EXTERNAL SOLEMNITY OF THE SACRED HEART IN THE PHILIPPINES

The Church of Santo Domingo (Saint Dominic) de la Naval is a Dominican church in Quezon City (greater Manila area).  It is a huge and spacious church situated on a main thoroughfare.  But its main attraction is this ivory and wood statue of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary of La Naval, dating to the 16th century. 

In 1646, the Dutch tried to conquer the Philippines.  The combined Spanish and Filipino troops begged Our Lady's intercession before this image, and the sea battles with the Dutch ended in a clear victory for the Spanish and Filipino forces.  Barefoot, the Filipino soldiers walked back to this statue to render thanks.

Holy Mass in the Extraordinary Form is celebrated at this altar of Our Lady at Santo Domingo every second Sunday of the month.  It was a privilege for me to sing Mass here before Our Lady's venerable image.

 

The Mass is usually well-attended.  Many young people make up the congregation.

That Sunday, we observed the External Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, so after Mass, we exposed Our Blessed Lord in preparation for the Eucharistic procession.  The ombrellino I ordered in Manila for our Guam community got its first use at this procession, seen unfolded on the left.

 

The Procession

LAUS DEO!

FEAST OF THE SACRED HEART

Eucharistic Procession after Mass on the solemn Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

June 7, 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WORLDWIDE HOLY HOUR

In union with the Holy Father and the Universal Church.  On Guam, it was held at 1AM.

 

 

CORPUS CHRISTI 2013

 

Video highlights of the Corpus Christi procession.

MASS GUIDE FOR CHILDREN - 11

Now comes the most special part of the Mass, when the bread and the wine will be changed into the true Body and Blood of Jesus.

The priest will make the sign of the cross over the bread and wine and repeat the words that Jesus said at the Last Supper when He said, "This is my Body," and "This is my Blood."  Jesus then said, "Do this in memory of me."  And so we obey Jesus' command and we do this at every Mass.

When the priest lifts up the Sacred Host and the Sacred Chalice, let us lift up to God the Father, along with Jesus, our own little selves, with all of our little sacrifices and gifts of love.  Just as the little white Host is small, we too are small and humble.  But when we are one with Jesus all our gifts to God are beautiful to Him.

MASS GUIDE FOR CHILDREN - 10

At the Sanctus, the bell is rung to make us remember that the most important and holiest part of the Mass has begun, when Jesus, through His priest, will change the bread into His real Body and the wine into His real Blood.

When we say "Sanctus" or "Holy," we repeat the praise and adoration of the angels in heaven to God.  Jesus is God made man.  He sacrifices His Body and pours out His Blood, so He is a man; but He is also God.  We eat His Body and drink His Blood so He is a man with flesh and blood; but we also receive God Almighty in Holy Communion.

When we say "Hosanna in excelsis," or "Hosanna in the highest," we are repeating what the people said when Our Lord entered Jerusalem as the Messiah or Savior.  Jesus is also coming now to our altars as our Lord and Savior.

NOVENA TO THE HOLY GHOST - LAST DAY

Meditation for the Ninth Day: On the Fruits of the Holy Ghost

The Gifts of the Holy Ghost perfect the supernatural virtues by enabling us to practice them with greater docility to Divine inspiration. As we grow in the knowledge and love of God under the direction of the Holy Ghost, speaking through the Church, our service becomes more sincere and generous, the practice of virtue more perfect. Such acts of virtue leave the heart filled with true joy and consolation and are known as the fruits of the Holy Ghost. These fruits in turn render the practice of virtue more attractive and become a powerful incentive for still greater efforts in the service of God, "to serve Whom is to reign."