Without noticing it, there is now a dangerous tendency to determine not only legal, but also moral issues, or what is right and what is wrong, through popularity surveys. Playing the numbers game to decide legal or moral issues is getting to be an accepted norm in our democratic society. The current view is that if 6, 7 or 8 out of 10 people surveyed think that a certain proposition is true and correct, or is legal, then that proposition should be accepted and adopted. If carried to the extremes, it means that if the same number of people or all of them believe that two plus two equals five then it should be accepted as true and correct.More here: Determining the truth through surveys by Atty. Jose C. Sison, Philippine Star columnist.
God “makes it possible for us, though we are but creatures, to sing and worship with the angels” – an awe-inspiring task for which household objects, popular music, and casual language are inappropriate. Bishop Conley indicated that many attempts to make worship feel more familiar, have instead made it less inspiring.
More here: Bishop explains how new Mass translation 'reaches up to heaven'
The new Mass translation reasserts “the continuity of the Novus Ordo (Mass) with the ancient liturgy of the Church” – where the apostles and the first Christians understood themselves to be “singing the song of angels,” participating in a heavenly ceremony while on earth.
Bishop Conley cited the words of Pope Benedict XVI, who said Catholic worship “presupposes … that the heavens have been opened,” and must reflect this reality. “This is the truth we need to recover,” the bishop taught. “Christ has rent the heavens and come down to us. Again he has been lifted up and carried into heaven to take his seat at the right hand of power.”
(...)
Bishop Conley specified a number of changes intended to recapture this sense of the sacred in the new translation, including the revival of the congregation's traditional response “and with your spirit,” the restored and “more faithfully translated” prayer of the priest before the Eucharistic rite, and the more exalted language in the “Gloria” hymn.
“Our new Mass translation replaces the mundane affirmation –'Happy are those who are called to (Christ's) supper'– with a confession of faith … 'Blessed are those called to the Supper of the Lamb'.” The bishop explained that these changes “get us closer to the theological richness and the poetry of the original Latin.”
"...the liturgical experimentations can be likened to a gorilla who was let out of its cage, and these instructions were attempts to coax him back in. Perhaps we're still trying to accomplish that."
MANILA, Nov. 1, 2010—Human Life International (HLI) for Asia and Oceania is holding its 17th Asia-Pacific Congress on Faith, Life and Family, at the Dusit Hotel, Makati City on Nov. 6-8.
The congress will be preceded by a three-day international pro-life training for clergy, religious and lay leaders of Asia and Oceania on Nov. 3-5.
Ligaya Acosta, executive director of HLI-Asia/Oceania said that the congress is timely and urgent in the face of “massive attacks on the church and the much more aggressive push for the passage of the RH bill.”
“I pray that our clergy, religious and lay leaders will take this opportunity to know much more about the global agenda, and the many deceptions [and] subtle attacks against life and family,” she said.
Resource speakers during the pro-life training for clergy, religious and lay will be Dr. Brian Clowes, Dr. Ligaya Acosta, Atty. Jo Imbong, Fr. Francis Lucas, Fr. Melvin Castro and Archbishop Paciano Aniceto.
Dr. Brian Clowes is the director for research and training of Human Life International in its USA central office.
He will speak on two topics during the pre congress. On November 4, Clowes will talk on “How dissenters plan to remake the Catholic Church to their own image” and on November 3, he will speak on the topic, “Winning pro-life debate.”
Clowes will again speak on the congress proper. Other speakers include Raymond de Souza, an international Catholic apologist and program host of EWTN; and Dr. Rene Bullecer, Executive director of Human Life International, Philippines.
CBCP president and Tandag Bishop Nereo Odchimar will give an inspirational message to the participants during the congress while Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal will deliver the keynote address.
The closing mass on November 8 will be presided by Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales.
A press conference will be held on November 6 at 9-10:30 am.
Participants will be required to pay a registration fee of P2,500 for the pre-congress training while those attending the congress proper will pay a registration fee of P3,700. (CBCPNews)
...And yet, no matter how vehemently the world tries to deny these realities, the truth remains: there is death and judgment. One day, we shall die and the world is afraid of this. This fear of death comes from the fact that it does not have any idea of what lies beyond it. Denying what is invisible, the world sees nothing beyond the materiality of death. Thus, death to the eyes of the world is simply the end: the end of life, the end of relationships, and the end of existence. And this thought drives man to take all he can out of life – to eat, drink, and be merry because tomorrow we die. Live without accountability. Enjoy without responsibility. Nothing waits for you at the end...
...The saints are the real survivors of the struggles of this life – not the artificially stranded people whose tasks consisted in games and contests, and definitely not housemates whose tasks veer toward stupidity and foolishness. The saints are the ones who have survived the great distress. They are the ones who have shown us the real stuff that our humanity is made of and meant for...
There is what we may call the Conciliar, or more exactly the para-Conciliar ideology, which was imposed on the Council from the beginning and which overshadowed it. By this expression is not meant something that concerns the texts of the Council, nor (even less) the intentions of the subjects, but the frame of overall interpretation by which the Council was situated and which acted as a type of internal conditioning in the subsequent reading of the acts and documents. The Council is not, in fact, the para-Conciliar ideology, but in the history of the ecclesiastical milieu and the means of mass communication it, i.e. the para-Conciliar ideology, has operated in large part towards a mystification of the Council. Since all the consequences of the para-Conciliar ideology have been manifested as an historical event, the revolution of 1968 must indeed be acknowledged, taking as its point of departure rupture with the past and a radical change in history. In the para-Conciliar ideology 1968 signifies a new form of the Church in rupture with the past, even if the roots of this rupture had been present for some time in certain Catholic circles.
Latin Mass Community - Parish of the Lord of the Divine Mercy
Parish of the Lord of the Divine Mercy
Carmel of St. Therese of the Child Jesus Convent
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Shrine Parish
St. John the Baptist Parish
Sanctuario de Sto. Cristo
Mary the Queen Parish
Sanctuario de San JoseTHE story is told about a priest who, wanting to be “in” with the youth, started the Mass by saying, “The Lord be with you… nobody, nobody but you!” In no time, he had the whole congregation singing and dancing to the popular song “Nobody, nobody but you!”
Benedictine-style altar arrangement
Tunicled acolytes preparing
Tunicled acolytes in procession
TO: ALL PARISH PRIESTS/SHRINE RECTORS/CHAPLAINS AND SCHOOL DIRECTORS
SUBJECT: ORATIO IMPERATA/INTERCESSORY PRAYERS FOR RAIN
People tasked with managing our water/power resources have warned that we face drought and shortage of water because of El Niño phenomenon. Our relief will come from nature. And so we implore the Master of all creation, God, our Father, at whose command the winds and the seas obey, to send us rain and ease the drought.
We are sending you the intentions to be inserted into the Daily and Sunday Prayers of the Faithful of the Mass:
Lord, hasten to send the rain we badly need so the damage to crops and other livelihood and impending power shortage may be averted, we pray…
Lord, inspire us in this time of crisis to share in the name of Jesus what we have and to take responsibility for one another and for the environment and resources that you have generously provided us, we pray...
The Oratio Imperata ad Petendam Pluviam is to be prayed after Communion before the Post Communion Prayer:
God our loving Father, creator of our earth and of the universe, and all the wondrous elements of nature that sustain your living creatures, we humbly ask you to send us the rain that our country needs so badly at this time, to irrigate our fields, to stave off a power shortage, to provide water for our bodily health, and to refresh our parched lands. At you command the wind and the seas obey, raise your hand Almighty God to send us so that crisis may be averted.
Merciful and generous God, open our eyes to the richness and beauty of your creation and instill in us a deep love for this earth and all that is in and around it. Teach us to be wise stewards of your creation so that we may always use them responsibly and protect them from abuse and exploitation. At this time of crisis, dear Lord, move us to share more and to love more.
Loving God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, you entrusted the Filipino people to the special care of Mary our Mother, listen to the prayers that we bring up to her, our Blessed Mother, to intercede for us, for the protection of our land and our people, whom she loves.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God forever and ever. Amen.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.
Saint Rose of Lima, pray for us.
Saint Lorenzo Ruiz, pray for us.
February 28, 2010 is the Second Sunday of Lent and we start with these prayers on this day, the day of our intensified journey of Lent.
Let us together storm heavens with our supplication, that God's mercy be upon us and send us the rain we need.
God Bless!
+ GAUDENCIO B. CARDINAL ROSALES, D.D.
Archbishop of Manila
The Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei has recently answered some important questions regarding the application of the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum submitted by the moderator for the faithful attached to the Extraordinary Form of the diocese of Rzeszów, Poland. The answers, however, are applicable generally. The original questions (in German) and answers (in Italian), published by Nowy Ruch Liturgiczny are reproduced below. Here is an NLM summary; questions 2 and 3 have easily the biggest impact:
1. If there is no other possibility, because for instance in all churches of a diocese the liturgies of the Sacred Triduum are already being celebrated in the Ordinary Form, the liturgies of the Sacred Triduum may, in the same church in which they are already celebrated in the Ordinary Form, be additionally celebrated in the Extraordinary Form, if the local ordinary allows.
2. A Mass in the usus antiquior may replace a regularly scheduled Mass in the Ordinary Form. The question contextualizes that in many churches Sunday Masses are more or less scheduled continually, leaving free only very incovenient mid afternoon slots, but this is merely context, the question posed being general. The answer leaves the matter to the prudent judgement of the parish priest, and emphasises the right of a stable group to assist at Mass in the Extraordinary Form.
3. A parish priest may schedule a public Mass in the Extraordinary Form on his own accord (i.e. without the request of a group of faithful) for the benefit of the faithful including those unfamiliar with the usus antiquior. The response of the Commission here is identical to no. 2.
4. The calendar, readings or prefaces of the 1970 Missale Romanum may not be substituted for those of the 1962 Missale Romanum in Masses in the Extraordinary Form.
5. While the liturgical readings (Epistle and Gospel) themselves have to be read by
the priest (or deacon/subdeacon) as foreseen by the rubrics, a translation to the vernacular may afterwards be read also by a layman.
