Welcome Fr. Nadim!!!

Transcription

1 August 2008 Newsletter RANCHO DESTINO RD LAS VEGAS NV Welcome Fr. Nadim!!! Fr Nadim Abou Zeid is here. He is our permanent priest. He is eager to meet and serve all of you. Some of his quotes: I am here for everybody. I am not affiliated with any person, here or in Lebanon, only with our Lord Jesus Christ. The only thing I can offer you is all of myself. If God is with us, no one can defeat us. I am here to stay. Fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the ride. Come celebrate mass with Fr. Nadim every Sunday at 11:00 AM in our New Hall. A second mass exclusively in English is planned for Sunday evenings. More details soon. Fr Nadim may be reached any time at St Sharbel Mission Arabic School Dear parents, Father Nadim and the staff of Saint Sharbel Arabic School urge you to register your children as soon as possible. Applications for registration can be obtained in church after Sunday mass. The payment of $ (one hundred dollars) donation per student for the whole year is due along with the registration application. The school is open to all, who wish for their children to connect with their heritage. Classes will be held on Saturdays between 9:00 a.m and 1:00 p.m. starting on September 6, Parents, sign up early and do not miss this golden opportunity for your children. Dr. Kareem Issaq

2 By Fr. Nadim Abou Zeid

3

4 Feast of the transfiguration of our Lord: August 6 The feast of the Transfiguration of Christ celebrates the revelation of Christ s divine glory on Mount Tabor in Galilee (Matthew 17:1-6; Mark 9:1-8; Luke 9:28-36). After revealing to His disciples that He would be put to death in Jerusalem (Matthew 16:21), Christ, along with Ss. Peter, James, and John, went up the mountain. There, St. Matthew writes, "he was transfigured before them. And his face did shine as the sun: and his garments became white as snow." The brightness was not something added to Christ but the manifestation of His true divine nature. For Peter, James, and John, it was also a glimpse of the glories of heaven and of the resurrected body promised to all Christians. As Christ was transfigured, two others appeared with Him: Moses, representing the Old Testament Law, and Elijah, representing the prophets. Thus Christ, Who stood between the two and spoke with them, appeared to the disciples as the fulfillment of both the Law and the prophets. At Christ's baptism in the Jordan, the voice of God the Father was heard to proclaim that "This is my beloved Son" (Matthew 3:17). During the Transfiguration, God the Father pronounced the same words (Matthew 17:5). Despite the importance of this event, the Feast of the Transfiguration was not among the earliest of the Christian feasts. It was celebrated in Asia starting in the fourth or fifth century and spread throughout the Christian East in the centuries following. The Catholic Encyclopedia notes that it wasn't commonly celebrated in the West until the tenth century. To celebrate the great Christian victory at the Siege of Belgrade in 1456, during which the Muslim Turks were routed and the Islamic advance into Europe was halted, Pope Callixtus III elevated the Transfiguration to a feast of the universal Church and established August 6 as the date of its celebration. Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary: August 15 On November 1, 1950, Pius XII defined the Assumption of Mary to be a dogma of faith: We pronounce, declare and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma that the immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul to heavenly glory. The pope proclaimed this dogma only after a broad consultation of bishops, theologians and laity. There were few dissenting voices. What the pope solemnly declared was already a common belief in the Catholic Church. We find homilies on the Assumption going back to the sixth century. In following centuries the Eastern Churches held steadily to the doctrine, but some authors in the West were hesitant. However, by the thirteenth century there was universal agreement. The feast was celebrated under various names (Commemoration, Dormition, Passing, Assumption) from at least the fifth or sixth century. Scripture does not give an account of Mary s Assumption into heaven. Nevertheless, Revelation 12 speaks of a woman who is caught up in the battle between good and evil. Many see this woman as God s people. Since Mary best embodies the people of both Old and New Testament, her Assumption can be seen as an exemplification of the woman s victory. Furthermore, in 1 Corinthians 15:20 Paul speaks of Christ s resurrection as the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. Since Mary is closely associated with all the mysteries of Jesus life, it is not surprising that the Holy Spirit has led the Church to belief in Mary s share in his glorification. So close was she to Jesus on earth, she must be with him body and soul in heaven.

5

6 Updated Auto Body Paint Elie Freim, Owner 3095 South Highland Drive Las Vegas, NV (phone) (fax) Our mission is to provide the greater Las Vegas Valley client, with collision and mechanical repair service, beyond compare Aura Dental Family Dentistry IMPLANTS General Dentistry IN HOUSE LAB "your comfort is our concern" Dr. Ghassan Khalaf 3774 E. Desert Inn Rd. Tel: DQ Dairy Queen Alterations by Lena Professional Ladies and Gentlemen s apparel Computerized Picture Ice Cream Cakes Christian Sanda Wehbe 2595 S. Maryland Pkwy Suite #107B (702) or (702) Call for appointments at Valley Wide Team Khoury s Do you have Mortgage problems? Did your real estate value drop? Are you facing foreclosure? Do you want the best asset protection? If you answered yes to any of these questions, WE CAN HELP! Mortgage Help Short Sale Help Protecting All Your Assets Help Mediterranean Restaurant Ask for Bob Lafayette Home of the fresh baked Pita Bread and Authentic Lebanese Cuisine Belly Dancing Every Saturday 6115 S Fort Apache #100 (Between Russell Sunset) Deceased Members of Karam Aizarani Families Louis Malake Abi-Nader Khallil Nader Deceased Members of Ziade Khlat Families Joseph Hanache Juliette Hanache Parents Grandparents of the Hanache family in Las Vegas In loving Memory of George J Hanache John J Hanache Marcelle Chamoun Joseph Elias Chamoun Joseph Halim Maalouf Michelle Tanios Hanache Gilbert Tanios Hanache Claude Tannous Abboud Tannous Abboud Fadi Abboud For advertisement please call Hanna Sweis at (702) or send a message to hssweis@embarqmail.com