Solemnity

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Monday, 24 June 2013 : Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (Second Reading)

Acts 13 : 22-26

After that time, God removed Saul and raised up David as king, to whom He bore witness saying : ‘I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all I want him to do.’ It is from the descendants of David that God has now raised up the promised Saviour of Israel, Jesus.

Before He appeared, John proclaimed a baptism of repentance for all the people of Israel. As John was ending his life’s work, he said : ‘I am not what you think I am, for after me another One is coming whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.’

Brothers, children and descendants of Abraham, and you also who fear God, it is to you that this message of salvation has been sent.

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Monday, 24 June 2013 : Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (Psalm)

Psalm 138 : 1-3, 13-14ab, 14c-15

O Lord, You know me : You have scrutinised me. You know when I sit and when I rise; beforehand You discern my thoughts. You observe my activities and times of rest; You are familiar with all my ways.

It was You who formed my inmost part and knit me together in my mother’s womb. I thank You for these wonders You have done.

My heart praises You for Your marvellous deeds. Even my bones were known to You when I was being formed in secret, fashioned in the depths of the earth.

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Monday, 24 June 2013 : Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (First Reading)

Isaiah 49 : 1-6

Listen to me, o islands, pay attention, peoples from distant lands. YHVH called me from my mother’s womb; He pronounced my name before I was born. He made my mouth like a sharpened sword. He hid me in the shadow of His hand. He made me into a polished arrow set apart in His quiver. He said to me, “You are Israel, My servant, through you I will be known.”

“I have laboured in vain,” I thought and spent my strength for nothing.” Yet what is due me was in the hand of YHVH, and my reward was with my God. I am important in the sight of YHVH, and my God is my strength. And now YHVH has spoken, He who formed me in the womb to be His servant, to bring Jacob back to Him.

He said : “It is not enough that you be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob, to bring back the remnant of Israel, I will make you the light of the nations, that My salvation will reach to the ends of the earth.”

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(Special) Sunday, 23 June 2013 : Vigil Mass of the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (Scripture Reflection)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we are celebrating the feast of the birth of St. John the Baptist, the relative of our Lord Jesus Christ by virtue of his mother, Elizabeth, being the cousin of Mary, the mother of our Lord. St. John the Baptist is known for his role in preparing the way for Christ, straightening the path for His arrival into this world, preceding the Lord Himself by a few months. He baptised peoples and asked them to repent from their sins, so that they would not fall into damnation, and be open for Christ when He came.

St. John the Baptist is a great saint, brothers and sisters, and he is considered by many to be one of the prophets reborn once again, particularly that of Elijah, sent by the Lord for the sake of Christ, as His messenger, and as His herald, proclaiming His arrival into the world. The events surrounding his birth is not ordinary either, because he was born out of an aging parent, an aging mother who could no longer conceive, but because of the power of the Lord and the Holy Spirit, conceived, and brought John into this world.

Like the passage in the first reading from the book of the prophet Jeremiah, the words themselves spoke about St. John the Baptist and his life, in that he had been chosen by the Lord since his conception, and before he was even born, as the angel told Zechariah, John’s father in the Temple of Jerusalem. He had been chosen from among many, to be the messenger of the Lord’s message and words, and to prepare the way for the Word Himself, Christ, our Saviour, who is also the Word of God.

Being chosen by the Lord, St. John the Baptist did not shy away in fear, but instead fully embraced the tasks that had been entrusted on him, and passionately went into his ministry, preaching to the people of God and repeatedly asking them to repent and return to the Lord who loves them. He worked tirelessly throughout his ministry in this world, and he did not show any fear even to the corrupt authority, the way he chastised King Herod for his improper relationship with the brother of his wife, Herodias.

He did not fear death while doing so, and faced death willingly when he was beheaded by the order of King Herod. In his humility he told his own disciples to follow Christ, and proclaimed to them the Messiah, with his words, “Behold the Lamb of God!”, and many who followed John then followed Christ in turn. He did not seek human glory and praise, and in his humility, told his disciples that while Christ increase, he must decrease.

He recognised his own human weakness and accepted the will of God without hesitation. He followed the Lord and obeyed His will. St. John the Baptist is indeed an example for all of us, how to be the true disciples of the Lord. When we are called by the Lord to be His servants, we must not give in to fear and doubt, but place all of our trust in the Lord, just the way that St. John had done, that we can truly give our all in the work for the sake of the Lord, and for the sake of God’s people, that is all mankind.

We should not give in to doubt as Zechariah, John’s father had done. It may be understandable because it may seem impossible for humans that an elderly woman should be able to bear a child. But to God, nothing is impossible. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we who have received the Good News of Christ, let us be renewed by the Holy Spirit of the Lord, and let us be courageous and passionate in spreading the Good News and salvation of the Lord, inspired by the example of St. John the Baptist.

Remember that God chose us and not we chose Him. He called us from the many, to be His disciples, and those of us who had accepted Him as their Lord and Saviour, gained salvation and life eternal. May God remain with us, bless us, and strengthen us in our task, that is to bring the Word of God to many in this world. St. John the Baptist, pray for us too. Amen.

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Peter’s Pence Collection, Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

Peters Pence

In case any of you are wondering what is Peter’s Pence, which is collected every Sunday nearest to the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles, which falls on 29 June every year (Therefore this year Peter’s Pence is collected on Sunday, 30 June 2013, 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time), Peter’s Pence is a special collection in which the collection will not go into the local church or parish fund, but gathered from all over the world and sent to Rome, to the Holy See. Thus, the collection made during the offertory this Sunday will go directly to Rome.

What is the purpose of the Peter’s Pence collection? Exactly to support the numerous charitable activities and organisations managed by the Holy See, by our Church, all over the world. There are thousands, tens of thousands of charity under the supervision of the Church, and to be able to continue with the action, funds are definitely necessary to provide a solid backing. That is why, Peter’s Pence is done once every year, on the Sunday nearest to the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul.

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Why Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul? That is because on that day lie the great celebration of the two great saints and apostles that defined our Church, because they met their martyrdom in Rome. St. Peter, the Prince and leader of all the Apostles, whom the Pope is the successor of today, met his martyrdom in what is now Vatican City, through crucifixion, and St. Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, and author of the Epistles in the New Testament, met his martyrdom in Rome, through beheading.

Peter’s Pence itself had its origins in the late dark ages and early medieval period, particularly from England, where it got the name Peter’s ‘Pence’. Pence is the unit of money still in use until today in the United Kingdom and the related monetary units. ‘Peter’ simply point to the fact that the collection or ‘pence’ is intended to be sent to Rome, to the Pope, in order to support various Church activities.

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Imposition of the pallium on the new Metropolitan Archbishops by Pope Francis

On the great Feast day and Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles, the feast day of the Church of Rome, on Saturday, 29 June 2013, 34 new Metropolitan Archbishops will receive the pallium, the symbol of their metropolitan office from Pope Francis, in a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica.
Pallium (Pallium)
1_0_674753 (Papal Pallium)
Pallium is a woolen band, worn around the shoulders, as a symbol of office, representation of the Good Shepherd, with Jesus carrying the lamb on His shoulder, which is reminiscent of the authority entrusted upon the Metropolitan Archbishops over their flocks. Pallium therefore is a symbol of authority. It is about three fingers wide, and has six black crosses, out of which three are pierced with a golden pin, representing the wounds of Christ pierced by the holy nails on the cross.
angelo-scola
(Above : image of Cardinal Angelo Scola, wearing the pallium, as the Metropolitan Archbishop of Milan, who received the pallium personally from Pope Benedict XVI in 2011)
Papal pallium from 2005 is different, in order to distinguish the nature of the Papal office, as the Pope is not just any bishop or Metropolitan Archbishop, but is Metropolitan over the entire world, the entire Church, as the Vicar of Christ.
Pope-Benedict-XVI
(Above : Pope Benedict XVI with the Papal pallium in 2012)

The list of the new Metropolitan Archbishops who will receive the pallium below.

1. Patriarch Manuel Jose Macario do Nascimento Clemente, Patriarch of Lisbon (Portugal)
2. Archbishop Dieudonne Nzapalainga, C.S.Sp., Metropolitan Archbishop of Bangui (Central African Republic)
3. Archbishop Carlo Roberto Maria Redaelli, Metropolitan Archbishop of Gorizia (Italy)
4. Archbishop Claudio Dalla Zuanna, S.C.I., Metropolitan Archbishop of Beira (Mozambique)
5. Archbishop Prakash Mallavarapu, Metropolitan Archbishop of Visakhapatnam (India)
6. Archbishop Antonio Carlos Altieri, S.D.B., Metropolitan Archbishop of Passo Fundo (Brazil)
7. Archbishop Marek Jedraszewski, Metropolitan Archbishop of Lodz (Poland)
8. Archbishop Philip Tartaglia, Metropolitan Archbishop of Glasgow (Great Britain)
9. Archbishop Salvatore Joseph Cordileone, Metropolitan Archbishop of San Francisco (USA)
10. Archbishop Rolando Joven Tria Tirona, O.C.D., Metropolitan Archbishop of Caceres (Philippines)
11. Archbishop Rogelio Cabrera Lopez, Metropolitan Archbishop of Monterrey (Mexico)
12. Archbishop Joseph William Tobin, C.Ss.R., Metropolitan Archbishop of Indianapolis (USA)
13. Archbishop Carlos Maria Franzini, Metropolitan Archbishop of Mendoza (Argentina)
14. Archbishop Lorenzo Ghizzoni, Metropolitan Archbishop of Ravenna-Cervia (Italy)
15. Archbishop George Antonysamy, Metropolitan Archbishop of Madras and Mylapore (India)
16. Archbishop Anil Joseph Thomas Couto, Metropolitan Archbishop of Delhi (India)
17. Archbishop John Wong Soo Kau, Metropolitan Archbishop of Kota Kinabalu (Malaysia)
18. Archbishop Murray Chatlain, Metropolitan Archbishop of Keewatin-Le Pas (Canada)
19. Archbishop Sérgio Eduardo Castriani, C.S.Sp., Metropolitan Archbishop of Manaus (Brazil)
20. Archbishop Peter Loy Chong, Metropolitan Archbishop of Suva, (Fiji)
21. Archbishop Alfonso Cortes Contreras, Metropolitan Archbishop of Leon (Mexico)
22. Archbishop Alexander King Sample, Metropolitan Archbishop of Portland in Oregon (USA)
23. Archbishop Joseph Effiong Ekuwem, Metropolitan Archbishop of Calabar (Nigeria)
24. Archbishop Jesus Juarez Parraga, S.D.B., Metropolitan Archbishop of Sucre (Bolivia)
25. Archbishop Fabio Martinez Castilla, Metropolitan Archbishop of Tuxtla Gutierrez (Mexico)
26. Archbishop Ramon Alfredo Dus, Metropolitan Archbishop of Resistencia (Argentina)
27. Archbishop Mario Aurelio Poli, Metropolitan Archbishop of Buenos Aires (Argentina)
28. Archbishop Gintaras Linas Grusas, Metropolitan Archbishop of Vilnius (Lithuania)
29. Archbishop Michael Owen Jackels, Metropolitan Archbishop of Dubuque (USA)
30. Archbishop Duro Hranic, Metropolitan Archbishop of Dakovo-Osijek (Croatia)
31. Archbishop Moacir Silva, Metropolitan Archbishop of Ribeirao Preto (Brazil)
32. Archbishop Jozef Piotr Kupny, Metropolitan Archbishop of Wroclaw (Poland)
33. Archbishop Sergio Alfredo Gualberti Calandrina, Metropolitan Archbishop of Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivia)
34. Archbishop Giuseppe Petrocchi, Metropolitan Archbishop of L’Aquila (Italy)
In addition, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Hue, Archbishop Francois Xavier Le Van Hong, will not receive the pallium directly from the Pope in Rome, but in his home diocese of Hue, through the papal representative. Therefore, in addition to the 34 Metropolitan Archbishops mentioned above, 35 Metropolitan Archbishops will receive the pallium in this year.
35. Archbishop Francois Xavier Le Van Hong, Metropolitan Archbishop of Hue (Vietnam)

Metropolitan Archbishop differs from normal Archbishops in that, they have jurisdiction over other dioceses that are placed under their supervision, in a group called Ecclesiastical Province of the Church. Archbishops of Archdioceses without Metropolitan character has no jurisdiction over any dioceses under them, and they are usually directly subject to the Holy See.

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(Special) Sunday, 23 June 2013 : Vigil Mass of the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (Gospel Reading)

Luke 1 : 5-17

In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there lived a priest named Zechariah, belonging to the priestly clan of Abiah. Elizabeth, Zechariah’s wife, also belonged to a priestly family. Both of them were upright in the eyes of God, and lived blamelessly in accordance with all the laws and commands of the Lord, but they had no child. Elizabeth could not have any and now they were both very old.

Now, while Zechariah and those with him were fulfilling their office, it fell to him by lot, according to the custom of the priests, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. At the time of offering incense, all the people were praying outside; it was then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

On seeing the angel, Zechariah was deeply troubled and fear took hold of him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, be assured that your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you shall name him John. He will bring joy and gladness to you, and many will rejoice at his birth.

“This son of yours will be great in the eyes of the Lord. Listen : he shall never drink wine or strong drink, but he will be filled with Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb. Through him, many of the people of Israel will turn to the Lord their God. He himself will open the way to the Lord with the spirit and power of the prophet Elijah; he will reconcile fathers and children, and lead the disobedient to wisdom and righteousness, in order to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

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(Special) Sunday, 23 June 2013 : Vigil Mass of the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (Second Reading)

1 Peter 1 : 8-12

You have not seen Him and yet you love Him; even without seeing Him, you believe in Him and experience a heavenly joy beyond all words, for you are reaching the goal of your faith : the salvation of your souls.

This was the salvation for which the prophets so eagerly looked when, in days past, they foretold the favour of God with regard to you. But they could only investigate when the Spirit of Christ present within them pointed out the time and the circumstances of this – the sufferings of Christ and the glories which would follow.

It was revealed to them that they were working not for themselves but for you. Thus, in these days, after the Holy Spirit has been sent from heaven, the Gospel’s preachers have taught you these mysteries which even the angels long to see.

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(Special) Sunday, 23 June 2013 : Vigil Mass of the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (Psalm)

Psalm 70 : 1-2, 3-4a, 5-6ab, 15ab and 17

In You, o Lord, I seek refuge; let me not be disgraced. In Your justice help me and deliver me, turn Your ear to me and save me!

Be my rock of refuge, a stronghold to give me safety, for You are my rock and my fortress. Rescue me, o my God.

For You, o Lord, have been my hope, my trust, o God, from my youth. I have relied on You from birth : from my mother’s womb You brought me forth.

My lips will proclaim Your intervention and tell of Your salvation all day. You have taught me from my youth and until now I proclaim Your marvels.

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(Special) Sunday, 23 June 2013 : Vigil Mass of the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (First Reading)

Jeremiah 1 : 4-10

A word of YHVH came to me, “Even before I formed you in the womb I have known you; even before you were born I had set you apart, and appointed you a prophet to the nations!”

I said, “Ah, Lord YHVH! I do not know how to speak; I am still young!” But YHVH replied, “Do not say; ‘I am still young,’ for now you will go whatever be the mission I am entrusting to you, and you will speak of whatever I command you to say. Do not be afraid of them, for I will be with you to protect you – it is YHVH who speaks!”

Then YHVH stretched out His hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “Now I have put My words in your mouth. See! Today I give you authority over nations and over kingdoms to uproot and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”