September 13, 2020 pg.606 The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, celebrated every year on September 14, recalls three historical events: the finding of the True Cross by Saint Helena, the mother of the emperor Constan- tine; the dedication of churches built by Constantine on the site of the Holy Sepulchre and Mount Calvary; and the restoration of the True Cross to Jerusalem by the emperor Heraclius II. But in a deeper sense, the feast also celebrates the Holy Cross as the instrument of our salvation. According to tradition, first mentioned by Saint Cyril of Jerusalem in 348, Saint Helena, nearing the end of her life, decided under divine inspiration to travel to Jerusalem in 326 to excavate the Holy Sepulchre and attempt to locate the True Cross. A Jew by the name of Judas, aware of the tradition concerning the hiding of the Cross, led those excavating the Holy Sepulchre to the spot in which it was hidden. In celebration of the discovery of the Holy Cross, Constantine ordered the construction of churches at the site of the Holy Sepulchre and on Mount Calvary. Those churches were dedicated on September 13 and 14, 335, and shortly thereafter the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross began to be cele- brated on the latter date. In the early seventh century, the Persians conquered Jerusalem, and the Persian king Khosrau II cap- tured the True Cross and took it back to Persia. After Khosrau's defeat by Emperor Heraclius II, Khosrau's own son had him assassinated in 628 and returned the True Cross to Heraclius. In 629, Heraclius, having initially taken the True Cross to Constantinople, decided to restore it to Jerusalem. Tradition says that he carried the Cross on his own back, but when he attempted to enter the church on Mount Calvary, a strange force stopped him. Patriarch Zacharias of Jerusalem, seeing the emper- or struggling, advised him to take off his royal robes and crown and to dress in a penitential robe instead. As soon as Heraclius took Zacharias' advice, he was able to carry the True Cross into the church. It's easy to understand that the Cross is special because Christ used it as the instrument of our salva- tion. But after His Resurrection, why would Christians continue to look to the Cross? Christ Himself offered us the answer: "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me" (Luke 9:23). The point of taking up our own cross is not simply self-sacrifice; in doing so, we unite ourselves to the sacrifice of Christ on His Cross. When we participate in the Mass, the Cross is there, too. The "unbloody sacrifice" offered on the altar is the re-presentation of Christ's Sacrifice on the Cross. When we receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion, we do not simply unite ourselves to Christ; we nail ourselves to the Cross, dying with Christ so that we might rise with Him. the Cross, therefore, is the crossroads of history and the Tree of Life. Christianity without the Cross is meaningless: Only by uniting ourselves to Christ's Sacrifice on the Cross can we enter into eternal life. Saint Maron Church Clergy Liturgy Schedule 7800 Brookside Rd Independence, OH 44131 Rev. Fr. Elias Yazbeck: Administrator Daily Mass: Chapel 6:00 p.m.: Tue-Thurs Office: 216-520-5081 Rev. Deacon George Khoury Fax: 216-524-2659 Subdeacon Lattouf Lattouf Saturday: Chapel at 5:00 p.m. E-mail: [email protected] Subdeacon Ghazi Faddoul Website: www.saintmaron-clev.org Subdeacon George Faddoul Sunday: Downtown 9:30 a.m.: English St. Maron Church Emergency: 612-501-6383 11:00 a.m.: Arabic-English saintmaronchurch St. Maron’s Church Organizations Liturgy Intentions Parish Council President: Najib Rached: [email protected] Sat. September 12: Feast of the Holy Cross 3rd Wed. of the month at 7:00 pm Finance Council 5:00 pm Chapel: Mem Lit for Richard Ganim, Sr. President: Rick Ganim: [email protected] (His wife Betty and their children and grandchildren) 2nd Wed of the month at 7:00 pm 5:00 pm Chapel: Mem Lit for John Kroyer & Henry Ayoub Immaculate Conception Sodality (ICS) (Brian & Jeanette McQuinn and Alice Kroyer) President: Bernadette Faddoul: [email protected] 1st Mon. of every month at 7:00pm Sun. September 13: Feast of the Holy Cross Sons of Mary (Men’s Club) President: Joey Faddoul: [email protected] 11:00 am: CHAPEL Mem Lit for Alma Fagher, George Fagher, 1st Mon. of every month at 7:00 pm Peter Fagher, Rasheed Fagher Maronite Christian Formation Program (MCFP) Sunday (Randa Fagher and family) Director Maroun Kattar: [email protected] Sundays (except Holy Days) 10:45 am to 11:30am Maronite Christian Formation Program (MCFP) Thursday Next Week Director Michelle Nin: [email protected] Thursdays 7:00 pm Parish Center, Independence Maronite Young Children (MYC) Sat. September 19: First Sunday After the Holy Cross President: Rita Kanaan: [email protected] Maronite Youth Organization (MYO) 5:00 pm Chapel: Parishioners Intentions Coordinator: George Shamatta: [email protected] Sun. September 20: First Sunday After the Holy Cross 1st and 3rd Saturday : 5pm with Liturgy/Meeting Maronite Young Adults (MYA) 11:00 am: CHAPEL: Parishioners Intentions President: Aleina Soueidi: [email protected] Meeting/Event: Third Friday of each month Maronite Mothers Club (MMC) Coordinator: Tina Chamoun: [email protected] Arabic School: Coordinator: Jihad Kawkabani: [email protected] Classes Sat. Oct-April (except Holy Days) 10 am -12noon 50+ Social Club Mary Ann Watson: [email protected] 1st Friday of each month. Liturgy: 10:00 am DUE TO THE RECENT ROOF FIRE Book & Cine Club Katia Abboud: [email protected] WE EXPERIENCED AT OUR Rosary Prayer Group DOWNTOWN CHURCH: Daad Chamoun: [email protected] WEEKEND LITURGY SCHEDULE IS Mystery of Crowning SATURDAY: 5:00 PM CHAPEL (Sacrament of Matrimony) SUNDAY: 11:00 AM CHAPEL MANDATORY you contact and meet with Father Elias at least 8 months in advance of your desired date. Couples are required to participate in our Pre-Cana classes. Once a couple has met with Fr. Elias their date will be se- cured. THIS SCHEDULE WILL REMAIN IN Call the office to schedule a weekday appointment EFFECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. between 10:30am—3:00 pm 216.520.5081 ARABIC SCHOOL THIS YEAR OUR ARABIC SCHOOL WILL BE ON ZOOM. ARABIC SCHOOL IS FOR THOSE AGES 9+ IF INTERESTED CONTACT JIHAD KAWKABANI [email protected] عيد ارتفاع الصليب المقدّس The Exaltation of the Holy Cross رسالة القدّيس بولس إلى اهل كورنتوس From the letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians, I-1:18-25 يا إخ َوتِي، ُ إِ َّن َك ِل َمةَ ال َّص ِلي ِب ِع ْندَ الـ َها ِل ِكي َن َح َما َقة، أَ َّما ِع ْندَنَا نَ ْح ُن الـ ُم َخ َّل ِصي َن فَ ِه َي قُ َّوةُ هللا؛ ﻷَ َّنه ُ َم ْكتُو: » َسأبِيدُ ِح ْك َمةَ الـ ُح َك َماء، وأَ ْرذُ ُل َف ْه َم الفُ َه َماء.«! َفأَ ْي َن الـ َح ِكيم؟ وأَ ْي َن َعا ِل ُم ال َّش ِريعَة؟ وأَ ْي َن البَا ِح ُث في أُ ُمو ِر هـذَا الدَّ ْهر؟ أَ َما َجعَ َل هللاُ ِح ْك َمةَ هـذ َا العَالَ ِم َح َما َقة؟ َفبِ َما أَ َّن العَا َل َم بِ ِح ْك َمتِ ِه َما َع َر َف هللاَ بِ َح َس ِب ِح ْك َم ِة هللا، َر ِض َي هللاُ أَ ْن يُ َخ ِّل َص بِ َح َما َق ِة البِ َشا َرة ِ ا َّل ِذي َن يُ ْْ ِمنُون؛ ﻷَ َّن اليَ ُهو َ يَ ْ ُلبُو َن ايآيَا،، واليُونَانِ ِّيي َن يَ ْلتَ ِم ُسو َن الـ ِح ْك َمة. ُ أَ َّما نَ ْح ُن َفنُنَا َِي بِ َم ِسيحٍ َم ْصلُو:، ُه َو ِعثَا ٌر ِلليَ ُهو َِ و َح َما َقةٌ ِلﻷ َمم. وأَ َّما ِلل َم ْد ُع ِّوي َن أَ ْنفُ ِس ِهم، ِم َن اليَ ُهو َِ واليُونَانِ ِّيين، َف ُه َو َم ِسي ٌح، قُ َّوةُ هللاِ َو ِح ْك َمةُ هللا؛ َف َما َي ْبدُو أَ َّنهُ َح َما َقةٌ ِم َن هللاِ ُه َو أَ ْح َك ُم ِم َن ال َّناس، و َما يَ ْبدُو أَ َّنهُ ُض ْع ٌف ِم َن هللا ِ ُه َو أَ ْق َو ِم َن ال َّناس.. والتسبي ُح هللِ َائماً. Brothers and sisters, The message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. Praise be to God always! إنجيل القدّيس يوحنا From the Holy Gospel according to Saint John 12:20-32 قا َل يوحنا الرسول َكا َن بَي َن ال َّصا ِع ِدي َن ِليَ ْس ُجدُوا في ال ِعيد، بَ ْع ُض اليُونَانِيِّين.