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.
Who can fully comprehend God as Holy Trinity? So great is this mystery far beyond our scrutiny! The Father, before all time, begot the Son, the Eternal Word. The Begotten Son took flesh from the holy Virgin’s womb. The Spirit was sent to give courage and perfect. All creation worships him, the Lord of all in three persons, one true God.
May 19, 2024 — The Feast of Pentecost
O God, enlighten our understanding with the rays of your Holy Spirit, and awaken our souls from the sleep of selfishness. May your rich gifts come upon us this morning, as they came upon the apostles in the upper room of Sion; we shall be strengthened by them and give witness to you today, all the days of our lives, and for ever.
Amen.
Morning Prayer for the Feast of Pentecost, Maronite Divine Office.
A new priesthood was bestowed at Christ’s ascension. Laying hands upon the heads of his apostles, he said to them:
"Go and make disciples of the world; baptize them in faith: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one and true God. I ascend now to the right of God my Father."
Alleluia! Our prayers, Lord, receive.
Thursday, May 18, 2023 (The Ascension of Our Lord)
O Christ, you left the Father and you came into the world, then you left the world and returned to your Father, in your strength, you brought all creation to him.
To him you returned power over all things so that God might be all in all.
Grant that we may ascend to him with you and remain at his right hand, then we shall praise you, with him, and your Holy Spirit, for ever.
Amen.
From the Prayer of the Faithful, Morning prayers for the Ascension of Our Lord.
May 5, 2024 (First Sunday of May)
As we praise and glorify with hymns the blessed ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God, we ask her to petition her divine Son, saying: O Lord, through the prayers of Your Mother, keep away from earth and all its inhabitants the scourge of wrath; eliminate all its dangers and disturbances; protect us from war, captivity, famine and plague. Have compassion on our weakness, comfort our sick, help the poor and deliver the oppressed; enable us to lead holy lives; give rest to the faithful departed and grant us a happy death that we may glorify You, now and forever.
Amen.
From the Fenqitho, Common of the Virgin Mary
Mark was the son of a Christian named Mary, whose home in Jerusalem became the place of gatherings for Christians (Acts 12:12). He was also a relative of Barnabas, the Cypriot levite. He traveled with Paul and Barnabas, in order to preach the gospel. The establishment of the Church of Alexandria is attributed to him. He was martyred at Alexandria on Easter Day around the year 70.
George, a Christian officer in the Roman army, consecrated his life to defend the Church, (which is symbolized in icons of him as the daughter of a king) against the attacks of Satan (the dragon). According to tradition he was martyred in the third century for his faith in Christ and was buried at Lydda in Palestine.
The Cathedrals of Beirut and Sarba are dedicated to him as are a great number of other sanctuaries throughout Lebanon. He is the patron of England, the army, young people and scouts.
Who can praise the greatness of your mercy, O Word of God, and what voice can bless you who are above all praise? Neither mind or tongue can describe the marvels you have performed on this holy day of your resurrection from the dead. With the psalmist David, we exclaim:
“This is the day the Lord has made, let us be glad and rejoice!”
This is the day which has no equal.
This is the great feast, crown and jewel of all feasts.
And now, Christ our God, on this day of your resurrection from the dead, we ask you to grant us the forgiveness of our sins and faults. Through the fragrance of this incense, which we offer you, grant justice to the oppressed and comfort to the afflicted. Bring back those far away, direct those who are near, and guide those who travel. Protect the priests, purify the deacons, and pardon the sinners; watch over the just, protect the orphans, and help the widows. Remember those who have died in the faith and grant them rest in your heavenly kingdom; may we celebrate with them the feast that never ends, and proclaim your glory, and that of your Father, and your holy and living Spirit, now and for ever.
Amen.
March 30, 2024
Glory to you, O holy One. You descended from the heavenly dwellings to the earthly depths. In your compassion you took the form of a slave to forgive your servants. You walked on the waves of the sea in order to sanctify Adam, who was created in the image of your majesty.
O Lord, you sanctified those who are impure and with your hyssop you purified sinners and made them whiter than snow. Through your powerful grace, forgive me and your servants, who ask you for the pardon of their faults and the forgiveness of their sins. As you forgave the family of Cornelius through the hand of Simon Peter, the Apostle, in the same way, may pardon of sins descend upon us and upon all the children of your flock, who have been redeemed by your precious blood.
We glorify you, your Father, and your Holy Spirit, now and for ever.
Amen.
From the Liturgy for Saturday of the Light (Prayer of Forgiveness)
O Lord and High Priest, fragrant incense of forgiveness, you offered yourself on the wood of the cross for foolish sinners.. You sacrificed yourself for our sake. Now, O Lord, cancel the debt of our guilt and save us from retribution. Remove the scourge of anger and all suffering from us. Encourage us with your joyful hope and your healing remedy. In your compassion, pardon the faithful departed, and we shall praise you with them, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever.
Amen.
O Judge of the living and the dead, who rewards and punishes, this morning we raise our prayers and thoughts to you. We share in your sufferings when you appeared before the judges, when you played the role of the accused, and were dragged from court to court. You lived among us and could not be conquered by sin. May we erase hatred, purify our thoughts, and follow your teachings. Thus, we shall receive pardon in this world and on the day of judgment receive your mercy, and glorify you, your Father, and your Holy Spirit, for ever.
Amen.
Look, O Lord, upon us, your worshipers standing before you, with souls in agony and bodies in affliction. Nothing can help and nothing can save, except your mercy, and no one can heal and no one can give life, except your love.
Since we bore your seal from the waters of baptism, believed in your name, and consumed your body and drank your blood, let your living cross be a rudder for our ship, and guide us through the storms which surround us.
Shine your salvific mercy upon us; and, by your grace, let there be a rest to our affliction. Let your mercy bring comfort to us as we bow before you, forgive our sins and blot out our offences from your book.
From Prayer of Forgiveness (Sedro) for the Rite of the Lamp.
The lenten weekday cycle of the Maronite rite reflects our estrangement from God and our need to coversion. We are called to take courage and to turn back. They Syriac fathers have traditionally spoken of this movement toward God as a nautical journey whose destination is the harbor of life. During the journey of Lent, we pray:
Bless, Lord, our fasing… Make it a journey which leads us to the harbor of salvation.
The Maronite calendar commemorates this feast twice during the year: today and on the Second Sunday of Announcement. Today's feast goes back to the fourth century, when it was decided to celebrate Christmas on December 25th; the Annunciation was naturally celebrated nine months before. This is a great feast in both the East and the West since it recalls the mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God in the womb of the Virgin. May the prayers of the Blessed Virgin protect us. Amen.
March 24, 2024
“Your King shall come to you, humble and riding on a donkey!”
Behold, the King of Sion rides a donkey and enters the city amid the songs of praise of little children and suckling babes. Everyone cries out:
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel.”
Waving olive branches, they praise the King of Israel. Today, the Church gathers her children from all peoples and nations; in the churches and convents they chant hymns of praise. In procession small and great alike go forth, singing in every language.
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,”
Christ the King.
From the Prayer of the Faithful Morning Prayer for Hosanna Sunday.
Make us worthy, O Lord, to stand before You with pure hearts and to believe in Your birth from a virgin as Joseph, Your chosen one, believed after You revealed Your mystery to him. As You appointed the angel in the garden of Eden to guard the tree of life, so have You chosen Joseph and appointed him guardian of Your virgin mother in whom You dwelt. Grant us, O Lord, to taste the cherished fruit of Your tree, so that we may glorify You, Your Holy Father and Your blessed Spirit, now and forever.
Jesus Christ our Lord, you carry the sins of the world and you forgave the sins of the paralytic. You cured him and had him carry his mat in front of the crowd. Make us worthy to meditate on your amazing miracles, and strengthen us with the power of your forgiveness. May we share in the grace of your redemption, to glorify and thank you, your Father, and your living Holy Spirit, now and for ever.
The governor of Sebaste in Armenia wished to force forty soldiers to renouce Christ. First he imprisoned them and then he threw them into a frozen pond. They prayed with one heart.
"We forty have entered the arena, O Lord, grant that we may be able to receive the crown,”
One of them escaped and renounced Christ, but their guard, a pagan, took his place. In the morning the guards broke their legs and burned their bodies. They received the crown of martyrdom around the year 322. May their prayers be with us. Amen.
