God gave us mothers

“When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!  Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.” – John 19:26-27

What are the good gifts that mothers give to their children?

Mothers give their love.

Mothers give their time.

Mothers give themselves.

In giving love, time, and self a mother creates a self place for a child to grow. This is seen most evidently in the womb. 

A mother who gives her love, time, and life to a child in the womb, likewise continues to give love, time, and life after the child is born as the child grows. The mother makes the home into a womb - a place of mercy. The Christian mother knows that there is another womb to which she must bring her child. In the Book of Exodus we see that the Israelite children are sentenced to death. We read " Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman,   and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months.  But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it. She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said.  Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” “Yes, go,” she answered. So the girl went and got the baby’s mother. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took the baby and nursed him.When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, “I drew him out of the water.”" (Exodus 2:1-10) We see a mother who wishes to protect her child from death. She knows that neither her physical womb nor the womb of her home can protect the child. To save her child she puts her child in the water to give him to another mother, a mother who can save her child not only from death, but also from sin. In return the mother is given her child back to care for him until the child grows older, which represents the eventual death. The child will no longer face death, but rather a royal palace and a crown.  The Hebrew and Syriac word for mercy is rahem. Rahem also means womb. In the Old Testament when we hear about the mercy of God, we are hearing about the "womb" of God. In the liturgy, we speak of the baptismal font as a womb and baptism as being born again.  Time and time again we hear God compared to a parent, not only a father, but also a mother.  “Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he a darling child? For whenever I speak of him, I earnestly remember him still; therefore my inward parts are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, says the Lord” (Jeremiah 31:20). “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge …” (Psa. 91:4) Jesus picks up these images when he laments over Jerusalem: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.” (Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34) "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! (Isaiah 49:15) A mother entrusts her child to the water- the womb of this other mother. The child is saved from death and sin, the mother raises her child in the faith feeding spiritual food, and the child receives a crown. The other mother is the Church, the other mother is Mary, the womb is the Mercy of God. The Christian mother gives love, time, and life to her child. John writes, " God is love" (1 John 4:8b). David writes, " My times are in your hands" (Psalm 31:15). Jesus says, he is "the life." (John 14:6). The best gift a mother can give her child is to know God, to have faith, to have eternal life. Let us come together to give what we can so that we can purchase and renovate Our New Home on 50 Nutt Rd. We hope to close on May 31st. We plan to have our first liturgy on Sunday, June 16th. The goal is to raise $150,000 in additional donations and pledges with $60,000 to go towards the purchaseand $90,000 to go towards renovations including renovations and hall and addition of commercial kitchen so that we can make a smooth transition while keeping a safety net in our savings and waiting for the sale of our current property. We have raised the last $60,000 to close on Our New Home. Please help us raise $90,000 to renovate Our New Home over the next few months. We hope to have the money raised by January.

-May crowning of Mary will be May 12th at 11 am.  -Please sign up for hosting Mary prayers at your home for the month of May. -Please join us May 12th after the 11 am liturgy for a Mother's day barbecue. -Please sign up May 17, 18, 19 for World Affair as well as the week prior for cooking prep. -First Communion will be on May 26th at the 11 am liturgy. -Come serve dinner at St. Vincent de Paul mens shelter Saturday, June 2nd at 6:30 pm. 41 Prison Rd. 45417 near 1921 S. Gettysburg.  -Closing on Our New Home May 31st. -Yellow Springs Festival June 8th. -Our New Home Prep Week Monday, June 10th -June 14th -Our New Home Moving Day Saturday, June 15th from 5915 N. Springboro Pike to 50 Nutt Rd. -First Liturgies at Our New Home, Sunday, June 16th. 50 Nutt Rd. - Annual Lebanese Festival August 23rd, 24th, and 25th. - Annual St. Ignatius of Antioch Banquet Saturday, December 14th. -Our religious education policies are changing. Please see Fr. Alex for more information

- Initiatives- To what is God calling you? What are your hopes, dreams, and ideas for our parish? What do you want to do? Mission, charity, prayers, work, fundraisers, or maintenance? How can we support you? -We need volunteers to read during the liturgy and to bring the gifts. If you would like to do so, please see George Najem for 11 am liturgy or Jim Zaidan for the 9 am Liturgy. -Marriage announcements

Please pray for John Dohar and Jessy Eid as they prepare for marriage. Please pray for Jordan Gunter and Krystal Daoud as they prepare for marriage. Please pray for Tarek Shteiwi and Micheline Eid as they prepare for marriage.

Please pray for two parishioners in treatment for cancer.  Please pray for one parishioner who is sick. Please pray for the school of one parishioner which has had two gun scares.

- Bible Study every Sunday at 10 am.

- Sunday liturgies 9 am and 11 am

- Confessions immediately before and after liturgies or by appointment.

St. Ignatius of Antioch 4th Sunday of Resurrection May 12, 2019