Epiphany - January 6

Looking ahead to the Feast of the Epiphany, here are two Faith of the Mountain lessons from Grade 2 and Grade 7.  The content should help you plan for your assigned age group of children.  This is an opportunity to teach about the significance of the feast and to refresh the knowledge of your class on the Mystery of Baptism.  

GRADE 2 FOM LESSON ON EPIPHANY

GRADE 7 EPIPHANY LESSON

Vocation Curriculum Grades K - 3

Please make use of these materials to teach on vocation at least once in the catechetical year.  You may adapt as you find helpful for your group, you may also combine grades to offer this topic. 

What is a Priest? a Sister? Marriage?

For the Vocation Curriculum Grades K - 3 

                                         Marriage video

Craft - Season of the Glorious Birth

 This craft idea will help your children to journey the Announcements leading up the the feast of Christmas. A teaching tool, a decoration, a reminder of what this season is all about. Click on the photo below for the Google Drive list of instructions and step by step guide. If you have an idea or different craft for this season please share it with me. - Mother Marla Marie

LINK to Google Drive 

Season of the Glorious Birth

(Thank you, Father Claude Franklin, pastor of St. Joseph, Olean NY - for explaining this Season in our Maronite Liturgical Year.)

The Maronite Church prepares for the Glorious Birth of Our Lord with a series of six Sundays, known as theSeason of the Glorious Birth. Unlike the Latin Church’s Season of Advent, which connects the First Coming (Advent) of Christ in the Incarnation to the Second Coming (Advent) of Christ as judge of the living and the dead at the Eschaton (End Times); the Maronite Church’s Sundays of Announcements is a preparation solely for the Incarnation.  The Maronite Church has a different approach and focuses on the Eschaton (End Times), during the Season of the Holy Cross, which takes place appropriately at the end of the Liturgical Year, in which each Sunday we are reminded, “Be prepared, for you know neither the day nor the hour”.  

         

Note, the readings, the prayers, and the Sundays themselves make no reference to the Second Coming of Christ during the Season of the Glorious Birth! Thus, it is not proper for Maronites to refer to this season as “Advent”, as that term carries with it some “liturgical baggage”. In the Latin Church “Advent” reflects a different focus than the Maronite Church’s season of preparation for the Nativity of Christ. Therefore, it is important that Maronites regain an appreciation for our proper terminology, to be able to fully appreciate what each season in the Maronite Church is saying to us in its own terms. When we adopt terminology which belongs to other churches (Latin, Byzantine, Coptic, etc.), we also end up adopting that church’s theological approach and thus, lose our own unique contribution to the Catholic Church.

         

The Season of the Glorious Birth is announcement after announcement of the Good News of the coming of the Messiah in the Flesh! We commemorate (Anamnesis) the historical events recorded in the New Testament which took place before Christ was born in Bethlehem of the Virgin Mary, pure and simple. 

         

With each announcement, we grow in anticipation for Our Lord’s coming Nativity; this season transports us into the atmosphere of what happened over two thousand years ago.  With each announcement, we have time to ponder throughout the week the great and wonderous act of God’s love for us, by His taking on Flesh for our salvation.  

• Like Zechariah, we may have doubts, but also like him we need to overcome them;
• like the Virgin Mary, we are called to have faith, that like her we may be servants of the Lord;
• like Elizabeth, we need to find opportunities to see Christ dwelling in others;
• like John the Baptist, we are called to prepare others for Christ;
• like Righteous Joseph we are called to be a guardians and protectors of the Church;
• and like Christ’s descendants, who were part of God’s Plan of Salvation which took place in the fullness of time, we need to see how God wants us to be part of His plan in spreading the Gospel of Salvation. 

“Grant us to celebrate with joyful spirits and exalted hearts the Announcement of Your conception, the dawn of our salvation.” (First Prayer – Safro – Announcement to Mary)

Ideas for making Halloween more Catholic

"You won’t find Halloween on the official liturgical calendar of the Church; the holiday has its roots in the popular piety of past centuries (not in ancient pagan practices, as is sometimes claimed). Back then, the celebration was all about remembering the dead and confronting the reality of death and evil in the world. The full meaning of the holiday was always realized in light of the next day’s celebration, the Feast of All Saints—the triumph of God’s people, and the victory of light over darkness."  READ MORE

From Teaching Catholic Kids.Com

Maronite Faith Formation Opportunities

 

LINKS TO REGISTER click here:  

Register for the Catechist Orientation Webinar

What is Catechesis? How can we help our children to to foster a love of Christ? Join us for this webinar and learn how to deepen your special role as a Catechist.

Register Here

Catehist Orientation Webinar

Save the Date

Sunday October 1st 

7:00PM to 9:00PM via Zoom

More info to come...

What do we mean when we say we are catechists? 

To be a catechist is to have joined in the sacred efforts of the Church to live out the beautiful commission of Jesus to “Go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” This work of catechesis is more than the passing on of information — it is assisting others into a relationship with Jesus. Catechesis is about encouraging a deep-seated understanding of Christ and conversion of our lives to follow His example. It is to foster a love of Christ.

Our goal as catechists is to model the master teacher – Jesus Christ. We learn to teach as Christ taught in a manner similar to an apprenticeship. An apprentice learns the work of a master so thoroughly that he or she mirrors how that master acts, thinks and talks.

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

To teach as Jesus teaches requires us to know how He taught. This knowledge can only be built on our own deep relationship with Christ, in which we are striving each day to speak, act and love more like Him. Through teaching as Jesus taught, we then lead others to grow in relationship, and also apprenticeship, with Jesus.

...

Blessed Massabki Brothers to be Canonized

Read the Patriarch's Encyclical on the Blessed Massabki - HERE -

Rituals of Maronite Great Lent

 Father Claude Franklin, pastor of St. Joseph Maronite Church in Olean NY takes us on a tour of our inspiring and  prayerful rituals of Great Lent.  Take some time to view them for your own spiritual formation.  The workshops will deepen your celebration of these holy days.  Thank you, Father Claude!

 

Video- Maronites History & Liturgy Grades 6-up

 This video is suitable for grades 6 to adult. It's in English and gives a brief survey of the history.  

Maronite Liturgical Year in Icons

                               

Great Lent Workshops for Catechists

 

Helpful Maronite Faith Resources

stmaron.org/pastoral-letters (Bishop Gregory’s Pastoral Letters)

stmaron.org/articles (Maronite History, Theology & Spirituality) 

dailygospel.org/MAE/gospel Evangelizio (Maronite Daily Readings & Saints) 

https://www.familyandsanctityoflife.org (The Office of Family & Sanctity of Life — Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn)

https://www.maronitemusic.org (Maronite Music)

https://www.cedaroflebanonfcc.com (Cedars of Lebanon Fertility Care Center)

https://www.namnews.org (National Apostolate of Maronites)

maroniteservants.org (Maronite Servants of Christ the Light, Sisters)

maroniteseminary.org (Maronite Seminary)

stmaron.org (Eparchy of Saint Maron Website)

familyofsaintsharbel.org (Family of Saint Sharbel)

maronitefaith.com  (Maronite Divine Office, Morning, Evening & Night Prayer)

Divine Office Ordo 

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d47453b7563de000171d864/t/635ff41ccd83ce5aed262bd2/1667232796597/Office+Ordo+2022-2023.pdf

Maronite Liturgical Calendar 2023

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d47453b7563de000171d864/t/635c1375deb2fd44205f072b/1666978678259/Eparchial+Desk+Calendar+2023.pdf

Commemorations in the Maronite Liturgical Year

 Commemorations in the Maronite Liturgical Year 

There are three Sundays of commemorations which are celebrated at the end of the Season of the Glorious Epiphany beginning on January 29 for the year 2023: for Deceased Priests, for the Righteous and Just (All Saints), and for the Faithful Departed (All souls). 

These commemorations of the Departed are to be seen in the context of the Epiphany emphasis on the charismational mission of all Christians, and on the destiny of those faithful to their baptismal calling. Those who have died to this life are on the next stage of their journey to the Kingdom. If they have died faithful to the Gospel commandment to love, they will one day be called to the Eternal Light by Christ, the “True Hope who never fails’.” 

(The above excerpts are from “Captivated By Your Teachings: A Resource Book for Adult Maronite Catholics” by Rev. Anthony J. Salim)

In the Maronite Church, Sunday, February 5, is the Sunday of the Righteous and Just. This is actually the traditional Maronite feast in honor of all saints. Whereas the Latin Church celebrates the feast of All Saints on November 1^st, the Maronite Church, following its ancient tradition dedicates this Sunday to their memory. 

On this day we call to mind all the men and women, children of the Church, who have followed the path of justice and righteousness. We remember the prophets, apostles and martyrs, the hermits, ascetics, men and women religious, as well as all Christians who have led holy lives. As our liturgy so often reminds us, they are Just in the sight of God because they have patterned their lives on Jesus Christ, the Just One. The saints are our models; their prayers and fasting have taught us to fight against sin and temptation and so gain the reward of righteousness. The saints are our intercessors; by their prayers we obtain the pardon of our sins and are strengthened in the Christian virtues. They were the salt of the earth and the light of the world, they call us to follow their path. Through their intercession may we one day merit eternal life with God. 

(From Prayer of the Faithful According to the Maronite Liturgical Year)