Dear parishioners and friends of St Charbel’s Parish,
On the 5th Sunday of Lent, the Maronite Church remembers the Healing of the Blind Man. Similar to the haemorrhaging woman, the blind man was healed because of his faith. Bartimaeus, the blind man, who was silenced by the people, has much to teach us about persistence in our prayers, faith in God’s mercy and gratitude when God answers our prayers.
Please click the following link to read for the full PDF version of Kadishat.
This Sunday, March 25, we also celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation. This feast is extremely important for it celebrates the Incarnation of Our Saviour who was made flesh in the womb of His mother, Mary. We firmly believe that life begins at conception and therefore Christ’s Incarnation began with Mary’s ‘yes’ to God.
On this blessed Sunday, St Charbel’s Parish is also hosting a very unique event where the Bishops of all the Eastern Churches will come together for an Ecumenical Mass for Peace in the Middle East on Sunday 25 March at 7pm. We remember and pray for our brothers and sisters in Iraq, Syria, Egypt and Lebanon who are persecuted every day. You are all invited to join us for this exceptional mass tomorrow (Sunday) at 7pm.
I wish you all a blessed week!
In Christ,
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20th Year—Number 1001 Sunday 25/03/2012
Season of the Great Lent
Sunday of the Blind Man &
Feast of Annunciation to the Virgin Mary
Sunday’s Readings: 2 Corinthians 10: 1-7 & Mark 10: 46-52
Courage, get up; he is calling you.
“ They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Jesus stood still and said, ‘Call him here.’ And they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Take heart; get up, he is calling you.’ So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The blind man said to him, ‘My teacher, let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has made you well.’ Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way. ” Mark 10: 46-52
Reflection of the Week
Trust in the Lord
Jesus has been journeying with his disciples to Jerusalem. He has spoken to them again and again of the mystery of the cross, but again and again they fail to see what he is saying. Then the blind man appears. He has great faith in the power of Jesus to heal him. He asks for pity, but he is helpless until he receives a call from Jesus.It is always God who takes the initiative. Jesus, through his disciples, that is, through the Church community, calls the man to him and gives him the gift of sight. After the man's sight is restored, he does not go his own way, but with the gift of divine grace, he sets out to follow Jesus 'along the road' (Mark 10:51).
With his sight, Bartimeaus receives the clear insight of faith. He not only experiences healing but conversion as well, making him able to journey with Jesus as a disciple on the road to the cross and the Resurrection.
The blind man who had never seen the face of Christ trusted. We can only encounter Christ, by placing our trust in him. There is no other way. The blind man Bartimeaus was cured of his blindness and gained an insight into what it really means to be a follower of Christ. How about us? Are we too blind to see what it truly means to be a follower of the Risen Christ? Do we know how to discern God in the simple events of life and put into practice every day the suggestions that he is placing in us?
Choosing Christ is a matter of all or nothing. There is no middle ground. "Whoever gives their life for the love of me will find it". (Matthew 16:25) However, Jesus leaves everyone free to choose him or reject him. He never forces us but stands at the door of every human heart, knocking. In the words of Brother Roger of Taize, "Choosing Christ means walking on one road only, not on two roads at the same time.
Those who want to follow Christ and to follow themselves at the same time end up following their own shadow, in pursuit of reputation or prestige." Yet even if in our human weakness we try to follow two roads, the gentle and humble heart of Jesus is always waiting for us to come to him and to acknowledge that even though we keep loving him, we sometimes for-get him. The Lord will then shower on us a love called for-giveness and make us someone who is fully alive in him again.
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Saints of the Week
Saint Gabriel the Archangel
Maronite Feast Day: March 26
The name Gabriel means "man of God," or "God has shown himself mighty." It appears first in the prophesies of Daniel in the Old Testament. The angel announced to Daniel the prophecy of the seventy weeks. His name also occurs in the apocryphal book of Henoch. He was the angel who appeared to Zachariah to announce the birth of St. John the Baptizer. Finally, he announced to Mary that she would bear a Son Who would be conceived of the Holy Spirit, Son of the Most High, and Saviour of the world. The feast day is September 29th. St. Gabriel is the patron of com-munications workers.
Saint John Climacus, Abbot (+605)
Maronite Feast Day: March 30
Saint John Climacus is also known as John of the Ladder, John Scholasticus and John Sinaites. He was a 6th century Christian monk at the monastery on Mount Sinai. Although his education and learning fitted him to live in an intellectual environment, he chose, while still young, to abandon the world for a life of solitude. St. John was born in Syria (though other sources say Constantinople), and came to Saint Catherine's Monastery at Mount Sinai and became a novice when he was about 16 years old, and was taught about the spiritual life by the Igumen (abbot) Martyrius.
After the death of Martyrius, John, wishing to practice greater asceticism, withdrew to a hermitage at the foot of the mountain. In this isolation he lived for some twenty years, con-stantly studying the lives of the saints and thus becoming one of the most learned Church Fathers. In 600, when he was about seventy five years of age, the monks of Sinai persuaded him to become their Igumen. He acquitted himself of his functions as abbot with the greatest wisdom, and his reputation spread so far that pope Gregory the Great wrote to recom-mend himself to his prayers, and sent him a sum of money for the hospital of Sinai, in which the pilgrims were wont to lodge. Four years later he resigned his charge and returned to his hermitage to prepare for death.
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25 Mar feast of the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary
The Maronite church celebrates the feast of Annunciation twice a year. The first time with the universal Church on the 25th March 9 months before Christmas, and the second time during the Season of the Birth of Jesus, 5 Sundays be-fore Christmas Day.
It was this day on which Our Lord entered the world, It must be remembered that it was on this day, not Christmas, that Christ came to the world, as a baby inside Mary's womb.
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The Maronites and Lebanon (4)
“Lebanon and the Church before the Maronite (2)”
Did the Lebanese Bishops participate in any of the early church councils?
The disciples of Jesus founded the first church of Lebanon. The bishops of the coastal Lebanese cities continued the task in organising the affairs of their parishioners, clarified the dogmas of the new faith, and had a great influence in settling some of the matters of Christianity.
Examples can be given: The Bishop of Tyre, Casius, participated in the Niccea Council (197 A.D.) and met to determine the date of Easter. Marinus succeeded Casius and was described by the first church historian Eusebe as: “the most brilliant of the bish-ops of the orient". Zeinoun I, Bishop of Tyre, participated in the Ecumenical council of Niccea (325 A.D.) which discussed the question of equality of the Son and the Father in essence. Zeinoun II, attended the council of Constantinople (381 A.D.) which emphasised the dogma of the Niccean faith and con-firmed the divinity of the Holy Spirit. Beirut played on important role in the history of Christianity and was described during the Roman era as the "Mother of Laws". It became one of the most important centers for theological studies in the Christian world.
Where is the first cathedral of Christianity?
The cathedral of the Lebanese city Tyre is the first cathedral of Christianity. Paulinos (Bishop of Tyre who became head of the Antioch church in 337 A.D.) began in 314 A.D. to build the Great cathedral of Tyre. Eusebe's description of this cathedral is the oldest description available of a Christian church. In 1125 A.D., the crusaders built St. Mark's Church over the ruins of this cathedral.
So the spread of Christianity in the Lebanese coastal cities and also the Bekaa continued in spite of the persecutions by the Roman emperors against the followers of the new faith during the first 300 years of Christianity.
Do these indicate anything to us?
All of these events show clearly that Christianity is deep rooted in Lebanon. The Lebanese were generous in offering the church martyrs and saints in order to protect the seed planted and nurtured by Jesus Himself and His disciples, such as St. Thalaos of Mount Lebanon (284 A.D.) St. Aquiline of Byblos (293 A.D.), St. Christina of Tyre (300 A.D.), St. Theodosia of Tyre (307 A.D.), St. Kyrillus of Baalbeck (362 A.D.) St. Dorothee, Bishop of Tyre (362 A.D.), and many others.
And what about the Lebanese Mountain?
All historical facts demonstrate that the Lebanese mountain was inhabited and remained completely pagan until the beginning of the 5th century. The mountainous regions were the stronghold of the ancient Lebanese religion. Described as pagan compared to the new faith.
The religion of the ancient Lebanese people, their creeds and rites, were the outcome of their environment and the nature of their land. Consequently, Christianity had spread easily in the cities of the narrow coastal plane and the Bekaa valley be-cause of the great cultural adaptability of the inhabitants. On the other hand, the new faith had to reach the heart land of Lebanese values in the mountain. This made the disciples of St. Maron determined to take upon themselves the conversion of the inhabitants of the mountainous region of
Lebanon to Christianity.
Ref: Harb, A.K.(1985) les /the Maronites, Lebanon, Atallah S.A.R.L.
Next Sunday: “Maronites: Indigenous Lebanese descendant of the Phoenicians (1)”
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Links:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/St-Charbels-Maronite-Catholic-Church-Sydney/365277440154672
http://www.stcharbel.org.au/
