maronite readings

This man who has a hundred sheep is the good shepherd (Jn 10,11), Christ is the merciful shepherd who had turned the whole flock of humankind into one single sheep, namely Adam. He had set this sheep in the delights of Paradise and the region of the pastures of life. But, ignoring the howling of the wolves, it forgot the shepherd’s voice, lost the way leading to the fold of salvation and found itself covered all over with fatal wounds. Christ came into the world to look for this sheep and found it again in the womb of the Virgin. He came, was born in the flesh, set the sheep upon the cross and took it on the shoulders of his Passion. Then, full of the joy of the resurrection, he lifted it up through his Ascension to the heavenly dwellings. “He called his friends and neighbors”, that is to say the angels, “and said to them: ‘Rejoice with me because I have found the sheep that was lost’ ” The angels sing and exult with Christ on account of the return of the Lord’s sheep. They are not upset to see it sitting before them on the throne of majesty since envy no longer exists in heaven, from which it has been cast out along with the devil. Thanks to the Lamb, who took away the sin of the world (Jn 1,29), the sin of envy can make its way into heaven no more. Brethren, Christ came to seek us out on earth; let us look for him in heaven. He has carried us into the glory of his divinity; let us bear him in our bodies by the holiness of our whole life.

maronite readings – rosary,team

“All you did to one of the least of these, you did to me” (Mt 25,40)… Here are reassuring words for you, Martha. Yet if I may say so, Martha, while blessed in your good service, you are seeking a reward for your labors, namely rest. Now you are occupied with much ministering; you feed mortal bodies, though they be of saints, but when you have reached home at the end of your journey will you find there a pilgrim to welcome? Will you find any hungry to feed? Any thirsty to whom you may offer drink? Any sick to visit? Any quarreling to reconcile? Any dead to bury? None of these will be there. But what will be there? What Mary has chosen: there we shall be fed, we shall not feed others. And so what Mary chose here will be full and perfect there: from that rich table she collected crumbs from the Lord’s word. And so you wish to know what will be there? The Lord himself says of his servants: “Truly, I say to you, he will have them sit at table, and he will come and serve them” (Lk 12,37).
maronite readings – rosary,team

Listen to God’s voice pushing you to come out of yourself to follow Christ… and you will become a perfect disciple: “Whoever does not renounce all he possesses cannot be my disciple.” After that, what is there to say? What answer can you give? All your hesitation and questioning falls flat before this single saying… And elsewhere Christ says: “Anyone who forsakes his life in this world will keep it for eternal life… If anyone serves me, my Father will honor him” (Jn 12,25f). Again, he says to his disciples: “Get up, let us go!” (Jn 14,31). By these words he shows us that neither his nor his disciples’ place lies here. Where are we going, then, Lord? “Where I am my servant will also be” (Jn 12,26). If Jesus cries out to us: “Get up, let us go!”, who would be so foolish as to stay here with the dead bodies in their tombs and dwell among the dead? Therefore every time the world tries to hold you back, remember Christ’s words: “Get up, let us go!”… Every time you feel like sitting down, staying put, being happy to stay where you are, remember that insistent voice and say to yourself: “Up you get! Let’s get going.” Because, in any case, you have to go. But go as Jesus went: go because he tells you to and not because the laws of nature carry you away in spite of yourself. Whether you like it or not you are on the way of those who are leaving. Leave, then, because your Lord tells you to and not necessitated by constraint. “Get up, let us go!” This voice arouses the recumbent; it is the trumpet voice casting out the sleep of laziness with its cry. It is a force, not a word. All at once it clothes the one who hears it with new strength and pushes them on from one thing to another in a winking… “Get up, let us go!” Do you see how he, too, accompanies you? What are you waiting for?… God is calling you to set out alongside him.

maronite readings – rosary,team

There is no way in which man is more like God than in his capacity to do good, and even if we are only able to do it to a wholly different degree, let us at least do all we can. God created man and raised him up after he had fallen so don’t you, on your part, despise anyone who has fallen into hard times. God, moved by man’s great distress, gave him the Law and the prophets, having already given him the unwritten law of nature. He took care to guide us, help us, correct us. Ultimately, he gave himself as a ransom for the life of the world… As for you, when you are sailing before the wind in the stern, hold out your hands to those who suffer shipwreck. When you enjoy good health and plenty, give help to the unfortunate. Don’t wait to learn to your own cost what an evil egoism is and how good it is to open your heart to those in need. Take care, because God’s hand chastises the presumptuous who forget about the poor. Learn your lesson from other people’s misfortunes and be lavish to the needy, even though it be with only the smallest forms of assistance. For him, who lacks everything, it won’t be valueless. Nor for God either, if you have done what you can. Let your haste to give supply for the insignificance of your gift. And if you have nothing, offer him your tears. Pity that springs from the heart is a great comfort to the unfortunate and a sincere compassion sweetens the bitterness of suffering.
maronite readings – rosary,team

O Mother of God, ever virgin, your holy departure from this world is in truth a way and an entry into the dwelling place of God. Leaving this material world, you enter into “a better country” (Heb 11:16) where the heavenly powers greet you with sacred canticles and joyous praise, saying: “Who is this most pure creature who rises up, shining like the dawn, beautiful as the moon, radiant as the sun?” (Sg 8:5; 6:10)… “The king has brought you into his chambers” (Sg 1:4) and angels magnify her who, according to God’s design, is their true mother, by nature and grace, of their very Lord… The apostles bore your stainless body, the true Ark of the Covenant, and laid it in its holy tomb. And there, as though across another Jordan, you came to the real Land of promise, I might even say to the “Jerusalem above”, mother of believers (Gal 4:26), of which God is the architect and builder. Your soul most certainly “did not go down into the netherworld, nor has your flesh itself experienced corruption” (Ps 15[16]:10; Acts 2:31). Your pure and spotless body was not left within the earth but you, Queen, Sovereign, Lady, Mother of God, true Godbearer, have been lifted to the dwellings of the heavenly Kingdom… We approach you, O our Queen, Mother of God and Virgin, on this day; we turn our souls towards the hope you represent for us… We wish to honor you with “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs” (Eph 5:19). In thus honoring the servant we express our dedication to our common Lord… Cast your eyes upon us, O Queen, mother of our kind Sovereign; guide our way into the calm harbor of God’s good will.

maronite readings – rosary,team