Liturgy

The names of Anne and Joachim

07/08/2024

An old Christian tradition dating back to the second century attributes the names of Anna and Joachim to the parents of the Virgin Mary. Their specific names indicate their role in the Father’s plan of salvation by sending his Son into the world.

Anna means “grace,” whilst Joachim means “that which God has established.” Putting them together, Mary’s parents symbolise God’s promise put into action with his people from the beginning of times. The marriage of these two personalities was one of the last prologues to Jesus’s birth.

The oldest written reference to these names is found in the Proto-Evangelium of St James, written in the mid-second century based on first century traditions. This early Christian document starts with the events related to the birth of Mary until the flight to Egypt.

Joachim and Anna are presented as a God-fearing and generous wealthy couple which remained childless. The fact that they lamented that they didn’t have children leads us to conclude that they were past the age to bearing children. Thus, we can assert that they were advanced in years when Mary was born. It is not clear which one of the parents was sterile, because both Joachim and Anna were scorned because they didn’t have any progeny. This shame led Joachim to go in the desert for forty days, awaiting the Lord’s visit, whilst Anna stayed in her house garden crying and praying. The symbolism of this time of trail is very strong: forty days remind us of the time the people of Israel spent in the desert, struggling between faithfulness and betrayal, while both the desert and the garden in the Bible represent the place where the heart meets God and finds rest.

They were both rewarded for their faith because both were visited by God’s messengers who announced to them that they will have a child. This heavenly announcement revealed that this child had an important role to fulfil. After nine months Mary was born, and they kept her with them for three years, when they sent her to live in the temple to serve the Lord according to the promise they had made on knowing that they were going to become parents.

What do we celebrate 40 days after Christmas?

07/08/2024

Each year, on 2 February, exactly 40 days after Christmas, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Presentation of the Lord in the temple of Jerusalem, or as we know more frequently refer to it as il-Kandlora (Candlemas). We know that this feast was already celebrated in the 4th century in Jerusalem, and was spread in Byzantium in the 6th century, and later in Rome in the 7th century. But what do we celebrate on this day?

Actually, we celebrate one instance with two important ceremonies for the Holy Family, as it is narrated in Luke’s Gospel:

And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord(as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”)and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 

Luke 2:22-24

As a Jewish family and obedient to the law of Moses, forty days after Jesus’s birth, the Holy Family went to the temple for the purification ritual. During this rite, during this rite the woman had to,

“bring to the priest at the door of the tent of meeting a lamb a year old for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering.”

Leviticus 12:6

If the woman could not afford buying a lamb, she could take with her two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one to be burnt and the other as a purification offering. This was Mary’s case. Although Mary was pure since birth and thus this ritual was not necessary for her, at the same time as a devout Jew she observed this rite.

The Jews combined this rite with the presentation of the first-born son and his dedication to God. Since there was no steadfast rule obliging the family to do this, the presentation did not need to be carried out by a priest, thus frequently done by the parents themselves.  In Jesus’ case there was Simon who took Jesus in his hands and presented him to God.

On this day, Christians commemorate both the purification of Mary—in fact, in the 1962 liturgical calendar, this was the name given to this solemnity—and also the presentation of the Lord in the temple. The names ‘Candlemas’ or ‘Kandlora’ derive from the word ‘candela’, the Latin word for candle. This is because at the beginning the mass of this solemnity the blessing of the candles takes place, followed by a procession towards the holy altar. The candles symbolise the light and, on this day, we particularly commemorate the words prophesied by Simon about Jesus as “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel” (Lk 2:32).

In 1997, Pope John Paul II instituted 2 February as a day of prayer for women and men in consecrated life. This is because consecrated men and women are called to imitate in their daily lives Christ, who is the light of the world.

Stop and Reflect:

  • In my life, am I guided by the Light? Is there a dark corner in my heart which I’m still refusing to allow Christ to shed his light even there?
  • Am I letting the Lord to use me as His instrument to be a light for others, or through my words and actions I sometimes deviate others from the true Light?
  • Ask Jesus the grace to purify you and strengthen you to choose the Light from darkness.

When should you remove the ashes on your head?

06/08/2024

A very particular rite in the liturgy is that of Ash Wednesday. On Ash Wednesday ashes are blessed and placed upon the heads of the faithful. This takes place right after the homily, or the proclamation of the Gospel, and replaces the penitential rite at the beginning of the Mass. Whilst there is no rule that states how long one should keep the ashes on the head, in reality this is a profound symbol so rich in meaning that goes beyond the season of Lent extending to our entire life.

First of all, the ashes used in this ceremony are the ashes of palm and olive branches blessed and used on Palm Sunday of the previous year, thus connecting the beginning of Lent with its conclusion, when we commemorate the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ. This penitential period of Lent hinges on the mystery of Christ’s cross.

While the faithful form a procession and approach the altar, while placing the ashes, the priest repeats each time one of these two biblical verses: “Repent, and believe in the Gospel,” or “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

The first verse refers to Christ’s words at the beginning of his public ministry, immediately after John the Baptist was put into prison (Mk1:15). Therefore, these words reveal the beginning of Jesus’ journey with his disciples, the same journey He wishes to do with us as we commence Lent. The second verse is taken from the book of Genesis wherein, after the fall of Adam and Eve, God executes his judgment (Gen 3:19). In this instance Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden and were destined for a mortal life, meaning a physical life that is ended by death. This gesture of the placing the ashes reminds us of our mortality, emphasising how important it is not to be attached to the things of this world, and also Christ’s call to repent and belief.

Furthermore, the use of ashes can be found in many parts of the Old Testament, as a sign of repentance while asking for God’s mercy. In the book of Judith, we find that “all the men and women of Israel, and their children, living at Jerusalem, prostrated themselves before the temple and put ashes on their heads and spread out their sackcloth before the Lord” (Judith 4:11). In the book of Jonah, we read how the people repented after the proclamation of the prophet, and even the King of Nineveh “arose from his throne, removed his robe, and covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes” (Jon 3:6). We find similar examples in the books of Job, Esther, Samuel and Daniel. The ashes are a sign of repentance, mourning, humility, and penance. In the same manner, through this celebration on Ash Wednesday we are reminded of the importance to repent from our sins and humbly receive God’s mercy.

St. John Paul 11 in 2000 explained how this liturgical rite of Ash Wednesday, with the blessing and placing of the ashes, is a simple and very profound gesture because “the Church reminds man, believer and sinner, of his weakness in the face of evil and especially of his total dependence on God’s infinite majesty.”

Surely, as the mass continues, the ashes fall away quickly from our, yet this symbol reminds us  of the reality of life, that in spite of all its fragility and weakness, God brings us his salvation and mercy through Christ.

Stop and Reflect:

  • Stop for a moment and think of those things you are attached to. Remember that we are all mortal.
  • Stop for a moment and think of those things you are attached to. Remember that we are all mortal.

Why is Rose used during on the Third Sunday of Advent?

11/06/2024

The Third Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete Sunday, meaning “Rejoice”, taken from the Entrance Antiphon of that day: “Rejoice in the Lord, always” (Phil 4:4-5). On this Sunday we light the rose candle of the Advent wreath, and the same colour is used in Liturgical vestments.

True joy is a uniquely Christian quality because, amidst all messiness of life, we are called not to be conquered by fear (Lk 21:28). Perhaps the joy of Christmas is frequently superficially associated with holidays and presents. However, for the Christian, real joy is found in the fact that we are loved and desired by God himself. As Pope Francis wrote in Evangelii Gaudium (par. 1):

The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew.

This Sunday also reminds us of the origins of Advent, which was structured very similarly to Lent. In fact, during Lent there is also a Sunday similar to the Gaudete Sunday, called Laetare Sunday, another word that means joy. Just like the Third Sunday of Advent, Laetare Sunday marks we are halfway through Lent. Just like the Third Sunday of Advent, on Laetare Sunday rose liturgical colours may be used. Somehow, it is like a pause from using violet, which is associated with a time of preparation, penitence and sacrifice.

One may ask: how come we use rose colour during liturgical celebrations and the pink candle of the wreath is lit? As a colour, rose symbolises both joy and anticipation for the feast that soon will be celebrated.

In addition, in older times, on the Fourth Sunday of Lent, the Pope used to bless a gold ornament in the form of a rose, known as Rosa d’Oro (a gold rose). This ornament was given as a sign of honour and reverence. Originally, this ornament was given to leaders, but as from the pontificate of Paul VI, it was given to Mariam places of veneration. In fact, Pope Benedict gifted the ninth golden roses to Our Lady of Pinu, during his visit in Malta in 2010.

Pause and Reflect

  • During this Advent, how am I going preparing myself to be able to accept Jesus Christ in my life?
  • Is there joy in my heart, that same the real happiness that is gushing from a personal encounter with Christ?

St Martin’s Bag

10/06/2024

On 11 November the Church celebrates the feast of St Martin of Tours. This saint was born of pagan parents, but he was inclined towards the Roman Catholic faith from a young age. He followed and practised the monastic and eremitic ideal for many years before he was chosen as bishop of Tours, France, in the year 371. During his episcopate, he built various monasteries and he died during a visit to one of the dioceses with the hope of bringing unity to this diocese. The cult of St Martin is very popular in the Roman Catholic world, and was one of the first people to be revered as saints even though he didn’t suffer any martyrdom.

Undoubtedly, one of the famous traditions associated with this Saint is the bag of St Martin (il-borża ta’ San Martin). Traditionally, it used to be a bag filled with different types fruit and a small sweet bun—nowadays sweets are included in it as well, to make it more inviting for children.

The origin of this tradition, which is still very strong amongst us even today, are quite interesting. Although popularly associated with acts of charity that St Martin is known for—like the legend of the mantel that St Martin teared to share with a poor man, who later is revealed to be Jesus himself—the origins of this the borża ta’ San Martin are rooted in liturgy.

Besides the celebration of baptism during the Easter Vigil, some were baptised on 6 January when the Church commemorated the Baptism of the Lord before establishing that day specifically as the feast of the visit of the Magi. Even today, the liturgy of the Epiphany includes also the Baptism of the Lord together with the miracle during the marriage in Cana, as part of the celebration of the mystery of God who showed himself in the person of Jesus Christ.

Consequently, just as forty days of fasting were observed in preparation for Baptism—which eventually developed in the liturgical season of Lent—likewise, even before the celebration of the feast of the Epiphany a forty days period of fasting was observed. Eventually, particularly in the Gallican Church (of France), this fast was associated with Christmas, thus starting the day following the feast of St Martin. The borża ta’ San Martin functioned in the same way as sweets during Carnival, just before lent starts. This observance gradually led paved the way for the Church to establish the period of Advent—a time which didn’t maintain its penitential character, yet its aim of opening our hearts in preparation for the coming of the Lord remains.