This Sunday, our Gospel reading is from John: 14: 21-27 where Jesus tells His disciples “My own peace I give you, a peace which the world cannot give.” This peace that Jesus gives us is the peace of assurance, of knowing and of believing which does not come from the things of the world but only from God. We ask the Lord to always give us His peace so we can pass through the turbulent scenes of life and always work to build unity and peace with all our brothers and sisters. To read this week’s Kadishat, please click on the link below:
Please click here to download the full Kadishat newsletter with Arabic translation.
========================================================================
20th Year—Number 1012 Sunday 10/06/2012
Season of the Pentecost
3rd Sunday
Readings of this Sunday: 1 Corinthians 2: 1-10 & John: 14: 21-27
My own peace I give you
“Whoever holds to my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me; and whoever loves me will be loved by my Father and I shall love him and reveal myself to him.'
Judas -- not Judas Iscariot -- said to him، 'Lord what has happened that you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?' Jesus replied: Anyone who loves me will keep my word and my Father will love him and we shall come to him and make a home in him.
Anyone who does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not my own: it is the word of the Father who sent me. I have said these things to you while still with you; but the Paraclete the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you. Peace I bequeath to you my own peace I give you a peace which the world cannot give this is my gift to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.'”John: 14: 21-27
Reflection of the Week
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments”.
In that brief passage of the Gospel today, Jesus is speaking to His eleven disciples, but the scope of his promises is broader than that. In verse 15 He says, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." This applies to all who love Jesus Christ and to all believers in Christ, whose love for Christ is characterized by their obedience.
Through the Holy Spirit we can hear God's voice today. Through the Holy Spirit we can learn what God is saying to us, and eventually put our fears to rest.
Peace, the Holy Spirit, the Word, each of them is promised to us by Christ in today's Gospel reading.
Jesus gives us His peace
The peace we are speaking of in today’s Gospel is the peace of Christ. This peace that Jesus gives is the peace of assurance - the peace of knowing - and the peace of believing.
Christ was at peace with the Father; but he also faced conflict, suffering and death. All the time he re-mained a man of peace.
We, too, will come up against problems and conflicts, but we should not be overwhelmed or overcome by trouble or fear. Christ asked us to pray and work for unity.
Peace is found in living a life of faith
Peace is found in walking according to the words of Christ
Peace is found in trusting in the living God and in his everlasting love.
Jesus gives us the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit is called "the Spirit of truth" in John 14:17.
Apart from Him, men cannot know or understand truth. He is the Spirit that reminds us and teaches us the word of Jesus and that is the way through which we enjoy Jesus’ love. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin - points out to us what is good - and what is bad - and moves our heart to the good – to faith and trust in the Lord. And when Christ could no longer be among his disciples he gave them he greater blessing. He promised to dwell in them, by his Spirit. The Spirit serves as our advocate - and our comforter. He is our source of visions and our font of living knowledge.
Jesus gives us his word
By keeping his word - by following it - by treasuring it in our hearts and showing it in our actions, we do our part to make the promises of Christ come alive in us.
As we receive the word - we receive God. As we keep the word - as we live the word - God lives in us and through us, his light is our light and his path is our path.
========================================================================
Saints of the Week:
Saint Bartholomew Apostle (+71)
Maronite Feast Day: June 11.
Bartholomew is listed as an apostle in the Gos-pels according to Matthew, Mark and Luke. According to Syriac tradition Bartholomew's original name was Jesus which caused him to adopt another name. It is believed that with the help of the apostle Jude he brought Christianity to Armenia where he is now the patron saint. Saint Bartholomew the Apostle died in a most horrific way having his skin flayed from his body and crucified upside down. He is often pictured with the knife used in his martyrdom.
Saint Bartholomew served God faithfully during his life and carried his faith with him through the trials and agony of a violent death.
Saint Anthony of Padua، Doctor of the Church (+1231)
Maronite Feast Day: June 13.
Saint Anthony of Padua is one the most well known saints in the Catholic Church. He is also known as the Saint of Lisbon where he was born in Portugal to a wealthy family. His family wanted him to become a noble but Anthony had other ideas and joined the Augustinian abbey of Saint Vincent where he fervently studied scripture and Latin.
He is now proclaimed as a Doctor of the Church and sometimes called the Evangelical Doctor. Saint Anthony excelled as a preacher. Today he is often called upon for help in finding lost things:
"Saint Anthony, Saint Anthony, please come around. Something is lost and cannot be found."
During his life Saint Anthony desired to die as a martyr in service of God. He was inspired by five young monks who passed through his abbey on their way to Morocco to preach to the Muslims. His desire was not granted and he passed away in the town of Padua in Italy.
Saint Anthony’s greatest virtue was that of humility. He was a highly educated man of many talents who lived with a great love of God. He never thought of himself better than anyone.
Saint Aquilna of Byblos، Martyr (+293)
Maronite Feast Day: June 13
Due to her preaching many of the pagans were baptized especially young lads and maidens. She was reported to the authorities and brought before Magistrate Volusian during the reign of Emperor Diocletian and when questioned about her activities she replied "I am Christian".
She was tortured flogged and beaten severely and thrown in prison. When she would not deny her faith she was ordered to be decapitated the next morning but was found dead in her cell. The Christians buried her body outside the city where her tomb became a site for pilgrimage and cures.
========================================================================
The Maronites and Lebanon (13)
Lebanon for the Maronites (2)
The Betrayal
When Abdulmalek Bin Marwan became Caliph in 685 the Marada (Maronite) renewed their attacks from the Lebanese mountains against the Umayyads with an army of more than 30،000. By his ingenuity and malice the Muslim Caliph succeeded in creating a schism between the Maronites and the Byzantine rite Christians.
This Caliph made a treaty of peace with the Byzantine Emperor Justin Rhinometre (cut nose) stating that the Emperor would withdraw 12000 of his Maradaite troops from the Lebanese Mountains and that in return the Caliph would pay him 1000 golden dinar per week half the revenues of Cyprus and to offer a horse and a slave per day to the Emperor. He hoped by this to weaken the military potential of the Maronites.
This strategy had some success but the Caliph did not arrive at complete victory the Maradaites recalled by Justin were the “Roum Maradaites” or Byzantines whilst those who remained in Lebanon were the true fighters those of Syrian origin Aramean culture Chalcedonian beliefs and Maronite national heritage. As a result these Maronite Maradaites showed themselves more indestructible and invincible than ever.
This treachery put the Maronites and Christianity under threat and augmented the Maronites sense of independence and desire to liberate the Antioch church from Byzantine influence.
Revenge
In 685 the Patriarch of Antioch Theoplanus died. The Chalcedonian section of the Antioch church elected Youhana (John) Maroun Bishop of Butroun and Mount Lebanon in 676 Patriarch of Antioch. He became the first Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and the 63rd Patriarch of Antioch since St. Peter. The Byzantine Emperor considered this election as a violation of his authority. In addition to that a religious and political conflict arose between the young Emperor Justinian II on one hand and Pope Sergius and patriarch John Maroun on the other hand.
Justinian sent armed forces to Rome to arrest Pope Sergius and to Antioch to capture Patriarch John Maroun. The troops which were sent to Rome were opposed and defeated by the Roman soldiers. St. John Maroun was surprised by the Byzantine attack left Antioch for the Monastery of St. Maroun near Ma’arret’en-Na’aman in Syria.
There were 800 Monks in this convent. The army followed him there destroyed the monastery and the surrounding Maronite villages and killed 500 monks.
St. John Maroun managed to escape to the castle of Smar Jbeil in Lebanon. In his previous diocese in the Batroun area the Patriarch prepared to fight the Emperor’s army.
Next Sunday: Lebanon for the Maronites (3)
Amioun 694
========================================================================
Links:
Join us on facebook to get notified about the next post:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/St-Charbels-Maronite-Catholic-Church-Sydney/365277440154672
http://www.stcharbel.org.au/
========================================================================
