"Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." - John 3:3
Please read the following letter from Bishop EliasBISHOP’S LETTER ON TREASUREJanuary 11, 2020Dear Brothers and Sisters,In my previous two letters I addressed “time” and “talent”. I now turn my thoughts and reflection to the gift of treasure. One of the most famous sayings of Jesus is found in the Gospel of Matthew: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21). It is interesting to note that in this sixth chapter of the Gospel Jesus first addresses giving alms (to the poor); he then speaks about prayer and teaches his apostles the Lord’s Prayer that we all know so well. Jesus then reflects on the gift of fasting and finally he speaks of our “treasures”. In reality the gift of “treasure” represents two things: The gift represents the giver; and the gift represents an act of “thanksgiving to God”.In the previous passage, Jesus correctly notes that our earthly treasures will rust, or be stolen or simply lost. As we know, we leave the world at our death the way entered into the world at our birth – with nothing. The Holy Scriptures have literally hundreds of references to material goods and their proper use. We will never be able to outdo the generosity of God as St. Paul tells us, “You will be enriched in every way for great generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.” (2 Corinthians 9:10-11). The proper use of what God has given to us in the form of material possessions must be used in accordance with His will. I believe that, while taking care of ourselves and our families, the will of God is also that we use our material goods for others in acts of charity.Our Stewardship of Treasure allows for many different possibilities. One central and important way is our support of our local parish. It is in the parish that we come for the blessing of our marriage and where we bring our children to be baptized and receive the Eucharist; it is in the parish that we bring our beloved deceased for Christian burial. The Eparchy is another way we share the material gifts given to us by God. The Eparchy supports directly the work of the parish. Outside of the parish and Eparchy there are many charitable opportunities with organizations and institutions that also do the work of the Lord. Of course, there is also our ability to assist the poor directly, sometimes person-to-person, sometimes through groups that deal directly with the poor and needy. These are all ways to be thankful to God through our generosity.Remember that, however we choose, we should always respond with an open heart “for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7).Sincerely yours in Christ,+A. Elias ZaidanBishop of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles Please join us for a State of the Parish financial statement on Sunday, February 2 after both liturgies.Parish family photos please submit photos of your family if you would like to be in the directory. Please find printable photos at the link below. https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/mobile/folders/1b3sWYlv9zAjjqzX_6-JAoAEoPC-F6UPFPictures of the Dedicationhttps://drive.google.com/folderview?id=14WDuRnc_9cFeO68qYlZ4VWleenOw_LweServing dinner at St. Vincent de Paul Men's Shelter - every first Saturday of the month at 6:30 pm. Saturday, February 1 at 6:30 pm at 1921 S. Gettysburg.Volunteer! We need help with: Data entry/ typing (4+ hours) Electrical (repairing outdoor outlet) Plumbing (repairing urinal seal, putting blanket on the water heater) Seasonal (taking down the JOY sign) Restarting Adult Arabic Class February 1 at 11 am, every Saturday at 11 am. Valentine's Party February 14th at St. Ignatius Church $35 for adults, $20 for childrenFeast of St. Maron Sunday, February 9th"Jesus did Lent"- talk at St. Mary's Church in Springboro February 11 at 7 pm - 8:30 pmAsh Monday February 24th 7pm Maronite Youth Organization retreat in Grasslake, MI February 28- March 1 https://www.maroniteyouth.org/ Women's retreat February 15th in Columbus, OH all women are invited all ages. 7am - 3pm. https://www.columbuscatholicwomen.com/ Men's retreat February 22nd in Columbus, OH all men are welcome all ages. 7am-3pm https://www.catholicmensministry.com/ Immaculée llibagiza Retreat Registration now available!!! IImmaculée Ilibagiza, author of Left to Tell, Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust, is speaking at St. Ignatius of Loyola Church on Feb. 21, 5pm-9pm & Feb. 22, 9am-12:30pm. Registration can be found here: http://bit.ly/immaculeeregistration, or call the parish office at 513.661.6565 if you are unable to register online. Video links to Immaculée’s 60 Minutes interview and CBS Early Show interview: 60 Minutes http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=3004020n The Ephrem family would like to invite you to the baptism of Anthony, Laurette, Alessandra, and George children of George and Kendra Ephrem after the 11 am liturgy on February 9th.The Hartshorn family would like to invite you to the baptism of Peter Hartshorn, son of Nathan and Mariana Hartshorn (nee AbouJaoude) after the 11 am liturgy on February 23 Save the Date Parish reflection day retreat April 4 11am - 4pm Palm Sunday / Shanini Sunday, April 5 at 9 am and 11 am Coming to the Harbor April 6 and 7 at 7pm Rite of the Lamp, Wednesday, April 8 at 7pm Thursday of the Mysteries, April 9 at 7 pm (Sign up starting now) Great Friday of the Crucifixion, April 10 at noon and 7 pm Kids Easter Party April 11 - 11 am- 2pm Saturday of the light April 11th noon Easter Sunday April 12 midnight and 11 am (Orthodox Easter April 19th)We have to pay back $200,000 zero-interest loan. We have applied for a loan from the Knights of Columbus. We will most likely be taking out a $200,000 (rather than $150,000) loan within the next weeks. The loan has 4% interest and a 5 year term. However, we would prefer $200,000 in new donations to retire the loan.January 12, Sunday Collection- $587 Our hall is available! If you or anyone you know is interested in using the church hall or church basement for a party or event please call 937-428-0372. We have classroom spaces that we could lease out under the right conditions. If you or a friend need temporary or long term space please call 937-428-0372.Eparchy Capital Campaign eparchy.org https://www.facebook.com/OLOLEparchy/Jesus came and said, “I have not come to be served, but to serve.” The Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles is blessed to have such dedicated and loving priests. As leaders of our faith family, these men have kept our Eparchy vibrant and spiritual throughout their years of committed service. Because they have answered a call to serve us it leaves us with a clear moral obligation. We must ensure the most basic needs of our past, present and future priests are met.Watch our campaign video and learn more about how the Vision for the Future – Mission for Today Capital Campaign will benefit our retired priests who have so faithfully served our Maronite faith communities.
St. Ignatius of Antioch Church 3rd Sunday after Epiphany January 26, 2020