GREAT FIGURES OF THE MISSIONARY WORK – Bengal and the Kingdom of the Dragon (19)
– Joaquim Magalhães de Castro
The presence of European mercenaries among the hosts of the Asian armies has a long history. Already at the time of Vasco da Gama’s historic voyage to India in 1498, the existence of Italian military officers at the service of several rajas of the coast of Malabar was noted. It is said that two of the crew of the Gama fleet, attracted by more appetizing salaries, ended up following the example of the Italians. It may be said that the European mercenary tradition in Hindustan, which would be perpetuated over three centuries, will have begun with the desertions of Portuguese soldiers of Goa – usually underpaid, sometimes having to resort to foreign aid to survive – attracted by the prospects of a loose life elsewhere on the continent where polygamy and concubinage were not condemned.
PETER FOLLOWED JESUS BUT MISUNDERSTOOD THE GOAL – 16 September 2018, 24th Sunday In Ordinary Time (B)
Is 50:5-9a; Jas 2:14-18; Mk 827-35
– Fernando Armellini SCJ
Claretian Publications, Macau
“You are the Messiah.” Peter gave a precise definition but he continues to be convinced that the Master will soon begin an earthly kingdom. For Jesus the time to correct this dangerous mistake has arrived. Jesus makes it clear, that the goal of his journey is through suffering and crucifixion. The disciples can neither understand nor accept the prospect of the gift of life. It’s not for this that they left the house, the boat, the family to follow the Master. Where does he want to lead them, to ruin, to defeat?
ASK THE LITURGIST (13) – The humeral veil
– Enrico Finotti
Is the humeral veil optional?
“The priest or the deacon should wear a white cope and humeral veil to give the blessing at the end of adoration, when the exposition takes place with the monstrance; in the case of exposition in the ciborium, the humeral veil should be worn” (Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside the Mass).
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH BELGIAN PROFESSOR ANDRÉ WÉNIN – Violent psalms?
– Aurelio Porfiri
Not long ago, I came across a book in French by Belgian Professor André Wénin. The book is called Psaumes censurés : Quand la prière a des accents violents (2017 Editions du Cerf, now available also in Italian) and deal with the problem of the so called “imprecatory psalms,” those psalms that contain very strong (or violent) language and that in recent times were removed from the liturgy. Professor Wénin has a long list of publications, he is professor of biblical exegesis at the theological faculty of the Catholic University of Louvain (Belgium) and visiting professor at the Gregorian University (Rome).
MARIAN APPARITIONS (81) – Arras, France
Our Lady of Ardents, or Eglise Notre-Dame des Ardents d’Arras in French, is a small, charming red brick church in the lower part of town in Arras, France. It was built in the beautiful style unique to the twelfth century in order to celebrate the appearance of the Blessed Virgin, and to commemorate the miraculous assistance she gave to the people then living in the region.
NEWS BRIEFS
– Tej Francis
LEICESTER, UNITED KINGDOM
EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS CHANCE TO ‘REJUVENATE’ CHURCH IN ENGLAND AND WALES
(Crux News) Over 10,000 people are expected to descend on Liverpool this weekend for the first National Eucharistic Congress in the history of the Church in England and Wales. The Sep. 7-9 congress is called ‘Adoremus’ – Latin for “We adore you” – and is the first such gathering in England since the 19th International Eucharistic Congress took place in London in 1908.
GOD’S FAITHFUL AND PRUDENT SERVANT – Pope Francis and the miraculous image of the sleeping St Joseph
PHOTO CAPTION: A statue of the sleeping St Joseph at the Macau St Joseph Seminary. Photo by Fr Leonard Dollentas.
– Fr Leonard E Dollentas
When it comes to patron saints and intercessors, Pope Francis seems to play favorites. This has become apparent when many times he mentioned that he has special devotions to St Joseph and the Virgin Mary.
Hence, the Pope keeps a St Joseph statue in his office. However, the image that sits on his desk is no ordinary St Joseph image with his carpenter tools, with the child Jesus learning his trade or with a staff blossoming with the flowers of purity. This image, is a representation of St. Joseph that we are not accustomed seeing and having … St Joseph in slumber.
PEÑAFRANCIA FESTIVAL 2018 – On its twentieth year in Macau
PHOTO: Batingaw in Flickr
– Ross Belle Balatbat
The Peñafrancia Devotees Association in Macau (PDAM), under the spiritual direction of Fr Alejandre Vergara, SOLT have organized the novena Masses for the feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, the principal Patroness of the Bicol Region in the Philippines. The devotion comes from Salamanca, Spain where the Blessed Virgin is venerated as Virgen de la Peña de Francia in honor of her birth which is celebrated on September 8. In the Philippines, however, the feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia is celebrated on the Sunday after the octave of September 8. Thus it usually falls on the second or third Sunday of September
CIRCULAR
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
According to the weather forecast, the super typhoon “Mangkhut” is expected to hit Macao this weekend. I wish to appeal to all to pay attention to personal safety and to take extra measures in face of the impending storm. I would also like to invite you all to offer your prayers for the Macao community. May the Lord Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary bless our city to lessen the threat of the storm.
SE CATHEDRAL – St Padre Pio English Community
Recently, the English speaking community of the Se Cathedral was elevated to form its own pastoral team and program. The community has chosen St Padre Pio as its Patron. The English speaking community of the Se Cathedral is composed primarily of Filipinos, some Indian nationals, Koreans and some other English speaking parishioners who usually attend the 5:00 PM and the 6:30 PM Sunday Masses at the cathedral. It is not an entity independent of the Cathedral, but an integral part of it. It is formed to create a welcoming environment for the English speaking groups in the Cathedral who belong to different nationalities and cultures. The pastoral thrust of this Faith-community is to reach out to the other English speaking nationalities to form an actively worshiping family.
