12.25.2009

Wishing you a Merry Christmas


“Praise and thanksgiving to you, eternal Child.

You are the hidden light without beginning which illumines the world,

The ancient of days who is born the infant son of the daughter of David.

You are the Lord who is pleased with a manger in a cave,

The Most High who was wrapped in swaddling clothes,

The awesome One who was recounted in the songs of the daughters of David.

How marvelous are you, O God, who became a man
without changing anything in your divine nature.”

(Taken from the Maronite Ramsho Evening Prayer for December 25.)

12.17.2009

Visit to Somerset


Maronite Christmas Novena

The Christmas novena began on December 15, here are the remaining prayers for each day.


Fourth Prayer (18 December):
All: O Wine of Virgins and Lily of Purity, Who by a touch of Your hand heals the body and cleanses the soul; Who by dwelling in the womb of Your Mother has made her the purest of the pure and most admirable among virgins; we beseech You, through Your Pure Nativity and through the intercession of Your Mother and Saint Joseph, Your Chosen One, to grant us to be pure in soul and body and clean in act clean and thought, that we may serve You with a clean heart and pure body all the days of our lives. Amen.
Our Father; Hail Mary; Glory Be ...

Fifth Prayer, (19 December):
All: O Most High, by nature supreme and outranking all persons and all things, Who has left the magnificence of Your Divinity and loved the lowliness of our humanity to become for us a model in humility and lowliness; we beseech You, through Your Pure Nativity and through the intercession of Your Mother and Saint Joseph, Your Chosen One, to grant us humility of heart and an accurate estimation of ourselves. Help us to conquer every show of false pride, which would have us choose our own whims rather than Your Will. May we realize that, compared to You, we are little indeed. Glory be to You, for You alone are holy and great is Your Name. To You be Glory, Magnificence and Power! Amen.  Our Father; Hail Mary; Glory Be ...

Sixth Prayer (20 December):
All: O Word of God, Who comes from the Mouth of God to be the Life of all; You Who became Living Bread and was born in Bethlehem, “The House of Bread,” to satisfy our hunger; We beseech You, through Your Pure Nativity and the intercession of Your Mother and Saint Joseph, Your Chosen One, to grant us a piercing hunger for that Bread which is Your Pure Body and Blood. May we ever approach Your altar and receive Your Sacred Mysteries with fitting preparation so that our Communion may be for us salvation and life everlasting. Amen.  Our Father; Hail Mary; Glory Be ...

Seventh Prayer (21 December):
All: O You Who are One person but also have human nature; You Who have told us what You have heard from the Father; we beseech You, through Your Pure Nativity and the inter¬cession of Your Mother and Saint Joseph, Your Chosen One, to grant us an ardent belief in and be captivated by Your teachings, and grant us good acts to harmonize with them. Do not permit us to lose the reward of our faith because of our own wrong doings. Rather, make our lives fruitful in beliefs and good works. Amen.
Our Father; Hail Mary; Glory Be ...

Eighth Prayer (22 December):
All: O King of Great Counsel, You joined Your admirable power with the prudence of human judgment when You, the Mighty and All-Powerful God, fled into Egypt from the face of Herod. We beseech You, through Your Pure Nativity and through the intercession of Your Mother and Saint Joseph, Your Chosen One, to grant us good judgment in all our actions, that we may think and act wisely all the days of our lives, as we subject ourselves to Your divine service. Amen.   Our Father; Hail Mary; Glory Be ...

Ninth Prayer (23 December):
ALL: O God, Who in Your very nature contains all the riches of heaven and earth, You loved the poverty of humanity by choosing to become one of us. You are the descendant of Kings and the Heir of David the Venerable. You were satisfied to be born in a stable and a humble manger. We beseech You, through Your Pure Nativity and through the intercession of Your Mother and Saint Joseph, Your Chosen One, to grant us an appreciation of voluntary poverty. May we be satisfied with only that which is necessary for the maintenance of our lives. Teach us to flee from excessive luxury and the love of abundance all the days of our lives. Amen.  Our Father; Hail Mary; Glory Be ...

12.10.2009

Bishop Gregory's Visit

Bishop Gregory Mansour was welcomed for a visit on December 4, 2009 to Mother of the Light Monastery, of the Maronite Servants of Christ the Light. Sister Marla Marie and guests were blessed by the visit and shared lunch and Liturgy with Sayedna.

Visiting Waterville Maine


12.04.2009

Be Good to the Sisters


Many kind hearted and generous friends of this mission have asked how best to help. The obvious answer is that we need funds to open our door and to keep our lights on. The basics are often not considered when a contemplative effort such as ours is in the startup stages. For those who so wish to help us, we have established two methods that seem to be working nicely.

• First, friends have registered us at Bed, Bath ∧ Beyond listing those items we need. Under the directions for “gift” enter sister (first) lucas (last). We will work to keep this listing updated on an ongoing basis.

• Second, if you wish to make a tax deductible donation, a monthly or quarterly contribution will really help us to meet our expenses. Donations can be made by check and mailed or by PayPal via our website or on this blog.

Thank you for supporting this mission - Maronite Servants of Christ the Light.

12.02.2009

Pro-Life News from Our Eparchy

By Deacon Nicholas Mammi, Office of Family and Sanctity of Life, Eparchy of St. Maron

My Beloved Pro-Life Friends,
Just in case we need a bit of added sustenance from the Holy See, I've attached a link to a piece from the Catholic News Agency (CNA) that cites an article from L’Osservatore Romano. The article, published last week, notes that even in the face of powerful adversaries in the US Senate and White House, the pro-life truth continues to gain momentum. The article also supports the Manhattan Declaration (the second link I've included). I strongly encourage you to read it and sign it. If you review the list of Religious Leader Signatories, you will see some noteworthy Catholic names. Bishop Gregory Mansour signed the declaration yesterday.