Fasts & Feasts

September

1 - Liturgical New Year (7519)
8 - The Nativity of the Mother of God
14 - The Universal Exaltation of the Cross

October

1 - Protection of the Mother of God
3 - Respect Life Sunday
17 - Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council

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Byzantine Catholic Church in America

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Fifteenth Week after Pentecost

August 30-September 5, 2010

Mark 6:30-45 – The apostles returned to Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a lonely place by themselves. Now many saw them going, and knew them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns, and got there ahead of them. As he went ashore he saw a great throng, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, "This is a lonely place, and the hour is now late; send them away, to go into the country and villages round about and buy themselves something to eat." But he answered them, "You give them something to eat." And they said to him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?" And he said to them, "How many loaves have you? Go and see." And when they had found out, they said, "Five, and two fish." Then he commanded them all to sit down by companies upon the green grass. So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men. Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Beth-sa'ida, while he dismissed the crowd. (RSV - Reading for Thursday)

Come Listen to Jesus – Event though the place is desolate, He who feeds the world is present. And even though the hour is late, He who is not subject to the hour is conversing with you. (St. John Chrysostom)

Scripture

Monday - Galatians 2:11-16, Mark 5:24-34
Tuesday - Galatians 2:21-3:7, Mark 6:1-7
Wednesday - Galatians 3:15-22, Mark 6:7-13
Thursday - Galatians 3:23-4:5, Mark 6:30-45
Friday - Galatians 4:8-21, Mark 6:45-53
Saturday - 1 Corinthians 4:17-5:5, Matthew 24:1-13
Sunday - Luke 24:1-12, 2 Corinthians 4:6-15, Matthew 22:35-46

The Icon is of Symeon the Stylite, whose memory is celebrated together with that of his mother on September 1st. September 1st is also New Years's Day. On the Byzantine Calendar we begin the year 7519.

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Programme of Events for HB Patriarch Gregorios III in Argentina 2010

Tuesday, 24 August 2010 11:39

25 August - 6 September 2010

Wednesday 25 August
11:00 Arrival of His Beatitude Patriarch Gregorios III and his party at Ezeiza International Airport Buenos Aires and official reception at the airport
18:00 Ceremony and reception at The Cedars of Lebanon Foundation

Thursday 26 August
9:00 Visit to Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, SJ Archbishop of Buenos Aires and President of the Episcopal Conference of Argentina
10:30 Visit to the Head of Government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires
12:30 Meeting in the Apostolic Nunciature with the Nuncio Archbishop Adriano Bernardini followed by lunch
19:30 Reception in the Syrian Embassy in honour of His Beatitude

Friday 27 August
12:30 Meeting with Ambassador Guillermo Oliveri Secretary of State for Religious Affairs, followed by a lunch in the palace of the Secretary of State
Official visit to the President of the Republic of Argentina Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
19:00 Pontifical Divine Liturgy concelebrated in the Melkite Greek Catholic Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour
Inauguration of the first part of the Church
Followed by cocktail reception in the parish hall

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Sermon of His Beatitude Patriarch Gregorios III in Latin America

Saturday, 14 August 2010 13:37

(2010)

Friendly loving greetings, first from the Holy Land of Palestine, cradle of Jesus' birth, and then from all the holy lands, those Arab countries that were the cradle of Christianity's birth! We bring you greetings from your original homelands, each of your motherlands that are not just your geographical, earthly ancestral lands, but, as you are Christian, your spiritual homelands too. Psalm 87 tells us that all people are children of Jerusalem. Indeed, every person is born in her through the spirit and through faith. With the Venerable Pope John Paul II, we repeat that the Holy Land is the homeland of every Christian, since it is the homeland of Jesus and Mary.

The cordial greeting that I bring you comes from the heart of one who was impatient to see you, the heart of your Patriarch. That is why I am telling you what I have always said, I love you. I am also bringing you greetings from your brothers and sisters in the Christian East.

We should always keep a feeling for our Arab homeland and our belonging to the East, although you should also be completely integrated into your new homelands, as you are. Many of you have been born here and perhaps have never known or visited the homeland of your parents and their forebears.

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Sisters of St. Basil at Mount St. Macrina to Celebrate 76th Annual Pilgrimage

Thursday, 15 July 2010 17:54

Mary, Icon of Compassion selected as theme

July 14, 2010, Uniontown, Pa. -- The 76th Annual Pilgrimage in Honor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help will be held at Mount St. Macrina, Uniontown, Pa., Sept. 3-6, 2010 (Labor Day weekend). This year, the weekend's activities and programs are inspired by the theme of "Mary, Icon of Compassion".

"This year's theme recalls the endless love between God and humanity. Although it would be appropriate in any given year, it struck a chord in the hearts of the Sisters in view of the recent tragedies in the world," said Sister Seraphim Olsafsky, OSBM, Provincial, Sisters of St. Basil the Great.

The weekend will offer pilgrims the opportunity to participate in religious services and an array of activities, including the beautiful Divine Liturgy, Mystery of Reconciliation (Confession), the popular children's procession and the inspiring candlelight procession. There will also be enriching educational opportunities for both adults and children, including special programs for children, teens and young adults. Private pastoral counseling, a session on bereavement, and education and discussion forums are also planned. Pilgrims will also have the opportunity to purchase icons, religious gifts, and cards.

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Final Report of the Synod of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church - June 2010

Monday, 05 July 2010 15:46

Final Report of the Synod

of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church

at the Patriarchal Summer Residence, Ain-Traz

21-26 June 2010

The Synod of Bishops of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church was held at the Patriarchal Residence of Ain Traz, Lebanon, from 21 to 26 June 2010. It was presided over by His Beatitude, Patriarch Gregorios III with the participation of hierarchs of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church who had come from the Church's eparchies in Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Jordan, the Holy Land, the United States of America, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand, together with the superiors general of the religious orders and of the Society of Missionaries of Saint Paul..

Their names and ranks are as follows:

The Rt. Rev. Boulos Borkhosh, Metropolitan of Bosra, the Hauran and Jabal Arab

The Rt. Rev. André Haddad, Archbishop of Furzol, Zahlé and all the Beqaa
The Rt. Rev. John Adel Elia, Bishop emeritus of Newton (USA)
The Rt. Rev. Ibrahim Nehmé, Metropolitan emeritus of Homs, Hama and Yabrud

The Rt. Rev. Georges Riashi, Archbishop and Patriarchal Administrator of Tripoli - Lebanon