto, non visurum se mortem, nisi prius videret Christum Domini. Et venit in Spiritu in templum.

Et cum inducerent Puerum Jesum parentes Ejus, ut facerent secundum consuetudinem legis pro eo : et ipse accepit Eum in ulnas suas, et benedixit Deum, et dixit : Nunc dimittis servum Tuum, Domine, secundum verbum Tuum in pace : Quia viderunt oculi mei salutare Tuum : Quod parasti ante faciem omnium populorum : Lumen ad revelationem gentium et gloriam plebis Tuae Israel.

English translation

At that time, after the days of Mary’s purification, according to the Law of Moses, were accomplished, they carried Jesus to Jerusalem, to present Him to the Lord, as it is written in the Law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be called holy to the Lord, and to offer a sacrifice, according as how it is written in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.’

And behold there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was in him, and he had received an answer from the Holy Spirit, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. And he came by the Spirit into the Temple.

And when His parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the Law, he also took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, “Now You may dismiss Your servant, o Lord, according to Your word in peace, because my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a Light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.”

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(Usus Antiquior) Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Candlemas (Double II Classis) – Wednesday, 2 February 2022 : Gradual and Alleluia

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 47 : 10-11, 9 and Tradition of the Faith

Suscepimus, Deus, misericordiam Tuam in medio templi Tui : secundum Nomen Tuum, Deus, ita et laus Tua in fines terrae.

Response : Sicut audivimus, ita et vidimus in civitate Dei nostri, in monte sancto Ejus.

Alleluja, Alleluja.

Response : Senex Puerum portabat : Puer autem senem regebat. Alleluja.

English translation

We have received Your mercy, o God, in the midst of Your Temple, according to Your Name, o God, so also is Your praise unto the ends of the earth.

Response : As we have heard, so have we seen, in the city of our God, and in His holy mountain.

Alleluia, Alleluia.

Response : The old man carried the Child, but the Child ruled the old man. Alleluia.

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(Usus Antiquior) Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Candlemas (Double II Classis) – Wednesday, 2 February 2022 : Epistle

Liturgical Colour : White

Lectio Malachiae Prophetae – Lesson from Malachy the Prophet

Malachi 3 : 1-4

Haec dicit Dominus Deus : Ecce, Ego mitto Angelum Meum, et praeparabit viam ante faciem Meam. Et statim veniet ad templum Suum Dominator, quem vos quaeritis, et Angelus testamenti, quem vos vultis. Ecce, venit, dicit Dominus exercituum : et quis poterit cogitare diem adventus Ejus, et quis stabit ad videndum Eum?

Ipse enim quasi ignis conflans et quasi herba fullonum : et sedebit conflans et emundans argentum, et purgabit filios Levi et colabit eos quasi aurum et quasi argentum : et erunt Domino offerentes sacrificia in justitia. Et placebit Domino sacrificium Juda et Jerusalem, sicut dies saeculi et sicut anni antiqui : dicit Dominus omnipotens.

English translation

Thus says the Lord, “Behold I send My Angel, and he shall prepare the way before My face, and presently the Lord, Whom you seek, and the Angel of the Testament, whom you desire, shall come to His Temple. Behold He comes,” says the Lord of Hosts, “and who shall be able to think of the day of His coming? and who shall stand to see Him?”

“For He is like a refining fire, and like the fuller’s herb, and He shall sit refining and cleansing the silver, and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and shall refine them as gold, and as silver, and they shall offer sacrifices to the Lord in justice. And the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem shall please the Lord, as in the days of old, and in the ancient years,” says the Lord Almighty.

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(Usus Antiquior) Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Candlemas (Double II Classis) – Wednesday, 2 February 2022 : Introit and Collect

Liturgical Colour : White

Introit

Psalm 47 : 10-11

Suscepimus, Deus, misericordiam Tuam in medio templi Tui : secundum Nomen Tuum, Deus, ita et laus Tua in fines terrae : justitia plena est dextera Tua.

Magnus Dominus, et laudabilis nimis : in civitate Dei nostri, in monte sancto Ejus.

Response : Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto, sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper : et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

We have received Your mercy, o God, in the midst of Your Temple, according to Your Name, o God, so also is Your praise unto the ends of the earth. Your right hand is full of justice.

Great is the Lord, and exceedingly to be praised, in the city of our God, in His holy mountain.

Response : Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Collect

Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, majestatem Tuam supplices exoramus : ut, sicut unigenitus Filius Tuus hodierna die cum nostrae carnis substantia in templo est praesentatus; ita nos facias purificatis Tibi mentibus praesentari. Per eumdem Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

Almighty, Eternal God, we humbly beseech Your majesty that, as Your only begotten Son was this day presented in the Temple in the substance of our flesh, so You may cause us to be presented to You with minds purified. Through the same 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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(Special) Tuesday, 1 February 2022 : Lunar New Year Mass (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Matthew 6 : 31-34

At that time, the Lord said to His disciples, “Do not worry, and say : What are we going to eat? What are we going to drink? or : What shall we wear? The pagans busy themselves with such things; but your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.”

“Set your heart, first, on the kingdom and righteousness of God; and all these things will also be given to you. Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”