Winter News

Read our latest Winter Newsletter featuring our mission outreach to the Maronite parishes and youth.

Women’s Retreat – “Loved As I Am”

I will praise You, O Lord, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made…..(cf ps.139)

We hosted and facilitated a day of retreat on Saturday, November 12 for young ladies at the Mother of Light Convent on the theme: “Loved as I Am” (not ‘who I want to be’ or ‘who people want me to be’, but just as I am). This is the way that God loves us.

The retreat began with Sr. Therese Maria asking ladies, “what gives you purpose and meaning in your life?”; “why do you think that God created each one of us?”; “what gives you value and self-worth?” The ladies were encouraged to remain grounded in God’s love for them, because, as Sr. Therese Maria so beautifully put it, if we are grounded in His love nothing can sway us, not even what people think of us. The day centered on this topic and with videos and discussions, the ladies reflected on the truth of their dignity and beauty as daughters of the Father. 

Mother Marla Marie and Sr. Therese Maria led a beautiful hour of adoration, and Fr. James Doran from St. Anthony of the Desert Church came to hear confessions. Sr. Therese Maria also taught the ladies how to pray with the Word of God, by walking them through a Lectio Divina.

Also, Mother Marla Marie gave the ladies a brief explanation of our current Maronite Liturgical Season of Happy Anouncements (Soboorey in Syriac), and the significance of each ‘happy announcement’ as they unfold on each of the Sundays leading up to Christmas.

The afternoon concluded with a conference and group sharing on discerning one’s vocation in life. The ladies were given a number of tools to help them discern God’s particular path and how ultimately in this path they are to find authentic love and fulfillment in their lives.

 If you are interested in attending a similar retreat or hosting one in the parish, please contact the Maronite Servants on 508-996-1753 or by email sister@maroniteservants.org.

MYO Fall Regional Retreat -- Pittsburgh, PA

Giving Thanks 

On Saturday November 5^th, the Maronite Servants of Christ the Light facilitated with the help of generous volunteers a Regional  MYO Retreat at Our Lady of Victory Church, Pittsburgh, PA. The retreat schedule was planned and coordinated by Sr. Therese Maria and Rosa Calabria.  Father Rudy Wakim, pastor of the parish graciously hosted over 50 teens and chaperones from six surrounding Maronite parishes. We were blessed to have Fr. Claude Franklin from the Newcastle parish and Fr. Baddoui Habib from the Uniontown parish join us for our retreat day to help by hearing confessions. 

The focus of the retreat day was “Giving Thanks” and praising God for the many blessings in our lives. The teens were challenged to express their gratitude and be thankful for the simple things in their everyday life. In one of our small group activities they wrote on pumpkins highlighting what they were grateful for: family, friends, health, faith etc. As the MYO family, this retreat gave us the opportunity to come together in adoration to praise God like Mary, who magnified God for the great mercy he has shown. 

“The Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his name” (Luke 1:49).

LIght Your Lamps - Maronite Prayer

A Syriac Hymn from the Prayer of the Faithful

1. Light your lamps, sisters and brothers, for the Bridegroom is about to arrive (Mt 25:1-13).

2. He makes the Righteous dwell in the spiritual garden of Eden on the day of salvation.

3. He opens the bridal chamber of light to them, and they praise him with their harps.

4. They also exult in meeting him when he comes, for they expect him and hope in his name.

5. Behold the Bridegroom is about to arrive. Blessed are they who are expecting him.

6. He interweaves a crown of glory for the Righteous, who expect his name and his redemption.

7. The First-born (Col 1:15) arose and descended to Sheol to raise the dead from their graves.

8. The Just saw his light in Sheol and eagerly watched for the return of the Son of the Merciful One.

9. They forgot their pain and the suffering they endured when they saw their Lord hung on a tree.

10. He gave us life because of his mercy, and he intermingled our mortality with the angels.

11. Death lay in wait for our humanity. But he came in his lovingkindness and saved us.

12. To you be glory, Lord of the angels, for your shining forth gladdened the mournful in Sheol.

13. Thenceforth the night fled and vanished, and your light shone on Creation.

14. He descended from the height, saved us, and ascended [back]; behold he sits again on the right [hand of the Father] (Mk 16:5).

15. They eagerly watch for his coming, when he comes again: all those who expect him and hope in his name.

16.  He entered Sheol, his light shone, and drove out darkness from its departed.

17. The fruit Adam ate killed him; the fruit of the height descended and saved him.

18. He burst open the graves, raised the dead, and depicted to us the type of his magnificent day.

19. He drew near, and the day of resurrection arrived; blessed are they who expect him.

20.  The day on which he comes is magnificent because all hidden things are revealed on it.

21.  Those lying in the dust hear his voice on the day of the resurrection and come out to meet him.

22.  Adam marvels when he is resurrected and returns to the place filled with blessedness. (reprinted from www.hiddenpearl.org)