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Saint Maron's Lebanese Festval September 18 & 19

Mark your calendars, more information to come...

Message from Chorbishop sharbel Maroun

August 2021

Beloved Parishioners and Friends of St. Maron,

Peace and grace to you in the Lord Jesus. I hope that you are enjoying the beautiful summer season and finding time to relax in the Lord. Thanks be to God that our parish life has almost regained its normality. As a community we need each other and being with one another around the altar of the Lord. It is the most powerful union that we can have. I pray that you continue to be healthy and happy and most important to be holy and grow in stronger union with Christ and each other.

On August 4th we are commemorating the first anniversary of the massive explosion of Beirut, the third largest explosion ever. People have suffered tremendously. Over 218 people were killed, over 6000 injured and over 300,000 misplaced. Keep in mind that in Lebanon there is no property insurance. Until now, no one has been accused of this massive explosion. People are lost, angry and distressed. The government and leaders are semi-unconscious of the needs of the people. For over 10 months there has been no government to help the people. During this period the Lebanese Lira lost over 92% of its value. What people saved in many decades disappeared overnight. Corrupted leaders led the country to this point and people are demanding justice. People are struggling to survive, striving to find basic needs, like milk, medicine, fuel and food, just to name few things. The country needs a miracle and an immediate international interference to save Lebanon from its leaders and the regional interference in this small country. We need a government that regains the respect and trust of the international community. Please offer a prayer.

I am looking forward to seeing all of you at our upcoming festival on September 18 and 19 please come with your family and bring a friend with you.

Please mark your calendar for next July 13-17, 2022 as we will be hosting the National Maronite Convention (NAM). I hope you will volunteer to help.

Be assured of my prayers and love and I ask you to call upon me if I can be of any help.

With prayers and best wishes, I remain,

Devotedly yours,

Chorbishop sharbel Maroun

Pray for Lebanon

Chorbishop sharbel Maroun We stand in solidarity and prayer with our brothers and sisters in Lebanon as they are still suffering much from the catastrophic explosion that destroyed much of the city on August 4, 2020.

We pray that the Lord may heal their emotional and physical wounds and save them from the internal and external persecution and bring to justice all those who prepared, neglected and acted to cause this human tragedy.

We are people of hope and once again this city will rise like the phoenix as it always did.

Festival News

We are very happy to announce that we will be holding our Annual Festival on the weekend of September 18 & 19, 2021. For sure we all missed this event as it was cancelled last year.

Please mark your calendar and if all possible do not make other plans for that weekend. We need everyone’s help to make this event a success.

M/M Laurent and Lily Hage will be chairing this event this year, but this festival is for all of us and we need to join our efforts together.

Please start volunteering and prepare items for the silent auction.

More details are coming your way soon.

We look forward to seeing everyone again and sharing our rich culture and food with our neighbors.

August 15 - Feast Of The Assumption of the Mother of God

We Catholics believe that the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Ark of the New Covenant. Just as the ark was made of "pure gold" and kept in the "Holy of Holies," the Blessed Virgin Mary was protected from all sin so that God could become man of her flesh. The prophet David prophesied that one day the Ark would be taken into heaven: "Arise, O LORD, and go to your resting place, you and the ark of your might" (Psalm 132:8). We see that this was fulfilled in the book of Revelation when St. John, describing what he saw in heaven, wrote: "Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant appeared within his temple...And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars" (Rev. 11:19-12:1). Our Lord Jesus Christ crowned his mother as Queen of heaven and earth and sat her at His right side. On this feast, we celebrate that glorious occasion where the living Ark of the Covenant was assumed into heaven, body and soul, and crowned as our Queen. Let us give thanks to God that we have a most noble, most humble, most pure, and most chaste mother as our Queen. Let us be zealous in our desire to imitate her and bring her honor for the glory of her Son, Jesus Christ!

Tuition Subsidy

Applications for the Boutros & Zmeroud Nasseff Scholarship are now available for children who will be attending K-8 parochial schools.

An eligible recipient must be an active parishioner for at least one year, attend the church regularly, and support its activities. Distribution will be based on the income and expenses of the household. If you are interested, please call the parish office for an application. We are very glad to assist our children and very thankful to the late great John Nasseff & The Men’s Club for making this scholarship available to support our children. It makes a world of difference.

Applications must be submitted by September 30th.

Maronite Christian Formation

We are looking forward to starting school in person starting Sunday, October 3rd. If you have MCF books that are lightly used, please bring them back to church.

Saint Pope John Paul II said, "It is first of all necessary for you young people to give a forceful witness of love for life, God’s gift. This love must extend from the beginning to the end of every life and must struggle against every attempt to make man the arbiter of his brother’s life, of unborn life, of life that is waning to that of the handicapped and the weak."

NAM 2022

Our parish is excited to host the 2022 NAM Convention. Please mark on your calendar the week of July 11-17, 2022. Please consider Not to plan any out of town trips at that time. We need everyone’s help and support as we welcome hundreds of clergy and laity from throughout the United States.

We need to form 37 different committees and we need you to serve on one of them.

Please reach out to our capable Chairpersons Lisa Gleason and Elena ElKhoury.

Together we can make it a great convention.

Talitha Cumi

For love of God and neighbor. As summer approaches, please remember those less fortunate. We will continue collecting food and household product for FOOD SHELVES and donate gently used items for all ages. Also, please think of those in shelters--purchase children’s summer clothing and playthings. A bottle of bubbles, a new ball, a new book, can change the daily life of a child in poverty.

Thank you for your generosity.
May you always know God’s blessings.

Adopting a family in Lebanon

Our Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles is aiming to sponsor 250 families in Lebanon. We have the names of 10 families that our parish is aiming to sponsor. The basic cost to support these families is $75 - $100 per family. We have a description of each family. If you are able, and would like to adopt one of these families for the year, please contact the parish office, or email Fr. Sharbel at abouna@stmaron.com
May the Lord God bless you to continue being a blessing to others, and may God help the people of Lebanon who are suffering on all levels in their country.

Important Notice

Saint Maron’s church relies on proceeds from the weekly collection and other special events to support operating expenses and outreach in our community and across the world. Please consider making a donation online by clicking on this link (donate.stmaron.com). Your donation may be tax deductible and will be made securely and privately on Paypal. You don’t need to have a Paypal account. If you wish to donate for a particular purpose, you’ll be able to specify that in the comments area of your donation.

Thank you and may the Lord grant you faith and health.
~Chorbishop sharbel Maroun

Icons Of the Holy Family

by Debra Korluka

Holy Family Icon

From as early as the 5th century, holy icons have been handed down to Christians as a "sacred doorway" into heaven providing believers with a spiritual connection to the Divine.

Icons are painted in a way that is designed to be timeless and represent the eternal Kingdom or the Heavenly Jerusalem.

In this Icon:

Mary is shown wearing a veil typical of Jewish women of the period. The veil is red, the color of divinity, whilst the clothes under the veil are green or blue, the colors of humanity.

This is the exact opposite of the usual depiction of Christ: Who has humanity worn upon His eternal, divine nature.

Joseph is not depicted in the centrality of the scene in the same plane as the role of the Mary, but as the guardian of this most profound mystery and his role in the Holy Family.

Three stars on the veil of Mary, which represent her eternal virginity: before, during, and forever after the Birth of Christ.

Scroll in Jesus’ hand - A Scroll indicates holy Wisdom; rolled up revealing the Word yet not revealed.

2 doves- The Bible depicts doves as loyal, honest and loving. The doves also represent the spiritual nature of Joseph- pure, just, and faithful. White cloth- Joseph's hands are covered, in reverence, anticipating his future betrothal to the future Mother of God, pure virginal vessel of the Son of God.

Cross in Christ's halo- always identify Christ as our Savior; forbearing the passion.

May the Holy Family bless all families