December 22, 2013

SUNDAY BEFORE THE NATIVITY OF CHRISTSUNDAY BEFORE THE NATIVITY OF CHRISTSUNDAY BEFORE THE NATIVITY OF CHRISTSUNDAY BEFORE THE NATIVITY OF CHRIST

(SUNDAY OF GENEALOGY)(SUNDAY OF GENEALOGY)(SUNDAY OF GENEALOGY)(SUNDAY OF GENEALOGY)

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 Emmanuel. 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.

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CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICECHRISTMAS EVE SERVICECHRISTMAS EVE SERVICECHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE

8:30 PM MATINS8:30 PM MATINS8:30 PM MATINS8:30 PM MATINS

9:30 PM DIVINE LITURGY9:30 PM DIVINE LITURGY9:30 PM DIVINE LITURGY9:30 PM DIVINE LITURGY

FOLLOWED BY BREAKFASTFOLLOWED BY BREAKFASTFOLLOWED BY BREAKFASTFOLLOWED BY BREAKFAST

FATHER GEORGE H. SHALHOUB

248-374-0591 December 22, 2013 Issue 398

�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 - Director of Youth & Pastoral Outreach Programs Archdeacon Issa Rizkallah

313-690-2030 Deacon Dr. Dennis Bojrab Salem Samaan - Parish Council Chairman Linda Lawson - Choir Director Stacey Badeen - Church Administrator Arwa Ansara -Church School Administrator Richard Shebib/Sami Azzouz - Ushers Dr. Tom Saba - Young Adults- St. John Divine Georgine Hayes - Ladies Society President Nicole Khamis - Teen Soyo President Lina Nunu - Arabic School 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

Page 2 The Antiochian Orthodox Basilica of St. Mary

THE EPISTLE

Blessed are Thou, O Lord, the God of our fathers.

For Thou art justified in all that Thou has 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 foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked forward to the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, and put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated—of whom the world was not worthy—wandering over deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised, 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

PRAYER CORNER memorials

IIII am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me shall never die.” (John 11:25) Dec. 22nd - 1 year memorial in loving memory of Rene Roth and Matel and Elia Sabbagh offered by Dr. and Mrs. Said Sabbagh, Dec. 29th - 1 year memorial in loving memory of Naimeh Ayoub offered by the family,

Thank You

“A Vigil Light is Burning” In Loving Devotion

FFFF or The Health and Well Being Of: Jenine and Isla Brown,

Jeanette Nasto

IIII n Memory Of: Joseph Michael

Mouaikel; George Abodeely; Ken

Biedron,

HOLY BREAD OF OBLATION

HHHH oly Bread of Oblation

is offered by the families, for the

month of December, in loving

memory of:

Suhail Saba, Sr.

Jalil and Najla Azzouz

Fadwa Qaqish

Jacob Abdelnour

Balsam Yatooma Mansor

Odeh, Hanna and Anthony Zarou

Fuad Naser

Aziz and Hilweh Naser

Jalil Ghannam

Fred Essa

Martha and Hala Sackllah

Fari Agolli

Malek Zawaideh

Geno Zayid

Essa and Adla Zayid

Naseem Dabaj

Salim Chahin

HHHH oly Bread of Oblation

is offered by the families, for

the month of December, for the

health and well being of:

Mark Zawaideh

Lisa Zawaideh

LLLL ord, you are the physician of

our souls and body. We pray

You grant the following parish-

ioners good health and blessings: Adriana Mansour, Fareedah Mansur,

Tarik Daoud, Pat Hardy, Olga Papp,

Pat Hardy, Metropolitan PAUL

Yazigi, Archbishop Youhanna

Ibrahim, Mother Pelagia, the nuns

and orphans of Maaloula, Syria,

TTTT he following parishioners and

friends of the Basilica of St.

Mary have given special donations

to the Church in the past few

weeks:

$100-For the health and well being

of David, Mira and Yarah Janini

offered by Wisam and Sandra

Janini,

$100-For the health and well being

of new daughter-in-law Annie

offered by Rose Marie Khoury,

$100-For the health and well being

of Mark and Lisa Zawaideh and in

loving memory of Malek

Zawaideh, Geno, Essa and Adla

Zayid and Balsam Yatooma

Mansor offered by Bassam and

Moranda Zawaideh,

$300-In loving memory of Lamya

Rizkulla offered by the family,

$5000-Honorary Founders Suhail

and Carol Shaya towards the 40th

anniversary,

Condolences

TTTT he clergy and parishioners at the

Basilica of St. Mary extend

their deepest sympathy to wife

Catherine Ajluni, sons Emeel

(Elizabeth) Ajluni, Dr. Steve

(Samar) Ajluni, daughter Karen

(Dr. Joseph) Timpone, the grand-

children and the entire Ajluni

family on the passing of their

beloved Suheil Mahfouz Ajluni.

TTTT he clergy and

parishioners at the Basilica

of St. Mary extend their deepest

sympathy to wife Aida Shihadeh,

children Samer, Humam, Fadi,

Amani, granddaughter Enan and

the entire Shihadeh family on the

passing of their beloved Dr.

Muaiad Shihadeh.

May their memories be eternal.

Save the Dates Dec. 31st - New Year’s Eve party

Feb. 15, 2014 - Annual Valentine’s

Party at the Cultural Center.

Singer will be Faisal Wazani.

Feb. 28th - Ladies Society annual

Wine Tasting Event

June 5-8, 2014 - St. Mary’s

Festival

December is St. Ignatius month.

All members of St. Ignatius are asked to wear

their red ribbon crosses during the

month of December.

Page 4 The Antiochian Orthodox Basilica of St. Mary

Week of December 22, 2013

Please visit our website for details about all the Basilica of St. Mary events and activities. www.saintmarylivonia.com

Upcoming Events Every Wednesday: Mother-Toddler Group (10:00am-12:00pm) Teen Soyo Meetings (5:45pm-8:00pm) December 24: Matins at 8:30 pm and Liturgy at 9:30 pm January 11: Pre-teen mini retreat Henry Ford museum January 17: 20/40 retreat - “Called to be Apostles ” with Fr. Stavros Akrotirianakis

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! CHRIST IS BORN!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!! CHRIST IS BORN!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!! CHRIST IS BORN!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!! CHRIST IS BORN!! GLORIFY HIM!!GLORIFY HIM!!GLORIFY HIM!!GLORIFY HIM!!

If you have any questions regarding any of these events, please call

Fr. Jim King at the Department of Youth and Outreach office.

The life of the Basilica depends on you. Get involved today!

The Holy Land Christmas Concert We want to thank every one who helped put this beautiful concert together. And thank you to all the singers and chanters. You all made us so proud as you put us in the Christmas Spirit. We especially want to thank the leaders of these Choirs: Linda Lawson, Christopher Holwey and Samer Hanna. It was so beautiful to hear the angelic voices.

The Antiochian Orthodox Basilica of St. Mary Page 5

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Dated Material

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visit our website: www.saintmarylivonia.com

The Antiochian Orthodox Basilica of St. Mary

FROM OUR FAMILY HERE AT THE BASILICA OF ST. MARY TO YOUR FAMILY, WE WISH YOU A

VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

† Father George and Nouhad Shalhoub † Fr. Jim and Audrey King † Archdeacon Issa Rizkallah † Deacon and Mrs. Dennis Bojrab, M.D. † St. Mary’s Parish Council, Salem Samaan, Chairman † The Cultural Center Andrew Ansara and Dr. Radwan Khoury, Co-Chairmen † The Financial Controllers, Andrew Ansara, Don Hayes and Maha Khalil † Finance Committee, Aziz Naser, Chairman, † Church Administrator, Stacey Badeen † Administrative Associate, Bill Lawson † Ladies Society, Mrs. Georgine Hayes, President † St. Mary’s Church Choir, Mrs. Linda Lawson, Director † The Chanters, Sub-deacon Suheil Kashou, Sub-deacon Samer Hanna, Sub-deacon Dr. George Zacur, and Joe Zogaib † The Altar Boys † The Ushers, Richard Shebib and Sami Azzouz † Custodian, Randy VanNispen † Assistant Youth Director, Sub-Deacon Richard Ajalat � Church School Administrator Arwa Ansara, † Arabic School, Mrs. Lina Nunu, Director † Teen Soyo, Mark Sultani, President † The Cultural Center, Mr. Keith Rowe, General Manager and Mrs. Robin Schlack, Office Manager † Bulletin Volunteers †