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February 2nd, 2003

Sunday of the Priests   St. Maron's Feast

Readings: 1Timothy ,4 :6-16, Gospel: Luke, 12; 42-48 (English & Lebanese) St. Maron's Feast, the Father of the Maronites is an example of our spiritual true life on earth. This feast is a reminder of the life of St. Maron following the example of Jesus' life that is attached to the Cross and is the Church's mission and its role in the world. The hour of truth which Jesus talks about is the hour of salvation and final judgment, the hour of truth and love, the hour of the Cross. The key to the existence is to die to live. Everything in us dies in order to live. The Holy Spirit gives life to the dead. Life is a fountain that flow from God's heart. We are wheat of Jesus who said: "Whoever loves his life, loses it" which means the Cross. The hour of the Cross does not resemble any other hour. It is suffering, shame, pain and death. Jesus loved us, the children of His Church to the point of him dying for our salvation. As we celebrate St. Maron's Feast we remember all the deceased priests, who were called by Jesus to serve his church, and they answered His call happily and generously. Last Week's Collection: $ 1,386.00 Thank you for your continued support and generosity. May God bless you and your families. Masses & Celebrations during the Week: Sun. Feb. 9th 10:00AM St. Maron's Feast : For the Intention of all Parishioners. 12:00PM St. Maron's Feast: For the Intention of all Parishioners. Mon. Feb. 10th 6:00PM Antonios & Frangie Jraige (Family) Tue. Feb. 11th 6:00PM Antonios Youssef Elbaresh (Family) Wed. Feb. 12th 9:00AM Rosary Prayers 5:00PM Mother Mary's Prayers 6:00PM Wadih Nohra (Elias Jraige & Family) Thu. Feb. 13th 5:30PM St. Charbel's Prayers 6:00PM Alia Mouawad (Tony Youssef) Fri. Feb. 14th 5:30PM Sacred Heart Prayers 6:00PM Antoune Nohra (Lorraine Nohra) Sun. Feb. 16th 10:00AM Louie Thomas (Paul & Adele Thomas) 12:00PM Fouad Azar (1 Yr. Mem. Mass) (Family)

Leamington Ministerial Association invites all the Christians to pray for each other. This week we pray for Leamington United Mennonite Church

We would like to wish all the couples a very happy Valentine's day. We also wish a long and happy life for those celebrating their silver, gold and diamond anniversaries. God bless you all. On February 11, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. We pray for all the sick people around the world especially our parishioners. May God heal them through the intercession of Our lady of Lourdes who helped and healed many people in distress. We received the Masses and donations in memory of Joe Omar and Georgette Elias. May God rest their souls in peace and grant consolation for their families and relatives. Please mark your calendars for our next Bingo Sessions which will be held on Thursday, February 24th, 2003 at 12:30PM at Leamington Bingo Hall, 14 Mill St. East, phone # 322-2251. For more information, please call Mrs. Gladys Tannous at 326-7642. First Communion Meetings: First Communion Meetings will take place on Friday February 14th, 2003 from 6:30 to 8:00PM, with Mrs. Ghada Kantati and Mrs. Jihane Mouawad. Please do not forget your books. Thank you. Please pick up your offertory envelopes and income tax receipts after the Sunday Masses or in the Secretary's Office, 8:00AM to 3:00PM. Thank you. ST. Valentine's Night: Sponsored by An-Nahar Newspaper, a Valentine's Night with Tony Hanna and his group, will take place at Casino Windsor, 377 Riverside Ballroom, 2nd Floor on Friday February 14, 2003. Doors open at 7:30PM, Dinner at 8:00PM. Tickets: $ 100.00, $ 150.00. VIP available. For reservation: Windsor: Karim Haddad, (519) 971-9075, Michigan: (586) 873-4877. Come join us in a special Valentine's celebration. Job Opportunity: St. George Parish in London is seeking a Coordinator of Youth Ministry. Full time position. Responsibilities include: coordinate the recruitment and training of volunteer youth ministers, facilitate the development and implementation of activities for youth, work in parish school, and assist in sacramental preparation programs. Qualifications: training and experience in youth ministry, excellent interpersonal skills, strong organizational ability, theological background, and be active in their faith. Interested persons should contact St. George Parish at (519) 471-4220. Deadline for application: Monday, February 24th, 2003. A lifeline for Troubled Marriages: Hope is a phone call away. If you want to talk to someone, if you want more information, or if you want to register for the Retrouvaille Program, call today. Anonymity is respected. Retrouvaille is a Christian poor ministry, Catholic in origin and open to all married couples regardless of religious background. The weekend is held at Holy Family Retreat House in Oxley. A weekend experience is available February 14- 16. For information, call 1-800-705-6356. Our deepest sympathies to the Jabbour Family on the loss of Ghossen Jabbour who passed away in Windsor at the age of 77. The Funeral Mass was held in St. Charbel's Parish, Oldcastle on Friday, February 7, 2003 at 10:00AM. Our heartfelt sympathies go out to all her relatives in Toronto, Windsor, Leamington, Detroit and Lebanon. May God rest her soul in peace and grant consolation for her family and relatives. Our Lady of Lourdes February 11 The Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous from a cave near Lourdes, France in 1858. From February 11 to July 16, the young peasant girl saw "the lady dressed in white" about eighteen times. Mary told her to pray for sinners and to have a church built on that spot. When Bernadette asked her who she was, she replied, "I am the Immaculate Conception." Today the great shrine of Lourdes is a sacred place where pilgrims gather from all the world for prayer, healing, and a renewal of faith. God of mercy, may the prayers of Mary help us to rise above our human weakness. ST. Maron February 9 All that is known about Maron, the spiritual father and protector of the Maronites comes for Theodoret, the bishop of Cyr. In approximately 444, Theodoret undertook the project of writing a religious history about his religion. Theodoret knew Maron in person, but only through the disciples of this holy man. He gave the description of Maron as "The one who has planted for God the garden which flourishes now in the region of Cyr." Little is known of the birth or youth of Maron. Theodoret felt that Maron was a man born not for this world, but for heaven. According to history, Maron was always seeking for new ways to accumulate all the treasures of wisdom. The date of Maron's death is placed somewhere between 407 and 423. Because of his great popularity among the people, riots broke out at the time of his death because everyone wanted to save his remains in their village. Lebanon has proclaimed Maron as its patron saint. After the council of Chalcedon, Bishop Theodoret worked to construct the famous monastery of Saint Maron. In addition to being a stronghold for the defense of the teachings of the Council of Chalcedon, this monastery was for a long time the center of the cultural and theological heritage of Antioch.

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