Saturday

by

Saturday, 23 March 2013 : 5th Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Turibius de Mogrovejo, Bishop (Psalm)

Jeremiah 31 : 10, 11-12ab, 13

Hear the word of YHVH, o nations, proclaim it on distant coastlands : He who scattered Israel will gather them, and guard them as a shepherd guard His flock.

For YHVH has ransomed Jacob and redeemed him from the hand of his conqueror. They shall come shouting for joy, while ascending Zion; they will come streaming to YHVH’s blessings – the grain, the new wine, and the oil, the young of the flocks and herds.

Maidens will make merry and dance, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness, I will give them comfort and joy for sorrow.

by

Saturday, 23 March 2013 : 5th Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Turibius de Mogrovejo, Bishop (First Reading)

Ezekiel 37 : 21-28

You will then say to them : Thus says YHVH : “I am about to withdraw the Israelites from where they were among the nations. I shall gather them from all around and bring them back to their land. I shall make them into one people on the mountains of Israel and one king is to be king of them all. They will no longer form two nations or be two separate kingdoms, nor will they defile themselves again with their idols, their detestable practices, and their sins.”

“I shall free them from the guilt of their treachery; I shall cleanse them and they will be for Me a people and I shall be God for them. My servant David will reign over them, one shepherd for all. They will live according to My laws and follow and practice My decrees. They will settle in the land I gave to My servant Jacob where their ancestors lived. There they will live forever, their children and their children’s children. David, My servant, will be their prince forever.”

“I shall establish a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. I shall settle them and they will increase, and I shall put My sanctuary in their midst forever. I shall make My home at their side; I shall be their God and they will be My people. Then the nations will know that I am YHVH, who makes Israel holy, having My sanctuary among them forever.”

by

Saturday, 16 March 2013 : 4th Week of Lent (Scripture Reflection)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in today’s readings we see how, the righteous ones and the ones sent by the Lord, the prophets, and even our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, received slander, persecution, and were actively rejected by many in the society, not least by those who indeed should have been closer to God than that of the rest of the society.

These people are the Pharisees, the priests and the experts in the Law of God, passed through Moses, they are also expert in the Torah and the writings of the words of the prophets, that it is why they could say that no prophet is ever said to come from Galilee, because basically they really know the prophets, their sayings, and the Law itself. But yet, they have failed to see God, and failed to see His works, when it was already in fact right in front of their eyes.

The reason for their failure to see the good works of the Lord is that they have been blinded, their eyes had been blocked by the very arrogance and pride that clouds their heart and hardened that heart against the love of God. Jealousy became the order of the day, as these priests, instead of being happy and supportive of Christ’s good works, they slandered Him, accused Him of using the devil to perform miracles, and plotted against Him to kill Him. They would eventually succeeded in capturing Him after the Lord’s Last Supper, put Him on trial, and brought Him to Pilate to be condemned to death, death on the cross.

We should not follow their examples, and we too should lower our pride and our selfishness before God. We must put the Lord ahead of men, and put our attention on the Lord ahead of any personal glorification through majesty, wealth, or even simplification, and publicity. Priests and leaders of the Church must strive to remain humble in their ministry.

But remember, very importantly, never dabble in the false sense of humility through excessive display of humility or simplification, especially and certainly, we must never let the Holy Mass be simplified to the point that it loses the sanctity and meaning, as the Holy Sacrifice where Jesus offers us His Most Precious Body and Blood.

Very often people has misunderstood the noble simplicity as mentioned in the Vatican II document, Sacrosanctum Concilium, focusing way too much on the simplicity, that it is no longer noble. There is a need for balance, that the liturgy does not become too flagrant a display of excessive wealth and worldliness, but at the same time also there should be proper decorum and avoidance of insertion of non-liturgical elements into the Mass, and also avoidance of stripping the Mass so much that it ceases to be solemn and devout.

Instead, the way is to live a life of prayer and dedication to God, and strive to put the Lord ahead of ourselves, and to make God the centre of our lives. Through the Mass, the centre of our faith, we can make the Lord indeed as the centre of our life, via the solemn and magnificent liturgy and execution of the Mass, that the Lord is glorified at the Mass.

Remember that the Mass is not about self, and it is not to be centred at the priest-celebrant, but to be centred to the Lord Himself. The vestments, the beautiful adornments, and the solemn atmosphere in the Mass is dedicated entirely to God, that we glorify the Lord, and through these external glorification, we bring mankind closer to God, simply by unearthly experience that all of us can experience in the Mass, through a solemn and devout liturgy of the Mass.

We humble ourselves before the Lord, and focus our attention on the glorious cross of Christ, both for us behind the altar, and for the priest, the altar cross, according to the Benedictine Altar arrangement, that all of us will put our full attention in Christ, and not on men. The cross must be the centre of our focus, our attention, and also be the focus of our hearts, that we continue to keep Christ in all things that we do, so that in whatever good that we do, God will be present, and will justify us.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us rediscover our faith, particularly in this Holy Year of Faith, that we can grow much deeper in our understanding of the Mass and its liturgical contents, and learn to place the Lord at the centre of our lives, and grow stronger in our faith and love of God day by day. May we follow in Christ’s footsteps and not be proud, neither be vain, by discarding the darkness and veil of pride that blocks our heart from truly receiving the love and grace of our God. Amen.

by

Saturday, 16 March 2013 : 4th Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

John 7 : 40-53

Many who had been listening to these words began to say, “This is the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some wondered, “Would Christ come from Galilee? Doesn’t Scripture say that the Christ is a descendant of David, and from Bethlehem, the city of David?”

The crowd was divided over Him. Some wanted to arrest Him, but no one laid hands on Him. The officers of the Temple went back to chief priests, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring Him?”

The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this Man.” The Pharisees then said, “So you, too, have been led astray! Have any of the rulers or any of the Pharisees believed in HIm? Only these cursed people, who have no knowledge of the Law!”

Yet, one of them, Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier, spoke out, “Does our Law condemn people without first hearing them and knowing the facts?” They replied, “Do you, too, come from Galilee? Look it up and see for yourself that no prophet is to come from Galilee.” And they all went home.

by

Saturday, 16 March 2013 : 4th Week of Lent (Psalm)

Psalm 7 : 2-3, 9bc-10, 11-12

O Lord, my God, in You I take shelter; deliver me and save me from all my pursuers, lest lions tear me to pieces with no one to rescue me.

See my righteousness; You see that I am blameless. Bring to an end the power of the wicked, but affirm the just, o righteous God, searcher of mind and heart.

You cover me as a shield, o God, for You protect the upright. A righteous judge is God, His anger ever awaiting those who refuse to repent.

by

Saturday, 16 March 2013 : 4th Week of Lent (First Reading)

Jeremiah 11 : 18-20

YHVH made it known to me and so I know! And You let me see their scheming : “Take care even your kinsfolk and your own family are false with you and behind your back they freely criticise you. Do not trust them when they approach you in a friendly way.”

But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. I did not know it was against me that they were plotting, “Let us feed him with trials and remove him from the land of the living and let his name never be mentioned again.”

YHVH, God of hosts, You who judge with justice and know everyone’s heart and intentions, let me see Your vengeance on them, for to You, I have entrusted my cause.

by

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.

by

Pope Francis’ Schedule in his first few days as Pope

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-francis-to-have-busy-schedule-in-coming-days/#.UUFDoB4Y6Vk.facebook

 

Our new Pope, Pope Francis will be busy in his first day as Pope, and here is the list of his appointments for the first days of his Pontificate :

1. First Mass with the Cardinals at the Sistine Chapel, Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 5 pm Rome time (UTC+1)

2. Private visit to Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major / Santa Maria Maggiore to ask for the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary

3. Meeting with all Cardinals in the Clementine Hall / Sala Clementina, on Friday, 15 March 2013 at 11 am Rome time (UTC+1)

4. Audience for journalists and media representatives in Hall of Paul VI, on Saturday, 16 March 2013

5. First Angelus on Sunday, 17 March 2013 at 12 pm (Noon/Midday)

6. Papal Inauguration Mass at St. Peter’s Square on Tuesday, 19 March 2013 at 9.30 am Rome time (UTC+1), Feast of St. Joseph

by

Saturday, 9 March 2013 : 3rd Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Frances of Rome, Religious (Scripture Reflection)

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we hear once again, God’s call to us to return to Him in full sincerity. Not to depend on things that are temporary, and not to depend on vanity and self-preservation, and pride, like what the Pharisee did in glorifying himself before God, and did not humble himself, like the sinful tax collector did. Yes, the tax collector is sinful, but at the same time he is also humble, and not only humble, but also sincere in his repentance for his sins, and in his desire to return to God and to love Him back just as God loves him.

The path to God is not easy, and it is not through constant prayers the way that the Pharisee did, but rather, when we pray, we should humble ourselves before God, because first, we are sinners and unworthy of God, and yet He had sent His only Son to die on the cross for our salvation. He had been rejected, but yet return in glory so that all who believes in Him has the hope of reconciliation with God, and eternal life through Him.

We have often rebelled against the Lord in various ways, in many moments in our life in this world, just as our forefathers did, and like what the people of Israel had done, in the time when they still were as kingdoms in Judah and Israel, that they turned a deaf ear on God’s prophets, abandoned God for false gods, and massacred His prophets.

Of course, we did not do such things as killing God’s prophets and abandoning Him for idols that are false gods, but in our modern world today, we too have our own ‘false gods’ that had detracted us from God and His path. Worldly temptations, money, and allures of worldly pleasures, consumerism, and excessive capitalism, are just a few examples of the world’s new false gods that can detract us from our path towards the Lord, and turn our hearts towards Him.

Many people in our world today lack the love and faith they once had in the Lord, because that space in their heart that should have been reserved for the Lord, had been taken over by vices and corruption, by things that are not of the love and not of God. Many have also lost their ways, in their seeking of alternatives besides God.

Let us, brothers and sisters in Christ, first, not to fall in the same way as they are, and let us help one another that all of us will remain strong in our faith and our love for God, and not only that, let us help those who have already lost their way and have already turned their heart away from God, that they too may once again listen to the words of God, and be healed from their afflictions.

Today, we commemorate the feast of St. Frances of Rome, also known as Francesca of Rome, who was a pious wife of a wealthy commander of the Pope’s troops in the early 15th century, and she had considerable wealth and therefore, expected to be able to lead a happy life, without having to worry at all. Yet, she inspired many others, especially women at her time, to do plenty of works of charity, to help the poor and the marginalised, through her own works of charity, and she also founded a confraternity of pious women like herself, called the Olivetan Oblates of Mary, and thus helping to spread further the works of God and the love of God in her society, through prayer, and through service.

Let us imitate St. Frances of Rome, to do as what she had done, and in our life, not to be detracted by wealth and other temptations as St. Frances successfully did, and rather than letting ourselves getting enamoured by them, let us use them for good use in our works and services for the poor and the less fortunate around us.

St. Frances of Rome, pray for us.

by

Saturday, 9 March 2013 : 3rd Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Frances of Rome, Religious (Gospel Reading)

Luke 18 : 9-14

Jesus told another parable to some people, fully convinced of their own righteousness, who looked down others : “Two men went up to the Temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself, and said, ‘I thank You, God, that I am not like other people, grasping, crooked, adulterous, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and give the tenth of all my income to the Temple.'”

“In the meantime, the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.’ I tell you, when this man went back to his house, he had been reconciled with God, but not the other. For whoever makes himself out to be great will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be raised up.”