This week Patriarch Elias Howayek will be beatified in the Patriarchal Residence in Diman, Lebanon. There is something special about our Maronite Patriarchs. In particular, Blessed Estephan Douaihy and soon-to-be Blessed Elias Howayek.
July 31, 2025: The Feast of the Three Hundred and Fifty Maronite Martyrs
While on the road, not far from home, the three hundred and fifty monks were martyred for their steadfast faith. These faithful sons defended truth and gave their lives so willingly for love of Christ, true God and man.
Dec. 10, 2023: The Birth of John the Baptist
The prophet Malachi says, “I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me” (Mk 1, 2; Lk 7, 27). This messenger is John the Baptist. He ended the law and the prophets and was praised by the Lord himself. John was praised as superior to all the faithful of the Old Testament.
Dec. 3, 2023: The Visitation to Elizabeth
Impelled by the Spirit of God, Mary left on a journey that required four days of difficult travel, especially for a poor girl such as herself. Yet, as the Mother of God and our Mother, she was already concerned for the welfare of others.
Mary is blessed, not simply because she was to be the Mother of God, but also because of her own personal faith. She heard the words of the angel and accepted everything that was to happen with humility. For this reason, she is blessed throughout the ages.
Nov 26, 2023: The Announcement to Mary
The second Sunday of the Season of Announcement commemorates the announcement to Mary that she is to be the Mother of God. The feast actually recalls two aspects of the same salvific mystery: the incarnation of the divine Word and the motherhood of Mary. For this reason, the feast was given different names according to the aspect which was being emphasized. With time, the incarnation of the Son of God was stressed on the feast of the Birth of Our Lord and today’s feast became a Marian feast.
Jesus Christ our Lord, by your coming you perfected the Old Covenant and inaugurated the New Covenant. In your love, you betrothed the Church of all nations, and by your grace you built her foundation on Peter and the twelve apostles. Now make us worthy, on this feast of the Consecration and Renewal of the Church, to raise a hymn of praise and thanks to you, to your Father, and to your Holy Spirit, for ever.
Amen.
Sunday, Nov 5, 2023: Consecration of the Church
Rise up, and be adorned with light, O holy Church, because the wise Architect has placed your foundations on his rock and has reinforced your gates by his right hand.
Rise up and be adorned with light, because the Savior of the world has gathered all your children within your walls. the mighty One has chosen you for his dwelling place.
Rise up and be adorned with light, because the holy Lord has poured his holiness upon you and has chosen saints from among your children.
Rise up and be adorned with light, because the powerful Lord has exalted you and made you victorious over your enemies.
O Christ, Jesus our Lord, your cross has appeared resplendent in the sky and it will appear again at the end of time when you will return to judge the universe with justice.
May it appear over us this morning and shine its light on our hearts and spirits.
Then we shall see your glory and desire to encounter you carrying your cross.
We shall enter in the procession of light to praise you, for ever.
Shalita, who is also known as Artimius, was born in the fourth centuryAD. He achieved high rank in the Roman army and was eventually given responsibility for the Roman troops who were stationed in Egypt. He remained a faithful Christian despite the danger of losing his position and even his life. He was summoned before the emperor in Antioch for having destroyed the temples and idols of the pagan gods. It is said that his body was taken to Constantinople by Arista, who was a deaconess of the church in Antioch.
The Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Lord, may your cross guard your holy faithful Church everywhere throughout the world.
Keep all scandal far from her; keep her free from harm and strife, that your lasting peace may reign for all ages yet to come.
May the children of the Church find their shelter and their strength in the shadow of your cross.
Sarkis and Bacchus were two courageous leaders of the Roman army. They died for the Christian faith around 307AD. Devotion to them was very popular in the east and Christian Arabs drew the images of Saints Sarkis and Bacchus on their banners. A great church was built at Rosafa, known as the town of Sarkis, in his honor. Devotion to these two Saints is still very vibrant in Lebanon and there are numerous churches there dedicated to them. May their prayers be with us. Amen.
Rouhanna was born at Corinth 446AD and became a monk in Palestine under the direction of Saint Euthymus. He became the superior of his monastery and was a model for all because of his piety, wisdom and exhortations. He died at the age of 107. Many churches and monasteries in Lebanon are dedicated to him. May his prayers protect us. Amen.
The Exaltation of the Holy Cross
On this feast, the Maronite Church celebrates the Rite of the Cross, which is a service of adoration of the cross, the sign of our salvation. This feast which comes at the end of the annual liturgical cycle is also directed toward the second coming of Christ, who carries his cross of light and triumph. It is this theme which is the object of the readings and prayers of the seven weeks which follow and which close the liturgical year. Adoration and honor to the cross of our Savior! Glory and praise to Christ our God, for ever!
Amen.
September 14, 2023: The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Blessed are you, O hold wood of the cross, symbol of power and honor;
Blessed are you, O cross of Christ, raised in our churches and at the head of our processions as a sign of victory.
Proclamation from the Exaltation of the Cross morning prayer, Maronite Divine Office
September 8: Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
O Lord, through the prayers of your Mother, keep away from the earth and its people the devastation of wrath and all dangers, dissension, war, famine, and epidemics. Have compassion on us, heal the sick, help the poor, save the oppressed, grant rest to the faithful departed who have left us and gone to you, and make us worthy of a safe and peaceful death, that we may raise glory to you, to your Father, and to your Holy Spirit, for ever.
August 20, 2023: 13th Sunday of Glorious Pentecost
The apostles Jesus chose had been blessed by his great love.
At the Jordan they were called, filled with Spirit and with fire.
Then with strength they went forth preaching to the world
to restore the truth.
Verse from the Maronite hymn, Joyfully a Light Has Dawned
August 15: The Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin
Ancient tradition tells us and our own faith assures us of what the Church has solemnly proclaimed: the Virgin Mary has entered, body and soul, into heaven. After her death the Virgin Mother of God, without undergoing corruption, has entered heaven, by a special privilege of God, with her body glorified as was her Son’s. As God had preserved her from the stain of original sin, made her a mother and yet preserved her as a virgin, so also has he brought her to himself in her integral human nature of body and soul.
May our Virgin Mother intercede for us and may her prayers protect us. Amen.
From the Synaxarion for the Assumption of the Virgin, Maronite Divine Office.
August 15: The Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin
Ancient tradition tells us and our own faith assures us of what the Church has solemnly proclaimed: the Virgin Mary has entered, body and soul, into heaven. After her death the Virgin Mother of God, without undergoing corruption, has entered heaven, by a special privilege of God, with her body glorified as was her Son’s. As God had preserved her from the stain of original sin, made her a mother and yet preserved her as a virgin, so also has he brought her to himself in her integral human nature of body and soul.
May our Virgin Mother intercede for us and may her prayers protect us. Amen.
From the Synaxarion for the Assumption of the Virgin, Maronite Divine Office.
August 6, 2023: The Transfiguration of Our Lord
May we be worthy to praise, confess and glorify the bright Light of the eternal Father Who made known to us the triune mystery of divinity. Today He reveals Himself on Mount Tabor and shows His disciples the glory that was His from the beginning. Let us worship and bless Him, one holy God, Father, Son and Spirit, now and forever.
Amen.
