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Synod of Bishops 2017

Ten New Year’s Resolutions for Maronites

Accompanying the Elderly and Dying – Death with Dignity. A Maronite Perspective

And they will know we are Christians….

Facing the reality of death

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This lent, think about what consumes our lives the most. Our phones, the internet, instant updates. Take the challenge and go offline. To read more about the benefits of giving up social media for lent, find the link in our bio. #lent2020 #livingmaronite #maronite Lent is an opportunity to transform and set things right in our lives. Over the Sunday’s of Lent we will hear about how the simplest touch of Christ can heal us. If you are struggling with addiction or have obstacles preventing you from getting close to God, Lent is the time to seek Christ, seek help if you need it to and find healing. What is it that is distancing you from Christ? Now is the time to ponder that question, work out how you are going to distance yourself from those things distancing yourself from God and prepare yourself to be healed. #maronite #livingmaronite #healing #lent Entering Lent we are encouraged to ‘give up something’. We are also encouraged to ‘give something’. This week in Australia the fatal consequences of domestic violence were again splashed across our media. There are situations of domestic violence occurring every day, behind closed doors, in secret and in places we never see. We are supporters of our local women’s shelter. Feel free to follow them, from time to time they call for assistance. You can donate whenever you want or check out your local women’s shelter and help out. Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ, As has become our yearly tradition some of our team has decided to completely deactivate all social media for Lent. Others will only be having limited engagement. Ordinarily the season of Lent sees the most activity on our page. We have learnt that we must take time to approach Christ and look and listen for the direction of the Holy Spirit for ourselves and for this initiative. We feel that for us to get closer to God, we need to detach from the world. Before going offline, we will be pre-scheduling posts for each week’s Lenten Gospel. You can always check out our page at livingmaronite.com for resources. One of our members will be monitoring the page from time to time. We may not return messages quickly. This Sunday we will hear the Gospel on the Wedding at Cana. The wedding feast is our opportunity to accept Christ the groom’s wedding invitation to hear God’s word, partake of the divine sacrifice and experience God’s forgiveness and mercy. Lent is a time for each of us to discern what obstacles are in our way to Christ. Lent is not meant to be a momentary change, it can permanently transform us. We encourage you to discern what you will do in preparation for Lent. Living Maronite has to be more than just reading information on the internet. Find your local Parish and enter and experience its living Liturgy. Pick your medicine, prepare to remove the obstacles and encounter Christ this Lent and truly live Maronite. We will be back with you after Lent, truly invigorated and ready together to meet the Risen Lord. In Christ The Living Maronite Team Blessed are you, Cana, for it was the Bridegroom from on high whom your bridegroom invited, whose wine ran out; he invited the Guest who himself invited the Nations to a wedding feast of joy and life in Eden. Hymn on Virginity by St Ephrem Icon from the Rabula Gospels Our hope for Cana Sunday id that we will reach the Harbour of Salvation On Cana Sunday we hear the reference in the Liturgy to the “Harbour of Salvation’. Knowing that Christ, the New Adam is here to save us from our sins and transform us, we as a Church will travel through Lent to the harbour of salvation. “O Lord, bless our families and our Lenten journey, that we may reach the harbour of salvation, which is the glorious feast of your Resurrection.” (Forgiveness Prayer) In other parts of the Liturgy we are reminded that Christ is the Promise of true life, the heavenly Physician, and the harbour of rest and salvation. The theme of the Harbour and the nautical journey are an important part of the Syriac tradition and can be seen in Ephrem’s Hymn on Virginity: O Master Mariner, Who has conquered the raging sea Your glorious wood is a sign It has become the oar of salvation The wind of mercy blew, The ship set out on its course Away from the raging sea to the haven of peace Blessed is he who has become the mariner of his own soul And has preserved and unloaded his treasure At the end of Great Lent we see the distinct Maronite rite of Arrival at Harbour. It is celebrated on the evening of Hosanna Sunday and marks the beginning of Passion Week. We are reminded on that night that our journey which started at Cana Sunday ends with the “ark” which is the Church, arriving safely at the Harbour of Salvation, Christ himself. The rite begins with the faithful gathering in front of the closed door of the Church with candles as the Wise Virgins (Mt.25 1-13) awaiting the Bridegroom. The Priest then knocks on the Church door three times before it is open to let in the faithful of Christ, who will live the sufferings of Passion Week culminating in the great plan of salvation with Christ’s resurrection. Now is the time to recognise God’s love for us and remember that he has come to save us. We are all invited to the wedding feast to join in the journey. Are we willing to accept his mercy and transform ourselves this Lent?

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