Birthplace of Jesus Grotto, Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem Maronite
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Volume 15 | Issue 9 | December 2018 Birthplace of Jesus Grotto, Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem Maronite BISHOP’S MESSAGE Wounded, Yet Amazing Church 4 by Bishop Gregory J. Mansour SCHEDULES Bishop Gregory J. Mansour 6 Bishop A. Elias Zaidan Synod On Youth 8 by Bishop A. Elias Zaidan PARISH SPOTLIGHT Our Lady of the Cedars of 10 Lebanon Church Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts by Antoinette Zeina PRIEST SPOTLIGHT Chorbishop Richard D. Saad 12 by Suzanne Tavani 14 Priesthood Ordinations 16 Deacon Ordination The Challenges of Teaching Children 17 About Christmas by Fr. Anthony J. Salim 2 | THE MARONITE VOICE THE MARONITE VOICE A bi-monthly publication of Saint Maron Publications under the auspices of the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn and Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles. ISSN 1080-9880 Eyes Fixed on Jesus — Publishers 20 Forty Years of Monastic Life Most Reverend Gregory John Mansour Most Reverend A. Elias Zaidan Editor Mary, Mother of the Church: Chorbishop John D. Faris 22 Reflection On John’s Gospel Managing Editor by Fr. David A. Fisher Rev. Aaron Sandbothe Art and Design Director Ms. Glory Rasi Tenth Annual MYA Conference in 24 Washington, 5-7 October 2018 Production Coordinator Mr. James Salamy Parish News Editors A Contemplative Christmas Dr. Mabel George Howard 26 by Fr. Gary George C.Ss.R. (Eparchy of Saint Maron) [email protected] Rev. Pierre Bassil (Eparchy OL of Lebanon) Bethlehem Today [email protected] 28 Feature Writers Suzanne Tavani Parish News 30 Antoinette Zeina • All submissions for publication must be in an electronic format. Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Images must be of high resolution 36 Los Angeles, Code of Ethical Conduct For and quality (300 dpi, jpg format). Clergy, Church Personnel And Volunteers • Subscription rates are $25.00 per Working With Minors And Vulnerable Adults year. • Advertising rates are available GOING DEEPER INTO THE SPIRITUAL LIFE… upon request. Caring for the Sick: Contact Us 38 A Physician’s Perspective Phone: 804.762.4301 Email: [email protected] by Anne Borik, M.D. Mailing Address: 4611 Sadler Road Glen Allen, VA 23060 From the Editor Office Hours 39 Monday – Wednesday – Friday 9 am – 4 pm Printed in Richmond, Virginia December 2018 | 3 Wounded, Yet Amazing Church by Bishop Gregory John Mansour n the midst of all that is happening sidelines, but enters with charity to The Catholic Church, even with all in the world and in the Church today make a difference. This is the world her glaring wounds, her faults, and we are faced with two choices: We of humanitarian outreach, especially especially now with all her sorrow, can be passive observers or active radiant and amazing in our Catholic shame, and infighting, is still the participants. Church. largest, most engaging, efficient, I transparent, and trustworthy The world we “observe” is, Oddly enough Democrats and charitable institution God ever placed unfortunately, so often the world Republicans, Conservatives and on earth! of politics, of acrimony, of labels, Liberals, as well as those aligned with of Democrats and Republicans, one side or another, are all actively There are 165 National Catholic Conservatives and Liberals, etc., involved in this world of Catholic Caritas Organizations throughout the some of whom attack each other as if humanitarian effort. And in the world, and they all serve the poor, nothing else matters. Moreover, the service of the poor, labels really don’t regardless of religious affiliation. In media promotes this world, and seems mean that much after all! the United States we have not only all too eager to enter in. Catholic Charities USA, but also However, in our humanitarian Catholic Relief Services; the two This is certainly true here in the United outreach we must make a stern of them comprise our one national States, but it is also true internationally. warning: this world is not made for Caritas. It all depends on which side one is the faint of heart, or for the passive aligned. This sad reality makes it observer, but for the noble, the Thus, the Catholic Church in the especially difficult for countries like steadfast, the courageous, the open- United States is unique among the the Ukraine and Lebanon, for example. minded visionary, and the open- 165 national Caritas organizations, Their political process is often hearted missionary. in that we have a Caritas ad intra for paralyzed in tensions between those the poor here at home, and a Caritas aligned with Russia, China, Iran, and Two years ago, while I was engaged ad extra for the poor overseas! Now their allies, or with the United States, in the Muslim-Catholic Dialogue, the that’s glorious charity! the West, Saudi Arabia and their allies. Muslim co-chair rose from his seat as I was introduced and embraced and This in itself shows the big-hearted This is true also in places like El thanked me. He said Catholic Relief approach of American Catholics. Salvador, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, Services (CRS) served his people better In addition to this amazing effort whose citizens are divided between than anyone else. When I was Pastor of CRS and Catholic Charities in a more socialist or a more capitalist in Uniontown, PA, the Jewish rabbi the United States, we also have very approach. The same is true in Nigeria, was a graduate of Catholic schools in strong organizations like the Knights and other African countries torn by Mumbai. He and I marveled that it and Dames of the Holy Sepulchre, Muslim and Christian tensions. Today’s was the Catholic Church, in a mostly the Knights and Dames of Malta, world seems to be a battlefield of Hindu country, that assisted him the the Knights of Columbus, Aid to the different sides. most. The Catholic Relief Service Church in Need, Catholic Near East Country Representative for Egypt is a Welfare Association, and this list goes But there is another world, not of Sunni Muslim! He works beautifully on and on. labels, of acrimony, of taking sides; with the Christian/Muslim staff and but rather a more real, and more the poor. This is the charitable work The noble work of all these Catholic humane world, where one does not of the Church! institutions is made more noble by simply observe, or watch by the the fact that we serve Catholics and 4 | THE MARONITE VOICE non-Catholics alike, and in several United States government, charitable in the Catholic Church and her countries, especially where Catholics foundations, and generous donors in massive humanitarian effort. In are a small minority, our charitable every Catholic Church in America. this way we are no longer partisan efforts are not only welcomed, but observers but, active participants. are the primary lead organizations, In Uganda, to help farmers grow a The Kingdom that Jesus himself and very much needed, treasured and cash crop the Catholic Church helps established shines through each of appreciated. them grow vanilla. This is not because us when we sincerely pray, “Thy we like vanilla, even though we do, Kingdom Come”, and then engage Caritas Ukraine serves Catholics and but because it helps a family send ourselves in Christ’s work of charity. Orthodox alike. Caritas Lebanon their children to school, and to build serves Lebanese Muslims and a brick house rather than the mud Brothers and Sisters, we Christians, as well as Syrian refugees, and straw home for the family. have a mission, spelled who are mostly Muslim. I also think of out in Matthew 25, the Catholic Schools and Universities Catholics have also created, thanks “for I was hungry, of Lebanon and the Middle East who to Pope Francis, the Santa Martha and you gave me serve Catholics and non-Catholics Group and the Holy See Mission to to eat.” We have a alike. We serve our brothers and sisters the United Nations, a world-wide leader, as spelled on the peripheries, not because they effort to address the social evil of out in Matthew 16, are Christian, but because we are human trafficking. What is the secret “You are Peter and Christian. weapon? Nuns who are tough (as you upon this rock know what) and visionary who work I will build This amazing charity, done in the closely with law enforcement officers my Church.” name of Jesus Christ, is done with to arrest traffickers and free young We have the so much efficiency, accountability girls or women from this slavery. message outlined and transparency, that the Global in John 3:16 Fund, the United Nations, the On top of all this, we serve others for “God so loved US Government, as well as other our own way, adhering to Catholic secular foundations, see our Catholic pro-life, pro-marriage, pro-chastity, institutions as their most worthy and pro-woman principles, as well as the dependable partners in the work to principles of Catholic social justice, eradicate Malaria, Ebola, HIV/AIDS, namely: subsidiarity and respect for and other scourges. each person’s inherent dignity and self-worth. Some examples: Instead of the father of the family having to seek But here is the bad news: the average employment at the coffee or sugar American watches so much news plantation, CRS in El Salvador helps every day that we swallow an almost him grow cocoa on his own land. This toxic dose of a view of the world is not because we love chocolate, even that is overtly partisan and though we do, but because this helps overly passive. marriages and families to flourish. The father of the family plants; his children There is, however, an pick; his wife grinds; and he sells it at antidote: a healthy market, all assisted by the Catholic investment of Church working with international love and care, chocolate companies, farmers, water and an active and soil specialists, and grants from the involvement DECEMBER 2018 | 5 Schedule Bishop Gregory J.