HOSANA SUNDAY
Sixth Sunday of Announcement
This Sunday takes its name from the joyful shouts of the children of Israel as Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem in triumph, crying out: “Hosanna,” which means, “Save us now, we pray!” They also shouted out: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” Jesus was thus greeted as the Savior of Israel, the Messiah and Lord.
The procession with the psalms and olive branches that takes place on this day, originated in Jerusalem as a commemoration of Christ’s triumphant entrance into the Holy City. By the fourth century the Church in Jerusalem gathered each year to recall the Lord’s entrance into Jerusalem. The faithful gathered on the Mount of Olives with their bishop. There they sang psalms and hymns and listened to readings from the Old Testament and to the gospel account of the Lord’s entry into the city. Late in the afternoon they went in procession from the Mount of Olives to the city of Jerusalem. The parents carried their children on their shoulders and all waved branches of palm and olive trees as they cried out: “Hosanna!” and “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” Upon entering the city they went to the Church of the Resurrection, which was built over the tomb of the Lord, where they ultimately celebrated the Eucharist.
As we prepare for the great week of the Lord’s passion and death, we begin by recalling that Jesus was first rightly greeted by the crowds as their Messiah. These same crowds that today cried “Hosanna,” would later shout, “Crucify Him.” However, the Lord’s disciples, who today rejoiced over the reception that he received from the crowds, would desert him and hide in fear. And yet Jesus remained Messiah even on the cross for his true glory came not at the hands of the people, but from his Father. As we follow the Lord on the way to the cross, may we remain ever faithful to him who is our Savior and Lord.
Happy and Blessed Palm Sunday
ANNUAL BISHOP’S APPEAL
Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles
Recently, each parishioner should have received an invitation from Bishop Elias A. Zaidan, Bishop of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles to participate in the Annual Bishop’s Appeal. If you did not receive this communication, please consider this your invitation to participate. Our Annual Bishop’s Appeal calls us to be mindful that we are members of a larger Maronite Catholic community that encompasses a vast territory with existing challenges and growing needs. As the Bishop reported in his invitation to us, the Annual Bishop’s Appeal benefits the assistance for retired priests, seminarians, the Shrine, aid to Mission Parishes, Youth and Young Adult Ministries, and other vital ministries key to the life of our Eparchy. I ask you to please be generous in supporting the Bishop’s Annual Appeal. The goal for Saint Raymond Cathedral Parish is $8,500.00 and I am asking each family to be as generous as possible. Please make checks payable to Saint Raymond Cathedral Parish to receive a tax credit for your donation. The Eparchy counts on parishes to make their goals in order for the ministries of the Eparchy to flourish. If Saint Raymond’s falls short in reaching our goal, we will need to meet the goal by using funds from the Sunday Collection, which funds are already earmarked for our own budget. In this Holy Year of Mercy, I ask that you prayerfully consider a donation to assist the Eparchy in this most worthy appeal.
St. Raymond’s has collected $1,450.00 so far and our goal is $8,500.00. If we don’t reach our goal, the parish has to make up the difference. Please be generous and support the Eparchy. Thank you.
2016-2017 NAM Scholarships
The National Apostolate of Maronites announces their Scholarship Program for 2016-2017.
USA and Lebanon Scholarships are available.
Information and applications are in the vestibule of the church and may be downloaded from the NAM website: www.namnews.org
Deadline for applications is May 15, 2016
St. Raymond’s College and High School Scholarships
The college and high school scholarship applications are in the vestibule of church. The college scholarship application deadline is April 15th and the deadline for the high school scholarship application is May 16th.
Kitchen Scoop
The Kitchen will be closed for Wednesday lunch on March 23rd and will re-open for lunch on Wednesday March 30th.
On Wednesday March 23rd, the kitchen will be Rolling Grape Leaves @ 3:30 pm.
Weekly Finances for March 13th-March 20th
Income: $4,575.00
Expenses: $3,471.51
This does not include Wednesday Lunch
EASTER TRIDUUM
PRAYER AND REFLECTION DURING HOLY WEEK
Tuesday, March 22nd, Wednesday March 23rd, and Friday March 25th during Great Friday Service Reverend Monsignor Michael Witt, Ph.D. (Professor at Kenrick Glennon Seminary & noted Church Historian) will be speaking at all the liturgies.
Please plan to join us during Holy Week for
Spiritual Enrichment in preparation for
Easter.
St. Raymond’s Holy Week Schedule
PALM SUNDAY, MARCH 20
10 a.m. Solemn Liturgy with procession and distribution of palms.
4 p.m. Liturgy & distribution of palms.
PALM SUNDAY DINNER
11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Lebanese food will be served for the public in the Cedars Hall.
MONDAY, TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 22 & 23
Mon, 12 Noon Liturgy
7 p.m. Liturgy of the Blessing of Holy Oils Celebrated by Bishop A. Elias Zaidan
Tues, 12 Noon Liturgy
7 p.m. Liturgy & Benediction of the Cross
Wed, 12 Noon Liturgy
7 p.m. Rite of the Lamp and Liturgy
THURSDAY, MARCH 24 (HOLY THURSDAY)
12 Noon Liturgy
7 p.m. Liturgy and Washing of the Feet; Procession with Blessed Sacrament and Adoration till 11 p.m.
FRIDAY, MARCH 25 (GOOD FRIDAY)
11 a.m. Pre-Sanctified Liturgy
7 p.m. Burial of the Lord
SATURDAY, MARCH 26(GREAT SATURDAY OF THE LIGHT)
10 a.m. Confessions
11 a.m. Prayer of Forgiveness
NO 5 PM LITURGY
10 p.m. Opening of Tomb and Solemn Liturgy of Resurrection
(Everyone is welcome to the Cedars Hall for refreshments following the 10 pm
Liturgy)
SUNDAY, MARCH 27 (EASTER SUNDAY)
9 a.m. Liturgy of Easter (No coffee hour on Easter Sunday.)
11 a.m. Liturgy of Easter
DURING HOLY WEEK, CONFESSIONS WILL BE AVAILABLE BEFORE ALL LITURGIES
SUBDEACON CANDIDATE’S CORNER
As part of our formation, one of the goals of our ministry is to help parishioners develop a greater understanding of our rich Maronite Catholic History and Heritage. In furtherance of that goal we will be adding a short explanation to each bulletin about some aspect of our faith. This continues the discussion about our Maronite Liturgy.
The Service of Communion The Breaking of the Bread and the Signing
The gesture of breaking the bread is reminiscent of the time when the bread used in the liturgy consisted of one large, leavened loaf that was consecrated and then divided for distribution to the celebrant and all the other participants. However, the breaking of the bread also leads to a very ancient practice of signing the chalice with the consecrated bread and signing the bread with the consecrated wine.
Some believe that there are two themes being represented in the Anaphora. In the first phase, we celebrate the sacrificial and salvific work of Christ which is signified by the ritual separation of the Eucharistic Bread and Wine at the "Words of Institution". The second phase begins with the invocation of the Holy Spirit (epiclesis), where the oblation is filled with the Holy Spirit, symbolizing both the revivifying resurrection of Christ and the transfiguration of the oblation into divine nourishment. The revivifying action announced at the invocation of the Holy Spirit now finds visible expression in the reunion of the bread and wine by the signing. The physical joining of the bread and wine signifies the resurrected or vivified Christ. The host marked by the blood becomes the figure of the vivified body, and the wine marked and mixed with vivifying bread becomes the figure of the glorious blood.
In being so marked, the bread and wine now symbolize nourishment of immortality. The oblations become divine gifts which are given to us in communion. The particles of bread were traditionally referred to as "pearls" or "embers". In the Syriac tradition the pearl often symbolized Christ. Legend had it that pearls were conceived virginally in the sea by bolts of lightning. Therefore, the pearl symbolizes both the origin of Christ and Christ as light to the world.
Our missal reads: "We sign this cup of salvation . . . with the purifying ember which glows with heavenly mysteries". The term "ember" recalls the Biblical reference to the lips of Isaiah being purified by a burning coal. Also, the bread now being consecrated by the fiery Spirit of God is seen as symbolically ablaze. The Thanksgiving prayer of the Anaphora of Third Peter says of the Eucharist: "O devouring fire that our fingers have held, and living ember that our lips have kissed". This symbol reinforces the idea that the Eucharist purifies us and is for the forgiveness of sins.
After breaking the bread, the celebrant places a particle in the chalice and recites the following prayer: "You have united, O Lord, Your divinity with our humanity and our humanity with Your divinity; Your (immortal) life with our mortality and our mortality with Your life. You have assumed what is ours and You have given us what is Yours, for the life and salvation of our souls . . . " This prayer offers a concise statement of the Syriac teaching on the Incarnation. God in His generosity and compassion desires that His creation achieve divinization. This divine plan is realized in the Word of God joining with our human nature. In so doing our nature now has the possibility of going beyond itself. However, through sin, death, both physical and spiritual, has entered into our existence. Therefore, God's immortality replaces our mortal destiny. In the Word of God humbling Himself, our humility has been raised to its Creator.
Some believe that there are two themes being represented in the Anaphora. In the first phase, we celebrate the sacrificial and salvific work of Christ which is signified by the ritual separation of the Eucharistic Bread and Wine at the "Words of Institution". The second phase begins with the invocation of the Holy Spirit (epiclesis), where the oblation is filled with the Holy Spirit, symbolizing both the revivifying resurrection of Christ and the transfiguration of the oblation into divine nourishment. The revivifying action announced at the invocation of the Holy Spirit now finds visible expression in the reunion of the bread and wine by the signing. The physical joining of the bread and wine signifies the resurrected or vivified Christ. The host marked by the blood becomes the figure of the vivified body, and the wine marked and mixed with vivifying bread becomes the figure of the glorious blood.
In being so marked, the bread and wine now symbolize nourishment of immortality. The oblations become divine gifts which are given to us in communion. The particles of bread were traditionally referred to as "pearls" or "embers". In the Syriac tradition the pearl often symbolized Christ. Legend had it that pearls were conceived virginally in the sea by bolts of lightning. Therefore, the pearl symbolizes both the origin of Christ and Christ as light to the world.
Our missal reads: "We sign this cup of salvation . . . with the purifying ember which glows with heavenly mysteries". The term "ember" recalls the Biblical reference to the lips of Isaiah being purified by a burning coal. Also, the bread now being consecrated by the fiery Spirit of God is seen as symbolically ablaze. The Thanksgiving prayer of the Anaphora of Third Peter says of the Eucharist: "O devouring fire that our fingers have held, and living ember that our lips have kissed". This symbol reinforces the idea that the Eucharist purifies us and is for the forgiveness of sins.
After breaking the bread, the celebrant places a particle in the chalice and recites the following prayer: "You have united, O Lord, Your divinity with our humanity and our humanity with Your divinity; Your (immortal) life with our mortality and our mortality with Your life. You have assumed what is ours and You have given us what is Yours, for the life and salvation of our souls . . . " This prayer offers a concise statement of the Syriac teaching on the Incarnation. God in His generosity and compassion desires that His creation achieve divinization. This divine plan is realized in the Word of God joining with our human nature. In so doing our nature now has the possibility of going beyond itself. However, through sin, death, both physical and spiritual, has entered into our existence. Therefore, God's immortality replaces our mortal destiny. In the Word of God humbling Himself, our humility has been raised to its Creator.
Taken from A Commentary on the Holy Mysteries: The Holy Mystery of Offering (Qorbono)
If you have questions about Catholic teaching or our Maronite tradition, or would like to suggest a topic, please email us or tell us the next time we see you. Thank you and God Bless.
Altar Servers
As we have announced in the past, we are still in great need of altar servers at ALL MASSES. We are looking for all interested BOYS AND GIRLS that would like to serve at mass to send an email to Tony or David. We would love to have more servers and can teach you everything you need to know. NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE NECESSARY
No comments:
Post a Comment