Saint Maron Maronite Catholic Church October 7-8, 2017 FOURTH SUNDAY OF THE HOLY CROSS REMEMBERING THE VICTIMS The events of this past week have left many of us in a daze as we witnessed the senseless murder of so many people in Las Vegas. Although we can t imagine why something so tragic could take place, we nonetheless, remain united in prayer for all of the souls that were lost and for their families who now mourn. This week s quote from Saint John Vianney reminds us, especially during these tragic times that occur too often around the world, that somehow we must also remember those who do harm to us. We cannot fathom how one individual can do such harm to others nor will we ever be able to understand it. One of the most difficult things that we are called to do at a time like this is to pray for all of the souls, including the one who did this harm to innocent people, and to pray for his family who lives with this tragic legacy left to them. We never know when our time will come. But I do believe that out of such tragedy there is something that we can gain from such an event. The one thing that I take with me is the act of those who attended this concert joined in chorus to sing God Bless America one hour 40 before this tragedy occurred. At that moment and without knowing what was about to happen to them, they asked God to bless this great nation and they gave thanks to God for all He has given them. How poignant is that? I only pray that each and every one of them knew and still knows that God was and is with them---even in their darkest hours. May each of us ask for God s blessings every moment of our lives. May we continue to pray for those who lost their lives and those who are wounded and ask God to give them the strength to carry on. And may we learn the importance of God in our lives and the lives of our children. Allah yerhammon! May their souls rest in peace! SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION (CONFESSION) Please know that confession is available before liturgies. You may also call to set up an appointment. QUOTE OF THE WEEK "All our religion is but a false religion, and all our virtues are mere illusions and we ourselves are only hypocrites in the sight of God, if we have not that universal charity for everyone - for the good, and for the bad, for the poor and for the rich, and for all those who do us harm as much as those who do us good." Saint John Vianney Fr. Vincent Farhat, Pastor Fr. Richard Cannuli, Weekend Assistance Mrs. Zeina Topalian, Religious Education Director Address: 1013 Ellsworth Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147 Office: 215-389-2000 Hall Reservations: 215-334-1884 Evening Emergency Number: 215-952-0712 or 561-371-5316 Website: www.saintmaron.org Church Office: saintmaronphiladelphia@hotmail.com Instagram Page: @saintmaronphiladelphia Facebook Page: Saint Maron Maronite Catholic Church of Philadelphia OFFICE HOURS: The Church office will be open Monday through Thursday from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm.
LITURGY INTENTIONS Saturday, October 7, 2017, @ 6:00 PM, liturgy is offered the soul of Joseph Scavola requested by his wife Josephine. May his soul rest in peace. Sunday, October 8, 2017, @ 11:00 AM, (Sunday of the Order of Saint Sharbel) liturgy is offered for the soul of Maurice Al Shouli requested by his wife Marie and his children. May his soul rest in peace. Saturday, October 14, 2017, @ 6:00 pm, Liturgy is being offered for the parishioners and friends of Saint Maron Church. Sunday, October 15, 2017 @ 11:00 am, (Feast of St. Theresa of Avila) Liturgy is offered for the souls Gaby Mourad and Hanna Mourad requested by Boutros and Ramona Semaan and family. May their souls rest in peace. UPCOMING EVENTS Saint Maron Church Fall Hafli, Saturday, October 14, 2017, at 7:00 PM, in the church hall. Entertainment by Said Abi Akl and Band. Saint Jude Novena, October 20-28, 2017. Schedule to follow. Relics of Saint Maron, Friday- Sunday, November 10-12, 2017. Church will be open day and night for veneration and prayer. Regional NAM, November 17-19, 2017, Saint John Paul II Church, Westchester, NY. 125th Anniversary Gala Weekend, December 1-3, 2017. Schedule to follow. Annual Christmas Parish Party, Sunday, December 17, 2017, immediately following Divine Liturgy. New Year s Eve Party, Sunday, December 31, 2017, beginning at 7:00 PM. Details to follow. SUNDAY OF THE ORDER OF SAINT SHARBEL This year October 8 has been designated as Order of Saint Sharbel Sunday in our Eparchy. On October 8, all Maronite parishes will be promoting the Order. The Order of Saint Sharbel is vitally important in providing financial and spiritual support for our seminarians, who are crucial for the future of our Maronite Church. Please prayerfully consider joining the Order. You may enroll online at www.orderstsharbel.org or with your pastor. Thank you very much for supporting this very important work in our Eparchy. With gratitude for all your love for the Church, I remain yours in Christ, + Gregory RAFFFLE DONATIONS FOR ANNIVERSARY GALA NEEDED As we plan to finalize plans for the 125 th Anniversary weekend, we are looking for donations for the raffle which will be held on Saturday, December 2, at the grand halfi. If anyone is interested in donating a flat screen TV, IPad, or gift baskets, please send me an email or let me know after Divine Liturgy. Your help is greatly appreciated and I thank you for your help. SAINT MARON FALL HAFLI Our annual Fall Hafli will be held on Saturday, October 14, 2017, beginning with cocktail hour at 7:00 PM, followed by a Lebanese Buffet at 8:00 PM. Live entertainment by Said Abi Akl and the Roukos Jacobs Band. Tickets will go on sale beginning Sunday, September 24, after Divine Liturgy. Adult tickets are $55.00 per person and children 12 and under are $25.00 per person. Hope to see you all there. CHILDREN S HALLOWEEN PARTY Halloween and best costume party will be held on Friday, October 20, 2017, from 7:00 PM- 10:00 PM. There will be games, arts and crafts, food and dessert. Tickets are $15.00 per person. Tickets will be on sale this weekend in the Church hall. We ask you to reserve early so that we may purchase the arts and crafts for that night. ADULT BIBLE STUDY AND MARONITE CHURCH HISTORY CLASS I am happy to announce that Fr. David Fisher will begin adult bible study and church history classes beginning on Thursday, October 19, from 7:00 PM 8:30 PM, at the Church hall. We will begin to offer these classes twice a month with the option to have them every week depending on participation. I hope you will take advantage of this ministry. Fr. David is sure to make this class enlightening as well as enjoyable. We are grateful for his expertise and we thank him for offering this important subject to the members of this parish. PHOTO S AND ARTICLES NEEDED As we prepare for our anniversary gala in December, we are in the process of gathering old articles and pictures of the church and its priests from as far back as possible. We need your help. Please if you have any articles and/or pictures that you can share with us please bring them to the office. We will scan them and return them to you with gratitude. This booklet will be a treasure for many generations and serve as a remembrance for generations to come. Thank you in advance for your help.
PRAYER FOR SOLDIERS During these difficult times, we remember those family members and friends in faraway places. Let us lift in prayer the many women and men serving overseas in our armed forces. May they know of our respect and gratitude and be kept safe in the Lord s love. Amen. IN OUR PRAYERS Please keep in your prayers Baby June Carter, Roseann Anthony, Joey Farkas McKenzie, Elaine Nader, Sal Pinto, Michael Pascucci, Jenny DiCicco, Bob Rosner, Nicholas Carine, Amelia Habib, Baby Elle Isgro, Suzanne Haney, Lisa Alestra, John Nader, Joseph Alestra, Chucky Simon, Mary Fetterman, Aminee Skaf, Carmen Marrone, Rose Kouri, Yasmine Myers, Joey Gdowick, Francis Joseph Kerns, Michelina Krewda, Samer Chokeir, Kathy Newman, Vickey Saulino, Rita Arrigale, Helen Freedenberg, Maryann Bratton, Renee Sahar, Joann Divon, Jane Trevelino, Sister Nahida Al Sawa, Virginia Ramano, Rose De Jesse, James Cordisio, Stacey Fuentes, Debbie Freedenberg, Noel Andjuhar, Eddie Gussin, Angel Salerno, Dennis McGiney, Emilia and Alan Sacilowski, Donny Pizzi, Betty Antrilli, and Bonnie Sabatini. We ask Almighty God to bless them with good health so that they may join us in the Church and give glory and thanksgiving to God. Please notify the Church office of any family member who is ill so that we may remember them in our daily prayers and on our altar of intentions. WEEKLY COLLECTION FOR September 30- October 1, 2017 Collection $ 1,497.00 Coffee Hour $ 88.00 Total: $ 1,585.00
PLEASE REMEMBER TO SILENCE YOUR CELL PHONES AND BEEPERS WHEN YOU ENTER THE CHURCH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
Saint Maron Maronite Catholic Church First Reading 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 October 7-8, 2017 A reading from the First Letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians. Your blessing father Brothers and Sisters: Concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When they say, There is peace and security, then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So then, let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing. Praise be to God always. بولس القديس رسالة فصل من األولى إلى أهل تسالونيقي ة فال ح اج ة ب ك م أ ن ي ك ت ب إ ل ي ك م في ش أ ن ه ا أل ن ك م ت ع ل م ون ج ي د ا أ ن يا إخو ت ي أ م ا األ ز م ن ة واأل وق ات أ ي ه ا اإل خ و ي و م الر ب يأ تي ك الس ار ق ل ي ال. فح ين ي ق ول ون: س الم وأ م ن! ح ين ئ ذ ي د ه م ه م اله الك د ه م ال م خ اض ل لح ب لى وال ف ل س ت م في ظ ل م ة ل ي ف اج ئ ك م ذل ك الي وم كالس ار ق. ة ي ف ل ت ون. أ م ا أ ن ت م أ ي ها اإل خ و ن ص ح ول س ن ا أ ب ن اء الل يل وال أ ب ن اء الظ ل م ة. إ ذ ا فال ن ن م ك س ائ ر الن اس ب ل ل ن س ه ر و الن ه ار ي س ك ر ون. أ م ا ن ح ن أ ب ن اء الن ه ار ف ل ن ص الل يل ي ن ام ون وال ذ ين ي س ك ر ون ف في الل يل اض ع ين خ وذ ة ر ج اء الخ الص. وو م ات م ن أ ج ل ن ا ل ن ح ي ا م ع ه س اه ر ين ك ن ا ف اع ل ون. والتسبيح هلل دائما. وأ ب ن اء فأ ن ت م ك ل ك م أ ب ن اء الن ور أل ن ال ذ ين ي ن ام ون ف في ح الب س ين د ر ع اإل ي م ان والم ح ب ة فإ ن هللا ل م ي ج ع ل ن ا ل لغ ض ب ب ل إل ح ر از الخ الص ب ر ب ن ا ي س وع الم س يح ال ذي أ م ن ائ م ين. اح د اآلخ ر ك م ا أ ن ت م و ل ي ب ن الو ف ل ذل ك ش ج ع وا ب عض ك م ب ع ض ا
Gospel Reading Saint Matthew 24:45-51 The Apostle Writes: Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions. But if that wicked slave says to himself, "My master is delayed", and he begins to beat his fellow-slaves, and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know. He will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. This is the truth. Peace be with you. الق د يس إنجيل من قال الرب ي سوع: «م ن ه و الع ب د األ م ين الح ك ي م ال ذي أ ق ام ه س ي د ه ع لى أ ه ل ب يت ه ل ي ع ط ي ه م الط ع ام في ح ين ه ط وب ى ل ذل ك الع ب د ال ذي ي ج يء س ي د ه ف ي ج د ه ف اع ال هك ذ ا! أ لح ق أ ق ول ل ك م: إ ن ه ي ق ي م ه ع لى ج م يع م م ت ل ك ات ه. ولك ن إ ن ق ال ذل ك الع ب د الش ر ير في ق ل ب ه : س ي ت أ خ ر س ي د ي! وب د أ ي ض ر ب ر ف اق ه وي أ ك ل وي ش ر ب م ع الس ك ير ين ي ج يء س ي د مت ى ذل ك الع ب د في ي وم ال ي ن ت ظ ر ه وفي س اع ة ال ي ع ر ف ه ا الب ك اء ف ي ف ص ل ه وي ج ع ل ن ص يب ه م ع الم ر ائ ين. ه ن اك ي ك ون وص ر يف األ س ن ان. حق ا واألمان لجميعكم.