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Charity is an essential ministry of a Maronite Church. The word charity comes from the Greek verb to love. From God’s love stems doing work of charity for it shows our love to our neighbor which the Lord has commanded.
"The first [commandment] is this: 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12, 29-31)
During the 2009-2010 liturgical year, our goal is to raise $1000.00 to support 20 people get vision care. The idea was inspired from the life of our patron saint, Rafka, the blind Maronite nun from Lebanon.
She began feeling pain in the optic nerves. The doctor who was treating her pierced through and destroyed her right eye in a barbaric manner. During bleeding and unbearable agony, Rafka said only: "In communion with Christ's passion." Her other eye deteriorated and she became totally blind. Rafka continued to suffer optic hemorrhage daily. Some time after she became visually impaired, God granted her the gift to see the nun who was taking care of her, even if for a few short minutes.
The blind nun is now an instrument and a source of encouragement for working families to get vision care. St. Rafka Maronite Church is teaming with Envision Colorado Inc., a non-profit organization which was started by the Conklings, to support 20 individuals to get comprehensive eye exams. St. Rafka offers a fifty dollar coupon to further reduce the cost of each exam. Karen Hart accepted to head the charity committee at the request of the Parish council and me.
While we were contemplating charity work, our children Lio Beaini, Mario Feghali, Natalie Homsi, and Justine Moussallem along with their faith and heritage teacher Marsha Moussallem were, of their own accord, planning charity work of their own. In fact, they chose to support the Samaritan House in Denver, CO and the children at Children’s Hospital.
The Samaritan House, which is run by the Capuchin Friars, hosts and takes care of the homeless in downtown Denver. It can accommodate over 320 men, women and children each night. There are separate facilities for single men, single women and families with children. Residents receive a bed, food, clothing and various services on site, including case management, medical care, and referrals for employment, social service assistance and educational opportunities. It is heavily dependent on donations from the community. I have included in this issue items needed on continual basis at the Samaritan House.
The items you bring to support the Samaritan House will be carried by our children during the Divine Liturgy as their and our offerings to God. We humbly ask Him to accept them from our sinful hands and to help us be instruments to show his Love to human beings through our humble charitable work.
Our children also ask us to collect gently used video games, controllers, and consoles to donate to the children at Children’s Hospital. Children nowadays enjoy their electronic toys and games. Our children thought of others who also enjoy playing video games and chose to donate their precious toys to them.
I am inspired by the thoughtfulness and generous act of our children and hope you are too. I pray that you will support our charitable efforts. We ask you to help us raise a minimum of $1000.00 to help individuals to get the eye care needed.
Take a look at the wish list to help the Samaritan House. Bring your items to church and hand them to Marsha Moussallem who in turn will put them in a basket to be presented as part of our gifts to God during the offertory procession, likewise with the video games, controllers, and consoles.
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