Welcome to this week’s edition of Kadishat in which we reflect on the reading from the Gospel of St Luke about Jesus appearing to His disciples and sharing a meal with them. Jesus explained to His disciples that all what took place was foretold by the prophets, and was necessary for the salvation of man. Jesus “opened their minds so they could understand Scriptures”.
YouCat Group launches at St Charbel’s Parish
A new youth group started on Monday 7 May in our Parish- the YouCat group. YouCat is a study group for young people that explores the key teachings of the Catholic faith as they are expressed in the Church’s new Catechism for youth. It is also a remarkable method for young people to connect with other young people and in turn support each other in the faith. This group is for young people aged 18-22 and runs in the Youth House every Monday night from 7.30pm followed by Rosary and Adoration in the Church. In his introduction of the YouCat book, Pope Benedict XVI writes: “I invite you to study this Catechism! This is my heartfelt desire.” So I hope all young people heed this call and join us on Monday night!
St Gianna Molla
This year marks the 50th year of the death of St Gianna Molla, a mother and a pediatrist and one of the Patron Saints of the Anti-Abortion movement. Gianna Molla chose to give life to her daughter over her own life. She is an example of heroic qualities and unfaltering love. We remember her during this year and we ask for her intercession for our families and for mothers going through difficult pregnancies or considering abortion. May they choose life over death and may they realize that the baby in their womb is a human being with a lot of potential.
You are all in my prayers as I lead our parish pilgrimage to Jerusalem! Please keep me and all the group in your prayers as well!
I invite you all to click on this link for the full PDF version with Arabic translation to view our parish newsletter for this week
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20th Year—Number 1008 Sunday 13/05/2012
Season of the Resurrection
6th Sunday
Sunday’s Readings: Roma 10: 1-13 & Luke 24: 36-48
You are witnesses of these things
“.While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, ‘Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’ And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence. Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.'” Luke 24: 36-48
Reflection of the Week
In this Sunday’s reading, the apostles and their companions are gathered together. Suddenly Jesus is there with them. He says, “Peace be with you.” He tells the apostles to look closely at his hands, and to touch him. He reassures them that he is not a ghost and he even asks them to give him some fish so that he can eat and prove it.
Jesus is real
He is really alive, and he has a real body just like ours. Jesus who drops by and asks for something to eat as a real human being, with a body they could see and touch.
What does it mean to believe in a God who shares our human nature, who lived and died as one of us? It means we believe in a God who truly understands what it means to be human. Jesus understands the doubts of the followers who are gathered in that room, and he is patient with them.
Jesus does not blame his disciples
Even though he has been preparing them for this, and even though once again it is clear that they still don’t really get what Jesus was talking about in all that time they spent together, he understands. He doesn’t blame them for having questions. He explains again the things he has already taught them. He opens their minds to understand the scriptures, and he says to them: “You are witnesses of these things.”
Even though he has been preparing them for this, and even though once again it is clear that they still don’t really get what Jesus was talking about in all that time they spent together, he understands. He doesn’t blame them for having questions. He explains again the things he has already taught them. He opens their minds to understand the scriptures, and he says to them: “You are witnesses of these things.”
You are my witnesses
This is about choosing to live your life as a witness. The kind that not only sees what happened, not only tells what happened, but who is so transformed by what happened that they cannot help but become a new person because of it. They cannot help but act like a person who has seen the risen Lord. And their lives and actions reflect it.
This is about choosing to live your life as a witness. The kind that not only sees what happened, not only tells what happened, but who is so transformed by what happened that they cannot help but become a new person because of it. They cannot help but act like a person who has seen the risen Lord. And their lives and actions reflect it.
We do not have to get front page headlines to be a good witness to Christ. In fact, in most cases those might work against us. Instead, we just have to do this: we have to live our life in such a way that others look at us and see God’s grace and love at work in us. We just need to do the small things with a great love for Christ.
Our purpose in life, in everything we do, is to remember Christ’s call to the disciples, and to us: you are witnesses. We are the ones who tell the story of Christ’s grace and love.
Our purpose in life, in everything we do, is to remember Christ’s call to the disciples, and to us: you are witnesses. We are the ones who tell the story of Christ’s grace and love.
When you think of witnesses to Christ, who do you think of? Are they the early disciples? Are they the saints? Are they the ones who have done great things like Mother Teresa? If yes, how about you?
Christ our God longs and desires to open our minds to understand the scriptures,
to understand all that has been written, spoken, and revealed about him
in whatever form that happens and has happened.
That is what Jesus did for the disciples and it is what he does for us.
They are witnesses based not on what they know,
but on who they are, how they live, and their relationship with the risen Christ.
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Ascension Thursday
In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over the course of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. ‘This’, he said, ‘is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’ So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’
When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’ Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away.
When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bar-tholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.
Acts of the Apostles 1: 1-14.
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The Maronites and Lebanon (9)
In every stormy day there stand a Patriarch (1)
Antioch is a city where the word of God and the Good News of Jesus Christ was preached in the Early Church. It was the place where the followers of Jesus were first called Christians. It was here that St. Peter founded the See of Antioch and probably spent about 7 years. St. Paul resided in the city. Saints Mark & Barnabas also preached the Good News there. It was one of the primatial Sees of the area. From the 5th Century onward, Antioch, Syria and the whole region suffered a great loss of membership and prestige.
What were the reasons for this?
One reason was that many of the Christians of Syria decided to follow the Monophysite heresy. An important event occurred in the 7th Century that was to have a great effect upon the Christians of Beit Maroun.
This was the rise of the prophet Mohammed and his followers, the Muslims. Mohammed claimed to have experienced a vision that called him to be prophet of God. He urged the Arabs to worship the one God and to accept him as God’s prophet.
After many trials, he was successful in conquering Mecca, the Capital of Arabia. Most of Arabia then became Muslim. For several hundred years prior to the time, Syria had first been part of the Roman Empire, and then part of the Byzantine Empire, whose capital was Constantinople.
In 636 the followers of Mohammed defeated the Byzantine Empire’s army in Syria. Syria then became Muslim land. The first Caliph, Omar, who followed Mohammed after his death was the Conqueror of Syria, and issued anti-Christian legislation which made it difficult for the Maronites to practice their faith. The policy of Islam was to give Christians a choice; either they became Muslims and then be on the same footing as the other Muslims, or to stay Christians but had to pay a high tax, and accept humiliation. Their policy was: ( “Aslem, taslem”, meaning : be Muslim, then you will be safe).
Next Sunday:
In every stormy day there stand a Patriarch (2)
Who was the first Maronite Patriarch?
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