The Loneliness of Sin: My Good Friday Reflection

The  Image of the Crucified Christ used for Good Friday Liturgy
@ San Juan Bautista Church,
Tabaco City, Albay Philippines

            “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).  The Scripture said that our Lord before he died on the Cross cried out in a loud voice –“My God, my God why hast thou forsaken me?”  Has anyone ever imagined what it is to be wholly forsaken and to be totally lonely?  Has anyone felt what it is to be abandoned by the one you love?  Such is the lot of sinners.  God has nothing to do with sin and the person who sin will experience this desolation.  The Bible said that all men have sinned and was never able to measure up to the standards of God.  And the wages of sin is death (separation from God, desolation, abandonment), [ Romans 3:23 , 6;23].  Most of us sometime in our lives have experienced some form of loneliness or the feeling of rejection.  But for someone who have undergone such humiliation and suffering, the feeling of abandonment is terrible.  Christ on that Good Friday, became “sin” for us in order to offer himself for us a ransom.

            These words of our Lord signify the vicarious nature of his Sacrifice on the cross- “Because Christ also died once for our sins, the just for the unjust; that he might offer us to God, being put to death indeed in the flesh, but enlivened in the spirit.” [1 Peter 3;8 Douay-Rheims version].  We can never truly understand the mystery of sin, but it is a real experience for all of us.  I am often met with looks of scepticism whenever I tell my friends that original sin has made us all enemies of God.  The simple test is this –let us examine our thoughts, why do we love to do the things we know is contrary to God?  Why do we want to gossip and hate our enemies?  Why do we do those things that are contrary to goodness and sound reason?  Are we meant to be this way?  Original sin has clouded our sense of ourselves and it has clouded the image of God in us.  Darkly through a glass we see dimly this image, obliterated by shadows.  But the image of God though obliterated by these shadows (sin) is still alive.  And being separated from God because of these shadows (sin) we feel a sense of alienation and we feel a sense of enmity with ourselves, with our neighbours and with God our Father.  All have sinned and come short of the standard set for us by God.  But here Christ offered Himself to us as a ransom.  He made Himself as the bridge that restored our friendship with God so that we may regained the blessed status we lost in Paradise. 

But the work of salvation is a work in progress.  Conversion is a process, salvation is our goal.  Salvation is a promise that all converted received.  But it is a process.  This is best prefigured by the Sabbath, for in six days God work but on the seventh day He rested.  The history of salvation is also like the week and the Sabbath.  When Christ preached the gospel and accomplished the work of salvation, He accomplished it once and for all.  That is why the paschal mystery is the apex of the history of salvation.  The whole cosmos and history and time converged on this event.  That is why in the light of eternity (timeless existence), Christ is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end.  He is begins and finishes the race for us.  This whole process is best expressed by the sacramental life of the Church.  Baptism initiates us into the life of Christ and restores us to our blessed state, and cancels the punishment due to the sin of Adam and Eve.  But this is not a once and for all event, it is a process; we need to grow and mature and live perseveringly. 

As I grow in my faith, I began to see that my faith in Christ is best lived within the Church, for within the Church Christ accomplishes the work of salvation through the ministration of the sacraments.  Baptism initiates us to Christian life, confirmation strengthens us with the gifts of the Holy Spirit so that we can fight evil and sin.  Penance offers us the door to reconciliation whenever we fail and stumble.  Priesthood sets apart young men chosen called by God and the Church to minister to the people of God.  Marriage helps Christians to build strong families and find expression of the union of Christ (Groom) and His Church (Bride).  And finally the anointing of the sick prepares us for our final journey – death is the last of our enemies to be defeated, but Christ through His resurrection has defeated death for us.  As we prepare for our final journey the Church helps us to be at peace in the hope and faith that we shall rise again on the last day.

            Personally, I consider the Crucifix is one of my favourite sacramental because it expresses the saving and redeeming work of Christ.  This is in fact the meaning of the Mass.  Every time we celebrate the Eucharist, we proclaim His death till He comes again.  That is why the crucifix is one of the most important paraphernalia in the celebration of the Mass.  It should be place at the center, the symbol and focal point, as in “ad orientem”, facing to the east.  For Christ is our sun, the rising and our hope.  It sad to note that in some of our churches the crucifix has been banished into the sideline and in some have all together disappeared.  Perhaps because of the mistaken notion that the crucifix causes fixation with suffering.  They said that Filipinos are so fixated with the images of suffering that is why they say we are not emancipated.  To me this is a wrong notion.  Perhaps this idea of removing the crucifixes at the center of our liturgical celebrations is a product of an academic thesis, but the crucifix is the potent symbol of our redemption.  It is the image that symbolizes the heart of our salvation.  Just as Moses raised up the image of a serpent on a tree that healed the Israelites, so Christ (His Corpus) crucified on a tree raised up on calvary, provides healing for all of us.  For Christ’s crucifixion is not a defeat, it is the symbol of victory.  For on that tree Christ on our behalf redeemed us, and with that once and for all sacrifice offered Himself to God as a propitiation for our sins.  It satisfied and pacified the Divine indignation against sin, for God is Holy and He is a consuming fire.  With Christ hanging on a Tree the divine indignation is pacified and once more we are made friends with God.

For how shall I thank the Lord for all the things He has done for me – I will take the chalice of salvation and praise the Lord.  For even if I walk in the shadow of death, I will trust in the Lord.

Pope Knocked Down by a Woman Who Jumped Barriers at St. Peters

A CNN Report said: "A woman jumped a barrier at the start of Christmas Eve Mass at St. Peter's Basilica and knocked down the pope, briefly disrupting ceremonies. Screams erupted from onlooking worshippers when the woman ran toward Pope Benedict XVI and grabbed onto his vestments as he walked down the main aisle of the church, video footage showed. He was quickly helped to his feet by his aides -- prompting cheers from the crowd -- and the service was resumed, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi told CNN." For Detailed Story read it at CNN World.

Let us thank Our Lord and Our Lady for protecting the Holy Father from harm. As we pray and hope that the pontificate of His Holiness will bring much good for the restoration and authentic interpretation of Vatican II. He has displayed and bold courage in his teachings and proclamation of the Word of God and the authentic transmission of the deposit of the faith.

New Translation for the Novus Ordo Mass

The USCCB has open a website that would educate the faithful on the upcoming new translation of the Missal. I read with interest the text. This is indeed a step forward from the old translation. I opine that the new translation is better because it reflects the original Latin Text. Those interested to look at the new translation you may visit the USCCB website entitled 3rd Edition Roman Missal

Benedictine?

As customary among Filipinos, every major social activity is preceded by a Holy Mass. The students in our University department were set to hold their general assembly and decided to have a mass, albeit in Novus Ordo as this is the only form of mass available. In our diocese no one among the clergy could say the extraordinary form. Indeed sad. But here look at the following pictures.

Photo 1: Our makeshift altar. Covered with linen and the candles and the altar arranged in a Benedictine Fashion. Critics perhaps will criticize this but this is the only resources available to us. The Lord knows how our students labored hard within their means to give glory and honor to God.

Photo: 2: Reverend Fr. Jovic Lobrigo, the celebrant.

Photo 3: Here you can see the dedicated and enthusiastic members of our school choir. They practiced several days before the mass. Here before the start of the Mass, could be seen practicing those little pieces. Our organist is Kim Oriola a Junior Student. The girls making the "peace" sign. Obviously they need more practice, but the enthusiasm and the willingness to give praise to the Lord is overwhelming. The Lord looks into the hearts of men.

Creeping Secularization in the Liturgy

Here is an excerpt on Zenit's report of the Homily of the Holy Father for the Corpus Christi.

"Today there arises the risk of a serpentine secularization even within the Church, which can convert into a formal and empty Eucharistic worship, in celebrations lacking this participation from the heart that is expressed in veneration and respect for the liturgy," he cautioned. According to the Pontiff, "the temptation is always strong to reduce prayer to superficial and hurried moments, letting oneself be carried away by earthly activities and worries." And nevertheless, he added, the Eucharist is "the bread of eternal life of the new world that is given us today in the holy Mass, so that starting now the future world begins in us." "With the Eucharist, therefore, heaven comes down to earth, the tomorrow of God descends into the present and it is as if time remains embraced by divine eternity," the Bishop of Rome explained. (Quote from Zenit.org)

The Holy Father in His Corpus Christi Homily made mention of the creeping secularization even in the way the liturgy is celebrated. I think that the Holy Father’s homily is very timely. In my observation there is a growing minimalism in the way the liturgy is celebrated. During communion time there is the unnecessary hurry and sometimes the priest does not want to use patens to protect the sacred species from falling down , the lack of meditation and the lack of silence. Sometimes some pastors do not even observe the proper vesting. In our country I observe that many priests don’t wear the alb during celebrations. Sometimes they would simply wear the chasubles over their ordinary street clothes. Very seldom do we now see the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament for adoration. Perhaps this is based on a wrong notion that the Eucharist is something that should be eaten and not to be look at. However, the modern secularists do not realize that the adoration of the Eucharist is an outgrowth of that devotion arising from the consummation of the Sacred Species. It is an expression of gratefulness for the one true sacrifice that Christ offered on Calvary.

Easter Vigil in Our Parish: St. John the Baptist Tabaco City

What a blessed Holy Week that was. Here are some more video clips of the Easter Vigil Liturgy in our parish church of St. John the Baptist, Tabaco City, Albay, the Philippines. The celebrant of the Liturgy was the Most Reverend Jose C. Sorra, D.D. Bishop Emeritus of Legazpi. In his Easter Homily, the Old but gracious Bishop eloquently explained the History of Salvation, the mystery of original sin and how in a practical way we could live up to the Light of Christ. He constantly made reference to the Paschal Candle as the symbol of Christ. We were in darkness because of sin and ignorance but now here is Christ the new Light. He said moreover that the readings from the scriptures were done under the Paschal candle in order to show us that without the light of Christ we can not perceive the meaning of the Gospel. He also emphasized the need for repentance and true penance. Moreover, he said that the sacrament of penance should also be called the sacrament of conversion. This is because we do only confess our sins but we must truly die to sin and turn away from it. That is the real meaning of penance. This event was also an occasion fro our Pastor, Monsignor Ramon Tronqued to say farewell. As Vicar General the current administrator of the Diocese decided that he should be assigned in the Cathedral so he could attend more closely with Diocesan concerns. Some of the priests will also assume new assignments, except for the youngest Priest, Fr. Dennis who will remain in our Parish.

Easter Vigil: Processional with the Celebrating Bishop and the Bringing in of the Paschal Candle

The Chanting of the Exsultet

The Bishop Emeritus Officiating on the Baptism of New Converts and renewal of Baptismal Vows

Parish of St. John the Baptist, Tabaco City - Good Friday Liturgy MORE PICTURES

We are almost twelve hours ahead of Central European Time (Rome), hence we celebrate Good Friday ahead of Rome and the rest of Europe and Americas. Filipino practices are to some extent unique; it is a blending of Spanish-Mexican Catholicism with a mixture of Filipino native practices. Filipinos are festive by nature and social events are celebrated with much fanfare. The early missionaries who evangelize these islands recognize this indigenous traits of the Filipinos (during colonial times, the Filipino natives were called Indios). The gospel message was easily conveyed by ceremonies and other para-liturgical activities such as dramas, plays and dioramas. In the parish where I belong, this is actually a very populous parish; Good Friday and Easter are celebrated with much color and vividness. After the liturgical services, people await the procession of religious floats referred to locally as Carosas. These religious floats depict events in the passion of Christ. The life-size statues bring to life the story of how Jesus suffered in order to redeem the world. These processions are popular with children. In a sense this is also a form of catechism. To the uninstructed and to those who are “children” in the faith, these floats serve to teach them and impress in their minds the story of Jesus. St. Paul in his letter told the Corinthians that he has fed them with milk because until now they are not yet ready to take on meat. Thus far from belittling these practices, I consider these as very important cultural practices that could help transmit the message of the gospel. These practices are indeed worth preserving. This is also a means by which we could teach the young about the gospel. To the simple and the uninstructed this could serve as vehicle for learning.

The Float Depicting the Last Supper. These floats are maintained and owned by certain families. They do this out of religious devotion or in fulfillment of a personal vow. Maintaining one of these floats is expensive. The owners have to change the clothes and decorations.

The Crowning with thorns

Simon of Cyrene Helping the Lord Carry His Cross

Jesus Carrying the Cross

The multitude of faithful at the Church Courtyard waiting for the procession to begin

The Festive Crowd in the Church Courtyard waiting for the procession to begin.

The people milling around in the courtyard

The Church Courtyard

Outdoor Altar. A metal fence was built around the altar to prevent bystanders from desecrating the altar. This is an example of an altar in the Tridentine era. Outdoor Masses are still held here but an altar table is place instead because of the ad populum orientation of the Novus Ordo Mass.

Altar of Christ the King

Diorama of the triumphal Entry

Parish of St. John the Baptist, Tabaco City - Good Friday Liturgy

Here are some photos of the Good Friday Liturgy at St. John the Baptist Parish in Tabaco City, Albay, Philippines. The pictures may not be of good quality because I used my camera phone to capture these moments. But nonetheless I am pleased to share them with you and would like to share with you all the blessings and spiritual graces I received by participating in this liturgy.

The Life size statues of the Crucified Christ and the two thieves on his left and right.

Streams of Worshipers

After the Reflections on the Seven Last Words, the Body of Christ was taken from the Cross to prepare for the Good Friday Liturgy.

The Crucified Christ taken from the Cross.

I want to share with you this video clip, a part of the Good Friday Liturgy here in my home parish of Tabaco City. This image of the Crucified Christ together with the two thieves is actually an antique images. Seldom do churches display the image of the two thieves. But here in our parish, the diorama is complete. This is actually a very large and populous parish. The priests started offering confessions since 8:00 a.m. but it was already 12:00 nn and the Good friday liturgy was about to start, and there were still ling lines of penitents. So our Parish Priest was compelled to extend and offer a General Absolution to allow the multitude of penitents the chance to receive communion. But he reminded the penitents that if they get a chance to go on actual confession that they should do so and mention that they have receive the general absolution. Our parish has a huge population and it is very difficult to minister to this large number of faithful with very few priests around.

Video Clip: Christ taken from the Cross

St. John the Baptist Parish-Tabaco City: Maundy Thursday Procession and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

After the Mass the Parish Priest together with the vicar and other prelates proceeded with a solemn procession of the Body of Christ to be exposed for adoration. The procession passed by near where I was seated. I wanted to catch the moment on video so I took the clip using my Nokia Phone. The camera has only 2 mega pixels hence the quality of the video is not that good but it captured the moment. When the Blessed Sacrament came near my side I put off my camera phone to show reverence to the King of Kings, Lord of Lords who is passing by, truly present in the Most Holy Eucharist. Like Thomas, I exclaimed, "My Lord and My God!".

Mass of the Last Supper: Maundy Thursday in the Parish of St. John the Baptist

Maundy Thursday at the Parish of St. John the Baptist, Tabaco City, Albay

I would like to share with you some photos I took just a few hours ago when I attended the Mass of the Last Supper. I came a little bit earlier in order to secure a seat. Most of the seats in front were reserved for the extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion and lectors and altar servers. This is also the time that they will renew their vows and promises. Our parish is a large parish. The City Mayor and the Vice Mayor were also present during the celebration. I feel so blessed this afternoon and the start of the Easter Triduum has evoked in my heart deep gratitude for the Lord and I participated in the liturgy, I could vividly see in my mind and feel the mysteries of the Passion of Christ. As I looked up to the Lord, I remember my family, my loved ones and my departed relatives.

I came to Church at around 4;30 p.m. thirty minutes early for the Mass. It afforded me the chance to find a good seat and location. It also allowed me to be recollected so I can best prepare spiritually for the Mass. There were also some doing their via crucis. The images on the altar were covered for the lenten season.

The entrance procession. The Mass started at exactly 5:00 p.m.

The Introductory rites and penitential rites.

The Liturgy of the Word.

There were 66 extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion who stood to profess their vows of committment. The Pastor led the group in renewing their vows.

The Consecration.

The Mass was performed using the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite. In the Philippines the Novus Ordo rite is performed reverently and in a more conservative fashion (at least in the Diocese where I belong as I may not be aware of other dioceses).

Palm Sunday in Our Parish

This morning as usual I got up early in order to be able to participate in the Palm Sunday Liturgy. This Church I am attending is just a few blocks away. I feel blessed because our home is located near two churches. There is the Bigger and More ancient Church of St. John the Baptist However there is a smaller Church near our home. This is the Personal Parish of Our Lady of Lourdes which caters to the spiritual needs of the Chinese Catholics in Tabaco City. There is a small but significant Chinese community here in this city. Their Church - Our Lady of Lourdes is a smaller church though but very near the Mother Church of St. John the Baptist. I usually hear Mass on this little church because of its proximity to our home and because this one is not so crowded. I use to hear Mass on the Bigger Church on major feast days. I posted a blog item earlier. To see the post please follow the link above.

In the photo below, Rev. Fr. Manuel Camu, pastor of the Personal Parish of Our Lady of Lourdes officiates in the blessing of Palms at the courtyard.

This is the Sanctuary of the Church. Before there use to be the little retablo, but under the pretext of reform and renovation they remove the retablo and changed it with this modern looking sanctuary. The Ressurected Christ is at the Center. On the left side is the image of Our Lady of Lourdes, titular of the personal parish that caters to the needs of the Filipino-Chinese community of Tabaco City. On the right side is the image of St. Jude Thaddeus. The secondary patron of the parish, and a well loved saint among Chinese Catholics in the Philippine Islands.

2nd Sunday in Lent: "This is my beloved Son, hear ye him"

2nd Sunday in Lent
Epistle 1 Thessalonians 4:1-7
Lectio Matthew 17:1-9

My Reflections for the 2nd Sunday in Lent: The Mount Tabor Experience

The Gospel reading for this Sunday narrates about the transfiguration of Jesus in Mt. Tabor as witnessed by Peter, James and John, three leading apostles. The Mount Tabor experience of the Apostles offers us with many lessons for reflections. I personally love this gospel narrative because it evokes so many spiritual nuggets of truth that can be applied to our Lenten observance. The vision of the Apostles with Jesus standing flanked by Moses and Elijah is a confirmation of the messianic mission of Christ. Moses on his discourse to the children of Israel said that the Lord will send a prophet just like him and that to him they should listen. Elijah too was a symbol of the precursor who shall proclaim the coming of the Messiah with the baptism of repentance. On another aspect of this lectio we see how in their fright the apostles were at a loss for words. Just like when confronted with an event so extraordinary and for want of something to say instead proposed that they build tents. How often in our human weakness we think that the Glory of God is comparable to human forms. We can observe this in many ways and even among us Catholics. How often are we so engrossed with visions and apparitions and forgetting that behind these events is the true message of Christ. We cross land and sea to visit an apparition shrine, hoping to see God or to hear the message coming from the Blessed Virgin. Yet we never realized that God is just right nearby, in the eyes of the poor, the beggar, the homeless, the abandoned or the child neglected by parents and elders. But our vision of the beauty of God should not stop in simply looking at it but it should move us to action. What should this action be? It should be active listening. Jesus said blessed are they that listen to the Word of God and obey. Thus while proposing that they build tents, the apostles heard a voice which says: "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him." This Lenten season is a season for pilgrimage, as we travel and make sacrifices let us remember that the greatest preparation and reception of God's grace is by listening attentively to the Word of God and matching it with our acts of obedience. Amen.

Prayer:

Lord your love is the source of everything and how ardently our hearts long to be close to Thee. As we behold your glory, the glory of the Son of God, may we be moved to action by keeping this Mount Tabor experience in our hearts, inspired and moved by it may we come closer to Thee in this Lenten Season. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.