Real Catholic Blog

In the Maronite Catholic Tradition, in Lebanon, there is no “Happy Easter.” Instead, during the Easter Season the greeting is translated, literally, as:

Christ is risen!

Imagine greeting your loved ones, friends and others with that! Do you think it might have an impact? How do you think they would take it? While nothing is wrong with “Happy Easter!” saying, “Christ is risen!” certainly frames it concisely and accurately, and with no possibility of misinterpretation (i.e., no commercial or secular connotation). Most important, it directly conveys not only what happened 2,000 years ago, but the true hope that is Easter — The Resurection brings us the promise of eternal salvation.

Now let the heavens be joyful,

Let earth her song begin:

Let the round world keep triumph,

And all that is therein;

Invisible and visible,

Their notes let all things blend,

For Christ the Lord is risen

Our joy that hath no end.

- Saint John of Damascus

Deacon Keith Fournier is one of my favorites in all the clergy. He used to publish a column in The Catholic Virginian, the diocesan paper for the Diocese of Richmond, Va. He stopped writing for it and I lost track of him. Then, one day, he appeared at a church I attend for daily Mass (not my parish). As it turns out, he had moved to Richmond from the eastern part of the diocese for a year or two while commuting to Washington, D.C., to finish his Ph.D. those months were a blessing. His departure, a blow. But I learned I could continue to follow him through Catholic Online, one of the, if not the, best Web site for Catholic news and editorial comment.

Today, he unleashes a heartfelt editorial of optimism and grace on the very real possibility of the first steps toward the end of the Anglican split with the Church. News first arose of this in October (see our comment here) and continued for a while, then seemed to disappear. But now, there is actual movement toward establishing an Anglican ordinariate in America. Australia may follow very soon, as well.

Of course, Episcopals have moved into the Church here and there for a while. In August, 10 Episcopal nuns and a priest took steps to come into full communion with the Church. But with the release by Cardinal William Levada, of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Pope Benedict XVI of the historic Anglicanorum Coetibus, (Latin for “concerning groups of Anglicans”) last November, the stage is set for some 400,000 Anglicans to come into full communion with the Church.

As Deacon Fournier suggests, this has upset some traditional Catholics. It shouldn’t. He, as I, are pleased the Holy Spirit is working through the successor of Peter, Pope Benedict, to reunify the Holy Catholic Church. As the Deacon writes, a Church recovering from the scars of disunity can do so much to arrest the cultural and moral decline of the world. With Pope Benedict and many earnest leaders of the Eastern Orthodox Church in dialogue, we must pray for that schism to be repaired as well. 

As for the concerns of some, as long as the new ordinariate — which would be a rite within the universal Church, as certain Eastern rites are — accepts the teachings of the Church’s orthodoxy, there should be no cause for concern. The new Anglican rite would be structured like the Maronite or Maronite, which have patriarchs in Lebanon, but parishes all over the world as Lebanese emigrate, and which are loyal to Rome. Going to a Mass there, for example, fulfills one’s Sunday obligation.

Read Deacon Fournier’s editorial (”More Anglicans say Yes to Full Communion: The Restoration of the Church“) of hope and praise for the wonders of the Holy Spirit and the good it is working through those whose heartfelt desire is to come home to the One, True, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Let us know what you think.

This prayer is a translation from the Arabic and is from LebaneseSaints.com.

O Heavenly Father, the source of all holiness, You are glorified in your saints. You have bestowed grace upon Mar Nimatullah, so He forsake the world to live for You and with You in the solitude of the monastery.

O Lord Jesus, the Holy One of all saints, You have called Mar Nimatullah and filled Him with Your grace and blessing. So He could follow You on the harrow path of perfection and holiness. He followed Your path carrying His cross with joy, the cross of communal life, by which He was sanctified.

O Holy Spirit, Sanctifier of saints, You have inspired our patron Nimatullah, so that He became a monk and lived with His brethren in the monastery, where He educated them and managed all things wisely and prudently. He was ideal and encourager to Saint Charbel His disciple and many others.

We beseech You, O Holy Trinity, through Mar Nimatullah to enlighten the path of salvation before us, for You are the first and last aim. Bring us back to You so that we may renew the image and the likeness that You have installed in us.

We thank You and glorify You with our mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, of whom Mar Nimatullah was a devout, and with Yous saints, You who live and reign in holiness for ever, Amen !

Yesterday was the Feast of two great saints. One, Saint John of the Cross (see DoctorsoftheCatholicChurch.com) is better known and it was his feast celebrated on the Latin Rite calendar. Also, yesterday, celebrated in the Eastern Rite, specifically, the Maronite Rite (see MaroniteMonks.org), was the feast of my ancestor, Saint Nimatullah Kassab Al-Hardini (Hardini.org), a Lebanese Maronite monk who was the mentor to the best known Lebanese Maronite Saint, Saint Charbel, whose Feast is celebrated in the Latin Rite in July (see Catholic Online).

Saint Nimatullah (1808-1858) was known for many things (see Eparchy of Saint Maron). He was an efficient administrator, a scholarly teacher and a devout priest. He was especially noted for his love of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Blessed Sacrament (see Vatican biography). He spent many hours in Eucharistic Adoration, often at the expense of sleep, kneeling in the chapel, arms raised cross-like and eyes trained on the tabernacle (see LebaneseSaints.com). Although there are photographs of him, the image below is the most famous one, and was used at his canonization, and honors his devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.

There is volumes of information on Saint Nimatullah and other Maronite Saints. He lived an extradordinary life as a monk and was widely regarded from the Middle East to Rome, and was given great responsibilities. However, when the opportunity came to move to safer quarters at the outset of war, he remained, to look after those in need.

I could go on, but who better than John Paul The Great to speak of him? Saint Nimatullah was one in the last group of saints canonized by John Paul, on May 16, 2004.

Said the His Holiness about Saint Nimatullah:

A man of prayer, in love with the Eucharist which he adored for long periods, Saint Nimatullah Kassab Al-Hardini is an example for the monks of the Order of Lebanese Maronites as he is for his Lebanese brothers and sisters and all Christians of the world. He gave himself completely to the Lord in a life full of great sacrifices, showing that God’s love is the only true source of joy and happiness for man. He committed himself to searching for and following Christ, his Master and Lord.

Welcoming his brothers, he reassured and healed many wounds in the hearts of his contemporaries, witnessing to God’s mercy. May his example enlighten our journey and bring forth, especially in young people, a true desire for God and for holiness to proclaim to our world the light of the Gospel!

Devout to the Blessed Sacrament, in his love for the Lord and for the Church, Saint Nimatullah is a role model in many respects.

The liturgical calendar of the Maronite Rite, one of the Eastern Catholic Rites loyal to Rome, today celebrated the Revelation of Saint Joseph which prompted his determination to do God’s will on Earth. It is one of several such Sunday’s in Advent that the Maronites use to illustrate the preparation we must undertake to welcome the Lord.

Joseph’s role, of course, was the ultimate preparation for the Lord. Engaged to Mary, yet suddenly aware of her pregnancy, this humble man wanted to do what he could to save her blushes and quietly let her be. Yet the Lord explained to him why she was with child and who the child was. As we would say today, Joseph answered the call. He answered it with the ultimate selflessness, giving up a life he expected, to accept the responsibility of an entirely unexpected and unknown life, one surely he must have had some human trembling over. (I once was entrusted to coach a young phenom soccer player. Was I up to it? Imagine the doubts Joseph must have had in knowing he would raise our Saviour.)

But he did it because God asked. What don’t we do that God asks? What life plans do we change to accomodate God’s will? Do we give up a game or event we want to attend and instead attend Mass on a Holy Day of Obligation? Do we set aside some extra money for the needy or Church instead of the latest electronic gadget? Do we encourage those away from the Church to come back or excuse their attitude as, “it’s their life, it’s their choice.”

What are we willing to give up for God, in preparation for His Son? What are we are we willing to do for His will on Earth?

Saint Joseph deferred his life for God. Are we willing even to defer one activity, one television show, one possession?

One of the most difficult aspects of explaining the Church to Catholics, much less non-Catholics, is that there are different Rites within the Church Universal. When I tell people I was baptised and confirmed Maronite Catholic, some look blankly or confused, while others take a stab at what that means — usually asking if it is a disconnected offshoot of what they understand as Catholicism (i.e., the Latin Rite) and that I must have converted at some point.

Not at all. As John Paul The Great once said, “The Church breathes with two lungs, the Eastern Church and the Western Church.”

The Church is made up of several Rites, or Churches within the Church, the largest of which is the Latin Rite. Each Rite has a patriarch, the head of that Church. The Pope is the patriarch of the Latin Rite as well as the head of the Church Universal. A kind of first among equals.

We don’t quite need an organizational chart, but this is a topic we will write about often here, as it is underserved, and one in which Brother John and I both have some background and expertise. But the reason it comes up today is because last week Pope Benedict heeded a plea from the Middle Eastern bishops to convene them at the Vatican and announced that he is calling a special Assembly of the Synod of Eastern Bishops dedicated to the Middle East, October 10-24, 2010. The theme of the Synod will be, “The Catholic Church in the Middle East: Communion and Testimony: The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and soul (At 4,32).”

Pope Benedict added:

On other occasions you have asked for a more regular contact with the Bishop of Rome to enforce the communion of your churches with the successor of St.Peter and to examine together any problems of significant importance.

This proposal has been renewed even in the last Plenary Congregation for the Eastern churches and in the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.

The Eastern Patriarchs want to address four points critical to Catholics in the Middle East (from Asia News via CatholicOnline): the growth of fundamentalism and the restlessness of the Christians, the importance of Muslim-Christian dialogue, the position of the Oriental Catholic patriarch in the Universal Church, and the ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Kuwait and in the Gulf countries. Iraqi Bishop Louis Sako made the proposal for the special assembly of the synod for the Middle East to Pope Benedict last January.

This is an exciting development for the Church as it will bring to light certain and unique difficulties of the Church in a region dominated by Muslims, and also help Roman Catholics better understand the Church Universal. We look forward to reporting on it.

I find one aspect that gets neglected in most people’s prayer life is their diocese. Sure, at Mass, we pray for the Holy Father, our diocese’s bishop and all Church leaders. But how often do we include our respective dioceses in our personal intentions? For its growth through more people returning to the Church as well as new converts to the faith? For its staff, that it will be administered well and proper? For the culture around the diocese, such as the closing of abortion centers? 

There are many needs, not to mention an increase in religious and priestly vocations in every diocese. One nice thing to do is to learn your diocese’s patron saint and attend Mass on his or her feast day, and constantly seek the patron’s intercession for your diocese’s needs. Ask your Bishop to say a special Mass that day at your diocese’s cathedral, perhaps in the evening so many can attend, instead of a normal morning daily Mass, and ask him to request all parishes schedule a special Mass of their own. Ask your pastor to do a special Mass on this feast day, as well as on the feast day of your parish’s patron saint.

So, please keep you diocese in your prayers. Here is a prayer I came across a couple of years ago. Pray it yourself and with prayer groups. If there is a Rosary after daily Mass at your parish, perhaps you can have the group say it before or after, or maybe ask your pastor to lead the congregation in it one Sunday. As I am “bi-ritual,” so to speak, I pray for my local Roman Rite diocese and my Maronite Rite eparchy in this prayer, and pray it at least once a week:

Heavenly Father, author and inspirer of all things holy, hear (my/our) prayers for the Diocese of (  ).

Send forth Your Spirit that we may humbly be guided by your Divine Will.

Touch our hearts with true generosity to raise up a house of God for the inspiration and renewal of all your faithful.

We ask this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Tomorrow is The Feast of the Assumption, a Holy Day of Obligation — except in most dioceses, when a Holy Day falls on a weekend, it’s not obligatory. Be sure you know what your diocese says about this. However, in the Maronite Rite and other Eastern Rites that are part of the Universal Church, it remains a Holy Day of Obligation, and Mass attendance is required at a vigil Mass today or tomorrow before the Sunday vigil Mass.

The Feast of the Assumption may be the most mysterious of all the Holy Days. Many non-Catholics have an interesting take on it and even some Catholics do not fully understand it. 

We believe that the Blessed Virgin Mother, Mary, the mother of the Son of Man, was taken up whole after her death. Of course, there is no physical evidence of this. How could there be? But there is one very curious bit of circumstantial evidence: During the early years and decades of the Church, faith communities exclaimed the importance of their villages or landmarks as shrines to encourage pilgrimages, devotion and even tourism. An Apostle preached here, a disciple was baptised there, etc.  

Why wouldn’t someone, some group have claimed Mary, the Mother of The Christ, was buried in their village or city? No faith community, not even the most cynical political leadership or commercial interests ever did, not at the beginning of the Christianity and not in modern times with hundreds of years of archeological and historical scholarship available.

Unfortunately, that is not good enough for Evangelical Christians or other Protestants who believe that if it’s not specifically in Scripture, then it is not Biblically based. But is it not Biblically based?

Mary, to be the Mother of Christ, had to be spiritually uncorrupt, thus, she was born without original sin (which leads to another misconception, even among Catholics: the Feast of the Immaculate Conception is the Feast of Mary’s conception into life; immaculate because she was born without original sin). So, why, at her death, would God let her suffer bodily corruption?

Still, skeptics claim, a man, Pope or not, cannot claim to be true what’s not in the Bible. But that’s not what Popes do in those rare occasions when they proclaim a dogma of faith. They only promulgate teachings established from the earliest days of the Church based on the witness of early Church fathers. This is done to clarify the understanding of Church teachings, all Biblicaly based, that have been misinterpreted, either through legitimate misunderstanding or through the intentional misleading of the faithful.

As Father Matthew R. Mauriello writes about the establishment of The Assumption:

. . . assuring himself of the “universal, certain and firm consent of the Church’s ordinary Magisterium” and by the Apostolic Constitution, Munificentissimus Deus, on November 1, 1950, Pius XII solemnly defined the Assumption as a dogma of faith, stating that: “the ever-virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.”

This gave doctrinal substance to an idea which recurred frequently in biblical foundations, church teaching and testimony of the Fathers, popular devotion and iconography. References beginning from the Council of Ephesus in 431 were mentioned to testify to the royal dignity of Mary.

So whether it falls on a weekend or not, The Feast of the Assumption, and any Holy Day which may fall on a weekend, have a special place in the heart of Jesus, and are no less significant than Sunday worship, and deserve our devotion.

From StMaron.org

The Maronite Liturgy

The Maronite Liturgy is called Service of the Holy Mysteries and derives from the Syriac :.ministering at the altar”. Liturgy, Qourbono and other words are used.

The entire liturgy (prayers, gestures, music, art, and architecture) reflects from beginning to end, glory to God for His loving mercy and the call of the worshipper to forgiveness and rebirth.

The attitude of the Maronite worshiper is unworthiness of and readiness for the second coming of the Lord Jesus. “Blessed is he who has come and will come in the name of the Lord” (Maronite Liturgy).

The believer is likened to a ship opening its sails to the Holy Spirit and making its maiden voyage home to the harbor of safety.

The Holy Spirit is the principal minister in the liturgy. He is the beginning, the end and the perfection of all things.

The Service of the Holy Mysteries develops three themes: 1) humanity’s creation in God’s image; 2)deep awareness of God’s mercy toward sinful people; 3) joyful praise of the Trinity.

The tone of the service is simple and direct in the monastic spirit of its founder, St. Maron. A balance is achieved between the hiddenness and presence of God in Jesus.

The worshiper becomes involves in a human-divine drama which unfolds before and within him and makes once a sharer in the Kingdom. The Mysteries/Sacraments become the meeting point for the believer and God.

The communal aspect of worship is emphasized by the fact that the community is absorbed in a continuous dialogue with the celebrant who mediates on behalf of Christ the High Priest, and the deacon who serves an instructing and coordinating role.

reprinted with permission from “Being A Maronite Catholic” by Msgr. Ronald Beshara