1. The Antiochene Syriac Maronite Church is depicted as a Cedar of Lebanon. She is built on Christ (the cross) her foundation and nourished by His word as found in the bible. Her roots are based in Jerusalem (the mother of all Churches), Antioch, Edessa and Nissibis, and Lebanon the See of the Maronite Patriarch.
2. For the Maronites, the Cedar of Lebanon represents Mary. In the Maronite Marian litany we find, "O Cedar of Lebanon pray for us." The cross represents Jesus the Son of God who freely accepted death on the cross between two thieves and was vindicated and resurrected by His Father. The Maronite Church embraced Mary as her mother following Jesus' words to his beloved disciple "Behold, your mother." And as "from that hour the disciple took her into his home," the Maronite faithful took Mary into their own homes. Wherever the Maronite Patriarch's See ended up Mary was at its heart. She is the Patron Saint of every Maronite Patriarch's chapel.
3. Maronites must return to their Syriac Heritage which is biblical. "Save me, O Lord, from the poison of the Greeks (i.e. philosophy)" uttered Saint Ephrem. The Syriac Fathers used typology in interpreting the Bible. The image of the Cross of Christ was evoked in their mind every time they read a reference to trees and wood in the Old Testament. Therefore, the Cedar of Lebanon refers to the cross.
4. The Maronite Church is a universal Church with roots extending in all continents. Her branches embrace the world as a mother embraces her children without distinction. Let us not forget the parable given by Christ, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches" (Mt. 13:31) The same parable is being evoked. However, a cedar tree is used instead of a mustard tree.

Introduction

I am excited and privileged to be at the forty-seventh Maronite Convention. “The Identity of the Maronite Church” and “Welcoming Non-Maronites into our Faith and Heritage” are two very important topics that are dear to my heart. Instead of treating them separately I would like to address them in the context of the growth of the Maronite Church in the United States – if I may say, “Looking at the whole forest rather than individual trees.”

The Maronite Church in the United States has definitely grown in the last three decades. There is a high probability that this growth is largely due to the influx of immigrants who left their homelands seeking a better life in this country. Thank God for immigrants! Their contribution has been tremendous to our nation and Church, yet the Church’s growth cannot only depend on the waves of immigrants coming from the Middle East. After all, we as a Church are called to abide by Christ’s Divine Commission “to make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:18-20). The growth of the Maronite Church in this country might have been limited in part because our congregations have been integrating mostly – if not almost exclusively - (Middle Eastern) immigrants. However, there are many other reasons why the growth of the Church was limited. My objectives are not to enumerate or examine them all, but rather to propose five necessary components that will Lead to the growth of the Maronite Church in the United States.

Growth of the Maronite Church

The growth of the Maronite Church outside the Patriarchal Territory is an old topic. It was addressed at the First Maronite Congress held in Mexico in 1979. In his conclusion to the article entitled, “In What Manner Shall We Revive Our Religious and Patriotic Heritage Overseas,” Bishop Abdo Khalife, then bishop of the Maronite Eparchy of Australia, posed the following question:

“Have we not arrived too late, even in the countries like Australia that are countries of recent emigration? Was our religious and patriotic heritage dead, inasmuch as it must be brought to life? Superior Orders request us, the Bishops of the emigration, to leave them free, at least those of our sons [and daughters] who are born in the emigration countries, to be baptized, to marry, and to be buried among Latins. What would then remain for us, our Maronite Church, if the emigration were halted for one or another reason? If we do not put ourselves on guard right away, we shall attend upon, as I said before, the slow and certain death of our religious and patriotic heritage.”¹

Dear Friends and Parishioners of St. Rafka,

Through your efforts we donated $1,500 to Envision Colorado, a non-profit organization "that was created to provide superior quality eye exams and glasses to uninsured families, with an income of less than $42,500 per year."

This year, the charity committee seeks your help to support The Children's Diabetes Foundation. "The Children's Diabetes Foundation at Denver was established by Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Davis in 1977 in Denver, Colorado as a non-profit organization dedicated solely to the support of research in childhood diabetes and to provide the best possible clinical and educational programs for children with this disease. The Foundation's mission is to raise funds to support programs at the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes where more than 5,000 children and young adults from all over America currently receive care.

November is diabetes awareness month. Therefore, it is appropriate to kick off our efforts for this worthy cause during it. On Sunday, Nov. 14, after the 10:30a.m. Divine Liturgy, Gina and Karen will be seeking your donations. With every donation you make, you will receive a nice gift in appreciation for your generosity. Please see attached flyer.

On the same day, you will also enjoy a Middle Eastern breakfast sponsored by St. Rafka Ladies' Society.  All its proceeds will go to St. Rafka's Ladies' Society. In the past, all the funds raised by the Ladies' Society were used to improve our church. We are proud for having remodeled our hall which looks fantastic and the icons on its walls enrich it. Last year, we changed the church's roof.

If you would like to help, send you offerings to St. Rafka Maronite Church and specify the charity to which you are contributing.

Thank you for your support and we look forward to beating last year's record.

Sincerely Yours,

St. Rafka's Charities Committee

[Envision Colorado Logo]

November 1, 2010

Father Armando Elkhoury
St. Rafka Maronite Church
2301 Wadsworth Blvd.
Lakewood, CO 80214

Dearest Father Armando

Kindness to the less fortunate ones is one of the many examples that Christ showed us. The gift toward new glasses from the parishioners of St. Rafka, under your tutelage, is a reflection of His teachings in so many ways.

Words cannot express the joy that emanates from a person when they receive one of your gifts toward new glasses. So many of them cannot believe the generosity that is coming to them with no strings attached.