Saint George Maronite Catholic Church 1493 Cranston Street, Cranston, RI 02920 Email: [email protected] Office: 401.723.8444 Website: www.stgeorgemaronitecatholicchurch.org December 06, 2020 Luke 1:57-66 Birth of John the Baptist The Birth of John the Baptist The Evangelist said: Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father. But his mother said, “No; he is to be called John.” They said to her, “None of your relatives has this name.” Then they began motioning to his father to find out what name he wanted to give him. He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And all of them were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God. Fear came over all their neighbors, and all these things were talked about through- out the entire hill country of Judea. All who heard them pondered them and said, “What then will this child become?” For, indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him. This is the truth. Peace be with you. Please follow our page on Mass Schedule Office Hours Sacraments Baptism and Confirmation: Saturday Tuesday through Friday Facebook Please contact the Priest ASAP after the birth of your child. 4:00 pm (Maronite Rite) 10:00 am to 2:00 pm www.facebook.com/ Reconciliation: Before or after Sunday stgeorgemaronitecatholic- Liturgy or by appt. Please call or visit churchRI/ Marriage: Couples must 8:30 am (Latin Rite) during office hours. contact the Priest six months LIVE STREAMING ALL before the wedding. 10:30 am (Maronite Rite) WEEKEND LITURGIES Meet Your Liturgical Intentions Pastoral Team 12/05 Fr. Tony Saab 4:00 pm Memorial Liturgy for ALEXANDRIA M. SAKER, requested by her Pastor Loving Family [email protected] FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, requested by the Members of The Holy Rosary Sodality Farid Zaarour 12/06 Deacon 8:30 am Special Intention [email protected] 10:30 am Memorial Liturgy for DANIEL K. MARON, requested by his Loving Suzanne Cannon Uncle and Aunt, James and Gloria Maron Office Assistant Memorial Liturgy for TANIOS SEMAAN AKL, who passed away in Kafaraa Abiza, Lebanon, requested by his Loving Family Choirs Georgeann Thomas 12/07 45 Year Anniversary for MARIA VERDUGO and 34 Year Anniversary 7:00 pm for FRANCISCO COVARRUBIAS, requested by their Loving Daughter, Suzanne Cannon Monica Loskoutov Darine Saker 12/12 Gisele Zaarour 4:00 pm Special Intention Dr. Ghada Bourjeily-Habr 12/13 8:30 am Special Intention Weekly Collection Sat 4:00 pm $ 440.00 10:30 am Special Intention Sun 8:30 am $ 254.00 Sun 10:30 am $ 597.00 Would you like to receive this bulletin Catholic University $ 170.00 every week by email and in color? FEAST OF THE Please email your name, address, and phone number to: IMMACULATE [email protected] CONCEPTION and we will add you to our safe and discreet is a Holy Day of Obligation. email list. Divine Liturgy will be celebrated Thank you!!

Monday, December 7 AT 7:00 pm. CHRISTMAS MASS SCHEDULE Thursday, December 24 4:00 pm (Maronite Rite) Friday, December 25 Midnight Mass (Maronite Rite) Friday, December 25 9:00 am (Latin Rite) Friday, December 25 11:00 am (Maronite Rite)

Merry Christmas!!!

“May the miracle of Christmas fill your heart with joy and peace.” ANNOUNCEMENTS

FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION is a Holy Day of Obligation. Divine Liturgy will be celebrated on Monday, December 7 at 7:00 pm.

EUCHARISTIC ADORATION will be held on every first Saturday of the month from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm. Next date is Saturday, December 5, 2020 at 2:00 pm.

Thanks to the generosity and caring of our parishioners, THE HOLY ROSARY SODALITY collected $800 for the Saint Vincent de Paul Food Pantry. We appreciate your kindness for those in need during these difficult times.

There will be a Second Collection the weekend of December 12 and 13 for the Catholic Home Missions Appeal. This collection is used for Missions in the USA. Our Eparchy has received large grants from the USCCB from this collection for several years.

FIRST COMMUNION AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CLASSES: All children in Second Grade who will receive their First Communion this year are invited to register as classes will begin soon. Also, all children Grades 1-7 who would like to attend Religious Education Classes are invited to do the same. Please fill out a registration form at the Church entrance and place it in the collection basket or mail it to the Church office.

ALL YOUTH from Grade 7 through Grade 12! Please join us!! Please fill out a registration form at the Church entrance and place it in the collection basket or mail it to the Church office. .

SAVE THE DATE - 72nd SAINT JOSEPH ANNUAL HAFLI: Saturday, March 20, 2021. Entertainment by Marwan Zgheib. Stay tuned for more infor- mation.

WANTED — VINTAGE PHOTOS FROM PREVIOUS SAINT JOSEPH ANNUAL HAFLIS: Your cherished memories will be displayed during the 72nd Saint Joseph Annual Hafli. Please send your photographs to Joe Checrallah ([email protected]).

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary is celebrated on 8 December and was declared a dogma of the Catholic Church Pius IX in 1854: ‘In the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of al- mighty God in consideration of the merits of Jesus Christ, savior of the human race, the Blessed Virgin Mary was preserved from all stain of original sin. This doctrine has been revealed by God and must therefore, be believed by all the faithful.’ The teaching about the Immaculate Conception has been surrounded by debate both before and after the proclamation of the dogma including and within the Catholic Church itself. Even the two great western Fathers, St Bernard of Clair- vaux and Thomas Aquinas, taught that Mary was conceived with original sin like any other human being and was later sanctified in the womb of her mother. For that reason, it is important we familiarize ourselves with the actual teaching and on what it is based. • The feast commemorates the conception of Mary in the womb of Saint Ann. • Mary was conceived in perfect holiness, without stain because she was to receive the Word of God. • Some of the debate has centered around the different understanding of original sin. The Immaculate Conception is linked to the tainting of humanity by the fall of Adam. As a result of the fall of Adam and Eve, all humanity was tainted by sin. • The dogma of the Immaculate Conception recognizes that Mary was born without the stain of sin. That is because she would be the vessel of salvation. The temple which would carry Christ in his humanity. The origin of the feast is ancient. In the Eastern Church, the commemoration of the birth of Mary has existed since at least the fifth century. The Syriac Father St Ephrem as early as the fourth century proclaimed:

‘There is in you, Lord, no stain, nor any spot in your mother. You Jesus and your mother are the only ones who are beautiful in all aspects. Because in you, O Lord, there is no deformation, and in your mother, there is no stain.’

On this great feast, may we all be inspired to aim to be as perfect as the Mother of God. CHRISTMAS NOVENA

Every evening at 7:00 pm from Monday, December 14 through Wednesday, 12/23

A heartfelt Thank you to everyone supporting our First Annual Holiday Raffle. Our Drawing date is scheduled for Sunday, December 13 after Liturgy. Please support us by purchasing and selling more tickets to your friends and loved ones. Please speak to any of our Pastoral Council team members or contact the Church office. Thank you!!

Would you like to offer a Christmas Altar Flower in memory of your loved ones?

THE HOLY ROSARY SODALITY is sponsoring a Christmas pamphlet to be published with the names of your loved ones, both living and/or deceased. If you are interested, please use the envelopes and forms provided in the back of the Church and drop in the collection basket or mail to the Church Office.The deadline is SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20th.

Please make all donation checks in the amount of $10.00 per Poinsettia payable to “The Holy Rosary Sodality”. For more information, please contact Jayne Capaldi or Ginny Solomon ([email protected]).

Thank you!!