On Sunday, January 22, we prayed a Holy Hour for Life, before our Eucharistic Lord, remembering the millions of aborted babies and neglected sick and elderly. We beg God to convert the hearts and minds of all who do not respect life from conception till natural death, and we pray for the conversion and healing of those who have harmed human life in any way.
With blessed chalk, we put the new year and the initials of the Three Wise Men - C for Caspar, M for Melchior and B for Balthasar, on our doorways. CMB : Christus mansionem benedicat! Christ bless our dwelling!
The Magi left their homeland to look for Christ, and when they saw Him, they adored Him and offered Him gifts. Let us also look for Christ in order to adore Him and offer Him our entire selves.
As we begin the new year, we ask the Holy Ghost to give us the graces we need for the coming year. He is the One who makes all things new; He is new birth and life in the spiritual realm.
Praying the Veni Creator on January 1 (Octave Day of Christmas/Feast of the Circumcision) obtains for us a Plenary Indulgence, also, if the other normal conditions are met as well.
Mass on December 31 was followed by Eucharistic adoration, during which we chanted the Te Deum, thanking God for the blessings of the past year. Under the normal conditions, a plenary indulgence was possible for doing this.
Before Midnight Mass began, Father chanted the proclamation of the Birth of Jesus. This tradition takes a passage from the Roman Martyrologium, which briefly tells the story of the martyrs, saints and feasts for each day on the religious calendar. For December 25, the Martyrologium recounts how many years since the creation of the world, the flood in Noah's time, the birth of Abraham, and so on, Christ was finally born.
Mass begins with Father carrying the Infant Jesus (Niño) to the belen (Nativity Scene or creche). The schola sings "Ecce Nomen Domini Emmanuel." Hail, the Lord's name is Emmanuel!
The Kyrie, Sanctus and Agnus Dei for Midnight Mass were taken from the Misa Pastorela. It was taught to the Chamorros in Saipan by Spanish missionaries and is sung just for Christmas.
As is the custom on Guam, Masses all throughout the Christmas season end with the veneration of the Niño (Infant Jesus).
On Saturday morning at 6AM, December 17, Father celebrated a Rorate Mass. The idea is to experience the light of Christ grow into the fullness of daylight in the midst of our darkness. So Mass is said in darkness, except for the light of candles. As Mass continues, the sun gradually fills the chapel with light.
With the aid of the flash, this is what the chapel looked like at 6AM
But this is what people saw at 6AM when they entered the chapel.
In the early part of the Mass, during the lessons, it was still very dark and Father had to read the Missal with the help of candles.
By the middle of Mass, at the Sanctus, the sun had risen enough to start filling the chapel with light, though candles were still helpful.
After the Mass, in full daylight, we prayed the rosary for the intention of the Pro-Life cause, and chanted the Litany of Loreto.
