letter of encouragement!

to all my OP brothers!

I have been busying myself for the past few days knowing and improving this blog. It encourages me to know that this humble beginning will be a step towards our vision of collaboration, at least among the OP's in the asia pacific region. Therefore i encourage each one of you to take time to visit, post a blog, improve or update, and tell personal stories, current news and happenings in your respective provinces, priories or houses, news from abroad or other things related to our goal and mission as Preachers of Truth.

The Chinese Dominican brothers in Taiwan will fly today to Viet Nam for a six-day community outing. Please pray with us for a fruitful and safe trip all through out the journey. I hope to meet again with brothers Cau, Ninh, Duy and Hoang. I will surely extend your regards to them. I may not have an internet access in Viet Nam but hopefully will at least update this blog more when i get back. God bless to all and may the Spirit of God guide, lead and teach us our way!

fraternally in St. Dominic,

nars jr

YHWH

An excerpt from Catholic World News (CWN) Feature Stories on the new Vatican directive on the use of YHWH. For our reference, discussion and understanding.

Vatican directive: "Yahweh" inappropriate for liturgical use (Subscribe to RSS Feed)
Aug. 13, 2008 (CWNews.com) - The Vatican has ruled that the Name of God, commonly rendered as "Yahweh," should not be pronounced in the Catholic liturgy. The Vatican directive will not require any changes in the language of liturgy, since the Name of God is not spelled out in any authorized translation of the Roman Missal. However some hymns may be deemed inappropriate for liturgical use.

The Congregation for Divine Worship, in issuing the new directive, reminds bishops that in the Hebrew tradition, which the early Christians adopted, the faithful avoided pronouncing the Name of God. The Vatican directive explains that "as an expression of the infinite greatness and majesty of God, it was held to be unpronounceable." In place of the Name of God, pious Hebrews used the four-letter tetragammaton YHWH, or substituted the terms "Adonai" or "the Lord." The first Christians continued this practice, the Vatican notes.
The Congregation for Divine Worship observes that the invocation of "the Lord" in Scriptural text follows this practice. Thus when St. Paul prays that "every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord," the Vatican letter says that his statement "corresponds exactly to a proclamation of [Christ's] divinity." The Bible reflects the Hebrew tradition, and the Name of God is not spelled out in authorized Catholic translations. The Vatican instruction says that liturgical language should adhere carefully to the Scriptural texts, so that the Word of God is "conserved and transmitted in an integral and faithful manner."
However, the instruction notes, "in recent years the practice has crept in" of using the Name of God and spelling out the tetragrammaton. That practice should be avoided in the Catholic liturgy, the Vatican says. The effect of the Vatican directive should be evident in the selection of hymns, since some contemporary liturgical music violates the policy by pronouncing the Name of God. The policy will also call for some care in the preparation of variable elements in the liturgy, such as the Prayers of the Faithful.
The letter from the Congregation for Divine Worship, dated June 29, was signed by Cardinal Francis Arinze (bio - news) and Archbishop Malcom Ranjith, the prefect and secretary, respectively of that congregation. In an August 8 letter to the bishops of the US hierarchy, relaying the Vatican directive, Bishop Arthur Serratelli-- the chairman of the US bishops' liturgy committee-- welcomed the instruction, saying that it "helps to emphasize the theological accuracy of our language and appropriate reverence for the name of God."

Common Life, Common Prayer, Common Study and Service

Recent Letter from the Curia

To the Provincial Priors and the Regents of Studies of the Order

Dear brothers,

Our last General Chapter have underlined the importance of preparing our friars to Inter-religious dialogue, which is becoming a major issue in many areas of the world. This is especially true about relationships with Islam.

IDEO, the Dominican Institute for Oriental Studies, based in Cairo is willing to offer its contribution through a two-week workshop in Cairo for English speaking Dominican students at the beginning of July 2009 (1-15 July). We have in Cairo several friars well prepared for that, an excellent library and very good contacts with Muslim leaders and friends able to offer a real immersion to our visitors.

This two-week program in Cairo will articulate three elements:

1. Lectures on the basic topics of Islam and inter-religious dialogue
2. Visit of significant places (Al-Azhar University, mosques, etc.)
3. Personal contacts

A visit to Mt. Sinai will be organized at the end of the workshop and an academic credit might be given at the end of the workshop, if asked by the regents of studies.

IDEO would like to welcome 1 or 2 students from each English speaking province and friars from other provinces more fluent in English. Maximum possible: from 12-15 friars.

IDEO has received a grant from a foundation to help organize this workshop and will pay for the board and lodging. The provinces will only have to pay the tickets to Cairo and provide some pocket money. If some help is needed, this might be considered case by case.

Thanks for making known this proposal in your province and supporting it, especially through the Student Masters. Application forms will be sent in September 2008. Any suggestion is welcome. Contact jjp@op.org


Yours in St. Dominic

Fr. Marcio Couto, op (Socius for Intellectual Life)
Fr. Jean-Jacques Perennes, op (Secretary General of IDEO)

First Profession

The General Vicariate of the Queen of China, Taiwan, ROC, cordially invites you to the first profession of Br Augustine Pan Chao Qin and Br Peter Chen Zhi Min to the Order of Preachers on August 23, 2008, on the feast of St. Rose of Lima, at the Wenzao Convent and House of Formation, Taishan, Taipei County. Rev. Fr. Celestine Huang Jin Kun, OP, Vicar of the Chinese Vicariate will be the main celebrant.

The Objectives and Set of Officers

Background: The Bogota Chapter
Objectives of the Course:
1. To provide an opportunity for the brothers to live in an inter-cultural community
2. To strengthen the brothers commitment to the OP intellectual and spritiual tradition
3. To deepen their formation for mission in the context of the region
The Set of Officers during the common study:
Prior: Fr. Lawrence, OP
Sub Prior: Br. George, OP
Treasurer: Br. Andre, OP
Supply Manager: Br. Naveed, OP
Secretary: Br. Mandy, OP
Assistant Secretary: Fr. Kantha, OP
Infirmarian: Br. Nars, OP
Asst. Infirmarian: Rev. Duy, OP
Librarian: Fr. Alfonce, OP
Liturgist: Fr. Simplicius, OP
Asst. Liturgist: Rev. Ninh, OP
Porter: Br. Methodius, OP
Sports Animator: Br. Hoang, OP
Cultural Affairs: Br. Maris, OP

Council members:

Br. Dexter, OP

Br. Cau, OP

Fr. Torribius, OP

Fr. Sunnil, OP

Fr. Moon, OP

The Participants

The participants for the First Asia Pacific Dominican Common Study are the following:

Fr. Iftikhar Moon, OP (Pakistan), Rev. Joseph Pham Van Ninh, OP (Vietnam),Br. Narciso Estrella, Jr.,OP (Taiwan, ROC),Br. Andreas Kurniawan, OP (Indonesia),Br. George Phe Mang, OP(Burma),Fr. Lawrence Kimaere, OP (Solomon Islands),Br.Peter Huynh Thuc Quan Cau, OP (Vietnam),Rev. Joseph Pham Van Duy, OP(Vietnam),Fr. Simplicius Khess, OP (India),Br. Paul Do Ba Hoang, OP (Vietnam),Br. Naveed Arif, OP (Pakistan),Fr. Sunil Jose, OP(India),Br. Mhandy Malijan, OP (Philippines),Br. Methodius Xiong Tian Wen, OP (Mainland China),Br. Toribius Yao Hua Ping, OP (China),Br. Maris Javed William, OP (Pakistan),Br. Dexter Austria, OP (Philippines),Fr. Kantharaj C., OP(India), Fr. Alfonce Jojo, OP (India) and our companion on the journey Fr. Edmund Nantes, OP (as Master of Students)

OP Asia-Pacific Gathering 2008

The First Asia-Pacific region Dominican Common Study Gathering held at Caleruega on June 29-July 26, 2008. The whole month course were held at three different places in the Philippines like Caleruega Batangas, Silsilah Foundation Zamboanga City, and Matina Hills Davao City.