GUIDE QUESTIONS FOR THE MUSICAL PLAY

PARA SA BAYAN: A MUSICAL PLAY

GUIDE QUESTIONS:

1. Anu-anong mga suliraning panlipunan ang inilalarawan sa palabas?

2. Anong uring pakikibaka ang hinarap ni Serafin sa kanyang pakikipagsapalaran sa ibang bansa?
3. Anong uring ama si Serafin?
4. Anu-ano ang mga katangian niya na maiuugnay sa inyong mga ama?
5. Paano ginawang makabuluhan ang buhay ng pangunahing tauhan sa kabila ng presensya ng ama?
6. Anu-ano ang mga katangian ng pagka-Assumptionista ang naipapakita ng mga tauhan sa palabas?
7. Anong tagpo ng palabas ang higit na nakakatawag-pansin sa inyo? Bakit?
8. Anu-anong mga pangyayari sa palabas ang maiuugnay sa mga pangyayari sa lipunan ngayon?
9. Angkop ba ang pamagat sa mga kaganapang ipinakikita ng palabas?
10. Anong mensahe ang ipinahihiwatig sa palabas?

11. Anong mga mahahalagang aral ang makukuha natin mula sa palabas?

Q & A ON MOTU PROPIO SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM

Q & A Regarding the Motu Proprio
Summorum Pontificum
Colin B. Donovan, STL
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What is a motu proprio?

Most documents signed by a pope originate as a function of the ordinary business of the Roman Curia in its role at the service of the pope. A few documents are initiated and promulgated by the pope himself for reasons he considers sufficient. Such a document is issued motu proprio (of his own accord).

Is a motu proprio the highest kind of ecclesiastical document?

No, although a motu proprio represents a particular papal solicitude the highest form of legislating, or teaching, document is the Constitution, which itself could be issued motu proprio.

Is a motu proprio limited in force in any way?

Although any document issued in the pope's name participates in his supreme authority (CIC c.360), canonists consider a motu proprio to have a certain finality to it.

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What is the Mass according to the Roman Missal of 1962?

This is the Mass as celebrated according to the Roman Missal promulgated by Blessed John XXIII. It was in use at time of the Second Vatican Council (October 11, 1962 to December 8th 1965), and thus prior to that Council's call for a reform of the liturgical books. The Pope refers to this pre-conciliar form of the Mass as the extraordinary form.

Is this the same as the Tridentine Rite?

Tridentine is the adjective for anything connected with the Council of Trent (1548-1570). The term Tridentine Rite is not an accurate term. While the Missal of 1962 corresponds largely with the rite of the Mass promulgated after the Council of Trent by Pope St. Pius V, and therefore it has sometimes been called the Tridentine rite, it nonetheless is not identical. Several Popes over the centuries have made changes to the Tridentine missal. In the decade before the Second Vatican Council, Pope Pius XII modified the ceremonies of Holy Week and Pope John XXIII added St. Joseph to the saints' names mentioned in the Roman Canon.

Further, as Pope Benedict makes clear there is one Roman Rite, with two forms, an ordinary form (according to the Missal promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1970, last revised in 2002), and an extraordinary form (according to the Missal of 1962). These two forms should peacefully co-exist, as do other occasionally celebrated forms of the Mass in the Western Church, such as the Ambrosian (Milan) or Mozarabic (Toledo, Spain), or, the various forms of the Divine Liturgy in the Eastern Churches (e.g. Liturgy of St. Basil, Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom etc.).

Is it the same as the Latin Mass?

The expression Latin Mass is popularly applied to the Mass according to the Missal of 1962, since one of its most notable characteristics is that the prayers are entirely in Latin. However, this is true also of the Missale Romanum of the post-conciliar rite, which is typically celebrated in the vernacular languages of the world. All translations are made from the "typical edition" in Latin (currently the third edition, of 2002), and every missal in vernacular translation must also contain the Latin text, since any priest may freely celebrate the ordinary form of the Mass in Latin.

Some, therefore, distinguish Mass according to the 1962 Missal from the current rite by calling it the traditional Latin Mass. While this is preferable to Latin Mass, it still does not establish the exact form of the traditional Latin Mass in question.
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When will the norms in Summorum Pontificum take effect?

On 14 September 2007.

Who may celebrate the Mass according to the Missal of 1962?

According to the Apostolic Letter any priest of the Latin Rite may celebrate it in private, or in public according to the norms.

What about religious order priests?

They, too, may celebrate it in private. An institute of consecrated life and a society of apostolic life (both pontifical and diocesan) may also do so publicly for their community Mass, although for this to be habitual or permanent, the approval of the Major Superior, in accordance with the specific laws of the institute or society is needed.

May the faithful participate in private Masses?

Yes, those who freely request it may participate in private Masses of the clergy.

What about public Masses, such as in parishes?

If there is a stable group of people in a parish who want the extraordinary form, the Holy Father says that "the pastor should willingly accept their requests to celebrate the Mass according to the rite of the Roman Missal published in 1962... avoiding discord and favoring the unity of the whole Church."

What if a pastor won't allow it?

This would be a matter for the bishop, who is "strongly requested" to resolve it by the Holy Father. He can seek the help of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, and if he cannot resolve it, he should forward the matter to the Commission, which exercises the authority of the Holy See with regard to the norms.

May the older rites be used in the celebration of the other Sacraments?

Yes, pastors may permit the public celebration of these rites at the request of the faithful.

Must priests be schooled in the celebration of this form or just take the missal and offer it?

No, a priest must either know how to celebrate it, as many older priests still do, or become qualified in some way. Neither form of the Roman Mass should be celebrated in a slipshod or haphazard way.

Also, a priest must not be juridical impeded, as would a priest who has been suspended by his bishop for acting independently of the Church in this matter, laicized, or is otherwise canonically irregular.

May parts of the rites according to the Missal of 1962 and the current missal be intermingled?

The rites themselves may not be intermingled, each has its own proper form. However, the Holy Father suggests in his letter to the bishops that the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei "in contact with various bodies devoted to the usus antiquior" could study whether recent Mass texts (e.g. the propers of saints like Padre Pio who have been canonized since 1962) may be adapted for use with the Missal of 1962. This is interesting since it suggests the possibility of the continuing and organic development of that missal in line with its nature, as would have occurred if the liturgical reforms of Vatican II had not intervened. In this way this extraordinary form of the Roman Rite would remain both living and true to itself.

What about the former edition of the Liturgy of the Hours or Breviary?

Yes, the clergy may use the former Roman Breviary to fulfill their obligation to pray the Liturgy of the Hours or Divine Office.

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Answered by Colin B. Donovan, STL

COMPARING THE OLD AND NEW MASS

Differences Between the Traditional Latin Mass and the Novus Ordo
Comparing the Old and New Mass
By Scott P. Richert, About.com

The Mass of Pope Paul VI was introduced in 1969, after the Second Vatican Council. Commonly called the Novus Ordo, it is the Mass that most Catholics today are familiar with. Interest in the Traditional Latin Mass, celebrated in essentially the same form for the previous 1,400 years, has never been higher, largely because of Pope Benedict XVI's release of the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum on July 7, 2007, restoring the Traditional Latin Mass as one of two approved forms of the Mass.

There are many small differences between the two Masses, but what are the most obvious differences?

The Language of the Mass

The Novus Ordo is most commonly celebrated in the the vernacular--that is, the common language of the country where it is celebrated (or the common language of those who attend the particular Mass). The Traditional Latin Mass, as the name indicates, is celebrated in Latin.

What few people realize, however, is that the normative language of the Novus Ordo is Latin as well. While Pope Paul VI made provisions for the celebration of the Mass in the vernacular for pastoral reasons, his missal assumes that the Mass would continue to be celebrated in Latin, and Pope Benedict XVI has urged the reintroduction of Latin into the Novus Ordo.

The Direction of Celebration

Traditionally, all Christian liturgies were celebrated ad orientem--that is, facing the East, from which direction Christ, Scripture tells us, will return. That meant that both the priest and the congregation faced in the same direction.

The Novus Ordo allowed (again, for pastoral reasons) the celebration of the Mass versus populum--that is, facing the people. While ad orientem is still normative (and is the only way that the Traditional Latin Mass is celebrated), versus populum has become the standard practice in the Novus Ordo.

The Position of the Altar

Since, in the Traditional Latin Mass, the congregation and the priest faced the same direction, the altar was traditionally attached to the east (back) wall of the church. Raised up three steps from the floor, it was called "the high altar."

For versus populum celebrations in the Novus Ordo, a second altar in the middle of the sanctuary was necessary. This low altar is often more horizontally oriented than the traditional high altar, which is usually not very deep but is often quite tall.

The Role of the Laity

In the Traditional Latin Mass, the reading of Scripture and the distribution of Communion are reserved to the priest. The same rules are normative for the Novus Ordo, but again, exceptions that were made for pastoral reasons have now become the most common practice.

And so, in the celebration of the Novus Ordo, the laity have increasingly taken on a greater role, especially as lectors (readers) and extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist (distributors of Communion).

The Types of Altar Servers

Traditionally, only males were allowed to serve at the altar. (This is still the case in the Eastern Rites of the Church, both Catholic and Orthodox.) Service at the altar was tied to the idea of the priesthood, which, by its nature, is male. Each altar boy was considered a potential priest.

The Traditional Latin Mass maintains this understanding, but Pope John Paul II, for pastoral reasons, allowed the use of female altar servers at celebrations of Novus Ordo. The final decision, however, was left to the bishop, though most have chosen to allow altar girls.

The Nature of Active Participation

Both the Traditional Latin Mass and the Novus Ordo stress active participation, but in different ways. In the Novus Ordo, the emphasis falls on the congregation making the responses that were traditionally reserved to the deacon or altar server.

In the Traditional Latin Mass, the congregation is largely silent, with the exception of singing entrance and exit hymns (and sometime Communion hymns). Active participation takes the form of prayer and following along in very detailed missals, which contain the readings and prayers for each Mass.

The Use of Gregorian Chant

Many different musical styles have been integrated into the celebration of the Novus Ordo. Interestingly, as Pope Benedict has pointed out, the normative musical form for the Novus Ordo, as for the Traditional Latin Mass, remains Gregorian chant, though it is rarely used in the Novus Ordo today. The Presence of the Altar Rail

The Traditional Latin Mass, like the liturgies of the Eastern Church, both Catholic and Orthodox, maintains a distinction between the sanctuary (where the altar is), which represents Heaven, and the rest of the church, which represents earth. Therefore, the altar rail, like the iconostasis (icon screen) in Eastern churches, is a necessary part of the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass.

With the introduction of the Novus Ordo, many altar rails were removed from churches, and new churches were constructed without altar rails--facts that may limit the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass.

The Reception of Communion

While there are a variety of approved forms for reception of Communion in the Novus Ordo (on the tongue, in the hand, the Host alone or under both species), Communion in the Traditional Latin Mass is the same always and everywhere. Communicants kneel at the altar rail (the gate to Heaven) and receive the Host on their tongues from the priest. They do not say, "Amen" after receiving Communion, as communicants do in the Novus Ordo.

The Reading of the Last Gospel

In the Novus Ordo, the Mass ends with a blessing and then the dismissal, when the priest says, "The Mass is ended; go in peace" and the people respond, "Thanks be to God." In the Traditional Latin Mass, the dismissal precedes the blessing, which is followed by the reading of the Last Gospel--the beginning of the Gospel according to Saint John (John 1:1-14).

The Last Gospel stresses the Incarnation of Christ, which is what we celebrate in both the Traditional Latin Mass and the Novus Ordo.

ST. PAUL'S RETREAT

ST. PAUL'S RETREAT

October 1-3, 2008

Tacunan, Davao CIty

IS YOUR CHURCH A BIBLICAL CHURCH

Is Your Church a Biblical Church?
BY JACOB MICHAEL

(http://catholicapologetics.info/apologetics/protestantism/biblical.htm)

To all Protestants and other non-Catholics claiming to be followers of Christ:Take this simple test to see if your church is truly a biblical church!

(1) "And they shall bring all your brethren out of all nations for a gift to the Lord, upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and on mules, and in coaches, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the Lord, as if the children of Israel should bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord. And I will take of them to be priests, and Levites,saith the Lord." (Isaias 66:20-21)
The Old Testament prophesies that in the New Covenant, there will be a ministerial priesthood.

Does your church have a ministerial priesthood?

(2) "And in those days cometh John the Baptist preaching in the desert of Judea. And saying: Do penance: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (St. Matthew 3:1-2)

The bible describes the Church as a kingdom, a monarchy. Does your church resemble a monarchy? A democracy? Anarchy?

(3) "For from the rising of the sun even to the going down, my name is great among the Gentiles, and in every place there is sacrifice, and there is offered to my name a clean oblation: for my name is great among the Gentiles, saith the Lord of hosts." (Malachias 1:11)

The Old Testament prophesies that in the New Covenant, a "clean" (pure) oblation and sacrifice will be offered up from East to West. Does your church offer up a spotless sacrifice and oblation when it meets?

(4) "And when thy days shall be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will raise up thy seed after thee... He shall build a house to my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom fore ever." (2 Kings [2 Samuel] 7:12-13)

"And my servant David shall be king over them, and they shall have one shepherd." (Ezechiel 37:24)

"Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and shalt bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name Jesus... And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father." (St. Luke 1:31-32)
"But you are come to mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the company of many thousands of angels." (Hebrews 12:22)

The Bible teaches that Jesus came to restore the Davidic Kingdom, and to elevate it to a heavenly plane. Does your church manifest this restoration of the Davidic Kingdom?

(5) "And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliacim the son of Helcias, and I will clothe him with thy robe, and will strengthen him with thy girdle, and will give thy power into his hand: and he shall be as a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Juda. And I will lay the key of the house of David upon his shoulder: and he shall open, and none shall shut: and he shall shut, and none shall open." (Isaias 22:20-22)

The Bible teaches that the Davidic Kingdom which Jesus restored includes a Prime Minister, one who holds "the key of the house of David," who is given "power," who is "as a father" to the citizens of the kingdom. Does your church acknowledge such a Prime Minister, and the authority of the keys?

(6) "And Jesus said to them: Amen I say to you, that you who have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the seat of his majesty, you also shall sit on twelve seats judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (St. Matthew 19:28)

The Bible teaches that this restored Davidic Kingdom has princes that rule over the kingdom. Does your church acknowledge these princes?

(7) "Then Bethsabee came to king Solomon, to speak to him for Adonias: and the king arose to meet her, and bowed to her, and sat down upon his throne: and a throne was set for the king's mother, and she sat on his right hand.


And she said to him: I desire one small petition of thee; do not put me to confusion. And the king said to her: My mother ask, for I must not turn away thy face." (3 Kings [1 Kings] 2:19-20)


"And Roboam, the son of Solomon, reigned in Juda... And his mother's name was Naama, an Ammonitess." (3 Kings [1 Kings] 14:21)


"Now in the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam, the son of Nabat, Abiam reigned over Juda... the name of his mother was Maacha, the daughter of Abessalom." (3 Kings [1 Kings] 15:1-2)

"So in the twentieth year of Jeroboam, king of Israel, reigned Asa, king of Juda... His mother's name was Maacha, the daughter of Abessalom." (3 Kings [1 Kings] 15:9-10)
The Bible teaches that the Davidic Kingdom includes the office of the Queen Mother.

Does your church acknowledge the Queenship of the Mother of the King?

(8) "But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." (1 Timothy 3:15)
The Bible teaches that the Church is the "pillar and ground of the truth." Does your church teach this elevated authority of herself?

(9) "Therefore, brethren, stand fast: and hold the traditions, which you have learned, whether by word or by our epistle." (2 Thessalonians 2:14)

The Bible teaches that apostolic tradition is to be held to, whether it comes by "epistle," or by "word." Does your church hold to both written as well as oral traditions?

(10) "And Mary said... for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed." (St. Luke 1:46, 48)

The Bible teaches that all generations will call Mary "blessed." Does your church encourage you to bless the Mother of God?

If your answer to any of these questions is NO, then you better become Catholic now!