May Flower Offerings To Our Lady

Last Sunday,  May 29, was the 45th wedding anniversary of my in-laws, Ramon and Nina Herce.   My family and I went to the 10:30 a.m.  mass at the Presentation of Child Jesus Parish in BF  Homes Paranaque.  The officiating priest was my high school classmate, Fr. Rolly R.  Agustin.

After communion,  Fr. Rolly  invited the assembly  to offer flowers at the foot of the statue of  our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Practically more than half of the mass goers came forward with flowers on hand.  It was quite a scene for me.  Not that it  was new;  I have seen flower offerings or "Alay"  countless of times before--even   as far back when I was as a young altar boy  decades ago. What struck me  was more of the fervor of  those who went to church prepared to make that flower offering.  They came in all ages.  I saw my father-in-law  queue up  with my mother -in-law, each  of them holding a red rose.    Together they approached the statue of our Lady while the choir sang "Stella Maris" in Pilipino (lyrics  by Fr. Junjun Borres, SJ and music by Fr. Manoling Francisco, SJ.)

To me, this  May tradition  is  a distinguishing character of our country.    I have  lived abroad--in Singapore and in the United States -- but I do not  remember  seeing  this practiced in the parishes where I went for Mass  in May or any summer month for that matter.

Today  is the last day of May.  The Presentation of Child Jesus  Parish in BF will hold the Grand "Alay"  (Flower Offering) starting at 4:30 p.m.  To me,  this event is  grand not only  because of the bunches after  bunches of flowers to be offered, but because of the  number of our  brothers and sisters who  demonstrate their  faithful devotion to  our Lady, our Mother and  Queen.

Some Notes on Maundy Thursday 2011

Pope John Paul II at prayer in the Last Supper Room

Our family is finally settling down after a seeming  endless stream of activities.   We will attend the half-day recollections at St. Benedict Chapel at  San Beda Alabang  tomorrow and on Saturday.  And we will attend  Easter Vigil Mass at the Presentation of Child Jesus Parish , BF Homes Paranaque.

When I looked up at today's readings, there are two sets: one is for the Chrism Mass and another for the Evening Mass of the  Lord's Supper.

This morning's Chrism Mass at St. Andrew   Cathedral  in La Huerta, Paranaque is surely memorable.  By tradition,  it  is on Maundy Thursday when the new  priest assignments  within the diocese are  announced.  I am particularly interested in the  announcement on the new post of our parish priest,    Fr. Rolando R. Agustin--  he was my high school  classmate and  one of the priests who officiated the mass in my wedding.

As I await for the news  from the Cathedral, I decided to blog about today's commemoration of Maundy Thursday. I came across these points:

• Maundy is derived from the Latin word "mandatum" meaning command.  It refers to the passage from  John 13:34, wherein the Lord Jesus said:   " I give you a new commandment:  love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another." 
• Holy Thursday is the commemoration of the  institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper-- and the oldest  observance peculiar to Holy Week.  Tradition  would later include other ceremonies held on this day:  the consecration of the holy oil, the  reconciliation of the penitents and the washing of the feet.
• Visita Iglesia or visiting churches  on Holy Thursday is a tradition handed to the Philippines by the Spaniards.  The original tradition, as  practiced in  Rome,  includes the visit of  7 churches; seven being a number of significant meaning in our Catholic faith-- 7 sacraments, 7 gifts of the Holy  Spirit,  to forgive seventy-seven times (Mt. 18)...
• This Spanish legacy  explains why there were originally seven great churches within the walled city of Intramuros, of which only two are now surviving-- the Cathedral- Basilica of the Immaculate Conception also known as the Manila Cathedral and   San Agustin Church originally known as the  "Iglesia de San Pablo."

While I was growing up,   I somehow learned  that Visita Ignlesia meant visiting 14 churches during Holy Thursday-- corresponding to the number of stations in the  Way of the Cross.   It is a practice I intend to keep and share with my family.  GPS

Post Script:  I checked this afternoon the  website of the Diocese of Paranaque for the priest assignments effective July 1, 2011.  Fr. Rolly R. Agustin has been appointed the following posts:

• Vicar Forane of Sta. Rita de Cascia Vicariate
• Parish Priest of Saint Andrew Parish in La Huerta, Paranaque City
• Rector of St. Andrew Cathedral

Our new parish priest in the  Presentation of the Child Jesus Parish is Fr. Rodel D. Paulino.