December 23, 2018

The Meaning of Christmas By: Fr. George Shalhoub

For Christ is born! And Paradise has been opened. For Christ is born! And the angels sing Glory to God in the highest On earth, peace and goodwill to all. For Christ is born! And God has become our Emanuel. He is with us. For Christ is born! And courage became the mark of the Shepherds. For Christ is born! And the Wise Men sought Him first. For Christ is born! And our Holy Church became a living Manger. For Christ is born! And for those who walked in darkness it is now possible to walk in light. For Christ is born! And redemption and forgiveness is available to all those who seek Him. For Christ is born! And we are able to touch the Father of Mercy and behold the Prince of Peace. For Christ is born! And we are saved through Him. For Christ is born! And to those who receive Him He gives them the right to become children of God. For Christ is born! And truth and grace have come to life. For Christ is born! And the Resurrection of our loved ones is one of our greatest assurances.

December 23, 2018 Issue 655

�18100 Merriman Road � Livonia, Michigan 48152 � www.saintmarylivonia.com � Office: (734)-422-0010 �

Sunday Services

Confession: 8:30AM

Matins: 9:00AM

Divine Liturgy: 10:00AM

St. Mary’s Cultural

and Banquet Center

(734) 421-9220

Daily Confession by Appointment - Call the Church Office

“And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” Acts 11:26

The Antiochian Orthodox

Basilica of St. Mary

Fr. George Shalhoub - Pastor Fr. Jim King - Pastor of Youth & Pastoral Outreach Programs Archdeacon Issa Rizkallah

313-690-2030

Deacon Dr. Dennis Bojrab Deacon Samer Hanna

Salim Sessine - Parish Council Chairman

Linda Lawson - Choir Director Stacey Badeen - Church Administrator Sonya Kassis - Parish Ministries Coordinator Bill Lawson - Olive Awad

Administrative Assistants Richard Shebib/Sami Azzouz - Ushers Dr. Tom Saba - Young Adults- St. John Divine

Joanne Kharsa - Ladies Society President Serena Rumman- Teen Soyo President Lina Nunu - Arabic School Abeer Samaan - Montessori School Director - 734-743-5601

Keith Rowe - Cultural Center General Manager 734-421-9220

The Light of Christ

AL-NOUR

PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY:

THE ANTIOCHIAN ORTHODOX BASILICA OF ST. MARY

Christmas Eve Service

Matins at 8:00pm Divine Liturgy at 9:00pm

followed by Christmas Breakfast in the Activity Center.

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THE EPISTLE

Blessed art Thou, O Lord, the God of our Fathers. For Thou art justified in all that Thou hast done for us.

The Reading is from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Hebrews

Chapter 11:9-10, 32-40

BBBB rethren, by faith Abraham sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. For he expected a city which has foundations, whose Builder and Maker is God. And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Sampson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and all the prophets, who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, and turned to flight armies of the aliens. Women received their dead by resurrection, and others were tortured, not accepting their deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. And others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tempted, they were slain with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, being destitute, afflicted, tormented (of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a witness through their faith, did not receive the promise, since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

THE GOSPEL

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew

Chapter 1:1-25

TTTT he book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, and Aram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asa, and Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amon, and Amon the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, Who is called Christ. So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ were fourteen generations. Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call His Name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and His Name shall be called Emmanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him; he took his wife, but knew her not until she had borne a son; and he called His Name Jesus.

The Antiochian Orthodox Basilica of St. Mary Page 3

The Basilica of Saint Mary

………………………………………………..

Please visit www.saintmarylivonia.com for details about ministry ac�vi�es and events happening at the Basilica of Saint Mary. If you

have any ques�ons regarding Youth and Outreach Ministries, please contact Fr. Jim King or Sonya Kassis at (734) 422-0010.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

December 23: Christmas Caroling

December 31: New Year’s Eve Party

January 6: Feast of Epiphany

January 18-21: SOYO Ski Retreat

February 15-18: AV Winter Camp

Blessed Feasts of Ss. Barbara and Nicholas

Preschool and Kindergarten

3rd and 4th Grade Class

7th and 8th Grade Class

1st and 2nd Grade Class

5th and 6th Grade Class

Burbara Makers and Volun-

Page 4 The Antiochian Orthodox Basilica of St. Mary

PRAYER CORNER memorials

IIII am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me shall never die.” (John 11:25) Dec. 23rd - 9 day memorial in loving memory of Saleem Zakhem offered by his daughters Houlie Lakkis, Nouhad Zakhem, Guittu Zakhem and families,

Dec. 30th - 40 day memorial in loving

memory of Samira Ansara offered by the family, Dec. 30th - 40 day memorial in loving

memory of Jimmy Kazaleh offered by

his parents Johny and Nawal Kazaleh and family, Jan. 6th - 40 day memorial in loving

memory of Issa Tawfiq Qassis offered by the family, Jan. 13th - 40 day memorial in loving

memory of Adeeb N. Khoury offered by his brother George and Violet Khoury and family,

Thank You

“A Vigil Light is Burning” In Loving Devotion

FFFF or The Health and Well Being Of: Mary Lusko, Deanna Lusko, Mariana and Manard Kahlil,

IIII n Loving Memory Of: Joseph Michael Mouaikel, George Abodeely, Samira Hallak,

HOLY BREAD OF OBLATION

HHHH oly Bread of Oblation is offered by the families, for the month of December, in loving memory of:

Jalil Ghannam

Suad Ghannam

Clair Harb

Jamal Kakish

Alex and Miriam Kandah

Harold and Betty Mason

Patricia Mason

Suhail Saba, Sr. Ellia Snage

Leo Snage

HHHH oly Bread of Oblation is offered by the families, for the

month of December, for the health and well being of:

Ghattas Fakhouri Maram Fakhouri

Raghdeh Kakish, children and

grandchildren

Irene Saba, children and grandchildren

LLLL ord, You are the physician of our souls and body. We pray You grant the following parishioners good health and blessings: Metropolitan PAUL Yazigi, Archbishop Youhanna Ibrahim, Rosie Hajjar, Frederick Abiaad, Wadih David, Rima Ajlouny, Suzie Oudeh Ayoob, Eva Sessine, Lolita Swaidan, Fr. Joseph Shaheen, Valentina Ibrahim, Maddie, Jeries Abukhader, Marie Bojrab, Laila Hassan,

TTTT he following parishioners and friends of the Basilica of St.

Mary have given special donations to the Church in the past few weeks: $200-In loving memory of parents Alex and Miriam Kandah and sister Clair Harb offered by Sally Kandah, $300-In loving memory of Suheil Ajluni offered by Dr. Steven and Samar Ajluni, $1080-Towards the Christmas poinsettias in loving memory of parents George and Geraldine, wife Liliane, and sister Debbie offered by Lew Ansara and family,

DID YOU KNOW……..

That the cost of our new storage garage will be $150,000. This garage will allow us to store our festival materials and outdoor equipment in a safe place. The Building Committee is collecting donations to help defray the cost of this project.

T he clergy and parishioners at the Basilica of St. Mary extend their deepest sympathy to Marina and Abdo Madany and the entire family on the passing of her brother Yousef Ashler.

May his memory be eternal.

Condolences

Thought for the Day

“You must read to your children and you must hug your children and you must love you children.

Your success as family, our success as a society

depends not on what happens in the White House, but on

what happens inside YOUR house.”

~Barbara Bush~

The Antiochian Orthodox Basilica of St. Mary Page 5

18100 MERRIMAN ROAD � LIVONIA, MICHIGAN 48152

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The Antiochian Orthodox Basilica of St. Mary

FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY

TTTT he Basilica of St. Mary is looking for donations of turkeys, canned goods or non perishable food to help the needy. Please call the church office @734-422-0010 for additional

information. This Thanksgiving Season, we are so thankful to God and for all the blessings that He has given us. If you wish to help a family in need, kindly include a $25 check per family, in your weekly envelope, payable to St. Mary’s, earmarked Food for the Needy.

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CHRISTMAS PLANTS

IIII n order to decorate our Church with Poinsettias for the Christmas Season, we kindly ask that you respond by completing the form below and enclose it in your weekly giving envelopes or by placing it in the collection

basket on Sunday.

Name: ______________________________________Amount:_____________ In memory of: _________________________________________________________ Health and well being of:_________________________________________________