· 2013. 6. 3. · peter was a simple, hard-working man. he was generous, honest and very attached...

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ST THOMAS CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH - 6900 W. Maple Rd. West Bloomfield, MI 48322 | 248.788.2460 | [email protected] June 2014Volume VIII, Issue VI Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Pg 8 Canonization of Two Popes! Page 20 Official Church Newsletter of St Thomas Chaldean Catholic Church & Hope www.StThomasCC.org VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL Pg ??? ?? WHO IS ST. EPHREM? Pg 11 DON’T FORGET…. StThomasCC.org STAY CONNECTED! Calendar, Meditations, Activities, & More! Faith

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Page 1:  · 2013. 6. 3. · Peter was a simple, hard-working man. He was generous, honest and very attached to Jesus. This great apostle's name was Simon, but Jesus changed it to Peter, which

ST THOMAS CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH - 6900 W. Maple Rd. West Bloomfield, MI 48322 | 248.788.2460 | [email protected]

June 2014—Volume VIII, Issue VI

Month of the

Sacred Heart of Jesus Pg 8

Canonization of Two Popes!

Page 20

Official Church Newsletter of St Thomas Chaldean Catholic Church

&

Hope www.StThomasCC.org

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

Pg ???

??

WHO IS ST. EPHREM?

Pg 11

DON’T FORGET….

StThomasCC.org

STAY CONNECTED!

Calendar, Meditations,

Activities, & More!

Faith

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JUNE 2014 FAITH & HOPE 3

Weekdays: IN CHALDEAN @ 10:00 am - MON - FRI

Saturdays: IN ENGLISH @ 5:00 pm Sundays: IN ENGLISH @ 9:00am IN ENGLISH (HIGH MASS) @ 10:30am IN CHALDEAN (HIGH MASS) @ 12:30pm IN ARABIC @ 2:00pm

MASS SCHEDULE BAPTISM SCHEDULE

Every Saturday 12:30PM

1st, 3rd, 4th Saturday are done by Fr. Jirjis Abraham

2nd Saturday are done by Fr. Frank Kallabat

ANOINTING SCHEDULE

Upon Request, please contact

St. Thomas Church Office

May 10th, 2014

Connor Ashton daughter of Ammar & Olivia Semma

Jacob daughter of Dany & Nadine Yousif

Nicholas Kiyan son of Kiyan & Baraa Rad

Cameron Jaseph son of Ghazwan & Sally Abro

Jacob Wasam son of Wasam & Sandra Khemmoro

Alexander Jacob son of Norman & Filodia Acho

May 16, 2014

Nema Marie-Therese fawaz daughter of Fawaz & Cynthia

Atchoo

May 17, 2015

Michael Joseph son of Joseph & Victoria Ayiar

Jayden Louie son of Louie & Sawsan Hanna

May 24, 2014

Sage Hope daughter of Thomas & Noor Konja

Scarlett Rose daughter of Thomas & Noor Konja

Aaron Nawroz son of Rizwan & Myra Dabish

May 3, 2014

Firas Alosachie to Holly Ibrahim

May 4, 2014

Javon Ayar to Candice Jarjosa

May 8, 2014

Mike Marogi to Nancy Yacoub

May 9, 2014

Shawn Gappy to Candice Yousif

May 16, 2014

Patrick Jarjis to Ashley Bajjoka

May 17, 2014

Faris Atcho to Shahnaz Hanaee

May 24, 2014

Alan Abbo to Meriam Esshaki

May 30, 2014

Kevin Yaldoo to Renee Jiddou

May 31, 2014

Ramzi Ajo to Shennel Hannawa

CONGRATS! † BAPTISMS † MAY 2014 CONGRATS! † WEDDINGS † MAY 2014

Confessions:

- During Masses

1st Friday of the Month at ECRC

- Thursdays 11p-12a at St Thomas

Article By Sura Hedow

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4 FAITH & HOPE JUNE 2014

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JUNE 2014 FAITH & HOPE 5

St. Peter

Peter, the first pope, was a fisherman from Galilee. Jesus invited him to follow him, saying: "I will make you a fisher of men." Peter was a simple, hard-working man. He was generous, honest and very attached to Jesus. This great apostle's name was Simon, but Jesus changed it to Peter, which means "rock." "You are Peter," Jesus said, "and on this rock I will build my Church." Peter was the chief or prince of the apostles.

When Jesus was arrested, Peter became afraid. It was then that he committed the sin of denying Our Lord three times. Fear for his safety got the best of him. But Peter repented totally. He wept over his denials for the rest of his life. Jesus forgave Peter. After his resurrection he asked Peter three times: "Do you love me?" "Lord," Peter answered, "you know all things. You know that I love you." Jesus truly did know! Peter was so right. Jesus said kindly: "Feed my lambs. Feed my sheep." He was telling Peter to take care of his Church because he would be ascending into heaven. Jesus left Peter as the leader of his followers.

Peter eventually went to Rome to live. Rome was the center of the whole Roman Empire. Peter converted many nonbelievers there. When the fierce persecution of Christians began, they begged Peter to leave Rome and save himself. It is said that he actually started out. On the road he met Jesus. Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus answered, "I am coming to be crucified a second time." Then St. Peter turned around and went back.

e realized that this vision meant that he was to suffer and die for Jesus. Soon after, he was taken prisoner and condemned to death. Because he was not a Roman citizen, he, like Jesus, could be crucified. This time he did not deny the Lord. This time he was ready to die for him. Peter asked to be crucified with his head downward since he was not worthy to suffer as Jesus had. The Roman soldiers did not find this unusual because slaves were crucified in the same manner. St. Peter was martyred on Vatican Hill. It was around the year 67. Emperor Constantine built a large church over that sacred location in the fourth century. Recent archaeological findings confirm these facts.

St. Paul

Paul is the great apostle who first persecuted the Christians. Then he was converted. We celebrate Paul's conversion on January 25. At the time of his conversion, Jesus had said: "I will show him how much he must suffer for me." St. Paul loved Jesus very much, so much, in fact, that he became a living copy of our Savior. All his life, during his many missionary trips, St. Paul met troubles and went through dangers of every kind. He was whipped, stoned, shipwrecked, and lost at sea. Many, many times he was hungry, thirsty and cold.

Yet he always trusted in God. He never stopped preaching. "The love of Jesus presses me onward," he said. In reward, God gave him great comfort and joy in spite of every suffering. We read about his marvelous adventures for Christ in Luke's Acts of the Apostles, beginning with chapter nine. But St. Luke's story ends when Paul arrives in Rome. He is under house arrest, waiting to be tried by Emperor Nero. A famous early Christian writer, Tertullian, tells us that Paul was freed after his first trial. But then he was put in prison again. This time he was sentenced to death. He died around the year 67, during Nero's terrible persecution of the Christians. Paul called himself the apostle of the Gentiles. He preached the Gospel to the non-Jews. That took him to the whole known world. Because of Paul, we, too, have received the Christian faith.

SAINT PETER & SAINT PAUL (FEAST DAY JUNE 29)

Article By Marcella Zoma Acho

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JUNE 2014 Eastern Catholic Re-Evangelization Center “E.C.R.C.”

For more information contact: (248) 538-9903 or Email: [email protected]

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2

3

LIGHT 6-9:30pm

at MoG

4

5 Eucharistic Adoration at

5:30 pm Holy Mass at 6:30 pm

Young Adult Kairos Re-

treatants

ages 24—30 leaves to

The Colombiere Center

6 1-2 pm ECRC

Radio Bible

Program In Arabic

on 690am ECRC 1st Friday De-

votion (Adoration,

Confession, & Mass)

6:30 pm

7

8 Young

Adult

Kairos

Re-

treatants

ages

24—30

return

home

9

10 .

LIGHT 6-9:30pm

at MoG

11

12 Eucharistic Adoration at

5:30 pm Holy Mass at 6:30 pm

13

1-2 pm ECRC Ra-

dio BIble

Program In Arabic

on 690am

ECRC Healing

Mass

& Prayer Ser-

vice 6:30pm

14

15

16

17

LIGHT 6-9:30pm

at MoG

18

ST. EPHREM

19 Eucharistic Adoration at

5:30 pm Holy Mass at 6:30 pm

HOLY EUCHARIST

20 1-2 pm ECRC Ra-

dio Bible

Program In Arabic

on 690am

21

22 23 24 .

LIGHT 6-9:30pm

at MoG

25

26

Eucharistic Adoration at

5:30 pm Holy Mass at 6:30 pm

271-2 pm ECRC

Radio Bible

Program In Arabic

on 690am

SACRED HEART OF

JESUS _________________

_______

28

29

30

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JUNE 2014 FAITH & HOPE 7

Eastern Catholic Re-Evangelization Center “E.C.R.C.”

For more information contact: (248) 538-9903 or Email: [email protected]

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8 FAITH & HOPE JUNE 2014

T he Month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart. This year the Feast of the Sacred Heart falls on June 11.

The Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the Friday following the second Sunday after Pentecost. In addition to the liturgical celebration, many devotional exercises are connected with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Of all devotions, devotion to the Sacred Heart was, and remains, one of the most widespread and popular in the Church.

Understood in the light of the Scriptures, the term "Sacred Heart of Jesus" denotes the entire mystery of Christ, the totality of his being, and his person considered in its most intimate essential: Son of God, uncreated wisdom; infinite charity, principal of the salvation and sanctification of mankind.

The "Sacred Heart" is Christ, the Word Incarnate, Savior, intrinsically containing, in the Spirit, an infinite divine-human love for the Father and for his brothers. Jesus, who is one with the Father (cf. John 10, 30), invites his disciples to live in close communion with him, to model their lives on him and on his teaching. He, in turn, reveals himself as "meek and humble of heart" (Mt 11, 29). It can be said that, in a certain sense, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a cultic form of the prophetic and evangelic gaze of all Christians on him who was pierced (cf. John 19, 37; Zac 12, 10), the gaze of all Christians on the side of Christ, transfixed by a lance, and from which flowed blood and water (cf. John 19, 34), symbols of the "wondrous sacrament of the Church"(St. Augustine).

The Gospel of St. John recounts the showing of the Lord's hands and his side to the disciples (cf. John 20,20), and of his invitation to Thomas to put his hand into his side (cf. John 20, 27). This event has also had a notable influence on the origin and development of the Church's devotion to the Sacred Heart.

These and other texts present Christ as the paschal Lamb, victorious and slain (cf. Apoc 5,6). They were objects of much reflection by the Fathers who unveiled their doctrinal richness. They invited the faithful to penetrate the mysteries of Christ by contemplating the wound opened in his side. Augustine writes: "Access is possible: Christ is the door. It was opened for you when his side was opened by the lance. Remember what flowed out from his side: thus, choose where you want to enter Christ. From the side of Christ as he hung dying upon the Cross there flowed out blood and water, when it was pierced by a lance. Your purification is in that water, your redemption is in that blood".

THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS (JUNE DEDICATION)

Article by Marcella Zoma Acho

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JUNE 2014 FAITH & HOPE 9

W hen a Christian woman is looking for a husband, she should seek a man “after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22). The most important relationship that any of us have is our personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. The relationship comes before all others. If our vertical relationship with the Lord is as it should be, then our horizontal relationships will reflect that reality.

Therefore a potential husband should be a man who has his focus upon walking in obedience to God’s Word and who seeks to live so that his life brings glory to God (1 Corinthians 10:31). What are some other qualities to look for? The apostle Paul gives us the qualities we should look for in a husband in 1 Timothy chapter 3. In this passage are the qualifications for a leader in the Church body. However, these qualities should grace the lives of any man who walks “after God’s heart.” The qualities can be paraphrased as follows; a man should be patient and controlled in his demeanor, not filled with proide but of sober mental attitude, able to master his emotions, given to graciousness to others, able to patiently teach, not given to drunkenness or uncontrolled use of any of God’s gifts, not prone to violence, not overly focused upon the details of life but focused upon God, not apt to be a hot-head or be thin-skinned so that he takes offense easily, and grateful for what God has given, rather than envious of what gifts others have received.

The above qualities describe a man who is actively engaged in the process of becoming a mature believer. That is the type of man a woman should look for as a potential husband. Yes, physical attraction, similar interests, complementary strengths and weaknesses, and the desire for children are to consider. These things, though, must be secondary to the spiritual qualities a woman should look for in a man. A man you can trust, respect, and follow in the path of godliness is so far greater value than a man who has good looks, fame, power or money. Chose wisely ladies and pray that God guides you in your path of finding your soul mate.

LADIES—MARRY A MAN “AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART” (Acts 13:22)

Article By Marcella Zoma Acho

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10 FAITH & HOPE JUNE 2014

WOULD YOU DIE FOR THE EUCHARIST

B read... That bread you eat at Mass; that bread that everyone eats at Mass; would you give up your life for that Bread? Is it logical or faithful to lay down our lives for the Eucharist, the Eucharist that looks, feels, and tastes just like bread? My favorite part of the Bible is the middle of John chapter 6! Grab your bible and be ready to be amazed by the teachings of Jesus Christ!

John 6:51 “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

Jesus, our Lord and God, in the Gospel of John, repeats phrases like “ I am the Bread of Life,” so many time, you would think it was a typo mistake John had made when writing the Gospel! The Jews are confused because Jesus is telling them they must EAT His FLESH. The Jews said, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” Jesus didn’t hesitate, He says over and over, I am the Bread of life, you must eat My Flesh and drink My Blood to have eternal life!! Please go to John 6 starting at verse 22 so we can be on the same page!

Finally, the Jews had enough, they said, “this saying is too hard” and they left, countless followers of Jesus just left Him because it was too hard to understand that the Bread Jesus gives is His own Flesh and they must eat it to have life! Now, if the Eucharist is only bread and nothing more, its very easy to understand it symbolically, and Jesus would have called those people back and teach it to them more slowly but Jesus wasn’t talking symbolically about the Eucharist, He was willing to let people leave Him even His own Apostles…

John 6:66 As a result of this, many [of] his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?”

Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

Jesus is the Lamb of God, in the Old Covenant, the Passover meal was to offer a lamb and the people would have to eat the Lamb in order to complete the offer to God! So we also must eat the Lamb, not a symbol of the lamb but the real lamb of God, who is Jesus Christ, so we can have the forgiveness of sins and have Eternal life as Jesus promises!

Lets change the title of the talk from “Would You Die for the Eucharist?” to “Would You Die for Jesus Christ?” They are exactly the same! Please go online and read about Eucharistic miracles when the Eucharist actually turns into LIVING FLESH or real parts of the HUMAN HEART etc…

Article by Mark Zakar

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JUNE 2014 FAITH & HOPE 11

Live, Learn, Defend, Teach & Evangelize the Catholic Faith!

Poet, teacher, orator and defender of the faith, Ephrem is the only Syrian recognized as a doctor of the Church. He took upon himself the special task of opposing the many false doctrines rampant at his time,

always remaining a true and forceful defender of the Catholic Church.

Born in Nisibis, Mesopotamia, he was baptized as a young man and became famous as a teacher in his native city. When the Christian emperor had to cede Nisibis to the Persians, Ephrem, along with many Christians, fled as a refugee to Edessa. He is credited with attracting great glory to the biblical school there. He was ordained a deacon but declined becoming a priest (and was said to have avoided Episcopal

consecration by feigning madness!).

He had a prolific pen, and his writings best illumine his holiness. Although he was not a man of great scholarship, his works reflect deep insight and knowledge of the Scriptures. In writing about the mysteries of humanity’s redemption, Ephrem reveals a realistic and humanly sympathetic spirit and a great devotion to the humanity of Jesus. It is said that his poetic account of the Last

Judgment inspired Dante.

It is surprising to read that he wrote hymns against the heretics of his day. He would take the popular songs of the heretical groups and, using their melodies, compose beautiful hymns embodying orthodox doctrine. Ephrem became one of the first to introduce song into the Church’s public worship as a means of instruction for the faithful. His many hymns have earned him the title “Harp

of the Holy Spirit.”

He preferred a simple, austere life, living in a small cave overlooking the city of Edessa. It was here he died around

373.

Who is St Ephrem?

ECRC is a lay organization made up of volunteers that are com-

mitted to answering the late Pope John Paul II call to re-evangelize

the world so that it may come to an intimate knowledge of our

Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His Church.

Visit ECRC For Bible Study, Mass, Adoration, & More!

4875 West Maple Road

Bloomfield Township, MI. 48301

P: (248) 538-9903

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12 FAITH & HOPE JUNE 2014

Help us & Help Others with your generous donations.

We accept a wider range of donated materials than others. Most any estate, office, garage, furniture, attic, shed, closet, trade-in,

obsolete, returns, sporting goods, clothes, shoes, lamps and on and on!

Donation Bin is located by the Church Office in the St. Thomas Parking Lot.

If you have items too large for the bin please call

St. Vincent De Paul at 906.266.3721.

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JUNE 2014 FAITH & HOPE 13

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14 FAITH & HOPE JUNE 2014

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JUNE 2014 FAITH & HOPE 15

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16 FAITH & HOPE JUNE 2014

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JUNE 2014 FAITH & HOPE 17

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18 FAITH & HOPE JUNE 2014

B eing a good father often means being a good provider, a responsible figure of the family, one who understands the feelings and needs of his family members, one who is unselfish

and does his very best for his family. All of these traits are very noble, but still lack what God intended fathers to be.

One picture that Jesus portrays of the Heavenly father is about forgiveness. The story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) speaks of a father who, upon catching sight of his repenting son, became filled with compassion; ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. To me as a father, it teaches me to be eagerly forgiving to my family members without the need for formal apologies. Forgiveness entails giving someone a second chance without punishing them for their mistake. Nothing should stand between the father and his family members despite what society tells us. Forgiveness brings healing and a true sense of a constructive and strong spiritual life. Forgiveness is a measure of our willingness to love and overlook any offenses, injustices, and neglect done against us. St. Peter teaches us “love covers a multitude of sins” [1 Peter 4:8]. Being a forgiving earthly father builds peace and reconciliation in the family and heals our loved ones from the wounds of sin.

Regardless of how many children we may have, being a father is both a privilege and a responsibility. Raising our children in our Catholic faith is of paramount importance, especially in a western culture that is increasingly becoming pagan-like and immoral. Society gives us numerous reasons why the father’s responsibility towards his children is growing harder today, but I’d like to stick to the basics and say that the best and foremost thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother. When the husband disrespects, abandons, or degrades his wife, he makes the life of his children much less secure. Think of St. Joseph, who was still called a father not because he had children of his own, but because he safeguarded Mary’s reputation. Similarly, our measure of being fathers is based on how much we love, respect and protect our wives, and this responsibility comes before other responsibilities related to raising our children.

The final lessons I have learned as a father over a quarter of a century are things that I did not learn from books or lectures, but from internalizing the teachings of Christ. Here are some examples:

Since children learn that their parents are “perfect” from early age, I always apologized to my children for my mistakes. This taught them that mistakes are allowed and that is fully expected as part of our faith journey.

It is very acceptable to get "caught" praying. This may include any hour of day or night. It is also very acceptable to remind the children that I pray for them before exams, games, interviews, job opportunities, and other critical times in their lives. Similarly, I always bring words of gratitude and thanksgiving for our many blessings during our casual conversations. This is a good teaching tool of an informal prayer for every moment in life.

I avoid situations that anger my children. St. Paul teaches “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up with the training and instruction of the Lord.” [Ephesians 6:4]

Money is a means of living, not an end. I think of my financial picture in terms of how it fits with my fundamental Christian principles and that is what I teach my children today. Coaching a son or daughter to be a “money maker” can breed the worst child you can ever ask for.

Being a father is all about serving without being served, having a vision without being arrogant, being

a coach without being the frontrunner, being a disciplinarian without being punishing, and being courageous

without being reckless. Happy Father’s Day to all fathers, including our beloved priests!

FATHER’S DAY: A PERSONAL REFLECTION ON THE MEANING OF FATHERHOOD

Article By “Suraya”

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JUNE 2014 FAITH & HOPE 19

Article by Sister Christine

Meditation on the Sacred Heart of Jesus

W hile our Lord was upon earth. He several times expressed to His Apostles what He had most at heart, and what was the work He had chiefly come to perform. He told them that He had come to send fire on the earth, and asked them what else they could expect Him to desire except that that fire should speedily be enkindled. (St. Luke xii. 49.) Yes, Jesus came to kindle on earth the fire of Divine Love. Does this fire burn brightly in my heart, and do I fulfill His longing that it should be kindled more and more in me?

This fire was not merely the fire of love to God, it was also the fire of mutual charity amongst men. When Christ came, hatred, jealousy, selfishness, strife were the order of the day. He came to spread charity, self-sacrifice, peace, mutual good-will. Yet how faintly this flame burns in my cold heart! How much of selfishness and ill-feeling and petty jealousy still remains there!

This fire of love to God and man gives birth to another fire, which also consumes the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and burns in the hearts of all who love Him; the fire of zeal tor souls and a desire to labor and suffer for them. How this fire burned in the hearts of the saints--of St. Paul, St. Francis Xavier, St. Vincent de Paul, St. Alphonsus Liguori! How eager they were to bring others to God! How unselfish in their exertions in their behalf! We must pray for more of that true zeal that animated the saints of God.

May the Heart of Jesus in the most Blessed Sacrament be praised, adored, and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the

tabernacles of the world, even to the end of

time.

(Pius IX, Feb 29, 1868)

Words of Wisdom by Sister Mary Christine

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E aster services this year kicked off a record-

breaking week at the Vatican. Two beloved

modern popes — John Paul II and John XXIII — are to

be canonized at the Vatican next Sundayby Pope Francis. There

were services all week, which drew the most pilgrims ever to the

Catholic capital.

John Paul II is remembered for helping to bring down communism and for inspiring a

generation of Catholics. Many now call him “The Great,” only the fourth pope to have earned the

moniker. And while much of the crowd’s focus will be on the Polish pope’s remarkable

achievements, Pope John XXIII — known as the “Good Pope” for his kindhearted nature — was no

less revolutionary. Pope Francis by passed the second miracle typically required for canonization

for John XXIII, declaring that he deserved the honor for having convened the Second Vatican

Council. Rome had 3 million visitors in the city during the period from the Easter celebrations this

weekend to the canonization that following Sunday.

Nineteen heads of state and 24 prime ministers attended the canonization ceremony in St.

Peter’s Square. In line with Pope Francis’ no-frills papacy, organizers said the canonizations was a

much more sober affair than the three-day extravaganza that marked John Paul’s beatification, the

last step before sainthood, in 2011.

Cardinal Agostino Vallini, the vicar of Rome, said some churches remained open overnight on

the eve of the canonization to provide a spiritual retreat for pilgrims, “but not much else.” Francis has

long signaled his support for making a saint of John Paul II, whose funeral nine years ago saw

mourners chant, “Santo subito [Saint now]!” In his 2005 testimony to officials responsible for the

sainthood cause, Francis, then Jorge Mario Bergoglio, archbishop of Buenos Aires, praised John

Paul’s approach to death as “heroic”: John Paul considered

stepping down as pope but chose to serve until his death.

“John Paul II taught us, by hiding nothing from others, to suffer

and to die, and that, in my opinion, is

heroic,” said Bergoglio at the time.

20 FAITH & HOPE JUNE 2014

Article by Marcella Zoma Acho

CANONIZATION IN ROME APRIL 27, 2014

ECRC took a pilgrimage to Italy with

33 of our faithful to be present for the

historic and blessed canonization of

Pope John Paul II and John XXIII.

More pics to come soon @

www.StCCC.org

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Article By

W hen a Christian woman is looking for a husband, she should seek a man “after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22). The most important relationship that any of us have is our personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. The relationship comes before all others. If our vertical relationship with the Lord is as it should be, then our horizontal relationships will reflect that reality.

Therefore a potential husband should be a man who has his focus upon walking in obedience to God’s Word and who seeks to live so that his life brings glory to God (1 Corinthians 10:31). What are some other qualities to look for? The apostle Paul gives us the qualities we should look for in a husband in 1 Timothy chapter 3. In this passage are the qualifications for a leader in the Church body. However, these qualities should grace the lives of any man who walks “after God’s heart.” The qualities can be paraphrased as follows; a man should be patient and controlled in his demeanor, not filled with proide but of sober mental attitude, able to master his emotions, given to graciousness to others, able to patiently teach, not given to drunkenness or uncontrolled use of any of God’s gifts, not prone to violence, not overly focused upon the details of life but focused upon God, not apt to be a hot-head or be thin-skinned so that he takes offense easily, and grateful for what God has given, rather than envious of what gifts others have received.

The above qualities describe a man who is actively engaged in the process of becoming a mature believer. That is the type of man a woman should look for as a potential husband. Yes, physical attraction, similar interests, complementary strengths and weaknesses, and the desire for children are to consider. These things, though, must be secondary to the spiritual qualities a woman should look for in a man. A man you can trust, respect, and follow in the path of godliness is so far greater value than a man who has good looks, fame, power or money. Chose wisely ladies and pray that God guides you in your path of finding your soul mate.

LADIES—MARRY A MAN “AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART” (Acts 13:22)

Article By Marcella Zoma Acho

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