A Happy and Holy Christmas and A Blessed New Year 2018 1893-2018 "Christ was called the foundation stone because He bears everything, and holds it together, and supports it" (St John Chrysostom) Melkite Catholic Eparchy of Australia and New Zealand A Happy and Holy Christmas and A Blessed New Year The foundation stone of St Michael’s Church at Waterloo (NSW) was laid in 1893 Exterior of St Michael’s Melkite Church, Waterloo, Sydney The distinctive façade, which is all that remains today, was added in 1909 Melkite Catholic Eparchy of Australia and New Zealand “We are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.” (Eph 2:20) My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, This year we will celebrate 125 years since the laying of the foundation stone of the old St Michael’s Church at Waterloo (NSW). This blessed Church was the very first Melkite Greek-Catholic Church in Australia. For generations of our Melkite Catholic Faithful, the old St Michael’s was the heart of our Faith Community; it was our cornerstone. Consider for a moment the power of words. As He walked along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus encountered several fishermen, each undoubtedly experiencing the frustration of a night spent with no success. “We have worked all night and caught nothing.” (Lk 5:5) The few words spoken by Jesus in response to Peter’s disappointment were hardly a speech or an address, and yet, they were to change the course of human history: “Put out into deeper water, and let down your nets.” (Lk 5:4) We sometimes forget that the miraculous catch of fish was only the first part of a longer process - the fish had still to be brought to shore with the help of several others. (Lk 5:7) Last year, it was those very words of our Lord that we chose as the theme for our calendar and the year’s activities. This year, I hope that we will consolidate the positive outcomes of the last twelve months. The harvest, whatever and wherever it may be, is great and it waits to be gathered in. (Mt 9:37) It is not sufficient to experience God’s grace-filled bounty, and then do nothing about it. St James reminds us that faith without works is dead. (Jas 2:14-6) There can be few endeavours worthier than the strengthening and building up of our Faith Community. Most of us are not familiar with many aspects of daily life at the time of our Lord. Amongst the many scriptural images less common today are those of cornerstone and foundation stone. In Sacred Scripture, however, foundations are mentioned at least sixty-one times; as well, there are eleven references to cornerstones. The cornerstone was that stone block from which the orientation of a building was made and from which the basic measurements were taken. The cornerstone was the first step in the construction of a building; and, it can be said that the cornerstone was the formative component. Thus, in the Letter to the Ephesians, St Paul was able to say that the Church is “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.” (Eph 2:20) In the Gospel of Matthew (8:24-27) and in that of Luke (6:46-49), Jesus describes the wise man as the one who builds his house on rock. It is, of course, that the rock itself is the teaching of Jesus put into practice. This year will be a year of looking back, we will reflect upon the last 125 years of organised Melkite Church life in Australia. However, it must also be a year of preparing for the future. My very dear Friends, I commend this liturgical calendar to you as we pray our way through the year. As we give joyful thanks for the past 125 years, let us continue to build a future upon that Foundation Stone which is our Lord Jesus Christ. With prayers assured and with my paternal blessing, Robert Rabbat Eparch Patron Saint (17th January) JANUARY كانون الثاين - يناير Troparion of our Holy and God-bearing Father Anthony the Great Father Anthony, you equalled Elias in his zeal and followed John the Baptist in his holy way of life: you peopled the wilderness and established the world on the firm foundations of your prayers. Intercede with Christ God that He may save our souls. تَْذ ُكار أَبينا ِّالبار الّﻻبِ ِس اهللِ أَنْطونِ َيوس َالكبير َماثـْل َت بِ َسيرتِ َك إِ ِيليَّا َالغيور. َوتَبِْع َت الَْمْعَم َدان في َم ِناه ِجِه َالق َويمة. أَيُّها َاﻷ ُب أَنْطونِيوس. َفـَعَّمْر َت َالقْفَر َوَثـبَّ َّت الَْم ْسكونََة بِ َصَلواتِ َك. َف ْٱشَف ْع إِلى ِالمسيح ِاﻹله. في َخ ِﻻص نُ ِفوسنا. St Anthony Mission Adelaide, SA JANUARY Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1St Basil the Great 2 3 4 5 6 Circumcision of our Pope Sylvester Prophet Malachi Synaxis of the 70 Disciples Paramony of Theophany Theophany of our Lord Lord Jesus Christ عيد الظهور اﻹلهي ِ)الغطاس( بارمون الظهور اﻹلهي ختان الرب Colossians 2:8-12 Hebrews 5:4-10 James 5:10-20 1 Corinthians 4:9-16 1 Corinthians 9:19-27 Titus 2:10-14, 3:4-7 Luke 2:20-22, 40-52 John 3:1-15 John 15:17-16:2 John 1:18-28 Luke 3:1-18 Matthew 3:13-17 Synaxis of John the Baptist 8 9 10 11 12 13 7 كانون الثاني - يناير 2018 Sunday after Theophany St Dominica St Polyeuctos St Gregory of Nyssa St Theodosios the Abbot St Tatiana Saturday after Theophany السبت بعد الظهور اﻻلهي اﻷحد بعد الظهور اﻻلهي December 2017 Acts 19:1-8 Galatians 5:22-6:2 2 Timothy 2:1-10 Ephesians 4:7-13 Hebrews 13:7-16 1 Corinthians 9:2-12 Ephesians 6:10-17 SMTWTFS John 1:29-34 John 3:22-33 Mark 1:9-15 Matthew 4:12-17 Matthew 11:27-30 John 10:39-42 Matthew 4:1-11 1 2 Leave-taking of 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Theophany 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 15th Sunday after Holy Cross St Paul of Thebes Veneration of the Chains of St Anthony the Great Sts Athanasios and Cyril St Macarios the Egyptian St Euthymios the Great 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 مار انطونيوس الكبير Peter the Apostle اﻻحد الخامس عشر بعد الصليب 31 Ephesians 4:7-13 1 Peter 2:21-3:9 Acts 12:1-11 Hebrews 13:17-21 Hebrews 13:7-16 2 Peter 1:1-10 2 Corinthians 4:6-15 February 2018 Matthew 4:12-17 Mark 12:13-17 John 21:14-25 Luke 6:17-23 Matthew 5:14-19 Mark 13:1-8 Luke 6:17-23 SMTWTFS 1 2 3 Australia Day 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Publican & Pharisee Sunday St Timothy the Apostle St Clement of Ancyra St Xenia the Roman St Gregory the Theologian St Xenophon and Relatives Relics of St John Chrysostom 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 ّ أحد ّالفر ّيسي والعشار 28 27 26 25 2 Timothy 3:10-15 2 Timothy 1:3-9 2 Peter 2:9-22 2 Peter 3:1-18 Hebrews 7:26-8:2 1 John 2:7-17 Hebrews 7:26-8:2 Liturgical Symbols: Luke 18:10-14 Mark 13:9-13 Mark 13:14-23 Mark 13:24-31 John 10:9-16 Mark 14:3-9 John 10:9-16 Church Major Feasts Abstain from meat Fast from midnight until noon 28 29 30 31 Sunday of the Prodigal Son Relics of St Ignatius The Three Hierarchs Sts Cyrus and John أحد اﻻبن الشاطر :Clergy Ordination Date Deacon Michael Suliman 30/1/2011 Deacon Sam Gennaoui 30/1/2011 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 1 John 2:18-3:8 Hebrews 13:17-16 1 John 3:21-4:11 Deacon Georges Tadourian 30/1/2011 Luke 15:11-32 Mark 11:1-11 Matthew 5:14-19 Mark 14:43-15:1 “We are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.” (Ephesians 2:20) Feast Day (14th February) FEBRUARY شباط - فرباير Troparion of St Maroun the Hermit Your abundant tears made the wilderness sprout and bloom, and your deep sighings made your labour fruitful a hundred fold. You became a star shining over the world with miracles. Holy Father Maron pray to Christ God that He may save our souls ُتذكار أبينا ّالبار مارون النَّاسك بسيُول ِدموع َك أَ ْخ َص َب َالق ُفر العقيم. َوبَِزَفراتِ َك َالعميقة. أَثَْمَر ْت أَتْعابُ َك َمئة ِض ٍعف. ِفصْر َت للمسكونَِة كوكبًا ُمتﻷلِئًا بالعجائب. يا أبانا َّالبار مارون. ْفاشَف ْع إلى ِالمسيح ِاﻹله. في ِخﻻص نُ ْفوِسنا. St Maron The Hermit FEBRUARY Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 Preparation of Presentation Presentation of our Lord First Saturday of the Dead of our Lord Jesus Christ to Jesus Christ to the Temple السبت اﻷول للراقدين دخول السيد إلى الهيكل the Temple 1 John 4:20-5:21 Hebrews 7:7-17 1 Corinthians 10:23-29 Mark 15:1-15 Luke 2:22-40 Luke 21:8-9, 25-27; 33-36 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 شباط - فبراير Meat-fare Sunday St Agatha Leave-taking of the Feast of St Luke the Greek Prophet Zechariah St Nicephoros Saturday of Ascetics 2018 the Presentation of Our Lord أحد مرفع اللحم January 2018 1 Corinthians 8:8-9:2 3 John 1:1-15 Jude 1:1-10 Romans 14:6-9 Jude 1:11-25 Ephesians 5:8-19 2 Timothy 2:1-10 SMTWTFS Matthew 25:31-46 Luke 19:29-40; 22:7-39 Luke 22:39-23:1 Matthew 26:57-75 Luke 23:1-33, 44-56 John 19:25-37 Matthew 6:1-13 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Cheese-fare Sunday Beginning of Holy and St Martinian St Maron the Hermit St Onesimos 1st Akathist St Theodore Great Fast المدائح اﻷولى تذكار أبينا البار مارون الناسك بدء الصوم المقدس الكبير أحد مرفع الجبن March 2018 Romans 3:11-14:4 1 Corinthians 3:18-23 Romans 8:14-21 2 Corinthians 4:13-18 Philemon 1-25 1 Timothy 2:1-7 Hebrews 1:1-12 SMTWTFS Matthew 6:14-21 Luke 21:8-36 Matthew 6:1-13 Mark 11:22-26 Matthew 7:7-11 John 15:1-7 Mark 2:23-3:5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Sunday of Orthodoxy St Archipos St Leo of Catania Holy Father Timothy Remains of Martyrs at 2nd Akathist 1st and 2nd Discovery Eugenios of Head of St John the Forerunner المدائح الثانية أحد ّاﻷرثوذكسية 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 Liturgical Symbols: Hebrews 11:24-26, 32-40 Romans 15:1-7 Galatians 6:2-10 2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1 1 Corinthians 10:5-12 Romans 12:6-14 2 Corinthians 4:6-15 John 1:43-51 Matthew 18:10-20 Matthew 4:23-5:13 Matthew 5:20-26 Matthew 5:27-32 Matthew 5:33-41 Matthew 11:2-15 Church Major Feasts Abstain from meat St Gregory Fast from midnight until noon 25 of Palamas 26 27 28 Lenten Season Sunday of Holy Relics St Porphyrios of Gaza St Procopius the Confessor St Basil the Confessor أحد الذخائر ّالمقدسة :Clergy Ordination Date Fr.