______________________________________________________________________________ 1013 Ellsworth Street Philadelphia PA 19147 June 6-7, 2015 First Reading: Corinthians 2:1-10 A reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians. Your blessing father… Brothers and Sisters: When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God. Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, ‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him’ these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. Praise be to God always. ى أهل قورنتسولى إليس بولس الة القد رساو أم الكةاعرب ب آتم، ل ٱرسم بكرشبمكتيتا أما، لني، أتوخ يا إك الحة؛ ماوبلص ماهيإيح، وس الموعس يا إئيم شكني بفرع أن أترري قن! ةيدد شةدعر وفوخ وفعضم بكيل إتئ جد وق. رب بلاع، بنق واةمكح الاتملكري بيشبتي وم كنك يم ولة،ردالق ووح الران ه اةردلى ق علاس، ب النةمكلى حا عمائم قكانمي إونك يئ ل. ا ال هذاءسؤ رةمكح بر، وها الد هذةمكح بنين، ولكلام الكني بةمكالح بقطنا ننن أري غ دينذ الر هالولى الزم إهيرص م.
1013 Ellsworth Street Philadelphia PA 19147 June 6-7, 2015
First Reading: Corinthians 2:1-10
A reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians. Your blessing father…
Brothers and Sisters:
When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you
in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and
him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech
and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the
Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.
Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers
of this age, who are doomed to perish. But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which
God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if
they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, ‘What no eye has
seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love
him’ these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything,
even the depths of God.
Praise be to God always.
رسالة القديس بولس األولى إلى أهل قورنتس
مة؛الحك يا إخوتي، أنا، لما أتيتكم ألبشركم بسر ٱهلل، لم آت ببراعة الكالم أو
!ألني قررت أن ال أعرف بينكم شيئا إال يسوع المسيح، وإياه مصلوبا
.وقد جئت إليكم بضعف وخوف ورعدة شديدة
هان الروح والقدرة،ولم يكن كالمي وتبشيري بكلمات الحكمة واإلقناع، بل ببر
.لئال يكون إيمانكم قائما على حكمة الناس، بل على قدرة اهلل
هر الذيندغير أننا ننطق بالحكمة بين الكاملين، ولكن ال بحكمة هذا الدهر، وال بحكمة رؤساء هذا ال
.مصيرهم إلى الزوال
.بل ننطق بسر حكمة اهلل المحجوبة، التي سبق اهلل فحددها قبل الدهور لمجدنا
.وا ر المجدبوهي الحكمة التي لم يعرفها أحد من رؤساء هذا الدهر، ألنهم لو عرفوها لما صل
ما لم تره عين، ولم تسمع به أذن، ولم يخطر على قلب بشر، قد أعده اهلل»ولكن، كما هو مكتو :
.«للذين يحبونه
.يء حتى أعماق ٱهلللكن اهلل أعلنه لنا بروحه، ألن الروح يسبر كل ش
والتسبيح هلل دائما"
Gospel Reading: John 14:21-27
The Apostle Writes:
They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love
me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’ Judas (not
Iscariot) said to him, ‘Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?’
Jesus answered him, ‘Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and
we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep
my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. ‘I have
said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the
Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to
you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do
not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.
This is the truth. Peace be with you.
إنجيل القديس يوحنا
ني يحبه من كانت لديه وصاياي ويحفظها، هو الذي يحبني. ومن يحب»قال الر يسوع لتالميذه:
.«أبي، وأنا أحبه وأظهر له ذاتي
.«يا ر ، ماذا جرى حتى تظهر ذاتك لنا، ال للعالم؟»ذاك اإلسخريوطي: قال له يهوذا، ال
. لنا منزالمن يحبني يحفظ كلمتي، وأبي يحبه وإليه نأتي، وعنده نجعل»أجا يسوع وقال له:
.ذي أرسلنيحفظ كلمتي. والكلمة التي تسمعونها ليست كلمتي، بل كلمة اآل المن ال يحبني ال ي
.كلمتكم بهذا، وأنا مقيم عندكم
يء، ويذكركم بكل ما ش لكن البرقليط، الروح القدس، الذي سيرسله اآل بٱسمي، هو يعلمكم كل
.قلته لكم
ألسالم أستودعكم، سالمي أعطيكم. ال كما يعطيه العالم أنا أعطيكم. ال يضطر قلبكم وال
!يخف
sity. O Lord God, bestow uponthem a cheerful heart and a stead-fast and unshaken spirit, so thatthey may sing praise to You, YourFather, and Your holy and livingSpirit, now and forever. Amen.
PRAYER FOR SOLDIERSDuring these difficult times, weremember those family membersand friends in faraway places. Letus lift in prayer the many womenand men serving overseas in our
armed forces. May they know ofour respect and gratitude and bekept safe in the Lord’s love.Amen.
SACRAMENT OF RECON-CILIATION (CONFESSION)Please know that confession isavailable before liturgies. You mayalso call to set up an appointment.
IN OUR PRAYERSPlease keep in your prayers Robert
and Viviane Kouyoumdji, StaceyFuentes, Debbie Freedenberg, Al-bert Anderson, Sr., Noel Andjuhar,Juliette Chokier, Eddie Gussin,Dominic Fratangeli, AngelSalerno, Dennis McGiney, Mau-rice Al Sholy, Robert Cherfane,Alan Sacilowski, Donny Pizzi,Mrs. Rose Kouri, Betty Antrilli,and Bonnie Sabatini. We askAlmighty God to bless them withgood health so that they may joinus in the Church and give gloryand thanksgiving to God. Pleasenotify the Church office of anyfamily member who is ill so thatwe may remember them in ourdaily prayers and on our altar ofintentions.
The “failure” of the cross re-veals the “victory of God’s love,”Pope Francis said during his hom-ily yesterday, where he insistedthat God builds upon our weak-nesses and uses them for good.Speaking at Holy Mass in theChapel of Santa Marta in Rome,the pontiff said the “story of lovebetween God and his people ...seems to be a story of failure.” Hu-manity has consistently rejectedGod, even rejecting Jesus to thepoint of his crucifixion on thecross, he added, according to Vati-can Radio. “The path of our re-demption is a path marked byfailure,” Francis told those gath-ered.
“This story that begins with adream of love, that seems to be alove story, but ends up looking likea story of failures, ends with thegreat love of God who offers Sal-vation through the rejection of hisSon who saves us all.”It is at the cross that God turns
upside down our understanding offailure. Love triumphs at the cross;a place that would otherwise ap-pear to one of defeat. “It is a scan-dal ... but here is where love wins.”However, he also stressed that
Christians will fail many times intheir own journey, which “is arough road.“If each of us examines his con-
science, he will see how manytimes ... he has banished theprophets; how many times he hassaid to Jesus: ‘Go away’; howmany times he has wanted to savehimself. How many times we havethought we were the righteousones,” Francis said. But God usesus in our weakness, just as Christwas brutally murdered on the crossand yet rose in glory three dayslater. “The Son, His last envoy,was seized, killed and thrown out.
He became the cornerstone.”It is important, therefore, for
Christians to practice the same hu-mility that Jesus did. “We do wellto remember this love story thatseems to fail, but in the end tri-umphs,” Francis concluded.“And to remember in story of ourlives, the seed of love that God hassown in us and how it went, and
1013 Ellsworth Street Philadelphia PA 19147 June 13-14, 2015
Father Vincent Farhat, Pastor Father Richard Cannuli, Weekend Assistant Mrs. Amal Kouyoumdji, Director of Religious Education
St. Maron’s Church Office: 215-389-2000 • Hall Reservations: 215-334-1884 • Emergency Number: 215-952-0712 or 561-371-5316CHURCH E-MAILS: Church Office: [email protected] •
FOURTH SUNDAY OF PENTECOST
TRANSLATIONNeed documents translated fromArabic/French/Italian into English?
Call William Hanna
267-808-0287IMMIGRATION
We provide you with the best service and the least expensive!
FUNERAL HOME, INC.2533-35 BROAD ST. PHILA., PA 19148
QUOTE OF THE WEEK“The spirit of humility issweeter than honey, and
those who nourish themselveswith this honey produce
sweet fruit.”St. Anthony of Padua
encouraging every family to takethe icon of “The Sunday of thePriest” by Fr. Abdo Badwi, O.L.M.and the prayer card to your homes.Every evening for the entire week,as a family, we are asking you tosay the prayer for vocations. En-courage those who are discerningthe priesthood or religious life,whether in our families or in ourcommunities. This is the greatestgift we can offer in gratitude andthanks to Jesus Christ for giving usHis Church.
PRAYER FOR VOCATIONSBlessed be God, the Father,
Who chose shepherds after Hisown heart;Blessed be the Beloved Son,
Who entrusted the service of Hismysteries to them;Blessed be the Holy Life Giv-
ing Spirit, Who sanctifies their of-ferings.O Heavenly Father, we pray for
an increase in vocations to thepriesthood and religious life for theservice of Your holy people. Weask You to send laborers into Yourvineyard. Your faithfulness is un-conditional and You accompanyYour Church and invite us to coop-erate in Your plan of Salvation.May we contribute to creating andpreserving conditions in which thegood seed, sown by Your HolySpirit, can take root and bring forthabundant fruit in us. We petition
You, O Christ our Lord, to en-lighten the paths of those consider-ing a call to priesthood, andreligious life, and bring them closeto You, so that their calling maybecome a pure sacrifice for theglory of God. To You be glory,and upon us Your mercy, now andforever. Amen.
UPCOMING EVENTS ATSAINT MARON CHURCH
SUMMER FESTIVALSSt. Maron’s Summer Festival willbe held June 12, 13, and 14, 2015.This will be the weekend beforeFather’s Day which will allow ourfathers to enjoy their day with theirfamilies.
NAM NATIONAL CONVENTIONThe National Apostolate of Ma-ronites will hold its’ national con-vention in Cleveland, Ohio, onJuly 1-5, 2015. Details are avail-able at www.NAMnews.org. Forinformation please go to their web-site or ask Fr. Vincent.
LITURGY INTENTIONSSaturday, June 13, 2015, @ 4:00pm, liturgy is being offered for thesoul of Stephen Cerano requestedby Frank and Rita Marie Olivieri.May his soul rest in peace. (Feastof St. Anthony of Padua)Sunday, June 14, 2015, @ 11:00am, liturgy is being offered for the
soul of Saada Ayoub requested byJamelah and Ibtisam Mazahreh.May her soul rest in peace.Saturday, June 20, 2015, @ 6:00pm, liturgy is being offered for thesoul of Michael Anthony requestedby the Simon family. May his soulrest in peace.Sunday, June 21, 2015, @ 11:00am, liturgy is being offered for thesoul Peter Cardullo requested byhis children and grandchildren.May his soul rest in peace. Liturgyis also being offered as a 40 daymemorial for the soul of AntoinetteSaad requested by Wassim andMarriette Saad and family. Mayher soul rest in peace.
PRAYER FOR THOSE WHOARE SUFFERING IN OURMOTHER COUNTRIES
O Lord, Almighty God, You grantstrength to the weak and heal thewounds of those in sorrow. OGod, exalted above all, heed thosewho call upon You and assist thosewho call upon You and assist thosewho seek refuge in Your holyname, in Your saving cross, and inthe prayers of Your Mother Maryand all Your saints. Strengthen thehearts of Your servants (especiallythose in Syria, Lebanon, Palestine,Iraq, Jordan). Comfort, sustain,and confirm them in mind andheart. Grant them strength to con-quer the power of evil. May theyovercome all evil caused by adver-
PROVIDING FUNERAL SERVICES OF DISTINCTION AND CLASS, THAT HONOR THOSE FAMILIES WE SERVE!
215-334-1578 856-456-1316PHILADELPHIA NEW JERSEYBRIAN W. DONNELLY, Supervisor
Cosmetic, Implant and Restorative Dentistry
Dr. Fred Haddadwww.HaddadDental.com
856-589-7789477 Greentree Road. Sewell, NJ 08080
doing the same thing that Jesusdid on our behalf: he humbledhimself.”http://www.christiantoday.com/article/the.story.of.salvation.is.a.story.of.failure.but.love.wins.says.pope.francis/55216.htm
SECOND COLLECTIONSThis year we will have 6 MYO
participants going to the NationalRetreat in Latrobe, PA, July 6-11.This is a great joy for this commu-nity to have this large group repre-senting us. In an effort to helpwith the cost of this retreat Iwould like to take a second collec-tion for the next few weeks to helpwith the cost. As the MYO con-tinues to grow and become moreconsistent, it is my hope that theywill begin fundraising events hereat the Church. I thank all of youfor your help and commitment toour youth. I know that this retreatwill be very special and worthy ofyour efforts. God bless you andthis community.
FINANCE COUNCIL MEETING
We will have a finance councilmeeting on Wednesday, June 17,2015, at 7:00 pm, in the rectory.Please inform me if you are notable to attend this meeting. Thankyou for your service.
SUMMER DIVINE LITURGY SCHEDULEBeginning June 8, 2015, daily
liturgies will not be scheduled ex-cept for feast days or special inten-tion liturgies. I do celebrate dailyliturgy on my own, however; ifyou would like a special intentionI would be happy to accommodateyour request. Daily liturgies re-sume at the end of September.Thank you and have a safe andblessed summer.
HOLY LAND PILGRIMAGEA pilgrimage to the Holy Land
is being extended to parishionersof St. Maron. You will be receiv-ing an email this week with differ-ent options and dates for thisjourney to the Holy Land. Thiswould be a great opportunity forSt. Maron as well as other neigh-boring parishes to see where ourLord was born, ministered, suf-fered, died, and rose for sake.Please take a look at the differentpossibilities and let Fr. Vinceknow if you are able and inter-ested in going.
CARITAS ORGANIZATIONOF LEBANON NEEDS OURHELPChristians in Lebanon are suf-fering. Please pray forLebanon! If you are able to re-lieve some of the suffering,please visit: www.caritas.org.lb.
HALL RENTALS AT THEMSGR. SHARBEL LISCHAA
CENTEROur Community Center’s main
purpose is to accommodate ourparishioners first. For those ofyou who are interested in rentingthe hall for any functions, listedbelow are the charges for parish-ioners. Daytime rentals are$300.00 and evening rentals are$600.00. In addition to thesecharges, there will be an additional$100.00 for the custodial fee, and$95.00 insurance policy fee.There is no security deposits re-quired for parishioners. I hopethis will clarify any questions youmay have. Thank you.
TRAVELING ICON FOR VOCATIONS
As we celebrate the Sunday ofthe Priests, His Excellency BishopGregory Mansour announcestoday “Vocation Day” in theEparchy of St. Maron of Brook-lyn. “Raising awareness forpriestly and religious vocations inour Eparchy, clergy, religious, andlaity, is a witness to the impor-tance of these vocations. In themidst of a troubled world, Godcalls men and women to be oasesof peace and serenity, to proclaimhis joyful and good news to all.”
Knowing that our prayers areheard by Almighty God, we are
encouraging every family to takethe icon of “The Sunday of thePriest” by Fr. Abdo Badwi, O.L.M.and the prayer card to your homes.Every evening for the entire week,as a family, we are asking you tosay the prayer for vocations. En-courage those who are discerningthe priesthood or religious life,whether in our families or in ourcommunities. This is the greatestgift we can offer in gratitude andthanks to Jesus Christ for giving usHis Church.
PRAYER FOR VOCATIONSBlessed be God, the Father,
Who chose shepherds after Hisown heart;Blessed be the Beloved Son,
Who entrusted the service of Hismysteries to them;Blessed be the Holy Life Giv-
ing Spirit, Who sanctifies their of-ferings.O Heavenly Father, we pray for
an increase in vocations to thepriesthood and religious life for theservice of Your holy people. Weask You to send laborers into Yourvineyard. Your faithfulness is un-conditional and You accompanyYour Church and invite us to coop-erate in Your plan of Salvation.May we contribute to creating andpreserving conditions in which thegood seed, sown by Your HolySpirit, can take root and bring forthabundant fruit in us. We petition
You, O Christ our Lord, to en-lighten the paths of those consider-ing a call to priesthood, andreligious life, and bring them closeto You, so that their calling maybecome a pure sacrifice for theglory of God. To You be glory,and upon us Your mercy, now andforever. Amen.
UPCOMING EVENTS ATSAINT MARON CHURCH
SUMMER FESTIVALSSt. Maron’s Summer Festival willbe held June 12, 13, and 14, 2015.This will be the weekend beforeFather’s Day which will allow ourfathers to enjoy their day with theirfamilies.
NAM NATIONAL CONVENTIONThe National Apostolate of Ma-ronites will hold its’ national con-vention in Cleveland, Ohio, onJuly 1-5, 2015. Details are avail-able at www.NAMnews.org. Forinformation please go to their web-site or ask Fr. Vincent.
LITURGY INTENTIONSSaturday, June 13, 2015, @ 4:00pm, liturgy is being offered for thesoul of Stephen Cerano requestedby Frank and Rita Marie Olivieri.May his soul rest in peace. (Feastof St. Anthony of Padua)Sunday, June 14, 2015, @ 11:00am, liturgy is being offered for the
soul of Saada Ayoub requested byJamelah and Ibtisam Mazahreh.May her soul rest in peace.Saturday, June 20, 2015, @ 6:00pm, liturgy is being offered for thesoul of Michael Anthony requestedby the Simon family. May his soulrest in peace.Sunday, June 21, 2015, @ 11:00am, liturgy is being offered for thesoul Peter Cardullo requested byhis children and grandchildren.May his soul rest in peace. Liturgyis also being offered as a 40 daymemorial for the soul of AntoinetteSaad requested by Wassim andMarriette Saad and family. Mayher soul rest in peace.
PRAYER FOR THOSE WHOARE SUFFERING IN OURMOTHER COUNTRIES
O Lord, Almighty God, You grantstrength to the weak and heal thewounds of those in sorrow. OGod, exalted above all, heed thosewho call upon You and assist thosewho call upon You and assist thosewho seek refuge in Your holyname, in Your saving cross, and inthe prayers of Your Mother Maryand all Your saints. Strengthen thehearts of Your servants (especiallythose in Syria, Lebanon, Palestine,Iraq, Jordan). Comfort, sustain,and confirm them in mind andheart. Grant them strength to con-quer the power of evil. May theyovercome all evil caused by adver-
PROVIDING FUNERAL SERVICES OF DISTINCTION AND CLASS, THAT HONOR THOSE FAMILIES WE SERVE!
215-334-1578 856-456-1316PHILADELPHIA NEW JERSEYBRIAN W. DONNELLY, Supervisor
Cosmetic, Implant and Restorative Dentistry
Dr. Fred Haddadwww.HaddadDental.com
856-589-7789477 Greentree Road. Sewell, NJ 08080
doing the same thing that Jesusdid on our behalf: he humbledhimself.”http://www.christiantoday.com/article/the.story.of.salvation.is.a.story.of.failure.but.love.wins.says.pope.francis/55216.htm
SECOND COLLECTIONSThis year we will have 6 MYO
participants going to the NationalRetreat in Latrobe, PA, July 6-11.This is a great joy for this commu-nity to have this large group repre-senting us. In an effort to helpwith the cost of this retreat Iwould like to take a second collec-tion for the next few weeks to helpwith the cost. As the MYO con-tinues to grow and become moreconsistent, it is my hope that theywill begin fundraising events hereat the Church. I thank all of youfor your help and commitment toour youth. I know that this retreatwill be very special and worthy ofyour efforts. God bless you andthis community.
FINANCE COUNCIL MEETING
We will have a finance councilmeeting on Wednesday, June 17,2015, at 7:00 pm, in the rectory.Please inform me if you are notable to attend this meeting. Thankyou for your service.
SUMMER DIVINE LITURGY SCHEDULEBeginning June 8, 2015, daily
liturgies will not be scheduled ex-cept for feast days or special inten-tion liturgies. I do celebrate dailyliturgy on my own, however; ifyou would like a special intentionI would be happy to accommodateyour request. Daily liturgies re-sume at the end of September.Thank you and have a safe andblessed summer.
HOLY LAND PILGRIMAGEA pilgrimage to the Holy Land
is being extended to parishionersof St. Maron. You will be receiv-ing an email this week with differ-ent options and dates for thisjourney to the Holy Land. Thiswould be a great opportunity forSt. Maron as well as other neigh-boring parishes to see where ourLord was born, ministered, suf-fered, died, and rose for sake.Please take a look at the differentpossibilities and let Fr. Vinceknow if you are able and inter-ested in going.
CARITAS ORGANIZATIONOF LEBANON NEEDS OURHELPChristians in Lebanon are suf-fering. Please pray forLebanon! If you are able to re-lieve some of the suffering,please visit: www.caritas.org.lb.
HALL RENTALS AT THEMSGR. SHARBEL LISCHAA
CENTEROur Community Center’s main
purpose is to accommodate ourparishioners first. For those ofyou who are interested in rentingthe hall for any functions, listedbelow are the charges for parish-ioners. Daytime rentals are$300.00 and evening rentals are$600.00. In addition to thesecharges, there will be an additional$100.00 for the custodial fee, and$95.00 insurance policy fee.There is no security deposits re-quired for parishioners. I hopethis will clarify any questions youmay have. Thank you.
TRAVELING ICON FOR VOCATIONS
As we celebrate the Sunday ofthe Priests, His Excellency BishopGregory Mansour announcestoday “Vocation Day” in theEparchy of St. Maron of Brook-lyn. “Raising awareness forpriestly and religious vocations inour Eparchy, clergy, religious, andlaity, is a witness to the impor-tance of these vocations. In themidst of a troubled world, Godcalls men and women to be oasesof peace and serenity, to proclaimhis joyful and good news to all.”
Knowing that our prayers areheard by Almighty God, we are
sity. O Lord God, bestow uponthem a cheerful heart and a stead-fast and unshaken spirit, so thatthey may sing praise to You, YourFather, and Your holy and livingSpirit, now and forever. Amen.
PRAYER FOR SOLDIERSDuring these difficult times, weremember those family membersand friends in faraway places. Letus lift in prayer the many womenand men serving overseas in our
armed forces. May they know ofour respect and gratitude and bekept safe in the Lord’s love.Amen.
SACRAMENT OF RECON-CILIATION (CONFESSION)Please know that confession isavailable before liturgies. You mayalso call to set up an appointment.
IN OUR PRAYERSPlease keep in your prayers Robert
and Viviane Kouyoumdji, StaceyFuentes, Debbie Freedenberg, Al-bert Anderson, Sr., Noel Andjuhar,Juliette Chokier, Eddie Gussin,Dominic Fratangeli, AngelSalerno, Dennis McGiney, Mau-rice Al Sholy, Robert Cherfane,Alan Sacilowski, Donny Pizzi,Mrs. Rose Kouri, Betty Antrilli,and Bonnie Sabatini. We askAlmighty God to bless them withgood health so that they may joinus in the Church and give gloryand thanksgiving to God. Pleasenotify the Church office of anyfamily member who is ill so thatwe may remember them in ourdaily prayers and on our altar ofintentions.
The “failure” of the cross re-veals the “victory of God’s love,”Pope Francis said during his hom-ily yesterday, where he insistedthat God builds upon our weak-nesses and uses them for good.Speaking at Holy Mass in theChapel of Santa Marta in Rome,the pontiff said the “story of lovebetween God and his people ...seems to be a story of failure.” Hu-manity has consistently rejectedGod, even rejecting Jesus to thepoint of his crucifixion on thecross, he added, according to Vati-can Radio. “The path of our re-demption is a path marked byfailure,” Francis told those gath-ered.
“This story that begins with adream of love, that seems to be alove story, but ends up looking likea story of failures, ends with thegreat love of God who offers Sal-vation through the rejection of hisSon who saves us all.”It is at the cross that God turns
upside down our understanding offailure. Love triumphs at the cross;a place that would otherwise ap-pear to one of defeat. “It is a scan-dal ... but here is where love wins.”However, he also stressed that
Christians will fail many times intheir own journey, which “is arough road.“If each of us examines his con-
science, he will see how manytimes ... he has banished theprophets; how many times he hassaid to Jesus: ‘Go away’; howmany times he has wanted to savehimself. How many times we havethought we were the righteousones,” Francis said. But God usesus in our weakness, just as Christwas brutally murdered on the crossand yet rose in glory three dayslater. “The Son, His last envoy,was seized, killed and thrown out.
He became the cornerstone.”It is important, therefore, for
Christians to practice the same hu-mility that Jesus did. “We do wellto remember this love story thatseems to fail, but in the end tri-umphs,” Francis concluded.“And to remember in story of ourlives, the seed of love that God hassown in us and how it went, and
1013 Ellsworth Street Philadelphia PA 19147 June 13-14, 2015
Father Vincent Farhat, Pastor Father Richard Cannuli, Weekend Assistant Mrs. Amal Kouyoumdji, Director of Religious Education
St. Maron’s Church Office: 215-389-2000 • Hall Reservations: 215-334-1884 • Emergency Number: 215-952-0712 or 561-371-5316CHURCH E-MAILS: Church Office: [email protected] •
FOURTH SUNDAY OF PENTECOST
TRANSLATIONNeed documents translated fromArabic/French/Italian into English?
Call William Hanna
267-808-0287IMMIGRATION
We provide you with the best service and the least expensive!
FUNERAL HOME, INC.2533-35 BROAD ST. PHILA., PA 19148
