With Christmas approaching, such an auspicious time for Catholics, on Saturday, December 20, the Heralds of the Gospel celebrated the traditional Solemn Mass of Thanksgiving for all the blessings received during the year that is coming to an end. The ceremony was presided over by Cardinal Raymundo Damasceno Assis, Archbishop Emeritus of Aparecida, who was appointed Pontifical Commissioner of the Heralds of the Gospel in 2019.
The foundation of hope
The focus of Bishop Raymundo’s homily was hope. The cardinal spoke about the long and difficult trials we must endure until we understand what God wants from us, until we discover how we can be willing to collaborate with His plans: “We are loved, and this certainty gives us strength and courage to start over whenever we err, to seek growth in the love of God, His Church, and our fellow human beings.”
Referring to the closing of the Jubilee Year, which will take place in the coming days, Bishop Raymundo recalled that “hope does not disappoint precisely because its foundation is not ourselves and our ability to act or think. The foundation of true hope is God and his love.”
Conferral of the ministries of lector and acolyte
During the Eucharistic celebration, the ministries of lector and acolyte—equivalent to the former minor orders—were instituted for 69 Herald seminarians. It was a moment of great emotion, as it is a preliminary step on the path to the priesthood.
In his sermon, Dom Damasceno referred to this first concrete action after his private audience with Pope Leo XIV on December 4, the feast day of his patron saint, St. John Damascene:
Dear brothers and sisters, as we gather for this Eucharistic celebration, with our eyes joyfully turned toward the celebration of the Lord’s Christmas, I wish to inform you that we have decided to confer, in this Eucharistic Celebration, the instituted ministries of lector and acolyte to 69 young people, members of the Virgo Flos Carmeli Apostolic Society, having fulfilled the requirements for admission to these ministries, as required by the Church. I also announce to you that I hope that in the near future we will be able to confer sacred orders on those who are duly prepared, always respecting what is required of candidates to receive them.
Ambassador of Peace
At the end of the celebration, Fr. Alex Brito, EP, addressed words of gratitude to Bishop Damasceno, with whom the Heralds of the Gospel have been working for eight years, since the Pontifical Commissariat was established in 2019.
In his message, the priest announced that Pope Leo XIV had retained Dom Raymundo Damasceno in the position of Commissioner of the Heralds of the Gospel:
“When receiving Dom Raymundo Damasceno in a long private audience, the Holy Father not only confirmed him in his mission, but also gave him a new mission, that of being the “Ambassador of Peace,” of being the one who will continue the work and bring to a conclusion the whole situation we are going through with the Commissariat. And today he wanted to make this concrete gesture by instituting lectors and acolytes.”.
The priest recalled a personal fact from Dom Raymundo’s life: the wishes and prayers of his mother, a devotee of Our Lady, that her son would exercise his priesthood in Aparecida. Her prayers were heard, and Dom Raymundo not only exercised his priesthood but also became Archbishop of Aparecida, demonstrating the power of a mother’s prayers and hope.
Taken and translated (without previous revision from author): arautos.org
