Holy Week

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Sunday, 24 March 2013 : Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Holy Week (First Reading)

Isaiah 50 : 4-7

The Lord YHVH has taught me so I speak as His disciple, and I know how to sustain the weary. Morning after morning He wakes me up to hear, to listen like a disciple.

The Lord YHVH has opened my ear. I have not rebelled, nor have I withdrawn. I offered my back to those who strike me, my cheeks to those who pulled my beard; neither did I shield my face from blows, spittle, and disgrace.

I have not despaired, for the Lord YHVH comes to my help. So, like a flint I set my face, knowing that I will not be disgraced.

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Sunday, 24 March 2013 : Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Holy Week (Gospel Reading)

Luke 19 : 28-40 (Palm Sunday Year C)

So Jesus spoke, and then He passed on ahead of them, on His way to Jerusalem. When He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, close to the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples with these instructions, “Go to the village opposite; and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied up, that no one has yet ridden. Untie it, and bring it here. And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you untying this colt?’ You shall give this answer, ‘The Master needs it.'”

So the two disciples went and found things just as Jesus had said. As they were untying the colt, the owner said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” And they answered, “The Master needs it.” So, they brought it to Jesus and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they mounted Jesus on it. And as He went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

When Jesus came near Jerusalem, to the place where the road slopes down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of His disciples began to rejoice, and to praise God with a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen; and they cried out, “Blessed is He who comes as King in the Name of the Lord. Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heavens.”

Some Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Master, rebuke Your disciples!” But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if they were to remain silent, the stones would cry out.”

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Holy Week 2013 Schedule for the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, Archdiocese of Singapore

Here is the schedule for 2013’s Holy Week (Sunday, 24 March 2013 – Sunday, 31 March 2013) at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, Archdiocese of Singapore :

 

1. Palm Sunday : Saturday, 23 March 2013 at 6.30 pm; Sunday, 24 March 2013 at 8 am, 10 am, and 6 pm

(Mass at 10 am will be celebrated by Archbishop Nicholas Chia, the Archbishop of Singapore)

 

2. Cena Domini (Mass of the Lord’s Supper) : Thursday, 28 March 2013 at 6.30 pm. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament after the Mass until midnight.

(To be celebrated by Archbishop Nicholas Chia of Singapore, Coadjutor Archbishop William Goh of Singapore, and Apostolic Nuncio to Singapore, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli)

 

3. Good Friday : Friday, 29 March 2013 at 2.30 pm and 5.30 pm

(Service at 2.30 pm with Way of the Cross, Service begins at 3 pm and to be celebrated by Archbishop Nicholas Chia, the Archbishop of Singapore)

 

4. Easter Vigil : Saturday, 30 March 2013 at 9 pm

(Celebrant : Archbishop Nicholas Chia, the Archbishop of Singapore)

 

5. Easter Sunday : Sunday, 31 March 2013 at 8 am, 10 am, and 6 pm

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Holy Week Mass schedule (Live) with Pope Francis in Rome and the Vatican

Here is the schedule for Papal celebrations of Pope Francis for Holy Week in Rome :

 

(Live from Rome Reports : http://www.romereports.com/palio/modules.php?name=Content3&pa=showpage&newlang=english&pid=47#.UU4b91fTear)

(Live from Vatican Player : http://vatican.va/video/)

(Live from Vatican YouTube : http://youtube.com/vatican/)

 

1. Palm Sunday (Solemn Entry into Jerusalem) : Sunday, 24 March 2013 at 9.30 am Rome time / CET / UTC+1 (St. Peter’s Square)

2. Chrism Mass (Blessing of the Holy Oils) : Thursday, 28 March 2013 at 9.30 am Rome time / CET / UTC+1 (St. Peter’s Basilica)

3. Cena Domini (Mass of the Lord’s Supper) : Thursday, 28 March 2013 at 5.30 pm Rome time / CET / UTC+1 (Casa del Marmo prison)

4. Good Friday (Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ) : Friday, 29 March 2013 at 5 pm Rome time / CET / UTC+1 (St. Peter’s Basilica)

5. Way of the Cross at Colosseum : Friday, 29 March 2013 at 9 pm Rome time / CET / UTC+1 (Colosseum)

6. Easter Vigil (Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ) : Saturday, 30 March 2013 at 9 pm Rome time / CET / UTC+1 (St. Peter’s Basilica)

7. Easter Sunday (Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ) : Sunday, 31 March 2013 at 10 am Rome time / CET / UTC+1 (St. Peter’s Square)

8. Urbi et Orbi Blessing of Easter (Blessing to the city of Rome and the world) : Sunday, 31 March 2013 at 12 pm (noon) Rome time / CET / UTC+1 (St. Peter’s Square)

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Pope Francis’ schedule between the Papal Inauguration to Palm Sunday

Here is a summary of Pope Francis’ schedule between his Papal Inauguration on Tuesday, 19 March 2013, to the beginning of the Holy Week on Palm Sunday, 24 March 2013 :

1. Tuesday, 19 March 2013 at 9.30 am Rome time : Papal Inauguration Mass at St. Peter’s Square, estimated to be attended by more than 1 million people from all over the world, and many foreign dignitaries, heads of states, and leaders. Mark the full beginning of Pope Francis’ Pontificate with a solemn inauguration with the imposition of both the pallium and the Ring of the Fisherman. First to be attended by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, currently Bartholomew I, since the Great Schism in 1054.

2. Wednesday, 20 March 2013 : Reception of the delegations from different Christian churches and representatives at Clementine Hall (Sala Clementina). No General Audience will be held on this day.

3. Friday, 22 March 2013 : Reception of accredited diplomatic representatives to the Holy See in the Regia Hall (Sala Regia).

4. Saturday, 23 March 2013 : Meeting with his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, at Castel Gandolfo, where the Pope Emeritus is residing.

5. Sunday, 24 March 2013 at 9.30 am Rome time : Palm Sunday Mass at St. Peter’s Square, beginning the Holy Week celebrations.

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Covering of Images and Crosses in churches : First Vespers of the Fifth Sunday of Lent

Today, in the evening of Saturday, 16 March 2013, after the First Vespers of the Fifth Sunday of Lent, the images (statues of saints and our Lord included) and crosses in the Church should be covered, especially if the Bishops’ Conference recommends such a practice.

This is to prepare us for the Holy Week, and to begin the journey towards the Holy Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday), that culminates with the suffering, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The crosses are covered until the Good Friday services, when they are revealed to the people, in the Veneration of the Cross. The other images in the churches remain veiled until before Easter Vigil celebration begins.

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Times to watch for the smoke signal from the Sistine Chapel

Image

Here are the times when the smoke signals (black or white) will pour out of the chimney and be visible to the public, as the first sign whether the Cardinal-electors had succeeded or failed to elect a new Pope in the previous ballot session.

 

1. Smoke after 1st ballot (The only Tuesday ballot session, 1st day):

Tuesday, 12 March 2013 at 8 pm Rome time (CET/UTC+1)

Tuesday, 12 March 2013 at 7 pm UTC

Tuesday, 12 March 2013 at 2 pm EST (UTC-5)

Tuesday, 12 March 2013 at 11 am PST (UTC-8)

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 2 am WIB (Indonesia, Thailand, etc.) (UTC+7)

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 3 am Singapore time (UTC+8)

 

2. Smoke after 2nd ballot (1st Wednesday morning ballot, 2nd day) : A new Pope is likely to have been elected (if no pope elected after the 2nd ballot, the Cardinal-electors will continue directly to 3rd ballot, and the two ballots will be burned together after the 3rd ballot) :

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 11.30 am Rome time (CET/UTC+1)

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 10.30 am UTC

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 5.30 am EST (UTC-5)

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 2.30 am PST (UTC-8)

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 5.30 pm WIB (Indonesia, Thailand, etc.) (UTC+7)

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 6.30 pm Singapore time (UTC+8)

 

3. Smoke after 3rd ballot (2nd Wednesday morning ballot, 2nd day) :

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 1 pm Rome time (CET/UTC+1)

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 12 pm UTC

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 7 am EST (UTC-5)

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 4 am PST (UTC-8)

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 7 pm WIB (Indonesia, Thailand, etc.) (UTC+7)

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 8 pm Singapore time (UTC+8)

 

4. Smoke after 4th ballot (1st Wednesday afternoon ballot, 2nd day) : A new Pope is likely to have been elected

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 6.30 pm Rome time (CET/UTC+1)

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 5.30 pm UTC

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 12.30 pm EST (UTC-5)

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 9.30 am PST (UTC-8)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 00.30 am WIB (Indonesia, Thailand, etc.) (UTC+7)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 1.30 am Singapore time (UTC+8)

 

5. Smoke after 5th ballot (2nd Wednesday afternoon ballot, 2nd day) :

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 8 pm Rome time (CET/UTC+1)

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 7 pm UTC

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 2 pm EST (UTC-5)

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 11 am PST (UTC-8)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 2 am WIB (Indonesia, Thailand, etc.) (UTC+7)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 3 am Singapore time (UTC+8)

 

6. Smoke after 6th ballot (1st Thursday morning ballot, 3rd day) : A new Pope is likely to have been elected :

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 11.30 am Rome time (CET/UTC+1)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 10.30 am UTC

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 5.30 am EST (UTC-5)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 2.30 am PST (UTC-8)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 5.30 pm WIB (Indonesia, Thailand, etc.) (UTC+7)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 6.30 pm Singapore time (UTC+8)

 

7. Smoke after 7th ballot (2nd Thursday morning ballot, 3rd day) :

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 1 pm Rome time (CET/UTC+1)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 12 pm UTC

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 7 am EST (UTC-5)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 4 am PST (UTC-8)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 7 pm WIB (Indonesia, Thailand, etc.) (UTC+7)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 8 pm Singapore time (UTC+8)

 

8. Smoke after 8th ballot (1st Thursday afternoon ballot, 3rd day) : A new Pope is likely to have been elected

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 6.30 pm Rome time (CET/UTC+1)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 5.30 pm UTC

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 12.30 pm EST (UTC-5)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 9.30 am PST (UTC-8)

Friday, 15 March 2013 at 00.30 am WIB (Indonesia, Thailand, etc.) (UTC+7)

Friday, 15 March 2013 at 1.30 am Singapore time (UTC+8)

 

9. Smoke after 9th ballot (2nd Thursday afternoon ballot, 3rd day) :

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 8 pm Rome time (CET/UTC+1)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 7 pm UTC

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 2 pm EST (UTC-5)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 11 am PST (UTC-8)

Friday, 15 March 2013 at 2 am WIB (Indonesia, Thailand, etc.) (UTC+7)

Friday, 15 March 2013 at 3 am Singapore time (UTC+8)

 

If until at this point, no one has yet been elected the Pope, they will adjourn for a maximum of one full day for prayer, discernment and consideration. To think and really find out who should be the next Pope. The cycle continues again with the other 3 day ballots, and then break if the Cardinals fail to pick a suitable candidate, and these proceedings will continue until a new Pope had been elected.

If this conclave is fast, as it is expected to be, due to the incoming Holy Week and other mattters, we do not even need to refer to the timing I placed for the later ballots.

Nevertheless, regardless what happens, God is always with us, and He will certainly choose the best one available for the position.

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Preliminary News : Conclave to begin on Monday, 11 March 2013 (Confirmation needed from the College of Cardinals)

http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/22827/

According to the Vatican Insider, or La Stampa, which is the best source of objective and accurate news on the Vatican, the date of the Conclave has been set on Monday, 11 March 2013, which they posted on Monday, 4 March 2013, today, on their La Stampa edition.

Confirmation from the Holy See Press Office (Fr. Federico Lombardi) is needed however, as the first General Congregation of the College of Cardinals that meets to decide the starting date of the Conclave only began this morning at 9 am CET or Rome time. Therefore, the starting date of the Conclave may still change, but it is highly expected to occur between Saturday, 9 March 2013 and Monday, 11 March 2013.

We hope then to have a Pope by Thursday, 14 March 2013 at the latest, and hope that in that case, the Papal Installation Mass can be held on Sunday, 17 March 2013, the 5th Sunday of Lent. That we can have the new Pope to lead us in the celebration of the Holy Week, and the residential Cardinals too can go home to celebrate the Holy Week in their respective archdioceses/dioceses.

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Wednesday, 13 February 2013 : Ash Wednesday (Scripture Reflection)

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, today we enter into the season of Lent, the season for repentance, and season for the blossoming of new hope and faith in God. For in this 40 days season of Lent, we have a great chance to bring ourselves ever closer to God, and to make ourselves ready to welcome God into our hearts, as we approach the most important liturgical season of the year, that is the Holy Week.

Today we receive the ashes, that is none other than the ashes produced by the burning of the palms from the previous year’s blessed palms of the Palm Sunday. These ashes which the priest will place on our foreheads are the reminder of our mortality and our fragility. It serves as a reminder for us, that we are human, and that we are limited, and ultimately, we are nothing before God, and our lives are just but a fleeting moment.

We have to prepare ourselves this Lent, and nothing better than to begin with humility, to humbly ask God for forgiveness. By the imposition of ashes, we show that we are ready to lower ourselves before God, most merciful and most loving.

These ashes may symbolise that we are nothing and that all we have are temporary, but even from the ashes, we can rise again to be great. Our sinful way of life and this world is just temporary, and therefore, let us do our best, not to be trapped, not to be ensnared by the false temptations and evils, and rather, let us make best use of our short and temporary existence in this world.

Let us turn our hearts to God, and sincerely ask for His forgiveness for our constant rebellion against Him. For in our human weakness, the evil one had had many tools to subvert us and lured us into sin to serve his own purposes, that is most importantly to separate us for eternity from the loving embrace of God. Let us use this Lenten season to rebuke Satan as Christ did when He was tempted during His 40 days retreat in the desert. Let us say no to Satan and his malicious ways, and reject him in all that we do. Make this Lenten season a holy and meaningful season, dedicated in prayer to God.

Let us approach the Lord with great humility and a loving heart reserved for Him alone. This is why Christ rebuked those whose hypocrisy made them pray in a very visible way, that is to be seen by all the people around them, with example being the Pharisees at that time. It is actually fine to show one’s great holiness, and indeed, one’s great faith and holiness, when shown, may deliver many to redemption too.

However, there is no prayer best than when we are alone with Him. To me, the best prayers are made, whenever I am in an empty shower in an empty bathroom, in my own room without anyone else, where, I can truly listen to the Lord speaking to me, and also to be able then to also speak to the Lord without restraint. Since, when we are alone with Him, we are truly open to Him, just as He is open to us. When someone is around us, less so a crowd, vanity, pride, and other sins will unavoidably arise in our hearts, and our focus will eventually be not entirely at the Lord anymore. No, indeed, if we allow our vanity and pride to grow great, we may end up focusing on ourselves, our own achievements by being ‘holy’ and ‘looked up to’ by the people.

Thus, today, let us, brothers and sisters in Christ, prepare ourselves for the Lord, make the best use out of this Lenten season. Do penance and repent sincerely, and the Lord will see our hearts and found them to be worthy. Let us step up our efforts in prayer and in our mission, in our work for the good of all around us, especially in this holy, Lenten season. Happy Lent everyone! Amen.

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Ash Wednesday and the Lenten Season, Fasting and Abstinence

Today is Ash Wednesday, the very first day and the beginning of Lent. What is Lent? and why is it 40 days long? Lent is the season, the time when we prepare ourselves, and make ourselves truly worthy to celebrate and commemorate the most important event in our year, that is the Holy Week, when we will remember Christ’s Passion and death, His great Sacrifice for our sake on the cross, and ultimately through His resurrection, we have hope of eternal life.

In order to be able to properly and fully celebrate the important Holy Week, this is why we prepare ourselves, in this 40 days of Lenten season. Why 40? Because 40 has long been associated in the Bible as the symbol of suffering, of waiting, and of purification, to prepare someone or a group of people for the ultimate end, happiness as given by God.

The people of Israel after being freed from slavery in Egypt, had to wonder for 40 years before reaching the Promised Land, after they rejected the Lord and His assurance, fearing instead the Canaanites whose presence terrified the Israelites and made them to complain that they would have had better life back where they were in slavery. The 40 years of journey through the desert is to root out all the dissidents, all of them who died, except the two, including Joshua, who surveyed the Promised Land and stayed faithful to God’s promise.

Elijah travelled for 40 days to the mountain of the Lord after being chased and persecuted by King Ahab of Israel. There Elijah met the Lord, who gave him renewed strength and courage to return and face King Ahab, and bring forth the Lord back to the people of Israel, delivering them from the worship of pagan gods.

Then ultimately, Christ Himself, fasted for 40 days and nights in the desert, and was tempted thrice by the devil. This happened after His baptism by John the Baptist and before He began His ministry in this world. He resisted all temptations of the devil and rebuked him for his insolence against the Lord. This 40 days is therefore representative of the same kind of time of preparation and of purification before something great and holy is begun.

Therefore, we too, are called in, these 40 days, to also prepare ourselves, spiritually in particular, for the celebration of our Lord’s Passion and death. To facilitate this, the Church has instituted Ash Wednesday as the beginning of the Lenten season, where ashes are imposed on the forehead of the faithful, and also the rules on fasting and abstinence.

Why ash? Ash is the symbolism of nothingness, and a reminder of dust where we came from. God created Adam, the first man out of earth and dust, and as Adam, and indeed other human dies, their bodies turn back into dust, into nothingness, though the soul remains. This is to remind us that our earthly life is just temporary, and that we should not do what is futile in this world, that is to seek worldly power and wealth, and dedicate our entire life for these, as in the end, we are nothing before God. This ash symbolises the great humility that we took upon, before the throne of God, asking for His great mercy.

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

Fasting refers to the practice of eating only a single full meal in the day, and with up to two ‘snacks’ or also commonly known as ‘collations’, which purpose is for physical discipline, to help us to prepare ourselves spiritually through the rejection of worldly temptations in the form of food and good things, that we can truly focus ourselves fully on the Lord. In the past, we used to fast much more often than now, as in the present, we are actually only required to fast on Ash Wednesday, and Good Friday itself.

Meanwhile, abstinence refer to the practice of, traditionally, shunning meat from all meals of the day, which is similar in intent to fasting, except that one does not need to limit the meal to just one meal and maximum of two snacks, but simply abstain from eating meat for that day. Traditionally too, this is done every Friday during Lent. However, in fact, we can also abstain from other things, even non-food items. We can abstain from things that occupy us the most, and even those we are addicted to. These practices, if we do them correctly and meaningfully, will only make us more prepared and ready for the commemoration of our Lord’s great Sacrifice and Resurrection, which is 40 days from now.

May God bless us all during this Lenten season, and I wish you all, happy Lent and have a great and fruitful season of recollection and repentance this Lent!