Blessing

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Monday, 11 March 2013 : 4th Week of Lent (Scripture Reflection)

Jesus shows today that faith in God is important, for God shows pity and mercy on all of His children, and those who believe in Him, He will save and protect. Those who put their trust in the Lord will not be disappointed. Jesus rewards the man’s faith with the healing of his son from certain death.

However, we must indeed be careful, for the Lord also warned us against believing only by entrusting in miracles and what we see. For such a faith is not a true faith, as we believe because we see great things that unravel in front of our eyes, and then we believe that this supernatural works must have been done by a divine being, that is Christ. This kind of faith is weak and is no true faith, for, as shown when Jesus was arrested and brought before the people after He was arrested.

The people who were there mocked Him and also called for His death. Why? Even though these were likely the same people that have listened to His preaching, His parables, and also witnessed His miracles and healings? That is because their faith is shallow, shallow and have not grown well, just like in the case of the parable of the sower, where the seed had been sown on a rocky and barren ground. The seed of faith found it difficult to grow in them, as their faith came mainly because of awe in the miraculous powers of Jesus.

When Jesus seemed to ‘falter’, which is by being arrested and accused by the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin, the Jewish religious body at the time, as being a heretic and blasphemer, these people lost their faith, and Satan took away their seeds of faith, just like those seeds that were eaten by the birds on an open road, a clear and easy opportunity for the evil one to come and take the faith away from them.

This is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, I would like to highlight to all of you, the very importance of nurturing our faith, of maintaining our faith, that not only that it will remain strong and unbroken, but even also bear fruit manyfold, like the seeds that fell on the rich soil, and produced much fruit. How to do so? By acts of love, justice, and compassion, that is by doing what God has commanded us to do, the commandments of love Christ had given us.

The commandments of love says that we have to love God with all our hearts, minds, and souls, with all our beings, and therefore not just with our eyes and senses, which will then lead into a true faith in God. But this is not enough, as we also have to love our neighbours, our brethren as much as we love ourselves, and as much as we love God. These are the good works that the Church has encouraged us to do, to live and make our faith in God manifest, in our good works for the sake of the less fortunate, the suffering, and the poor around us.

Remember that the Lord said that all that we do for the sake of these around us, we also do it for the Lord. That is because, through our actions, He can see indeed all our living faith, that is not dead, not superficial, and not mere words, and not mere profession of faith. For faith and service are inseparable, and bound to each other tightly in our journey towards the Lord, as the two pillars of strength supporting us in salvation.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us strive, especially in the perfect chance in this Year of Faith, strive to learn more about our faith, about the teachings of the Church, and the traditions of the Apostles passed down through the Church to us. By understanding all these, we can strive to grow deeper in our faith, and even more so through a solemn and active participation in the liturgy of the Mass, as do not forget that the liturgy of the Mass, when done properly and solemnly, can only serve to strengthen our faith in God our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

As the Mass is the very representation of the Holy Sacrifice Christ had made on the cross in Calvary, and united with that Sacrifice, through which we receive the Body and Blood of Christ, transformed from the bread and wine that we offered, we receive Christ into ourselves, that He will live in us, and reside within us, to transform us from within, that our faith in Him will ever be stronger. This is why it is important for us to participate fully and actively in the Mass by seeking to understand more the liturgy and the Mass.

Then of course, after that, let us all strive to make concrete and visible our faith in God through our service to our fellow brethren around us. It will not be easy, but little by little, beginning within even our own homes, our own families, our own friends, we can slowly begin to propagate acts of love, and acts in accordance with God’s will, that will make us justified before God, that is through our living faith, proven by our good works, and not just empty and dead faith, shown only by words and not true dedication.

May God bless all of us today, and bless our Holy Church, and of course, bless the Cardinal-electors and send the Holy Spirit to them that our new Pope will soon be elected. Amen.

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Monday, 11 March 2013 : 4th Week of Lent (First Reading)

Isaiah 65 : 17-21

I now create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind again. Be glad forever and rejoice in what I create; for I create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight.

I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in My people. The sound of distress and the voice of weeping will not be heard in it any more. You will no longer know of dead children or of adults who do not live out a lifetime. One who reaches a hundred years will have died a mere youth, but one who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.

They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant crops and eat their fruit.

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My Guide to the Papal Conclave : Part III (From the election of the new Pope to the Urbi et Orbi blessing by the new Pope)

Part II here : https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2013/03/09/my-guide-to-the-papal-conclave-part-ii-from-the-beginning-to-the-election-of-the-new-pope/

 

1. After the new Pope had accepted his election as Pope and leader of the Roman Catholic Church, there are several scenarios :

 

a. If he is already a bishop : The new Pope will immediately be the Bishop of Rome and leader of the Universal Church, the Successor of St. Peter the Apostle. Then he will immediately accept the homage of the Cardinal-electors gathered in the Conclave, after he changes his cardinal’s robes for the new, white papal robes in the Room of Tears.

b. If he is not yet a bishop : The new Pope will need to be immediately ordained a bishop following the proper order of the Ordination of bishops, and the senior Cardinal Bishop by seniority in the Conclave should be the principal consecrator. The new Pope can only receive homage of the Cardinals after his ordination to the episcopate (after he had been ordained a bishop).

 

2. The new Pope then leaves the Sistine Chapel main hall where the voting took place, into the special ‘Room of Tears’, where three sets of differently-sized white papal robes had been prepared for him to adjust to his size. The new Pope changes from his cardinal’s red robes into the white papal robes and then return to the main hall of the Sistine Chapel.

 

3. The new Pope, after dressed in the white papal robes (with the red mozzetta and the large state stole) will then receive the homage of all the Cardinals gathered in the Sistine Chapel.

 

4. New addition in 2013 Conclave : After the homage, the new Pope will proceed with all the Cardinal-electors from the Sistine Chapel to the Pauline Chapel. The new Pope will enter the Pauline Chapel alone, and pray before the Blessed Sacrament in the Chapel.

 

5. In the meanwhile, the most senior Cardinal in the order of deacons, that is the Cardinal Protodeacon (Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran for the 2013 conclave) will then appear at the Loggia or the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to deliver the announcement of the election of a new Pope.

 

The formula :

The Cardinal Protodeacon will first greet the assembled people in St. Peter’s Square and throughout the world (done in 2005 conclave in different languages) :

1. Italian : Fratelli e sorelle carissimi

2. Spanish : Queridísimos hermanos y hermanas

3. French : Bien chers frères et sœurs

4. German : Liebe Brüder und Schwestern

5. English : Dear brothers and sisters

 

Then he continues :

Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum

I announce to you a great joy

 

Habemus Papam!

We have a Pope!

 

Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum

The most eminent and reverend Lord

 

Dominum (New Pope’s first name/baptismal name) Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem (New Pope’s surname)

Lord (New Pope’s first name/baptismal name) Cardinal (New Pope’s surname) of the Holy Roman Church

 

Qui sibi nomen imposuit (New Pope’s chosen regnal name and number)

Who takes for himself the name of (New Pope’s chosen regnal name and number)

 

5. After this, after a moment, the new Pope, led by a processional crucifix, made his appearance at the same balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. He then may deliver his first address as Pope to the people gathered at the Square, and to the world.

 

6. After the address, then the new Pope will give his Urbi et Orbi special blessing (For the city of Rome (Urbi) and the world (Orbi)), with which is attached plenary indulgence, that is the forgiveness of all temporal sins, providing the people participates in full faith and repentance.

 

The text of the Urbi et Orbi blessing (Latin):

Sancti Apostoli Petrus et Paulus: de quorum potestate et auctoritate confidimus ipsi intercedant pro nobis ad Dominum.

(Amen)

Precibus et meritis beatæ Mariae semper Virginis, beati Michaelis Archangeli, beati Ioannis Baptistæ, et sanctorum Apostolorum Petri et Pauli et omnium Sanctorum misereatur vestri omnipotens Deus; et dimissis omnibus peccatis vestris, perducat vos Iesus Christus ad vitam æternam.

(Amen)

Indulgentiam, absolutionem et remissionem omnium peccatorum vestrorum, spatium verae et fructuosae poenitentiæ, cor semper penitens, et emendationem vitae, gratiam et consolationem Sancti Spiritus; et finalem perseverantiam in bonis operibus tribuat vobis omnipotens et misericors Dominus.

(Amen)

Et benedictio Dei omnipotentis, Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti descendat super vos et maneat semper.

(Amen)

 

Text of Urbi et Orbi blessing (English)

May the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, in whose power and authority we have confidence, intercede on our behalf to the Lord.

(Amen)

Through the prayers and merits of the Blessed Mary ever Virgin, of Blessed Michael the Archangel, of Blessed John the Baptist, and of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and of all the saints, may Almighty God have mercy on you, and with your sins forgiven, may Jesus Christ lead you into everlasting life.

(Amen)

May the Almighty and merciful Lord grant you indulgence, absolution, and remission of all your sins, time for a true and fruitful penance, an always repentant heart and amendment of life, the grace and consolation of the Holy Spirit, and final perseverance in good works.

(Amen)

And may the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, descend on you and remain with you always.

(Amen)

 

7. Then the new Pope takes his leave of the people, and return inside St. Peter’s Basilica. The long process of electing a new Pope is over, and the new Pope is now in charge in leading God’s Church in his given mission as the Successor of St. Peter the Apostle.

 

8. The Papal Inauguration Mass will take place several days after the election (does not have to be on a Sunday), to allow for the foreign dignitaries invited to the event to be able to arrive, to attend the Papal Inauguration Mass. The new Pope will receive his signs of office in this Inauguration, namely, the pallium and the Ring of the Fisherman. The Papal Inauguration most likely will take place at St. Peter’s Square.

 

9. The new Pope will take possession of his Cathedral, in an enthronement ceremony at the Cathedral of the Diocese of Rome (The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, and contrary to popular perceptions, St. Peter’s Basilica is not a Cathedral). The Cathedral of Rome is the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran

Complete name (Latin) : Archibasilica Sanctissimi Salvatoris et Sanctorum Ioannes Baptista et Evangelista in Laterano, Omnium urbis et orbis Ecclesiarum Mater et Caput

Complete name (English) : Archbasilica of the Most Holy Saviour, Saint John the Baptist, and Saint John the Evangelist in Lateran, Head and Mother Church of All the City and the Whole World

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Monday, 4 March 2013 : 3rd Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Casimir, Prince of Poland and Lithuania (Scripture Reflection)

God shows us today that His love and His care is universal and extends not to just a single person or a single people. He healed Naaman from his leprosy through Elisha the prophet, and He also succour the widow of Zarephath in Sidon through the prophet Elijah, who helped her after her miserable life due to her husband’s passing. It is through their faith in God’s deliverance and power that, even though with some reservations and doubts they had, but ultimately their obedience to God’s will through the prophets that caused the outpouring of divine love to them, who were not of Israel, God’s chosen people.

Many of us today think that we are special, and that we have special talents that others do not, and many of us with these advantages think that we should be honoured and praised because of such abilities that we have. Many of us also look down on those who apparently have no such abilities and talents like what we have, and shun them, and even sometimes bully and persecute them to an extent. But today, God teaches you that even the great are not perfect, and more often than not, it is the meek and humble that will receive God’s love and blessing, and will be found righteous than the powerful.

It is not that God despises those who have power, those who have talents, abilities, and fortunes. It is rather that He despises those who misuse those power, and those who thought highly of themselves and oppress the less fortunate because they have these. Like the people of Israel, the chosen people of God, who often thought highly of themselves because they were chosen by God, but they were then at the time of the prophets drunk with power, possession, and worldly temptations, leaving God behind, and worshiped the false gods of their Canaanite neighbours.

A humble offer from Naaman to seek the prophet of Israel, the King of Israel had spurned. He even tore his robes and accused the Syrians of attempting to spy in the disguise of search for the prophet. Such is the haughtiness and pride of the king of Israel and Israel at that time, that even those who came in humility and gifts they had rejected, although they came truly to glorify the God of Israel, our God.

In their humility and obedience, Naaman and the widow obeyed the will of God through the prophets. Despite some grumbling in the beginning, Naaman washed himself seven times in the Jordan and was healed; then the widow fed Elijah the prophet with the bread made from the flour she was to use to prepare the last meal for herself and her son. Through these acts of faith they are blessed and experienced the love of God.

Naaman who was the commander of the Aramean King’s armies, lowered himself before God and his prophet and his obedience, while the king of Israel haughtily and proudly think of himself and his power, and in the time of King Ahab of Israel, during which period Elijah lived, not only the king was proud, but he even brought the people of the northern kingdom to sin against God ever more by sacrificing to foreign gods and killing God’s prophets.

Today, we commemorate the feast of St. Casimir, who was the crown prince of the united Kingdoms of Poland and Lithuania in the late 15th century. He never succeeded the throne to which he was the crown prince of, because he died early in life, but in his relatively short life, he had achieved much, and was noted for his great piety and love for God, and was committed to chastity in life and always was humble, especially noted was his great humility before God, and also before those who are his subjects.

He was like the modern day Naaman, but even more so because the piousness he had in his life, that made him today a patron saint of the youth. He is not of the first chosen people of God, but yet God had made him righteous, and now a saint, he intercedes for us in heaven, all because of his love, his faith, and his obedience to God.

Let us pray therefore brothers and sisters, that in our lives, and indeed in our daily lives, we can always dull the edge of our pride and our vanity, and sharpen the edge of our humility, and increase our dedication and love for God and our fellow men, our neighbours, and even those who did bad things to us, and those who hates us. Humble ourselves before God, asking for His mercy, and allowing Him to work His wonders through us, that all those whom we meet in our lives, will be able to experience God, His love, His kindness, and His grace, through us and our actions.

St. Casimir, pray for us all, pray for our youth that they will grow ever stronger in faith and love to God just as you once did. All the Holy Saints and prophets of God, Elijah and Elisha, pray for us. Amen.

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Sunday, 3 March 2013 : 3rd Sunday of Lent (Scripture Reflection) (First Scrutiny of Baptism)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today is the story of salvation. First that of the people of Israel, and then all of us, who are saved, both by God, through His agents. The people of Israel suffered under great slavery in Egypt under the Pharaoh, who forced them to work day and night, to build the buildings and monuments for the Egyptians. God sent Moses, as His messenger to the Pharaoh to liberate His people from the chains of Egyptian slavery.

When Pharaoh refused, God sent the ten plagues to punish the Egyptians, who eventually let them go, but before they had even reached the Red Sea, the Pharaoh had yet changed his mind again and intent on re-enslaving the Israelites again. God split the Red Sea and brought His people across that sea and crushed the Egyptians under the waves as a sign of His faith and love to His people. And that He is not hesitant to punish those who had been ignorant and whose heart had been hardened against His love.

But yet, the Israelites rebelled, and had put the Lord to the test. They doubted His power and majesty, and even doubted His love. They complained against Him because of their thirst and hunger, despite God having constantly showing His kindness through the manna, the birds, and many other provisions along the way. They even mentioned going back to Egypt where they claimed that life under slavery would have been much better than to suffer and die in the desert. It is better to them they thought to live in slavery and hard work, but at least well fed by their slavemasters, than to be free and walking in the desert of death.

Then, it is the same, as the Lord Himself sent His only Son, Jesus Christ to be our Messiah, our Saviour, that all of us can be saved from certain death, under the slavery of sin and Satan, who is like Pharaoh, who is our slavemaster. We were servants of sin and were the thralls of Satan prior to our liberation through the waters of baptism, for through that living water of baptism, our thirst, the real thirst that we have, is quenched by the living water of Christ. Christ dwelled in us and became the living spring of water of eternal life.

For this living water of Christ quenches our real thirst and our real hunger and longing, that is not the physical thirst of water or hunger for food, but truly our thirst for the redeeming Word of God, and most importantly, the infinite love that God has for us. For separated from God, under the slavery of sin and evil, we are cut off from the love of God, and therefore, we suffer because of such separation.

We also constantly rebel against the Lord through our sins and our sinful ways, but the Lord is ever ready to forgive us, but only if we had not hardened our hearts against Him, and instead humbly asking Him for forgiveness. Let us not be like the Israelites who always complained that they did not have enough even though the Lord had provided them greatly, for who else in the world had ever received heavenly bread of manna as food every morning? And flocks of bird for them to eat? and crystal-clear water that satisfies thirst?

Let us therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, strive to be faithful to God, and most importantly, to know how to feel enough, and sufficient, and not to succumb to temptations and our greed, to have more, when we already have some that we need, and what is enough for us. This is what had driven the Israelites to rebel in the desert, because they felt that they did not have enough. Let us also open our hearts to God and His love, and let us be filled and satisfied by His love, through His dwelling in all of us and our hearts.

Pray brothers and sisters, that we will not fall back into the slavery of sin and evil. For evil will continue to try to put us back into slavery under him and sin, as all of us who are faithful in Christ and had been baptised, had been liberated by the living water of Christ, who died for us on the cross that our chains are broken, and we are freed, just like the lamb sacrificed on the Passover, the blood that marked the doors of the people of Israel that God would pass from them, so did Christ gave us His Precious Blood to mark us, that God knows that we belong to Him, and will not pass judgment of death upon us, but stay in Him and have eternal life.

May God keep us in His love, and keep us in His loving embrace, and protect us from the assaults of the evil one. That the chains that had been broken will not come back to chain us once again. For we are free and we now obey and love God and Him alone. Amen.

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Sunday, 24 February 2013 : 2nd Sunday of Lent (Psalm)

Psalm 26 : 1, 7-8, 9abc, 13-14

The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the rampart of my life; I will not be afraid.

Hear my voice when I call, o Lord, have mercy on me and answer. My heart says to You, “I seek Your face, o Lord.”

Do not hide Your face from me nor turn away Your servant in anger. You are my protection, do not reject me.

I hope, I am sure, that I will see the goodness of the Lord, in the land of the living. Trust in the Lord, be strong and courageous. Yes, put your hope in the Lord!

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Thursday, 14 February 2013 : Thursday after Ash Wednesday (First Reading)

(Note : Today is the Solemnity of the Anniversary of Dedication of the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, Archdiocese of Singapore, 14 February 1897 – present) – readings remain the same throughout the world

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_the_Good_Shepherd

Deuteronomy 30 : 15-20

See, I set before you on this day, life and good, evil and death. I command you to love YHVH, your God and follow His ways. Observe His commandments, His norms, and His laws, and you will live and increase, and YHVH will give you His blessing in the land you are going to possess.

But if your heart turns away and does not listen, if you are drawn away and bow before other gods to serve them, I declare on this day that you shall perish. You shall not last in the land you are going to occupy on the other side of the Jordan.

Let the heavens and the earth listen, that they may be witnesses against you. I have set before you, life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life that you and your descendants may live, loving YHVH, listening to His voice, and being one with Him. In this is  life  for you and length of days in the land which YHVH swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

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(Special) Sunday, 10 February 2013 : Chinese New Year Day Mass (First Reading)

Numbers 6 : 22-27

Then YHVH spoke to Moses saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons and say to them : This is how you shall bless the people of Israel; you shall say :

‘May YHVH bless you and keep you! May YHVH let His face shine on you and be gracious to you! May YHVH look kindly on you, and give you His peace!’

In that way shall they put my Name on the people of Israel and I will bless them.”

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St. Agnes and the Blessing of Pallium of Metropolitan Archbishops

Today is the Feast Day of St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr, whose name closely resembled Agnus or Lamb in Latin. Her martyrdom also represents the similar Sacrifice of our Lord, the Lamb of God on the cross. This is why this day is the day selected for the blessing of a special lamb-wool sewn shoulder-band like vestment, called the pallium, by the Pope.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pallium

What is a pallium? It is a woolen cloth, shaped like two connected Y-alphabets worn around the shoulders, and only worn by bishops possessing Metropolitan character (Metropolitan Archbishops), that is the authority over other bishops as overseers of particular Provinces of the Church, as the pallium signify this authority that has been given to them, and also represents the link that they have to the Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Christ, the Pope.

The pallium itself can also represent the sheep being carried by the shepherd, which represents us, the faithful, the sheep, being entrusted in the care of the Metropolitan Archbishop, who is the shepherd.

For those of us in Singapore in particular, and other Archdioceses directly subject to the Holy See (not part of any Provinces of the Church), our Archbishops do not wear this pallium, and the reason was noted above, as they do not oversee any other bishops in a Province of the Church. This is why, Singapore’s Archbishop, Nicholas Chia, do not wear a pallium, while the Archbishop of my hometown, Palembang, wears one, as he is the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Church (Ecclesiastical) Province of Palembang, overseeing the two Dioceses of Pangkalpinang and Tanjungkarang in the region.