maronite readings

Father, all-powerful and ever-living God,
we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks. You allowed no stain of Adam’s sin
to touch the Virgin Mary.
Full of grace, she was to be a worthy mother of your Son,
your sign of favor to the Church at its beginning,
and the promise of its perfection as the bride of Christ, radiant in beauty. Purest of virgins, she was to bring forth your Son,
the innocent lamb who takes away our sins.
You chose her from all women to be our advocate with you
and our pattern of holiness. In our joy we sing to your glory
with all the choirs of angels: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of hosts!

maronite readings – rosary,team

The sovereign Father has sent us the true Joseph today “to see his brothers and their flocks” (cf. Gn 37,14). This is most surely that Joseph whom his father loved best of all his brothers” (v.3)… He it is, the one more loved, more intelligent, more splendid than all the others; it is he whom God the Father has sent out today… “Whom shall I send, says God the Father, and who will go for us?” (Is 6,8). The Son replies: “Behold, I myself will go in search of my sheep” (cf. Ez 34,11). Leaving the heights of heaven, he comes down “into the valley of Hebron” (cf. Gn 37,14). Adam had traversed the mountain of pride; the Son of God descends into the vale of humility. Today he finds a valley to come down into. Where is it to be found? Not in you, O Eve, mother of our misfortune, not in you… but in the blessed Mary. She is indeed that vale of Hebron by reason of her humility and because of her might… She is strong because she shares in the strength of him of whom it is written: “The Lord is strong and mighty” (Ps 24[23],8). She is that woman of worth so greatly desired by Solomon, who said: “A worthy woman, who can find her?” (Pr 31,10)… Even though Eve was created in paradise, without corruption, infirmity or pain, she showed herself so weak and sickly. So “who will find a worthy woman?” Can we find in misfortune here below what could not be found in happiness beyond? Can we find her in this vale of tears when we were not able to find her in the happiness of Paradise?… Today – yes, today! – she has been found. God the Father has found this woman so as to make her holy; the Son has found her so as to dwell in her; the Holy Spirit has found her so as to enlighten her… The angel has found so as to greet her thus: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you”. This is she, the woman who is worthy. In her, seriousness, humility and virginity are opposed to curiosity, vanity, seductiveness. It is written: “The angel will go in to you”. She was not found facing outwards, to what is external, then; she was within, in her secret room where she was praying to the Father in secret (Mt 6,6).

maronite readings – rosary,team

Since Abraham was a prophet he saw the day of the Lord’s coming in the Spirit as also the designs of his Passion, through which both he and all those like him who believed in God would be saved. And he was seized with great joy. Thus the Lord was not unknown to Abraham since he longed to see his day… He longed to see his day so that he, too, might clasp Christ to himself, and having seen him prophetically in the Spirit, he rejoiced. That is why Simeon, who was of his descendants, fulfilled the patriarch’s joy and said: “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all peoples”… And Elizabeth said [according to some manuscripts]: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior”. Abraham’s rejoicing descended, as it were, on those who were watching and who saw Christ and believed in him. And this rejoicing returned back to Abraham through his children.       So it was altogether fitting that our Lord bore witness to him when he said: “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: he saw it and was glad”. Nor was it only with regard to Abraham that he said this but of all those who, from the beginning, had come to know God and prophesied of Christ’s coming. For they had received this revelation from the Son himself: that Son who, in these the last days, became visible and palpable and talked with men so that he might raise up sons from Abraham out of stones and make his posterity to be like the stars of the heaven. ( Biblical references : Gn 17,17; Lk 2,29s; Lk 1,46; He 1,2;  Bar 4,38; Mt 3,9; Gn 15,5)

maronite readings – rosary,team

One might say a great deal about faith. It is enough to cast a glance at Abraham, one of the models given us by the Old Testament, since we are his children by faith. This man was not justified by his works alone but also by faith. He had done many good deeds but he was only called a friend of God when he had given proof of his faith. All his works drew their perfection from his faith. It was by faith that he left his family; it was by faith that he left his homeland, his country and his house. In the same way as he was made righteous, become righteous yourselves! Later on his body became incapable of fatherhood since he had become extremely old. Sara, to whom he had been united, was also old. And so they had no hope at all of a posterity. God, however, announced to this old man that he would become a father, and Abraham’s faith did not flinch. Considering that his body was already very close to death, he did not take his physical weakness into account, nonetheless, but the strength of the One who made the promise, since he judged him who had made this promise to be worthy of faith. Thus it was that, from two bodies already marked, so to speak, by death, a child was marvellously born… It is Abraham’s example of faith that makes children of Abraham out of us all. How? People find resurrection from the dead just as unbelievable as that old men, already marked by death, should father their posterity. But when someone proclaims the good news of Christ to us, crucified on the tree, dead and brought back to life again, then we believe it. Thus it is through imitating his faith that we enter into the descendance of Abraham. And so, like him, we receive with faith the spiritual seal, circumcised like him in baptism by the Holy Spirit.

maronite readings – rosary,team

There was a time when the person whom you despise now was above you; the one who is now a man was eternally perfect. He was in the beginning, without any cause; then he submitted himself to the contingencies of this world… That was so as to save you who insult him, who despise God because he took your crude nature… He was wrapped in swaddling clothes, but when he rose from the tomb, he got rid of his shroud. He was laid in a manger but glorified by the angels, announced by a star, adored by the magi… He had to flee to Egypt, but he freed that country from the superstitions of the Egyptians. Before his enemies, he had “no stately bearing … nor appearance that would attract us” (Isa 53:2), but for David he was “fairer in beauty… than the sons of men” (Ps 45:3), and on the mountain, he shone more brilliantly than the sun (Mt 17:1f.). As man, he was baptized; but as God, he took away our sins. He did not need to be purified, but he wanted to sanctify the waters. As man, he was tempted; but as God, he triumphed, he who “conquered the world” (Jn 16:8)… He was hungry, but he fed thousands, he who is “the living bread come down from heaven.” (Jn 6:48.50) He was thirsty, but he cried out: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me; let him drink” (Jn 7:37)… He knew what it was to be tired, but he is rest for all who “are weary and find life burdensome.” (Mt 11:28)… He was called a “Samaritan and possessed” (Jn 8:48); but it is he who saves the person who has fallen into the hands of thieves (Lk 10:29f.) and who makes the demons flee… He prayed, but it is he himself who hears prayers. He wept, but he puts an end to weeping. He was sold for a base price, but it is he who redeems the world at a high price: through his own blood. Like a sheep, he was led to his death, but he leads Israel and now the whole earth to the true pasture. (Ezek 34:14) Like a lamb, he was silent; but he is the Word announced through the voice of the one who cried out in the desert (Mk 1:3). He was disabled and wounded; but it is he who heals every illness and every infirmity (Mt 9:35). He was raised up on the wood and he was nailed there; but it is he who restores us through the tree of life. He died, but he gives life and destroys death. He was buried, but he rose, and ascending into heaven, he liberated the souls from hell.

maronite readings – rosary,team