Good Friday- "O vos omnes"

A Good Friday tradition at Saint Anthony Parish is the "Enterro do Senhor" or Burial of the Lord.  “O Vos Omnes” is the chant that is sung. The action is that of the "andores" or carriers brought around the church, one with the laid out body of Christ, followed by the Sorrowful Mother. The words, however haunting, could use some explanation. The text seems to be as ancient as the Book of Lamentations from the Old Testament. It is adapted from the Vulgate translation (Latin) of chapter 1 verse 12a.

           

            Come, all who pass by the way,

            pay attention and see:

            Is there any pain like my pain. –Lamentations 1:12a

It is a responsory originally sung as part of Church liturgies for Holy Week. It was often set, especially in the sixteenth century as part of the Tenebrae Responsories for Holy Saturday.  Tenebrae (Latin for 'shadows' or 'darkness') is a Christian religious service celebrated by the Western Church on the evening before or early morning of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, which are the last three days of Holy Week. The distinctive ceremony of Tenebrae is the gradual extinguishing of candles while a series of readings and psalms is chanted or recited. In the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church the Tenebrae readings and psalms are those of Matins and Lauds.

The following are the words used here at Saint Anthony Parish:

O vos omnes qui transitis per viam,

attendite et videte:

Si est dolor similis sicut dolor meus.

V. Attendite, universi populi,

et videte dolorem meum.

Si est dolor similis sicut dolor meus.

O all you who walk by on the road,

pay attention and see:

if there be any sorrow like my sorrow.

V. Pay attention, all people,

and look at my sorrow:

if there be any sorrow like my sorrow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Uma tradição da Sexta-feira Santa na Paróquia de Santo António é do Enterro do Senhor. "O Vos Omnes" e cantado em quanto os andores, um com o Senhor morte e o outro com a Nossa Senhora das Dores entram em procissão na igreja. O cântico já se tornou familiar para nossa comunidade, mas as palavras tristes, diversas vezes repetidas durante o entoar de sua melodia, merecem uma explicação. O texto parece ser tão antigo quanto o Livro das Lamentações do Antigo Testamento. É uma adaptação retirada da Vulgada (tradução para o Latim da Bíblia):

Venham, vós todos que passais pelo caminho,

            Prestai atenção e vede:

            Se existe alguma dor semelhante à minha dor. – Lamentações 1:12a

É um responsório originalmente cantado como parte da liturgia da Semana Santa. Era cantado com freqüência, especialmente durante o Século XVI, como parte dos responsórios chamados de Tenebrae, no Sábado Santo. Tenebrae (palavra em Latim que significa “trevas” ou “escuridão”) é uma cerimônia religiosa Cristã da Igreja do Ocidente que é feita na noite anterior ou na madrugada da Quinta-feira Santa, da Sexta-feira Santa e do Sábado Santo, ou seja, nos três últimos dias da Semana Santa. A cerimônia da Tenebrae consiste em ir apagando gradualmente algumas velas enquanto uma série de leituras e salmos são cantados ou recitados. No Rito da Igreja Católica Romana, as leituras e os salmos do Tenebrae são retirados do Ofício das Leituras e das Laudes.

 Aqui na Paróquia Santo António, o responsório é cantado do seguinte modo:

O vos omnes qui transitis per viam,

attendite et videte:

Si est dolor similis sicut dolor meus.

V. Attendite, universi populi,

et videte dolorem meum.

Si est dolor similis sicut dolor meus.

Ó vós todos que andais pelos caminhos,

Prestai atenção e vede:

Se há dor semelhante a minha dor.

V. Prestai atenção, todos os povos,

e olhai a minha dor:

Se há alguma dor semelhante a minha dor.

Mr. Mario E. Rosa has been a parishioner at Saint Anthony Parish since coming to the United States in 1958. The reason for his departure from his home island of Faial in the Azorean Islands was due to a volcanic eruption that lasted for 13 months, from September 27, 1957 until October 24, 1958. What could have been a disaster turned into an opportunity. Certainly coming to the United States, especially after the devastation of such an earthquake would become for him and his wife, Maria Fernanda, an opportunity, but more importantly it became an opportunity and a tremendous gift for the priests and the parish of Saint Anthony in Cambridge. Mr. Rosa served as a sacristan at his home parish in Faial. From the time he arrived in Cambridge he became the all around caretaker of the many and sundry needs of the parish complex.

  

He has taken care of all the locks in the church, fixing them, including the one of the tabernacle in the chapel, which was stuck closed. He kept track of the keys- even taking those with no designation and hunting down the lock that they fit. The kneelers in the church were under his vigilant care making sure all the brackets and hinges were in good working order or making sure there were there were enough replacements on hand. If anything appeared to be unfixable, Mr. Rosa would find a way to repair it. All of these were done at little or no cost to the parish, at times paying for parts out of his pocket.


I have known Mr. Rosa and his wife, always at his side, since first assigned here in 1995. I think that makes me one of those knowing him the least amount of time. They would come by at least two or three times a week either dropping something off that he had repaired or to see what else might need to be taken away for his gentle fix. Their most constant presence at the parish has been at the 4:00 o’clock Mass on Saturday. With the exception of being kept away due to illness they are usually here between 2:30 and 3:00 o’clock, putting the bulletins in place, as well as the Pilot and the Portuguese and Brazilian Journals.  And then he would set up for Mass making sure everything is in place, form setting out enough hosts so there is no need to go to the tabernacle, and finding out which priest is celebrating so our personal chalice is set out.


When he was diagnosed with cancer he remained stoic in the face of the illness and talked of having lived a good life, never intentionally hurting another person. Being a realist he knows that life doesn’t last forever. Both he and his wife have discussed his passing, naturally, they would prefer to remain together but are prepared, confident that they will be together for eternity.

In November Cardinal Seán celebrated a service at which 121 faithful of the Archdiocese of Boston received the Chevrus Award. While the award is given each year, only a third of the parishes of the Archdiocese may submit a name, and so the award at each parish is only received once every three years. The parish recipient this year was Mr. Mario Rosa. It was with great pleasure that I received the news that he would be receiving the award. It is an honor for him and also for us that a gentleman of such openness and charity received this distinction.  

Mr. Rosa passed away at 4:00 pm on January 25th. Since I have known them, Mr. and Mrs. Rosa attended the 4:00 pm Mass every Saturday, barring any illness. Even after he was diagnosed with cancer he was at Mass each weekend unless his therapy was too taxing. Last week on the Saturday prior to his passing he mentioned to his wife that he wanted to come to the 4:00 Mass. She said they would do whatever he wanted as long as he was up to it. He was and they came. It was the last time he drove. He was 91 years of age at his passing. For reasons known only to himself, he had told others that he preferred to die in the hospital, rather than at home. His wish was granted having been taken to the emergency room at Mt. Auburn Hospital.

He will be sorely missed by this priest and, I know by the other priests at the parish as well as the parishioners. Thank you Senhor Rosa for all that you did in service to this parish and to the Lord.





Mario Egidio Rosa, of Cambridge, January 25^th. Devoted husband of Maria (Fernanda) Rosa. Loving brother of Angelo Rosa and the late Gabriella Tanjo, Jaime, Gabriel and Eduardo Rosa. Also survived by many nieces, nephews and many other loving relatives and friends. Funeral from the Rogers Funeral Home, 380 Cambridge St., Cambridge Monday at 8 am. Funeral mass at St. Anthony’s Church in Cambridge at 9 am. Visiting hours Sunday 2 to 6 pm.
In lieu of flowers donations in Mario's memory may be made to St. Anthony's Church, 400 Cardinal Medeiros Ave, Cambridge MA 02141.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord.
And let perpetual light shine upon him. 
May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, 
Rest in Peace.
 
May Christ, who called you, take you to himself;
may angels lead you to the bosom of Abraham.
May choirs of angels welcome you
and lead you to the bosom of Abraham.
And where Lazarus is poor no longer
may you find eternal rest.

Reflection of the other son in the story of the Prodigal one...

In this poem by Rita Simmonds, she seems to have calmed any bitterness or resentment on the part of the brother. During this season of Lent this is a wonderful reflection on our need always to return home to the Father and give thanks for His will to forgive again... and again!

The Killed Calf

I had heard the rumors,
your fall from grace:
How you'd tossed our father's fortune
to the dogs,
... and now
disgraced and starving
you're making your way home.
I am the good son.
I fattened the calf
in your absence.
And now
to welcome you
our father says
it must be slain.
The little cow,
so stuffed with grain,
teeters on its legs.
For mercy's sake
it must be slain.
I killed the fattened calf for you,
though it tried to get away.
Its eyes rolled back inside its head.
It seized and cried
so wracked with pain.
(Who will know what price was paid?)
I am the good son.
At our father's word
I killed the calf
that could barely stand,
for my brother lives.
In every welcoming there is a death.
In every home-coming,
a hidden sacrifice.
In every sacrifice,
the father's will
to forgive
and live again.

-Rita A. Simmonds

Of debts, defaults and deals

       The following may seem a bit more political that usual.  It may seem that this is not the correct place for this type of message.  Some of you may agree, other may disagree.  I might even be accused of being a liberal- horrors.  For me it is a matter of justice.

       Being a member of AARP I  received a solicitation for funds with a request to sign a piece of paper that would have been sent to my US Representative and Senators.  If you're over 55 and belong to AARP perhaps you received this piece of mail also.  And so I thought I'd cut out the middle man/person and send a message myself.  The Internet is great for being able to send messages to a variety of people, especially elected officials.  It's not something I regularly do but I thought I'd give it a go.  If you've been alive and breathing these past few days and weeks perhaps you too are a bit tired of the endless discussions, childish bickering and senseless tantrums that pretty much got us nowhere.  It seems so ludicrous to me that something that was given as a a tax cut and a supposed incentive to do something that it never did, create jobs, is still being touted by the falsity of that claim and as something that cannot be touched.  Where is the outrage of the average American citizen those who can't see beyond the political posturing that seems to be creating more damage than good, that is benefiting the few instead of the many.  That  many are the vast numbers who are out of work, 14.1 million who are not gaining any benefit at all from a tax cut that is supposed to help create jobs for them.  Something has to be done to help the jobless, the elderly and those with little or no recourse to basic health care.

The following is what I sent:


       As a citizen of the United States I am very dismayed by the childishness and irresponsibility that has been so evident these past few weeks and months in Congress.  The people of this country are being held captive by those committed to serving the people of the country, not their own interests or political affiliations.

It seems incredible that the same argument about getting rid of the tax credit for the most wealthy, that of creating jobs, is still being used.  With the tax credits in place for the past years where are the jobs.  Those tax credits, quite evidently are not working.  How exactly is making harmful cuts to Social Security and Medicare going to help the common person? On the contrary it will make their lives more difficult as they must determine what to cut out of their needs, not their wants.  Let's face it the wealthy, in losing tax credits will not have to sacrifice on needs, if perhaps their wants or luxuries are curtailed a bit.  Some of our Senators and Representatives need to get a conscience when it comes to service.

Like it or not there are basic needs that must be exempt from the cutting block, tax credits are not included in a list of conscientious cuts.  Essential benefits to tens of millions of older Americans and basic health care services for older Americans to lead healthy lives must be protected for the well-being and welfare, not to mention the reputation of our nation as a caring society.  Before asking seniors and the most unprotected to pay more I urge you to, I quote from the AARP, cut ineffective government spending, "from tax loopholes to pork barrel spending."  I urge you and your colleagues to do something courageous which will benefit the greater majority, and not do just what would benefit the few at the top level of society and ensure full coffers for re-election campaigns. 

Easter Bulletin Message

Χριστός ἀνέστη!  Ἀληθῶς ἀνέστη!

Christos Anesti! Alithos Anesti!

When our brothers and sisters of the Orthodox Churches arrive at their celebration of the Great and Holy Pascha, they will gather prior to midnight on Holy Saturday so that they are present for that hour when the Bishop or Priest enters the church carrying the candle which signifies Christ’s triumph over death.  As they depart that celebration in the wee hours of Easter Sunday they will greet one another with the words written above: “Christ is Risen! Truly, He is Risen!”  Although our celebration begins slightly earlier than midnight we celebrate no less the mystery of our Salvation when Christ tramples death and ushers in the Resurrection for all who believe.  As we entered the Church for the celebration of the Easter Vigil it was completely in darkness.  This is a reminder to us that we are in the womb, the darkened tomb from which we are called to be reborn.  As we each light our candles from the Paschal Candle, recently blessed, we are reminded of the Light of Christ that we received at our Baptism, the only Light that can illuminate and remove the darkness of sin.  As the church becomes lighted ever brighter we experience in sight, sound and smell that the shadows of Lent are gone, transformed by the glory of God’s creation in the flowers, lights and beauty of the occasion.  Christ is truly Risen and is in our midst.  It is in this Easter reality that we renew our Baptismal promises because the Lord is raised and has “conquered the power of death and opened for us the way to eternal life.”  May this celebration “raise us up and renew our lives by the Spirit that is within us!”  (from the Opening prayer for Easter Sunday.)  May the risen Lord breathe on our minds and open our eyes that we may know Him in the breaking of the bread, and follow Him in His risen life. (from the Alternative Opening Prayer for Easter Sunday.)

Please remember that the one collection of this Easter weekend is for the Retired Clergy Fund.  During the past few years it was vastly and dangerously underfunded.  At risk was the ability to pay for medical costs for the priests and also for the retirement pay to those priests who have devoted their lives to serving the Church and the People of God.  Much restructuring has taken place and the administration of these funds is greatly improved.  It is very imperative that we realize the importance of this collection and of continuing to give generously to support the many priests who benefit from this collection.  Please be as generous as possible to this very important appeal, and may the Lord bless your generosity.

Welcome to all who are here with us this weekend.  Guests, visitors, students home for Easter break, family members visiting for Easter, whoever you are and whatever brings you here to this celebration of Easter, WELCOME!  

“Christ is Risen!  Truly He is Risen!” 

May you and your family celebrate a truly Glorious Easter!

Peace & Joyous Blessings of this Sacred Easter Season,

Fr. Walter, Fr. Jimmy, Fr. Cristiano, Fr. Leonel and the entire Parish Staff

 Χριστός ἀνέστη!  Ἀληθῶς ἀνέστη!

Christos Anesti! Alithos Anesti!

            Ao chegarem à sua Celebração da Grande e Santa Páscoa, os nossos irmãos e irmãs das Igrejas Ortodoxas juntam-se todos antes da meia-noite, na noite de Sábado Santo, para estarem presentes na hora em que o Bispo ou o sacerdote entra na Igreja levando o Círio que significa o Triunfo de Cristo sobre a morte. Ao saírem da Celebração durante as horas madrugadoras do Domingo de Páscoa, eles cumprimentam-se uns aos outros com as palavras acima indicadas: “Cristo Ressuscitou! Verdadeiramente, Ressuscitou! Contudo, a nossa Celebração começa um pouco antes da meia-noite para celebrar nada mais que o mesmo. O mistério da salvação quando Cristo calcou aos pés e venceu a morte para todos os que acreditam. Quando entramos na Igreja para a nossa Celebração da Vigília Pascal estamos completamente às escuras. Isto lembra-nos que estamos dentro do túmulo. Desse túmulo escuro somos chamados a renascer. Ao acendermos cada uma das nossas velas a partir do Círio Pascal recentemente benzido, somos chamados a lembrar a Luz de Cristo, que nós recebemos no dia do nosso Baptismo. A única Luz que pode iluminar e retirar a escuridão do pecado. Com a iluminação da Igreja cada vez mais brilhante revivemos a experiência do som e do cheiro que a sombra da Quaresma nos deixou e terminou, transformados pela glória e pela criação de Deus nas flores, luz e beleza da ocasião. Cristo Ressuscitou verdadeiramente e está entre nós. É nesta realidade da Páscoa que renovamos as Promessas Baptismais porque o Senhor Ressuscitou, venceu o poder da morte e abriu-nos o caminho da vida eterna. Que esta Celebração levante e renove as nossas vidas pelo Espírito que está em nós.

Por favor tenham em conta que a colecta única feita neste fim-de-semana da Páscoa é para o Fundo para o Clero Reformado. Durante os últimos anos o fundo foi perigosamente subfinanciado. Em risco estava a possibilidade de pagar as despesas médicas dos padres e também do pagamento da reforma daqueles padres que dedicaram as suas vidas servindo a Igreja e o Povo de Deus. Muita reestruturação já aconteceu e a administração deste fundo está muito aperfeiçoada. É um imperativo que reconheçamos a importância deste ofertório e continuar a apoiar generosamente os muitos padres que beneficiarão desta colecta. Faço um apelo à vossa generosidade para este importantíssimo apelo, e que o Senhor abençoe a vossa generosidade.

           

Bem-vindos a todos os que estão aqui connosco este fim-de-semana. Convidados, visitantes, estudantes em casa para as férias da Páscoa, membros de família que se encontram de visita, quem quer que seja e o que lhes trouxe de volta aqui a esta celebração da Páscoa, BENVINDOS!

“Cristo Ressuscitou! Verdadeiramente Ressuscitou!”

Que com a vossa família, celebrem todos uma Páscoa Gloriosa.

Paz e Alegres Bençãos neste Santo Tempo Pascal,

Padre Walter, Padre Jimmy, Padre Cristiano, Padre Leonel e a equipa paroquial.

Domingo de Ramos com Padre Walter Carreiro/Palm Sunday Sermon in Portuguese

Domingo de Ramos com Padre Walter Carreiro

These posts are a bit out of order, but this is the sermon for the preceding post about the blessing of palms and procession with the Brazilian community in Marlboro.  Naturally the language is Portuguese.
Click on the link above to go to the Page of the Brazilian Apostolate- "Apostolado Brasileiro," which has a posting of the video of the Homily.
Blessings of Holy Saturday as we anticipate the celebration of the Resurrection at the Easter Vigil.

Domingo de Ramos em Marlboro ~ Palm Sunday in Marlborough

This was an excellent celebration.  The Brazilian Communities sure know how to celebrate the Triumphant Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm/Passion Sunday.  I was lucky enough to have been invited to celebrate with this particular community in Marlborough.  It was my second time celebrating there so we were somewhat familiar with one another.  The priest from Brasil, who was attending to their spiritual needs, had to return in January after being here for the time allowed, usually three years.  In the meantime, as they await another priest from "home" they have to put up with visiting priests, like me, who come in when our schedules allow.  The parochial vicar, Fr. Jim, from my parish will be celebrating Mass there on Easter Sunday.  Pray for them that a priest from Brasil comes soon to continue to lead them and attend to their spiritual needs.  Thanks to Hercules Werneck for posting this video on YouTube.  He is a tireless Minister of the Media for the Brazilian Apostolate.