FIRST TLM HELD IN BICOL SINCE SUMMUROM PONTIFICUM TOOK EFFECT

Today is a historic moment for the history of the Church in Bicol. On February 27, 2008 The First Traditional Latin Mass was held since the Summorum Pontificum took effect on September 14, 2007, Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. Rev. Fr. Abraham Arganiosa, CRS, chaplain of Amaelianum College, Inc. (ACI),in Sorsogon City, celebrated the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite at the Chapel of St. Jerome Emiliani at the ACI, on February 27, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. The mass was done with all simplicity and dignity. The celebration was a private mass in the Chapel in the presence of lay faithful invited for the said occasion. This is a pioneering effort on the part of Fr. Abe and the Somascans in Sorsogon City. At the moment we still do not have the traditional vestments for the Priest and we still do not have altar cards and candlesticks. But Fr. Abe and Fr. Richard was there and prepared the chapel and the altar. The Altar was prepared with linens on top of it and the candles were arranged accordingly. The handsome altar missal donated by the group of C.A. Palad was laid on the altar. For the meantime, Dr. Herbert served as altar server. Me and three of my students braved the torrential rains as we drove from Legazpi City to Sorsogon City a pretty 40 or so kilometers drive in order to be present at this mass. We felt privileged to be present in this historic event for the church in Bicol unfolding before our eyes. The Mass was assisted by me, my three students, two brothers from the Alliance of Two Hearts, and two ladies. Fr. Abe plans to say the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite on a weekly basis every Wednesday morning at 9:00 a.m. at least for this semester that will be the schedule. Fr. Richard, the Superior of the community, suggested to Fr. Abe that perhaps in the near future the TLM could be held every Sunday at 10:00 a.m. Fr. Abe said that the next TLMs will be a learning experience for us as we strive to master the rubrics. Once this is achieve the mass can be open for the public as those who celebrate and the lay faithful who assist must have some formation in this form of Liturgical Celebration. Please pray for our endeavors to fulfill the will of God here in Bicol and to live up to the wishes of Pope Benedict XVI as expressed in the Apostolic Letter, Summorum Pontificum. (For those who wish to read the Apostolic Letter and the accompanying explanatory letter of the Holy Father, please follow the link in the sidebar of this blog page). Please support our Traditional Latin Mass with your prayers and encouragement. I will share with you below some of the pictures. The Mass is indeed the Most beautiful Thing this side of Heaven. Blessed be God for ever!

Here are some of the TLM Mass pictures, I am pleased to share them with you.


Prayers at the foot of the Altar


The Collects



Offertory (a)



Offertory (b)


The Lavado



The Consecration



The Elevation of the Blood of the Lord



The Communion of the Faithful



The Faithful who assisted at the TLM



One of the Faithful present at the Mass, following through the order of the Mass in a hand booklet of the Missal.

PRAYER BEFORE THE CRUCIFIX

Almighty God and Father, with deep sorrow for our sins, we come with contrite heart before the cross of Calvary, where your Son Jesus was crucified. It was for our innumerable sins that it took your Son this pain and death.

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, accept my penitence and sorrow for sin. May your wounds and strifes heal my soul, my body and spirit. Let the Blood and water that flowed from your heart be a source of life for me. May your sacrifice on the cross open the door of paradise for me. Jesus, my Jesus have mercy on me. I resolve with the help of your grace not to sin anymore. I resolve to love the unlovable and to see your face in those that are needy, the sick and the suffering. May I enter into communion with your pain so that my calouse heart may be moved to love my needy brothers and sisters, especially those that are dispised by society. Filled with hope in your ressurection let me rise from my slumber and forever proclaim your mercy. So that together with your Mother, Our Lady of Sorrows with St. John the Evangelist we may proclaim the efficacy of your one, true and living sacrifice. Amen.
(Note: This Spanish Crucifix is a family heirloom. We inherited this piece from our maternal great grand parents We decided to put this piece in a glass case to protect it from dust, grime and the elements)

TLM UPDATES FROM PARISH OF OUR LORD OF DIVINE MERCY

Pontifical Low Mass by the Most Reverend Federico Escaler, S.J., Bishop Emeritus of the Prelature of Ipil. Friday, February 22, 2008 at the Parish of Our Lord of Divine Mercy, Sikatuna, Quezon City. This is the third pontifical Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite said by a Philippine Bishop since the Apostolic Letter Summorum Pontificum took effect last September 14, 2007, feast of the exaltation of the Holy Cross.

Photos - courtesy and with permission from Armand La Morte of Post Modern Traditionalist.



After his communion, the Celebrant turns to the faithful with the Sacred Host and says "Ecce Agnus Dei, ecce qui tollit peccata mundi." The Celebrant joined by the servers says three times striking their breasts "Domine, non sum dignus, ut intres sub tectum meum, sed tantum dic verbo, et sanabitur anima mea."




The celebrant proceeds now to the the rail to give communion to the faithful. As he gives the Sacred Host the celebrant in a low voice says "Corpus Domini Jesu Christi custodiat animam tuam in vitam aeternam. Amen." Take note that in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, the faithful DOES NOT and SHOULD NOT respond AMEN because the Amen is already supplied by the Priest. In the Novus Ordo however, with the change of the prayers, the Amen has to be said by the communicant because of the change in the rubrics. In the Novus Ordo the communicant receives the host standing, not kneeling. And as an option and by a dispensation the communicant can receive the host in the hand. hence to emphasize the Real Presence of the Lord in the Eucharist, the Amen has to be said when the celebrant hands the host to the communicant. Thus in the Novus Ordo the celebrant says "The Body of Christ" at which the communicant responds audibly the Amen. (Take note that communion in the hand is only by dispensation and not the norm.) In the Traditional Latin Mass or in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, communion is always received on the tongue and the communicant must kneel. This is integral to the rubrics of the TLM. Old people and those who are sick which on account of their physical condition could not kneel, can receive it standing. In some churches the communion rail has a white linen cloth over it. The correct posture under this situation is for the communicant to kneel and put the joind hands under the linen cloth, and once the priest approaches to give the communion, the communicant must open the mouth with the tongue exposed. So it would be impractical for the communicant to say Amen, because the mouth is already open waiting for the Sacred Host. In this case the Priest supplies the Amen. With the prescribe posture in communion there is no doubt that outwardly the Real Presence of Christ is proclaimed.

VISITA IGLESIA

AN INTRODUCTION. Holy Week is coming again and may I have the pleasure to introduce you to our Parish Church for your Lenten Devotions. This church was identified by the National Commission on Culture and Arts (NCAA) as one of the 25 baroque Churches of the Philippines. In Albay, Province there are only two churches identified as such. One is in Daraga, Albay (Our Lady of the Pillar). This Church is more than a century old and was built by the secular clergy. During the Spanish colonial period, our locality was considered a back water. But it became the focus of missionary activity of the Franciscans. But as the Hierarchy was secularized, it was the local clergy who continued the evangelization. Hence, the titular was St. John the Baptizer because it was a mission parish.


FOND MEMORIES. I have very fond memories of this church. It was on this church that my maternal grand parents were baptized, confirmed, married and where requiem masses were said for them. This was also the church where I was baptized and confirmed. As children we were members of the Legion of Mary, every year we remember renewing our vows to the Blessed Virgin Mary, seeking her protection and asking her to keep us faithful and chaste.



NOSTALGIA? . I am filled with nostalgia for the Old Church. The renovations made on the altar, seem to have obscured the architectural beauty of this old church. The original high altar was plated with silver and on the sides were huge silver candlesticks. But as renovations were made, the high altar was removed and replaced with an arch. The image of St. John was removed from the reredo and replaced with the huge image of the Risen Christ. But it seems that the way the statue of the risen Christ was made does not fit with the Baroque architectural design of the altar. The front of the new free standing altar was permanently built on the edge of the front step which would make it impossible to celebrate an “Ad Orientem” Mass. Incensing of the altar would also prove difficult because the priest had to descend the steps in order to incense the front of the altar. The communion rails made of high grade concrete and balustrades were also removed. Nostalgia? Yes, ...I say unabashedly, because nostalgia means a longing for home. How we long to be home. We are tired of the of the liturgical novelties that fades away with the fashion of time.


ENDURING DEVOTION TO THE MOTHER OF GOD. The grotto of our Lady of Lourdes located on the right side exterior of the Church. This grotto of the Blessed Mother has been the constant site of popular devotion, day and night votive candles are lighted by the faithful. The statuary of Our Lady and St. Bernadette are superb. It has European features. Recently the parish renovated and repainted the grotto, they placed some railings, in order to protect the grotto from vandals and also in imitation of the Grotto in Lourdes, France.



PROPHET FOR ALL SEASON! The side altar on the right contains the image of St. John the Baptist. The titular of the Parish. Jesus said that of all the prophets, there is no greater than John the Baptist. On this side also stands now the Choir. This church is a big parish. On a Sunday eight masses are celebrated to accommodate the large number of people attending mass. During Sundays and Holidays the 7:30 a.m. and 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. Masses are well attended. The crowd most often would spill even outside of the door. Others had to stand outside near the windows just to hear the Mass. Tabaco City is a center, hence most people from the rural areas find it convenient to attend Mass in this Church to fulfill Sunday obligation.

FIRST TLM MASS IN SORSOGON CITY (BICOL) RE-SCHEDULED

To our friends who may have read the announcement that we are going to have our TLM mass in Aemelianum College in Sorsogon City scheduled for February 22, 2008, please be informed that Fr. Abe decided to postpone the event to February 27, 2008 (Wednesday) due to the heavy torrential rains that has affected Bicol and Eastern Visayas. As you read from the news papers heavy rains brought by the La Nina phenomenon has hit Bicol and the Samar-Leyte Provinces. Some portions of the highway are not passable because of flooding. Sorsogon City is about 40 kilometers from Legazpi City. Please pray for our endeavor and remember us in your prayers. God bless us all.

INVITATION TO BICOLANOS TO ATTEND TLM

We would like to extend to our brothers and sisters in Bicol the invitation to join us in the first ever Traditional Latin Mass to be celebrated here in Bicol. Fr. Abe Arganiosa, CRS will celebrate the Mass in the Extraordinary Form (Private Mass with the participation of lay faithful) on February 22, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. at Aemelianum College Inc. in Sorsogon City. Please email us if you are interested or just be there on said time and date. This is a pioneering effort. Please don't expect that everything will be perfect or complete, as time goes on I think we will be able to complete the paraphernalia. The effort will stick to the essentials and God willing He will supply the rest in the future.

MEDITATION ON THE FIFTH STATION

Dear Friends tomorrow is the Second Sunday of Lent and today I wish to invite you to join me in my meditation on the Fifth Station of the Cross.

"After they had mocked him, they took off the cloak from him, and put on him his own garments, and led him away to crucify him. And going out they found a man from Cyrene, named Simon: him they forced to take up his cross." Matthew 27: 31-32 (Douay-Rheims)

O, what pain has pierced the Mother of God in seeing her Son, weakened by the scourges and the insults of his tormentors. She who bore her Son for nine months and nursed him, will now see the pain of losing her Son. In these she remembered the prophesy of Simeon: "And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed." Luke 2:35 As He grew weaker and unable to carry His cross, they forced a man from Cyrene called Simon to carry his cross. It was the time of the great festival, and Jews coming from different parts of the world were congregating in Jerusalem. Simon from the distant norther African City of Cyrene came to Jerusalem for the Passover. Simon never expected that he will be made to carry the cross. In many ways, we too are forced by circumstances to carry the cross. But should we disdain the cross? should we run away from it? or should we avoid it?. Christ said, if we want to follow Him we should carry our crosses and follow Him. How many times that the forced circumstances in our lives where we are forced to carry our cross became a blessing for us in disguise. The trials we face daily are the purifying furnace that cleanses our hearts and makes us more pure in the eyes of God. Without these trials we can never be purified. The thing that makes a difference when we accept our crosses in the name of Jesus Christ, is that we receive it and accept it with joy and happiness. The unbelieving heart will suffer too just like we do, but the difference is that they do not have the consolation coming from God. When we are in the state of grace, our journey to calvary becomes our sweetness. O, Jesus, my Jesus, you are the sweetness that makes my cup lighter, be ever with me this day and till the end.

Let us pray: Dear Jesus, you are my consolation, just like Simon of Cyrene I will take up your cross and accompany you to Calvary. Oh how I wish that I could console your heart that is filled with sorrow. My Jesus let me console you in my simple way, less my heart too that like you eternal hope may inflame my heart and give me strength to carry on till we receive our crown in your eternal kingdom. Amen.