Catholic Maronite Readings

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are of one substance and inseparably equal. Their unity is in their essence, their plurality in the persons. The Lord openly showed the unity of the divine essence and the trinity of persons when he said: “Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” He did not say “in the names”, but “in the name”, by which he showed the unity of essence. But he then used three names in order to show that there are three persons. In this Trinity can be found the supreme origin of all things, perfect beauty, very blessed joy. As Saint Augustine said in his book on true religion, the supreme origin is God the Father, from whom all things come, from whom proceed the Son and the Holy Spirit. The very perfect beauty is the Son, the truth of the Father, who is not dissimilar to him in anything, whom we venerate with the Father and in the Father, who is the model for all things, because everything was made through him and everything relates to him. The very blessed joy, the sovereign goodness is the Holy Spirit who is the gift of the Father and of the Son; and we must believe and hold that this gift is exactly like the Father and the Son. When we look at creation, we end up with the Trinity which is of one single substance. We understand one single God: the Father from whom we are, the Son by whom we are, the Holy Spirit in whom we are – the Origin to whom we run; the model whom we follow; the grace which reconciles us.

maronite readings – rosary,team

O Prince of peace, risen Jesus, look kindly upon all humankind. It is from you alone that it looks for aid and rescue. Just as in the days of your earthly life, you always prefer the small, the humble, those who suffer. You step constantly in front of sinners. Grant that all may call upon you and find you that they may have in you their way, their truth, their life (Jn 14,6). Grant us your peace, O Lamb sacrificed for our salvation (Rv 5,6; Jn 1,29): “O Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world; grant us your peace!” This is our prayer, O Jesus: Banish from men’s hearts everything that could compromise their peace; confirm them in truth, justice, love for each other. Enlighten all leaders: may their efforts on behalf of peoples’ well-being be united in the task with a view to ensuring them peace. Stir up the wills of all to overthrow the barriers that divide us and to strengthen the bonds of charity. Stir up the wills of all to be ready to understand, to sympathize, to forgive; that all may be united in your name, and that in hearts, in families, in the whole world, peace, your peace, may triumph.

maronite readings – rosary,team

The Church… shares the uneasiness of so many of the people of our time. Moreover, one cannot fail to be worried by the decline of many fundamental values, which constitute an unquestionable good not only for Christian morality but simply for human morality, for moral culture… In connection with this picture of our generation, a picture which cannot fail to cause profound anxiety, there come to mind once more those words which, by reason of the Incarnation of the Son of God, resounded in Mary’s Magnificat, and which sing of “mercy from generation to generation” (Lk 1,50)… The Church must bear witness to the mercy of God revealed in Christ, in the whole of His mission as Messiah… Some theologians affirm that mercy is the greatest of the attributes and perfections of God, and the Bible, Tradition and the whole faith life of the People of God provide particular proofs of this. It is not a question here of the perfection of the inscrutable essence of God in the mystery of the divinity itself, but of the perfection and attribute whereby man, in the intimate truth of his existence, encounters the living God particularly closely and particularly often. In harmony with Christ’s words to Philip, the “vision of the Father”-a vision of God through faith finds precisely in the encounter with His mercy a unique moment of interior simplicity and truth, similar to that which we discover in the parable of the prodigal son (Lk 15,11). “He who has seen me has seen the Father.” The Church professes the mercy of God, the Church lives by it in her wide experience of faith and also in her teaching, constantly contemplating Christ, concentrating on Him, on His life and on His Gospel, on His cross and resurrection, on His whole mystery. Everything that forms the “vision” of Christ in the Church’s living faith and teaching brings us nearer to the “vision of the Father” in the holiness of His mercy.
maronite readings – rosary,team

Jesus’ whole life, his way of dealing with the poor, his actions, his integrity, his simple daily acts of generosity, and finally his complete self-giving, is precious and reveals the mystery of his divine life. Whenever we encounter this anew, we become convinced that it is exactly what others need, even though they may not recognize it… Sometimes we lose our enthusiasm for mission because we forget that the Gospel responds to our deepest needs, since we were created for what the Gospel offers us: friendship with Jesus and love of our brothers and sisters… We have a treasure of life and love which cannot deceive, and a message which cannot mislead or disappoint. It penetrates to the depths of our hearts, sustaining and ennobling us. It is a truth which is never out of date because it reaches that part of us which nothing else can reach. Our infinite sadness can only be cured by an infinite love… In union with Jesus, we seek what he seeks and we love what he loves. In the end, what we are seeking is the glory of the Father; we live and act “for the praise of his glorious grace” (Eph 1,6). If we wish to commit ourselves fully and perseveringly, we need to leave behind every other motivation. This is our definitive, deepest and greatest motivation, the ultimate reason and meaning behind all we do: the glory of the Father which Jesus sought at every moment of his life. As the Son, he rejoices eternally to be “close to the Father’s heart” (Jn 1,18). If we are missionaries, it is primarily because Jesus told us that “by this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit” (Jn 15,8). Beyond all our own preferences and interests, our knowledge and motivations, we evangelize for the greater glory of the Father who loves us.
maronite readings – rosary,team