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2 INTRODUCTION ISSUE NUMBER 014 WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 13 2023 THE SYMBOLISATION OF OUR LOGO The circle or ring represents the symbol of eternity and never ending existence It also symbolizes heaven because of its perfect symmetry and its unvarying balance As an emblem for God it suggests not only the perfection of God but the everlasting God The Cross features the central image of the crucified Christ It represents the core Christian belief in the death and resurrection of Jesus The cross of the Lebanese Maronite Order is made of two bones its four edges are equal These bones represent the relics of our ancestors martyrs and saints who held our faith through the most troublesome times and kept it alive for generations Symbol of Lebanon and Virgin Mary The Cedar of Lebanon scientifically known as Cedrus Libani is renowned for its exceptionally hard wood which was historically utilized in construction thus rendering it emblematic of potency rootedness in the earth perpetuity and inviolability This majestic cedar tree signifying both beauty and magnificence serves as a symbol of Christ and is also an honorific term for his mother often invoked as Oh cedar of Lebanon Pray for us Possessing evergreen foliage and remarkable longevity the cedar tree holds a significant place in the B i b le es p eci al l y t h e O l d Te s t a me nt w h ere it embodies notions of robustness steadiness and endurance References to the Cedars of Lebanon frequently appear in various scriptural passages frequently associated with the provision of construction materials for the erection of significant e d ific es i n c lu d i n g t h e i l l ust r i o us Templ e o f S o l o mo n While the Cedar currently occupies a central position on the Lebanese flag it s wor th noting that the Lebanese Maronite Order was the initial institution that adopted the Cedar as its emblem in 1695 Mitre Symbol of authority and jurisdiction Its composition and design sometime takes the form of a conical cloth hat encircled by a gilded wreath or a metal headpiece adorned with two or three layers of precious gemstones These three layers in the pope s crown symbolize his triple authority encompassing the spiritual legal and temporal domains This crown is also worn by bishops during religious ceremonies symbolizing the crown of thorns woven by soldiers for Jesus as detailed in Exodus 39 30 31 Staff Symbol of guidance and hope The bishop or the leader of the monks carries a staff that symbolizes the reed placed in Jesus right hand when he was stripped of his garments and crowned with thorns Matthew 27 29 This symbolism originates from the Bible and represents various facets it embodies the shepherd s staff signifying their guardianship over those entrusted to their care it ser ves as a ruler s scepter and it represents a traveler s suppor t Moreover it holds the significance of the Cross of Christ The letter M in Latin and in Syriac M for Mary the Mother of God and M for Maronite It is written in Syriac the Liturgical Language of the Maronites and in Latin for the Maronite Church is the link between eastern and western Christianity The Maronite church is the only Eastern church that was always in full Communion with the Bishop of Rome FUN PAGE ISSUE NUMBER 014 WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 13 2023 15 HILARIOUS HUMOR SUNDAY SCHOOL The Sunday School teacher asks the children to draw Christmas pictures She goes over to one student and sees he s drawn a picture of four people on an airplane What is this she asked Mary and Joseph and Baby Jesus on a flight to Egypt he says Well who s the fourth person That s Pontius the pilot CROSSWORDS SUDOKU Find the solution word described by each numbered across or down clue and then write it into the corresponding squares in the grid 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Every SUDOKU has a unique solution that the player have to reach logically Enter the numbers into the blank spaces so that each column row and 3x3 box contains numbers from 1 to 9 without repeats 912 83 6 2 9 47 5 3 8 6 41 1 8 95 6 9 2 23 4 83 4 16 Across 1 Small animals or insects that carry disease or are harmful to crops 6 4 Silky material 5 6 Small juicy fruit containing seeds in its flesh 5 8 Attractive nice to look at 6 Down 1 Stopping at en route as in The train went from London to Southampton ___ Basingstoke 3 2 Large country house with grounds 5 3 Unpleasant horrible 5 4 Clever the opposite of blunt 5 5 Furniture with legs and a flat top 5 7 Thin beam of sunlight 3 OUR LADY OF LEBANON LEBANESE MARONITE ORDER UNITED KINGDOM 6 DOBSON CLOSE SWISS COTTAGE LONDON NW6 4RS T 44 0 20 7586 1801 REGISTERED CHARITY NO 290830 melto maronitechurch org uk www maronitechurch org uk

14 LITURGICAL ISSUE NUMBER 014 WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 13 2023 THE HOLY CROSS IN THE MARONITE LITURGY By Fr Youssef Eshak And I when I am lifted up from the earth will draw all people to myself John 12 32 These are the words of the Lord Jesus Christ which we will later experience from the all loving God who loved and humbled himself and obeyed even to death on a cross Philippians 2 8 for his own who were in the world John 13 1 Let us behold the love of the crucified for us A love that the Church has experienced since its inception and still does to this day A love that the people of God have expressed through worship and reverence dedicated to the holy cross the symbol of our Lord s sacrifice and redemption of humanity The cross of Jesus which was a sign of shame and mockery among the peoples of this world has become for us according to St Paul the power of God 1 Corinthians 1 18 It is the will of Jesus Christ in our lives in the life of those who believe in His holy name Therefore throughout history the church of Christ has held the Holy Cross in deep respect and honor The Maronite Church in particular places great significance on the cross evident in its Liturgy a role we will explore further The Maronite people have celebrated their Holy Cross on all their occasions and have dedicated a whole feast to it seeing in it the unique and perfect expression of the essence of their faith The season of the Holy Cross declares to the whole world that God the Father saved humanity through his incarnate Son who for us and our salvation Nicaean Constantinopolitan Creed 325 A D died on the cross rose again by his power and sent us the Paraclete to complete in us and through us that he had begun himself In addition to that we worship the Holy Cross on Holy Friday one of the biggest days of our liturgical year On this day we contemplate the death of our Lord by celebrating the rite of the adoration of the Cross On this great and holy day the church and her children all will go out holding flowers and singing the Love of their savior Furthermore in the Maronite tradition we celebrate the glorious lifting of the Cross from the tomb and the rite of peace on the night of Easter the Feast of Resurrection It is a ceremony that commemorates the victory of our Lord over death and hell as stated in the verse O Death where is your sting O Hades where is your victory 1 Corinthians 15 55 This ceremony revolves around lifting the holy Cross from the tomb where it was buried on Good Friday during the adoration of the Cross ceremony Moreover in this rite the church will adorn the cross with a white banner a symbol of victory over death pain and sin Finally the cross will proceed in the church to be honored and venerated by the faithful There is a close relationship between the ceremony of the adoration of the Cross on Good Friday and the ceremony of lifting the Cross on Resurrection Sunday The one who was crucified and buried in the tomb is the same one who rises triumphantly victorious over pain and death We need to shed light on one final thing which is the Maronite concept of the Lord s Cross and its power in their lives Through deep worship during the holy season of the Cross in the liturgical year on the one hand and popular rites prayers and customs on the other hand the Maronite people have honored the Lord s Cross in their lives On the cross the Church was born from the water and blood that flowed from the side of Jesus The Church rose to worship the one who redeemed her as we find in the book Manarat al Aqdas by Patriarch Douaihy which delves into the minutest details of the Church s life believing that the cross is the source of salvation power glory and the promise of eternal life It is the treasure of Christian life and the perfection of all its sacraments We draw the cross on ourselves our people and the sacraments we intend to sanctify because the Lord and Savior by his death on the cross has destroyed the body of sin put death to death and shattered the power of the devil who had held us under the yoke of slavery By his cross he opened heaven to us and called us to love God and to behold his face forever and ever Therefore the faithful have great faith in drawing the cross because it contains the power of the Lord who made salvation for the descendants of Adam Nothing in the affairs of the Church is blessed or sanctified except by the sign of the cross The faithful are not baptized the churches and altars are not consecrated the bride and groom are not crowned the sins of penitents are not forgiven the priests and deacons are not ordained the hosanna the olives branches and candles icons water oil liturgical vestments and altar garments are not blessed the holy chrism and baptism oil are not consecrated and nothing in the affairs of the church or the affairs of the congregation even the body of the Lord the source of life is not sanctified if it was not sign by the cross Patriarch Douaihy Manarat al Aqsa s pp 206 210 Based on Douaihy s text we can understand how the Maronites lived their salvation cross in Mount Lebanon and the world We can understand how the Maronite Church lived and devoted an entire season to honoring the Cross placing in it all its rites prayers and worship trying thereby to live this salvific event in its entirety Finally we can understand what the Maronite church means when it sings in the adoration of the Cross on Good Friday THEOLOGICAL ISSUE NUMBER 014 WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 13 2023 The Truth of the Cross and the Corruption of Man By Br Tony Boutros 3 Approaching the feast of the Holy Cross there are many themes that can be associated with the Cross and all are good and meaningful However in the topsy turvy period of time we are living in we seem to thirst for any meaning we can graft from the Cross the symbol of our Christian faith in order to make sense of our existence and the issues of our time After all Christ s crucifixion is directly linked to our existence for all Christ did he did for us and for our salvation Nicaean Constantinopolitan Creed 325 A D Nonetheless if we think more deeply about the issues plaguing our time there is one which particularly stands out each individual or group seems to so readily point the finger at the other and accuse the other of all that is going wrong in our world today Whether it be religiously politically socially economically or racially there is a human tendency that has always been present but is especially poignant today to direct our vision exteriorly in attempting to find the reasons for problems we are facing Despite all this how can man find a solution to this issue by meditating upon the Cross and him who is crucified upon it What does the reality of the crucified Christ teach us about ourselves today here and now The following article will explore three themes Human envy acceptance of weakness and imitation of Christ all in the context of the Holy Cross Human Envy We currently live in an age in which personal preference and emotion supersedes objective truth Increasingly we as individuals seem to easily reject something we come across if it simply makes us feel uncomfortable without addressing it as needs be Rather than face the truth of ourselves that stings the very depths of our being humans ignore it push it away and even deny it in an attempt to preserve the illusionary image of the self which each individual ego has built up over many years of selfishness envy and pride But in the face of this corruption there is the cross and the one hanging upon it The Cross when gazed upon presents to us a quite clear contradiction All that is good and true in Christ is firmly attached to all that represents evil and death the Cross Christ is the blameless and spotless lamb who was sacri

6 SPIRITUAL ISSUE NUMBER 014 WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 13 2023 The Feast of the exaltation of the Holy Cross Feast Day September 14 By Leila Ammar On September 14 the Church celebrates the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross which marks the beginning of the final season of the Maronite liturgical year This Feast recalls three historical events th e fi ndi ng of the Tr u e Cross by S a int Helena the mother of the emperor Constantine the dedication of churches built by Constantine on the site of the Holy Sepulcher and Mount Calvary and the r e s t o r ati on of the Tr u e C ross to Je r u salem by the emperor Heraclius II But in a deeper sense the feast also celebrates the Holy Cross as the instrument of our salvation This instrument of torture designed to degrade the worst of criminals became the life giving tree that reversed Adam s Original Sin when he at e fro m t he Tre e o f t he Kn ow le d g e of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden According to tradition first mentioned by Saint Cyril of Jerusalem in 348AD Saint Helena nearing the end of her life decided under divine inspiration to travel to Jerusalem in 326AD to excavate the Holy Sepulcher and attempt t o l o cat e t he Tr u e Cro s s A Jew by t h e name of Judas aware of the tradition concerning the hiding of the Cross led those excavating the Holy Sepulcher to the spot in which it was hidden Three crosses were found on the spot According to legend Saint Helena and Saint Macarius the bishop of Jerusal em a s s u m in g t hat o n e wa s t h e Tr ue Cross and the other two belonged to the thieves crucified alongside Christ devised an experiment to determine which t he Tr u e Cro s s wa s O n e v e rs i o n s ay s t h e three crosses were taken to a woman who was near death when she touched the Tr u e Cro s s s he wa s he a l e d In a not h e r the body of a dead man was brought to the place where the three crosses were fo u n d a n d l a id u p o n e a ch cro s s Th e Tr ue Cross restored the dead man to life Saint Helena needed to get the word back to her son Constantine that she had fo u n d t he Tr u e Cro s s s o s he a r r a ng e d HISTORICAL ISSUE NUMBER 014 WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 13 2023 11 1960 8 11 13 22 43 23 15 16 1291 1099

10 HISTORICAL ISSUE NUMBER 014 WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 13 2023 20 17 6 SPIRITUAL ISSUE NUMBER 014 WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 13 2023 7 for a relay of bonfires to spread the good news from Jerusalem back to Constantinople city of Istanbul now She had her servant light a bonfire on the first mountain then when the servant on the next mountain saw the fire he set a bonfire and so on until the fire relay reached Constantinople The Emperor had a church built at the site where Jesus empty grave had been and built a basilica In the middle of these two churches was a shrine marking the spot where Jesus had been crucified These churches were dedicated on September 14 in the year 335AD To t h i s d ay t h e E a s t e r n C hur c h e s C at h olic and Orthodox alike celebrate the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on the Sep tember anniversar y of the basilica s dedication For example in the Lebanese culture people find the highest peak in their areas and light a bonfire on the eve of the Exaltation and gather around to celebrate in remembrance The feast entered the Western calendar in the seventh century after Emperor Heraclius recovered the cross from the Persians who had carried it off 15 years earlier in 614AD According to the story the emperor intended to carry the cross back into Jerusalem himself but was unable to move forward until he took off his imperial garb and became a barefoot pilgrim Illumination from the Rabbula Gospels Crucifixion with Longinus and Stephaton AD 586

8 HISTORICAL ISSUE NUMBER 014 WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 13 2023 By Bishop Maroun Nasser Gemayyel 6 14 41 40 25 T 1 4000 30 14 6 1500 27 46 34 23 43 23 27 19 HISTORICAL ISSUE NUMBER 014 WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 13 2023 9 INRI 21 12 4 9 14 3 5 1 22 7 1 14 3 2 7 2 1 5 370 X

12 ADVERTISEMENT ISSUE NUMBER 014 WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 13 2023 SPIRITUAL ISSUE NUMBER 014 WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 13 2023 5 Imitation of Christ The term imitation of Christ is one that has become clich within the Christian tradition But if we explore it a little more deeply we may find it still has plenty to communicate to us even in these contemporary times As Christians we are overly used to utilising the word cross for any situation without really grasping its depth Christ himself says If any want to become my followers let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me Mt 16 24 The message of the cross is not one for the fainthearted even today It requires tough decisions to be made the facing of contradiction and persecution in all its possible forms and self sacrifice This is why the approach of Jesus towards the Cross is the ultimate example for us in facing our own crosses of life regardless of their sizes The Christian Cross is inseparable from the figure of Jesus Christ Any meaning to the cross is only given to it because of its connection to Christ the word of God in whom all things were made Therefore in facing the problems of life the example of the life of Christ is the light leading man on his way Within this there are three quick lessons one can learn from Christ in imitation of his approach to the Cross Firstly life is full of challenges and problems and man must face these with confidence in God rather than seeking to avoid them at all costs Our contemporary world is striving to do all things in order spare itself from any discomfort physical or emotional Jesus life was full of challenges and suffering but he did not fade away from them but approached them with joy seeking to find in suffering the true depth of the human existential experience of God s presence in his life Secondly the Cross is the expression of sacrificial love th e tr u est form of love Today th ere is too much of a focus on doing what makes me comfortable There is no longer an emphasis on offering up my own personal comfort for the sake of those that I love The crucified Christ teach us that true love is only in the giving up of self and when there is this self offering only then can the true meaning of man s existence be discovered For man was made in the image and likeness of God cf Gen 1 26 and God is love 1 Jn 4 16 Thus man was made for love and he can be satisfied in no other way The Cross is not only a possibility but also a necessity There is no true Christian life without the Cross It is inevitable The Cross and the Christian go hand in hand Lastly each person must focus on his own cross and not too much on the cross of others It is no coincidence that the Lord asks of each to carry their cross In life our sight instead of remaining fixed on Christ begins to wander to the deeds of others out of comparison competition or any other reason One of the most challenging aspects of the Christian life is for one to focus on their own relationship with Christ without worrying too much about what others do right or wrong It is inevitable that I will notice what others do because I am in constant interaction with them However how much do I really know about the intentions of the other and what is truly in their heart This is why Christ at the end of the Gospel of John when asked by Peter about the beloved disciple replies If it is my will that he remain until I come what is that to you Follow me Jn 21 22 The Cross is significant because it is my own cross It is my own burden to bear with joy in imitation of Christ who carried his cross for my sake and the sake of all men Overall it is important to realise the Cross is not just a sign of Christianity that is external to myself It is in fact part of the very centre of my existence I cannot find meaning for life without the Cross and isn t that the yearning of each and every man and woman to find some meaning in their life Life is not just a period which begins is lived and ends Life is an adventure a gift from the Almighty God who wishes for me to be an active part of his plan of salvation In this way let us gaze towards the Cross to make sense of our strange times and to understand with confidence that the only solution to any problem that we experience is Jesus Christ Let us not give up our trust in him no matter how tough life becomes Let us be strong so that in hope we may await what no eye has seen nor ear heard nor the heart of man conceived what God has prepared for those who love him 1 Cor 2 9 We adore you O C hrist and we praise you for by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world

4 THEOLOGICAL ISSUE NUMBER 014 WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 13 2023 ficed despite having done no wrong the ultimate scapegoat Humanity was so unwilling to accept the truth about itself that Christ brought that it was more willing to kill the truth even in the ugliest of ways than to accept the freedom Jesus Christ came to offer if man was willing to admit he needed help When we look upon the Cross we do not only see a man who was crucified two thousand years ago by a group of Jewish elders who wanted to get rid of him but we see the corruption of all humanity This humanity that denied permanent truth for temporary pleasure and killed him who was the very source of its being Christ came bearing the truth of the Kingdom of God He told man about how weak he really is and presented to him the way forward But before the ultimate truth of himself man is ashamed The truth is at least to man too heavy a burden to bear upon his conscience He is ashamed he cannot be as good as the truth and rather than accept this man is filled with envy and tries to prove in every way that he is still as good as he thinks he is In order to do this he must wipe out the truth at any cost because it is an obstacle to him How often we fall in the snares of envy in the midst of our daily activities Envy is defined by the Catechism of the Catholic Church as a capital sin It refers to the sadness at the sight of another s goods and the immoderate desire to acquire them for oneself even unjustly When it wishes grave harm to a neighbour it is a mortal sin CCC 2539 When seeing those that are more talented or possess more or exteriorly appear to be happier we are quick to compare our own state to those around us and unfortunately we often go to immoral and dangerous extents to confirm to ourselves and others that we are more favourable This can begin as simply gossiping or spreading false information about him who I am envious of and with some can even end with physical harm of the other There is no limit to human evil However man can freely choose to stop this evil It is therefore man s own responsibility to learn from the Cross and the Crucified Lord in order to remind himself of how much evil he is capable of if he does not control the envy that is within him Acc eptanc e of Weakness Despite all this corruption and sin the Crucified Jesus expresses one great message to fallen man weakness is acceptable as long as it is seen as weakness On the wood of the Cross we see the Almig ht y Omnipotent Eternal Word weak scarred and covered in blood The ultimate sign of salvation is also the ultimate sign of weakness Why is this so From the point of man s fall it seems God s most magnificent work is to create salvation and glor y from sin and destruction We see this clearly from the great events of the Old Tes t a ment s uch a s Jo s eph t he s o n o f Ja c ob wh o was sold into slavery only to be the means of salvation for his brothers from the deadly famine of the time cf Gen 37 50 or the people of Israel who endured forty years in the wilderness before reaching the promised land cf Ex 15 18 or David who was chosen from following the sheep to be ruler 2 Sam 7 8 over the people of God It is no coincidence that Paul after years of experience in the presence of the Lord says That is why for Christ s sake I delight in weaknesses in insults in hardships in persecutions in difficulties For when I am weak then I am strong 2 Cor 12 10 The Crucified Jesus fully God and fully man is the climax of God s plan of salvation He is the ultimate example of God transformation of what is most evil into that which is the greatest good But the benefits of this salvation are only for those who open their hearts to it In other words to those who accept that they are in need of salvation that they are sinners who are hopelessly in need of God to pull them out of their mire It is true that as stated above the crucifixion presents the lows which man is able to reach in preservation of his selfish ego but it is also a representation of the great mercy man receives despite his error The wounds of Jesus his pierces hands feet and side all give man hope that even in the darkest moments of life through trust in the Lord man can be victorious in God who makes all things new cf Rev 21 5 But in order for all this to occur man must humbly accept that he is fallen that he is in need of assistance that he cannot rely only on himself Man s weakness can only become strength if it is recognised as weakness in the first place for mercy cannot be separated from truth After all in the first Letter of John it is said If we confess our sins he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness 1 John 1 9 The Cross shows man that if he accepts his weakness and confesses it humbly it may become for him the greatest means of glory After all is not the resurrected Christ the greatest proof of this He always appears after his resurrection with his crucifixion wounds now glorified He has not wiped out the weakness but he has glorified it and raised it to a new level This is what makes the Christian community so unique for it is the only one to paradoxically glorify weakness rather than to ignore or despise it THEOLOGICAL ISSUE NUMBER 014 WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 13 2023 13 By Fr Antoine Achkar 14 6

16 ADVERTISEMENT ISSUE NUMBER 014 WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 13 2023 IMPORTS EXPORTS Anytime Anywhere MARONITE SPIRITUAL HISTORICAL Free Monthly Newspaper Published by Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Church in the United Kingdom IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD AND THE WORD WAS GOD JOHN 1 1 ISSUE NUMBER 014 WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 13 2023 3 THEOLOGICAL THE TRUTH OF THE CROSS AND THE CORRUPTION OF MAN 8 HISTORICAL 14 LITURGICAL THE HOLY CROSS IN THE MARONITE LITURGY FEAST OF THE HOLY CROSS We offer competitive rates to the Middle East Please call us on 0 44 7772623221 or send us an email to info greenlightforwarding com Custom Entries Imports Exports Road Freight Sea Freight Deliveries Removals Packing CertIficate of Origin Deferment Accounts Perishables Cites Certificates Peach Applications Defra Accounts Entry Amendments EORI Applications VAT Applications Documents Legalisation By Fr Fadi Kmeid 18 1 1 40 27 13 15