bread and wine

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Sunday, 3 June 2018 : Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Corpus Christi (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Mark 14 : 12-16, 22-26

At that time, on the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the day when the Passover Lamb was killed, the disciples asked Him, “Where would You have us go to prepare the Passover meal for You?”

So Jesus sent two of His disciples with these instructions, “Go into the city, and there, a man will come to you carrying a jar of water. Follow him to the house he enters and say to the owner, ‘The Master says, Where is the room where I may eat the Passover meal with My disciples?’ Then he will show you a large room upstairs, already arranged and furnished. There, you will prepare for us.”

The disciples went off. When they reached the city, they found everything just as Jesus had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal. While they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it and broke it, and gave it to them. And He said, “Take this. It is My Body.” Then He took a cup; and after He had given thanks, He passed it to them and they all drank from it.

And He said, “This is My Blood, the Blood of the Covenant, poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not taste the fruit of the vine again, until that day when I drink the new wine in the kingdom of God.”

After singing psalms of praise, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

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Thursday, 31 May 2018 : Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Corpus Christi (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Mark 14 : 12-16, 22-26

At that time, on the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the day when the Passover Lamb was killed, the disciples asked Him, “Where would You have us go to prepare the Passover meal for You?”

So Jesus sent two of His disciples with these instructions, “Go into the city, and there, a man will come to you carrying a jar of water. Follow him to the house he enters and say to the owner, ‘The Master says, Where is the room where I may eat the Passover meal with My disciples?’ Then he will show you a large room upstairs, already arranged and furnished. There, you will prepare for us.”

The disciples went off. When they reached the city, they found everything just as Jesus had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal. While they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it and broke it, and gave it to them. And He said, “Take this. It is My Body.” Then He took a cup; and after He had given thanks, He passed it to them and they all drank from it.

And He said, “This is My Blood, the Blood of the Covenant, poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not taste the fruit of the vine again, until that day when I drink the new wine in the kingdom of God.”

After singing psalms of praise, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

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(Usus Antiquior) Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost (II Classis) – Sunday, 16 November 2014 : Offertory, Secret Prayer of the Priest, Communion and Post-Communion Prayer

Offertory

Psalm 129 : 1-2

De profundis clamavi ad Te, Domine : Domine, exaudi orationem meam : de profundis clamavi ad Te, Domine.

English translation

From the depths I have cried out to You, o Lord. Lord, hear my prayer, from the depths I have cried out to You, o Lord.

Secret Prayer of the Priest

Pro nostrae servitutis augmento sacrificum Tibi, Domine, laudis offerimus ut, quod immeritis contulisti, propitius exsequaris. Per Dominum…

English translation

We offer You, o Lord, the sacrifice of praise for the increase of our service, that You may graciously complete that which, for no merit of ours, You had granted unto us. Through our Lord…

Communion

Mark 11 : 24

Amen, dico vobis, quidquid orantes petitis, credite, quia accipietis, et fiet vobis.

English translation

Amen I say to you, whatsoever, you ask when you pray, believe that you shall receive, and it shall be done to you.

Post-Communion Prayer

Quaesumus, omnipotens Deus : ut, quos divina tribuis participatione gaudere, humanis non sinas subjacere periculis. Per Dominum…

English translation

We pray to You, o Almighty God, that You will not suffer to be overcome by human dangers those to whom You granted participation in things that are divine. Through our Lord…

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(Usus Antiquior) Feast of All Saints (Double I Classis) – Saturday, 1 November 2014 : Offertory, Secret Prayer of the Priest, Communion and Post-Communion Prayer

Offertory

Wisdom 3 : 1, 2, 3

Justorum animae in manu Dei sunt, et non tanget illos tormentum malitiae visi sunt oculis insipientium mori : illi autem sunt in pace. Alleluja.

English translation

The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and the torment of malice shall not touch them. In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die, but they are in peace. Alleluia.

Secret Prayer of the Priest

Munera Tibi, Domine, nostrae devotionis offerimus : quae et pro cunctorum Tibi grata sint honore Justorum, et nobis salutaria, Te miserante, reddantur. Per Dominum…

English translation

We offer to You, o Lord, the gifts of our devotion. May they be pleasing to You in honour of all Your saints; and of Your mercy let them avail for our salvation. Through our Lord…

Communion

Matthew 5 : 8-10

Beati mundo corde, quoniam ipsi Deum videbunt; beati pacifici, quoniam filii Dei vocabuntur : beati, qui persecutionem patiuntur propter justitiam, quoniam ipsorum est regnum caelorum.

English translation

Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice’s sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Post-Communion Prayer

Da, quaesumus, Domine, fidelibus populis omnium Sanctorum semper veneratione laetari : et eorum perpetua supplicatione muniri. Per Dominum…

English translation

May the outpouring of the Holy Spirit purify our hearts, o Lord, and by the inward sprinkling of His heavenly dew may they be made fruitful. Through our Lord…

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(Usus Antiquior) Feast of our Lord Jesus Christ the King, Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost (Double I Classis) – Sunday, 26 October 2014 : Offertory, Secret Prayer of the Priest, Preface of Christ the King, Communion and Post-Communion Prayer

Offertory

Psalm 2 : 8

Postula a me, et dabo tibi gentes hereditatem tuam, et possessionem tuam terminos terrae.

English translation

Ask of Me, and I will give you the Gentiles for your inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for your possession.

Secret Prayer of the Priest

Hostiam Tibi, Domine, humanae reconciliationis offerimus : praests, quaesumus; ut, quem sacrificiis praesentibus immolamus, ipse cunctis gentibus unitatis et pacis dona concedat, Jesus Christus Filius Tuus, Dominus noster : Qui Tecum…

English translation

O Lord, we offer You this host for the reconciliation of humanity, grant, we beseech You, that Jesus Christ Your Son, our Lord, whom we immolate in this sacrifice, will bestow on all Gentiles the gifts of unity and peace. Who with You lives…

Preface of Christ the King

Vere dignum et justum est aequum et salutare, nos tibi semper et ubique gratias agere : Domine, sancte Pater omnipotens, aeterne Deus : Qui unigenitum Filius Tuum, Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum, Sacerdotem aeternum et universorum Regem, oleo exsultationis unxisti : ut, seipsum in ara crucis hostiam immaculatam et pacificam offerens.

Redemptionis humanae sacramenta perageret : et suo subjectis imperio omnibus creaturis, aeternum et universale regnum, immensae Tuae traderet Majestati. Regnum veritatis et vitae : regnum sanctitatis et gratiae : regnum justitiae, amoris et pacis.

Et ideo cum Angelis et Archangelis, cum Thronis et Dominationibus, cumque omni militia caelestis exercitus hymnum gloriae Tuae canimus, sine fine 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 Lord, the Holy One, the Father Almighty, the everlasting God. You who anointed with the oil of gladness Your only Begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, eternal Priest and King of the universe that, offering Himself as a stainless peace-offering on the altar of the cross.

He might fulfill the pledges of man’s redemption, and, having all creatures subject to His power, might deliver to Your sublime majesty an eternal and universal kingdom, a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace.

And therefore with the angels and archangels, with the thrones and dominations, and with all the array of the heavenly host, we sing a hymn to Your glory and unceasingly repeat.

Communion

Psalm 28 : 10, 11

Sedebit Dominus Rex in aeternum : Dominus benedicet populo suo in pace.

English translation

The Lord shall sit as King forever. The Lord will bless His people with peace.

Post-Communion Prayer

Immortalitatis alimoniam consecuti, quaesumus, Domine : ut, qui sub Christi Regis vexillis militare gloriamur, cum ipso, in caelesti sede, jugiter regnae possimus : Qui Tecum…

English translation

Fed with this immortal nourishment, we beseech You, o Lord, that we who glory to fight under the standard of Christ the King, may forever reign with Him on the heavenly throne, who with You lives…

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(Usus Antiquior) Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist (Double II Classis) – Sunday, 21 September 2014 : Offertory, Secret Prayer of the Priest, Communion and Post-Communion Prayer

Offertory

Psalm 39 : 2, 3, 4

Exspectans exspectavi Dominum, et respexit me : et exaudivit deprecationem meam : et immisit in os meum canticum novum, hymnum Deo nostro.

English translation

With expectation I have waited for the Lord, and He had regard to me, and He heard my prayer, and He put a new canticle into my mouth, a song to our God.

Secret Prayer of the Priest

Tua nos, Domine, sacramenta custodiant : et contra diabolicos semper tueantur incursus. Per Dominum…

English translation

May Your sacraments, o Lord, keep us and guard us always from the assaults of the devil. Through our Lord…

Communion

John 6 : 52

Panis, quem ego dedero, caro mea est pro saeculi vita.

English translation

The bread that I will give is My flesh for the life of the world.

Post-Communion Prayer

Mentes nostras et corpora possideat, quaesumus, Domine, doni caelestis operatio : ut non noster sensus in nobis, sed jugiter ejus praeveniat effectus. Per Dominum…

English translation

Let the operation of the heavenly gift, o Lord, possess our souls and bodies, that, its holy grace, not our own impulses, may continually be our guide. Through our Lord…

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Saturday, 10 May 2014 : 3rd Week of Easter (Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Hope in God always, and never falter! For God will always stand by us and protect us, and He will never give up on us no matter what. It may often be difficult to remain faithful and keep the truth that He has revealed to us, because of various reasons.

The people failed to understand Christ and His teachings, because they were unable to comprehend Christ’s hard message, that is real and hard on them, because their minds think not in heavenly terms, but in terms of this world. They based their judgments and beliefs in the logic of this world, and the understanding in their minds.

They put themselves in the completely wrong focus, contending that because to them, Jesus is mere man, like them, it is definitely very gross for Him to say something such as, giving them His own flesh and blood for them to eat. Sadly, this was precisely the same sentiment espoused by so many people who claimed that they belong to the same Christian faith, and yet failed to accept the truth in the Lord, that God gave us His own flesh and blood, which He gave to us through the Eucharist.

Mankind like to think that they are the best, and that their opinions and wisdom are better than everything else, even including divine wisdom and revelations from the Lord. Thus, mankind stumble into the trap of human pride and greed, refusing to believe in the truth. What is this truth? That the Lord is present in the Real Presence in the Eucharist, the bread and wine changed in form and substance to that of the Body and the Blood of Christ, real and present.

Many failed to understand this, particularly those who literally read the Scriptures and failed to comprehend the fullness of the mysteries of God, and end up with having false and inaccurate deductions on the faith and the nature of the Lord itself. Many deduced that the Eucharist and the celebration of the Mass is merely a symbolism rather than real giving of the Lord’s Body and Blood. This erroneous view of the real truth was catastrophic and even until today, this condemns countless souls to perdition and eternal damnation.

The celebration of the Mass, the memorial reenactment of the Lord’s Supper every time we celebrate the Mass is not just a mere memorial, or a mere symbolic gesture or representation. Instead, every Mass is the same sacrifice that Jesus had made at Calvary, when He was crucified between the heaven and the earth, surrendering Himself to the will of the Father and opened Himself to us. He gave us generously His own Body and His Blood, which He offered for our sake, as the perfect sacrifice for the oblation of our sins.

Yes, the Mass is a sacrifice, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, just as Christ offered Himself as the worthy sacrifice, the worthy Lamb of God to be the settlement for our numerous and innumerable sins and faults. His is the only blood worthy to cleanse our sins, something that the old rituals of animal sacrifices at the time of the Temple, could not do.

Again even here, those who refused to believe in the truth were led astray by their own wisdom and arrogance, thinking that they know it all about God. They thought it to be impossible and unthinkable that Christ should be sacrificed again and again at the Mass, every time the bread and wine were transformed into the Real Presence of our Lord. They thought it blasphemous to think that the bread and wine in the Eucharist is the Real Presence, but the truth is that in fact it is blasphemous to think that the bread and wine are not real Body and real Blood of our Saviour.

The Mass is a mystery in itself, that when the priest, endowed with power given to him through the unbroken succession from the Apostles and hence from the Lord Himself, turned the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, this process is mystically linked to the same, one and only sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ almost two thousand years ago on the cross. It is not a reenactment, nor it is just symbolic, but in fact it is truly the real thing, and we all experience the saving power of God’s sacrifice and love.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, hence, it is imperative that we all be true disciples of Christ and be courageous proclaimers of His truth. Do not be afraid to tell the truth to others, particularly to those who believe in the lies of the world and those who prefer to depend only on themselves in faith. Let us be courageous and faithful disciples, spreading the Good News wherever we go. God guide our way and may He bless us always in all our endeavours. Amen.

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Thursday, 17 April 2014 : Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Easter Triduum (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

1 Corinthians 11 : 23-26

This is the tradition of the Lord that I received and that in my turn I have handed on to you; the Lord Jesus, on the night that He was delivered up, took bread and, after giving thanks, broke it, saying, “This is My Body which is broken for you; do this in memory of Me.”

In the same manner, taking the cup after the supper, He said, “This chalice is the new Covenant in My Blood. Whenever you drink it, do it in memory of Me.” So, then, whenever you eat of this bread and drink from this chalice, you are proclaiming the death of the Lord until He comes.

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Wednesday, 18 September 2013 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 7 : 31-35

What comparison can I use for this people? What are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace, about whom their companions complain, “We piped you a tune and you would not dance; we sang funeral songs and you would not cry.”

Remember John : he did not eat bread or drink wine, and you said, “He has an evil spirit.’ Next came the Son of Man, eating and drinking, and you say, “Look, a glutton for food and wine, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” But the children of Wisdom always recognise her work.

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Sunday, 2 June 2013 : Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Corpus Christi (Second Reading)

1 Corinthians 11 : 23-26

This is the tradition of the Lord that I received and that in my turn I have handed on to you; the Lord Jesus, on the night that He was delivered up, took bread and, after giving thanks, broke it, saying, “This is My body which is broken for you; do this in memory of Me.”

In the same manner, taking the cup after the supper, He said, “This cup is the new Covenant in My blood. Whenever you drink it, do it in memory of Me.” So, then, whenever you eat of this bread and drink from this cup, you are proclaiming the death of the Lord until He comes.