Reflection on the 5th Last Word of our Lord Jesus

On Good Friday, I invite you to join me, as we keep our Lord Jesus Christ company in the place called Golgotha, or the Skull.

Behold our Lord hanging on that cross for all of us, for our sins. For we are the sinners, not our Lord. But he is the one crucified, not us. Is that fair, is that justice? Ask ourselves.

The sun is scourging hot. Our Lord is near the end of his human life. He senses it. He has hung on that cross for some agonizing hours by now.

Look at our Lord on the cross. It has become hard for Jesus to even get a breath. Hung from his arms, he must pull himself up each time he wants to breathe. His shoulders ache, his mouth is parched. He is physically exhausted.

And yet he does not want to die without a final word. He asks for something to drink to wet his lips for some relief.

St. John the evangelist wrote (Jn 19:28): After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said:

"I THIRST."

In the physical sense, thirst is our body's reaction to the loss of fluid. From his agony in the Garden of Olives, the scourging at the pillar, the agonizing way of the cross, our Lord has lost a lot of blood and body fluids with the extreme cruelty of his suffering. That is why he is now thirsty. He thirsts for water.

Now we know that we can live some days without food, but we cannot survive for long without water. We need water to survive. That is why we feel thirsty when there is an imbalance of fluids in our body. The mind triggers something to replenish immediately the loss of water in our body. Otherwise, we dehydrate and die. So under the intense heat of the sun and the physical suffering he endures, Jesus said, "I thirst."

Yet, more than the physical thirst for water, our Lord thirsts for our LOVE.

Remember that in his public ministry, Jesus healed so many sick, cured the lepers, preached God's kingdom to many people, and even fed the multitude who followed him. But now hanging on that cross of salvation, Jesus finds himself all alone, except for his mother, Mary, and the beloved disciple, John.

Earlier, his disciples deserted him. Judas has betrayed him to his enemies. Simon Peter denied him not once but thrice. All the people who followed him were gone. Jesus is left alone on his own, hanging on the cross and dying.

Can you imagine being in solitary confinement for a long time, cut off from all human contacts? You'd thirst for love, you'd thirst for human company. They say that the greatest sacrifice of our overseas Filipino workers, or OFWs, is loneliness, being separated from their loved ones, and that is a great sacrifice in the name of love for their families.

So our Lord in his dying moments thirsts for LOVE; he thirsts for your love; he thirsts for our love. He gives up his life for our sins, and all he asks in return is our love.

Do we respond to his invitation of love? How do we respond to his invitation of love?

Well, the Lord is not with us physically now, until we see him again in glory on judgement day. But he left us with his commandment of love: Love one another just as I have loved you. And the Lord loves us unto his death.

Today, hanging on that cross Jesus challenges us to witness our love for him through our love for our neighbors. Because whatever we do to the least of our neighbors, we do that for the Lord himself.

Jesus says, "I thirst"... he thirsts for love, he thirsts for compassion, for kindness on behalf of the poor, the suffering, the marginalized members of society.

Are we ready to take up the Lord's challenge? Are we ready to respond to his invitation of LOVE?

Our new Pope Francis calls for a Church of compassion, especially a Church that loves the poor among us.

As we await the Lord's resurrection on Easter Sunday, let us commit ourselves to follow his commandment by being faithful to all the teaching of his Church. In that way we quench the Lord's thirst for love with concrete actions of Christian living.

So that on judgement day before the Lord, we can say that the Lord was hungry and we gave him food to eat; the Lord was thirsty and we gave him water to drink; the Lord was homeless and we gave him our home to dwell... through genuine caring for the poor and the needy in our midst. Amen.


Deo Optimo Maximo!

Beautiful Latin Hymn and Prayers

During the Visita Iglesia on Holy Thursday, as we knelt before the Altar of Repose for prayers and meditation, we heard once again the beautiful Latin Hymns to the Blessed Sacrament. They are solemn and inspiring to the soul, like being in heaven while on earth, even when the faithful may not really understand perhaps what they convey.

In fact my youngest son asked me what they rely mean. I realized I forgot my Latin already, although I could still make some general sense out of it (I think). Anyway, there is always the internet to refresh my aging memory. So here are the more famous Latin Hymn and Prayer and their English translation:

(a)  Tantum Ergo

Tantum ergo Sacramentum

Veneremur cernui:

Et antiquum documentum

Novo cedat ritui;

Praestet fides supplementum

Sensuum defectui.

Genotori, genetoque

Laus et iubilatio,

Salus, honor, virtus quoque

Sit et benedictio:

Procedenti ab utroque

Compar sit laudatio.

Amen.

R.  Panem de caelo praestitisti eis.

V.  Omne delectamentum in se habentem.

R.  Oremus: Deus, qui nobis sub sacramento mirabili, passionis tuae memoriam reliquisti: tribue, quaesumus, ita nos corporis et sanguinis tui sacra mysteria venerari, ut redemptionis tuae fructum in nobis iugiter sentiamus. Qui vivis et regnes in saecula saeculorum.

V. Amen.

English Translation:

Down in adoration falling,
Lo! the sacred Host we hail,
Lo! oe'r ancient forms departing
Newer rites of grace prevail;
Faith for all defects supplying,
Where the feeble senses fail.

To the everlasting Father,
And the Son Who reigns on high
With the Holy Spirit proceeding
Forth from each eternally,
Be salvation, honor, blessing,
Might and endless majesty.
Amen,

R. Thou hast given them bread from heaven.

V.  Having within it all sweetness.

R.  Let us pray: O God, Who in this wonderful Sacrament left us a memorial of Thy Passion, grant, we implore Thee, that we may so venerate the sacred mysteries of Thy Body and Blood, as always to be conscious of the fruit of Thy Redemption. Thou Who livest and reignest forever and ever.

V. Amen.


(Note: Tantum Ergo are the opening words of the last two verses of Pange Lingua, 

           a Mediaeval Latin Hymn written by St. Thomas Aquinas, the prominent 

           theologian and Doctor of the Church, in the 13th Century.  These last two

           verses are sung during veneration and Benediction of the Blessed

           Sacrament in the Roman Catholic Church.)


(b)  O Salutaris Hostia

O Salutaris Hostia,
Quae caeli pandis ostium:
Bella premunt hostilia,
Da robur, fer auxilium
Uni trinoque Domino
Sit sempiterna gloria
Qui vitam sine termino
Nobis donet in patria.
Amen.

English Translation:

O saving Victim, opening wide,
The gate of heaven to man below!
Our foes press on from every side;
Thine aid supply, they strength bestow.

To Thy great name by endless praise.
Immortal Godhead, one in Three;
Oh, grant us endless length of days,
In our true native land with Thee.
Amen.

(Note:  O Salutaris Hostia is a moving tribute to our Lord, a wonderful hymn 

            also written by Saint Tomas Acquinas in the 13th Century. He composed

            the text for the feast of Corpus Christi, which was established by the 

            Church in 1264 to honor our Lord in the Eucharist, in His Body and

            Blood.)

Deo Optimo Maximo!

         Holy Saturday in the Catholic Church

Holy Saturday is the last day of Lent, of Holy Week, and the last day of the Easter Triduum.  It commemorates the day that Jesus Christ's body is laid into the tomb.

Christ lies in the grave, the Church waits at the Lord's tomb, mourning and meditating on his suffering and death. After the great battle, He is resting in peace, but upon Him we see the scars of intense suffering. The mortal wounds of his body remain visible to us.

The whole day we keep our spiritual silence to reflect on God's redeeming love who gave up his only Son to save us from sin.  Holy Saturday is and should be the most calm and quiet for the entire Church year. The altar remains stripped and completely bare to reflect our deep sorrow and contrition for Jesus' death.

But although we are in mourning, there is much preparation during the day for the Easter celebration. Liturgically, Holy Saturday lasts until 6 o'clock in the evening or dusk, after which the Easter season begins.

Easter Vigil

The Easter vigil service begins around 10 o'clock in the evening with the blessing of fire and the lighting of a new Paschal Candle.

Nine readings are assigned to the Easter vigil: seven from the Old Testament, and two from the New Testament.

After the last reading from the Old Testament, the priest intones the "Gloria". At that moment the candles at the altar are lit, the lights are switched on, and the church bells are rung again. The statues and icons, in places where they are covered with purple veils during Passiontide are dramatically unveiled.

After the homily portion, the liturgy of baptism and renewal of baptismal promises are done. The rest of the liturgy proceeds like a regular Mass.

The entire celebration of the Easter vigil should begin after nightfall and end before dawn of Sunday. Those who participate at the Easter vigil Mass fulfill their Sunday obligation. However, they may still attend regular Easter Sunday Mass and receive Holy Communion.

"Salubong"

In most parishes in the Philippines, the traditional "Salubong" is done.

"Salubong" (or the meeting) is a celebration of Christ's resurrection where two processions proceed from opposite ends of the parish towards the church in early morning (4 or 5 in the morning usually, just before dawn).

One procession is a statue of the Risen Lord, and the second procession is of the Virgin Mary wearing dark clothes (black or dark purple) and a black veil, in mourning, and traditionally accompanied by the women faithful.

The two processions meet up in front of the church, where there is a high platform where usually a child dressed as an angel  would lift the veil of the Virgin Mary as soon as she meets up (Salubong) with the Risen Christ. Then the procession heads into the church for Mass.

Deo Optimo Maximo!

Sources: Ordo 2013 and CatholicCulture.org

Good Friday in the Catholic Church

Good Friday is the second day of our Triduum. It is the day on which we commemorate the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, the act that brought salvation to all.

                "It is accomplished," And bowing his head he gave up his spirit. 
                (Jn 19:30)
 

So today the whole Church, stripped of its ornaments, the altar bare with no cloths, candles nor cross, and the door of the empty tabernacle stands open, mourns the death of our Savior.    

The organ music is silent from Holy Thursday until the Alleluia at the Easter Vigil, as well as bells and other instruments; the only music permitted during this period is unaccompanied chant.

The liturgy in the afternoon consists of three parts:

(a)The Liturgy of the Word

The priest and assisting ministers enter in complete silence, without any singing. They prostrate themselves for a few moments of silent prayer in front of the altar, signifying both the abasement of earthly man, and also the grief and sorrow of the Church.

The Passion account from the Gospel of John is read. (During Holy Week, the Passion is read three times: on Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, and Good Friday.)

(b)  Veneration of the Cross

A cross, either veiled or unveiled, is processed through the Church, and then venerated by the congregation. We reverently venerate and kiss the wooden cross on which hung the Savior of the world in order to honor the great sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for us.

Adoration or veneration of an image or representation of Christ's cross does not mean we are actually honoring the material image but rather what it represents. In kneeling before the crucifix and kissing it we are paying the highest honor to our Lord's cross as the instrument of our salvation. Because the Cross is inseparable from His sacrifice; in reverencing His Cross we are, in effect, adoring Christ.

Thus we affirm: We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee, because by Thy Holy Cross Thou has redeemed the world.

(c) Holy Communion

The altar is covered with cloth for the Holy Communion part and the ciboria containing the Blessed Sacrament consecrated on Holy Thursday are brought to the altar from the place of reposition.

The Our Father and the Ecce Agnus Dei (This is the Lamb of God) are recited before Holy Communion.

Then the congregation receives Holy Communion.

The Prayer after Communion is said, followed by the final Prayer Over the People.

At the end of the rite, the priest  and people depart in silence, and the altar cloth is removed, leaving the altar bare again except for the Cross and two or more candlesticks.

Seven Last Words:

In some Churches the reflections on the Seven Last Words of Jesus are done prior to the afternoon liturgy.

Day of Fasting and Abstinence:

The Catholic Church treats Good Friday as a day of fast and abstinence. According to Church's rule, fasting is required for ages 18 to 60, and abstinence is from age 14.

The Church mourns in silence:

The rest of the day we keep our meditative silence to mourn the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, who saved us from our sins, as we await with joyful expectation his resurrection on Easter Sunday.
 

Deo Optimo Maximo!

Sources: Ordo 2013, Catholic Online, CatholicCulture.org

 

Holy Thursday in the Catholic Church

We enter the last three days of Holy Week: Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. It is called the Easter or Sacred Triduum (Triduum Sacrum), which is the three-part drama of Christ's redemptive act.

Holy Thursday is also known as "Maundy Thursday". The word "maundy" is derived from the Latin "mandatum" which means commandment. It is in reference to what Jesus said to his apostles at the Last Supper after the washing of their feet:

           

                                "I give you a new commandment: Love one another

                                  as I have loved you." (John 13:34)

In all Catholic churches only two Masses are allowed on Holy Thursday: the Chrism Mass in the morning, and the evening Mass of the Last Supper.

Chrism Mass

Each diocese celebrates the Chrism Mass or the Mass of the Holy Oils presided by the bishops with all his priests in the diocese con-celebrating, usually at the cathedral of the diocese.

The bishop blesses the holy oils during the Mass, which will be used throughout the diocese for the following year in ministering the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders, and the sacrament of the Sick.

The Chrism Mass is also a solemn observance of the institution by Christ himself of the priesthood during the Last Supper with his disciples. That is why all the priests in the diocese celebrate with their bishop and together they renew their sacerdotal priesthood.

The Catholic faithful are encouraged to participate in Chrism Mass at least once in their lives to experience the communion of priests with their bishop, so that together they celebrate Chrism Mass as a People of God or the Living Church.

Mass of the Last Supper

The Mass of the Last Supper is celebrated in the evening of Holy Thursday. The timing is so because the original Passover by the Jews began at sundown.

The liturgy of the Mass recalls the Passover, the Last Supper, which includes the washing of the feet of the disciples.

Since this is the only Mass in the evening of this day, the whole community and the priests of the parish participate. It is a joyful Mass as we recall the institution by Christ of the Holy Eucharist and the priesthood. The priests wear vestments with liturgical color white, the altar is filled with flowers, the "Gloria" is sung, and the church bells are rung.

After the singing of the "Gloria" we shall not hear organ music and the ringing of the bells until the Easter Vigil in the evening of Holy Saturday.

The final blessing by the priest after the Communion Prayer is omitted.  Instead the Holy Eucharist is carried in procession through the church and then transferred into a place of reposition, usually a side altar.

When the Mass is completed, we now recall and reflect on the Agony in the Garden, and the arrest and imprisonment of Jesus. Thus in keeping with the sorrowful mood the altar is stripped bare, crosses are removed or covered with purple cloth.

The Altar of Repose

We remain in quiet prayer and adoration at the altar of repose where the Holy Eucharist has been placed after the procession. This is in keeping with Christ's invitation to his disciples to keep him company, "Could you not, then, watch one hour with me?" (Matt 26:40)

After mid-night on Holy Thursday, the adoration of the Holy Eucharist concludes without solemnity, since the day of the Lord's Passion has began.

"Visita Inglesia"

There is an inspiring Filipino tradition, particularly in big cities with many parishes, to try to visit seven churches and their altar of repose during the evening of Holy Thursday. This is called "Visita Iglesia" which is a good culmination of our devotion on Holy Thursday, just as the disciples stayed with the Lord during his agony on the Mount of Olives, before the betrayal by Judas.

The Road to Calvary

After the "Visita Iglesia", we end Holy Thursday in spiritual meditation as we now prepare ourselves to journey with our Lord tomorrow  on the Road to Calvary.

Deo Optimo Maximo!

Sources: CatholicCulture.org and Catholic Online