Season of the Birth of Jesus - Announcement to Mary Sunday

Dear parishioners and friends of St Charbel’s Parish,

This week, the Maronite Church reflects on the Annunciation to Mary. As a young girl, Mary trusted in God and said "Yes" to His plan without fully understanding it. As Catholics, we look up to Mary, the Mother of God and our mother, in accepting God's will in our lives. Mary's life with God was one of deep faith and great trust. She had a grace-filled openness to the mystery of God in her life.

To read more about the Gospel and our parish events, please click on the link below:

Please click here to view/download the full Kadishat newsletter.

Patriarch Bechara Rai to be appointed Cardinal
In great news for the Maronite Catholic Church, His Beatitude Bechara Boutros Rai, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and all the East is one of six Church leaders to be made Cardinal in the upcoming Consistory on the 24th of November. We congratulate the Patriarch on this occasion and we pray for him as he leads the Maronite Church through very difficult times in the Middle East.

Seminar on the Apostolic Exhortation- The Church in the Middle East
This is a reminder that St Charbel's Centre for Research is holding a conference about "The Apostolic Exhortation: The Church in the Middle East, Communion and Witness" led by Their Graces Bishop Ad Abikaram and Bishop Robert Rabbat on Thursday 29 November 2012 at 7:30pm at St Mary Mackillop's Hall. This is a public invitation. We hope you are able to attend.

St Barbara's Feast Day
We would also like to remind you that St Charbel's Parish is holding a 'Family Day' for the occasion of St Barbara's Feast Day on the 30th of November 2012 at 6:30pm. Entry is $10 per person. The program includes rides, games for the kids, a masquerade costume parade and prizes. We encourage all families from the parish to attend. For more information, please contact the Monastery on 9740 0998.

I wish you all a blessed week by the intercession of Our Lady!
In God’s Love,
Fr. Dr. Antoine Tarabay

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21st Year—Number 1036 Sunday 26/11/2012
Season of the Birth of Jesus
Announcement to Mary Sunday
Sunday’s Readings: Galatians 3: 15-22 & Luke 1: 26-38

He will be called Son of God
“ In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’

Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her..” Luke 1: 26-38

Reflection of the week

A model believer
The announcement of Mary is one of the most inspiring stories in the gospel. Luke in his whole telling of the Gospel, wants us, to get a particular message: the message, that in the events he is describing, something wonderful, unique, supreme, and unimaginably special is taking place in the world.

The announcement to Mary sets up a parallel to John's birth and mirrors a number of birth announcements in the Old Testament. But this passage's mood is very different from the Zechariah account. A simple calmness rules the exchange between Mary and Gabriel. Where Zechariah was in the midst of activity before the whole nation in its religious centre, this announcement comes to the future child bearer privately, in the country.

The fulfilment of God's promise came to earth in an unadorned package of human innocence, with-out any spectacular announcement, far away from any palace. The promised one entered human life as he still seeks to meet it: at the level of everyday experience with everyday people.

The portrait Luke paints of Mary is significant. She is a model believer, taking God at his word, in contrast to Zechariah .She is favoured of God, thoughtful, obedient, believing, worshipful and a faithful follower of God's law. It must be emphasized, however, that despite all these qualities, God's choice of Mary to bear this child springs from his grace, not from any inherent merit that she possesses. She is the object of God's unmerited, graciously provided goodness. Her description as one who has found favour with God makes it clear that God has acted on her behalf and not be-cause of her. In fact, Mary is totally perplexed by the sudden announcement. “How can this be since I am a virgin?”. Mary didn’t question God’s grace and ability, she was just curious as to how she shall conceive. The angel Gabriel reveals to her that she will be conceived through the Holy Spirit.

Will you be Mary or Zachariah? How will you react to God’s call? Both Mary and Zachariah were sincere believers in God. We should be more like Mary. Of course every one of us dream of aspiring to Mary and her devout life. But we should all strive to take God’s word and message in such a beautiful stride, just like she did.

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Think About
We are Mary’s children:
We are children of the obedient and the faithful. We are called to be loyal and dedicated. God asks every one of us to take that leap of faith; just as Mary did. When we can do this, we will finally be able to follow Mary’s example, and submit to God and His will.

Fear Not
Fear not, but place your trust in God as Mary did, for the Lord says:
'Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you, I have called you by your name: you are mine. Should you pass through the sea, I will be with you, or through the rivers, and they will not swallow you up. Should you walk through fire, you will not be scorched, and the flames will not burn you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, you Saviour.' (Is 43:1-3)

~Prayer To The Virgin Mary~
O most beautiful flower of Mount Carmel,
Fruit of the vine,
Blessed Mother of the Son of God,
Assist me when in need.
O star of the sea,
Help me and show me that you are my mother,
O Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
Queen of Heaven and Earth,
I humbly ask you
To be beside me in times of need
There are none that can survive your power.
O show me you are my mother.
O Mary, conceived without sin,
Pray for us who have chosen you
Holy Mary I place this cause in your hands.
Thank you for your mercy
Amen.

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Andrew, Apostle (+62)
Maronite Feast Day: November 30St. Andrew, the Apostle, son of Jonah, or John was born in Bethsaida of Galilee. He was brother of Simon (Peter). Both were fishermen, and at the beginning of Our Lord's public life occupied the same house at Capharnaum.

From the fourth Gospel we learn that Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist, whose testimony first led him and John the Evangelist to follow Jesus. Andrew at once recognised Jesus as the Messiah, and hastened to introduce Him to his brother, Peter. From that moment the two brothers were disciples of Christ and were soon called to leave everything and follow Him.

As one of the Twelve Apostles, Andrew was close to Our Lord during His public life; he was present at the Last Supper; beheld the risen Lord; witnessed the Ascension; shared in the graces and gifts of the first Pentecost, and helped, amid threats and persecution, to establish the Faith of the early Church.

Andrew is said to have been martyred by crucifixion. He was bound, not nailed, in order to prolong his suffering. The shape of his cross was an X and is known as a Crux Cross, commonly known as Saint Andrew’s Cross. This shape was requested by Saint Andrew as he did not consider himself worthy to be crucified in the same way as Jesus. Even unto death, the Apostle Andrew displayed the greatest humility and died in the service of the Church established by Jesus.
 

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COMMUNION AND WITNESS
POST-SYNODAL APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION for the MIDDLE EAST (6)

PART ONE(5): Interreligious dialogue
 22. Relationships between the two communities of believers bear the marks of history and human passion. Misunderstandings and reciprocal distrust have abounded. Past persecutions, whether surreptitious or violent, are inexcusable and greatly to be deplored. And yet, despite these tragic situations, the interplay between both communities over the centuries proved so fruitful that it contributed to the birth and expansion of the civilisation and culture commonly known as Judeo-Christian. It is as if these two worlds, claiming to be different or opposed for various reasons, had decided to unite in offering humanity a noble alloy. This relationship, which both unites and separates Jews and Christians, ought to open both groups to a new sense of responsibility for and with one another.[18] For both peoples have received the same blessing and the eternal promises which enable them to advance trustingly towards fraternity.

23. The Catholic Church, in fidelity to the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, looks with esteem to Muslims, who worship God above all by prayer, alms-giving and fasting, revere Jesus as a prophet while not acknowledging his divinity, and honour Mary, his Virgin Mother. We know that the encounter of Islam and Christianity has often taken the form of doctrinal controversy. Sadly, both sides have used doctrinal differences as a pretext for justifying, in the name of religion, acts of intolerance, discrimination, marginalisation and even of persecution.[19]

24. Despite this fact, Christians live daily alongside Muslims in the Middle East, where their presence is neither recent nor accidental, but has a long history. As an integral part of the Middle East, Christians have developed over the centuries a type of relationship with their surroundings which can prove instructive. They have let themselves be challenged by Muslim devotion and piety, and have continued, in accordance with their means and to the extent possible, to live by and to promote the values of the Gospel in the surrounding culture. The result has been a particular form of symbiosis. It is proper, then, to acknowledge the contribution made by Jews, Christians and Muslims in the formation of a rich culture proper to the Middle East.[20]

25. The Catholics of the Middle East, the majority of whom are native citizens of their countries, have the duty and right to participate fully in national life, working to build up their country. They should enjoy full citizenship and not be treated as second-class citizens or believers. As in the past when, as pioneers of the Arab Renaissance, they took full part in the cultural, economic and scientific life of the different cultures of the region, so too in our own day they wish to share with Muslims their experiences and to make their specific contribution. It is because of Jesus that Christians are sensitive to the dignity of the human person and to freedom of religion which is its corollary. For love of God and humanity, thus honouring Christ’s two natures, and with eternal life in view, Christians have built schools, hospitals and institutions of every kind where all people are welcomed without discrimination (cf. Mt 25:31ff.). For these reasons, Christians are particularly concerned for the fundamental rights of the human person. It is wrong to claim that these rights are only “Christian” human rights. They are nothing less than the rights demanded by the dignity of each human person and each citizen, whatever his or her origins, religious convictions and political preferences.

Next Sunday: Interreligious dialogue (3)

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Season of the Birth of Jesus - Announcement to Zechariah Sunday

Dear parishioners and friends of St Charbel’s Parish,

This Sunday, the Maronite Church reflects on the Annunciation to Zechariah. An angel appeared to Zechariah and told him that his wife was to bear a child. Although he knew that nothing is impossible for God, Zechariah questioned the message of the angel. In order to bring him to believe, Gabriel gave him a sign: Zechariah was to be silent until the birth of his son. The sign represented Zechariah’s uncertainty in God’s power and ability to surpass worldly barriers. As we approach this season of the birth of the Lord Jesus, may we realise how important our relationship with God is and may we always trust in His ability to do the impossible. May we find time for silence so we have the capability to think and examine ourselves and our actions.

To read more about this Gospel and our parish events, click on the link below:

Please click here to download the full Kadishat newsletter.

Seminar on the Apostolic Exhortation- The Church in the Middle East
As mentioned in last week’s message, St Charbel’s Centre for Research is holding a conference about “The Apostolic Exhortation: The Church in the Middle East, Communion and Witness” led by Their Graces Bishop Ad Abikaram and Bishop Robert Rabbat on Thursday 29 November 2012 at 7:30pm at St Mary Mackillop’s Hall. We encourage you all to attend.

St Barbara's Feast Day
St Charbel’s Parish invites you to a Family event for the occasion of St Barbara’s Feast Day on the 30th of October 2012 at 6:30pm. Entry is $10 per person. The program includes a rides, games for the kids, a masquerade costume parade & prizes. We encourage all families from the parish to attend.

I wish you all a blessed week!
In God’s Love,
Fr. Dr. Antoine Tarabay

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21st Year—Number 1035 Sunday 18/11/2012
Season of the Birth of Jesus
Announcement to Zechariah SundaySunday’s Readings: Roma 4: 13-25 & Luke 1: 1-25



Do not be afraid
“Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed.

In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years.

Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense. Now at the time of the incense-offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.

When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.’

Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.’ The angel replied, ‘I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.’

Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah, and wondered at his delay in the sanctuary. When he did come out, he could not speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them and remained unable to speak. When his time of service was ended, he went to his home. After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she remained in seclusion. She said, ‘This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favourably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people.’ .”Luke 1: 1-25
 

Reflection of the week

But the angel said to him, "Zechariah, do not be afraid, your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth is to bear you a son and you must name him John." (Luke 1:13)

Today’s gospel demonstrates the experience of Zechariah with the angel Gabriel. Luke tells us that Zechariah and Elizabeth were devout and pious - and like the experience of their forebears, Elizabeth was barren. The angel Gabriel announced to Zechariah that they will be blessed with a son, and that he was to be named John. He was no ordinary child though, as he would be conceived by direct interference from God and paves the way for Jesus' arrival. As John proclaims, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”(John 1:15)

The angel Gabriel greets Zechariah with compassion and calmness, as he does with all his announcements. “..do not be afraid”, is such a powerful statement throughout the gospel, used by Jesus, the prophets and the angels. It is used to display God’s gentle nature, and his willingness to comfort his people.

As the angel Gabriel reveals to Zechariah that they will bear a son, Zechariah is filled with both joy and doubt. “How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.” Zechariah’s moment of weakness in doubting God’s grace and power is a sign of human nature.

Even for a slight moment, he portrayed signs that he was afraid, even with the comfort of the angel beside him. Zechariah did not simply accept the Lord’s word through the angel. In essence, he represents every single one of us, in that we may not completely trust God at particular moments throughout our lives.

God asks that we relinquish our worldly troubles and hardships and submit to his glorious will here on Earth, so that one day we can experience eternal happiness with Him.

Although he knew that nothing is impossible for God, Zechariah questioned the message of the angel.

In order to bring him to believe, Gabriel gave him a sign: Zechariah was to be silent until the birth of his son. The sign represented Zechariah’s uncertainty in God’s power and ability to surpass worldly barriers. Just as God was able to give Zechariah the joy of a son, He was also able to mute him until the birth of his son.

Silence is a gift
As we approach this season of the birth of the Lord Jesus, we realise how important our connection to God becomes. The angel did not mute Zechariah purely to punish him for his doubts, he muted him so that Zechariah could realise that his human nature had interfered with the most important aspect of life, our connection to God. Due to his inability to speak, Zechariah was given a unique opportunity to think and examine himself and his actions in order to truly appreciate God’s glory.

John the Baptist is the link between the Old and New covenants. Zechariah’s silence symbolises God’s will to ‘silence’ the Old covenant in order to make way for the New Covenant so that it can be proclaimed as the word of God.

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What can God do for you?
We are disciples on a journey with Jesus. But as we walk with Jesus, he is refining and honing us to be worthy disciples. God can make a wonderful disciple out of an old, set-in-his-ways priest and an impulsive fisherman. What can he do for you?

Zechariah and Elizabeth experience is not unique
The theme of infertility appears in the Bible many times. Sarah who bore Isaac, Rebekah who bore Jacob, Rachel who bore Joseph, and Manoah's wife who bore Samson. And Elizabeth who bears John. And There are many who feel this way today. There are those today who can’t have children and waiting for God to hear their prayers as He heard Elizabeth and Zechariah.

 

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Saints of the Week

18 November 2012
St Romanos (Raymond),In the Maronite synaxarion, two saints by the name of Romanos are commemorated. The other Romanos is described as the Father of Monks and is celebrated on February 27. The Romanos commemorated today is also commemorated on March 1.

Romanos was born in Palestine in Caesarea and ordained a deacon in one of the villages belonging to this province. When the Roman Emperor, Diocletian, began his persecution of the Christians both in the East and in the West, especially at Antioch, Romanos immediately decided to go to that city when he heard that many of the Christians there were abandoning their Christian faith. The emperor threatened to cut out Romanos' tongue, but the future martyr continued preaching and urged the people to confess to no other savior but Jesus. Finally, he was arrested, thrown into prison, and in 303 beheaded.

There are many who assert that Romanos originated in Antioch and not in Palestine. This confusion arose from the fact that the early Christians attributed martyrs to the place where their blood was shed rather than the place where they were born.

Romanos still lives in the memory and lives of the Maronite faithful (in Lebanon and the United States) who have churches named in his honor

 
Entry of Virgin Mary into the Temple
Maronite Feast day November 21According to Tradition, the Virgin Mary was taken —presented—by her parents Joachim and Anna into the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem as a young girl, where she lived and served as a Temple virgin until her betrothal to St. Joseph.

Mary was solemnly received by the temple community which was headed by the priest Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist. She was led to the holy place to become herself the "holy of holies" of God, the living sanctuary and temple of the Divine child who was to be born in her.





 

Cecilia, Martyr and Virgin (+230)
Maronite Feast Day: November 22Saint Cecilia is the patron saint of musicians and Church music. She was appointed as the patron saint for musicians and Church music because legend has it that she sang hymns to God as she was dying. Tradition tells us that she was a noble lady of Rome who, with her husband Valerian and his brother Thateus, suffered martyrdom for their faith.

One story tells us that Cecilia’s father arranged her marriage but she wanted to remain a virgin to praise God. On the night of her wedding she told her new husband that she already had a lover, an angel of God who was very jealous. Her husband demanded to see this angel. He was baptised and the angel appeared to him with huge, shining wings.

Cecilia lived in a time of persecution of Christians. The authorities of that time discovered her faith and wanted to arrest and kill her. She arranged to have her home preserved as a church before she was arrested. At that time, the officials attempted to kill her by locking her in an overheated bathhouse. However, the attempt failed, and she was to be beheaded. The executioner attempted to decapitate her three times unsuccessfully, at which time he fled. Cecilia survived another three days before dying. In the last three days of her life, she opened her eyes, gazed at her family and friends who crowded around her cell, closed them, and never opened them again. The people by her cell knew immediately that she was to become a saint in heaven. She was a friend to all.

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COMMUNION AND WITNESS
POST-SYNODAL APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION for the MIDDLE EAST (5)

PART ONE(4): Interreligious dialogue

19. The Church’s universal nature and vocation require that she engage in dialogue with the members of other religions. In the Middle East this dialogue is based on the spiritual and historical bonds uniting Christians to Jews and Muslims. It is a dialogue which is not primarily dictated by pragmatic political or social considerations, but by underlying theological concerns which have to do with faith.

They are grounded in the sacred Scriptures and are clearly defined in the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium and in the Declaration on the Church’s Relation to Non-Christian Religions Nostra Aetate.[17] Jews, Christians and Mus-lims alike believe in one God, the Creator of all men and women. May Jews, Christians and Muslims rediscover one of God’s desires, that of the unity and harmony of the human family. May Jews, Christians and Muslims find in other believers brothers and sisters to be respected and loved, and in this way, beginning in their own lands, give the beautiful witness of serenity and concord between the children of Abraham. Rather than being exploited in endless conflicts which are unjustifiable for authentic believers, the acknowledgment of one God – if lived with a pure heart – can make a powerful contribution to peace in the region and to respectful coexistence on the part of its peo-ples.

20. The bonds uniting Christians and Jews are many and they run deep. They are anchored in a precious common spiritual heritage. There is of course our faith in one God, the Creator, who reveals himself, offers his unending friendship to mankind and out of love desires to redeem us. There is also the Bible, much of which is common to both Jews and Christians. For both, it is the word of God.

Our common recourse to sacred Scripture draws us closer to one another. Moreover, Jesus, a son of the Chosen People, was born, lived and died a Jew (cf. Rom 9:4-5). Mary, his Mother, likewise invites us to rediscover the Jewish roots of Christianity. These close bonds are a unique treasure of which Christians are proud and for which they are indebted to the Chosen People. The Jewishness of the Nazarene allows Christians to taste joyfully the world of the Promise and resolutely introduces them into the faith of the Chosen People, making them a part of that People. Yet the person and the deepest identity of Jesus also divide them, for in him Christians recognize the Messiah, the Son of God.

21. Christians ought to become more conscious of the depth of the mystery of the Incarnation in order to love God with all their heart, with all their soul and with all their might (cf. Dt 6:5). Christ, the Son of God, became flesh in a people, a faith tradition and a cul-ture which, if better known, can only enrich the understanding of the Christian faith. Christians have come to this deeper understanding thanks to the death and resurrection of Christ (cf. Lk 24:26). But they must always be aware of and grateful for their roots. For the shoot grafted onto the ancient tree to take (cf. Rom 11:17-18), it needs the sap rising from the roots.

Next Sunday: Interreligious dialogue (2)

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Season of the Birth of Jesus - Renewal of the Church Sunday

Dear parishioners and friends of St Charbel’s Parish,

Welcome to this week's edition of Kadishat, St Charbel's weekly newsletter!

As mentioned in last week's message, the Maronite Church is at the beginning of a new liturgical year and is preparing for the Birth of Our Lord. This Sunday is the Sunday of the Renewal of the Church and we read from St John's Gospel about Jesus calling us His sheep who recognise His voice. We are called to be His flock and to commit ourselves to belonging, to keeping enough silence, investing enough discipleship, immersing ourselves deeply enough in community so we learn to listen, hear, and obey the call of God in our lives.

To read more about this Gospel, please click on the link below:

Please click here to view and download the full Kadishat newsletter.

Feast of the Lebanese Maronite Order

On the occasion of the anniversary of the foundation of the Lebanese Maronite Order on 10 November 1695, we join together as monks, clergy, consecrated and lay people in a prayer of thanks to God for the gift of monastic and consecrated life in the Church. We particularly pray today fot the Lebanese Maronite Order and its Superior General Most Reverend Abbot Tannous Nehme, asking for the Lord's graces upon all those who answered His call and dedicated their lives to God in the Lebanese Maronite Order so they are true witnesses to His Kingdom and that they walk along the path of sainthood in the footsteps of Charbel, Rafqa and Neemtallah and Blessed Estephan.

Conference on the Apostolic Exhortation

St Charbel's Centre for Research is organizing a conference about "The Apostolic Exhortation: The Church in the Middle East, Communion and Witness" with Their Graces Bishop Ad Abikaram & Bishop Robert Rabbat on Thursday 29 November 2012 at 7:30pm in St Mary Mackillop's Hall. We encourage you all to attend.

St Barbara's Feast Day

St Charbel's Parish invites you to a Family event on the occasion of St Barbara's feast day on 30 October 2012 at 6:30pm. Entry is $10 per person. The program includes rides, games for the kids, a masquerade costume parade & prizes.

For more information, please contact Fr Challita Boustany or the parish office.

I wish you all a blessed week by the intercession of St Charbel and all the saints.
In God’s Love,
Fr. Dr. Antoine Tarabay

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21st Year—Number 1034 Sunday 11/11/2012
Season of the Birth of Jesus
Renewal of the Church Sunday
Sunday’s Readings: Hebrews 9: 11-15 & John 10: 22-42

My sheep hear my voice
“At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’

Jesus answered, ‘I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.’

 The Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus replied, ‘I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone me?’

The Jews answered, ‘It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, though only a human being, are making yourself God.’ Jesus answered, ‘Is it not written in your law, "I said, you are gods"? If those to whom the word of God came were called "gods" and the scripture cannot be annulled can you say that the one whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said, "I am God’s Son"? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.’

Then they tried to arrest him again, but he escaped from their hands. He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing earlier, and he remained there. Many came to him, and they were saying, ‘John performed no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.’ And many believed in him there. ” John 10: 22-42

Reflection of the Week

Who is your shepherd?
In today’s Gospel Jesus is calling us his sheep, and He also calls us to be shepherds. There is no higher calling than to recognize genuine love, unconditional caring, the inviting voice of the true Shepherd, God. To be in his flock is to commit ourselves to belonging, to keeping enough silence, investing enough discipleship, immersing ourselves deeply enough in community that we develop the instinct to listen, hear, and obey the call of God to take care of one another, to take care of ourselves, and to take care of our world.
 
The voice of God
There are many competing voices that compete for our attention each day. But the voice of God speaks to us in many ways, but the question is not so much when, where, or how, but rather what:  

What do we hear that voice say to us?
He speaks to us words of relationship. He is not only the shepherd and we are the sheep, but he says to us what kind of shepherd he is. Jesus is defining the quality of his relationship and his responsibilities as one who will lead, feed, and protect his flock. In all of those things, his desire is to be a blessing, a benefit, and a good thing for us.

Jesus speaks to us words of reassurance. Some of the most important words of reassurance the Lord can speak to us are those from Mathew 28:20, “I am with you always.”
 
Jesus speaks a word of hope. Hope is what our faith is grounded upon. Hope sees God at work even in the darkest of circumstances. As Jesus says, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.” If the voice we hear speaks of despair and doom and fatalism, it’s probably not the voice of the Shepherd.

Jesus speaks a word of trust. So many voices in our world today speak of fear but our Shepherd casts out fear from our lives.

Jesus speaks a word of Forgiveness. Christ came to this earth and died on a cross so we would know the power of forgiveness. Yet so many voices today speak of revenge, or hatred, or the differences that keep us apart.

God breaks through the loud, confused noise of our world to speak words of hope, trust, forgiveness, and truth. And as we hear the voice of the Shepherd, we are called to echo that voice. We are called to speak words of hope, trust, forgiveness, and truth. We are called to be his sheep and hear his voice.
 
We are called
The Shepherd’s call is about both grace and response. We are the sheep because we are called. We are secure, and no one can take us out of his hand. But, at the same time, we are his sheep because we hear the Shepherd’s voice. We will experience his protection in suffering and persecution and opposition, and going through great tribulation, after which he will wipe every tear from our eyes. So there is responsibility. Our job is to hear his voice, to trust him. In hearing his voice, we look not to our-selves, but to him. It is his hand that keeps us. We do not keep our-selves. But we keep looking to him.
 
Do you know the shepherd?
Everyone has a shepherd, but not everyone can say, "The Lord is my shepherd." For some, their shepherd is money, success, social status, some hobby, or being at the top of the corporate ladder. Many people know about the shepherd, but they don’t know know the shepherd.

You desire to purify our hearts and to lead us to repentance draw us together as a community and help us to open our hearts to appreciate the gift of each other.

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Saint of the Week

13 November
St John Chrysostom,
Doctor of the Church,

In 349 John was born in Antioch, a center of both culture and here-sies. His father, Secun-dus, was a high-ranking army officer and probably a Roman and a Christian. His mother, Anthusa, was Greek and praised by her son for her piety and virtues. After a classical education, John was baptized during Easter 368.

He then aspired to become a monk and practiced severe austerities for several years, which led to an impairment of his health.

Ordained to the priesthood in 386, he began his illustrious career as a preacher. After twelve years, he succeeded Nectarius as the Patriarch of Constantinople. He instituted many reforms in the ecclesiastical life of the patriarchate, a project which made him unpopular with some of the clergy.

His bluntness also created many enemies at court, one of them being the impress, Eudoxia. In 402 John was exiled and underwent great sufferings while travelling from one place to another. He died on September 14,407. His renown as a preacher won for him the name of "Chrysostom," or "Golden
Mouth." For this reason, he is the patron of preachers.

It was John Chrysostom who took the Antiochene liturgy to the imperial court at Byzantium and who wrote the liturgy which bears his name. In addition to being a Father and Doctor of the Universal Church, he is the patron of the entire Byzantine Church and the patron of preachers.

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COMMUNION AND WITNESS
POST-SYNODAL APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION for the MIDDLE EAST (4)

PART ONE(3): The Christian and ecumenical life (2)

 15. The Second Vatican Council points out that, to be effective, the path of ecumenism should be marked “by prayer above all, by example, by scrupulous fidelity to the ancient traditions of the East, by better knowledge of one another, by working together and by an understanding attitude towards persons and things”.*11+ It would be most fitting for all to draw closer to Christ himself. Jesus draws into unity those who believe in and love him; he gives them the Spirit of his Father as well as Mary, his Mother (Jn 14:26;16:7 and 19:27). These two gifts, different in level, can be a powerful source of help, one that merits greater attention on the part of all.

16. Our common love for Christ, “who committed no sin; no guile was found on his lips” (1 Pet 2:22) and the “close bonds”*12+ which exist between the Catholic Church and the Churches of the East not in full communion with her, are an urgent summons to dialogue and unity. In a number of cases, Catholics are linked to the Churches of the East not in full communion by reason of common religious origins. For a renewed ecumenical pastoral outreach in view of common witness, it is helpful to have a clear understanding of the Council’s openness to a certain communication in sacris for the sacraments of Penance, the Eucharist and the Anointing of the Sick;[13] this is not only possible but even to be commended in some situations, in accordance with specific norms and with the approval of the ecclesiastical authorities.[14] Marriages between Catholics and Orthodox are numerous and call for particular ecumenical attention.[15] I encourage Bishops and Eparchs to apply, to the extent possible and wherever they exist, pastoral agreements on the gradual implementation of a joint ecumenical pastoral effort.

17. Ecumenical unity does not mean uniformity of traditions and celebrations. To begin with, I am sure that with God’s help agreement can be found for a common translation of the Lord’s Prayer, the Our Father, in the local languages of the region, wherever necessary.[16] By praying together in the same words, Christians will acknowledge their common roots in the one apostolic faith which is the basis of our pursuit of full communion. Engaging together in a deeper study of the Eastern and Latin Fathers, and of our respective spiritual traditions, could prove greatly helpful to this end, in the correct application of the canonical norms regulating this material.

18. I invite the Catholics of the Middle East to cultivate relationships with the faithful of the different Ecclesial Communities present in the region. Various joint initiatives are possible. Common Bible study and a wider diffusion of the Bible could, for example, initiate this process. Particularly fruitful forms of cooperation in the area of charitable activities and the promotion of the values of human life, justice and peace could also be developed or expanded. All this will contribute to greater mutual knowledge and the creation of a cli-mate of esteem; these are indispensable conditions for promoting fraternity.

Next Sunday: Interreligious dialogue

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Season of the Birth of Jesus - Sanctification of the Church Sunday

Dear parishioners and friends of St Charbel’s Parish,

"You are Peter' and on this rock I will build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matt 16:18)

The Maronite Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, has chosen the Gospel reading of Matthew 16:13-20 which gives the Catholic Church the foundation for the office of the Pope to read on the Sunday of the Sanctification of the Church.

In this Gospel, Jesus asks His apostles, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" The Apostles responded, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." Our Lord then turned to them and asked them, "And you, who do you say that I am?" St. Peter, still officially known as Simon, replied, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Our Lord recognized that this answer was grace-motivated: "No mere man has revealed this to you, but My heavenly Father."

Because of this response, our Lord said to St. Peter, "You are 'Rock,' and on this rock I will build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." In this Gospel reading, Jesus confers the leadership of His Church on earth to His apostles.

And this leadership has been passed on throughout the centuries to all the popes and to our current Pope Benedict XVI to lead 'in persona Christi'. We pray for the intentions of the Holy Father and all the Bishops on this Sunday and always.

New Liturgical Year

As we approach the season of Christmas, the Maronite Church starts a new Liturgical Year beginning this Sunday 4 November with the Sanctification of the Church and is followed by the Sunday of the Renewal of the Church. The Church's year of worship, year by year, helps us to recall the mysteries of Christ's life among us but always in the light of the Easter mystery and in the awareness that Jesus is ever-present to us through His Spirit and in His Church. For us, each liturgical year should be like climbing a spiral by which we become more like and ever closer to our Saviour Jesus Christ, so that ultimately we may be one with Him in His glory.

Prayer for a new Maronite Bishop of Australia

As you may be aware, the Vatican is in the process of appointing a new Bishop for the Maronite Diocese of Australia, as a successor to His Grace Bishop Ad Abikaram.

We pray that Our Lord will guide the Church and the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI in selecting a new bishop to shepherd our Maronite Eparchy of Australia. May our new Bishop be according to the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I wish you all a blessed week!

Please click here to download the full Kadishat newsletter.
In God’s Love,
Fr. Dr. Antoine Tarabay

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21st Year—Number 1033 Sunday 04/11/2012
Season of the Birth of Jesus
Sanctification of the Church Sunday
Sunday’s Readings: Hebrews 9: 1-12 & Matthew: 16: 13-20

Upon this rock I will build my church
“And Jesus came into the quarters of Caesarea Philippi: and he asked his disciples, saying: Whom do men say that the Son of man is?
 But they said: Some John the Baptist, and other some Elias, and oth-ers Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. Jesus says to them: But whom do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered and said: You are Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answering said to him: Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood has not revealed it to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I say to you: That you are Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever you shall loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven. Then he commanded his disciples, that they should tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ.” Matthew 16: 13-20

Reflection Of The Week

The Holy Church
In today’s Gospel Peter speaks up with his answer ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’” Peter gives a brief answer, but one which contains the whole sum of our salvation. In this answer, Peter confesses Jesus as Savior “You are the Christ”, and as Son of God.

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” That confession is the rock on which the church is to be built. The importance is not on Peter but on Christ, the Son of the Living God. Christ is the rock and foundation on which the church is to be built. Christ is the Rock on which the Church shall stand.

Jesus is the real foundation of the church; but it is by this confession—modelled by Peter and the other apostles—that the real foundation is held and believed upon by God's people throughout the church age. On the basis of this confession, believers all around the world are members together of the household of God.

Reflection
We need to respond to Christ’s call. Amid all the voices we hear each day, we need to take the time to listen to the voice of Jesus in our lives, but not only to hear His voice but also to follow Him, for it is only through Christ and His mystical Body, the Church, of whom we form a part, that we can gain salvation.

As the season of the birth of Jesus commences let us prepare to welcome Jesus into our lives. Each of us, at times, is a lost sheep when we stray from God through sin, rebellion or a lack of faith. At times like this, the important thing to remember is God’s infinite love for us. Not only does God welcome us back after we turn from Him; He goes out to find us and volunteers to carry us back to His graces.

May we learn to lay out our burdens and sins before Him, in particular seeking His forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is then that the light will shine through us, the light of Jesus, who is the Light of the World.

(By Gwen Simon)

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The Liturgical Year
The Church's year of worship, year by year, helps us to recall the mysteries of Christ's life among us but always in the light of the Easter mystery and in the awareness that Jesus is ever-present to us through His Spirit and in His Church. For us, each liturgical year should be like climbing a spiral by which we become more like and ever closer to our Saviour Jesus Christ, so that ultimately we may be one with Him in His glory.

In the Maronite Rite, the first Sunday of November marks the beginning of the Liturgical Year. The year commences with the Season of Announcement. The Sundays of the Church, even though not directly related to the Season of Announcement, form a fitting introduction to it. If the first of November falls on either a Monday or Tuesday, the feasts of the Renewal and Consecration of the Church are celebrated on the same Sunday. If November 1st falls on any day other than Monday or Tuesday, the Consecration and Renewal of the Church are observed separately, on the first two 

Sundays of November.
The Sundays in honour of the Church, ini-tially four or five in number, originated in Jerusalem on September 13, 335 in honour of the newly built Church of the Resurrection, the Anastasis. Outside of Jerusalem, this cycle of Sundays was observed, not in honour of any particular Church, but in honour of the universal Church. Before the close of the fourth century, the cycle had spread northwards and was being ob-served annually in Tyre and Sidon. The physical church structure becomes a symbol of the spiritual realities of Christ's redemptive act. These Sundays of the Church remind us that the entire saving mission of Christ today takes place through His Church.

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Saint of the Week

Saint Michael Archangel
Maronite Feast Day: September 6, November 8
Saint Michael the Archangel is one of the principal angels appointed by God to his service. He appears in Jewish and Catholic tradition as the field commander of the army of God. He is directly referred to in scripture in the Book of Daniel and in Revelation. According to Saint Thomas, he is the prince of the last and the lowest choir, the angels. However, Saint Basil and other Greek Fathers place him at the head of all angels, and call him the Archangel in reference to his rank.

From scripture, Catholic tradition gives Saint Michael four offices:
1. To fight against Satan;
2. To rescue the souls of the faithful from the power of the enemy, especially at the hour of death;
3. To be the champion of God's people, the Jews in the Old Law, the Christians in the New Testament; therefore he was the patron of the Church, and of the orders of knights during the Middle Ages;
4. To call away from earth and bring men's souls to judgement.

We can turn to Saint Michael the Arch-angel in our darkest hour and when we are most afraid. He protects all who call on him. He has the power to overcome all evil.

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COMMUNION AND WITNESS
POST-SYNODAL APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION for the MIDDLE EAST (3)
PART ONE(2): The Christian and ecumenical life (1)

11. It is in this restrictive, unstable and lately violence-prone context that God has permitted his Church to grow. She lives there in a remarkable variety of forms. Along with the Catholic Church, a great number of venerable Churches and Ecclesial Communities of more recent date are present in the Middle East. This mosaic demands a significant and continued effort to build unity in respect for the riches of each, and thus to reaffirm the credibility of the proclamation of the Gospel and Christian witness.[6] Unity is a gift of God which is born of the Spirit and which must be cultivated with patient perseverance (cf. 1 Pet 3:8-9). We know that it is tempting, whenever our divisions make themselves felt, to appeal to purely human criteria, forgetting the sage counsel of Saint Paul (cf. 1 Cor 6:7-8). He entreats us: “Be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph 4:3). Faith is the centre and the fruit of true ecumenism.[7] Faith itself must first be deepened. Unity is born of constant prayer and the conversion which enables each of us to live in accordance with the truth and in charity (cf. Eph 4:15-16). The Second Vatican Council encouraged this “spiritual ecumenism” which is the soul of true ecumenism.[8] The situation in the Middle East is itself a pressing summons to holiness of life. The vari-ous martyrologies are proof that saints and martyrs of every ecclesial community have been – and certainly remain today – living witnesses of this untrammelled unity in the glorified Christ, a foretaste of our “being gathered together” as a people finally reconciled in him.[9] For this reason, within the Catholic Church herself we need to consolidate the communion which bears witness to the love of Christ.

12. On the basis of the indications set forth in the Ecumenical Directory,[10] the Catholic faithful can promote spiritual ecumenism in parishes, monasteries and convents, in schools and universities, and in semi-naries. Pastors should ensure that the faithful come to see themselves as witnesses of communion in all areas of their lives. Communion in this sense is certainly not confusion. Authentic witness calls for acknowledgement and respect for others, a willingness to dialogue in truth, patience as an expression of love, the simplic-ity and humility proper to those who realize that they are sinners in the sight of God and their neighbour, a capacity for forgiveness, reconciliation and purification of memory, at both the personal and communal levels.

13. I encourage the efforts of theologians who work tirelessly for unity, and I express my appreciation for the activities of local ecumenical commissions at different levels and of the various communities which pray and work for the goal of unity by promoting friendship and fraternity. In fidelity to the Church’s origins and her living traditions, it is also important that all speak with one voice in addressing the great moral questions dealing with the truth about man, the family, sexuality, bioethics, freedom, justice and peace.

14. An “ecumenism of service”, moreover, already exists in the fields of charity and education between Christians of the different Churches and Ecclesial Com-munities. The Middle East Council of Churches, to which the Churches of the various Christian traditions in the region belong, offers a promising setting for a dialogue which can develop in love and reciprocal respect.

Next Sunday: The Christian and ecumenical life (2

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