Liturgical Colour : Green
Luke 8 : 19-21
Then Jesus’ mother and His relatives came to Him, but they could not get to Him because of the crowd. Someone told Him, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside and wish to meet You.” Then Jesus answered, “My mother and My brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
My blog has reached its 1,000th post as of today. Thank you very much for your visit to my humble blog. May God bless us all, that all of us will grow deeper in faith, and able to help one another to be filled with love and live a holy life.
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Luke 1 : 39-56
Mary then set out for a town in the hill country of Judah. She entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leapt in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with Holy Spirit, and giving a loud cry, said, “You are most blessed among women, and blessed is the Fruit of your womb! How is it that the mother of my Lord comes to me? The moment your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby within me suddenly leapt for joy. Blessed are you who believed that the Lord’s word would come true!”
And Mary said,
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit exults in God my Saviour! He has looked upon His servant in her lowliness, and people forever will call me blessed.”
“The Mighty One has done great things for me, Holy is His Name! From age to age His mercy extends to those who live in His presence.”
“He has acted with power and done wonders, and scattered the proud with their plans. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and lifted up those who are downtrodden.”
“He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty. He held out His hand to Israel, His servant, for He remembered His mercy, even as He promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.”
Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months, and then returned home.
Pope Tawadros II (Theodore II) of Alexandria, the head of the Coptic Church, Successor of St. Mark the Evangelist, first Bishop of Alexandria, is visiting Rome to pay a visit to the Pope and Supreme leader of the Universal Church and Successor of St. Peter the Prince of the Apostles, Pope Francis.
The Coptic Church is the direct descendant of the Patriarchate of Alexandria of the early Christian Pentarchy (Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem), which broke apart from Rome and the Universal Church due to the disagreement in the Council of Chalcedon of 451, on the true nature of Christ.
This disagreement is more due to misunderstanding in the nature of God, whether Christ’s human and divine persona is distinct or mixed. The initial term for non-Chalcedonians is monophysites, which is a heresy stating that both persona are mixed and indistinguishable. In fact, the Coptics and the other non-Chalcedonians in fact adopt miaphysitism, which while distinguishing the human and divine nature of Christ, but also acknowledge the mystery of the relationship between the two persona.
Pope Tawadros II visits Rome in conjunction with the historic first meeting between the two Popes of Rome and Alexandria in 1973 by Pope Shenouda III, Pope Tawadros II’s predecessor, and Pope Paul VI. During that meeting a historic joint declaration of faith and friendship was announced and declared between the two Churches of God.
Pope Francis received a gift of an engolpion, which is a form of imagery in medallion, which is worn in the same way as pectoral cross, which are worn by the bishops of the Eastern Rite.
We hope that all Christians, with the Copts and the Orthodox Churches can be reunited once again with the true and only Church, that is the Church of God, as one Body, indivisible by men and worldly ambitions, in the One, Holy, Roman, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
Pray always for Christian Unity. That we are One, just as Christ our Lord and the Father in heaven are One.
Ut Omnes Unum Sint, ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam
(That they all may be One, for the greater glory of God)
http://attualita.vatican.va/sala-stampa/bollettino/2013/05/07/news/30948.html
Pope Francis’ complete schedule for the World Youth Day 2013 celebrations in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil had been released by the Vatican. As the schedule above is in Italian, I will translate it as best as I can into English here.
The Schedule (The times depicted are local time, Rome time = UTC+2 and Rio de Janeiro time = UTC-3) :
Monday, 22 July 2013
08.45 am (Rome Time) : Departure from Rome’s Ciampino Airport to Rio de Janeiro
04.00 pm (Rio Time) : Arrival at the Galeao International Airport in Rio de Janeiro
05.00 pm : Welcome ceremony for Pope Francis at the Guanabara Palace in Rio de Janeiro
05.40 pm : Visit by Pope Francis to the President of Brazil at the same Guanabara Palace
Pope Francis will then stay at a private residence in the Sumare region of Rio de Janeiro. No event scheduled for Tuesday, 23 July 2013
Wednesday, 24 July 2013
08.15 am (Rio Time) : Pope Francis will depart his residence at Sumare by helicopter to visit the famous Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida
09.30 am : Pope Francis arrives at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida
10.00 am : Pope Francis will venerate an image of the Virgin Mary at the Basilica located in the Hall of the Sanctuary of the Twelve Apostles
10.30 am : Holy Mass led by Pope Francis at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida
01.00 pm : Pope Francis will have lunch with the Bishops of the Ecclesiastical Province of Aparecida and the seminarians of the Seminary of Aparecida
04.10 pm : Pope Francis will return to Rio de Janeiro from Aparecida by helicopter
05.25 pm : Pope Francis is scheduled to return to Rio de Janeiro by helicopter
06.30 pm : Pope Francis will visit the St. Francis Assisi Hospital in Rio de Janeiro
Thursday, 25 July 2013
07.30 am : Private Mass led by Pope Francis in his official WYD 2013 residence in Sumare, Rio de Janeiro
09.45 am : Pope Francis will receive the keys of the city of Rio de Janeiro and he will also bless the Olympic Flags of Rio de Janeiro (will be host for 2016 Olympics) at the city square of Rio de Janeiro
11.00 am : Pope Francis will visit the slum community of Varginha (Manguinhos)
06.00 pm : Pope Francis will receive youths attending the WYD 2013 at the Copacabana waterfront area, Rio de Janeiro
Friday, 26 July 2013
07.30 am : Private Mass led by Pope Francis in his official WYD 2013 residence in Sumare, Rio de Janeiro
10.00 am : Pope Francis will conduct confession sessions with youths attending WYD 2013 in the Quinta da Boa Vista Park of Rio de Janeiro
11.30 am : Pope Francis will meet some young prisoners at the Archbishop’s Palace at Rio de Janeiro
12.00 pm : Pope Francis will lead Angelus prayer from the balcony of the Archbishop’s Palace
12.15 pm : Pope Francis will greet the organising committee and benefactors of WYD 2013 in the Archbishop’s Palace, Rio de Janeiro
01.00 pm : Pope Francis will have lunch with youths at the Archbishop’s Palace
06.00 pm : Way of the Cross led by Pope Francis at the Copacabana waterfront, Rio de Janeiro
Saturday, 27 July 2013
09.00 am : Holy Mass with the bishops, priests, seminarians, and religious at the Cathedral of the Archdiocese of San Sebastian Rio de Janeiro (Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro)
11.30 am : Pope Francis will meet with the leaders of Brazil in the Municipal Theatre of Rio de Janeiro
01.00 pm : Pope Francis will have lunch with the Cardinals of Brazil, the President of the Episcopal Conference of Brazil, bishops of the Rio de Janeiro region, and the Papal entourage of WYD 2013 in the Sumare residence, Rio de Janeiro
07.30 pm : Pope Francis will lead the prayer vigil with the youths at Guaratiba, Rio de Janeiro
Sunday, 28 July 2013
10.00 am : Holy Mass of the Closing of WYD 2013 at Guaratiba, Rio de Janeiro.
12.00 am : Pope Francis will lead the recitation of the Angelus prayer at Guaratiba
02.00 pm : Pope Francis will have lunch with the Papal entourage of WYD 2013 in the Sumare residence, Rio de Janeiro
04.00 pm : Pope Francis will meet with the leaders of CELAM, the Latin American Episcopal Conference at Sumare, Rio de Janeiro
04.40 pm : Pope Francis leaves the Sumare residence
05.30 pm : Pope Francis will meet with the volunteers of the WYD 2013 at Hall 5 of Rio Centre, Rio de Janeiro
06.30 pm : Farewell ceremony at the Galeao International Airport of Rio de Janeiro
07.00 pm : Departure from the Galeao International Airport to return to Rome
Monday, 29 July 2013
11.30 am (Rome Time) : Arrival at the Ciampino Airport of Rome
Newly elected Pope Francis will visit his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who is currently still staying at the summer papal residence at Castel Gandolfo. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI will continue to reside there until the former Mater Ecclesiae monastery at the Vatican completes its renovation.
On his first day as Pope, on Thursday morning, 14 March 2013, Pope Francis made his surprise visit to the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (St. Mary Major) to ask for the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary for his Pontificate.
Matthew 25 : 31-46
When the Son of Man comes in His glory with all His angels, He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be brought before Him, and as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, so will He do with them, placing the sheep on His right hand and the goats on His left.
The king will say to those on His right, “Come, blessed of my Father! Take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed Me. I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you welcomed Me into your house. I was naked, and you clothed Me. I was sick, and you visited Me. I was in prison, and you came to see Me.”
Then the good people will ask Him, “Lord, when did we see You hungry, and give You food; thirsty, and give You something to drink; or a stranger, and welcome You; or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and go to see You?” The King will answer, “Truly I say to you : whenever you did this to these little ones who are my brothers and sisters, you did it to Me.”
Then He will say to those on His left, “Go, cursed people, out of My sight into the eternal fire; which has been prepared for the devil and his angels! For I was hungry, and you did not give Me anything to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not welcome Me into your house; I was naked, and you did not clothe Me; I was sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.”
They, too, will ask, “Lord, when did we see You hungry, thirsty, naked, or a stranger, sick or in prison, and did not help You?” The King will answer them, “Truly I say to you : whatever you did not do for one of these little ones, you did not do it for Me.”
The Pope will visit the Major Seminary of Rome today, 8 February 2013 at 6 pm Rome time (Central European Time/UTC+1) or corresponding to Saturday, 9 February 2013 at 1 am for Singapore, Malaysia, China, HK, and other UTC+8 countries.
The other timings for other regions are Friday, 8 February 2013 at 5 pm UTC, and in New York it is on Friday at 12 pm EST (UTC-5), and on Friday at 9 am for PST regions (UTC-8).
Well, hopefully one day soon, I will be one of the students there, looking forward to my ordination as a priest at that time. Pray for me!
Surprisingly, Italian (and Latin) is not too difficult to understand, since at the moment, in fact, my ability to understand and comprehend Italian has actually surpassed my ability to comprehend Chinese (not good, but good enough for daily conversations, and to use for basic conversations). Nevertheless, pray for me that I will be ever faithful in my journey!
+Ut Omnes Unum Sint, ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam+
(That they all may be One, for the greater glory of God)
petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang 