OLOVC IRLA

04/12/2025

29/11/2025

OFFICIAL PRAYER TO ST. CARLO ACUTIS

Carlo, smile of heaven for this wounded and peaceless world, we praise God for your simple, joyful and holy life.
You accepted with trust to be stripped of your youth to dedicate yourself in heaven, with Jesus and Mary, to a mission of boundless love. Resting with your mortal body where Francis of Assisi stripped himself of every earthly good, you cry out with him to the world that Jesus is all our joy.

Young man, full of dreams, attracted by nature, by sports, by the internet, but even more enraptured by the miracle of Jesus truly present in the Sacred Host, help us to believe that He is there alive and true, the mystical "highway" that leads to heaven, and teach us to contemplate Him with Mary, in the mysteries of the Holy Rosary.
Explain to us, Carlo, that, beyond every fashion, only Jesus, by uniting ourselves to Him, makes us "originals and not photocopies," truly free. Grant us know how to meet Him in every creature, but especially in the poor, so that humanity may be more just and fraternal, rich in beauty and hope, to the glory of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

29/11/2025

DECEMBER IS DEDICATED TO IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

The month of December is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. "From all eternity God chose with infinite wisdom the woman who would be the Mother of His divine Son. To prepare for the Word Incarnate a spotless and holy tabernacle, God created Mary in grace and endowed her from the moment of her conception with all the perfections suited to her exalted dignity. St. Thomas teaches that through her intimacy with Christ, the principle of grace, she possessed beyond all creatures a fullness of divine life." — Liturgical Meditations, The Sisters of St. Dominic

This feast invites us to meditate on the virtue of purity. "Mary alone — 'our tainted nature's solitary boast'— never saw her soul's purity darkened with the dust of any stain, nor did she see in any part of her triumphal course toward heaven any sin or trace of worldliness. By a unique and singular privilege from God she was preserved from original sin from the first moment of her Immaculate Conception; by another privilege derived from the first, the Lord did not permit her ever to be stained even with those unavoidable failings of human weakness." — Luis M. Martinez

29/11/2025

TOMORROW, ADVENT SEASON BEGINS

Tomorrow marks the beginning of Advent, a season of hope and expectation for the return of Christ. It's a time to reflect on the light that shines in the darkness, and to remember that God's presence is always with us. As we prepare for the coming of Jesus, let's focus on the promises of hope and redemption that He brings. May our hearts be filled with joy and anticipation as we await His arrival.

29/11/2025

HAPPY NEW LITURGICAL YEAR!

The new liturgical year for many Western Christian traditions, including the Catholic Church, began today, the First Sunday of Advent, November 30, 2025.
The Advent season is a time of hopeful and joyful preparation for the coming of Christ, both in the celebration of his birth at Christmas and his second coming at the end of time. It is seen as a new spiritual beginning, an opportunity for renewal, reflection, and a renewed commitment to faith.
Common traditions and themes for this season include:
Advent Wreath: The lighting of four candles (typically three purple and one pink, or all white) on a wreath each Sunday, symbolizing hope, faith, joy, and peace.
Lectionary Cycle: The start of a new three-year cycle of readings, with the current year (2025-2026) following Year C, which focuses on the Gospel of Luke.
Spiritual Renewal: A call to be alert, watchful, and to "put on the armor of light," leaving behind distractions to prepare one's heart for the Lord's arrival.
Penitential Focus: Like Lent, Advent has a penitential aspect, with the liturgical color of purple (or violet) encouraging preparation and discipline for the joy of Christmas.
Jubilee 2025: The start of this new liturgical year also coincides with the beginning of the Jubilee Year of Hope, declared by the Church, inviting the faithful to be "Pilgrims of Hope".

29/11/2025

The season od Advent begins!

29/11/2025

THE SYMBOLS OF THE ADVENT WREATH

For the past four days, we talked about LITURGICAL YEAR AND CALENDAR, LITURGICAL CYCLE, ADVENT, and LITURGICAL VESTMENT COLORS FOR ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS. This time, our post deals with ADVENT WREATH, which will be visible in our church's altar beginning the evening of 28 November 2020. An Advent wreath is a Christian tradition with roots dating back to 16th century Germany. Its popularity has spread to various places worldwide, especially in North America. Each part of this item has its own symbolism.

[1] Wreath
- a circle of branches from an evergreen tree
- mainly symbolizes eternity, as the circle has no beginning or end
- signifying God's unending love for us
[2] Four candles
- representing the four weeks of Advent
- their colors correspond to liturgical colors used in Catholic churches during Advent
- three violet candles are lit during the first, second, and fourth Sundays of Advent (violet symbolizes penance, prayer and sacrifice, and reminds us of Christ's kingship)
- one rose colored candle is lit during Gaudete Sunday (L: "Gaudete" means "rejoyce") (rose symbolizes joy that signals the upcoming conclusion of the Advent season)
[3] Light of the candles
- symbolizes the light of Christ, which grows brighter as Christmas approaches

N.B. Some modern day adaptions include a white candle positioned in the middle of the wreath and is lit on Christmas Eve. The said candle represents Christ. Another adaptation is the replacement of the three purple and one rose candles with four white candles, which will be lit throughout Christmas season.

Each Sunday of Advent has a special meaning:

[1] HOPE - reminds us of Jesus' coming.
[2] FAITH - reminds us to prepare the way of the Lord
[3] JOY - reminds us of the joy at the coming birth of Jesus
[4] PEACE - reminds us to glorify God for He brought forth the Prince of Peace on earth.

23/11/2025

HAPPY 100 YEARS OF CHRIST THE KING!

100 years of Christ the King! The Solemnity of Christ the King was instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925, first celebrated on October 31, 1926. The feast emphasizes Christ's sovereignty over all creation, established as a response to growing secularization and political pressures of the time. Viva Cristo Rey!

23/11/2025

Jesus Christ is the Real King of the Universe! Let us bow down and worship Him, our Sovereign and our God, in the Blessed Sacrament and in our lives. Viva Cristo Rey!

23/11/2025

November 23—Christ the King (Last Sunday in Ordinary Time)
November 30—Beginning of Advent Season (First Sunday in the Liturgical Year)

In the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar, the Feast of Christ the King is observed on the final Sunday of Ordinary Time, which marks the end of the liturgical year. In 2025, this falls on November 23. This feast emphasizes Christ's sovereignty and kingship over all creation, serving as a reminder of His divine authority. Following this, the new liturgical year begins with the First Sunday of Advent on November 30, 2025. Advent is a season of preparation and anticipation for the celebration of Christ's Nativity at Christmas. It starts a new cycle of liturgical themes, scripture readings, and worship, focusing on awaiting the coming of Christ both in history and in the future. The transition from Christ the King to Advent signifies the shift from celebrating Christ’s universal kingship to preparing for His coming into the world as a newborn.

20/11/2025

Our Blessed Mother reiterated this same call THROUGHOUT HER APPARITIONS at Fatima “SAY THE ROSARY EVERY DAY TO BRING PEACE TO THE WORLD AND THE END TO THE WAR.” “Continue to pray the ROSARY, my children. Say it every day that the war may end.” ~~~ Our Lady of Fatima to Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco.