San Pablo Diocesan Commission on Liturgy

San Pablo Diocesan Commission on Liturgy Managed by the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Roman Catholic Bishop of San Pablo

Ipagdiwang Si Maria is Now Available!Ipagdiwang Si Maria is a Marian prayerbook to guide your offering of flowers, perfe...
15/04/2026

Ipagdiwang Si Maria is Now Available!

Ipagdiwang Si Maria is a Marian prayerbook to guide your offering of flowers, perfect for families, parishes, and all devotees seeking a deeper connection with Our Blessed Mother.

Available now for only PHP 150.00.

Order here: https://tinyurl.com/ipagdiwang2026

For inquiries, you may also reach us at (+63) 927 055 5854

Maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat! Christos anesti alithos anesti! Happy easter!
07/04/2026

Maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat! Christos anesti alithos anesti! Happy easter!

03/04/2026

Liturgical Notes for the Easter Vigil
- A blazing fire is prepared in a suitable place outside the church. The fire is enough to illumine the night.
- Before the beginning of the celebration, the fire is already lit.
- In the blessing of the new fire, it is not necessary to sprinkle the fire with the holy water and incense.
- Processional cross and processional candles are not carried in the blessing.
- After the blessing of the new fire and the preparation of the paschal candle, there will be a procession going inside the church. The thurifer will lead the procession, the paschal candle will follow, then the presider, other ministers, and the faithful.
- If the exultet will be sung by a deacon or a priest, he must incense first the book, then the paschal candle before the proclamation.
- As the exultet is sung at the ambo, all must hold their lighted candles; the light in the ambo must now be open. After the exultet, the light of the candles is now extinguished.
- During the vigil, nine readings are provided, all of which should be read whenever this can be done, so that the character of the vigil, which demands an extended period, may be preserved.
- If there are serious pastoral circumstances that demand it, the number of readings from the OT may be reduced to THREE, together with their respective responsorial psalms, which must be read or proclaimed. The Exodus 14 together with its canticle must not be omitted.
- On the seventh psalm, when baptism is celebrated, Psalm 42:3, 5:43:3.4 is used. If there will be no baptism, Isaiah 12:2-3, 4bcD, 5-6 or Psalm 51:12-13, 14-15, 18-19 is used.
- During the singing of the Gloria, the rest of the lights inside the church are now lit, including the candles at the altar. The tabernacle remains empty.
- During the restoration of the alleluia, all will stand. The priest must intone the alleluia or the cantor. The faithful, together with the schola, will respond with the alleluia also.
- As we continue to sing the alleluia psalm, the priest will now put incense in the thurible. At the procession of the gospel book, only incense will be used; the candles that usually accompany the gospel procession will not be used.
- The gospel book must be placed at the altar before the beginning of the celebration, since the gospel book is not carried in a procession at the beginning of the Mass.
- The candles at the gospel procession and proclamation will again be used in all masses of easter Sunday and all the succeeding Sundays of easter.
- If there is a celebration of baptism, the rite will be preceded by the singing of the litany of the saints. Since we are in the easter season, all will remain standing for the litany.
- If there is no celebration of baptism, the litany is omitted.
- If baptism is celebrated, a different prayer is used for the blessing of water. During the blessing of the baptismal water, the paschal candle is lowered into the water three times.
- If there is no baptism, a different prayer of blessing will be used. The lowering of the Paschal at the water will also be omitted.
- If the candidate for baptism is already at the age eligible for confirmation, confirmation will now be given to the person.
- If there is a celebration of confirmation, the chrismation right after baptism will be omitted. The clothing of white garments and lighting of candles will follow instead.
- After the prayer for confirmation, the chrismation at the forehead will follow.
- If the prayers of the faithful are said, the newly baptized may lead the community in praying.
- It is highly encouraged to use the Roman Canon for this celebration.
- The newly baptized may receive communion under both species.
- At the recessional and final blessing of the presider, Alleluia must be added to the formula. (Go in peace alleluia, alleluia. Humayo kayong mapayapa aleluya aleluya). Then the faithful will respond, “thanks be to God, alleluia alleluia.” “Salamat sa Diyos aleluya aleluya,”
- Gold vessels, gold vestments, and beautiful linens are used.
- The prominent symbol of the easter vigil is the lighted paschal candle. The image of the risen Christ will have its prominence during the salubong. Hence, the paschal candle must be highlighted at the celebration of the vigil and not the image of the risen Christ.
- Exultet must not be replaced by any other substitute song, nothing can be equated to the beauty of the exultet and its text.
- The bells will be used again when the Gloria is intoned.
- The altar cloth, candles, and flowers must be in place before the beginning of the celebration.

02/04/2026

LITURGICAL NOTE
On Reading the Passion of Our Lord

It is not proper to dramatize the Passion during Mass on Palm Sunday and the Liturgy of Good Friday. It must be read with much reverence and sobriety.

The passion narrative occupies a special place. It should be sung or read in the traditional way, that is, by three persons who take the parts of Christ, the narrator and the people. The passion is proclaimed by deacons or priests, or by lay readers. In the latter case, the part of Christ should be reserved to the priest.
-Paschale Solemnitatis, no. 33

The singing of the passion during Palm Sunday and Good Friday is highly encouraged. Singing of the passion adds emphasis on the importance and uniqueness of this part of the rite.

The order for the celebration of the Lord's passion (the liturgy of the word, the adoration of the cross, and Holy Communion) that stems from an ancient tradition of the Church should be observed faithfully and religiously and may not be changed by anyone on his own initiative.
- Paschale Solemnitatis, no. 64

The Mass is not an historical re-enactment of the events of salvation history and care should be taken not to give the impression that the Liturgy of the Word is a play. But rather we look on the rite as a remembering and a continuation of what Christ did in the past for our salvation.

Care should be taken especially at Christmas and during Holy Week and the Easter Triduum not to stage the various liturgies as plays.
-Introduction, Lectionary for Masses with Children, no. 52.

02/04/2026

Liturgical Notes for Good Friday

- Liturgical Setting: The altar should be bare. No candles, no altar cloth, and no flowers.
- In the liturgical setting, it is good to highlight the elements of darkness and silence; these two will help the faithful appreciate the sobriety and the spirit of the celebration. It is highly suggested that darkness inside the church be observed.
- The liturgical color is RED, not violet nor black.
- The presider of the celebration must wear an alb and a red chasuble. It is liturgically inappropriate for the presider to wear a cassock, surplice, stole, and cope.
- Priests who preside at the liturgy and opt to wear a black cassock must also wear amice and alb.
- Those priests who will attend and participate in the liturgy can wear a cassock, surplice, and red stole. Or they can also wear an alb and red stole.
- No entrance antiphon is recited or sung as the presider and ministers enter the sanctuary. A total silence is observed at the beginning of the liturgy.
- When they arrive at the foot of the sanctuary, all the faithful and other ministers will kneel, while the presider will do the prostration.
- There is no kissing of the altar at the beginning of the celebration.
- The sign of the cross and the Pauline greeting will be omitted.
- The celebration will start with the opening prayer. The invitation “LET US PRAY” will be omitted.
- Incense and candles will not be used during the reading of the passion.
- At the reading of the passion, “THE LORD BE WITH YOU” will be omitted; instead, the reading will start with the following words: “Ang pagpapakasakit ng Panginoong Hesukristo ayon kay San Juan.” Or “ The passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. John.” The signing of the cross of the book, forehead, lips, and breast will also be omitted. The response “glory to you, o Lord” or “Papuri sayo Panginoon” will also be omitted.
- At the mention of the death of the Lord all will pause for silence while kneeling.
- At the conclusion, the priest will say, “The Gospel of the Lord, or ang Mabuting Balita ng Panginoon.”
- The faithful will respond, “Pinupuri ka namin Panginoong Hesukristo, or Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.”
- The book will not be kissed.
- there should be one cross for the veneration, but if there are a lot of people participating in the veneration, other cross may be used to accommodate our lay faithful who wish to venerate the cross.
- The procession of the cross for veneration must be accompanied by two candle bearers.
- There will be a special collection for the needs of Christian Communities in the Holy Land.
- As a sign of veneration and adoration of the cross, the presider may remove his shoes and outer garments during the adoration.
- All must do the genuflection before the cross, especially as they pass in front of the cross.
- After the adoration of the cross, the altar will be vested with white cloth, candles, missal, corporal, and purificator will be prepared at the altar. Then the singing of the Our Father will follow.
- As the blessed sacrament arrives at the church, the lights at the altar will be open. Dim lights may also be turned on inside the church.
- The Blessed Sacrament will be brought to the altar before our Father. After the embolism, all will kneel for the Agnus Dei (behold the lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world). The giving of peace will be omitted.
- After all have received communion, the remaining sacred hosts will be taken again to the place of reservation, while the altar will be stripped again of the altar cloth, and the lights of the candles will be extinguished.
- After the final prayer, the prayers of the people may be prayed. There will be no final blessing. The presider will leave the sanctuary quietly and without kissing the altar.
- After the celebration, the cross may be enthroned at the altar table for adoration. Candles must be lit before the cross.

28/03/2026

Should the Processional Cross on Palm Sunday be veiled?

Answer: NO.

The third edition of the Roman Missals says that the cross should be decorated with palm branches. The instruction does not says that the cross should be veiled.

The 1956 Rite specified that the cross should be unveiled, which would distinguished it from other crosses veiled during the last two weeks of Lent.

Ctto

28/03/2026

LITURGICAL NOTES
Palm Sunday of the Passion of Our Lord

1. Incense and candles are NOT carried in Procession for the reading of the Passion of the Lord.

2. There is no greeting ("The Lord be with you" or "sumainyo ang Panginoon."). The introduction is immediately said after the Acclamation ("The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to [N.]" or "Pagpapakasakit ng Panginoon ayon kay San [N.]")

3. The people do not respond "Glory to you, O Lord" or "Papuri sayo Panginoon”

4. At the mention of the death of the Lord, all pause for a moment and kneel.

5. At the conclusion of the reading, the Deacon or Priest says "The Gospel of the Lord" or
"Ang mabuting balita ng Panginoon"

6. The people respond, "Praise to you, O Lord Jesus Christ" or "pinupuri ka namin Panginoong Hesukristo.”

7. The book is not kissed by the Deacon, Priest, or Bishop.

08/03/2026

LAUDS | THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT

Live at St. Peter's College Seminary

ATM Talk on Theology of Processions
07/03/2026

ATM Talk on Theology of Processions

ATM Talk on Liturgy of Easter Vigil
07/03/2026

ATM Talk on Liturgy of Easter Vigil

ATM Talk on Liturgy of Good Friday
07/03/2026

ATM Talk on Liturgy of Good Friday

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Diocesan Liturgical Commission Office, Chancery Office, Diocese Of San Pablo
San Pablo City
4000

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