NEW! Faith Formation Workshops

 

Maronite Spirituality Webinars

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The NEW Directory for Catechesis - Webinar

 

Join Joe Paprocki and Julianne Stanz as they review and discuss the updated and revised Directory for Catechesis. Joe and Julianne will provide an overview of the revised Directory for Catechesis (2020) and explore the revised edition’s implications for how we think about, talk about, and go about doing the work of catechesis.  The NEW Directory for Catechesis  How it Will Change the Way We Think About, Talk About, and Go About Doing Catechesis  Tuesday, September 1, 2020  1:30-3:00 PM (CDT)    Register Today >   As the Catholic Church embarks on the mission of teaching the Christian faith, the new Directory for Catechesis (2020) lays the how-to guidelines for catechesis and presents universal norms to guide pastors and catechists in the work of evangelization. The Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization presents the Directory to guide the proclamation of the Gospel by the Christian faithful to people of all ages and in all seasons of life. The Directory places catechetical instruction and formation of catechetical teachers clearly within the realm of evangelization. It offers guidelines to assist in the creation of local directories and catechisms and clarifies the importance of catechetical renewal in Christian communities. The Directory affirms the presentation of the Catholic faith articulated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church as a sound point of reference for instruction while drawing deeply from Scripture and the writings of recent popes, especially Pope Francis’s Evangelii Gaudium. These guidelines are important for bishops, who are the primary catechists in their local diocese. The Directory will also be indispensable for all those responsible for formal religious instruction, including pastors and parish priests, deacons, lay and religious catechists, and religious education teachers in dioceses, parishes, and schools. The Directory will furthermore aid directors of formation who train the faithful in the forms and means of catechesis, including seminary rectors, directors of formation for the permanent diaconate, and lay ecclesial minster formation program directors.  Order Your Copy Here

 

Catechetical Sunday Preparations - from Msgr. El-Khalli

Catechetical Sunday Resources click here

This year, the Church will celebrate Catechetical Sunday on September 20, 2020. The theme is: “I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you.” What is new this year is the Leadership In- stitute which was formed to assist the bishops in their responsibility for promoting Catholic mis- sions in the United States. Also new is more Catechetical Sunday Resources, such as articles, vide- os and podcasts, which will be available on an on-going basis throughout the academic year.

Each one of us, by virtue of our baptism, is called to live our faith and to bear witness to the Gos- pel in our families, among our friends, and in our parish communities and society. To share in the Church's mission of Evangelization and Catechesis is to grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ and to hand on our precious faith to our youngsters. Catechetical Sunday is a wonderful opportuni- ty to reflect on the role that each person plays, by virtue of Baptism, in handing on the faith and being a witness to the Gospel. It is also an opportunity for us to rededicate ourselves to this mission as a community of faith.

It is in the family that the children are first catechized. Parents are the primary catechists of their children. They prepare the soil and plant the first seeds of faith. On Catechetical Sunday, not only do we highlight the work of catechists in our parish, but we also commend parents and guardians and encourage them to take seriously their role of making their home a place where faith is handed on to the next generation. This is why the rite of blessing of catechists used on Catechetical Sunday includes a blessing of parents and guardians.

This year, Catechetical Sunday Resources such as articles, videos and podcasts, will be available on an on-going basis throughout the academic year. We all, pastors, parents and catechists, should benefit from this availability. All you need to do is visit www.usccb.org, go to Leadership Institute and Catechetical Sunday 2020, then click on “Download Resources” and choose the article, the video or the podcasts of your choice. 

Since the packet is in a pdf format, Adobe Acrobat is necessary to have in order to open these files. Should you need any help with respect to this electronic Catechetical Sunday packet, do not hesitate to contact me.

Wishing you a healthy, blessed and fruitful catechetical year, I am Sincerely yours in Christ,

Msgr. Georges Y. El-Khalli, Ph.D.

Eparchial Director of Religious Education

Our Lady of the Cedars of Lebanon Church

61 Rockwood Street | Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

T: 617-522-0225 | F: 617-522-0194

E: pastor@ourladyofthecedars.org | W: ourladyofthecedars.org

Catechetical Sunday Resources click here

Saint Charbel

St Charbel

Posted on July 17, 2016 by Fr Yuhanna Azize

St Charbel, Third Sunday of July

Born Youssef Makhlouf in Beqa Kafra on 8 May 1828, he was the fifth child in a family of simple farmers. When he was three years old, his father was taken away by the Ottoman Army, never to return. Youssef was sent to the village school, and as a child was given to prayer. At a young age, he knew that God was calling him to become a monk. He prayed to Our Lady to make it come to pass. Two of his mother’s brothers were already monks. However, he did not leave until 1851, when a woman indicated her desire to marry him. Saying nothing, he left home the next morning to enter the monastery of Our Lady of Mayfouq, which was run by the Lebanese Maronite Order (“the LMO”). However, he was pursued there by his uncle, mother and relatives. They begged him to return home, marry, work and look after them. Charbel refused, saying that God wanted him entirely. It is said that in the end his mother gave her consent, telling him to be a good monk, but if he was going to be mediocre, then he should return home.  READ MORE HERE

Virtual Vacation Bible School

The Maronite Servants of Christ the Light offered a virtual Light of Life (LoL) Bible camp for children ages 5 to 12. The theme this year was in the footsteps of Saints Peter and Paul and was offered for three days from 10AM to 11:30AM.  The topics focused on the courage of Saint Paul and the trust and faith of Saint Peter as the first pope. It was such a gift to see the children, do fun crafts, share Bible stories, sing, dance, and pray. If you are interested in offering a Zoom vacation bible school, contact the Sisters for information on how to organize one.  sister@maroniteservants.org 

Letter from Bishop Gregory - Catechists and Youth Advisor Enrichment

Dear Brother Priests, Deacons, Sub-deacons, Men & Women Religious, and Lay Faithful, 

On this Easter Thursday, I extend heartfelt gratitude for all the beautiful ministry you have done these past few weeks during this most difficult time. I received so many compliments about your ministries. It was a blessing to hear. So again, thank you!

By God’s grace an eparchial team of people have been working on ways to enhance our catechists, youth leaders and family life volunteers. What you will read about below is an optional, but highly recommended, program to strengthen our competent and faithful laity to better carry out their roles in our parishes.  

I am pleased to launch this eparchial initiative for our catechists and MYO youth advisors, called Franciscan at Home. It has long been a desire of mine to assist our laity in their service. Franciscan at Home is an excellent opportunity to continue to train and deepen our spiritual journey.    

This is a free online program of workshop tracks through the Catechetical Institute of Franciscan University, open to all of our parish volunteers. There are over 100 dioceses already partnering with Franciscan University and benefiting from the high-quality content offered.  

Catechists in our parish religious programs and our MYO youth advisors are invited to participate in these 12 one-hour workshops expertly filmed with a staff of professionals in the fields of catechesis and youth ministry. Also, two of these workshops will focus on our Maronite Tradition. The content is presented to inspire, educate, train, and enhance one’s knowledge and skills in presenting the Catholic faith.  

These workshops are available in the convenience of one’s own home according to one’s schedule and require some reading and writing.  Please see the attached flyers for the details of these programs. I have asked the Maronite Servants of Christ the Light to assist, and they are available by phone or email to help if there are any questions.  

It is my hope that as many as possible will join these programs, which will enhance one’s faith and in turn enhance the faith of the youth we serve. With parish meetings suspended for the time being, this might be a good opportunity for personal training. 

Our Office for Family and Pro-life has also created an excellent website, including seminars on Natural Family Planning. I highly encourage young people, engaged couples, and married couples with families, to strengthen their love for the sacred dignity of marriage and family life. Please also see the flyer attached.

Thank you for serving our youth and be assured of my prayers.  

+ Gregory

EWTN live stream Maronite Divine Liturgy - April 26

EWTN will live stream the Divine Liturgy with Father Mitch Pacwa on April 26 at noon eastern standard time 

Below is the link for the schedule 

https://www.ewtn.com/tv/schedule/united-states/2020-04-26

Maronite Prayer Posture - Open Hands

Why do we extend our arms when praying the Our Father and at other times during the Maronite anaphora?

For those attending a Maronite Qorbono (Mass) for the first time you will notice that at various times the congregation together with the priest, extend their arms in prayer. This is sometimes referred to as the Orans posture. The posture is explicitly directed by the presently used Maronite Qorbono.  Read More

Eucharistic Living

by Sr. Therese Maria Touma, MSCL

“Dear Jesus, help me to spread Your fragrance wherever I go. Flood my soul with Your spirit and life. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly, that my life may only be a radiance of Yours.” (Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman)

Cultivating an ongoing reverence and love for the Eucharist is key if we seek to be people of Eucharistic living. Attending Divine Liturgy on Sunday (or daily if your schedule permits) and spending quiet time in adoration before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament are two primary ways to encounter Jesus, the source of all love, healing and life. As God’s beloved sons and daughters, we have been given a tremendous gift in the Eucharist; Jesus’ precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. 

Recent polls have shown that close to 70% of Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. These statistics are alarming as the Eucharist is a central doctrine of our faith. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life (CCC #1324). If most people do not recognize or reverence Jesus in the Sacred Host, how will they recognize and reverence Jesus in their brothers and sisters? 

As Baptized Christian, we are called to be living hosts broken and shared for others. We are given a perfect example of this at the Last Supper, when Jesus gave us his Body and Blood and showed us how to humbly give of ourselves in service, and live the Eucharist. Jesus knelt down to wash the feet of His Apostles, and He told them to go and wash the feet of others. “I give you a new commandment: love one another; you must love one another just as I have loved you. It is by your love for one another, that everyone will recognize you as my disciples (John 13:34-45)

Eucharistic living is “going out of our comfort zones” to care for and be attentive to the needs of those suffering in our homes and parish communities; it is tangibly reaching out to the lonely, poor, sick, hopeless and the vulnerable. It is sowing words of peace, hope and forgiveness. It is carving out time to pray for those who need our prayers. It is seeking to love others and understand them with the compassionate heart of Christ. It is making a total gift of ourselves back to God so that our will can become one with His holy will. 

We ask you Mary “Mother of the Eucharist” to lead us closer to your Son Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. We entrust to you our hearts. Give us the courage and generosity to give of ourselves without counting the cost. Arrange our hearts as you see fit and help us to be Love and credible witnesses of your Son, Jesus. Amen.