All Souls Day Mass at LFC 7:30 AM

We remember all the faithful departed, especially the LAY MINISTERS in ALD who have gone ahead of us.

De Profundis (Psalm 130)

The De Profundis takes its name from the first two words of the psalm in Latin. It is a penitential psalm that is sung as part of vespers (evening prayer) and in commemorations of the dead. It is also a good psalm to express our sorrow as we prepare for the Sacrament of Confession.

Every time you recite the De Profundis, you can receive a partial indulgence (the remission of a portion of punishment for sin). In the modern numbering of the Psalms, the De Profundis is listed as Psalm 130, though you will often see it listed as Psalm 129, according to the traditional numbering.

De Profundis

Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice.
Let Your ears be attentive to my voice in supplication.
If You, O Lord, mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?
But with You is forgiveness, that You may be revered.
I trust in the Lord; my soul trusts in His word.
My soul waits for the Lord more than sentinels wait for the dawn.
More than sentinels wait for the dawn, let Israel wait for the Lord,
For with the Lord is kindness and with Him is plenteous redemption;
And He will redeem Israel from all their iniquities.

http://catholicism.about.com/od/psalms/qt/De_Profundis.htm

TEEN CREED

(After recollections of young people, we found this nice poem for reflection.)

Teen Creed

Don’t let your parents down,
they brought you up.
Be humble enough to obey,
you may give orders someday.
Choose companions with care,
you become what they are.
Choose only a date who would make a good mate.
Be master of your habits, or they will master you.
Don’t be a showoff when you drive,
drive with safety and arrive.
Don’t let the crowd pressure you,
stand for something or you’ll fall for anything.

WHO IS SAN LORENZO RUIZ?

LORENZO RUIZ is a Filipino, although his father was a Chinese and his mother, a Filipina. He was born in Binondo, Manila between 1600 and 1610.

According to the documents cited to proclaim him "Blessed", his parents were devout Catholics. He was a christened "Lorenzo" after a martyr during the 3rd century persecution of Christians. His surname "Ruiz" was taken from the last name of his godfather.

In his younger years, Lorenzo served at the convent of Binondo church as a sacristan. Since he lived there together with Dominican priests, he learned from them not just Spanish but also catechism.

After several years, Lorenzo Ruiz earned the title of "escribano" or notary. He became an active member of the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary, an organization devoted to the Blessed Virgin. This group was organized in the Philippines in 1587.

Lorenzo got married but the name of his wife was not mentioned in the documents. He confessed before he was convicted that he was a family man - having a wife with three kids, two boys and a girl.

In 1636, a grave crime was committed in Manila. Authorities conducted a manhunt for Lorenzo because they believed he knew something about it or was himself involved in it. When Lorenzo learned of some missionary priests leaving for Japan, he asked if he could be allowed to join them. And he was allowed aboard the ship bound for Japan, along with the Dominicans, safe from fear of being implicated in a crime.

At that time, there was a wide scale persecution of Christians in Japan. All those who professed faith in God and served as missionaries were jailed and even up to death. Their lives were even up to death. Their lives were to be spared if they would renounce their Christian faith. But thousands of those Christians chose death rather than renouncing their belief in God. And Lorenzo Ruiz was among those who underwent excruciating forms of persecution.

One of the forms of punishments imposed on Christians was "hanging in the pit" on the hills of Nagasaki. The victim’s feet were tied to a beam, his body hanged upside down and his head occupying the amount of the pit. Lorenzo Ruiz went through this agonizing punishment when he refused to renounce his faith.

When he was investigated as a Christian, he answered: "I'm a Christian and I will remain a Christian even to the point of death. Only to God will I offer my life. Even if I had a thousands lives, I would still offer them to him. This is the reason why I came here in Japan, to leave my native land as a Christian, offering my life to God alone.”

He was told that he would be put to death if he did not renounce his faith, but he stuck to his belief. He said he will never disown his identity as a Christian. It was on September 23, 1637 that he began to undergo "hanging in the pit".

Lorenzo Ruiz was proclaimed " Blessed" in February 1981 at Luneta, together with 16 other companions, in connection with Pope John Paul II's papal visit to the Philippines. He was canonized and declared a "Saint'on October 18, 1987 in Rome. As such, he is now worthy of being venerated and honored in the church altar. His feast day falls on September 28.

In 2005, the Lay Formation Center of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan was inaugurated on the feastday of San Lorenzo Ruiz, the Filipino protomartyr and layperson Saint by Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz and the clergy.

St. Mary, St. Joseph, St. Lorenzo PRAY FOR US!

A month from today, the 28th of September 2009, LFC will celebrate its 4th anniversary in serving the laity (and the clergy) in the Archdiocese and around the country. Aside from our patrons and guests, we owe the saints in heaven for helping us succeed in doing the will of God and the Church - Mary, Joseph and Lorenzo Ruiz. These great saints are enshrined in our LFC Chapel.

We also thank the Archbishop, Most Rev. Oscar V. Cruz, LFC's BUILDER, for the trust, support and confidence in our humble capacity to serve!

Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam!


O Mary, help us in all our needs. Pray for all the people of God, especially those who have most need of the divine mercy. Amen.


The patron of LFC is San Lorenzo Ruiz, the Filipino proto-martyr. San Lorenzo - inspire us, intercede for us, help us to imitate your faith and love for God!


St. Joseph, the worker, PRAY FOR US!

ACT OF LOVE OF THE CURE D'ARS, ST. JOHN MARY VIANNEY

I love you, O my God and my sole
desire is to love You until the last
breath of my life.

I love you, O infinitely lovable God
and I prefer to die loving You than
live one instant without loving You.

I love You, O my God, and I do not
desire anything but heaven so as to
have the joy of loving You perfectly.

I love You, O my God, and I fear hell,

because there will not be the sweet consolation of loving You.

O my God, if my tongue cannot say
in every moment that I love You,
I want my heart to say it in every beat.
Allow me the grace to suffer loving You,
to love You suffering and one day
to die loving You. And as I approach
my end, I beg You to increase and
perfect my love of You.

CARE FOR ALTAR LINENS (www.adoremus.org)

LFC will sell PURIFICATORS, LAVABO TOWELS, CORPORALS and PALLS this updating season (for Lay Ministers). Here are some information about the care of these linens from the www.adoremus.org website. Bold-yellow letters were highlighted by this blogger.

Altar Cloths

Just as the altar is a sign for us of Christ the living stone, altar cloths are used "out of reverence for the celebration of the memorial of the Lord and the banquet that gives us his body and" By their beauty and form they add to the dignity of the altar in much the same way that vestments solemnly ornament the priests and sacred ministers. Such cloths also serve a practical purpose, however, in absorbing whatever may be spilled of the Precious Blood or other sacramental elements. Thus the material of altar cloths should be absorbent and easily laundered.

While there may be several altar cloths in the form of drapings or even frontals, their shape, size, and decoration should be in keeping with the design of the altar. Unless the altar cloths have been stained with the Precious Blood, it is not necessary that they be cleaned in the sacrarium. Care should be taken, however, that proper cleaning methods are used to preserve the beauty and life of the altar cloth. It is appropriate for those who care for sacred vessels, cloths and other instrumenta of the liturgy to accompany their work with prayer.

Corporals

Sacred vessels containing the Body and Blood of the Lord are always placed on top of a corporal.

A corporal is spread by the deacon or another minister in the course of the preparation of the gifts and the altar. When concelebrants receive the Eucharist from the altar, a corporal is placed beneath all chalices or patens. Finally, it is appropriate that a corporal be used on a side table, and placed beneath the sacred vessels which have been left to be purified after Mass.

Because one of the purposes of the corporal is to contain whatever small particles of the consecrated host may be left at the conclusion of Mass, care should be taken that the transferral of consecrated hosts between sacred vessels should always be done over a corporal. The corporal should be white in color and of sufficient dimensions so that at least the main chalice and paten may be placed upon it completely. When necessary, more than one corporal may be used. The material of corporals should be absorbent and easily laundered.

Any apparent particles of the consecrated bread which remain on the corporal after the distribution of Holy Communion should be consumed in the course of the purification of the sacred vessels.

When corporals are cleansed they should first be rinsed in a sacrarium and only afterwards washed with laundry soaps in the customary manner. Corporals should be ironed in such a way that their distinctive manner of folding helps to contain whatever small particles of the consecrated host may remain at the conclusion of the Eucharistic celebration.

Purificators

Purificators are customarily brought to the altar with chalices and are used to wipe the Precious Blood from the lip of the chalice and to purify sacred vessels. They should be white in color. Whenever the Precious Blood is distributed from the chalice, poured into ancillary vessels or even accidentally spilled, purificators should be used to absorb the spill. The material of purificators should be absorbent and easily laundered. The purificator should never be made of paper or any other disposable material.

Because of their function, purificators regularly become stained with the Precious Blood. It is, therefore, essential that they should first be cleansed in a sacrarium and only afterwards washed with laundry soaps in the customary manner. Purificators should be ironed in such a way that they may be easily used for the wiping of the lip of the chalice.

Lavabo Towels

The Order of Mass calls for the washing of the hands (lavabo) of the priest celebrant in the course of the preparation of the gifts and the altar. Since it is his hands and not only his fingers (as in the former Order of Mass) which are washed at the lavabo, the lavabo towel should be of adequate size and sufficiently absorbent for drying his hands. Neither the color nor the material of the lavabo towel is prescribed, though efforts should be made to avoid the appearance of a "dish towel," "bath towel" or other cloth with a purely secular use.

Other Cloths

Other cloths may also be used at Mass. A pall may be used to cover the chalice at Mass in order to protect the Precious Blood from insects or other foreign objects. In order that palls may be kept immaculately clean they should be made with removable covers of a worthy material which may be easily washed in the sacrarium and then laundered. Chalice veils either of the color of the day, or white may be fittingly used to cover the chalice before it is prepared and after it has been purified.

Disposal of Worn Altar Linens

Consistent with the disposal of all things blessed for use in the liturgy, it is appropriate that altar linens, which show signs of wear and can no longer be used, should normally be disposed of either by burial or burning.

Conclusion

The manner in which we treat sacred things (even those of lesser significance than the chalice, paten, liturgical furnishings, etc.) fosters and expresses our openness to the graces God gives to his Church in every celebration of the Eucharist. Thus, by the diligent care of altar linens, the Church expresses her joy at the inestimable gifts she receives from Christ's altar.

A PERSONAL NOTE ON PHILOSOPHY and SCIENCE

This is from ZENIT.ORG's Interview With Father John Wauck. This is a wonderful note about Philosophy and Science.


Think about it. Universities are an invention of the Church. Copernicus was a Roman Catholic cleric, and he dedicated his book on the heliocentric universe to the Pope. The calendar we use today is the Gregorian Calendar, because it was promulgated by Pope Gregory XIII, who was working with the best astronomers and mathematicians of his time. Galileo himself always remained a Catholic, and his two daughters were nuns. One of the greatest Italian astronomers of the 19th century was a Jesuit priest, Angelo Secchi. The father of modern genetics, Gregor Mendel, was a Catholic monk. The creator of the "Big Bang" theory was a Belgian priest, Georges Lemaitre.

In short, the idea that there is some natural tension between science and the Church, between reason and faith, is utter nonsense. Nowadays, when people hear the words "science" and "the Church," they immediately think of Galileo's trial in the 1600s. But, in the larger scheme of things, that complex case -- which is frequently distorted by anti-Catholic propagandists -- was a glaring exception. There's a reason why critics of the Church are always bringing it up: It's the only example they've got. So, when we hear the words "science" and "the Church," we should think Copernicus, Secchi, Mendel and Lemaitre. They're representative. Galileo's trial is not.

A PERSONAL ENTRY

12 YEARS ago, the Lord has been gracious in calling and choosing me as his priest. This is a most precious gift that I continue to celebrate in gratitude and love. As we celebrated Good Shepherd Sunday last weekend, I seek our readers' constant prayers for all of us priests.


Through the Archbishop's laying on of hands and the subsequent prayer of ordination, the candidates are given the special gift, a gift which will never be lost, the Holy Spirit. It configures the ordained minister to Christ, consecrates him to his service and makes him share in Christ's mission.


The prostration of the candidate before God is a sign of his nothingness before Him. Since the sacredness of the responsibilities asked for by this great Sacrament (of Ordination) needs the help of the Divine and the Saints in heaven, the entire assembly call on the Saints in heaven for assistance and protection.


Fr. Alvin, Fr. Allen and myself on May 5, 1997

PRAYER FOR PRIESTS

O Jesus, our great High Priest,
Hear my humble prayers on behalf of your priest, Father [Name].
Give him a deep faith, a bright and firm hope, and a burning love
which will ever increase in the course of his priestly life.

In his loneliness, comfort him
In his sorrows, strengthen him
In his frustrations, point out to him

That it is through suffering that the soul is purifies,
and show him that he is needed by the Church,
he is needed by souls,
he is needed for the work of redemption.

O loving Mother Mary, Mother of Priests,
take to your heart your son who is close to you
because of his priestly ordination,
and because of the power which he has received
to carry on the work of Christ
in a world which need him so much.

Be his comfort, be his joy, be his strength,
and especially help him to live and to defend
the ideals of consecrated celibacy. Amen.

John Joseph, Cardinal Carberry (+1998)
Archbishop of St. Louis 1968-1979

ICE CREAM for the SOUL

Ice Cream For The Soul

Author Unknown

Last week I took my children to a restaurant. My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace. As we bowed our heads he said, “God is good. God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more if mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And Liberty and justice for all! Amen.”

Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby, I heard a woman remark, “That’s what’s wrong with this country. Kids today don’t even know how to pray. Asking God for ice-cream! Why, I never! “Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, “Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?” As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job and God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached the table. He winked at my son and said, “I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer.” “Really?” my son asked. “Cross my heart.”

Then in a theatrical whisper he added (indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole thing), “Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes.”

Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My son stared at his for a moment and then did something I will remember the rest of my life. He picked up his sundae and without a word walked over and placed it in front of the woman. With a big smile he told her, “Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes, and my soul is good already.