The celebration of the Holy Eucharist at St. Dominic’s Priory on May 10, 2015, the Sixth Sunday of Easter, had an added significance: the simple liturgical ritual for the installation of 16 simply professed brothers of the Priory for the Ministry of Lector and 13 among them also for the Ministry of Acolyte. Fr. Javier Gonzalez, OP, Prior Provincial of the Dominican Province of Our Lady of the Rosary, presided over the concelebrated Mass and the rites of installation. Our dear lay faithful who attend regularly our Sunday Eucharist were also present and shared in the joy and hope of the Dominican community.
The ministries of Lector, or Reader, and Acolyte are steps on the way to the “major orders†of Diaconate and Priesthood (cf. Canon 1035). Both ministries are part of the continuing formation of religious brothers and seminarians. As we read in our Dominican Constitutions: “The ministries of reader and acolyte may be given to the brothers as a way of forming them gradually and prudently in the apostolate†(LCO 215bis).
The two Ministries of Lector and Acolyte carry certain responsibilities. The function of lector is threefold: first, reading and proclaiming the Word of God in the liturgical assembly; second, instructing children and adults in the Christian faith and preparing them towards the reception of the sacraments; and third, bringing the Good News to those who have not yet received it. The function of acolyte is serving at the altar and assisting priests and deacons, and preparing the altar and the sacred vessels; when necessary, the acolyte may distribute Holy Communion to the faithful (Canon 943).
All the brothers of Saint Dominic’s Priory in Macau rejoice heartily and congratulate warmly the new readers and acolytes. By the way, almost half of the brothers who were installed as lectors and acolytes are currently preparing for their hopeful Perpetual Vows or Solemn Profession in their Dominican religious life, for the day when they will say “Yes†to the service of the Lord by the path of St. Dominic for life. Other brothers among the new lectors and acolytes hope to renew their simple profession in the Dominican Order one or two years more.
The words of Fr. Javier in his homily continue ringing in our ears: To be is to love. God is love and loved us first. Our vocation is to love others like Jesus, that is unconditionally and fully, in the first place the brothers and sisters abandoned on the margins of life. All ministries in the Church are ministries of service.
May the new lectors and acolytes respond faithfully to their new call to serve the Church and continue preparing for the deaconate and the apostolate! We all pray for our brothers, the new readers and acolytes.
 On April 25, 2015, the Dominican brothers of St. Dominic’s Priory and the Dominican sisters of the Holy Rosary gathered together at the sisters’ convent of Our Lady of Carmel in Taipa, Macau to celebrate the feast of Saint Catherine of Siena, the great 14th century Dominican saint, virgin and doctor of the Church. Considering that her feast day is on April 29, a working day this year, its celebration was advanced to the previous Saturday.
The celebration began at six in the evening with the opening song, which was followed by the praying of psalms. Pertinent songs were elegantly sandwiched between the various parts of the well-thought out program. Then the presentation of the life of St. Catherine and the relevance of her teachings today followed. The sisters did a great job in presenting movingly and even passionately the life and works of the great Dominican mystic and apostle. Some scenes of Catherine’s life were realistically portrayed by the young sisters and captured in beautiful video clips.
Thereafter, an aspirant of the sisters’ community shared some interesting personal comments. Recalling what Fr. Felicisimo Martinez OP had said in his homily to them, she expressed her conviction that sisters must also preach. They should also preach to the Fathers and not just the Fathers preaching to them – the sisters. In her sharing, she emphasized Catherine’s teaching that distinguishes between our desire for gifts and our desire for the giver of these gifts: “Those who are afire with love look only to God, the giver, and not the giftâ€; “the gift is loved because of God, the giver, and not because of the gift’s consolation.†Moreover, the inspired aspirant stressed Catherine’s conviction that God calls each of us to mystical union, no matter how weak and imperfect we are.
After the insightful sharing, the sisters sung together “Saint Dominic Superstar†in Spanish. With this song, the main part of the celebration of St. Catherine of Siena ended gloriously. The lover of “the Sweet Jesus†and of the poor and of the Church is always attractive, always relevant, always calling us Dominicans to drink of the waters of her Dialogue and Letters and follow her Dominican path.
The next part of the celebration was a fraternal/sisterly agape: a delicious banquet shared by all. All the participants enjoyed the varied and tasteful foods joyfully and competently prepared by the sisters. Thus the real love of the Dominican family was wonderfully witnessed. Around 8 pm, the celebration ended. The celebration was as beautiful as the sunset of the day and as the sisters who organized it so well.
Bro. Paul Aung Myint Win OP
On April 25, 2015, Good Shepherd Sunday, Korean brother Andreas Kim Sung Dae, OP, made his Solemn Profession before fr. Javier Gonzalez, OP, Prior Provincial of the Dominican Province of Our Lady of the Rosary. It was done within the Holy Mass, which was presided over by fr. Javier himself and concelebrated by eleven Dominican priests, including the eight from St. Dominic’s Priory, where br. Andres pursued his institutional studies. Our Dominican brothers, some Korean men and women, and a good numbers of sisters and lay faithful attended the religious event, which was held at the chapel of our St. Dominic’s Priory in Macau.
The entrance hymn introduced the deep meaning of the unique Eucharistic celebration:
Here I am Lord. Is it I, Lord? / I have heard You calling in the night. / I will go, Lord, if you lead me…
It is a highly significant Sunday of the year: the fourth Sunday after Easter, the Good Shepherd Sunday, and the 52nd World Day of Prayer for Vocations. After the Liturgy of the Word, fr.  Javier asked br. Andreas: What do you ask? His answer: God’s mercy and yours. Thereafter, the main celebrant pronounced his homily focused on the sacred readings: in the second reading done in Korean (1 Jn 3: 1-2), St. John the Evangelist tells us that we are children of God; in the third, the holy Gospel (Jn 10:11-18), Jesus presents himself as the Good Shepherd and us as his followers, as his sheep; in the first (Ac 4:8-12), St. Peters proclaims us that Jesus is the only savior, our savior. How wonderful our identity is! Hence, we have to try hard to behave as children of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus and, in Jesus, brothers and sisters of one another. The Holy Gospel connects us with the especial meaning of this Sunday: the Good Shepherd Sunday. It is also vocation Sunday and invites us all to follow faithfully God’s call: to listen to God’s voice and to follow our Shepherd gratefully and humbly. Then the Prior Provincial answered the request of br. Andreas: “Yes, you – as we all – have God’s mercy, and also ours.â€
Thereafter, br. Andreas made his solemn profession: to be obedient, usque ad mortem – till death. He also promised to go to the missions when requested by the authorities. The Prior Provincial prayed the Prayer of Blessing over br. Andreas. The Ritual of the Solemn Profession ended with the singing of the well-known hymn to our Father St. Dominic the O Spem Miram.
The Offertory Hymn prayerfully confirmed br. Andreas’ free and total surrender to God:
Here I am and I long to do your will. / Here I am, I follow your commands. / Here I am! Here I am.
Finally, the Communion Hymn asked for God’s grace to be faithful:
Shepherd me, O God, beyond my wants, beyond my fears, from death into life.
After the communion prayer, br. Andreas spoke from the heart and gave thanks to each of the priests and brothers for the help they all gave him through the years at St. Dominic’s Priory. He told us that he has an only brother, younger than him, who is now a brother Franciscan. “We are not enemies,†he added jokingly. Throughout his profession, the newly solemnly professed Korean brother was deeply moved. He was also moved to tears when he expressed his gratitude to all. We all gave thanks to God for his love endures forever!
After the wonderful Eucharist and the moving solemn profession of br. Andreas, all the people attending shared with the Dominican community in a simple agape. Good Shepherd and Vocation Sunday 2015 was indeed a day to rejoice and remember . This is the day the Lord has made!
Br. Andreas, hermano, a most cordial welcome as permanent member of the missionary Province of Our Lady of the Rosary. Joyful congratulations!
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Once again I have the pleasure to greet you a Happy Easter. I do it not only to respond to the numerous greetings that I receive on these days from individual brothers and communities, but also to share with you the joyous news of the Lord’s resurrection. He is Risen!, the apostles were told by Mary Magdalene, and that short news was everything they needed to have their fainted hearts uplifted. ‘He is Risen!’ we are told every year at Easter, and that short news ought to be all we likewise need to have our fainted hearts uplifted. Still let me add: May His peace and joy be with you!
Here in Hong Kong, where I am writing these lines, our good Bishop has reminded the Catholics of his diocese to be happy and grateful at Easter time. Reasons for it are plenty, according to him; some of them he quoted from a 2.400-year-old Chinese book in the form of a story: “In the area of Mount Tai a Master came across a man wearing rather poor clothing; he was strumming a guitar and singing a song. When he asked him ‘¿Why are you so happy?’ he replied: There are many things to be happy about. First, Heaven has brought forth everything in the world; among them, human beings are the most valuable. I am a human being. This is the first happy matter. Secondly, of those born as human beings some die even before opening their eyes and some die in their swaddling clothes. But I have been able to live until middle age. This is the second happy matter. Finally, poverty is common in a human being’s life and death only signifies reaching our final destination. However, I am peacefully and normally going along in the direction of a human being´s final destination. Is there anything else I should be worried about? And the Master felt great admiration for him.’
In addition to these, the Bishop added two more reasons to be happy and thankful this year in Hong Kong. The first is that 3600 adults receive the sacraments of Christian Initiation on the Easter Vigil and become members of the great Catholic family. Secondly, because more and more Catholics are happily pursuing further theological education so that they can participate in the mission of the Church by becoming volunteer catechists or evangelizers effectively spreading the gospel by their words and deeds.
I am sure that in your respective places these same things are happening, too. They should produce in us happiness and gratitude and move us to take at heart Pope Francis’ appeal on his message for the Year of Consecrated Life: Be joyful witnesses of the gospel. Be evangelizers who trust in God and courageously carry out the work of evangelization. Unite with one another and be concerned for the poor, so that the Kingdom of God will be realized soon throughout the whole world.
Brothers, Jesus live on! Alleluia! His Resurrection is a pledge of our own resurrection. So let us rejoice and be thankful. Happy Easter!
Javier González, OP
Provincial
St. Joseph House
Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, April 2015
