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Here you will find news and general information about the Byzantine Catholic (Greek Cath- olic) and other Eastern Christian Churches.
Fasts & Feasts
1 - Liturgical New Year (7519)
8 - The Nativity of the Mother of God
14 - The Universal Exaltation of the Cross
1 - Protection of the Mother of God
3 - Respect Life Sunday
17 - Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council
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Feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God
September 8, 2010
Luke 10:38-42 - Now as they went on their way, [Jesus] entered a village; and a woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving; and she went to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her." (RSV)
Sit at the Lord's Feet - Mary came and sat at his feet. This was as through she were sitting on firm ground at the feet of him who had forgiven the sinful woman her sins (Luke 7:38). She had put on a crown in order to enter into the kingdom of the Firstborn. She had chosen the better portion, the Benefactor, the Messiah himself. This will never be taken away from her. Martha’s love was more fervent than Mary’s, for before He had arrived there, she was ready to serve him. “Do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?” When He came to raise Lazarus to life, she ran and came out first. (St. Ephreim the Syrian)
Why does the Church place this Gospel reading about Martha and Mary (a different Mary than Mary, the Mother of God) before us on the Feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God? Because it’s all about discipleship. Mary, the Mother of God, is the first and foremost disciple of Christ.
Scripture Readings:
- Vespers: Genesis 28:10-17, Ezekiel 43:27-44:4, Proverbs 9:1-11
- Matins: Luke 1:39-49, 56
- Divine Liturgy: Philippians 2:5-11, Luke 10:38-42; 11:27,28
Summer Feasts
- August 29th - Beheading of St. John the Baptist - "Pointing to the Lamb"
- September 8th - Nativity of the Mother of God - "Mary: Hope of All Creation"
The Icon is of the Nativity of the Mother of God.
Russia’s Catholic bishops ‘interested in strong Orthodoxy’
Tuesday, 07 September 2010 10:15
CWNews.com - Cooperation with the Russian Orthodox Church is necessary for the growth of Catholicism in Russia, according to the secretary general of the Conference of Russian Catholic Bishops.
“The Catholic community in Russia is a minority and must cooperate with the Orthodox; only then we’ll be able to develop to the utmost,” Father Igor Kovalevsky told Nezavisimaya Gazeta. “So, let’s say we are interested in strong Orthodoxy.”
Catholics and Orthodox need to work together to combat European secularism and re-evangelize the continent, he added.
0.7% of Russia’s 141.8 million people are Catholic, according to Vatican statistics.
Read more: Russia’s Catholic bishops ‘interested in strong Orthodoxy’
Programme of Events for HB Patriarch Gregorios III in Argentina 2010
Tuesday, 24 August 2010 11:39
25 August - 6 September 2010
Wednesday 25 August
11:00 Arrival of His Beatitude Patriarch Gregorios III and his party at Ezeiza International Airport Buenos Aires and official reception at the airport
18:00 Ceremony and reception at The Cedars of Lebanon Foundation
Thursday 26 August
9:00 Visit to Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, SJ Archbishop of Buenos Aires and President of the Episcopal Conference of Argentina
10:30 Visit to the Head of Government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires
12:30 Meeting in the Apostolic Nunciature with the Nuncio Archbishop Adriano Bernardini followed by lunch
19:30 Reception in the Syrian Embassy in honour of His Beatitude
Friday 27 August
12:30 Meeting with Ambassador Guillermo Oliveri Secretary of State for Religious Affairs, followed by a lunch in the palace of the Secretary of State
Official visit to the President of the Republic of Argentina Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
19:00 Pontifical Divine Liturgy concelebrated in the Melkite Greek Catholic Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour
Inauguration of the first part of the Church
Followed by cocktail reception in the parish hall
Read more: Programme of Events for HB Patriarch Gregorios III in Argentina 2010
More Articles...
Nativity of the Mother of God
Your nativity, O Virgin Mother of God, heralded joy to the universe; for from you rose the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God. He redeemed us from the curse, He gave the blessing, and by trampling Death, He gave us everlasting life.
Troparion for September 8th.
We Follow Christ
News of the Christian East
- Russia’s Catholic bishops ‘interested in strong Orthodoxy’
- Melkites bridge East and West, Vatican cardinal says
- Coptic patriarch: Desire to divorce leads Catholics to convert to Islam
- Archbishop Demetrios Received Metropolitan Hilarion, the Head of Moscow Patriarchate Department of External Church Relations
- Message of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for the Indiction and the Day of the Protection of the Environment
- Coptic leader charged with detaining convert to Islam
- Encyclical of Archbishop Demetrios for the Ecclesiastical New Year and the Day for the Protection of our Natural Environment
- Metropolitan Filaret of Minsk and Slutsk: Time is ripe for meeting between Pope, Patriarch
- Programme of Events for HB Patriarch Gregorios III in Argentina 2010
- The Rebuilding of Ground Zero's St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Christian Church
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Wisdom from the Church Fathers
| God is a fire that warms and kindles the heart and inward parts. Hence, if we feel in our hearts the cold that comes from the devil - for the devil is cold - let us call on the Lord. He will come to warm our hearts with perfect love, not only for Him but also for our neighbor, and the cold of him who hates the good will flee before the heat of His countenance. St. Seraphim of Sarov |