Liturgy & Life

At its heart, the Eucharist is a sacrament of communion, bringing us closer to God and to our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ. If we live the fruits of the Eucharist in our daily lives, we will fill our families and our communities with the life-giving qualities that the Liturgy brings: hospitality, concern for the poor and vulnerable, self-offering, and thanksgiving.

An ancient saying in the Church reads “lex orandi, lex credendi,” meaning that the law of prayer is the law of faith. More loosely: as we pray, so we believe. To that we might add lex vivendi, meaning that as we pray, so we believe, and so we live. In the third edition of the Roman Missal, the bishops and translators have taken great care to ensure that the prayers accurately and fully reflect the mysteries of our faith. Th  us, the words that we pray in each liturgical celebration will help to form and strengthen our understanding of the faith.

However, if the effects of the Liturgy stop at the doors of the church, we have not made our prayer and our faith part of our law of living. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) teaches that the Eucharist helps us to grow in union with Christ, avoid sin, increase in charity, strengthen communion with our brothers and sisters, and recognize Christ in the poorest and most vulnerable members of society (see CCC, nos. 1391-1397). But what does that mean in daily life?

LIVING A LIFE OF PRAYER

Our prayer lives should not be limited to a single hour on Sunday mornings. In fact, the richer our prayer lives are throughout the week, the more fully we will be able to enter into the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist. Here are some ways to make your daily life more prayerful:

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      Try attending daily Mass at least once a week. Your parish may have an early morning Mass, or a church near your job may offer a lunchtime Mass.

Stop in a church before or after work or on your lunch hour for fifteen minutes of quiet prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.

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      Make it a practice to say grace before every meal—even if you are eating in the car.

·         Schedule time for family prayer at least once a week. 

    This prayer can be as simple as saying the Our Father or a decade of the rosary together.

·         Take time during the week to read or listen to the readings for the upcoming Sunday. The readings are available online (in print and audio) at www.usccb.org/nab.

·         Begin your day with a brief prayer of thanksgiving to God, offering your day to him.

·         End your day with an examination of conscience, looking at your successes and failures in what you have done or what you have failed to do. If you are aware of serious sin, receive the Sacrament of Penance before you receive Holy Communion again.

LIVING A LIFE OF LOVING SERVICE

Celebrating the eucharistic Liturgy and receiving Holy Communion should strengthen us to conform our lives more closely to the example of Christ. As Jesus knelt before his Apostles to wash their feet (see Jn 13),  

giving them an example of humble service, so must we who bear the name Christian live our lives in service to our brothers and sisters.

To help us in this endeavor, Church Tradition has identified works of mercy. These fourteen practices demand great sacrifice and generosity, but they also draw us more deeply into conformity with the Lord. Focusing on one of these works each week may be a practical way to integrate them into our personal, family, and parish lives.

Corporal Works of Mercy

·         Feeding the hungry

·         Sheltering the homeless

·         Clothing the naked

·         Visiting the sick

·         Visiting the imprisoned

·         Giving drink to the thirsty

·         Burying the dead

 

Spiritual Works of Mercy

·         Converting sinners

·         Instructing the ignorant

·         Advising the doubtful

·         Comforting the sorrowful

·         Bearing wrongs patiently

·         Forgiving injuries

·         Praying for the living and dead

Our parishes and civil communities offer numerous opportunities to live out these works, from assisting with religious education classes or volunteering at a food bank to encouraging our legislators to put forward policies that protect the life and dignity of each person. As we grow in conformity to Christ, we see more clearly that all people are made in the image and likeness of God (see Gn 1:26) and so have an inherent value and dignity. By helping to build a more just and compassionate society, we act as Christ’s Body in the world.

IT ALL COMES BACK TO THE EUCHARIST

Living the Christian life is not easy. “What material food produces in our bodily life, Holy Communion wonderfully achieves in our spiritual life. Communion with the flesh of the risen Christ . . . preserves, increases, and renews the life of grace received at Baptism. This growth in Christian life needs the nourishment of Eucharistic Communion, the bread for our pilgrimage” (CCC, no. 1392). And so, each Sunday, we return to the Eucharistic table, bringing all our efforts of the previous week, the good and the bad, the successes and the failures, the joys and the sorrows. We gather with our brothers and sisters in the Lord and, together with our priest, we join these efforts to the perfect sacrifice of Christ, asking that God will receive what we offer back to him in humble thanksgiving. The Catechism explains it as follows:

The Church which is the Body of Christ participates in the offering of her Head. With him, she herself is offered whole and entire. She unites herself to his intercession with the Father for all men. In the Eucharist the sacrifice of Christ becomes also the sacrifice of the members of his Body.

The lives of the faithful, their praise, sufferings, prayer, and work, are united with those of Christ and with his total offering, and so acquire a new value. Christ’s sacrifice present on the altar makes it possible for all generations of Christians to be united with his offering. (CCC, no. 1368)

Then, strengthened by Holy Communion, we are once again sent forth into the world to glorify the Lord in our lives.

REFERENCE

Catechism of the Catholic Church (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2000.

Excerpts from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, copyright © 2000, Libreria Editrice Vaticana–United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C

Praying with Body, Mind & Voice

In the celebration of Mass we raise our hearts and minds to God. We are creatures of body as well as spirit, so our prayer is not confined to our minds and hearts. It is expressed by our bodies as well. When our bodies are engaged in our prayer, we pray with our whole person. Using our entire being in prayer helps us to pray with greater attentiveness. During Mass we assume different postures—standing, kneeling, sitting—and we are also invited to make a variety of gestures. These postures and gestures are not merely ceremonial. They have profound meaning and, when done with understanding, can enhance our participation in the Mass.

STANDING

Standing is a sign of respect and honor, so we stand as the celebrant who represents Christ enters and leaves the assembly. From the earliest days of the Church, this posture has been understood as the stance of those who have risen with Christ and seek the things that are above. When we stand for prayer, we assume our full stature before God, not in pride but in humble gratitude for the marvelous things God has done in creating and redeeming each one of us. By Baptism we have been given a share in the life of God, and the posture of standing is an acknowledgment of this wonderful gift. We stand for the proclamation of the Gospel, which recounts the words and deeds of the Lord. The bishops of the United States have chosen standing as the posture to be observed for the reception of Communion.

KNEELING

In the early Church, kneeling signified penance. So thoroughly was kneeling identified with penance that the early Christians were forbidden to kneel on Sundays and during the Easter season, when the prevailing spirit of the Liturgy was one of joy and thanksgiving. In the Middle Ages kneeling came to signify homage, and more recently this posture has come to signify adoration, especially before the presence of Christ in the Eucharist. It is for this reason that the bishops of this country have chosen the posture of kneeling for the entire Eucharistic Prayer

SITTING

Sitting is the posture of listening and meditation, so the congregation sits for the pre-Gospel readings and the homily and may also sit for the period of meditation following Communion. All should strive to assume a seated posture during the Mass that is attentive rather than merely at rest.

PROCESSIONS

Every procession in the Liturgy is a sign of the pilgrim Church, the body of those who believe in Christ, on their way to the Heavenly Jerusalem. The Mass begins with the procession of the priest and ministers to the altar. The Book of the Gospels is carried in procession to the ambo. The gifts of bread and wine are brought forward to the altar. Members of the assembly come forward in procession—eagerly, attentively, and devoutly—to receive Holy Communion. We who believe in Christ are moving in time toward that moment when we will leave this world and enter into the joy of the Lord in the eternal Kingdom he has prepared for us.

MAKING THE SIGN OF THE CROSS

We begin and end Mass by marking ourselves with the Sign of the Cross. Because it was by his death on the Cross that Christ redeemed humankind, we trace the Sign of the Cross on our foreheads, lips, and hearts at the beginning of the Gospel, praying that the Word of God may be always in our minds, on our lips, and in our hearts. The cross reminds us in a physical way of the Paschal Mystery we celebrate: the death and Resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ.

BOWING

Bowing signifies reverence, respect, and gratitude. In the Creed we bow at the words that commemorate the Incarnation. We also bow as a sign of reverence before we receive Communion. The priest and other ministers bow to the altar, a symbol of Christ, when entering or leaving the sanctuary. As a sign of respect and reverence even in our speech, we bow our heads at the name of Jesus, at the mention of the Three Persons of the Trinity, at the name of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and at the name of the saint whose particular feast or memorial is being observed.

GENUFLECTING

As a sign of adoration, we genuflect by bringing our right knee to the floor. Many people also make the Sign of the Cross as they bend their knee. Traditionally, Catholics genuflect on entering and leaving church if the Blessed Sacrament is present in the sanctuary of the Church. The priest and deacon genuflect to the tabernacle on entering and leaving the sanctuary. The priest also genuflects in adoration after he shows the Body and Blood of Christ to the people after the consecration and again before inviting the people to Holy Communion.

ORANS

The priest frequently uses this ancient prayer posture, extending his hands to his sides, slightly elevated. Orans means “praying.” Early Christian art frequently depicts the saints and others standing in this posture, offering their prayers and surrendering themselves, with hands uplifted to the Lord, in a gesture that echoes Christ’s outstretched arms as he offered himself on the Cross.

PROSTRATING

In this rarely used posture, an individual lies full-length on the floor, face to the ground. A posture of deep humility, it signifies our willingness to share in Christ’s death so as to share in his Resurrection (see Rom 6). It is used at the beginning of the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday and also during the Litany of the Saints in the Rite of Ordination, when those to be ordained deacons, priests, and bishops prostrate themselves in humble prayer and submission to Christ.

SINGING

“By its very nature song has both an individual and a communal dimension. Thus, it is no wonder that singing together in church expresses so well the sacramental presence of God to his people” (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Sing to the Lord, no. 2). As we raise our voices as one in the prayers, dialogues, and chants of the Mass, most especially in the Eucharistic Prayer, as well as the other hymns and songs, we each lend our individual voices to the great hymn of praise and thanksgiving to the Triune God.

PRAYING IN UNISON

In the Mass, the worshiping assembly prays in one voice, speaking or singing together the words of the prayers. By saying the same words at the same time, we act as what we truly are—one Body united in Christ through the Sacrament of Baptism.

BEING SILENT

“Silence in the Liturgy allows the community to reflect on what it has heard and experienced, and to open its heart to the mystery celebrated” (Sing to the Lord, no. 118). We gather in silence, taking time to separate ourselves from the concerns of the world and enter into the sacred action. We reflect on the readings in silence. We may take time for silent reflection and prayer after Holy Communion. These times of silence are not merely times when nothing happens; rather, they are opportunities for us to enter more deeply in what God is doing in the Mass, and, like Mary, to keep “all these things, reflecting on them” in our hearts (Lk 2:19).

CONCLUSION

The Church sees in these common postures and gestures both a symbol of the unity of those who have come together to worship and also a means of fostering that unity. We are not free to change these postures to suit our own individual piety, for the Church makes it clear that our unity of posture and gesture is an expression of our participation in the one Body formed by the baptized with Christ, our head. When we stand, kneel, sit, bow, and sign ourselves in common action, we give unambiguous witness that we are indeed the Body of Christ, united in body, mind, and voice.

REFERENCE

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship. Pastoral Liturgy Series 4. Washington, DC: USCCB, 2007.

Scripture texts used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, copyright © 1991, 1986, and 1970 by the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, DC 20017

A Bibilical Walk Through the Mass,
Part 1

Excelent talks given by Dr. Edward Sri who is provost and professor of theology and Scripture at Augustine Institute in Denver Colorado. A nationally-known speaker and writer, Dr. Sri recently published "A Biblical Walk Thru The Mass: Understanding What We Say and Do in the Liturgy." And now he would like to take us through the Mass explaing every word and gesture  seeking its roots in the Bible, reviling unity of all the ages of Jewish and Christian worship.

 

When? Thursday, 10^th of November at 6.30 PM.

Where?
Parish Hall, St. Joseph RC Church, St. Joseph. 

You are most welcome!

•  Envelopes for Masses for the Dead can be placed in the collection basket. Masses for the Dead will be celebrated until November 20^th – Feast of Christ the King.

• From this weekend we will begin distributing envelopes for the Archbishop’s Appeal Fund for the restoration of Our Mother Church– the Cathedral. This is a year-long exercise until October 2012, but the Feast of Christ the King is the main collection weekend. Collect an envelope or two, pray about it and give generously.

•  Beginning this Sunday 6^th November @ 6pm in the Parish Hall, we invite you to be part of “THE CINEMA CLUB”. Movies on the lives of the saints will be shown, to be followed with a brief discussion on the virtues of the saint, and ways we can apply them in our lives.
  
  The first feature film will bethe movie, MARIA GORETTI, a tragic, yet inspiring story of purity, compassion and forgiveness. Maria Goretti is the youngest saint of all times who died, defending her purity at the hands of a knife-wielding attacker.
  
  The Club is open to anyone and everyone and you don’t need an invite. Just come, bring someone and bring something to munch on and a lil’ something to drink (preferably, non-alcoholic)

• As we are trying to prepare ourselves for the introduction of the new translation of the Roman Missal. we would like to invite you for projection of the recorded exellent – recommended by EWTN – talks by Dr. Edward Sri. In A Biblical Walk Through the Mass, Dr. Edward Sri takes us on a unique tour of the Liturgy. Based on the revised translation of the Mass which goes into effect Advent, 2011, his talks explore the biblical roots of the words and gestures we experience in the Liturgy which we know by heart but unfortunatelly do almost roboticlly.
  
  To go deeper into the code of the Mass, to learn how our celebrations are the continuation of the worship of Israel and all generations of Christians – these are our goals.
  
  This Thursday 10^th of November at 6.30 pm in the Parish Hall.

• Dancing with ‘D’ East Stars is the theme for our Annual Christmas Dinner on Sunday 11^th December at Bishop’s Anstey East Auditorium, Trincity. Tickets are priced at $200.00 and are available from this weekend, from Fr. Karol, Morris Smith, Marjorie Valere, and Deacon Jeffrey – St. Joseph. Carol-Ann Villafana, Michael Hill and Merle Newton – Mt. D’or.
  
  Our dinner is one of the few events we come together as a parish family – Mt.D’or and St. Joseph. So we encourage you purchase a few tickets for you and family so that we can celebrate together.

Dominican School of Faith

Topics of the weekly meetings in Novemebr 2011

The Last Things

7^th of Novemeber: Death.

14^th of Novemeber: Judement.

21^st of Novemeber: Hell, Purgatry, heaven.

On Mondays 7^th, 14^th and 21^st of November, at 6.00 P.M. at the Thomas Aquinas Room, St. Dominic’s Pastoral Centre, Four Roads, Diego Martin.

For more information please contact: Fr. Karol Wielgosz O.P. at 773-7403 or karolek@dominikanie.pl or Karen at 680-6796.

MOVIE NIGHT: MARIA GORETTI

The story of Saint Maria Goretti is retold in this beautifully made new film from Italy. It tells of the plight of the poor laborers of the time, struggling to survive in a swampy area with rampant malaria and extreme poverty. Luigi and Assunta Goretti keep their faith despite the hardship, and instill in their children a deep love for God. Their daughter Maria especially is devout. Tragedy strikes more than once: sickness and death affects the Goretti family, and then their young neighbor Alessandro does the unthinkable. 

Date: Sunday November 7, 2011

Time: 6:00pm

Place: St Joseph’s Church

Running Time:  1 hour and 45 minutes

Language: Italian with English Subtitles

Food & Drinks: Bring your own drinks and snacks

Target Audience: 15+

Cost: FREE

Come early to ensure that you get a good seat!

31^st Sunday of Ordinary Time, 30^th of October 2011

1.   There are still some envelopes available for Masses for the Dead. A reminder you can place this  envelope along with the envelopes for the flowers or Mass Intentions and Pledge in the collection basket. Or you can give it to Fathers or Deacon Jeffrey.

2.   The Mass for the Sick will take place Saturday 5^th November @ 10AM here at St. Joseph. We encourage you to bring elderly members of your family. Also if you know of any elderly persons who are Catholic living in your neighbourhood, encourage them to come.

3.  Beginning Sunday 6^th November @ 5pm in the Parish Hall, we invite to be part of “THE CINEMA CLUB”. We would be showing movies on the lives of the saints with a brief discussion after on the virtues of the saint, and ways we can apply them in our lives.

The first feature film will bethe movie, MARIA GORETTI, a tragic, yet inspiring story of purity, compassionand forgiveness. Maria Goretti is the youngest saint of all times who died, defending her purity at the hands of a knife-wielding attacker.

The Club is open to anyone and everyone. And you don’t need an invite. Just come, bring someone and bring something to munch on and a lil’ something to drink (non-alcoholic)

4.   Solemnity of All Saint Mass @ 6am on Tuesday 1^st November. An ancient solemnity where we honour  the saints, known and unknown and our call to be saints.

5.  Wednesday 2^nd November is the Mass for Commemoration of the Faithful Departed – ALL SOULS. There will be the usual morning Mass, Midday Mass and Mass in the Evening @ 5.30 pm with a procession to Our Catholic Cemetery – King Street & Queen Street

6.  As mentioned before, the Christmas Dinner is on Sunday 11^th December at Bishop’s Anstey East Auditorium, Trincity. Tickets are available from this weekend, from Fr. Karol, Morris Smith, Marjorie Valere, Deacon Jeffrey.