On June 6, 2012, our chaplain, Father Jun Sescon, celebrated the 7:00 p.m. servant’s Mass at the Sto. Niño de Paz Greenbelt Chapel with the LECCOM group as the group in focus. An AVP on the duties and responsibilities of the Leccom members was played before the Mass. Father Jun said in his homily that we should live simply and not complicate our lives; that we should be concerned about our own salvation, change ourselves, unclutter our lives, cleanse ourselves of feelings that are not essential to help us focus on a life of peace.
Father Jun started the on-going formation by posing a question (to the Greenbelt Chapel servants and parishioners who were present for the formation) on the essential changes in Liturgy based on the new English translation of the Roman Missal. He started off by sharing that a door is a bridge to another reality where there may be security and confidence. He asked them what their thoughts would be if they found the chaplain’s office door open. Would they think that a burglar has gone in and out of the door or that the owner forgot to close the door or, still, that the owner is just inside sweeping? None answered with the first, a few with the second and several with the third. The personality of those who chose the second is that of being cool, having grace under pressure, while those who chose the third option are seemingly laid back, but on their guard and are mature, secretive and do not show their weakness.
Father Jun went on to play a video showing the rationale for the changes in the English translation, showing that, with the changes, there is more formal equivalence to Latin original over dynamic equivalence, where the words became more descriptive and closer to the meaning of the original Latin message. One of the changes included the word chalice for cup to make it closer to Scriptures and Tradition. A good presider engages the people to connect with the Lord after the greeting before the Mass. He cited several bible verses that mentions the Lord is with you:
1 Chronicles 22: 11 Now, my son, the LORD be with you, and May you have success and build the house of the LORD your God, as he said you would. By King David to bless his son Solomon
Luke 1: 28 the angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” By Angel Gabriel to Mary
2 Timothy 4:22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace is with you.
Galatians 6:18 the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen
Philippians 4:23 the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ?
Four instances in the Mass where the priest presider says, The Lord be with you with a response of faith from the parishioners And also with you is first made before the introductory prayer, second before the Gospel reading, third in the Eucharistic prayer and finally before the dismissal. The response And also with you”, will be replaced with, And with your spirit, which means to share in the goodness of God. Our individual spirit is animated by God’s Holy Spirit to enable us to do good. Interior participation is the foundation of fruitful participation. The spirit is very important in our lives – the goodness in our hearts to transform us into a holy people. The works of the spirit / fruits of the Holy Spirit are love, joy, peace, forbearance, gentleness, generosity, self-control, kindness and goodness; that which is good, noble and closer to God as against the works of the flesh such as adultery, fornication, lasciviousness, lust, idolatry, hatred, envy, murder, drunkenness and revelling to name a few.
A video with Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle was also played, which tackled on the change from “et cum spiritu tuo” or And also with you; the sign of the cross, which is the highest prayer for us baptized children of the triune God.
Father Jun reminded the parishioners and servants of the presence of Christ encountered at Mass through the priest, community, the Word and Eucharist. He asked everyone to contemplate on two words: Presence and
With, whenever we listen to the word of God, receive HIS Body and Blood, pursue our mission and experience HIS companionship (as did by Jeremiah, Joshua, Mary and the disciples). Afterwards, the community sung a song that had the message of Jesus’ love and of His being with us ‘til the end of time. John 4:23 states, Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
- by Michele L. Mariquit