News

Good Wishes for Christmas 2018
and the New Year 2019

“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will towards men...I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day...a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2: 14, 10, 11)

This was the first notice of the good news of the Feast of the Nativity, brought by the heavenly angels on Christmas night, addressed to the shepherds of Beit Sahur and Bethlehem, and through them to the whole of humanity – to each man and woman in every time and place.

Looking at this first announcement of Christmas good wishes, we realise that God is taking the initiative and sending us the first good wishes for Christmas and the new year.

This note from God contains good wishes for peace, joy, health, happiness. This is God himself, for he is both the author and the content.Jesus offers us this New Year present. He asks us to append our signature, especially to its content. Thus, God’s initiative precedes ours, “for in him we live and move, and have our being.” (Acts 17: 28)  He loves us!

The words of God are true and effective, unlike human words, wishes and promises. God promises, and realises his promises, and fills us with his visible and invisible, known and unknown gifts. Our happiness in this year 2019 is to live with him, through him and in him. The programme for this year is summed up in Jesus’ Beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount. “Blessed...happy. Happy!” This blessedness or happiness is the will of God, his note of good wishes for the feast to us all.

Be happy!

Happy Christmas Feast! Happy 2019! Happy life!

Patriarch Em. Gregorios

P.S. My postal address is: The Social Centre Dar al Inaya Salhieh, Saida P.O.B. 17 Lebanon - Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Teachings of Christ

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." (John 10:10 ESV)

Catholic World News

29 May 2020

Forum 18 News

29 May 2020

Ascension

You ascended in glory, O Christ our God, * granting joy to Your disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit; * through this blessing they were assured * that You are the Son of God * the Redeemer of the world! (Troparion)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

When You fulfilled the divine plan for us * and united things on earth with things in heaven, * You ascended in glory, O Christ our God, * in no way departing from us but remaining inseparable, * and crying out to those who love You: “I am with you, and no one is against you.” (Kontakion)

Random Proverb

"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom." (Proverbs 11:2 ESV)

Pray Without Ceasing

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Wisdom from the Church Fathers

Virtues and vices are the food of the soul and it can feed on either one, turning to whichever one it wants. If it is bent toward moral excellence, it will be fed by virtue - by righteousness, temperance, meekness, endurance. In other words, it is just as St. Paul says, 'being nourished by the word of truth' (1 Tim. 4:6).

St. Ignatius of Antioch