St. Margaret Mary’s Church
Volume 7
Liturgical Official
June 2015
The Stole The stole is a liturgical vestment composed of a strip of material from two to four
inches wide and about eighty inches long. It has either a uniform width throughout, or is somewhat narrower towards the middle, widening at the ends in the shape of a trapezium or spade. A small cross is generally sewed or embroidered on the stole at both ends and in the middle; the cross, however, is prescribed only for the middle, where the priest kisses the stole before putting it on. The stole is only worn by deacons, priests, and bishops. For deacons and priests it is the specific mark of office, being the badge of the diaconal and priestly orders. Deacons wear the stole like a sash, the vestment resting on the left shoulder and thence passing across the breast and back to the right side. The stole of the priest extend from the back of the neck across the shoulders to the breast, where the two halves either cross each other or fall down straight according as the stole is worn over the alb or the surplice. The stole is worn by a bishop in the same manner as a priest, except that it is never crossed on the breast, as a bishop wears the pectoral cross. As a mark of order the stole is used in a special ceremony, at the ordination of deacons and priests. At the ordination of deacons the bishop places it on the left shoulder of the candidate, saying, “ Received from the hand of God the white garment and fulfill the duty, for God is mighty enough to give thee His grace in rich measure.” At the ordination of priests the bishop draws the part of the stole that rests at the back of the candidate’s neck forward over the breast and lays the two ends crosswise, saying, “Receive the yoke of the Lord, for His yoke is sweet and His burden is light.” As a general rule it may be stated that the stole is only used, and must be used, at a function peculiar to the deacon, priest, and bishop, a function that presupposes the order (e.g. at the celebration of Mass, when the Blessed Sacrament is touched, when the sacraments are administered), but not for example, in processions or at Vespers. The wearing of the stole by bishop at Solemn Vespers is an exception; its use by a priests while preaching depends on local custom. We possess few references to the stole before the ninth century. In the East, however, it is mentioned very early, the deacon’s stole being frequently referred to even the fourth and fifth centuries. The priest’s stole is not mentioned in the East until the eighth century.
Page 1
One Faith One Body The Road To Faith
I
have been exposed to Catholicism throughout my school years in Hong Kong as well as having graduated from a Jesuit university in Northern California, USA. Bible stories were nothing new to me. However, for many years, I was far away from God. Self righteousness consumed my life and I was certain I did not need divine assistance. My life changed on May 19, 2012 when my husband died of stomach cancer, leaving me with a newborn baby girl of one-month old and an older daughter of two and half years old. I remember sitting on my husband’s death bed by the window at the Queen Mary hospital overlooking the ocean and the green valleys. That early morning around 7:45 am, I was given a private time with just the two of us, while he was already unconscious and his life vitals were fading away, I saw light shining through the clouds, that light was no ordinary morning sunshine. That light was so bright, so white, that I instantly recognized it must be the Light of Heaven, that the gate of Heaven had opened for my husband. I turned to him and told him that Heaven’s gate had opened for him, that he should go knowing that the girls and I would be okay. Soon after other family members had arrived, he quietly left. At my husband’s memorial service, I was given a book titled “Heaven is for Real.” It was the story written by a pastor of a church in the United States recalling the series of events that happened to his three year old son who had fallen seriously sick suddenly, had literally died for a few minutes, had gone to Heaven and met Jesus, and then finally returned to Earth. After I read that book along with my earlier experience of seeing that Light from heaven, I know Heaven is for real. At the end, my husband accepted Christ. Shortly after my husband’s death, my father also died of liver cancer, which was just seven months later. This time around, I wanted my dad to be able to accept Christ. One day before his death, we had requested a volunteer from the Catholic church at the hospital to visit my dad and to pray with him. The moment she started praying, my dad instantly became peaceful while only minutes before was grasping for air and had a difficult time breathing. Once again, I witnessed God’s power. With the loss of two most important men in my life, I began to rely on God. I started reading books about Christian faith, listening to sermons on YouTube; all the while, many miracles had happened. Step by step, God had guided me and my girls to a new life, new school, and new home in Happy Valley. At every advancing step, God had provided us with the right people and the perfect timing for everything. Throughout these dark times, I felt blessed, loved, and cared for, recognizing that all the achievements of recreating a new life was all God’s glory. In the years to come, I would like my girls to learn to rely on God for everything, knowing that they are loved not only by me and our family on earth, but most importantly by God, our Father in Heaven along with their father and grandfather in heaven. God works in miraculous ways. Believe and rely on Him completely. God bless you, brothers and sisters.
Rita
Catalina Wisteria Choy on her 3rd birthday (left) & Cassandra Cecilia Choy at 5.5 years old (right)
Page 2
The Legacy Continues Fr. Hanly’s Homilies
A website has been set up for the homilies of
our dearly loved and greatly missed Fr. Hanly. Every Sunday a recording of a homily by Fr. Hanly for that day’s Mass readings will be uploaded to the website, fatherhanly.wordpress.com.
As we all know, Father Hanly’s homilies are homilies filled with wisdom, kindness and hope. Not only are these recordings a treasure trove for us, but they can also be used as a weekly meditation for all Catholics, or as a kind and gentle introduction to the Church for those searching for a new way of life. They are also ideal for people who travel as the homilies can be accessed on computers or mobile phones anywhere in the world. Thus, every Sunday, no matter where in the world they find themselves, they can listen to the next homily in the series. The website provides a thread of continuity in life, with a familiar, trusted voice, almost like an on-line parish. For those unable to attend church due to age or ill health, Fr. Hanly’s homilies can offer words of great comfort. The homily for each week can be found at https://fatherhanly.wordpress.com/this-week/. For those wishing to start their journey with Father Hanly from the beginning, the series starts with Christ the King, Year A, and all homilies in the journey so far can be found at https://fatherhanly.wordpress.com/journey-with-father/. This is a live site so not only are new homilies added every week, but more content and improvements are constantly being made, and people are very much welcome to contact us at fatherhanly.wordpress.com@gmail.com.
Correction Notice To our readers: On the cover page of the last issue (May) our Deacon Tang was portrayed wearing the
stole on the right shoulder, which was actually a result of the photo reversed for better graphic composition. The editorial team apologizes for any confusion that might have been caused and in particular to our beloved Deacon who without a doubt has the stole on the correct side when the photo was taken.
Page 3
Wo r d s f r o m G o s p e l r e a d i n g s i n Ju n e 2 0 1 5 Corpus Christi Mark 14:12-16, 22-26 Jesus said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many. Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” Corpus Christi San Marco 14:12-16, 22-26 Esto es mi sangre del pacto, que es derramada por muchos —les dijo—. Les aseguro que no volveré a beber del fruto de la vid hasta aquel día en que beba el vino nuevo en el reino de Dios.
Eleventh Sunday of Ordinary Time Mark 4:26-34 Jesus said, “(The kingdom of God) is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.” Undécimo Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario San Marco 4:26-34 Es como un grano de mostaza: cuando se siembra en la tierra, es la semilla más pequeñva que hay, pero una vez sembrada crece hasta convertirse en la más grande de las hortalizas, y echa ramas tan grandes que las aves pueden anidar bajo su sombra. Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time Then Jesus asked them, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” Duodécimo Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario San Marco 4:35-41 ¿Por qué tienen tanto miedo? —dijo a sus discípulos—. ¿Todavía no tienen fe?
Thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time Mark 5:21-24,35-43 Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” Decimotercer Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario San Marco 5:21-24,35-43 Sin hacer caso de la noticia, Jesús le dijo al jefe de la sinagoga: —No tengas miedo; cree nada más.
Article Contributions Welcome
T
he newsletter is in many ways a ‘family letter’, facilitating the communication and shar-
ing of ideas between different groups in our parish. Therefore you will be most welcome to share with us your spiritual life and insights, parish activities and pilgrimage experience, etc. Text should be close to a full-A4 page length or half of it, with high resolution photos for print quality where relevant. We also welcome a simpler photo journal format with titles for the photos and may be a few lines to describe an event you have participated; it would be great to see different members of our family. Please send your contributions by email if possible; in case of handwritten manuscripts, please give it to the counter staff at the amenities building next to St. Margaret’s Church. Originals will not be returned so please make copies if necessary.
By post: St. Margaret’s Church (Newsletter) 2A Broadwood Road, Happy Valley, Hong Kong. Tel: 25762801 Fax: 25769764 Email: smc@catholic.org.hk
Page 4