Reflection of Br. Cesar O.P.
“On this feast day, we are encouraged to reflect on the power of prayer, particularly the praying of the rosary.”
The Feast Day of Our Lady of the Rosary, also known as the Feast of Our Lady of Victory, is celebrated on October 7th each year. This feast day holds great significance for the Dominican Order and is dedicated to the Our Lady of the Rosary as the patron of the Province of Our Lady of the Rosary.
The origins of this feast can be traced back to the 16th century when the Christian naval forces, known as the Holy League, achieved a remarkable victory against the Ottoman Empire in the Battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571. The naval battle was fought in the Gulf of Patras, off the western coast of Greece.
Pope Pius V, who urged all Christians to pray the rosary for victory, attributed the triumph to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In gratitude for the decisive victory and in recognition of the Virgin Mary’s intercession, he established this feast day, initially called “Our Lady of Victory,” which would later become known as “Our Lady of the Rosary.”
Throughout the centuries, devotion to Our Lady of the Rosary has grown, captivating the hearts of countless faithful Catholics across the world. The rosary, a powerful prayer that meditates on the life of Jesus Christ through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, has become closely associated with this devotion.
The Dominican province of Our Lady of the Rosary dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary proudly upholds this devotion and pays homage to the Blessed Virgin Mary as their patroness. They honor her on this day by participating in special Masses, processions, and other religious ceremonies. These celebrations offer an opportunity for the faithful to come together and deepen their faith through prayer and reflection.
Devotees of Our Lady of the Rosary believe that through her intercession, they can obtain peace and protection, especially during challenging times. They seek her guidance and support in their spiritual journey, recognizing her as a loving mother who always leads them closer to her Son, Jesus Christ.
On this feast day, we are encouraged to reflect on the power of prayer, particularly the praying of the rosary. We are reminded of the significance of seeking Mary’s intercession and the importance of living a life of faith, gratitude, and love towards God and one another.
On 20th September, 2023 the student brothers and fathers from our Priory joined in the celebration of Faculty Convocation Day at St. Joseph Seminary Church. It also served as the memorial of St. Andrew Kim Taegon and companions. It was a prayerful and meaningful gathering of faculty members and students at the beginning of the Academic Year 2023-2024. We dedicated our time on daytime prayer, message from the Vice-Rector and innagural lecture of the Dean of the Faculty of Religious Studies and Philosophy. After the celebration, there was a campus tour around the seminary and library. In this academic year, there are nine newly professed brothers who are studying in Foundation Year.
Opening Speech of Vice-Rector, Professor Keith Morrison
Inaugural Lecture of Dean of the Faculty, Fr. Cyril Law
A yearly recurrent ephemerides at this community of St Dominic’s Priory in Macau is the religious profession renewal of some of the student brothers. This year the event took place on 21 June. On that day, seventeen brothers, wearing their black and white Dominican habit, renewed their promise of obedience to God, to Blessed Mary, to Blessed Dominic and, through the local superior, to Fr Gerard Francisco Timoner, the current Master of the Order of Preachers. They likewise pledged fidelity “to go to the foreign Mission whereever assigned by their superiors” as it is customary in the Province of Our Lady of the Rosary. It was one step forward for them towards their solemn profession.
By circumstance, this year the 17 brothers found themselves in different countries on that very day of 21 June: Bro. Innocent Han-Zaw-Htun was in Yangon; Bro. Reynaldo Chang, in Hong Kong, Bro. Benedito de Jesus, Cesar Lino de Sousa, Agostinho Mendonça, Andre Pereira, Joao Baptista Pereira, Gaspar de Jesus, Agostinho Maia dos Santos, Natalino da Costa, in Timor Leste; Bro. Mark Noh Seung, in Korea; and the rest, Bro. Gabriel Khun Ri, Luigi Yu Reh, Aloysius Thurein-Htun, Francisco Zin Ko Lin, Francis Kim Eung Woo and Joseph Hung Naing Ling remained in Macau. In this way, the joyful event was witnessed by a larger number of brothers, some of them young aspirants and novices, in the Missions of the Province. As seen in the pictures they shared with us after the event, their faces reflected joy.
In Macau, at St Dominic’s Priory, the ceremony of the renewal took place in the evening of that day during the Vespers and the conventual Mass, presided over by the Prior of the community, Fr Javier Gonzales, and concelebrated by Frs. Fausto, Edmond Eh, Paul Fan and Lawrence Reh, and participated by the rest of the student brothers. The celebration ended with the singing of the Salve Regina and the O Spem Miram to our Father Dominic.
Our warmest congratulations to all the brothers for this act of generosity towards God. Congratulations also to our Korean Brother Mannes John Kim Su-Myeong, a former student in Macau, who on this same date made his solemn profession in his home country, South Korea. Our prayers for all of them, with the wish that the Lord who started this good work may take it to fulfillment.
This year 2022, the Ash Wednesday, which in the liturgical calendar marks the beginning of our Lenten journey towards Easter, was a Day of Prayer and Fasting for Peace in Ukraine, as requested by Pope Francis.
Here at St Dominic’s in Macau, the community Mass was presided over by its Prior, Fr Javier Gonzalez, during which the ashes were imposed on all its members with the customary words “Repent and believe the Gospel.” The Mass readings of that day highlighted the Lenten itinerary in expressions such as “Return to the Lord…” (prophet Joel), “Be reconciled to God” (St Paul), “When you pray…When you give alms… When you fast…” (Jesus). Our response both as individuals and as a community could not be other than “Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned” (Resp. Psalm). We continue praying for our personal conversion and for peace in the world.
On Friday, 18 March 2022, the University of Saint Joseph in Macau celebrated its 25th Year Anniversary with a Mass in the Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady, presided over by the diocesan Bishop, D. Stephen Lee. The Rector of the University, Rev. Deacon Stephen Morgan, assisted the main celebrant as Deacon. Likewise, our Dominican community was actively involved in the liturgical celebration: some priests-professors concelebrated with the bishop, and our student brothers assisting also during the Mass, some as acolytes and the rest in the music ministry as members of the choir. Other members of the assembly participated in different ways, from proclaiming the readings to presenting the intercessory prayers on behalf of the entire community. USJ administrators, professors, staff members, alumni and students alike were also present.
It was a Thanksgiving Mass to commemorate the important landmark of the USJ Silver Anniversary of the USJ, which under the motto “Tradition, Innovation, Vision” continues committed to play a significant role in the evangelization in this part of the world. Bishop Lee, during his homily, highlighted the meaning and relevance of the event. As it coincided with the festivity of St Joseph, the bishop cited the Holy Father’s Pastoral Letter Patris corde (“With the heart of a father”) and encouraged everyone to imitate the fatherly virtues of the Holy Patriarch Saint Joseph. He ended by giving thanks to the Lord for the growth and development of USJ in the past 25 years and requested the academic community present, students and teachers alike, to ask for grace for the next 25 years.
After the Mass, invited guests and participants took a group photo at the nearby Ruins of Saint Paul’s, a place where Catholic Higher Education began in East Asia and a reminder of how the University is rooted in a long tradition of intercultural exchange that has been the hallmark of Catholic higher education in Macau since the College of Saint Paul, founded in 1954.
What is Advent?
The word Advent is derived from the Latin word advenire, meaning ‘to come’, referring to the coming of Christ.
In the Catholic Church, Advent refers to the four weeks preceding Christmas, a time of liturgical celebration that highlights the birth of Jesus Christ and, according to biblical prophecy, the Day of Judgment on which he returns.
Advent is a time of spiritual purification, as well as preparing for Jesus’ arrival. Purple is the color used in the vestments during celebrations, a symbol of the beginning of a new liturgical year, which occurs on the first Sunday of Advent.
Advent is a time for penance and spiritual cleansing, but for Christians, it is also a time of joy and rejoicing. This is because it nurtures the hope of the Messiah’s return through the celebration of his birth.
Advent represents Mary’s waiting for the birth of Jesus. This is announced by the Angel Gabriel in a vision in which he told her she was about to conceive the Son of God.
Advent always begins on the Sunday closest to the 30th of November and ends on the 24th of December, Christmas Eve.
The wreaths of candles has symbolic meanings tied to the Christmas season, and each of them has the meaning that the circle of wreath signifies the eternity of God with no beginning or end. And even each of the individual evergreen that makes up the wreath has the meaning that can be represented to our faith. We don’t mention each of them but the most important is that the wreath as a whole is meant to remind us of both immortality of our soul and God’s promises of everlasting life through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The four candles represent four weeks of Advent, and each candle represents each Sunday. Three candles are purple, the liturgical calendar color that represents the time of prayer, penance, and sacrifice.
The first purple candle symbolizes hope, Sometimes it is called the “Prophecy Candle” in memory of the prophets, especially Isaiah, who prophesied the birth of Christ. It symbolizes the expectation for the coming Messiah.
The second purple candle symbolizes faith. The candle is called the “Bethlehem Candle” as it symbolizes Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem.
The third candle is pink and symbolizes joy. It is the “Shepherd’s Candle”, and it is pink because rose is the liturgical color for joy. The third Sunday of Advent is Gaudete Sunday and is meant to remind us of the joy that the world experienced at the birth of Jesus, as well as the joy that the faithful have reached the midpoint of Advent.
The four and last purple candle, lighted on the four Sunday of Advent, symbolizes peace. It is the “Angel Candle,” as the angel’s message reminds us “Peace on earth, to the people of goodwill” (Luke 2:14 KJV). It is the final week of prayer, penance as we wait for the arrival of our Saviour.
In modern traditions, the Advent wreath we see does not include a white candle. But the white candle is in place in the middle of the wreath and on Christmas Eve. This candle is named “Christ candle” and it represents the life of Christ. The color white symbolizes purity because Christ is our sinless, pure Saviour.
