Celebrating the Holy Mass with the Somascan Sisters During the Holy Week

During the celebration of the Lord's Supper the Somascan Sisters who were having their annual retreat for the Solemn Professed Religious also washed the feet of each other to remind them of their Somascan Mission to serve the poorest of the poor and live in charity in the Community with one another. It was part of their Community Penitential Rite to prepare them for Confession in the morning of Good Friday.

Before the Holy Week I was scheduled to go on vacation so that I can return early before our Annual Retreat in Tagaytay City and to give way to those who preferred to remain in Sorsogon to take their vacation afterward. Unfortunately the school faced an extraordinary matter that required my attention as the head of a particular department. It was imperative for me to stay and handle the matter personally in behalf of our school.

The simple but beautiful Chapel of the Somascan Sisters in Our Lady's Village-Pangpang, Sorsogon City

That decision is providential also. It gave me the opportunity to join Bro. Eugene, CRS who is serving as Retreat Master of the Somascan Sisters during the Holy Week. By Bro. Eugene's request I served as the presiding priest during the entire Annual Retreat comprising the whole Holy Week. It means that I have to attune my homilies in the Solemn Liturgy of the Semana Santa and relate it to the spiritual talks and exercises offered by the Retreat Master.

The Sisters waiting for the start of the afternoon Mass of Holy Thursday

I enjoyed it very much. And I hope that the Sisters enjoyed my homilies too. Ha, ha, ha... It was wonderful because the Sisters are by nature very prayerful and reflective religious, much more than their male counterparts. It means they also gave me alot of opportunities to reflect and to share them with the liberty and serenity of a Holy Week and Retreat. No time constraint, no school or children to worry... everything was focused on the Lord and His Paschal Mystery.

Fr. Abe Arganiosa, CRS with Fr. Manny Cuizon, CRS entered and knelt before the Holy Altar to signal the start of the Holy Mass.

The Chapel of the Sisters is large enough for about 50 religious seating comfortably. But the altar is good only for three persons. There is not that much space for the celebrant and the acolytes to roam around for solemn liturgical rituals such as incensing, etc. Yet, that simplicity required us to be simple as well and focused on the essentials of the celebrations.

The celebrant starts the Rite of the Holy Mass

Thus, this experience gave me about two Retreat this year. One with the Sisters and one with my Community. I enjoyed both very much and am grateful to the Lord for these spiritual springs. My gratitude also to the Somascan Sisters for their hospitality, especially to Sis. Jane their Mother Superior and Mother Victorina their Mother Commissary.

The Readings