Nov 03, 2013 · Arabic Bible Study with Fr. Sameem at 7pm 20 Eucharistic Ado-ration at 5:30 pm...

November 2014—Volume VIII, Issue XI

Faith

Official Church Newsletter of St Thomas Chaldean Catholic Church

&

Hope

ST THOMAS CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH - 6900 W. Maple Rd. West Bloomfield, MI 48322 | 248.788.2460 | [email protected]

www.StThomasCC.org

ALL Saints feast day

November 1st - 2

ELECTION DAY IS

NOVEMBER 4th!

GET OUT AND VOTE!

NOVEMBER 23rd - More Details on Pg 22

NOVEMBER 2014 FAITH & HOPE 3

Weekdays: IN CHALDEAN @ 10:00 am - MON - FRI

Saturdays: IN ENGLISH @ 5:00 pm Sundays: IN ENGLISH @ 9:00am IN ENGLISH (HIGH MASS) @ 10:30am IN CHALDEAN (HIGH MASS) @ 12:30pm IN ARABIC @ 2:00pm

MASS SCHEDULE BAPTISM SCHEDULE

1st & 3rd Saturday

12:30 pm

2nd & 4th Sunday

3:30pm

ANOINTING SCHEDULE

Upon Request, please contact

St. Thomas Church Office

October 4, 2014

Francis Michael son of Michael & Loren Jonna

Gisele Marie daughter of Christopher & Sandra Saroki

Angela Grace daughter of Ivan & Dalia Ajjo

Collin Joseph son of Tison & Christine Sesi

Valentina daughter of Christopher & Rita Kattola

Juliette daughter of Christopher & Rita Kattola

October 5, 2014

Jonah Thomas son of Rafid & Jean Abouna

Serafina Ann daughter of Rox & Amanda Gatia

Nolan Marcus son of Nibras & Vevian Murad

October 11, 2014

Sophia Marie daughter of Nadir & Shaun Jiddou

October 12, 2014

Audriana Marie daughter of Samir & Carolyn Bacall

Madlin Mary daughter of Sany & Besman Esho

Elena Mary daughter of Basman & Athraa Hajjar

October 18, 2014

Katrina Mariam daughter of Justin & Sherene Awdish

Aria Michelle daughter of Randy & Madonna Blanchard

October 26, 2014

Hudson Gabriel son of Jason & Angela Brikho

Ezra Simon son of Simen & Rachel Savaya

Benjamin Andrew son of Justin & Ivan Barbat

Marie daughter of Mathew & Renee Shallal

October 3, 2014

Brian Kaddis to Mrija Vulaj

October 4, 2014

Scott Dallo to Michelle Jarbo

October 5th, 2014

Patrick Ibrahim to Ashley Mesi

October 12, 2014

Savio Mikhana to Melissa Kakoz

October 17, 2014

John Snively to Rena Kalabat

October 21, 2014

Namir Shango to Juman Kesto

October 24, 2014

Randy Samona to Candace Khamarko

October 26, 2014

Saif Cholagh to Jessica Zako

October 30, 2014

Danny Garmo to Lara Yatoma

CONGRATS! † BAPTISMS † OCTOBER 2014 CONGRATS! † WEDDINGS † OCTOBER 2014

Confessions:

- During Masses

1st Friday of the Month at ECRC

- Thursdays 11p-12a at St Thomas

Article By Sura Hedow

4 FAITH & HOPE NOVEMBER 2014


BEING THANKFUL

T oday is a gift. That’s why it is called the present. Cherish each day, each moment! Time is very precious.

How often do you stop to appreciate what you have in your life? How often do you stop to thank God for giving you your family, health, education, legs, arms, eyes, ears, hands, feet, home, freedom, car, food, heart, love, air, and the list goes on and on?

Our world pulses with His life; we exist because He created us. In fact, God created us in His image and likeness. Yet, we spend so much time and effort trying to become someone we’re not and fit a mold that is not the true us, when instead, we can use that time to focus on who we really are and see ourselves the way God sees us – a unique, beautiful person. God does NOT make mistakes. He is the most beautiful artist who has ever existed. And we’re His artwork and He made us just the way we are for a reason.

So then you need to ask yourself…. What do you see when you look in the mirror? Do you see yourself the way God sees you? Are you the person God designed you to be? Or are you trying to be someone else?

Our society is continuously changing and the social media has a great influence on people. Society really knows how to play tricks on you. Be careful, the devil really knows how to get in your ear and tell you that you’re not good enough, pretty enough, smart enough. Don’t be so worried about how others view you. When you spend time worrying, you’re robbed of the present time’s strength. Why not use that time to discover how God views you. It’s not about what others think, it’s about what you think when you look in that mirror. You need to walk with confidence and think to yourself, “I am God’s artwork, one of His masterpieces”. It is when you see this, where you can become the Best Version of Yourself, which is the person God designed you to be.

Y ou must be thankful for the life God has given you. We become what we love and who we love shapes what we become (St. Clare of Assisi). Thus, love yourself, embrace who you are, and be the best YOU. God is your artist, and you’re His masterpiece.

Our journey and experiences has molded us into who we are today. When God enters the story He takes up the central role, and suddenly it becomes apparent that His role was central all along. We should be thankful for the times we get tested in life. That means God’s growing us and molding us into who we are to become. God is the author of time. Your story is written in His book. Sometimes your pages may be long, some chapters may be hard to follow, but once the blessing comes, you will realize that the only way to understand God’s plan was to live it. Be thankful for these blessings and ask God for the grace to believe and trust in His blessings that were promised in your own life, even when they seem slow in coming. The most beautiful flowers sometimes take the longest to develop. Finally, when you become the Best Version of Yourself, which is seeing yourself the way God sees you, you will never be disturbed or shaken. God’s light will shine through you and your true beauty will be revealed. Strive to get there! Fight to get there! Break the mold! Be the Best Version of Yourself. I challenge you!

Article By: Vanessa Alexander

NOVEMBER 2014

Eastern Catholic Re-Evangelization Center “E.C.R.C.”

For more information contact: (248) 538-9903 or Email: [email protected]

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

Mar Mikha Nuhad-

raya

2

3

4 English Bible

Study

with Bishop Fran-

cis

at 7pm

5 Arabic Bible Study

with Fr. Sameem

at 7pm

6 Eucharistic

Adoration at 5:30 pm

Holy Mass at 6:30 pm

7 1-2 pm ECRC Ra-

dio BIble

Program In Arabic

on 690am

ECRC 1st Friday Devo-

tion (Adoration, Con-

fession, & Mass) 6:30

pm

Mar Eugene&

8

9

10

11 English Bible

Study

with Bishop Fran-

cis

at 7pm


with Fr. Sameem

at 7pm

13 Eucharistic

Adoration at 5:30 pm

Holy Mass at 6:30 pm

14 1-2 pm ECRC Ra-

dio Bible

Program In Arabic on 690am

ECRC Healing Mass & Prayer Service

6:30pm

15

16 17 18 English Bible

Study

with Bishop Fran-

cis

at 7pm


with Fr. Sameem

at 7pm

20 Eucharistic Ado-

ration at 5:30 pm

Holy Mass at 6:30 pm II Foundations

ages 16-18 leave for retreats

21 1-2 pm ECRC Radio

Bible

Program In Arabic

on 690am

22

23 II

Founda-tions

ages 16-18 re-

treatants return

24

25

English Bible

Study

with Bishop Fran-

cis

at 7pm


with Fr. Sameem

at 7pm

27 NO Adoration &

Evening Mass

THANKSGIVING St. James Intercisus

28 1-2 pm ECRC

Radio Bible

Program In Arabic

on 690am

29

30 Watch live streamimg at www.Noursat.tv

Tues thru Fri at

Shows include:

Freedom Behind Bars with Tom Naimi (Thursdays)

Silent Saints w/ Bashar Kirma (Wednesdays)

Field’s of the King-dom with Fr. Niaz Toma & Louay Mansour hosted by Karam Bahnam

Encoun-tering Je-sus with

Fr. Pierre


Eastern Catholic Re-Evangelization Center “E.C.R.C.”

For more information contact: (248) 538-9903 or Email: [email protected]


HOLY TRINITY—3 EQUALS 1 (YES I WENT TO COLLEGE)

C hristians have to be some of the weirdest most complicated people ever! Sometimes we need to take a step back and realize that we believe in ONE God but that ONE God is

actually THREE different people! Even Microsoft word is telling me “consider revising” that statement! It is one of the greatest mysterious ever known to humanity, the foundation of Christianity, the truth that is so complicated yet so simple, that God is one yet three persons! Hadeed, three gifts, lets unwrap these Heavenly gifts together…

We need to ask the question where do these gifts, this knowledge of the Trinity come from? If it comes from anyone other than Jesus Christ, it is unreliable and not trustworthy for such a divine mystery can and should only come from one who understands it, Jesus! He is God, before the world began Jesus was, is and ever shall be and yet He is our best friend, amazing, I know!!!

We know by looking at the life of Jesus, He is God, He rose from the dead, forgave sins, healed the paralyzed, accepted being worshipped, proclaiming Himself to be the great “I AM” and his ascension!

We have Jesus giving, reminding, and glorifying the Father! Jesus said “The Father and I are one” and we even see Jesus saying, “Father, if it is your will let this cup pass from me!” Jesus is not going to talk to Himself, He is talking to His and our Father, a separate person but one God!

Ba’at Jesus doesn’t leave us orphans after He ascends back to the Father! Jesus said, “ If you love me, you will obey my commandments. 16 I will ask the Father, and he will give you another helper who will be with you forever. 17 That helper is the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept him, because it doesn’t see or know him. You know him, because he lives with you and will be in you.” Look at that, Jesus asking the Father and He refers to the Holy Spirit as HIM because He is a person not a it or thing!

In case the devil has us in confusion on how three different persons can be one lets go back to the Word of God!!! Deuteronomy 6:4-5 says: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD. 1 Tim 2:5 For there is one God. Old Testament and New Testament to give us full assurance that we only believe in one God but He is three persons!!!

How do we enjoy all three persons yet maintain their oneness? It’s the best problem to have because its so much fun solving and learning how to enjoy the Trinity!Any time we want to talk to all three persons we can just say, God, or Lord, and we are addressing all three in one!

Sometimes we need to talk to our Father so we can feel like a child of our Heavenly Father and just to address our Baba our dad feels great because we are all His prince and princess no matter what our age!

We love going to Jesus because He became a human like us, had a mommy, cried, was hurt, life was very unfair to Him, yet we know Jesus won and we know Jesus loves us, we see that Love was nailed to the Cross!

The most forgotten person is the Holy Spirit! We forget that He is a person, not an it or thing! We can actually talk to Him; He gives us 7 gifts that we need! The Bible even says we can’t even say Jesus is Lord without the Holy Spirit! That shows how powerful the Spirit of God!

Lord I love you so much, thank you for the opportunity to write about your love! Father, I love you baba, I love being your baby, your child, your prince! Jesus, thank you for setting me free from sin and death, you took all my shame and bore it on the Cross! The Spirit, I cant even move without your grace, thank you for giving me strength to be a Christian!

Article by Mark Zakar


Help us & Help Others with your generous donations.

We accept a wider range of donated materials than others. Most any estate, office, garage, furniture, attic, shed, closet, trade-in,

obsolete, returns, sporting goods, clothes, shoes, lamps and on and on!

Donation Bin is located by the Church Office in the St. Thomas Parking Lot.

If you have items too large for the bin please call

St. Vincent De Paul at 906.266.3721.


ALL SAINTS DAY (NOVEMBER 01)

Article By Marcella Zoma Acho

A ll Saints' Day is when the Catholic Church commemorate every saint, known and unknown, particularly those who have no special feast days of their own. It is annually held November 1 and in

many eastern churches it is celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost. It is also known as All Hallows Tide, All-Hallomas, or All Hallows' Day.

All Saints' Day is observed in many countries around the world. In countries such as Spain, Portugal and Mexico, offerings are made on this day. In countries such as Belgium, Hungary and Italy people bring flowers to the graves of dead relatives. In other parts of Europe, such as Austria, Croatia, Poland, and Romania, it is customary to light candles on top of visiting graves of deceased relatives. It is also observed in parts of Asia, such as the Philippines, where people visit graves of deceased relatives and clean or repair them. They also lay flowers on the graves and light candles throughout the anticipation of All Souls' Day on November 2. Symbols commonly associated with All Saints’ Day are: A sheaf of wheat. Rayed Manus Dei (hand of God). The crown. Symbols (including images) of individual saints. The liturgical color is white on All Saints' Day.

As a celebration a feast is served to enjoy traditional All Saints Day food such as soul cakes, Catalan almond sweet, Catalan potato biscuits. Soul Cakes is perhaps the most popular and traditional All Saints Day food among all. These cakes are prepared with unique type of shapes like men, women, skull or bones. Depending upon the heritage and culture of the place, this cake has modified its style and shape. However, the basic ingredients remain more or less same. Flour is mixed with dissolved yeast and little sugar to stand for some time. At the same time, milk is prepared with the yeast for kneading with the flour. Butter and cinnamon powder are also used during kneading to get the desired flavor. When the dough rises to its double size, it is the time to give the special All Saints Day shape. Sometimes raisins or currants are used to make the eyes of the skull or men and women. The dough is then baked inside the oven until it gets light brown color. To eat this special All Saints Day food, often a glaze is prepared.

All Saints' Day is observed in many countries around the world. In countries such as Spain,

Portugal and Mexico, offerings are made on this day. In countries such as Belgium, Hungary and Italy

people bring flowers to the graves of dead relatives. In other parts of Europe, such as Austria, Croatia,

Poland, and Romania, it is customary to light candles on top of visiting graves of deceased relatives. It is

also observed in parts of Asia, such as the Philippines, where people visit graves of deceased relatives

and clean or repair them. They also lay flowers on the graves and light candles throughout the anticipation

of All Souls' Day on November 2. Symbols commonly associated with All Saints’ Day are: A sheaf of

wheat. Rayed Manus Dei (hand of God). The crown. Symbols (including images) of individual saints. The

Almighty ever-living God, by whose gift we venerate in one celebration, the merits of all the Saints, bestow on us, we pray, through the prayers of so many intercessors, an

abundance of the reconciliation with you, for which we earnestly long. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one

God, for ever and ever. Amen.


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VISIT

HelpIraq.org

ON UP TO DATE INFORMATION

ON THE CURRENT GENOCIDE IN

IRAQ & WHAT IS BEING DONE TO

HELP OUR CHRISTIAN BROTHERS

& SISTERS IN NEED.

SEE HOW YOU CAN HELP!

Bumper Stickers & Awareness Material

Available at your local parish.


SOULAR ENERGY

Article by The Evangelist

The world we live in today is very much consumed with Energy talks. Many people are concerned with what sources of energy we are using and the possibility of running out of them. Some are working toward getting sources that are cleaner and that can make the environment greener; sources like the sun and wind (solar energy), the earth (geothermal energy), etc. Others are working toward sources of energy for our bodies, like the energy drinks, energy bars, etc.

As we speak and talk about energy, it is important to realize that energy is not only required for our bodies to function, but also for our souls to function. We obviously eat on a continuous basis, because without food and water our bodies would not survive and thus die. This fact is no different for our souls. If a soul does not “eat and drink,” it will surly die as well. (John 6:53) Before we talk about the “soul food” that gives the “soular energy,” let’s look at the importance of this spiritual energy.

A human being is made up of body and soul. If the body is stronger than the soul, then the soul would follow the desires of the body. If the soul is stronger however, then the body is under the direction of the soul. (Romans 8) In other words, if your body desires to sin, and your soul is not strong enough to keep it from that desire, you will sin. This is a very crucial point when it comes to the importance of feeding your soul or having spiritual energy. Proper food for the soul and a spiritual workout, would give you all the energy you need to stand against the temptation of sin. Now to the big question: How do I feed my soul? The answer is simple: Through your five senses! The body feeds through the mouth. The soul, however, feeds the same way the mind is fed; through your sense of feeling, hearing, seeing, tasting, and smelling. While there are many examples of each, I will state the examples in a single celebration…The Mass! During the Mass, we hear the word of God, see the physical actions of the Mass, we feel the touch of receiving and passing the peace of Christ from and to others through our hands, we smell the aroma of the incense, and we taste Heaven as we receive and be united with our Lord in the Eucharist. Of course, feeding the soul is not limited to Sunday. Sunday Mass is the big feast of spiritual food that the Lord Himself prepares and shares with us.

In addition to the Mass, what else is proper soul food, and what are some spiritual workouts we can do to gain spiritual energy? The obvious answers are prayer, fasting, and doing good deeds. Prayer however, is not limited to reciting the “Our Father” and “Hail Mary.” Those are great, but prayer can take the form of simply talking and conversing with our Father; and learning about Him whether from Bible study, theology classes, youth groups, etc. Fasting, like prayer, is not only refraining from eating. It’s anytime I tell my body “No you cannot satisfy a want.” Prayer and fasting however need to be nourished by actions, in order to become Christ Like. (James 2:20).

Here’s an example: if I meditate on the “as we forgive those who tress pass against us” part of the Lord’s Prayer, I would realize that I have to forgive others their offences against me. If my soul is not stronger than my mind and mouth, I would not be able to control my actions when someone does or say something against me. However, if I, throughout my day, remain in simple conversations with God asking Him to help me forgive, to help me not be angry, and keep myself in thought with God, when the offense comes, I will practice forgiveness. In the beginning I may not be able to do so easily (depending on how strong the offense is), but keeping this spiritual workout going will eventually give me enough energy to defeat any addiction or temptation. Remember with God, anything is possible (Mt 19:26); even sinners like me and you can be saints, we just need a little SOULar Energy!


ECRC is a lay organization made up of volunteers that are

committed to answering the late Pope John Paul II call to

re-evangelize the world so that it may come to an intimate

knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His Church.

Visit ECRC For Bible Study, Mass, Adoration, & More!

4875 West Maple Road

Bloomfield Township, MI. 48301

P: (248) 538-9903

Live, Learn, Defend, Teach & Evangelize the Catholic Faith!

www.ECRC.us


Join His Excellency Bishop Francis Y Kalabat for a

Special Mass celebrating the blessing of Eucharistic Ministers.

Joining us for Mass are our brothers and sisters

with specials needs and their families.

BRING SOME FOOD AND DESSERT!

POTLUCK DINNER IN THE SOCIAL HALL AFTER MASS!

Sunday, November 23rd - MASS @ 6PM


Come Adore, Glorify, and Praise

Jesus Anytime!

Take Advantage of the Beauty and

Blessing of The St Thomas Grotto.

Jesus Tells Us…

Ask, and it will be given to you;

Seek, and you will find;

Knock, and it will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7


GOOD GUYS WEAR BLACK AND WHITE COLOR

For centuries, our eastern catholic tradition has always taught us to love and respect our priests. I can still recite stories from my parents of how Chaldeans expressed their utmost loyalty and honor to their priests in the Christian villages in northern Iraq. The priest held the image of a father, brother, teacher, and most importantly of Jesus in our lives. Decades later, we are in the land of the free but remain ever close to our church and priests. The role of our priests remains as vital, but their responsibilities ever multiplied along with the demands of our growing communities.

We have become accustomed to the routine role of the priests in our lives. We witness them celebrating mass, visiting the sick, listening to confessions, teaching spiritual classes, meeting with church and community members, nurturing vocations, tending after the spiritual needs of the parishioners, doing their daily personal chores, and many more. Unlike most of us, the priest is expected to work 7 days a week. Our Chaldean attitude towards our priests is both respectful, but definitely demanding. We rarely examine our conscience as related to our expectations of our priests, and that is the goal behind writing this article.

Like Christ, the priest has dedicated his life for the salvation of others. His office is of a high and holy order, not an administrator or a politician. His role is far more vital to us because it deals with our spiritual vitality and fate. The priest is the source of our spiritual nourishment today and the bridge to forming future priests tomorrow. As Chaldeans, we should know better than anyone else that many of our Chaldean priests abroad were murdered or are constantly threatened to stop them from celebrating mass. As a result, many of our Chaldean brothers and sisters cannot attend mass or receive the Eucharist. We ought to know that if the priesthood goes, so goes the church.

Therefore, I am going to leave you with a few suggestions before you judge, criticize, or disagree with a priest at your parish:

1. Good priests are the product of our prayers as a community. Since apostolic times, the church prayed for the apostles (equivalent of priests today) unremittingly while they were persecuted or imprisoned. If we do not lift our priests in prayer, we should not expect much from them. Pray for the priest that made a difference in your life. I still pray for the deceased priest who taught me how to read Chaldean and chant Chaldean mass and Ramsha prayers as a child.

2. Tell your priest when you find a particular homily helpful to you

3. If you volunteer, do it faithfully and without stipulations or rewards. If your work seems unnoticed,

it means you are doing a great job!

4. By supporting your parish council members and other lay people, you are actually helping the priest become a minister, not an administrator.

5. Watch what you say about your priest in front of your children. They will model your behavior.

6. Before you express disagreement with the priest verbally or in writing, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. Lay people have the right to speak up on things that pertain to the good of the church, but they also have the obligation to show love and respect to their priests. Do not allow the Seed of Satan to devour our church! Private and honest dialogue is always best.

7. Priests are humans and they may feel the need to vent or show their weak side. As lay people, we ought to love and respect that and NOT spread gossip about it. Many of us strive for closeness to the priest for selfish reasons to show that we are church “insiders” or more privileged than others. Being humble and vigilant over these temptations of pride and arrogance make us truly closer to Christ and to our priests.

Article By “Suraya”

Nov 03, 2013 · Arabic Bible Study with Fr. Sameem at 7pm 20 Eucharistic Ado-ration at 5:30 pm...

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Transcript of Nov 03, 2013 · Arabic Bible Study with Fr. Sameem at 7pm 20 Eucharistic Ado-ration at 5:30 pm...