The Season of Advent and Christmas can be very different for people. There’s often a sense of anticipation, while anxiety for some; sense of peace, while unrest for others; sense of joy, while some grieve. We live in a world that is currently wrestling with tensions and divisions; a shared place that is struggling with caring for our Common Home, the loss of human life from warfare, and the growing gap between the rich and poor. Yet, there is hope. Advent gives us the opportunity to prepare our house for the arrival of our guest, Jesus Christ.
In our preparation, we apply the four themes of Advent:
• Hope - We journey through adversities, carrying the greatest hope to be fulfilled with the arrival of the Messiah. Our preparation can be in the form of bringing that sense of hopefulness to those that need it most.
• Peace - We are united in our oneness with Christ. Our preparation can be in the form of reconciling with those we have conflict with.
• Joy - We celebrate the gift of salvation, recognising that it is often lost in the worldly things. Our preparation can be in the form of
sharing our blessings to those that go without, the unseen, the voiceless, and those who struggle the most.
• Love - "For God so loved the world..." An act of ultimate love, born to us through Christ. Our preparation can be in the form of extending kindness, compassion, and forgiveness.
The house, occupied by all, has a role set aside for each of its occupants. In the liturgy, we operate as a cohesive bodymany parts to be one. Let us have servants hearts, embodying the themes of hope, peace, joy and love this Advent season, as we prepare to receive Christ as our guest in this coming Christmas Season. Let us do the same for each other, for in how treat one another can be a reflection of how we welcome the coming of Christ. ■
When my beloved is coming, I sweep the house. I pick flowers and put them in every room; Bunches of lavender, sprigs of rosemary, White linen, fresh bread on the table And a jug of wine. I light candles, soft music plays. When everything is ready, I am prepared. There is nothing left to do but wait. All my work is done. My heart is already open and ready to receive. In stillness and in darkness I wait, And my love comes to me. Amen.
LITURGICAL CALENDAR 2025: Produced in New Zealand, the new liturgical calendar for 2025 / Year C is now available at the Liturgy Centre. A calendar is an important tool which gives us an eye to the future, offering opportunity to plan, prepare and make the most of Liturgical Seasons as we move through the Liturgical Year. These are perfect for your classrooms, parish meeting rooms, or even as gifts for those in the sacramental program.
The calendars come in two sizes.
Large (66cm x 66cm) = $20.00 each
Small (41cm x 41cm) = $3.50 each
*Postage tube and courier at extra cost
“In order that the liturgy may possess its full effectiveness, we must be fully aware of what we are doing in the rite, actively engaged in it, and openly enriched by it.”
(cf Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy #11)
Order through our Online Resource Catalogue (https://form.jotform.com/liturgycentre/resources) or see pg 24 for the QR code
Learning from the Roman Missal
Peter J. Cullinane
"Bishop Peter was the first bishop of the Diocese of Palmerston North which was created in 1980.
After many years of service, he retired in 2012 but still continues to be an active member of the Diocese.
Bishop Peter is a respected writer and leader of retreats who, in his retirement, is still busy at local, national, and international levels." (https://pndiocese.org.nz/bishop/bishoppeter)
"What we do at Mass needs to correspond to what the Mass prayers say we are doing." - P.J. Cullinane
What is offered here is not a full-scale catechesis on the liturgy. It is no more than ‘notes’ based on how the Missal itself wants us to understand what we are saying and doing at Mass. Even small misunderstandings can diminish our participation to something less than it could be.
There are some misunderstandings that matter more. For very many years, most Catholic people (lay and ordained) did not have a good understanding of the difference between liturgy and devotions. The Mass itself was thought of as one of our Catholic devotions. This situation went back to when the continuing use of Latin made it difficult for our congregations to participate in the prayers and actions of the liturgy. The priest “celebrated” the Mass; the people “attended.” Understandably,
the congregations turned to various devotions for their own prayers during Mass.
It was to correct this situation that the Second Vatican Council required a reform of the liturgy to enable the congregation’s “full, conscious and active participation” in the liturgy itself. (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 14) After all, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that it is the whole congregation that celebrates Eucharist, (CCC, 1140).
Today, our congregations include many whose faith is an inspiration to us all, but who may not have benefitted fully from the liturgy formation programmes conducted in New Zealand and other countries during the years following the Council. And
so, there is a tendency on the part of some to continue to include in the Mass practices that belong more properly to devotions.
Devotions have their rightful place in Catholic life. But these ways of reaching out to God are no substitute for liturgy, in which God is reaching out to us, by making present in our lives the historic events of our salvation. Pope Francis has called the liturgy “the today of salvation history.”
He has also emphasised our need to be formed by the liturgy and for the liturgy. (DD 27-47) Formation by the liturgy is more than just intellectual understanding. It is more like what came over people when Jesus did something for them; the difference He made. In liturgy, it’s the same Jesus.
Jesus “eagerly desired” to celebrate with his disciples what would become the Mass; (Luke 22:15). Our desire
to be there with him is always small compared with his desire to be there with us and for us. That’s worth thinking about.
Formation for the liturgy requires understanding. That is why it needs to be based on the Roman Missal and other official documents which explain the liturgy. What we do at Mass needs to correspond to what the Mass prayers say we are doing. So, my purpose here is to look at a few texts from the Missal, to highlight their meaning, and enhance our participation.
Abbreviations:
SC = Second Vatican Council, Const. on the Sacred Liturgy
GIRM = General Instruction of the Roman Missal
CCC = Catechism of the Catholic Church
EP = Eucharistic Prayer
DD = Pope Francis, Apostolic Letter Desiderio Desideravi
“HUMBLY WE PRAY THAT PARTAKING OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST, WE MAY BE GATHERED INTO ONE BY THE HOLY SPIRIT”
(Eucharistic Prayer 2):
Note:
a. we find it easy to think of Jesus when we think of Eucharist. Perhaps, however, we underestimate the role of the Holy Spirit. It is the mission of the Holy Spirit to bring about our union with the risen Christ, and in this way to bring about “the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting” – the work we attribute to the Holy Spirit in the Apostles Creed. (Y. Congar; The mystery of the Temple, p 288)
b. Being “gathered into one by the Holy Spirit” is above all through “partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ.” But the Holy Spirit is already gathering us before we leave our homes to be there. It is as a community – “one body, one spirit, in Christ” (EP. 3) – that we worship God in the Mass.
c. Coming together is part of becoming a community. It involves the brief greetings, courtesies and enquiries that are natural when we are there for each other and not just for ourselves. Gathering times are
especially important to Māori, and should be to all of us. When the courtesies of gathering have taken place, it should not be necessary for a further turning to “greet your neighbour.” Instead, it is time for a clear transition to a period of deep silence, which should last for several minutes before the opening hymn. (What Pope Francis says about the importance of silence - what it isn’t and what it is - (DD 52) deserves to be on a printed card.) This kind of preparation is not to be smothered by long wordy introductions to the penitential rite.
d. Gathering for liturgy should not be inhibited by the reverence rightly due to the Blessed Sacrament. The reserved Sacrament is not part of the Mass. Prayer before the Blessed Sacrament and the celebration of Eucharist are two different activities, each requiring its own kind of space and separation between them; (Instruction Eucharisticum mysterium 1967, 53; GIRM, 315.) Adoration of Christ is called for, but that is not the main purpose of the Mass.
e. It is the altar that the ministers “reverence with a profound bow” when they arrive, (GIRM 49), the altar being a “symbol of Christ;” (CCC, 1383). Liturgical furnishings are to be characterised by “noble simplicity” (GIRM 292),
and the altar is not to be cluttered with anything that obscures the congregation’s view of what is taking place.
“THEREFORE,
O LORD, WE PRAY: MAY THIS SAME HOLY SPIRIT GRACIOUSLY SANCTIFY THESE OFFERINGS, THAT THEY MAY BECOME THE BODY AND BLOOD OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST… “(EP 4)
Note:
a. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that “these offerings… become the body and blood of Christ.”
b. The terms “body” and “blood” are to be understood as intended in Hebrew idiom. Briefly, “body” stands for the whole person; “blood” stands for being alive. I.e. it is the living Person of Christ who is really present to us in the Eucharist. “Body and blood” doesn’t mean flesh and blood in the way we know them in this life. They stand for the person of the risen Christ. Receiving him in the form of food and drink is an intimately personal way of receiving him into our lives.
c. Our commemoration of Calvary does recall, however, what He did for us in His mortal life: his body was “given;” his blood “poured out.” Through receiving him in holy communion, we commit ourselves to becoming one with him in being “given” and “poured out” for others.
This is how our being “sent” carries the Mass over into our daily lives. The Mass bears fruit in all the ways that we contribute to the personal, social and economic development of others – “…salt of the earth… light of the world…” (Mat. 5:13,14)
“THE
WORD OF THE LORD”
Note:
a. The Second Vatican Council restored the liturgy of the word to its proper status. For years, Catholics understood that even if we miss the liturgy of the word we still “hear Mass.” In fact, the Mass is of its nature both word and sacrament.
b. Christ’s presence in the word is one of the four ways the Council said Christ is truly present in the celebration of Mass. “He is present in his word, since it is He who speaks when the holy scriptures are read in the assembly” – present tense! (SC, 7)
c. We acknowledge this presence of Christ by standing when the book of gospels is carried into the assembly and when it is read – or better, when it is narrated as if happening before our eyes. Standing used to be a sign of respect for someone entering the room. In the liturgy, it still is.
d. The correct translation of what the reader is to say after each reading
is “the word of the Lord!” (vocative sense) – as if to say, after a brief pause: “Hark, the Lord is saying this to us.” The sentence “this is the word of the Lord” is an earlier mis-translation of the Latin, and simply attributes the recorded words to the Lord; (indicative sense). There is a parallel between “the word of the Lord” and “the Body of Christ”: both proclaim Christ’s presence, and invite our responses.
“WE PRAY TO THE LORD” (General Intercessions/ “Prayer of the faithful”)
Note:
a. The role of the person leading the General Intercession is to name the intentions for which the congregation is being invited to pray. And so, after naming each intention, the person leading invites the congregation with the words: “let us pray to the Lord,” or their equivalent. In other words, the person leading the intercessory prayers is addressing
the congregation – not addressing God (“dear God,” “dear Lord” etc)
“THROUGH YOUR GOODNESS WE RECEIVE THE BREAD WE OFFER YOU/THE WINE WE OFFER YOU…” (Preparation
of the gifts)
Note:
a. The rubric accompanying these words says that the priest “takes the paten with the bread and holds it slightly raised… saying in a low voice…” This description of the priest’s actions indicates a low-key moment, because what we really offer at Mass is not bread and wine, but what was offered on Calvary.
b. It is also the first stage of a three-stage crescendo: at the second stage, the consecration, the priest will “show the consecrated host/chalice to the people.” It is not until the Eucharistic Prayer climaxes with the doxology (third stage) that the priest “raises both” high.
“THROUGH HIM, WITH HIM, AND IN HIM, O GOD ALMIGHTLY FATHER, IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, ALL GLORY AND HONOUR IS YOURS, FOREVER AND EVER” (in all the Eucharistic Prayers).
Note:
a. In this prayer of praise (doxology), preferably sung, the Mass reaches its climax - to the Father, through union with the Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Everything before this moment, including the consecration is, as it were, on the way to this moment. (The consecration was not the climax.)
b. The congregation joins in this act of giving glory to God by joining in the “great Amen” – preferably singing it. When the Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that the whole congregation celebrates the Eucharist (1140), it bases this on the meaning of Baptism (1141):
…all the faithful should be led to that full, conscious and active participation in liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy, and to which the Christian people, ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a redeemed people’, have a right and an obligation by reason of their Baptism. (CCC 1141)
c. On some occasions liturgical prayer is addressed to the Son, and sometimes to the Holy Spirit.
Liturgical prayer is not addressed to the saints. On all the feasts of Mary, the prayers refer to her, but are not addressed to her. To cut across the purpose of liturgy by praying the Hail Mary is an example of a devotion being brought into the liturgy. (During the intercessory prayers, an alternative could be to say “together with Mary, let us pray for…”).
“…GIVING THANKS THAT YOU HAVE MADE US WORTHY TO BE IN YOUR PRESENCE AND MINISTER TO YOU” (2nd Eucharistic Prayer);
Note:
a. The Latin says: “…you have made us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you.”
b. The Latin original is significant, because standing signifies our status as a redeemed people, raised up with Christ who takes us to the Father. In the earliest centuries of
the Church, writers associated our standing with Jesus’ resurrection.
“BE MINDFUL, O LORD, OF YOUR SERVANTS AND ALL HERE PRESENT” (1st Eucharistic Prayer)
Note:
a. Instead of “all here present,” the Latin original says “… and all those standing around (the altar).”
b. These earliest Eucharistic Prayers reflect the earliest days of the Church when – before clericalism set in – all those celebrating, both lay and ordained, stood. Those who insist on kneeling should at least try to understand the reasons for standing.
c. Postures which are for times of adoration, such as at Benediction, (“down in adoration falling…”), or postures and dress that signify doing penance, have their rightful place in those devotions. But those
devotions are not the main purpose of the Mass. And practices proper to devotions do not substitute for the practices proper to the liturgy.
d. The Missal provides for the congregation to kneel for the consecration, and “those who do not kneel (for whatever reasonable cause) ought to make a profound bow when the priest genuflects at the consecration” (GIRM 43).
“THROUGH
OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST…”
(At the end of prayers)
Note:
This sentence does not say “We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ….” That was an earlier mis-translation of the Latin. The correct translation is: “Through Our Lord Jesus Christ…” In other words, it is not our asking that is being made “through Our Lord…”; it is what we have named in the accompanying prayer that is to come about through Him. ■
2025 CERTIFICATE & DIPLOMA PROGRAMMES
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Sound Reflections
Using recorded music in church
Paul is an internationally known composer and workshop presenter, who has extensive liturgical knowledge and experience, dynamic musical skills, and a commitment to a wide range of styles in liturgy and liturgical music. He has written many commissioned works and offers events exploring many aspects of music and liturgical ministry in the parish. (https://www.ocp.org/en-us/artists/543/paul-inwood)
Reprinted from Music and Liturgy – The journal of the Society of Saint Gregory, Issue 381 March 2024 Volume 50 No 1, article by Paul Inwood. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
There has been a lot of conversation in recent times about the use of recorded music in church services. I’m thinking particularly of funerals, and to a lesser extent weddings, where families or couples frequently request that a popular used track be played, often at the closing of the ceremony.
In a recent incident, despite the printed order of service saying ‘organ music’ at the end of the Requiem Mass as the coffin was to be carried out, a family member yelled at the organist several times ‘STOP THE ORGAN!’, whereupon the first cooing notes of Whitney Houston’s song I will always love you were heard coming across the church PA system. Apparently the family had at the last minute provided the priest with a CD to play, but no one
had thought to inform the organist.
I myself have been asked to play for funerals in churches where a CD player is in the organ loft, connected to the PA system, and part of my role has been to play a CD track at the beginning and/or end of the wedding or funeral in place of live music. In some cases, the recorded music was actually something that I could easily have played live…
It’s important to be aware that in many cases a church is not actually licensed to play such recordings. Commercial recordings may normally only be played in church if the service is not streamed. If the service is streamed or videoed, as so many are these days, you need the explicit permission of the publisher or owner of the recording for each individual usage, even if this is in the context of an act of worship.
You need to apply direct to the publisher
Paul Inwood
or owner since this sort of usage is not covered by either OneLicense or. CCLI streaming licences which only relate to live performances and recordings of copyright works that you make yourself with your local musicians and not to commercially produced recordings. Yes, the wording on OneLicense, CCLI, PRS and other websites is confusing and potentially misleading!
Commercially-produced recordings include YouTube, Vimeo and Spotify versions of recordings actually produced by a publisher – for example, on a CD or some other medium. Infringements can result in hefty penalties if you are caught, and the chances of being caught are rather high when the service is streamed online for all to see and hear. As a parish is not a civil legal entity, it’s the diocese who would be sued, and because people think dioceses have lots of money the fines can be very large indeed. The ‘principals’ involved in an infringement (priest, the person playing the recording, the wedding couple themselves) may also be personally
held liable and fined. There are other aspects to this issue, too. This year sees the 65th anniversary of the instruction De Musica Sacra et Sacra Liturgia, published on September 3, the feast of Saint Gregory the Great, in 1958. Paragraph 71 includes the following:
The use of automatic instruments and machines, such as the automatic organ, phonograph, radio, tape or wire recorders, and other similar machines, is absolutely forbidden in liturgical functions and private devotions, whether they are held inside or outside the church, even if these machines be used only to transmit sermons or sacred music, or to substitute for the singing of the choir or faithful, or even just to support it.
This legislation is still in force. Of course, those drafting this law could never have foreseen the developments in technology which we have to a certain extent embraced since then, nor
envisaged situations such as a pandemic where all live music was effectively banned and recordings by virtual choirs came into being. Nor would they have imagined the kind of situation where, in the context of prayer reflection with a group of children in the hall, a CD of a religious song might be played and the children encouraged to sing along with it. That last case is obviously not the same as playing a recording of a pop song at a funeral, and I think we need to be open to making evaluations based on individual cases rather than trying to have a blanket one-size-fits-all policy.
Here's another extract from the same legislation, paragraph 60c:
Only instruments which are personally played by a performer are to be used in the sacred liturgy, not those which are played mechanically or automatically.
Once again, we have ignored this provision and have merrily embraced pre-recorded hymn accompaniments, etc., on machines such as the famous Synthia. We have also made use of electronic keyboards and organs with a recording facility to produce our own pre-recorded accompaniments, to be played back in our absence.
The question for us is: What sort of values does the Church’s legislation expect of us? I think the key word is authenticity. Are we being true to ourselves, to the resources of the local community, even
though it might be possible to import other things into our midst? It could be very nice to have, for example, the choir of King’s College, Cambridge, at our disposal, but in fact they are not part of our community. We are in effect adding an alien presence, a cuckoo in the nest, to what we do, as well as (in the case of commercial recordings) quite possibly breaking the law.
People will complain that taking away recordings deprives people of what they want or even need, and that we have a pastoral duty to accede to all requests that we receive. The problem with that view is that most of the people
making the requests are, if not totally unchurched, at least lacking in a basic knowledge and understanding of what is required for liturgy. The Church’s rites are not about a person’s individual likes but about how the Church expects us to conduct ourselves, and so the Church regulates what we do when we worship together. What we sing and play needs to reflect the actual capabilities of the community, not some imaginary ‘ideal’ church.
Those whose communities rely on pre-packaged hymn accompaniments that take no account of the actual circumstances of the setting in which they will be used complain that a useful support for the community’s song is being removed. And yet unaccompanied singing is where the Church began, and in fact congregations are perfectly capable of singing strongly without accompaniment if encouraged to do so. One might argue that this is a better course of action than pretending that we have resources which we simply do not. One could also argue that using synthetic accompaniment may deter those who could provide live accompaniment from offering their services.
It also calls us to think about the role of cantors in our communities. A number of years ago I found myself working in a parish where there was just me (the cantor) and the assembly. There was no one to play. For six months everything we sang was unaccompanied, ranging
from call-response Mass settings to psalms to litanies and other musical forms including, eventually, hymns. It went very well, and the people sang their hearts out as the repertoire expanded. At the end of those six months, a piano teacher emerged from the woodwork and asked if she could help, so I gave her some basic organ lessons and off she went. It meant we could have accompanied carols at Christmas, among other things, but the ‘singing ground’ had been sown much earlier in the year.
Returning to the Whitney Houston song with which I began, there’s also the question of how appropriate the material is in the recordings that we are asked to play. Her version (it was actually originally written by Dolly Parton) of the song I will always love you is totally secular, with no religious connotations at all. Not so long ago, Wind beneath my wings was a popular request for funerals. The entire song is likewise completely non-religious, even the final line which includes the words ‘Thank God for you.’ A more egregious example is Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, notoriously popularised when an Irish priest sang it at a wedding. The video went viral. People who ask for it fail to look beyond the Hallelujah refrain to the rest of the lyrics which are entirely inappropriate, even including a graphic description of sexual intercourse and orgasm.
It’s never too late to take a fresh look at what we’re doing and ask ourselves if this is the best we can do. ■
JUBILEE BANNERS
The diocese has a number of simple banners that can be picked up from the Pompallier Diocesan Centre for $100.00.
These can be ordered through liturgycentre@cda.org.nz
The Australian Pastoral Musicians Network and the National Liturgical Council are delighted to announce our 2025 National Liturgy and Music Conference.
1 – 3 OCTOBER 2025, HILTON
ADELAIDE
The conference vision builds on the theme of the 2025 Jubilee Year of Mercy: Pilgrims of Hope We are invited to consider the liturgy and other religious gatherings as places of renewal and rebirth. Journeying together in hope, nurtured and transformed through sacrament and song, we are inspired to bring the merciful love, peace and hope of the risen Christ to the world.
INTERNATIONAL KEYNOTES
Rev Ricky Manalo, CSP, Ph.D., is a Paulist priest, composer, theologian and missionary. He studied composition and piano at the Manhattan School of Music, theology at the Washington Theological Union, and liturgy, culture, and sociology at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA. Ricky’s music, is known for its diversity in style and his compositions have been featured during the Papal Masses of John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis. He has spoken and performed across six continents, offering academic lectures, keynotes, workshops and concerts.
R Rita F Ferrone is a New York-based scholar, writer, and speaker on issues of liturgy and catechesis in the Catholic Church. She has authored several books on liturgy, including A Pastoral Guideto Pope Francis’s Desiderio Desideravi (Liturgical Press), and is co-author of the liturgical formation resources Foundations in Faith and Livingthe Eucharist. Rita is a contributor to both scholarly and general periodicals, and is a columnist for Commonweal magazine. Her views have also appeared in the mainstream media, including CNN International, and the Washington Post.
An absolute MUST for all liturgists, musicians, clergy, cantors, choristers, lay liturgical ministers, composers, teachers, conductors, liturgy teams, campus ministers and all who love liturgy and music.
SAVE THE DATES: REGISTRATIONS OPENING JANUARY 2025 For all enquiries, contact: liturgy@liturgybrisbane.net.au
The APMN & NLC gratefully acknowledge the support of
Advent in the Tongan Catholic Chaplaincy of Auckland and Hamilton
Kuilei works as RE & Catholic Character Advisor in the Catholic Education Services at the Diocese of Auckland. She is a member of the Commission for Liturgy - helping to review the liturgical life of the diocese and identify areas of liturgical need, in order to support the Bishop who is the moderator, promoter, and custodian of the liturgical life of the diocese.
Mālō e lelei and greetings!
Each year our Chaplains, Fr Soane Vahe and Fr Line Folaumoeloa choose a theme to help our pilikimi (pilgrimage) to follow in Jesus’ footsteps. Although we have a different theme each year, they ensure that Advent is well taught and represented before and during the Advent Season for our fānau (children).
Advent comes from the Latin word, ‘adventus’ which means ‘a coming, arrival, approach’. As a Tongan, I watched my parents prepare our home for visitors and celebrations, especially around Christmas. Families had to do an extreme cleanup, inside and outside their homes in preparation for welcoming guests from abroad and locally for Christmas. It was a
Kuilei Pulotu
time when all lights were turned on and we joyfully awaited the arrival of visitors. An experience that prepares me to encounter the same preparation at Church for the coming of the Christ child… lights, wreaths, candles, and joy in us to welcome Baby Jesus.
Our ECL, the Sunday School children, educate our families through drama, music, poetry, Tongan Traditional dances, and performing arts. Each month, the Sunday School teachers meet for an in-service where they are informed on how to teach the students, and for November’s in-service, there are lessons usually for Advent where teachers are equipped to teach Advent. We give families information regarding Advent, discuss why we use a wreath, and the candles of each Sunday leading to Christmas.
The wreath: the circular shape of the Advent wreath signifies God’s infinite love for us – it is never-ending. Traditionally, Advent wreaths have been made of evergreen leaves, such as pine, which maintain their green colour
beyond the season in which they are collected.
A reminder that the four candles of Advent represent the four Sundays of Advent, and they each represent hope, peace, joy, and love. During the four weeks of Advent, we learn about these four candles,
• Advent week 3 – Joy (Fiefia): Shepherd’s Candle (pink)
• Advent week 4 – Love (‘Ofa): Angel’s Candle (purple)
It is very appropriate that the first candle of Advent represents Hope –the first Sunday of Advent leads us to await Christ's birth but celebrates the beginning of a new liturgical season. The first candle is purple, the colour of Advent and royalty. It is also known as “Prophecy Candle.”
The second candle symbolizes Peace. It is also purple known as “Bethlehem Candle,” reminding us of Mary and Joseph’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. This second candle recalls that after all of the division, destruction, and dispersion of the kingdom in the Old Testament, there might be peace
on Earth – Jesus is coming, and so is his Kingdom of Peace.
The third candle of Advent symbolizes Joy. As we approach Christmas Day, our joy rises higher. This candle takes us back to the joyful prospect of the shepherds who travelled to see Jesus in Bethlehem. The third Sunday of Advent, well known in the Church is called “Gaudete Sunday,” meaning rejoice or praise, we light the third candle in rejoice like the shepherds. The third candle of Advent is known as the “Shepherd’s Candle,” its colour is pink, the liturgical colour for joy.
The fourth candle of Advent represents Love, the ultimate love of God that he sends his only Son for us. Called the “Angel’s Candle,” this candle is lit the Sunday before Christmas, and it is
Fr Line Folaumoeloa blessing the wreaths and candles for Advent.
purple, leading us to eagerly await the Kingdom of God.
At Saint Ignatius Parish, St Heliers, we gifted each Tongan family a wreath and four candles with an invitation to be used as a prayer focus in their homes during Advent and Christmas. This is to empower them with the focal point around the Nativity of Christ and giving to the poor and the less fortunate. Educating people about the awareness of Christmas is all about the Child, Jesus not the Christmas tree, social gathering, or gifts we receive. I pray and hope that what Fr Line and Fr Soane are sharing with us will be instilled in our children’s lives so they will continue this pilgrimage of celebrating Baby Jesus. Mālō ‘aupito! ■
LA RECongress Feb 20-23, 2025
Gather with a global community of believers, religious educators, and ministry professionals.
Renew your faith and spirit. Experience transformative workshops, meaningful connections, and engaging Liturgies.
Celebrate your Catholic faith. You are welcome. You belong.
RECongress is a dynamic gathering of the global church, welcoming all to meet Jesus through connection, learning, and worship.
For more information, visit: https://recongress.org
Or email: congress@la-archdiocese.org
Advent Candles
Resources available at the Liturgy Centre
To see what's in store - use your smartphone to scan the QR code or visit: https://form.jotform.com/liturgycentre/resources
God's Word 2025: Daily Reflections Liturgical Diary
Edition prepared for Australia and New Zealand Contains the Bible readings set down for each day of the liturgical year with reflections by eminent spiritual writers. Designed to help you keep the word of God close to your heart in daily life.
• Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible
• Liturgical information of the day, including feasts and memorials of saints.
St Pauls Publications Australia
Daily Prayer 2025
Provides a thoughtful order of prayer for each day, allowing you to spend time reflecting on Scripture and the liturgical year as you gather the wisdom and strength to live out your day as a disciple of Jesus.
Various authors, including Kathryn Ball-Boruff, Kathy Kuczka, and Christine Ondrla| LTP
Sourcebook for Sundays, Seasons, and Weekdays 2025
Those who prepare the liturgy are entrusted with a very important task—helping our assemblies encounter the real presence of Christ and be transformed and strengthened for discipleship.
Various authors, including Valerie Lee-Jeter, Zack Stachowski, and Robert Valle | LTP
Workbook for Lectors, Gospel Readers, and Proclaimers of the Word 2025 (Canadian Edition)
When lectors, readers, and proclaimers of the Word need the most trusted, accurate, and user-friendly tool to help them prepare for the Sunday readings, they rely on Workbook.
Various authors including Eric J. Wagner, CR and Stephen J. Lampe | LTP
At Home with the Word 2025
Guides you to a deeper understanding of the Sunday Scriptures, inviting you to explore the readings for Sundays and major feasts of the liturgical year, garner insights from Scripture scholars, and respond with action steps created specifically with the day’s readings in mind.
Rebekah Eklund Michael R. Simone, sj | LTP
Break Open The Word 2025
Gives the readings and psalms for each Sunday with a commentary designed to provide not only background to the text but assistance on how to proclaim it. A pronunciation guide is included, as well as a section entitled "The Ministry of Reader".
DIGITAL & FREE!
The Liturgy magazine is available online and free of charge. We are committed to being eco-friendly and accessible for all parishes and faith communities.
All subscribers will receive a link to a digital copy, while some who have no access to online platforms will still receive a physical print.
To subscribe: Contact Liturgy Centre *or opt out/unsubscribe (+64) 09 360 3061
liturgycentre@cda.org.nz
We provide:
» Resources to support liturgical ministries, including books with Sunday & daily readings and reflections on the readings.
» Guidebooks for various ministries including sacristans, the preparation of liturgical environment, art, and architecture.
» Sheet music for choral ensembles & accompaniment.
» Formation opportunities for liturgical ministers.
» Website with Prayer of the Faithful, Liturgy of the Word with Children, Readings in Te Reo Māori, and Monthly Music Suggestions.
Workshop Formation for...
» Ministers of the Word
» Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
» Liturgy Committee Members, Sacristans, Altar Server Trainers
» Leaders of Children's Liturgy of the Word
» A Walk through the Mass
» Lay Leaders of Liturgical Prayer
» Music Ministry: Building a Reportoire
» The Musician's Role (Choral Ensembles, Accompanists, Cantors)
» Managing ONE LICENSE Reporting & Copyright
Please contact the Liturgy Centre to discuss what formation you would like to provide for your liturgical ministers: liturgycentre@cda.org.nz
