Spirituality
The Exaltation of the Holy Cross and the Sign of the Cross (Rev. Kamil AlChouefati)
Jesus Christ chose the cross, which was considered an instrument of shame, disgrace, curse and punishment for thieves and criminals, and turned it into an instrument of victory, glory and salvation for humanity. "And I, being lifted up from the Earth, will draw all people to myself." (John 12:32). The Lord Jesus Christ conquered the world not by the power of weapons but by the cross of His suffering and death, so the cross became the key to the heavenly kingdom for humanity, and the victory is for the power of truth, love and justice...
The Sacred Heart of Jesus (Fr. George El-Andari)
Worshiping the Heart of Jesus means worshiping and imitating love or the heart of Jesus, which symbolizes redemption and sacrifice. Jesus told us, “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.” He is telling us to learn from Him as the Lord and teacher. On the cross when the soldier’s lance pierced His side and out flowed blood and water (representing the sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and Baptism)...
Jesus Quiets the Storm (Sister Marie Antoinette Saade, Maronite Sisters of the Holy Family)
Jesus Christ is not some person or dogma we read and learn about in books. As long as we see him this way, he remains outside our heart and being, and foreign to our journey, no matter how far we walk with him...
Spirituality of the Liturgical Year (Fr. Maroun Moubarak, M.L.M.)
The Lord remained with the disciples on the road to Emmaus but vanished after the Breaking of the Bread. Yet, he remained in their hearts and gave them the power to love and to go and proclaim the Good News. Gathering around the Word brings about in us this same desire by the disciples on the road to Emmaus.
Monastic Life in the Church (Father Edmond Khashan O.L.M.)
We, members of The Family of Saint Sharbel, have become monks in accordance with the words spoken to Raymond Nader by Saint Sharbel, the “Father of our Family”: “Be monks in the midst of the world.” This statement concerns all of us, members. Since today is the feast day of Saint Anthony the Great, and we are concerned with this feast as much as monks are, I wish to all of us a blessed feast through the intercession of Saint Anthony the Great.
Stay with us, Lord (Msgr. Youssef Soueif, current Maronite Bishop of Cyprus)
“Stay with us, Lord” is an appeal. It is the prayer of the Church, the Apostles, the disciples, and the Early Church. It is the prayer of the Church who navigates and walks through this world. This is her constant appeal to Christ who lives in her and in the world - to Christ, risen from the dead: “Stay with us, Lord.” This prayer is an invocation: it invokes Christ, risen from the dead and who is assuredly with us. However, this prayer or this invocation is a kind of awareness and knowledge that He is with us. This presence is revealed in several ways:
Trust and Abandonment (Father Antoine Beshaalany)
We trust that God is Love incarnated as Divine Mercy in Jesus who is present in the Church and in the Mysteries, especially in the Mysteries of the Eucharist and Reconciliation: “The soul that will go to confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. (On one condition) Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My Mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout eternity” (Diary of Saint Faustina, Entry 699, p.278).
Roots and belonging (Fr. Maroun Moubarak, M.L.M.)
This year, as we usher in the third millennium, we look at the concept of “taking root and belonging,” because we have embarked upon a long and arduous journey in this demanding and progressive millennium.
