Palm Sunday celebration

Yet another donkey was a part of the Palm Sunday celebration at St Francis of Assisi in Bend, as Pimmy was the center of attraction during the blessing of palms and procession towards the church. The beautiful brown donkey had her 15 minutes of fame three times as she patiently walked back and forth to accompany the people who attended the blessing. That’s 45 minutes of fame! At times Pimmy turned stubborn as she did not like walking on blacktop, but preferred the grass, of which she could also munch a mouthful occasionally. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, and now we turn our focus on Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter.

Palm Sunday

As is now customary in all the parishes I served in, there is no Palm Sunday without the presence of a donkey, leading our procession after the blessing of the palms. For good measure this year we have 3 donkeys here in Bend. Two of them were present yesterday at the 5 PM Mass, Poncho and Daisy, owned by Greg and Cathy Jensen, and brought to the church by our friend and his trailer, Richard Doerfler. The burros were led as usual by Makenna and Kelsea Bomke, seasoned donkey-handlers, which led many people to remark...."I don't who's the cutest, the donkeys or the Bomkes!" 

Another donkey, Pimmy, owned by Diana Levey will be present this morning for all three Masses, at 7:30 AM, at 10 AM and at the Spanish Mass at 12:30 PM. Please come early as the blessing of the palms and the procession takes places 15 minutes before Mass starts.This celebration commemorates the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem, riding a donkey, greeted by people who waved palm branches and olive branches, laying them and their clothes on the ground.

 

2016 Chrism Mass

The annual Chrism Mass was held in the Cathedral of Baker City on Thursday March 17. Bishop Liam Cary celebrated the Mass with all the priests concelebrating, during which the Oils of Catechumens, the Oil of Chrism and the Oil of the Sick were blessed, and later on distributed to all the priests of the Diocese. They will be used throughout the year in the administration of the sacraments in the various parishes and mission churches across Eastern Oregon. These two photos show a customary group photo on the steps of the Cathedral, and the priests around the altar during the blessing of the oils. The priests who are wearing vestments are those who celebrated jubilees of their ordinations this year, respectively 40 years (Fr Rick Fischer, Fr Joe Reeves,) 25 years (Fr Nonnatus Lakra,) and 10 years (Fr Luis Alva-Flores.) (click on each photo to enlarge)

The Sorrowful Mother

We honor today the Sorrowful Mother as she stands by the cross waiting for her Son to die, His body to be placed on her lap soon afterwards. An image that has been painted, sculpted and drawn by many artists. Many countries honor the Sorrowful Mother (Mater Dolorosa) on this Friday before Holy Week, as seen in this procession held in Malta in the city of Valletta. Thousands of people accompany the procession, also attending Mass and going to confession on a day of atonement and repentance. Each parish holds a procession with a statue devoutly kept in each church, but the most popular and the most attended one is the one in Valletta, a photo of which you can see here, from 2010.

O Blessed Mother, who had to see your Son grow into a handsome young man, and then let Him go, we ask your protection on our children and young people. May they feel protected from the world's dangers, and feel safe in your care. As you saw your Son tortured and killed, we pray for those mothers who had to see their children killed in wars, sudden accidents, through suicides and other terrible disasters. May these mothers find compassion in you, O Blessed Mother, and we ask that you give them the comfort they so much desire. This week we stand by you, and suffer with you, as we witness once again the passion, death and eventual resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ.

Chrism Mass today

I have many happy memories of this day as all priests gather with their bishop at the Cathedral in Baker City for the blessing of the sacred oils to be used throughout the Diocese over the next year. Since I was in the Cathedral for 8 years, it was my responsibility to organize this day with the help of the Cathedral staff. There was a lot of coordination involved especially towards the end of the celebration when the three different oils had to be put in small quantities in three different plastic bottles, for each priest of the Diocese. But there was also a lot of setting up to do, like planning the Holy Hour, then the Happy Hour, followed by the dinner hosted by the kind ladies of the Altar Society, as well as some snacks for after the Chrism Mass. Last but not least there was the liturgical aspect of the celebration, the readings, the music by the Folk Group or Choir, the official group photo on the steps of the Cathedral and so much more. Besides there was also the recognition of those priests who celebrate anniversaries divisible by 5 years, therefore 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 etc. The oils to be blessed are the Oil of Catechumens, used at baptisms, the Oil of the Sick, used in the anointing of the sick and infirm, and the Oil of Chrism, which is mixed with a perfume called balsam, to be used at Baptisms, Confirmations, Ordinations of priests and bishops, as well as consecrations of new churches, altars, etc.

A descriptive painting

Chinnawong Sawai "The Glory of the Cross"

As we approach Holy Week, I share with you today an inspirational descriptive painting with plenty of religious symbolism. This modern painting is by Chinnawong Sawai entitled "The Glory of the Cross." You will have to enlarge it, and then you can see among other symbols a crown of thorns, the acronyms for Chi Rho (or PX), palm branches, dice, a heart, a butterfly, flames of fire, grapes, drops of water and others which can stand out of your imagination. 

Over the next few days, all the priests will be in Baker City for the Chrism Mass, and I may not be able to place any posts until Friday afternoon. Friday is a special day in Malta as the feast and processions of Our Lady of Sorrows will be celebrated, a solemn and devout feast.

I.N.R.I

Many people ask what do the letters INRI stand for. They represent an acronym for the phrase which Pontius Pilate ordered placed on the cross of Jesus. They were actually written in Greek, Hebrew and Latin. The Latin phrase is “Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudeorum” which means “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews”, hence I.N.R.I.

Blended Stations

We are all used to the Stations of the Cross, usually placed 7 on each side of the church, as people pray in front of them during the Lenten Season. Then there are artists or painters who blend in all the stations in one general painting. This was the case with Hans Memling with his massive painting on the Passion of Christ. In it, he displays the entire way of the cross as if Jesus is going through the entire town or village. As you enlarge this painting you will see Jesus in various stages of his way of the cross, from the agony of the garden on the lower left hand side, to the crucifixion in the top part, on a hill. You can also see the Last Supper as well as the Resurrection, the former on the left hand side, and the latter on the right hand side of the painter. But in between you can see in various alcoves and doorways the steps that led Jesus from the Garden of Gethsemane to Golgotha, where he was crucified.
Another painting shows the Stations of the Cross displayed in four panels, a modern version which you can see here under.

Crucifixion paintings

"Crucifixion" by Andrea Mantegna

Besides the Nativity and the Blessed Mother, the most painted scene from the Bible is the Crucifixion of Jesus. Most prominent painters have painted their own version of the moment Christ was crucified on Golgotha. The majority of paintings are dramatic, descriptive and solemn. Others presented the scene in their own hometown town or neighborhood, including in the background elaborate scenery. Others even went so far as to include themselves in the foreground, making the painting obviously anachronistic, but that was a tradition that was repeated by many painters. (click to enlarge)

"Crucifixion" by Jan Provoost

Crucifixion triptych by Goswijn van der Weyden

The legend of the first robin

One day, long ago, a little bird in Galilee saw a large crowd gathered around a man carrying a heavy wooden cross. On the man’s head was a crown made from a thorn branch. The thorns were long and sharp. The little bird saw that the thorns were hurting the man very much. It wanted to help him, so it flew down, and took the longest and sharpest thorn in its tiny beak.
The bird tucked and pulled until the thorn snapped from the branch. Then a very strange thing happened. A drop of blood fell from the thorn onto the bird’s chest, staining it in bright red. The stain never went away. And so today, the robin very proudly wears a red chest because it helped a man named Jesus.

Litany of Consolation

Emvin Cremona "Sacred Heart aglow"

When my life lacks any purpose or direction - Lord Jesus you say: “Come to me, all you who are weary and find life burdensome.”
When the harshness and ruthlessness of life assail me - Lord Jesus you say: “I am gentle and humble of heart; your souls will find rest.”
When I am full of doubt, with no one to depend on - Lord Jesus you say: “Everything is possible to one who trusts.”
When bitterness and resentment poison my heart - Lord Jesus you say: “If the Son frees you, you will truly be free.”
When I see nothing but my wrongdoings and failures - Lord Jesus you say: “Do not let your heart be troubled; have faith in me.”
When I am done in by the hatred and violence of the world - Lord Jesus you say: “Take courage; I have overcome the world.”
When I think that happiness is nothing but a delusion - Lord Jesus you say: “Do you love me?”
When my life reaches a dead end and I lack all desire - Lord Jesus you say “Do you love me?”
When it seems that life has no meaning - Lord Jesus you say “Do you love?”
"Yes, Lord Jesus, I do!" - Lord Jesus, you say: “Live on in my love.”

More miniature statues

Sharing today a few more photos of miniature statues displayed in various exhibitions in Malta during Holy Week. Click on each photo to enlarge and admire the intricate work, detail and craftsmanship.

Miniature statues on display

One of the best places to experience the solemnity and spirituality of the Passion and Death of Jesus is certainly in my home country of Malta. Among the hundreds of photos I took in 2010 during Holy Week are these of miniature statues on display, replicas of the larger statues which will be carried in procession on Good Friday. Many exhibitions are held in private homes, churches and parish halls. Enthusiasts and amateur sculptors prepare a variety of statues representing scenes from the passion of Christ.

The Agony in the Garden miniature statue

Displays of Last Supper tables were also very popular, which unfortunately were only on display during Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Photos of these will be posted later. But today we focus on the miniature statues, some of which were also draped with real clothes. This is the result of hours and hours and days of patience, and a sheer passion and love of ecclesiastical art and culture.

The miniature statue of Veronica

 

The Forgiving Father in the key of F

The return of the prodigal son by Esteban Murillo

I shared this story last Sunday in my homily. It is actually the story of the prodigal son, or better yet, the Forgiving Father, written with emphasis on the letter F, all clean words from start to finish. So fasten your seat-belts, and here we go.

Francis the Foolish felt a filial fondness for his flawless, fastidious father, Ferdinand the Fourth. Following one February fortnight, Francis, feeling footloose and frisky, this featherbrained fellow forced his fond father to fork over five hundred forty five farthings. Fleeing to foreign fields, Francis finally frittered away his fortune on fickle females, firkins of foaming ale, freeloading friends, and feasting fabulously.
Finally facing famine and fleeced by his fellows-in-folly, he found himself a feed flinger in a filthy farmyard as a forlorn farmhand.. Footsore and fairly famishing, he fain would have filled his flaccid frame with foraged food from the fodder fragments. "Fooey, my father’s flunkies fare far fancier," the frazzled fugitive fumed feverishly, frankly facing facts.

Frustrated by failure and filled with foreboding, fortunately the frazzled fugitive fled forthwith to his faraway family. Falling fatigued at his father’s feet, he floundered forlornly, and feebly phrased his feelings: "Father, I have flunked and fruitlessly forfeited family favor . . .forgive me" But the far-sighted and faithful father, forestalling further future flinching, frantically flagged the flunkies to fetch forth the finest fatling and fix a feast. "Fetch a fatling from the flock and fix a feast for Francis. Faster! Faster!"

Francis' feisty, fault-finding brother Frederic frowned upon his father's forgiveness of Francis' former philandering.His fury flashed but fussing was futile. The far-sighted father figured, "Such filial fidelity is fine, but what forbids fervent festivity? - for the fugitive is found! Unfurl the flags. With fanfares flaring, let fun and frolic freely flow. Former failure is forgotten, folly forsaken. Forgiveness forms the foundation for future fortitude."
The far-sighted father, forestalling future family fissures flagged his flunkies. "Fetch a fatling from the flock and fix a feast for Francis. Forthwith. Fall to! Faster!"  Frederic the Feculent, Francis' feisty, fault-finding brother, frowned upon his father's forgiveness of Francis' former philandering.
"Filial fidelity is what fathers are for, Frederick," said Ferdinand with feelings flowing. "Forsooth, the fugitive is found, so what forbids festivity? Fly the flags freely, amid fifes, fiddles and fanfares... FLING A FEAST!"And the faithful felt that Francis' former foibles should be freely forgiven. Francis, face flushed, foreswore frippery forever more by faithfully following his forgiving father Ferdinand, with his frater Frederic finally feasting with the rest of the faithful.

A healing prayer

I share with you today this beautiful prayer of healing and forgiveness, written by Saint Thomas Aquinas:
To you, o God, Fountain of Mercy, I come, a sinner. May you wash away my impurity.
O Sun of Justice, give sight to the blind.
O Eternal Healer, cure the wounded.
O King of Kings, restore the despoiled.
O Mediator of God and man, reconcile the sinful.
O Good Shepherd, lead back the straying.
O God, have pity on the wretched, show leniency to the guilty, bestow life on the dead, reform the impious, and give the balm of grace to the hard of heart.
O most merciful God, call back the one who flees, draw back the one who resists, lift up the one who falls, support the one who stands, and accompany the one who walks.
Do not forget those who forget you.
Do not desert those who desert you.
Do not despise those who sin against you.
For in sinning, I have offended you, my God;
I have harmed my neighbor;
I have not even spared myself injury.

I abandoned you Lord. I questioned your goodness by yielding to evil cravings and weakening myself with harmful fears. By such things I preferred to lose you rather than abandon what I desired, to offend you rather than face what ought not to be feared.
Out of my weakness I beg you to pay heed not to my iniquity, but rather to your immense goodness. And I beg you mercifully to pardon what I have done, granting me sorrow for my past actions and precaution in the future.

Fixing the Date for Easter

The moon, as well as the sun, has a powerful effect upon the earth and upon the life of man. Some ancient people, such as the Hebrews, felt so strongly about this, that they based their calendars upon the rhythms of the moon. We call these “lunar” calendars. Other people based their calendars on the sun, including the Romans.
As Christianity began in the Holy Land, establishing certain dates became difficult because some people used the “lunar” calendars while others used the “solar” calendar. They agreed on mostly all dates except for Easter Sunday. Then in the 4th century, with the help of some astronomers, a decision was made, taking into account the position of both the moon and the sun in relation to the earth.
It was finally accepted that Easter would always be celebrated on the First Sunday after the full moon that follows the Spring Equinox (March 20 or 21). That is why Easter falls anytime between March 22 and April 25. Recently, a group of British bishops have started a campaign to set the date of Easter on a fixed Sunday, like the 2nd or 3rd Sunday in April. But this would need world-wide approval to be implemented, especially from the Vatican.

More Passion stamps

I showed you yesterday some stamps that reflect Holy Week and the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus. Various countries have issued stamps over the years using well-known paintings depicting the holiest of weeks. Paintings of course provide thousands of opportunities to showcase artistic representations of the last few days of Christ. Leonardo da Vinci, El Greco, Roger van der Weyden, Rembrandt and so many others have put on canvas their impression of the sufferings of Christ. Reproduced here are paintings by De Juanes, Cimabue, Roger Van der Weyden, El Greco and Salvador Dali.

The stamps are a meditation in themselves and offer a great source of comfort for many people, especially when used during Lent and Holy Week, just like a Christmas stamp has a definitive effect when used in the Christmas season, especially when sending Christmas cards to family and friends.

Passion Stamps

I’ve always been fond of collecting stamps, although it’s not considered one of my favorite hobbies. However there is so much history and art related to philately. Many countries have used paintings from various artists to commemorate Lent, Holy Week and Easter. Above you can see 5 beautiful stamps from the African nation of Burundi issued in 1974. They are paintings by Roger van der Weyden, Titian, Veronese and El Greco, beautifully presented. Below you see a stamp from the African nation of Cameroon from 1977, depicting the famous painting I reviewed recently, the Crucifixion by Mathias Grunewald. Stay tuned, I will share a few more stamps over the next few days. You can always click on the image and enlarge it for better viewing.

 

Fasting and Abstinence

Prior to 1966, Catholics practiced what some folks today might consider heavy-duty fasting. Catholics who were 21 years of age and who had not begun their 60th year were obliged under pain of mortal sin to fast every day in Lent except on Sundays. On fast days, only one full meal was allowed (either at noon or in the evening), with about two ounces of bread with coffee, tea or chocolate in the morning, and about eight ounces of food except meat for lunch or supper. On Holy Saturday, the fast ended at noon. People excused from fasting included the sick, the infirm, the convalescent, those engaged in hard labor, the poor who could not get sufficient food for their principal meal, and women bearing or nursing children. Before Vatican II, even December 24 was a day of fasting and abstinence. That’s why, to this day, many families have the tradition to east fish on Christmas Eve. Pope John XXIII in 1959 said that Catholics could fast on December 23 instead if they wished.
In 2014, the Archbishop of New Orleans, Louisiana said that alligator meat was permissible on Fridays during Lent, because alligator is considered part of the fish family. According to the US bishops: “Abstinence laws consider that meat comes only from animals such as chicken, cows, sheep and pigs - all of which live on land. Birds are also considered meat.” In particular cases where a person's health prohibits fasting, they may instead try to give up some pleasure, or do more positive outreach, like almsgiving, praying, be more forgiving and helping out.

More Last Supper displays

Here are a few more extraordinary photos of intricate plates made from edible items like pasta, rice, beans, salt, semolina, along with other arrangements of fruit and bread. Each of the apostles are represented with their own coat-of-arms and a chalice. A large donut-shaped bread embedded with almonds is also placed in front, a very popular item on Holy Thursday.

 

Last Supper displays

The coat-of-arms of Pope Benedict XVI

This astonishing exhibition of a Last Supper table has to be seen to be believed. These photos I took in 2010 show a sample of plates decorated with pasta, rice, beans, rice and other edibles. All kinds of pasta are used, as well as colorized rice and salt to decorate these plates with various designs, including coat-of-arms of various prelates from Malta and other passion symbols, or others related to the 12 apostles. Please do click on each photo to see the intricate and tedious work that went into creating these plates. The whole display was set up in a beautifully ornate hall, and the table was set up in a horse-shoe fashion, as you can see from the general photo featured at the end of this post.