HOLY APOSTOLIC CATHOLIC ASSYRIAN CHURCH OF THE EAST
ST. MARY’S
PARISH
4320 E. 14 Mile Road Warren, Michigan
CLERGY
ISSUE 6 – MARCH 2008
Holy Liturgy Qurbana Schedule
2
St. Mary’s Events
2
St. Mary’s Memories
2
Executive Committee Message
3
Bible Verses
3
Propers Appointed for Qurbana
4
John Nestorius
5–6
A Message from Father Benjamin
7
A Message from Father Lawrance
8–9
Bible Verses
9
Easter Trivia
10
Monthly Contribution
11
Rev. Fr. Benjamin Benjamin
Rev. Fr. Lawrance Namato
Rev. Deacon Rowel Shimon
Rev. Deacon Gewargis Somo
Rev. Deacon Fraidon Mirza
Rev. Deacon Sargon Rihana
Rev. Deacon Amir Brekha
Rev. Deacon Maurice Toma
Sub-Deacon Dani David
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Yousif Odisho……………………….. President
Youil Ishmail…….. ………......... Vice President
Linda W. Warda …………………… Secretary
Nariman Kako……………………… Treasurer
Anwiya Mikhail ……………….……… Member
Dr. Oraham Yacoub ………….……… Member
Ibrahim Mirza ……………………….... Member
John Somo …………..……………...… Member
Sabah Yokhana ………………………. Member
Tom Tamou ………………...………… Member
William Moshe ……………..…...…. Member
Hanah Daniel ………………………... Member
Parish Website:
www.saintmarysdetroit.org
Email Address:
[email protected]
Parish Office …………………. (586) 825-0290
Parish Fax ……………………. (586) 825-0297
Parish Priest Phone ……………(586) 825-0285
Qasha Benjamin …………….. (586) 825-0285
Qasha Lawrance ……………. (734) 476-9546
HOLY LITURGY (QURBANA) SCHEDULE
Sunday Holy Qurbana
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Assyrian
12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Assyrian & English
Evening Prayer
Everyday 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
ST. MARY’S EVENTS
St. Mary’s Youth Tutoring Program is held
every Saturday 11:00am – 2:00pm in the
basement of St. Mary’s. All students K-12
and college students are welcome to attend!
SUNDAY SCHOOL
Sunday 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Every Friday, St. Mary’s community
visitation is between the hours of 4:00pm –
10:00 p.m.
ST. MARY’S MEMORIES
2007 Pre- Consecration of St. Mary’s
A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
We would like to take this opportunity to introduce the 2008-2010 St. Mary’s Executive
Committee. Newly appointed, Yousif Odisho will be serving as the President of the
Committee. For the past four years, Yousif has served as both a trustee and most
recently as the Treasurer of the Church. We anticipate that Yousif will lead the
Executive Committee while meeting the needs of the Church and community. Youel
Ishmail will be serving as the Vice-President of the committee and will be committed to
the role of assisting the President. As well, we would like to offer a warm welcome to
Nariman Kako who will be assuming the Treasurer position. Nariman brings both the
expertise and insight into the Church with her professional financial experience. Linda
Warda will resume her duties as the Secretary and has also been serving in this capacity
for the last five years. Additionally, the Executive Committee was elated to welcome
Hanah Daniel to the committee who has in the past served as a Trustee. As a renewal to
their commitment, we also wanted to thank the Trustees who will continue to assume
their contributions to the committee including Dr. Oraham Yacoub, Tom Tamou, Anwiya
Mikhail, John Somo, William Moshe, Sabah Yokhana and Ibrahim Mirza. The Executive
Committee will continue to work closely with both Father Benjamin and Father
Lawrance.
May God Bless the continued fruitful work of the Executive Committee.
John 6:35 Jesus said to them, I am the
bread of life; he who comes to me shall
never hunger; and he who believes in me
shall never thirst.
John 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them,
saying, I am the light of the world; he who
follows me shall not walk in darkness, but
he shall find for himself the light of life.
John 10:9 I am the door; if any man enter
by me, he shall live and he shall come in
and go out and find pasture.
John 10:11 I am the good shepherd; a good
shepherd risks his life for the sake of his
sheep.
Psalm 116:5
Gracious is the LORD, and
righteous; yea, our God is
merciful.
Daniel 2:20
"Daniel answered and said,
Blessed be the name of God
for ever and ever: for
wisdom and might are His”
Propers Appointed for Qurbana
Date
Lection 1
Lection 2
Apostle
Gospel
Isaiah 56:1-7
Acts 5:34end
Ephesians 1:114
John 14:1-14
2 Corinthians
10:4-end
Matthew
10:37-end;
19:27-end
4/1/2008
Assyrian New Year
4/6/2008
Third Sunday of
Resurrection and
Commemoration of
Mar Youkhanan
Noukhreta
4/7/2008
Commemoration of
Rabban Hurmizd
Isaiah 41:8-16
Acts 18:1919:20
4/13/2008
Fourth Sunday of
Resurrection
Isaiah 49:13-23
Acts 8:14-25
Ephesians 1:152:5
John 16:16end
Isaiah 41:8-16
Acts 18:1919:20
2 Corinthians
10:4-end
Matthew
10:37-end;
19:27-end
Isaiah 49:7-13
Acts 9:1-19
Hebrews 10:1936
John 21:1-14
Isaiah 41:8-16
Acts 18:1919:20
2 Corinthians
10:4-end
Matthew
10:37-end;
19:27-end
Isaiah 51:9-11;
52:7-12
Acts 10:1-16
Ephesians 2:4end
John 17
Daniel 6:6-end
Acts 6:87:2a, 51-8:3
Hebrews 11:310, 32-12:2
Matthew
10:16-33
4/18/2008
4/20/2008
4/24/2008
4/27/2008
4/29/2008
Commemoration of
Mar Sargis & Mar
Bacus
Fifth Sunday of
Resurrection and
Commemoration of
Mar Addi the Apostle
Commemoration of
Mar Gewargis the
Martyr
Sixth Sunday of
Resurrection
Commemoration of
Shmuni and her Sons
March 2008 : Save the Date
Eve of Passion Friday - Good Friday (Roota d’Khasha)
3/22/2008 The Eve of the Great Sunday of the Resurrection of our Lord - Holy
Easter. Evening Vespers (Sha-har-ta) starts at 9:00 PM -11:00PM
Holy Liturgy (Qurbana) starts at 11:00 PM – 1:00 AM
3/21/2008
3/23/2008
The order of celebration for the Peace of the Resurrection - Holy
Easter (E’eda d’Qyamta) Qurbana starts at 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
3/24/2008
Monday of the Robber (Crucified with Our Lord) (GAYASA)
John Nestorius (d. 451 A.D.)
‫ܪ‬
‫ܝ‬
One of the three Greek Fathers of the Church of the East, Nestorius has come, to be
considered as one of the most prominent Fathers. However, we should never forget
the fact that Nestorius came from Antioch and worked in Constantinople as their
Patriarch and he had nothing to do with our Church. He did not know our
ecclesiastical language. Still the faith for which he became a martyr was defended
and confessed by the Church of the East and it is our duty to remember this great
man who suffered a lot due to the enmity of the jealous bishop of Alexandria.
Nestorius was a native of Germanicia, a city in Syria, at the foot of mount Taurus.
He was brought up and educated at Antioch. So, in lineage and tradition, he was an
Antiochene. He became a monk at the monastery of Euphrepius, near Antioch, and
was famous for his eloquence as a preacher, and according to some, for the
austerity of his life.
His reputation reached far beyond the Antiochene Patriarchate. When the
Patriarchate in Constantinople became vacant in December 427, Emperor
Theodosius appointed Nestorius whom the people thought to be a second
Chrysostom from Antioch because of his orthodoxy, erudition and eloquence. The
Emperor states:
"Him I sent for and took by causing sorrow to his whole city and I
brought him hither for your advantage."
At the time of his consecration as the Patriarch of Constantinople on 10th April
428, Nestorius addressed the Emperor in the following famous words:
"Give me, my prince, the earth purged of heretics, I will give you
heaven as a recompense. Assist me in destroying heretics, and I will
assist you in vanquishing the Persians."
The fashion of his day was to crush the heretics for the preservation of faith. As an
inheritor of the theology of Theodore of Mopsuestia and Diodore of Tarsus,
Nestorius could not keep quiet and allow the continuance of the condemned
heresies such as Arianism and Apollinarianism. While taking severe steps against
the heretics, he also took great care to instruct his people in the orthodox doctrines
of the Church.
The over-enthusiasm of Nestorius in overthrowing the heretics created many
enemies who worked against him at the time of the Council of Ephesus in 431 A.D.
As far as Nestorius was concerned he was doing his duty.
In the unfortunate controversy over the term Theotokos, Mother of God, Nestorius
was attacked by Cyril of Alexandria. Finally Nestorius became the victim. He did
not accept the verdict of the Council of Cyril. Still he returned from his bishopric
and went to his monastery in Antioch from where he was banished in 435 by
Emperor Theodosius II. His death probably took place in 451 in the desert. Before
his death he wrote the famous book Bazaar of Heracleides, which was brought to
the attention of the western world in the last decade of the last century.
There were many causes for the downfall of Nestorius. One was the enmity with
the Pope due to Nestorius apparent protection of the Pelagians. Another was the
jealousy of Cyril of Alexandria against the growing influence of the See of
Constantinople. Last but not the least, his disfavor with the ladies of the Court
proved to be rather fateful. Though he had the support of Emperor Theodosius II at
the early part of the controversy, he could not get any support from the royal ladies.
Some scholars hold that Nestorius is not a systematic thinker. A corrective to their
notion is given by an English theologian, Leonard Hodgson : “Nestorius has been
called a confused thinker, but careful study of the Bazaar of Heracleides makes it
clear that whatever he was, he was certainly not that.” It is a pity that most of the
Churches misunderstood his theology. Nestorius was forsaken by his people and he
died in exile. However, his arguments have prevailed. He advised against the use
of the title Mother of God and taught that Virgin Mary was Mother of Christ, who
was both God and man. Since the Reformation, the Protestant Churches have
begun to use the title for which Nestorius fought a good fight. The title for which
Cyril of Alexandria created all the confusion in the 5th century has somehow
disappeared from the prayer books of millions of Protestant Christians.
The greatness of Nestorius was evident from his decision to withdraw voluntarily
from the Church activities. As his last words show, he never wanted to work for his
own glory, but for God’s:
"My dearest desire is that God should be blessed in heaven and upon
earth. As for Nestorius let him remain anathema. God grant that
while cursing me men may reconcile themselves with Him."
In spite of all the evils done to him, he wrote the last paragraph of his biography as
follows:
"Rejoice for me, O desert, my beloved and my foster-parent
and the home of my habitation, and my mother the land of
my exile, who even after my death will guard my body into
the resurrection by the will of God. Amen."
‫ܕܼ‬
‫ܕܝ ܸܒ ܵ ܵ ܐ‬
‫) ܼ ̮ܵܐܕ ܼ ܼ‬
‫ܵ‬
‫ܿ(‬
‫ܿ‬
‫ܵ ̈‬
‫ܿ‬
‫ܿ‬
‫ܼ ܵ ܼ ܵܬܐ ܘ ܹܒܐ ܵܗܕ ܵ ܼ ܐ ܵ ܼ ܼ ܵ ܐ؛ ܼ‬
‫ܵ‬
‫ܵ َ‬
‫ܵ‬
‫ܼ ܵ ܐ ܼ ܸ ܵ ܐ؛‬
‫ܼ‬
‫ܵ ܐ ܵ ܐ ܹ‬
‫ܵ‬
‫ܿ ؛ ܘܐ ܼ ܿ ܼ ܕ ܹ ܐ‬
‫ܵ ܵ ܵ ܵܕܐ ܵܕܡ ܼܿ ܼ ܝܗ‬
‫ܵ‬
‫ܵ ܸ ܘܬ ܵ ܵܓ ܹ ܐ ܵ ܸ ܵܓ ܿ ܼ ܵ ܐ ܼ ̮ ܵ ܐ‬
‫ܿ‬
‫ܿ ܵ‬
‫ܿ‬
‫ܵ ܐ ܕܬ ܵ ܵ ܿ‬
‫ܵ ̈ ܹܐ ܕ ܵ ܼ ܢ ܵܓ ܼ ܼܒ ܐ‪ .‬ܘ ܼ‬
‫ܵ ܼ ܿ ܢ ܸܒ ܵ ܵ ܐ ܹ ܒ ܸ ܵ ܐ ܼ ܵܓ ܿ ܼ ܼܒ ܵ ܐ‬
‫ܿܒ َ ܪ ܬ ܵ ܵ ܿ ܵ ̈ ܐ ܿ ܿ ܓ ܗ ܕ ܵ‬
‫ܵ ܵ ܼܒܐ‪.‬‬
‫ܼ‬
‫ܹ ܼ ܼ ܼ ܹ‬
‫ܵܗܕ ܵ ܼ ܐ ܐ ܼ ܿ ܼ ܕ ܼ ܵ ܐ ܹܒܐ ܵ ܵ ܐ ܹ ܼ ܿ ܼ ܵ ܐ‪،‬‬
‫ܼ ܵ ܵܵ ܵ ܵܵܐ‬
‫ܵ ‪ ،‬ܘܒ ܵ ܐ ܿ‬
‫ܿ ̈ܐ ܿ ̈ܬܐ ܕ ܵ‬
‫ܵ ܿ ܓܸ ܵ‬
‫ܼ‬
‫ܼ‬
‫ܼ ܹ ܼ ܹ‬
‫ܸ‬
‫ܕܬܐ؛ ܘ ܹܒ ܵ ܵ ܐ ܹ‬
‫ܵ ܼ ܿ ܢ ܘ ܵ ܿܘ ܿ ܼ ܼ ܿ ܥ‬
‫ܼ ܵ ܐ ܹܒܐ ܵ ܵ ܐ ܹ ؛‬
‫ܼ ܵ ܐ‪ܼܿ .‬ܐ ܼ ܕ ܵ ܿ ܣ‬
‫ܿ‬
‫ܿ‬
‫ܼ ܵ ܐ؛ ܒ ܵ ܹܬܗ‬
‫ܿܘܢ ܒ ܼ ܵ ܵ ܐ ܕ ܼ ܕ ܸ ܼ ܒ ܼ ܿ ܥ‬
‫" ܼܿ ܹ‬
‫ܿ‬
‫ܿ‬
‫ܼܒ ܼ ܹܐ ܵܗܕ ܵ ܼ ܐ ܼܿ ܹ ܒ ܼ ܿ ܿ ܼ ܵ ܕ ܼ ܵ ܵ ܵܬܐ؛ ܵ‬
‫ܕܕܐ ܼ ܼ‬
‫ܸ ܼ ‪ܼ ܸ .‬‬
‫ܼ ܹ̈ ܒ ܸ ܒ ܿ ܵ ܵ‬
‫ܐܘܦ ܼܿܐ ܵ‬
‫ܕ‬
‫ܕܒ ܹܒ ؛ ܵܗܕ ܵ ܼ ܐ ܼ‬
‫ܼܵܐ ܼ‬
‫ܹ‬
‫ܒ ܼ ܿ ܹ ̈ܐ ܼ ܿ ܹ̈ܬܐ ܼ ܿ ܵܪܚ‪̈) ".‬ܪܗܘ ܐ ‪3-4‬؛‪(6‬‬
‫܊ܒ‬
‫ܵܐ ܕ‬
‫‪New at St Mary’s…..‬‬
‫‪Second Qurbana (Liturgy) Every Sunday‬‬
‫‪@ 12:00 Noon‬‬
‫‪Celebrated in Assyrian & English‬‬
‫ܒ‬
‫ܼ‬
‫ܵ‬
A Message from Father Lawrance
My brothers and sisters in Christ, on Sunday, March
23rd 2008 we will celebrate a great truth of our faith –
that Jesus Christ is truly Risen. He is Risen indeed
from the dead and has loosened the pain and shackles
of insatiable death. He has also raised up those who
had fallen into corruption.
On this gladsome feast let everyone, who has been
deemed worthy to be baptized with Him into the
great victory over Sheol cry out and say, You are Holy, O God; You are
Holy, O Mighty One; You are Holy, O Immortal One. For You conquered
sin and death and what You restored to humanity is eternal – life itself.
Also on this most solemn feast, we are reminded of the promise given to us
by our God in the words of the prophet Ezekiel, “I will give you a new heart
and place a new spirit within you, taking from your bodies your stony
hearts and giving you natural hearts. I will put my spirit within you and
make you live by my statutes” (Ezekiel 11:19-20). By our Baptism these
words from Ezekiel are fulfilled and we receive a new heart and a new
spirit, the Holy Spirit promised by Jesus. Baptism is no longer just a
cleansing or purification. Baptism is becoming a new creation in Jesus
Christ.
Baptism is entering into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and
sharing in it. St. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, explains this difficult
concept by saying, “Are you unaware that we who were baptized into
Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” (Romans 6:3).
We are given new hearts and they are Christ's! That is the wonder that
happens in baptism. That is what St. Paul tells us – that we have died with
Christ, we shall also live with him, and that life with him begins at the
moment of our baptism.
We are living in Christ. St. Paul tells us in his epistle to Galatians, “It is no
longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). My brothers
and sisters, do you truly believe in your hearts that it is no longer you who
live but it is Christ who lives in you, it is Christ who you become? That is
the pride of every Christian – that we truly become the beloved sons and
daughters of God.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, in this Holy Feast of Resurrection, I pray
that we will come to discover our true pride as sons and daughters of the
Father, who is also the Father of Jesus Christ. Jesus says to Mary Magdalene,
“I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God” (John
20:17). He speaks those words to each one of us. “I will give you a new
heart and place a new spirit within you, taking from your bodies your stony
hearts and giving you natural hearts. I will put my spirit within you…You
shall be my people, and I will be your God.” (Ezekial 11:19-20).
Come, let our lips be moved with thanksgiving, for Christ, the Savior of all,
is Risen, and behold, He has sat down at the right hand of the Father on
high. Let us together glorify Him and say, You are Holy, You are Holy, You
are Holy, O Lord of all. Hallelujah!
John 10:9
I am the door; if any
man enter by me, he shall
live and he shall come in
and go out and find
pasture.
John 8:12 Again Jesus
spoke to them, saying, I
am the light of the world;
he who follows me shall
not walk in darkness, but
he shall find for himself
the light of life.
(Barakhta d’E-eda d’Qyamta)
Monday 3/24/2008 @ 6:00 PM
Refreshments & Desserts in the Basement of St. Mary’s
Please join us with your family and friends in the
blessing of Easter
EASTER TRIVIA
Easter is the sacred celebration of Christ's resurrection from the dead. It is the oldest and holiest
Christian festival, the climax and center of the liturgical year, and the holy day to which all other
holy days point. Even denominations that do not strictly follow a liturgical calendar commemorate
Easter with tremendous joy and thanksgiving.
WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS OF THE EASTER EGG?
In many ancient cultures, eggs were a common symbol new life and immortality.
In medieval times, Christians adapted the egg to their own religious devotions by
giving up the eating of eggs during the Fast season and resuming it after Easter. Eggs came to
represent the Lord's resurrection -- just as Christ broke out of the tomb on Easter
morning, the yolk of the egg breaks out of its shell when cracked. The decoration of
eggs for Easter is part of the folk traditions of many cultures.
‫܀ ܀ ܀ ܀ ܀܀ ܀ ܀ ܀ ܀‬
Monthly Contribution
Faith or Hate
By Youil Bet Ourro
We came to America to escape hate, discrimination, injustices, suffering, and
rejection from the old country. We however, kept our faith as Christians and
our nationality as Assyrians.
Didn’t you think we came here to be better people? What is it that we bring
with us, faith or hate?
If we bring our faith, we should obey the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Conversely, we may also bring our anger, bitterness, fear or hate. The road of
faith however, will lead us to hope, comfort, peace, and the joy of life. If we
chose the road of anger, bitterness, jealousy, revenge – and when we do – we
pay a terrible price. Reacting in an unspiritual, ungodly way, never solves
anything. It may make the situation worse, not only do we poison ourselves,
but we end up poisoning our relationships with our friends, family and God.
Instead of reacting with anger we should practice and teach our children the
power of prayer and making contributions in the church. Instead of spending
time in idle, time should be spent volunteering and visiting our elder Assyrians
at nursing homes and at the hospital. Instead of planting a thorn, we should
plant flowers of peace and love. So when we face God, we won’t have a cloud
hovering over us.
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get Ad Specs and Guidelines
Assyrian Church of the East
St. Mary’s Parish
4320 E. 14 Mile Road
Warren, Michigan 48092
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
STERLING HEIGHTS, MI
PERMIT # 195
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