Firstly, a big thank you to all the people who attended for supported St Charbel's Annual Dinner last night during which we launched the St Charbel's Nursing Home project. The night was very successful. We thank you for your generosity and attendance.
During the past week, we celebrated the feast of the canonisation of St Charbel (Oct 9). St Charbel was Lebanon's first saint and one of the most renowned saints of our times. We ask for his intercession for our families, our loved ones and for our parish.
To read our Kadishat newsletter for this week, please click on the link below:
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Dial Before You Dig Seminar
“Dial before You Dig” is holding a free Builders’ Seminar & Dinner at St Charbel’s Hall on Tuesday 23 October 2012 at 4:00pm. Builders who attend all presentations will receive 4 CPD points. For registration or more info please contact the parish office.
I wish you all a good week!
In God’s Love,
Fr. Dr. Antoine Tarabay
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20th Year—Number 1030 Sunday 14/10/2012
Season of the Cross
5th Sunday
Sunday’s Readings: Philippians 2: 12-18 & Matthew: 25: 1-13
You know not the day nor the hour “the kingdom of heaven be like to ten virgins, who taking their lamps went out to meet the bridegroom and the bride. And five of them were foolish and five wise. But the five foolish, having taken their lamps, did not take oil with them. But the wise took oil in their vessels with the lamps.
And the bridegroom tarrying, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And at mid-night there was a cry made: Behold the bridegroom comes. Go forth to meet him. Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise: Give us of your oil, for our lamps have gone out.
The wise answered, saying: Lest perhaps there be not enough for us and for you, go rather to them that sell and buy for yourselves. Now whilst they went to buy the bridegroom came: and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage. And the door was shut. But at last came also the other virgins, saying: Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answering said:
Amen I say to you, I know you not. Watch therefore, because you know not the day nor the hour” Matthew: 25: 1-13
Reflection of the Week
Faith cannot be shared
The Parable of the Ten Virgins pictures the members of the church as virgins waiting for the bridegroom's return. They all carry oil-filled lamps to light their way while waiting through the darkness of night. However, half of them are unprepared; these foolish virgins have no reserve oil to refill their lamps. While they are gone buying new oil, the bridegroom comes and the door to the wedding is shut.
Jesus gives ample warning in His teaching concerning the last days and the need for spiritual preparation for them. But He also realizes that His church would need spiritual focus while waiting for His return. Therefore, He warns that lack of adequate preparation for His coming can be eternally devastating. Jesus makes the purpose of this parable clear in its last verse. "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming" (verse 13).
The ten virgins
Both groups were in the same place going to meet the bridegroom. Both groups were carrying lamps (verse 1), so these vessels are not a sign of who had prepared. Both groups slumbered and slept (verse 5).The major difference between the wise and the foolish is found in their attitudes. One group takes sufficient oil with it, but the other does not. Since the procession is at night, and the lamps have only a small oil reservoir, they have to replenish the oil periodically. The wise virgins prepare by carrying extra oil for when the lamps run low. This pictures readiness for future needs which requires forethought, planning, and dedication. The foolish virgins do not prepare, content to carry only enough to appear wise. They carry out God's instructions with the least amount of effort they think they can get away with (Ecclesiastes 9:10). The foolish are not spiritually concerned about their future, but the wise are, even though they have to carry the extra weight of an oil container. However, this extra preparation gives them the hope and faith they need to meet the bridegroom successfully and enter the marriage feast.
Why do the wise virgins refuse to share with the foolish?
It was midnight, and the lamps were needed for the procession and the rest of the night. The reserve oil supply was only enough to supply oil for the lamps of the five wise virgins. So the inability of the wise to provide oil for the foolish illustrates that no one can give to another what he has done to add works to his faith (James 2:14, 17-22, 24, 26). Our faith must be our own through Jesus Christ; it cannot be borrowed. Moral character or spiritual gifts cannot be transferred from one person to another.
The lesson Christ emphasizes in this parable is to be prepared for the future, namely, the coming of Christ. The prophet Amos expresses this powerfully: "Prepare to meet your God, O Israel!" (Amos 4:12). Human beings have little trouble preparing for everything, except meeting God. The last
verse of the parable (verse 13) makes its purpose ring in our ears: "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming." (Reference: http://www.cgg.org)
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The Oil
The oil in the parable represents our faith and testimony, our purity and dedication, and good works. The wise virgins could not share their oil with the foolish virgins because “the oil of spiritual preparedness cannot be shared”.
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Saint of the Week
St Luke the Evangelist (+90)
Maronite Feast Day: Oct. 18
Saint Luke, the writer of the Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles, has been identified with St. Paul's "Luke, the beloved physician" (Colossians 4:14). He is also held as the patron saint of doctors and
surgeons. He was a born a Greek and a Gentile in the city of Antioch.
It is only in his gospel that we hear the parable of the Good Samaritan, that we hear Jesus praising the faith of Gentiles such as the widow of Zarephath and Naaman the Syrian (Lk.4:25-27), and that we hear the story of the one grateful leper who is a Samaritan (Lk.17:11-19).
Luke has a unique perspective on Jesus which can be seen in the six miracles and eighteen parables not found in the other gospels. Luke's is the gospel of the poor and of social justice. He is the one who tells the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man who ignored him. Luke is the one who uses "Blessed are the poor" instead of "Blessed are the poor in spirit" in the beatitudes. Only in Luke's gospel do we hear
Mary 's Magnificat where she proclaims that God "has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty" (Luke 1:52-53).
Some believe that Saint Luke was also an artist who painted pictures of Mary, but there are no facts to support this myth. Some art work depicts him painting images of Mary. Due to this myth, he is also held as the patron saint of painters and paintings.
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The Maronites and Lebanon (32)
The Maronite Liturgy (2):
Where there any factors that modified the Maronite Liturgy?
There have been several which mostly tended to westernise or latinise it; such as the crusaders, the Roman delegates, the missionaries’ influence and the Maronite seminary in Rome etc....
To show their attachment to the church of Rome, the Maronites adapted and comformed to many Latin customs. They introduced certain liturgical practices of the western church into their oriental rite. By doing that, the Maronites made the grave mistake of latinising itself without seeing the long term harm.
The sad part of the story, the Roman delegates, having no knowledge of the Aramaic language or Maronite customs, insisted that the Maronites adapt to Latin customs. One may wonder if this church who had lived in continuous persecution, and poverty, could have acted otherwise?
Nowadays, the Maronites have made great efforts in reviving their own Syrio-Antiochian liturgical traditions. Ecumenism, as it is explained in Vatican II, have brought about a deeper knowledge of, a better relationship with ,and a keener interest in, churches of the East and the West.
How is the Maronite liturgical calendar organised?
The Maronite liturgical calendar follows the life of our Lord. For instance, the Advent goes along with the events which prepared the birth of our Lord. The main characteristic of the Maronite liturgy are that: I) it is a popular or public type. ii ) the faithful have a large part in its performance; iii) the music and
chants are usually of uncomplicated structure; iv) the prayers and hymns express the feelings and needs of the people, and reflect at the same time the image of the Maronite community itself. While the theology of the occident has always stressed the actualisation of the Eucharist by an engagement of the
Christians in the world. The theology of Byzantine Christianity continues to celebrate the divine liturgy which the risen Lord accomplishes in His heavenly glory. The Maronite liturgy celebrates the Eucharist in the expectation of the coming of the Lord. In their liturgy, the Maronites are painfully aware of the
fact that we are not actually in the glory of the Lord and in the plenitude of his redemption-but that we are awaiting it. The Maronites realise in faith that this sacramental sign is really “RAHBOUNO”, a pledge (guarantee &promise) of the glory to come, and “ZOUODO”, a viaticum (harmony) which transforms a being into a pilgrim on the way to his home, “the house of the heavenly father”. Our liturgy, therefore emphasises the necessity of purification for all humans before the second coming of Jesus Christ. It interprets more accurately the ideas of the early Christians who were waiting the second coming of the Lord. This same idea is clearly stressed in our divine liturgy after the words of consecration: “do this in memory of me... until I come again”.
What sort of mission do Maronites have in the Church?
Our presence in the Catholic church testifies to the church’s spiritual wealth, greatness and freedom to worship in unity with the many different rites within her. The uninterrupted chain of Maronite martyrs and saints, such as St. Maroun, St. Charbel, Blessed Rafka, Hardini,... prove the vitalityof the Maronite church, which continues to represent within the whole Catholic church a special aspect of theology, liturgy and spirituality. It must be our first priority to keep and preserve our rite. Parents must hand down their traditions and liturgy to their children. This is clearly evident from the documents of Vatican II, which ask Catholics “to keep, support, promote and preserve their rite and help it grow and expand...” Maronites, therefore, should worship in their own Maronites churches and support them according to their means.
Ref: Rev. Khalife A (1978). “The Maronite Rite: Questions on the Maronites. Diocese of St. Maroun, Sydney.
The end of the series
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