THE MARONITE

CATHOLIC MISSION

OF CHARLOTTE

A member of the Eparchy of St Maron of Brooklyn, NY

WEEKLY BULLETIN #006

- February 19, 2017 - [ Sunday of the Faithful Departed]

Administrator Rev. Elias KHALIL

Divine Liturgy Schedule

Sunday 12.30 pm

Location 4116 Waxhaw -Marvin Rd Waxhaw, NC 28173

Mission Office Hours Tuesday—Friday 9 am-4 PM Email: abouna@mmocnc.org Tel: (704) 543-7677 ext.# 1043 P.O.BOX 49021• Charlotte , NC 28277

SACRAMENTS BAPTISM & CHRISMATIONS: Preparation is required. We encourage this to begin at least one month before the Baptism.

MARRIAGES: Arrangements six (6) months in advance.

CONFESSIONS: Sunday 12-12.30 PM & by appointment

NEW PARISHIONERS: Welcome to our parish family. Please be sure to register with our parish by calling the Parish office.

SICK CALLS : If someone is hospitalized or sick please let us know by calling the Parish House office.

WEBSITE: www.mmocnc.org

FACEBOOK: Maronite Mission of Charlotte

Parish Mission Statement : Our Mission is to grow a faithful, hospitable Maronite

Community striving to live by the truth and charity of the Gospel.

Sunday Feb 12, 2016

1st Collection $ 679.00

Second Collection—Building Fund $ 170.00

Donation from Individuals $150.00

Online Giving $50.00

Luncheon $895.00

To t a l $1944.00

P A R I S H S T E W A R D S H I P

L I T U R G Y I N T E N T I O N S Sunday Feb 19, 2017 - For all the faithful depart-

ed

Sunday Feb 26, 2017 - 40 days memorial Liturgy

for Sonia Skaf by her family.

T H I S W E E K C O L L E C T I O N S

2nd Coll.

First Collection

Utility Fund

Please remember our Mission by maintaining your donation through our Online Service

by visiting our Website and clicking on the following link:

http://mmocnc.org/donate/ Your weekly donation will maintain our mission in her jour-

ney and keep our doors open.

D A I LY R E A D I N G S

February 19—February 26

SUNDAY Sunday of the Faithful Departed

1 Thes 5: 1-11 / Lk 16: 19-31

MONDAY St James the Hermit

1 Thes 4: 13-18 / Lk 12: 1-7

TUESDAY St Eustathius

2 Thes 1: 1-12 / Lk 12: 8-12

WEDNESDAY Establishment of the Chair of St. Peter

2 Thes 2: 1-12 / Lk 12: 13-21

THURSDAY St Polycarp Of Smyrna

2 Thes 2: 13-3:5 / Lk 12: 22-32

FRIDAY 1 Cor 15: 35-44a / Lk 12: 33-40

SATURDAY 1 Cor 15: 51-58 / Lk 12: 49-59

SUNDAY Miracle at Cana in Galilee

Rom 14: 14-23 / Jn 2:1-11

To View the daily Readings , visit http://dailygospel.org/M/MAE/

Comfort for the Afflicted.

That all those who are afflicted, es-

pecially the poor, refugees, and mar-

ginalized, may find welcome and

comfort in our communities

P O P E F R A N C I S P R A Y E R I N T E N T I O N S F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 7

Please remember to submit your intentions for Liturgy ASAP in order to make mention of it in the bulletin

May 06

For our annual Party on Saturday

MAY 06, 2017. Details to follow.

During the Lenten sea-

son each Friday 6 fam-

ilies in the Mission are

going to host us to

pray the stations of the

Cross. The prayers are

celebrated at 7 and

they will be followed by a meat-

less meal. We encourage each

family joining us to bring a meat-

less dish with her so we won’t

burden the family with our visit.

You may contact the hosting fami-

ly ahead of time to coordinate

what you may bring. Thank you!

On Sunday

February 12

our Mission cel-

ebrated the

feast of our St

Patron Maron.

We would like

to thank all those who helped in

making this celebration prayerful

and joyful. We thank our youth

who prepared a presentation

about St Maron.

We thank all the families and

members who contributed and

helped preparing for this event.

We thank as well, all the volun-

teers who helped in the set up, the

cooking of the food and the clean-

ing afterwards.

Because of you all our event was

successful. May you all be blessed

through the intercession of St

Maron. Thank you!

Please remember that each Sun-

day we have 2 collections.

The First Collection goes toward

our operation account.

The Second Collections Some of

them are forwarded to the Epar-

chy and the rest of them are

meant to be used toward specific

expenses in the mission. Please be

aware that the second collection

is always optional and not ob-

ligatory. However, we count al-

ways on your support with the

first collection.

Whether you contribute toward

the 2 collections or to 1 please

make sure you are using the right

envelope.

What is purgatory, and why

do we pray for the dead? Why do we pray for the dead? And how do we pray

for the dead?

These are good questions, shared by many others,

and they touch upon a long tradition in the Church

of not only remembering those who have gone on

before us, but also commending them to God’s lov-

ing mercy.

There is a mortuary chapel, built in the 1870s, that

stands in the center of the cemetery on the grounds

of the now-closed Jesuit seminary at Woodstock,

Maryland. Inscribed over the chapel door are these

words (in Latin): “Here the Society of Jesus cherishes

as keepsakes for heaven the ashes of the dear sons

she has brought forth.”

The cherished remains are “keepsakes for heaven;”

that’s why we visit cemeteries. The prayerful remem-

brances — Masses, special prayers for the dead, Ro-

saries, Stations of the Cross, and other devotional

remembrances — are, for the most part, petitions to

God. They ask that the departed believer may be

united in an eternal embrace with the triune God —

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — in heaven. For that

goal was each of us created, for that purpose did

Christ die and rise again, and for that end do we

pray when we commend the souls of “the faithful

departed” to God.

But, you may be wondering, why are they not united

with God immediately upon leaving this world? Well,

that question relates to our readiness, our prepared-

ness, our freedom from sin, and our satisfaction of

what the Church refers to as “temporal punishment

due to sin” in order that the union of a human being

— a “mere mortal” — with the sinless God is possible.

What is this temporal punishment? Let me suggest

that it is a condition of “ungreediness” for eternal

union with the Holy Trinity. In one sense you are

ready, because you’ve expressed your sorrow and

your sins have been forgiven. But in all probability

you’re not quite ready, because your love of God at

the moment of death may be less than wholeheart-

ed, less than perfect. Spiritually, you are right with

God (your sins have been forgiven), but you need a

bit of tidying up before being taken fully into God’s

loving and eternal embrace.

Purgatory is the cure for your condition of ungreedi-

ness. It’s the process of purification.

Hence, we pray for the dead to beg God to move

that process along. It all relates to God’s love and

grace, that they may enfold the souls of the depart-

ed and keep them eternally secure.

The Mass, of course, is the absolute best prayer for

the dead. It makes the redemptive sacrifice of Christ

present again on the altar and, in God’s gracious

providence, allows you to ask that this redemptive

power be applied to the one for whom you pray.

You didn’t ask, but let me add to this the truth that

those who have died can pray for you. They are

with God and can pray to God for you. Similarly,

your prayers for anyone who is already fully and

eternally united to God in love are not wasted. All

prayer is powerful, and in this case, your prayer will

return in the form of unknown and unpredictable

blessings on you and your world.

I visited another Jesuit cemetery once with an elder-

ly and saintly priest who recalled for me the words

over the door of the Woodstock mortuary chapel

and said quietly, “Remember, Bill, you can never be

too good to your dead.” Wise words. CD

By William J. Byron, S.J

Source: Catholic Digest

http://www.catholicdigest.com/articles/faith/knowledge/2007/07-01/what-is

-purgatory-and-why-do-we-pray-for-the-dead

Checked on 02-14-2017