maronite readings

For my hands, Lord, that did what they ought not, your hands were pierced with nails, your feet for my feet. For my unlawful use of sight and hearing your eyes and ears suffered the sleep of death. Your side was opened by the soldier’s spear, that, through your wound, out of my unclean heart might flow at last all that in the long process of disgrace had burned and penetrated into it. Lastly, you died that I might live; and you were buried, so that I might rise. This is the kiss your tenderness bestows upon your bride; this is your love’s embrace for your beloved… The thief’s confession on the cross earned him this kiss; Peter received it when the Lord looked on him at the time of his denial, and, going out, he wept most bitterly. And many of those who crucified you were turned to you after your passion, and so were united to you in this kiss… In this embrace the publicans and sinners were enfolded, whose friend and fellow guest you had become… Lord, whither do you draw those whom you thus embrace and enfold, save to your heart? The manna of your Godhead, which you, O Jesus,keep within the golden vessel of your all-wise human soul, is your sweet heart! Blessed are they whom your embrace draws close to it. Blessed the souls whom you have hidden in your heart, that inmost hiding-place, so that your arms overshadow them from the disquieting of men and they only hope in your covering and fostering wings. Those who are hidden in your secret heart are overshadowed by your mighty arms; they sleep sweetly, and in the midst of the sheep folds look forward joyfully, for they share the merit of a good conscience and the anticipation of your promised reward. They neither fail from faintheartedness, nor murmur from impatience. (Biblical references : Jn 19,34; Lk 23,42; 22,61; Acts 2,41; Mt 9,10; Heb 9,4; Ps 31[30],21; 91[90],4)

maronite readings – rosary,team

Curse me not as you cursed the fig tree (cf. Mt 21,19)
Though I be like a barren tree,
Lest the green leaves of my faith
Are withered with the fruit of my works. But set me fast in what is good
Like the branch on the holy Vine
That your heavenly Father tends (Jn 15,2)
And the Spirit brings to fruit through its growth. As for the tree that I am, barren in tasty fruit
But fruitful in bitter:
Do not cut it out of your vineyard
But transform it, hollowing it out in the fire.

maronite readings – rosary,team

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice!” (Phil 4,4). The Apostle Paul tells us to rejoice, but in the Lord, not in the world, for “whosoever wishes to be a friend of this world”, as scripture says, “will be accounted an enemy of God” (Jas 4,4). Just as a man cannot serve two masters (Mt 6,24), so nobody can rejoice both in the world and in the Lord. So let joy in the Lord conquer, until joy in the world comes to an end. Let joy in the Lord ever increase… This does not mean that while we are in this world we must not rejoice, but rather that, even while we are in this world, we should already rejoice in the Lord. But somebody objects: “I am in the world, and so, If I rejoice, I rejoice where I am.” Well then, just because you are in the world, does this mean you are not in the Lord? Listen to the same Saint Paul… talking about God and about the Lord our Creator: “In him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17,28). Where is the place where he is not, he who is everywhere? Is this not why Paul was exhorting us: “The Lord is hand, do not be anxious” (Phil 4,5-6)? This is a great thing, that he ascended above all heavens, and is near to those who live on earth. Who is both far away and nearby, if not he who drew near to us in his mercy for us ?

maronite readings – rosary,team

We all want nothing other than to be happy and at peace. We were created for that, and we can only find happiness and peace by loving God. Loving him brings us joy and happiness. Many, especially in the West, think that living comfortably makes a person happy. I think it is more difficult to be happy when one is rich, because the concerns about earning money and keeping it hide God from us. However, if God has entrusted you with wealth, use it to serve his works: help others, help the poor, create jobs, give work to others. Don’t waste your fortune on vain things. Having a house, honors, freedom, good health, all that has been entrusted to us by God so that we can use it to serve those who are less fortunate than we are. Jesus said: “As often as you did it for one of my least brothers, you did it for me.” (Mt 25:40) Consequently, the only thing that can make me sad is to offend our Lord through selfishness or through lack of love for others, or to wrong someone. By wounding the poor, by wounding one another, we wound God. It belongs to God to give and to take back (Job 1:21); so share what you have received, including your own life.
maronite readings – rosary,team

When Saint Lawrence saw Bishop Sixtus being led to martyrdom, he started to weep. It was not his Bishop’s suffering that drew tears form his eyes but the fact that he was going to martyrdom without him. That was why he began shouting after him in these words: “Father, where are you going without your son? O holy priest, where are you going in such a hurry without your deacon? Yet you have never been accustomed to offer the sacrifice without a minister!… Test it out that you have chosen a good deacon: would you refuse to share the sacrifice of your blood with him to whom you have entrusted the administration of the Lord’s blood, with whom you share the sacraments?”… Then Pope Sixtus replied to Lawrence: “I have not forgotten you, my son, nor am I forsaking you. But to you I am leaving even greater combats to undergo. I am old and can only bear a light struggle. But you are young and there remains an even more glorious triumph against the tyrant to be won by you. You will be coming shortly; dry your tears; you will follow me in three days …” Three days later, Lawrence was arrested. He was asked to bring out the Church’s wealth and treasures. He promised to do so. The following day he returned with some poor people. He was asked where the treasures were that he had to bring. He showed the poor people, saying: “These are the Church’s treasures. What greater treasures could Christ have than those of whom he said: ‘Whatever you have done to one of these little ones, you have done to me’ (Mt 25,40)?” Lawrence showed forth those treasures and so he was the victor, for the persecutor had no desire to take them from him. But, in his fury, he caused him to be burned alive.
maronite readings – rosary,team