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THE JOURNAL OF THE MELKITE CATHOLIC EPARCHY OF NEWTON

How great are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you have wrought them all!(Psalm 103:24)SOPHIASOPHIA

Volume 42, Number 2 • Spring 2012

Inside:Contemplating and Livingthe Paschal SeasonPage 3

47th National ConventionPage 21-24

Together in ChristEncounter 2012Page 8

2 SOPHIA • Spring 2012

Contemplating and Living the Paschal Season ................................3Some Reflections on this Issue and on this Season ..........................4Bishop’s Letter on Religious Liberty ................................................5Pastoral Letter on Infant Communion..............................................6A Time for Catholic Action and Catholic Voices ..............................7Together in Christ, Encounter 2012 ................................................8What is Catholic Social Teaching? ..................................................9What is a Vocation? ......................................................................14It’s Never too Late to Say “Yes” to God ........................................15Busy Weekend for Atlanta Melkites ..............................................17Fallen Asleep in the Lord ..........................................................18-19NAMY Conference 2012................................................................202012 Melkite Convention ........................................................21-24Orthodox/Catholic Consultation on Middle East ..........................25Dedication of Meditation Grapevine Arbor ..................................26Leading Children in the Way of Prayer ..........................................27Catechesis for Young Adults ..........................................................28Adult Enrichment Series Report ....................................................30Letter to a Troubled Parish ............................................................31Arab Spring may Become Arab Winter ..........................................32Ground Zero Former Melkite Church ............................................34Vatican II: Fifty Years and Still Challenging ..................................35National Association of Melkite Women ..................................37-38Navigating the Eparchy..................................................................39

The Publisher waives all copyright to this issue. Contents may be distributed free and without spe-cial permission in publications that are distributed free. Wherever possible, please include a cred-it line, indicating the name of SOPHIA magazine.

Unsolicited manuscripts, articles, and letters to the editor are welcomed. The editors assume noresponsibility for lost manuscripts or photos. The content of all articles, past, present and future,remains the expressed personal opinion of the individual author and may not reflect, in its entirety, the opinion of the Melkite Eparchy of Newton.

3 VFW Parkway, West Roxbury, MA 02132 • www.melkite.org Phone: (617) 323-9922 • Fax: (617) 323-0188 • Email: [email protected]

Published quarterly by the Eparchy of Newton. ISSN 0194-7958.Made possible in part by the Catholic Home Mission Committee and a bequest of the Rev. Allen Maloof.

PUBLISHER: MOST REV. NICHOLAS J. SAMRA, EPARCHIAL BISHOP

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Rt. Rev. Archimandrite James Babcock

COPY EDITOR: Rev. James Graham

PRODUCTION: Deacon Paul LeonarczykDESIGN AND LAYOUT: Doreen Tahmoosh-Pierson

SOPHIAADVISORY BOARDDr. Fran Colie, Rev. George Gallaro, Very Reverend Lawrence Gosselin, Deacon Paul Leonarczyk, Rt. Rev. Michael Skrocki, Rev. Justin Rose

SSOOPPHHIIAA THE JOURNAL OF THEEPARCHY OF NEWTON FORMELKITE CATHOLICSIN THE UNITED STATES

In This Issue

Contents

Contents

SOPHIA welcomes and encourages lettersfrom readers. Please send them via e-mail [email protected] or by USPS toSOPHIA Letterbox, 451 West Madison Avenue,Placentia, CA 92870. †

Share with us!Have you ever dreamed of being awriter? Perhaps having your voiceheard on the printed page?Is there a subject that youhave wanted to address ora story that you are excitedto tell? We would love to hearfrom you!

SOPHIA welcomes updates and pho-tos from all of our parishes and alsoinvites manuscripts, articles, and let-ters to the editor from parishioners.

Submissions will be subject to review bythe editorial staff and only those approvedby the publisher will be published.

All submissions can be sent to:E-mail: [email protected]

USPS: SOPHIA Letterbox451 West Madison AvenuePlacentia, CA 92870

Submissions DeadlineAll materials (photos/articles/parish news) for the Summerissue of Sophia magazine aredue May 1, 2012.

From the Bishop

From the Bishop

Spring 2012 • SOPHIA 3

So often a great emphasis is placedon the Great Fast (Great Lent)before Holy Week and Pascha, andrightfully so because historically it wasthe last 40 days of preparation for thoseentering the Church through theIllumination Mysteries of Baptism,Chrismation and Eucharist. These mys-teries took place in conjunction with theLord’s resurrection. But today we arriveat Pascha and we sing “Christ isrisen…,” and soon after the DivineLiturgy the celebration wanes.

If we prepared for 40 days, we nowneed to celebrate for 40 days. We seethis same thing happening with the feastof the Birth of Christ. Even the secularworld prepares us for it – although not inthe most spiritual way. Many Christmasparties are held before the feast and thenon December 26 we see Christmas treesalongside the trash cans filled withripped-up wrapping paper. We need tokeep a balance between fasting andfeasting, preparation and celebration.

An explosion of joy takes place onPascha and we need to keep this excite-ment going for the next 40 days, andreally throughout our life. We greeteach other with the paschal exclama-tion: “Christ is risen! He is truly risen!”This expresses our joy and we shareour faith; we are assured that His newresurrected life is ours. He defeateddeath so that we can live!

A beautiful expression of this fact isenacted in the liturgical life of ourChurch when the epitaphios or burialshroud of Jesus is placed on the holyaltar, and on which we celebrate theDivine Liturgy. It even replaces the anti-mension which is always on the holytable and opened for the sacrifice. Jesus’death is linked to His resurrection; out ofthe tomb comes life.

In the very expressive icon which weuse for the Resurrection – the Descentinto Hades – we see Christ standing oncrossed grave covers, pulling Adam andEve to new life. We must see our handsstretched out to Him or hanging on toAdam and Eve as He raises us to life. We

live because He lives. We need to recog-nize that when we greet each other with“Christ is risen,” we too are risen fromour sins, forgiven and loved by Christ, anew people in the image of Jesus Christ.

The Acts of the Apostles is read atthe Divine Liturgy throughout the sea-son in place of the Epistles. We relivethe joy of the early Church as it livedand proclaimed the resurrected Christ:

Come, let us drink a new drink:not miraculously produced from abarren rock, but from the Fountainof immortality springing forthfrom the tomb of Christ, in whichwe are established.

Now all is filled with light: heav-en and earth and the lower regions.Let all creation celebrate the risingof Christ, in which it is established.

Yesterday I was buried withYou, O Christ: today I arise withYou in your resurrection. YesterdayI was crucified with You: glorifyme with You, O Savior, in yourKingdom. (Paschal Canon, Ode 3)St. John’s Gospel is a proclamation

taking us back to the beginning,announcing God’s creation and nowHis recreation for all of us through hisSon - the Word of God. We celebrate,not only the historical event of theResurrection, but also our own rising

from the dead to be new people, recre-ated and raised from our sins.

The “Bright Week” or “New Week”follows as if the entire week is as oneday of the Resurrection. The feast is ourcommemoration of our own baptism andwe renew our commitment to Christ.This joy is further seen by the MelkiteChurch’s Synod allowing the entire sea-son to be “fast-free” if one chooses to doso, not just the Bright Week as thechurch rule books state.

On the Sundays during this seasonmany commemorations take place andare lived by us. With the Apostle Thomaswe cry out to Christ: “My Lord and God.”We remember the myrrh-bearing womendisciples of Christ who first witnessed theResurrection and who were the first toproclaim the good news to the Apostles.

John’s Gospel continues for the entireseason. It is recognized as written forthose newly baptized into life on the res-urrection feast. We see in it the sacra-mental themes of water; the paralyticman, unable to get into the curing waters,is healed at the pool at the Sheep’s Gateof Jerusalem. The Samaritan Woman atthe well receives the “living water” fromJesus and returns to town to announceHim as the Messiah. The man blind frombirth is healed by Jesus who anointed hiseyes with spittle and sent him to wash inthe pool of Siloam. He also was sent toannounce the good news just as all of usare through Baptism and Chrismationafter our cleansing in water and anoint-ing with oil. Even in the middle of thefeasts of Pascha and Pentecost, water isfocused on in a major way again:“…give my thirsty soul to drink of thewaters of true worship; for You called outto all: ‘Whoever is thirsty, let him cometo me and drink.’ O Christ our God,Fountain of life, glory to You.”(Troparion of Mid-Pentecost)

The entire 40 Day Paschal seasonneeds to be active for it is a time not onlyto reflect on our baptism and its commit-ment, but also to live it vibrantly. Makeit a joyful time and celebrate it vitally!

Christ is risen! He is truly risen! †

by Most Rev. Nicholas SamraEparchial Bishop of Newton

Contemplating and Living the Paschal Season

by Rt. Rev. Archimandrite James BabcockEditor-in-Chief

Some Reflections on this Issue and on this Season

From

the Editor

From

the Editor


First, let me thankeveryone who sup-ported the Bishop’sAppeal. In so doing, youmake the publication ofSophia possible. MayGod reward you for yourgenerosity.

A lot has happenedrecently regarding thefreedom of religion. It’sbeen on television, on theinternet, on talk radio, inthe newspapers. It isimportant!

The Catholic Church,through the United StatesConference of CatholicBishops, has taken anunusually strong stand onthis topic. So in this issueof Sophia you will findBishop Nicholas’ pastoralletter on this subject aswell as some thoughts byHis Excellency JoseGomez, Archbishop ofLos Angeles. I believethat Archbishop Gomezalso wrote a very even-handed explanation ofwhat is at stake. Itappeared recently in TheTidings, newspaper of theArchdiocese of LosAngeles. I hope that hiswords and those ofBishop Nicholas moveyou to take action.

By the time you receive this issue itshould be around the time of Pascha,the Feast of the Resurrection of Christ.Several icons commemorate this Feast.In particular I am thinking of the iconof the discovery of Christ's emptytomb by the Myrrh-Bearing Women.

Perhaps we might consider that thefaith we profess is based on this emptytomb. What could be more absurd thana religion based on a tomb where thekey leader is not to be found? “He isnot here, He is risen,” the angel tellsthe women (Mark 16:6b).

How important is this to us? In fact,we proclaim that “I believe in the res-urrection of the dead and the life of theworld to come,” each time we professour faith by reciting the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. Christ rosefrom the dead. He revealed Himself tohis apostles and disciples on numerousoccasions following His resurrection.

We too have a share in HisResurrection. We too will rise on the lastday, at the end of the ages. We will risein the flesh. Why? Why in the flesh?

The answer is simple. God knows

that we need a body inorder to be able to partic-ipate fully in the DivineLife of God. When Godcreated Adam and Eve, hecreated them in Hisimage. Thus, a body ispart of the image of God.This in one of the reasonsthat St. Paul said that wemust not defile it. It is thetemple in which we live.

Neither God nor weare souls living inside atemporary body. God cre-ated Adam to be immor-tal. Corruption of thebody came into existencewhen Adam and Evesinned. It was not theintention of God for us todie; rather, we diebecause we suffer theconsequences of sin."From dust you weretaken, unto dust you shallreturn" (Genesis 3:19b).

The Resurrection ofChrist reverses this. Westill suffer the conse-quences of sin in theflesh; thus we die, butdeath is not the end of us.What exactly happens tous when we die we don’tknow for sure, but we doknow that there will be aresurrection of the deadand a new body will be

given to us.So, as we celebrate Holy Pascha, we

should be ever so thankful that Christdied for us, was buried for us, and wasnot found in the tomb, but rose fromthe dead that we too might be restoredto our original dignity in His imageand likeness.

Christ is Risen! He is Truly Risen!And, truly we will rise with Him. Wealready began this process with ourbaptism. Now it is up to us to run thecourse and complete it.

A Blessed and Holy Pascha to all. †


7 February 2012

Christ is among us! He is and always will be!

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

I would like to speak to you today about a serious and alarming issue that threatens the right to religious liberty of all Americansand that harasses the Catholic Church in the United States. Three weeks ago, on January 20, 2012, President Obama phonedCardinal-designate Timothy Dolan of New York, the President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, to inform him that hehad approved a new federal mandate issued by his Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the new health carelaw that will require the Catholic Church and Catholic institutions to pay for insurance coverage for their employees for steriliza-tions, abortion-inducing drugs, and contraception—each of which the Church considers to be intrinsically evil acts.

With this new mandate—the first such federal regulation in our nation’s history—this Administration has cast aside the FirstAmendment of our Constitution, and has denied Catholics, and people of all faiths, our first and most fundamental freedom—that of religious liberty. Despite the Church’s appeal, the only exemption to this new law the Administration will permit is lim-ited solely to religious groups who hire and serve people primarily of their own faith. In reality, this narrow exemption is mean-ingless and does not include the vast majority religious institutions—including virtually all Catholic schools, colleges and uni-versities, hospitals, and charitable agencies—which serve the common good of society and open their doors to all people regard-less of their creed. Thus, practically every religious employer in the U.S. will be forced, under penalty of law, to pay for insur-ance coverage that violates both their religious beliefs and their rights of conscience.

In so doing, this Administration sends the alarming message that it regards pregnancy as a disease to be prevented and thekilling of the unborn as a “right” that supersedes the religious and conscience rights of its citizens. This is an abomination, andshould send a chill through every freedom loving American, especially every Melkite Catholic. How many of our parents andgrandparents immigrated to this land of freedom precisely to escape a religious tyranny that reduced Christians to the status ofsecond-class citizens and that sought to prevent them from publicly professing and acting upon their Christian faith! Indeed, inthe words of Cardinal-designate Dolan: “This latest erosion of our first freedom should make all Americans pause. When a gov-ernment tampers with a freedom so fundamental to the life of our nation, one shudders to think what lies ahead.”

With prophetic words, our Holy Father Pope Benedict himself, just last month, warned a group of U.S. bishops visiting Romeof threats to religious freedom, that until only recently one would have considered unthinkable in America. He told the bishops:"it is imperative that the entire Catholic community in the United States comes to realize the grave threats to the Church's pub-lic moral witness presented by a radical secularism, which finds increasing expression in the political and cultural spheres….Of particular concern," the Pope said, "are certain attempts being made to limit that most cherished of American freedoms, thefreedom of religion.” He further warned of “concerted efforts…to deny the right of conscientious objection on the part ofCatholic individuals and institutions with regard to cooperation in intrinsically evil practices.”

Therefore, I join together with my brother bishops and with the leaders of many other faiths across the country who speakwith one voice: this morally offensive mandate cannot stand. We cannot—we will not—comply with this unjust and unreason-able law. Our ancestors, who came to these shores, made great sacrifices to secure and defend the God-given freedoms of thisgreat country. Future generations demand no less of us: we must counter this infringement upon our religious liberty. In our greatAmerican tradition of government “of the people, by the people, and for the people,” I ask you to heed the call of Pope Benedictwho concluded his remarks to the US bishops last month by saying: “Here once more we see the need for an engaged, articu-late and well-formed Catholic laity endowed with…the courage to counter a radical secularism.”

My fellow Melkites, I ask two things of you. First, during this upcoming season of Great Lent, raise your minds and heartsto God with fervent prayer and fasting for an end to the assault on religious liberty in our nation. Second, call upon your mem-bers of Congress to support legislation that would reverse or repeal this Administration’s unjust mandate. I encourage you tovisit the website of the U.S. Catholic Bishops www.usccb.org/conscience to learn how you can make your voices heard.

Finally, let us make the words of Psalm 68 be our prayer: “Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered; and let those whohate Him flee before His presence!”

With my prayers and blessing, I remain

Truly yours in Christ God,

XMost Reverend Nicholas J. SamraBishop of Newton

EPARCHY OF NEWTONMELKITE GREEK CATHOLIC CHURCH

OFFICE OF THE BISHOP

Pastoral Letter on Infant Communion and “First Communion” Ceremonies

also called “Solemn Communion” or “Eucharistic Awareness.”

Introduction

It has been brought to my attention by clergy and even laity of our Eparchy that some parishes have re-instituted or neverstopped the Latin Church practice of “First Communion” and/or imitation ceremonies called “Solemn Communion” and“Eucharistic Awareness.” I have been asked to give a clarification on such practices so that there is uniformity within theEparchy. It has been the custom since the 1970’s in our Eparchy to communicate infants after Baptism and Chrismation, and Ire-emphasize that this is our proper tradition and must be done. The children continue to receive the Eucharist whenever pre-sented by their parents. Parents are to be instructed in this tradition during the required pre-baptismal catechesis which must begiven in every parish.

In 1967, our Patriarchal Synod reestablished the administration of the Eucharist to infants in response to the Vatican II Decreeon the Eastern Churches. The Synod recognized the legitimacy of returning to this ancient discipline. “It is to be consideredan obligatory part of the Christian Initiation of infants in this Eparchy and is not to be omitted” stated Archbishop Joseph Tawilon page 7 in his General Policy for the Administration of the Sacraments of Christian Initiation promulgated on October 12,1981 and never rescinded by any of his successors. He reinstituted this proper discipline as a general practice in the 1970’s andmade it official in 1981. In this same policy, Archbishop Joseph continues: “It goes without saying that ‘First Communion’ ortheir imitation (‘Solemn Communion,’ ‘Eucharistic Awareness’) are completely out of place in Churches of our tradition and areto be abandoned wherever they are still practiced” (page 7 Policy). He assumed that the clergy had begun suppressing these cer-emonies after he asked that they do so in the 1970’s. Now in 1981 it was official. He added: “It is the responsibility of the pas-tor to communicate these realities to the entire parish, especially where the Latin form of First Communion has been established,and to give the child the necessary instruction as he/she reaches the age of discernment” (page 7 Policy).

Furthermore the Roman Congregation for the Eastern Churches on January 6, 1996, promulgated Instruction for Applyingthe Liturgical Prescriptions of the Code of Canon of the Eastern Church. It is clear in this excellent document – in fact oneof the best documents coming from Rome on the Eastern traditions – that Eastern Churches must take great pain to “de-Latinize”and return to their proper traditions. It notes on page 45 that where some Eastern Churches have postponed First Communionto school age children [around 7 years of age]: “It will be the task of the competent authorities to adopt measures suitable forreturning to the previous practice and to elaborate norms that are more conforming to their own tradition.”

The Eparchy of Newton, under the competency of its bishop, returned to its proper tradition long before Rome issued thisInstruction. We were ahead of the game, so to say, by more than fifteen years and now in practice for almost 40 years. There isno need, and no good reason, to fall back, continue or reinstitute a Latin custom. I truly believe that Rome was much aware ofArchbishop Joseph’s Policy on this matter, even using some of his own language and wording.

Some clergy and laity may present some objections to this policy. I will mention some of these objections and provide a simple answer.

Objections and Answers

1) Some may say that it takes time to return to our proper customs. I agree, but almost 40 years is more than enoughtime. If each priest took this matter seriously then, we would not face the problems today and there would be no need ofthis pastoral letter.

2) Some may say that in our Mother Church in the Middle East the practice of First Communion and the like is stillin vogue. That may be so, but we are living in the United States and these changes were made in good faith and withgreat pain and concern. We do not need to follow the customs that our churches in the Middle East accepted from theLatin Church.

3) Some may say that the bishop needs to understand the pastoral life of the parishes.Again I agree with this, howev-er, I cannot be challenged on this issue since I have served this Church as a parish priest since 1970 and in several parish-es and missions. In each and every one I worked diligently to educate our faithful about our proper Melkite traditions and

EPARCHY OF NEWTONMELKITE GREEK CATHOLIC CHURCH

OFFICE OF THE BISHOP



the policies of my bishop when asked to do so. In each parish and mission I inaugurated catechesis and was able to suc-cessfully eliminate First Communion ceremonies and the like and reinstitute infant communion.

4) Some object saying that the children will miss something important in their lives.A “First Communion Ceremony”is not a child issue but rather it is an adult issue. I have witnessed in my 42 years as a priest and 23 as bishop that chil-dren receiving the Eucharist since infancy, if properly taught by their parents, have a good understanding that what theyreceive is Jesus! Adults think it is cute to dress up the young ones, and have a reason for a party and gifts. Dress themup every Sunday and bring them to Church to the great thanksgiving “party” of the Eucharist.

The Melkite Church, particularly in the USA, was the forerunner for returning to proper Eastern traditions. It was not untiljust recently that other Eastern Churches, particularly of our same Byzantine family, have reinstituted infant communion andare going through the process of educating their faithful regarding the tradition of not having “First, Solemn or Awareness”ceremonies. We cannot go backwards.

My dear brother priests, deacons and catechists, I beg you to take these remarks seriously and cooperate on this matter – it islong overdue. I ask you priests and deacons especially, to walk with me on this issue, even if you have personal objections.You should not be telling your faithful that you disagree with your bishop in a public manner; this only creates dissention.Teach our proper customs, and I expect your full support.

In the Roman Instruction of 1996 there is the reiteration of Canon 199, paragraph 1, “the eparchial bishop as [is] the moder-ator, promoter and guardian of the entire liturgical life of the eparchy.” He is asked to foster “the prescriptions and legitimatecustoms of his own Church sui iuris.” His clergy are asked to work in concert with him and “the people must be faithful tothe indications of the pastor and endeavor to understand them in depth and realize his mandate.” Some possible catecheticalideas to help us in this matter of suppressing “First Communion” and their “imitation ceremonies.”

Suggestions for Possible Parish Celebrations

1) First and foremost is catechesis of the adults. The pre-Baptismal program of our Eparchy needs to be given to all newparents and godparents. This is required in every parish since it speaks about infant communion as the norm in our Church.

2) Adult Catechesis. God With Us Publications in which we participate, has an excellent guide for families growing inappreciation of the Divine Liturgy and the Eucharist: Celebrating Life and Love. Priests, deacons or catechists need tobring parents together for several classes and teach them how to use this book for home study and church involvement.It has many great ideas.

3) A Family Confession Service can be structured with parents and children present, particularly children between theages of 7-10 who may be going to confession for the first time. Children also need to see their parents and older sib-lings going to confession. This can be celebrated once or twice a year. An excellent resource is CelebratingForgiveness from God With Us Publications. Again parents need to be catechized with this book. It involves lots ofhome discussions and action ideas.

4) A Big Parish Celebration for all the Children in our Religious Education Programs can be held on the final Sundayof the Church school year and it can focus strongly on the Eucharist. Children can stay after the Divine Liturgy, havelunch, and then have a continuation of the celebration in age groups through some education, crafts, games and even aprocession back to the church with banners and posters they have made to conclude with a closing prayer to conclude.Call it a Celebration of Jesus!

Conclusion

Once again my brother clergy and catechists, we need to reaffirm who we are as Melkites and be proud of who we are andour traditions even though they may differ from Latin customs. In this matter of Infant Communion versus “First Communionand Imitation ceremonies”, we have had enough time for change. I ask that you make copies of this pastoral letter, and reprintit and share it with your parishioners, especially catechists. Please insert copies in your Sunday bulletin and speak about it inchurch as often as necessary. It will also be published in the next issue of Sophia, coming out in March or April. This willhelp give the proper understanding to our faithful whom I urge you catechize.

Thank you for your cooperation in this important matter.

Given at our Eparchial Chancery in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, on this 27th day of January in the Year of Our Lord. thetwo thousand twelfth.

Truly yours in Christ God,

XMost Reverend Nicholas J. SamraBishop of Newton

A Call to Action

A Call to Action


Friday, 27 January 2012

On January 19, 2012 in Rome,Pope Benedict XVI delivered aremarkable address to a groupof visiting American bishops. OurHoly Father praised America’sfounders for their commitment to reli-gious liberty and their belief thatJudeo-Christian moral teachings areessential to shaping citizens and demo-cratic institutions. The Pope warnedthat our heritage of religious freedomfaces “grave threats” from the “radicalsecularism” of political and culturalopinion leaders who are “increasinglyhostile to Christianity.”

On January 20, 2012, the day afterthe Pope’s address, our federal govern-ment issued a ruling that confirmed hisworst fears about our country’s anti-religious and anti-Christian drift. TheU.S. Department of Health and HumanServices announced a final decision tomandate that every U.S. employer mustprovide health insurance coverage thatmakes birth control, sterilization, andeven abortion-causing drugs availableto its employees free of charge.

The government rejected the U.S.bishops’ efforts to negotiate an exemp-tion for faith-based employers –including Catholic hospitals, charitiesand colleges – that are morallyopposed to abortion and contraception.

Instead, the government is giving usuntil August 2013 to obey or suffer theconsequences – fines so large theycould drive some Catholic employersout of business.

It is hard not to see this new man-date as a direct attack on Catholic con-sciences and the freedom of ourCatholic institutions. The mandatedoes not promote any civil libertiesand it does not advance any significantpublic health goals. The governmentjustifies the mandate by arguing thatemployers who do not provide theseservices are discriminating againstwomen. But access to free contracep-tion has never been a basic humanright. And there is no evidence thatbirth control has any effect onwomen’s health; pregnancy is not a

disease for which “preventive medi-cine” is required.

The Health Department justifiesdenying exemptions to Catholic chari-ties, hospitals and colleges because itsays they are not really “religious”institutions. This may be the most trou-bling part of this new mandate.Because in effect, the government ispresuming it has the competence andauthority to define what religious faithis and how believers should expresstheir faith commitments and relation-ship to God in society. These are pow-ers our government has never beforeassumed itself to have. In this case, thegovernment is imposing a narrow, rad-ically individualistic idea of religion –defining religion as only worship andmoral teaching. As many have noted,under this definition, much of whatJesus Christ did would not qualify as a“religious” ministry.

The fact is that everything theChurch does is “religious.” All ourministries and institutions are motivat-ed by our love for God and our missionto the spread the Gospel. We don’t dothese things because we are socialworkers or philanthropists. We dothem because we are disciples.

The Catholic Church is the onlyvisible religious group in Americanpublic life that holds consistent beliefsregarding the morality of life issues,including abortion and contraception.And Catholic institutions make amajor contribution to our social fab-ric – healing, educating and caring for

the needs of millions of our fellow cit-izens, especially the poor. So it is hardto escape the conclusion that the gov-ernment is singling out the Churchwith this new mandate.

But the issues here go far beyondcontraception and far beyond the liber-ties of the Catholic Church. They go tothe heart of our national identity andour historic understanding of our dem-ocratic form of government. Therewill be much more to say about this inthe weeks ahead. But this is clear:

Now is a time for Catholic actionand for Catholic voices. We need layleaders to step up to their responsibili-ties for the Church’s mission. Not onlyto defend our faith and our rights asCatholics, but to be leaders for moraland civic renewal, leaders in helping toshape the values and moral founda-tions of America’s future.

In his address last Thursday, PopeBenedict gave us some propheticadvice for these troubling times.

Here once more we see the need foran engaged, articulate and well-formed Catholic laity endowed with astrong critical sense vis-à-vis the dom-inant culture and with the courage tocounter a reductive secularism whichwould delegitimize the Church’s par-ticipation in public debate about theissues which are determining thefuture of American society. The prepa-ration of committed lay leaders andthe presentation of a convincing artic-ulation of the Christian vision of manand society remain a primary task ofthe Church in your country; as essen-tial components of the new evange-lization, these concerns must shape thevision and goals of catechetical pro-grams at every level.

We need to pray for one anotherand we need to pray for our leaders. Ientrust us to the intercession of theMary Immaculate, Patroness ofAmerica, and the Mother of Hope. †

This article first appeared in the Jan. 27, 2012edition of The Tidings, newspaper of theRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

by the Most Rev. José H. Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles

A Time for Catholic Action and Catholic Voices

A Call to A

ctionA Call to A

ction


The Eastern Catholic Bishops ofthe USA are sponsoring threeEncounters of our respectiveChurches this year which will takeplace in three locations. These gather-ings are geared for the laity and cler-gy and all three will have one themeand one program: Together in Christ –The Spirituality of Discipleship: ACall to Holiness.

The Encounters will be held in threelocations in the United States:

Cleveland, Ohio September 20-23, 2012

Hillsboro, New Jersey October 10-14, 2012

Los Angeles California November 1-4, 2012

An Encounter is a time for allEastern Catholics to meet and to growin the Lord, and to study themes thatwould assist them in fostering morespiritual and educational growth intheir parishes. Having three encountersacross the country, rather than one, willmake it easier and more convenient forlay participation within regions. Alsofollow-up meetings and programswithin a certain region will providemore growth for our Churches sinceparishes of Eastern traditions have somuch in common.

A special day for clergy who havepastoral commitments in parishes willprecede the weekend. The weekendEncounter (Friday evening throughSunday brunch) is mainly geared for thelaity who are asked to arrive on Fridayfor a welcome and hospitality gathering.

The main focus will be on Saturday andSunday ending with brunch. Four ple-nary session will be held on Saturdayfollowing Morning Prayer:

1) Who is the Church?2) Activity of the Royal Priesthood:

Lay Leadership in the Church3) The “How” and “What” of Lay

Leadership: “Put on Christ” 4) Blueprint for Church Growth.

Excellent speakers are being chosen!

Vespers and dinner will cap off thebusy day. The liturgical prayer servic-es will represent the various Easterntraditions.

On Sunday, we will celebrate Matinsand Divine Liturgy at a nearby Churchfollowed by a brunch and a final plena-ry session: Servant Leadership: Be Allthat You Can Be.

Registration is $75.00 per personand each one will be responsible fortravel and lodging expenses. Discountsfor early registrations for groups offive or more from one parish are$50.00 per person. Hospitality andmeals are included. Vendors of EasternChristian books and icons are beinginvited to display and sell their goods.

The national committee includesBishop Nicholas Samra, Very ReverendGregory Noga, Rev. John Lucas, andDr. Barbara Lutz.

Regional Coordinators are:

OhioSr. Marion Dobos – 412-322-8773New JerseyFr. Edward Cimbala – 908-725-0615

CaliforniaFr. Justin Rose – 951-212-0850

In 1999 and 2006 Encounters of ourEastern Catholic Churches were heldin Boston and Chicago respectively butwere mainly for bishops and someinvited clergy and laity. The 2012Encounters are open to all.

The Eastern Catholic Bishops form anational body and are a region of theConference of Catholic Bishops in theUSA; they represent the following tradi-tions: Armenian; Byzantine – Melkite,Romanian, Ruthenian and Ukrainian;Syriac – Chaldean, Maronite, Syriac,Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankara. Allbishops are participating in theseEncounters and fully support them fortheir faithful and clergy. The EasternCatholic Bishops of Canada have alsobeen invited to participate.

The Encounters are open to allmembers of our Churches, particularlythose who want to learn, pray and growin Christ for the building up of theBody of Christ in their parishes. By ourBaptism and Chrismation we are allsent to live the Christian vocation inChrist’s name. Lay people also need tobe involved in the ministries of theparishes; it is not just a priestly or dia-conal charge to be disciples for Christ.Our parishes need more vibrancy witha more active role of the laity in thespiritual life of the Church.

Bishop Nicholas expects represen-tatives of all parishes to participate inthese Encounters. More informationwill follow in the next issue of Sophiaand also in your parish bulletins. Youmay also check with the regional coor-dinators for more information. †

Together in Christ – Encounter 2012 – Three Locations

Check it out…Students for LifeA Pro-Life website for students

Special sections for law & med studentswww.studentsforlife.org

Check it out…Students for Life

Church Doctrine

Church Doctrine


The Catholic Church’s moral teach-ing has been in the forefront of thenational media in recent weeks asa result of the odious mandate of theObama Administration forcing religiousinstitutions in the U.S. to act in a mannercontrary to their moral doctrine. MostAmericans are aware of the Church’steaching on the moral issues of abortion,sterilization, contraception, homosexual“marriage.” However, many Americans,including many American Catholics, arenot aware of the Church’s teaching onthe social issues, such as the economy,the role of government, the right to pri-vate property, labor unions, welfare, andcapitalism. In fact, in the impassionedrhetoric of an election year, many mis-conceptions, half-truths, and falsehoodsabout what the Church teaches on theseissues are reported with disquieting fre-quency in the news media, either out ofignorance or by those who want to claimthe Church’s “imprimatur” for their ownpolitical positions. The only answer tothis dilemma is for Catholics to learnwhat the Church actually teaches on thesocial issues.

Following Our Lord’s commissionto the Apostles to “go forth and preachthe Gospel” to all the nations, theChurch has always understood evange-lization – the preaching of the Gospel –as its primary mission in the world. Animportant part of the Church’s missionof evangelization is to shine the light ofthe Gospel on the social questions ofthe time – to proclaim the principles forcreating and sustaining a truly just andfree society for all people. The veryconcepts of human dignity, unalienablerights, and social justice that we takefor granted in the West were born of theGospel. Indeed, Western Civilizationitself is, in many ways, the great flow-ering of the seeds of the Gospel plantedby the Church over the centuries.

“Be mindful of the poor”The use of wealth or riches has alwaysbeen the subject of the Church’spreaching. As Melkite Catholics, weare familiar with the poignant Gospelstory of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Lk16:19) in which our Lord teaches about

the obligation of the rich to give reliefto the poor; and with the warning ourLord gives about being consumed bywealth: “For what does it profit a man,if he gain the whole world, but sufferthe loss of his soul” (Mk 8:36); or“with what difficulty will they whotrust in riches enter the Kingdom ofGod” (Mk 10:20-26). In the Gospel ofthe Last Judgment, we are remindedthat what we do to “the least of ourbrethren” so we do to Christ our God.St. Paul recounts that the only stipula-tion he and Barnabas received fromPeter, James, and John, at the “councilof Jerusalem,” was that “we should bemindful of the poor, the very thing Iwas eager to do” (Gal 2:10). Indeed,from the beginning, charity was theChristian virtue par excellence.

Active concern for the poor hasalways been a constitutive dimension ofChristian living. St. John Chrysostom iswell known for his fiery preaching aboutthe responsibility of wealthy Christianstoward the poor, and St. Basil isrenowned for his “new city,” Basiliad,which was a refuge for the poor and thesick. Throughout the centuries, Christianinstitutions around the world have beenthe primary – and frequently only –places where the poor, the defenseless,the sick, and the aged could find suste-nance and relief. Saints in every age haveexhibited a special love for the poor. Evenin our own day, the Church’s remarkableworks of charity continue. In the UnitedStates alone, ninety percent of homelessshelters are run by churches; one of everysix hospital patients are in Catholic hos-pitals; and one in ten persons living inpoverty (over 4 million) are served byCatholic Charities each year.

With its perennial concern for thepoor, it is not surprising that, in theaftermath of the Industrial Revolutionin the 19th century, the Church saw thenecessity of proclaiming the principlesof the Gospel in a more systematic wayto address the social issues of the time.The Industrial Revolution was a majorturning point in human history, and ithad an unparalleled effect on thesocial, economic, and cultural condi-tions, especially in the Western world.

The shift from a farming society to amechanized manufacturing societygave rise to the middle class or work-ing class and brought with it countlessmaterial benefits that we enjoy today,such as extraordinary economic pros-perity, an unprecedented increase inthe standard of living of ordinary peo-ple, and a dramatic rise in lifeexpectancy. In large measure, this newprosperity was due to the birth of aneconomic system that came to beknown as capitalism: a “system of per-fect liberty” where supply and demandand competition would increase thewealth of all. However, at the sametime, the negative impact of an “unbri-dled capitalism,” free from allrestraints – including moral and ethicalones – became all too obvious. Inmany places, the lust for profitsbecame the sole motive of economiclife, and laborers who migrated fromthe countryside to the cities to work inthe new factories lived in conditions ofpoverty and squalor “little better thanthat of slavery itself.” The strikingaccounts of the relations between thepoor and the rich in Victorian Englandby authors such as Charles Dickens(e.g. A Christmas Carol) vividly por-tray the social evils of the times.

It was in light of these social evilsthat socialism emerged as the critique ofcapitalism. Propagated especially byMarx and Engels, socialism held theview of an inevitable class strugglebetween the poor and the rich that wouldbe remedied only when the workers, theproletariat, would rise up and take overcontrol from the rich, the bourgeoisie,and establish the “dictatorship of theproletariat.” Then, a socialist economicutopia would be born where masseswould live according to the slogan ofMarx: “from each according to his abili-ty; to each according to his need.”

It was in this dramatically new anddistressing social situation that theChurch sought to bring the light of theGospel to bear. In 1891, Pope LeoXIII, issued a landmark encyclicalentitled Rerum novarum (literally: ofnew things) in which he articulated thefundamental teaching of the Church on

by Rev. Deacon Paul J. Leonarczyk

What is Catholic Social Teaching (Part 1)

Church D

octrineChurch D

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“the relative rights and mutual dutiesof the rich and the poor, of capital andof labor.” Pope Leo, who is alsoremembered for his strong support ofthe rights of the Eastern CatholicChurches and his condemnation of“latinization" (Orientalium dignitas),set forth the basic principles of theGospel for the just ordering of society.So important was this encyclical thatall the subsequent popes of the twenti-eth century have paid tribute to it byissuing their own encyclicals on thesignificant anniversaries of its publica-tion, reaffirming its teaching andapplying its principles to their contem-porary circumstances. On its fortiethanniversary in 1931, Pope Pius XI pro-claimed that Rerum novarum “hadproved itself the Magna Carta uponwhich all Christian activity in thesocial field ought to be based, as afoundation.” And on the centenary ofRerum novarum in 1991, Pope JohnPaul II confirmed the “permanent

value” of the teaching of this “immor-tal document,” and his Compendium ofCatholic Social Teaching published in2001 stated: “the whole of the Church'ssocial doctrine can be seen as an updat-ing, a deeper analysis, and an expan-sion of the original nucleus of princi-ples presented in Rerum novarum.”

It is this body of teaching, expressedprimarily in the encyclicals of the popesof the last 120 years, including theteaching of the Second Vatican Council,that has come to be called Catholicsocial doctrine or the social magisteri-um. “The immediate purpose of theChurch's social doctrine is to proposethe principles and values that can sus-tain a society worthy of the human per-son” (Compendium). According to PopeBenedict XVI, the Church’s “socialdoctrine is built on the foundation hand-ed on by the Apostles to the Fathers ofthe Church, and then received and fur-ther explored by the great Christian doc-tors.” “There is a single teaching consis-tent and at the same time ever new.” It isnot as if the social teaching beforeVatican II differs from that after VaticanII, or that the teaching of more recent

popes breaks with the teaching of for-mer popes…The Church’s social doc-trine illuminates with an unchanginglight the new problems that are con-stantly emerging. (Caritas in veritate)

Many of the issues addressed inRerum novarum and echoed by thepopes of the past century are onceagain in the forefront of our nationaldebate. American Catholics do ournation a great service when they under-stand and can confidently bring to bearin the national debate the principles ofCatholic social teaching. After all, thesame principles guided the founding ofour country. This series will explainsome of the major topics addressed inthe Church’s social doctrine by allowingthe words of the popes to speak forthemselves – rather than by presentingthe interpretations or opinions of othersregarding what the popes say. Of course,the reader is encouraged to study thedocuments in their entirety which are allavailable free of charge from the Vatican

website (www.vatican.va/). A goodplace to start is the Compendium ofCatholic Social Teaching, which out-lines all the social encyclicals.

At the outset, it is important tounderstand that “the Church does nothave technical solutions to offer anddoes not claim to interfere in any wayin the politics of States [governments].She does, however, have a mission oftruth to accomplish, in every time andcircumstance…Her social doctrine is aparticular dimension of this proclama-tion: it is a service to the truth whichsets us free” (Benedict XVI).

The Right to Private Property(Numbers refer to Rerum novarum unless otherwise indicated)The first fundamental principle uponwhich Catholic social doctrine rests isright to the ownership of private prop-erty, “for every man has by nature theright to possess property as his own”(6). “The first and most fundamentalprinciple, therefore, if one wouldundertake to alleviate the condition ofthe masses, must be the inviolability ofprivate property” (15). “It is surely

undeniable that, when a man engagesin remunerative labor, the impellingreason and motive of his work is toobtain property…If one man hires outhis strength or skill to another, he doesso for the purpose of receiving inreturn what is necessary for the satis-faction of his needs; he thereforeexpressly intends to acquire a full andreal right, not only to remuneration,but also to the disposal of such remu-neration just as he pleases. Thus, if helives sparingly, saves money, and forgreater security, invests his savings inland, the land in such case is only hiswages under another form; and conse-quently, a working man’s little estatethus purchased should be as complete-ly at his full disposal as are the wageshe receives for his labor” (5).

“As effects follow their cause, so it isjust and right that the results of laborshould belong to those who havebestowed their labor…The practice ofall ages has consecrated the principle of

private ownership, as being pre-emi-nently in conformity with humannature, and as contributing to, in themost unmistakable manner, the peaceand tranquility of human existence.”“The fact that God has given the earthfor the use and enjoyment of the wholehuman race can in no way be a bar tothe owning of private property. For Godhas granted the earth to mankind in gen-eral, not in the sense that all without dis-tinction can deal with it as they like, butrather…that the limits of private posses-sion have been left to be fixed by man’sown industry…Here again, we havefurther proof that private ownership isin accordance with the law ofnature“…The authority of divine lawadds its sanction, forbidding us in theseverest terms even to covet that whichis another’s: ‘Thou shalt not covet theyneighbor’s wife, nor his house, nor hisfield…nor anything that is his’” (7-11).

“Therefore, those who are engagedin producing goods are not forbiddento increase their fortune in a just andlawful manner; for it is only fair that hewho renders service to the community

Continued on page 12

Church Doctrine

Church Doctrine


and makes it richer should also,through the increased wealth of thecommunity, be made richer himself,according to his position, provided thatall these things be sought with duerespect for the laws of God and withoutimpairing the rights of others...”(Quadrogesimo Anno 136).

SocialismPoverty is not the only threat to a socie-ty “worthy of the human person.” Withprophetic insight, Leo XIII also warnedof the gathering threat of socialism. Inorder to remedy the inequalities of soci-ety, “the socialists, working on the poorman’s envy of the rich, are striving to doaway with private property, and contendthat individual possessions shouldbecome the common property of all, tobe administered by the State…Theyhold that by thus transferring propertyfrom private individuals to the commu-nity, the present mischievous state ofthings will be set right, inasmuch as eachcitizen will then get his fare share ofwhatever there is to enjoy…Socialists,therefore, by endeavoring to transfer thepossessions of individuals to the com-munity at large, strike at the interest ofevery wage-earner, since they woulddeprive him of the liberty of disposingof his wages, and thereby of all hope andpossibility of increasing his resourcesand of bettering his condition in life.”“…the working man himself would beamong the first to suffer” (4-5).

“The door would be thrown open toenvy, to mutual invective, and to dis-cord; the sources of wealth themselveswould run dry, for no one would haveany interest in exerting his talents or hisindustry; and the ideal equality aboutwhich they entertain pleasant dreamswould be, in reality, the leveling downof all to a like condition of misery anddegradation” (15)

“It is impossible to reduce civil soci-ety to one dead level. Socialists may inthat intent do their utmost, but all striv-ing against nature is in vain. There nat-urally exist among mankind manifolddifferences of the most important kind:people differ in capacity, skill, health,strength; and unequal fortune is a nec-essary result of unequal conditions.Such inequality is far from being disad-vantageous either to individuals or tothe community. Social and public lifecan only be maintained by means ofvarious kinds of capacity for business

and the playing of many parts; and eachman, as a rule, chooses the part whichsuits his own peculiar domestic condi-tion…If there be any who pretend dif-ferently – who hold out to a hard-pressed people the boon of freedomfrom pain and trouble, an undisturbedrepose, and constant enjoyment – theydelude the people…and their lyingpromises will only one day bring forthevils worse than the present” (17-18).

“There is no need to bring in theState [the government]. Man precedesthe State, and possesses, prior to theformation of any State, the right of pro-viding for the substance of his body”(7). “The right to possess private prop-erty is derived from nature, not fromman; and the State has the right to con-trol its use in the interests of publicgood alone, but by no means to absorbit altogether. The State would thereforebe unjust and cruel if under the name oftaxation it were to deprive the privateowner of more than is fair” (47).

“Further, history and experience tes-tify that in those political regimeswhich do not recognize the rights ofprivate ownership of goods...the exer-cise of freedom in almost every otherdirection is suppressed or stifled…Theexercise of freedom finds its guaranteeand incentive in the right of ownership”(Mater et Magistra 109).

“There is the duty of safeguardingprivate property by legal enactment andprotection. … If all may justly strive tobetter their condition, neither justicenor the common good allows any indi-vidual to seize upon that which belongsto another, or, under the futile and shal-low pretext of equality, to lay violenthands on other people’s possessions”(38). “We have seen that this greatlabor question cannot be solved save byassuming as a principle that privateownership must be held sacred andinviolable. The law, therefore, shouldfavor ownership, and its policy shouldbe to induce as many as possible of thepeople to become owners” (46).

Moral Use of Private PropertyEven as “sacred and inviolable” as theright to private property is, it is not anend in itself. “The Church's social teach-ing…calls for recognition of the socialfunction of any form of private owner-ship…Man ‘should regard the externalthings that he legitimately possesses notonly as his own, but also as common in

the sense that they should be able to ben-efit not only him but also others.”(Compendium 178) “It is one thing tohave a right to the possession of moneyand another to have a right to use moneyas one wills…How must one’s posses-sions be used? The Church replies with-out hesitation…Man should not considerhis material possessions as his own, butas common to all, so as to share themwithout hesitation when others are inneed…True, no one is commanded todistribute to others that which is requiredfor his own needs and those of his house-hold; nor even to give away what is rea-sonably required to keep up becominglyhis condition in life, ‘for no one ought tolive other than becomingly.’ But whenwhat necessity demands has been sup-plied, and one’s standing fairly takenthought for, it becomes a duty to give tothe indigent out of what remains over…It is a duty not of justice (save in extremecases) but of Christian charity – a dutynot enforced by human law…” (22).

“God has not created us for the per-ishable and transitory things of earth,but for things heavenly and everlasting;He has given us this world as a place ofexile, and not as our abiding place. Asfor riches and the other things whichmen call good and desirable, whetherwe have them in abundance, or arelacking in them – so far as eternal hap-piness is concerned – it makes no dif-ference; the only important thing is touse them aright…Those whom fortunefavors are warned that riches do notbring freedom from sorrow and are ofno avail for eternal happiness, butrather are obstacles…a most strictaccount must be given to the SupremeJudge for all we possess…Whoever hasreceived…a large share of temporalblessings, has received them…for theperfecting of his own nature and…forthe benefit of others…The true worthand nobility of man lie in his moralqualities, that is, in virtue; that virtue is,moreover, the common inheritance ofmen, equally within the reach of highand low, rich and poor; and that virtue,and virtue alone, wherever found, willbe followed by the rewards of everlast-ing happiness” (21-24). †

Look for part II of this series on theChurch’s teaching about the role ofgovernment in society and in the economy…in the next issue of SOPHIA.

What is Catholic Social Teaching? Continued from page 11

Author: Charles FrazeeISBN: 1456329545Length: 371 pagesEdition: PaperbackRetail Price: $25.00May be ordered from the author:Charles Frazee, 726 Paris Way,Placentia CA 92870 or Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble

This is required reading for any-one truly interested in theChurches of Constantinople,Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem,Seleucia-Ctesiphon, and Echmiadzin.These latter two cities refer to theChurch of the East and to the ArmenianApostolic Church respectively.

Dr. Frazee, a retired professor ofhistory from California StateUniverity, Fullerton, has drawntogether a concise explanation ofChristianity in all of the ancient apos-tolic Churches in what is commonlyconsidered the Christian East.

Beginning with Constantinople,second in rank according to theancient Pentarchy, the origin of eachChurch is quickly established fol-lowed by an in-depth examination oftheir growth and development through the current era. It isprecisely this inclusiveness which make the book so useful.

All of the so-called ancient heresies are skillfullyexplained and how they impacted the lives of the Christiansof each Church. Also examined is the role Islam played in

the stifling of these Churchesas well as the impact of inva-sions by Barbarians.

Although the explanationsof the various heresies can be alittle tedious, a bit of repeti-tiveness is necessary to fullyexplain their impact on theseChurches. By reading the bookfrom the beginning the readerwill quickly grasp the varioustheological concepts as theymay reappear throughout thesubsequent chapters.

This book is extremely wellwritten and the average layperson could not find a morereadable explanation of theseChurches. Although there area few minor errors, such as theAcathist Hymn being sung onSundays instead of Saturdaysduring Great Lent and an inac-curate description of theMandelion, the overall presen-tation is extraordinarily wellresourced and can be reliedupon for accuracy.

The book is annotated andincludes a very thorough bibli-

ography and an excellent index. This page turner is a superresource. Be sure to read it. †

Reviewed by Archimandrite James Babcock

Book RecommendationThe Christian Churches

of the Eastern Mediterranean

A Book Review

A Book Review


Calling all Melkite young adults, ages 18-26 and a year out of high school! The Melkite Association of Young Adults invites you to register as a member onwww.usmaya.org in order to connect with your fellow Melkite young adults across the country and around the world. Also connect with us on Facebook: search for “Melkite Association of Young Adults.” Information regarding the 2012 MAYA Pre-Convention Retreat in Michigan will be announced soon!

Vocations

Vocations

God has created me to do Him somedefinite service (Blessed John H. Newman)

Within the Church, vocation isused in various ways so let usclarify those different mean-ings as they apply to Christian living.Everybody has a vocation and discov-ering that vocation is a key step on thejourney of faith.

The fundamental vocation is the callto be a Christian or, for somebody bap-tized as a child, the call to affirm thatbaptism personally. To be baptized is toaccept Christ’s call to follow Him in anew way of life. This is the way of holi-ness; it involves loving attention to theneeds of others and to Christ, strength-ened by the Holy Spirit and living as anactive member of the Church. As agroup of religious leaders put it,“Holiness is the universal vocation ofevery person. It is the main road ontowhich converge all the little paths thatare particular vocations.” The rootmeaning of vocation is calling and thefirst calling shared by all Christians isholiness as a member of the Church.

Once a person takes seriously hisor her personal call to holiness, thenthe other dimensions of Christianvocation are opened up. One dimen-sion is the state of life to whichChrist calls people. There are fourbasic states of life within theChurch: marriage, priesthood,religious life and the singlestate as a lay person. Each ofthese is demanding and peopleneed help to discern which ofthese Christ is calling them to.

The final dimension ofChristian vocation is the work thatpeople do, whether that work isbeing a farm worker, a corporationexecutive or a homemaker.Vocation as applied to certainjobs is still in common usebut for the Christian, anywork that conforms tothe law of God canbe vocationalnot just workin the pub-lic sector

of education or health: a marriedwoman working in a factory or a lay-man committed to single life whoworks in the media. The work is voca-tional if it is carried out as an expres-sion of the person’s quest for holinessand in a way that is compatible withtheir state of life.

So an individual vocation is theintegration of these dimensions in thelife of one person. Over time, the dif-ferent elements can vary; so, forexample, a married person may spendsome years a widow or widower. Thefactor that unites all these dimensionsinto a whole is love: “Many peoplemistake our work for our vocation.Our vocation is the love of Jesus.”(Mother Teresa of Calcutta)

Married LifeAll God’s people are called to holiness,and that holiness is available to all inand through their particular vocations.The Church teaches that married cou-ples and Christian parents should fol-low their own proper path to holinessby faithful love, sustaining one anotherin grace throughout the entire length oftheir lives. The call to love is central tomarriage as a sacrament and is also theheart of marriage as a vocation.

The Church teaches us that marriageis a natural vocation as it correspondsto human nature as created by God.God created us with a natural longingto be loved by another and to raise afamily. When this marriage is betweena Christian man and woman, it is sacra-mental in nature, and the natural

vocation to marriage becomessomething much deeper – ajoyful call to follow Christand a total giving of one’slife in love to a spouse and

children.This sacramental lifebegins at the weddingcelebration where the married couplepledges one anothera life-long fidelityin the Lord.Nowadays, peopleusually think care-fully before agree-ing to enter mar-riage. Importantquestions aroundcommitment, sac-

rifice and practicalissues like finances areasked. For Christianswho are discerningmarriage, there aredeeper vocationalquestions as well. For

example, listening toGod’s call and discerningwhether giving one’s life to

Christ through marriage is God’swill and the right vocational path.

For those who enter into marriage,this vocation is not always easy but it is

by Don Giorgio

What is a Vocation?



Vocstions

Vocations


“As the heavens are higher than theearth, so are my ways higher thanyour ways and my thoughts than yourthoughts, says the Lord.” (Isaiah 55:9)

It was mid-July1940. A little boy wasplaying marbles in front of hisancestral home in the humble villageof Maarrat Sednaya, now a lovely littletown, proud of its elegant stone villas,18 miles northeast of Damascus, Syria.The boy’s game was disturbed by ablack Jeep which had come out of theblue and dropped a dignified visitor,strangely dressed in a black rason (cas-sock), with a black beard, and a blackskufia on his head. He was Fr.Nicholas Naaman, a PaulistMissionary, who would laterbecome the Archbishop ofBosra & Hauran in southernSyria. He had come to recruitboys for the Paulist MinorSeminary in Harissa,Lebanon.

The visitor was welcomedinto the house by the motherof the boy who had quicklyjoined her and his seven sib-lings. Since he knew nobodyin Maarra, Fr. Naaman hadasked the village priest if hecould recommend any candi-date. The priest gave him thename of that little boy,because he loved to serve atthe Altar. Asked whether shewould consent to let her songo to the Seminary, the boy’smom said that her husbandwas in Argentina to providefor the family; she was there-fore reluctant to make such agrave decision in his absence. The boy’solder brothers who could hardly readand write objected too. Smiling, thepriest nodded in understanding, lookedat the boy and half jokingly asked:

- And what would you say little guy?Not only the visitor, but also the

members of the family were surprisedby his reply:

- Sure, Abouna, I would love tobecome a priest.- Why? Asked the visitor.

- Every Sunday when I come backhome from the church I love to “domy own mass”.- How?- I pour water in a little cup, addsugar and stir. Then I cut somebread, put a red towel on my shoul-ders, light a candle and imitate ourpriest, explained the boy.His mom’s eyes welled with tears.

His siblings tried to dissuade him. Butthe little boy remained adamant. Fr.Naaman closed the discussion by say-ing: “The Lord inspired him. Let himfollow his vocation.” Within a week,Fr. Naaman returned to Maarra and

drove the boy to Harissa. It was July25, 1940.

The boy studiously spent 12 yearswith the Paulist Fathers, first at theMinor, then at the Major Seminary. Butin August 1952 an unexpected devel-opment occurred. The boy’s agingfather fell sick. He could not continueto support his family from Argentinawhich, on the other hand, was strug-gling with a disastrous inflation.

Now a young man of 24, the boy left

Harissa with the blessing of his superi-ors in order to help his family. From1952 to 1980, his activity as editor/translator/interpreter led him first fromSyria to Morocco; then to Switzerland;then to Germany and finally to Kuwait.

In 1972 he got married with SalimaSalem of Basir (Hauran). They wereblessed with four kids: Randa, Al-Jude,Reem & Rana.

Back to Maarra in 1980 he went ona Sunday to church and served a 40-day-memorial liturgy celebrated by thePatriarchal Vicar, Bp. Francois Abou-Mokh whom he met for the first time.The Bishop asked him where he had

learned to serve Byzantineliturgies. No sooner had helearned about the cantor’sregular religious formationwith the Paulist Fathers thanhe spontaneously told him:- The Church is calling youback to serve in the vineyardof the Lord.- Sayidna, had I remainedsingle I would have kneltdown right now and askedyou to ordain me. But mean-while I got married andhave children.- No problem at all. OurEastern Church has alwayshad a married clergy. All weneed is your wife’s consent.

Back home, I reported theconversation to my wife.Without hesitation, she said:- Listen to your heart’s innervoice and decide. I am withyou no matter what.

Her spontaneous, uncon-ditional, loving support con-

vinced me that Divine Providence was atwork. The uplifting Isaiah’s quote whichI had heard for the first time at theSeminary in 1940 immediately invadedmy mind, not to leave it anymore.

And thus it came to pass that BishopFrancois Abou-Mokh ordained me a dea-con on Sunday, July 19, 1981 at ourMelkite Cathedral in Damascus; andPatriarch Maximos V of blessed memoryordained me a priest at St. Elias Melkite

by Rev. Alam Alam

It’s Never Too Late to Say “Yes” to God!


Archbishop Joseph Tawil (of Blessed Memory) and Deacon Alam carryingthe holy gifts before his ordination.

Vocations

Vocations


joyful and life-giving, a sign of lovefor Christ as well as for another person.Marriage remains the usual humanvocation, which is embraced by thegreat majority of the People of God.

Ordained MinistryOur Church and her ministers mustalways be open to renewal by the Spiritof God and read the signs of the times.The ordained ministry will remain theliving sign and instrument of Christ theBeautiful Shepherd in proclaiming thegood news to all the faithful. The pas-toral love of Jesus is made present inthe pastoral work of bishops, priestsand deacons.

All priesthood in the Church isbased on the one true priest of the NewCovenant – Jesus Christ our HighPriest. It was Jesus as priest and victimwho offered his life as a sacrifice onthe cross. All those who are called‘priests’ in the Church are not priests intheir own right; they share in the

unique priesthood of Christ.The Apostles were called by Jesus to

follow Him, and they left everything tobe with Him. This ‘being with Jesus’ isalways the first part of any vocation, andthis is true in a special way of the call tobe a priest. Only once the Apostles hadgrown close to our Lord did He sendthem out to others. The priest has to besomeone whose personal, intimatefriendship with Christ is the very heartof all he is and does. Our Lord JesusChrist is the center of his life.

A priest’s life is rooted in the Wordof God and the Holy Eucharist: it isthere above all that Jesus is present; yetpeople will meet the BeautifulShepherd not only in the priest’s greatsacramental actions but in everythinghe does for them and in his presenceamong them.

This is why the priest is asked togive his whole life to God, to lay downhis life out of love for the Lord and hisflock. A priest is asked at his ordination

to live according to the demands of theGospel; he is unmistakably a man ofthe Church of Christ. This is his path toholiness. All the ordained ministers ofthe Church are in a stable state of lifeso that bishops, priests and deaconscan build stable, pastoral relationshipswith the people they serve.

From the very earliest days of theChurch deacons held a special place inthe Christian community, set apartalong with bishops and priests for aspecial role modeled on that of ChristHimself. Deacons (“servants” or“helpers”) are responsible for the com-munity’s day to day material and spiri-tual well-being under the direction ofthe bishop and alongside the parishpriests.If you feel called to give your life in

dedicated service to God and theChurch as a priest or deacon, contactyour parish priest or the vocationsdirector of the Eparchy of Newton at617-323-5242. †

What is a Vocation? Continued from page 14

Church of Maarra on Friday, September18, 1981. After serving our Melkitecommunity of Maarra for 17 years, Iwas transferred to our Eparchy ofNewton in 1998 with the much appreci-ated approval of Bishop John Elya.

Our Eparch Emeritus first appoint-ed me assistant rector at theAnnunciation Cathedral. Then in thebeginning of 2000 he transferred me,also as assistant, to St. Anne Church ofNorth Hollywood, CA where I serveduntil September 2002. He recalled meto the Cathedral for about a year, andin July 2003 assigned me as pastor toSt. Joseph Melkite Church, LawrenceMA, which I served till my retirementon January 1, 2010.

- What does a retired priest do?- Monday to Friday, nothing. OnSaturday and Sunday he rests.This hilarious quip explains why I

told our new Eparch, Bishop Nicholas,shortly after his enthronement that Iremained at his disposal as an itinerant“worker in the harvest field of theLord”. I feel privileged whenever I amcalled to cover for a colleague.

My twelve years of service in theUS have been among the most human-ly enriching in my life. The first thingthat impressed me when I arrived inthe US was the strong attachment ofour churches to their eastern roots. Ihave rarely seen an Icon that was notgenuinely Byzantine. I admire thetour de force with which the Englishliturgical texts have been adapted tothe exotic Byzantine tones. I ammoved by the love that our parish-ioners of the third and even the fourthgeneration still have for their coun-tries of origin and ancestral folklore.Watching American-born high-schoolers perform an impeccabledabkeh is a rejuvenating experience.It takes courage to preserve one’s cul-ture: “Those who ignore their her-itage, have no heritage.”

Our thriving communities remindme of an insightful remark by our latePatriarch Maximos V: “The future ofour Melkite Church is in America.” †

Fr. Alam Alam is the retired pastor of St.Joseph Melkite Church, Lawrence, MA.

It’s Never Too Late Continued from page 15

Fr. Alam & his family following his ordination.

Vocations

Vocations


On Friday, January 7, BishopNicholas made his first visit tothe South as eparchial bishop.A delegation met him at the airport andescorted him back to the church.Sunday morning, servers, organizationbanners and clergy began to emergefrom the Cultural Center and a proces-sion weaved its way to the entrance ofSt. John Chrysostom Church. Our neweparchial bishop walked onto the plat-form in the middle aisle and the com-munity’s celebration of the Theophanyunfolded. The prayers, hymns, bless-ings and sprinkling of the new water ofthe Feast commenced as usual but thisyear with an added insertion. One ofour two deacon candidates, Sami Jajeh,who will be entering his fourth year ofthe Formation Program, stood beforethe bishop and read the Epistle. Thebishop then cut his hair in the form ofa cross and blessed him as a Reader.The Divine Liturgy continued whilethe new Reader stood before the iconof the Theotokos.

Just before the Great Entrance,Reader Sami was brought in front ofBishop Nicholas. A special towel,brought by the bishop, was placed overhis head and another prayer was saidover him, as the bishop said earlier inhis homily: “granting him entranceinto the Holy Place for service”. Thenew Subdeacon poured water over thebishop’s hands and whispered “All youfaithful” three times. The GreatEntrance began and the rest of theLiturgy continued. At the end of theservice, in the sight of the faithful, thebishop was led first to six of the eightpillars of the church where he anointed

the new icons of StyliteSaints with the holy oils.The same was done for anicon of the Women Saints ofAntioch in the back of thechurch and continued intothe narthex where theiconography of the Days ofCreation, Joseph and hisBrothers and Jonah and theWhale had been mounted onthe walls.

Following the beautifulservices, a catered compli-mentary reception was heldin the Cultural Center where the bishopmingled with the parishioners.Surprise greetings were exchangedalso between the bishop and a few ofhis former parishioners in Chicago andNorth Hollywood. He announced thatthis was not the official pastoral visitthat would be part of his planned visit-ing of the parishes around the eparchyand that he would be returning.

On Monday evening, the ParishAdvisory Council gathered for theirmonthly meeting, this time with theirnew bishop in attendance. After listen-ing to the issues, concerns and plans ofthe parish, the bishop made severalcomments about his concerns withissues around the Eparchy: regardingthe youth, young adults, conventionsand parish life involvement. Morepointedly, he commended the parish intheir moving from a small, quiet parishand growing into one that evidencedmore life, challenges and accomplish-ments in recent years. He said that itdemonstrates what the parish and pas-tor, working in cooperation, can pro-

duce. He was pleased that the parishwas not only presently nurturing twovocations and, God-willing, couldeven produce more, but showed itsgrowing in holiness also. †

Submitted by Archimandrite John Azar

A Busy Weekend for Atlanta Melkites

St. John Chrysostom Church – Atlanta, GA

Three New Antiochian Orthodox Bishops ConsecratedThree new auxiliary bishops were consecrated for the Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of NorthAmerica at the Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos in the Patriarchal Monastery of Our Lady of Balamand, inLebanon. His Beatitude, Ignatius IV presided at the consecration assisted by 12 hierarchs. Their Graces John(Abdalah), Anthony (Michaels) and Nicholas (Ozone) were consecrated as Auxiliary Bishop for Worcester and NewEngland, Auxiliary Bishop of Toledo and the Midwest, and Auxiliary Bishop for Brooklyn and Assistant to MetropolitanPhilip In Englewood, New Jersey, respectively. May God grant them many years! From The Word magazine.

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The funeral of the late MostReverend Paul Antaki, TitularArchbishop of Nubia andPatriarchal Vicar Emeritus in Egypt andSudan, who died on 29 December 2011,was celebrated on Tuesday 3 January2012 in the Melkite Greek CatholicCathedral of Cairo, presided over by H. B.Gregorios III, Patriarch of Antioch and Allthe East, of Alexandria and of Jerusalem.

Concelebrating the funeral servicewere Archbishop George Bakar, currentPatriarchal Vicar in Egypt and ArchbishopJoseph Jules Zerey, Patriarchal Vicar inJerusalem, Archbishop Elias Chacour ofAcre and All Galilee, Archbishop YasserAyyash of Petra and Philadelphia inArabia and Metropolitan John-ClementJeanbart of Aleppo together with severalpriests of the Melkite Greek CatholicPatriarchate of Alexandria.

Also present were representatives ofHis Holiness Shenouda III, Coptic

Orthodox Patriarch, of H.B. CardinalAntonios, Coptic Catholic Patriarch, andof other Churches present in Egypt,Maronite, Syriac Catholic, ArmenianCatholic and Latin, as well asArchbishop Michael L. Fitzgerald,Apostolic Nuncio to Egypt, and manypriests, monks, nuns and faithful, mem-bers of the diplomatic community, politi-

cians and members of the armed forces.In the funeral address, His Beatitude

Patriarch Gregorios III sketched out thelife of the late Archbishop, who wouldhave been 85 on 16 January, emphasis-ing his pastoral commitment, his greatpiety and his devotion to the Most HolyMother of God.

The burial then took place in thecrypt of the cathedral, where lie the mor-tal remains of Patriarch Maximos III(Mazloum 1779-1855) and ArchbishopPierre Kamel Medawar (1887-1955).

His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVIsent a message of heartfelt condolence,as did the Patriarchs of the Maronite,Syrian Catholic and Armenian CatholicChurches, the Catholic Archbishop ofCyprus, the bishops of the Melkiteeparchies of the Middle East and of theexpansion, and many other religiousand civil figures. May his memory beeternal! †

Funeral of the Most Reverend Paul Antaki,Titular Archbishop of Nubia

Bishop Andrew Pataki, who onceserved as auxiliary bishop of theByzantine (Ruthenian) Eparchyof Passaic and then became Bishop ofthe Eparchy of Parma, OH and laterBishop of Passaic NJ, was killed in anautomobile accident recently.

His funeral took place at theByzantine Catholic Cathedral of St.Michael in Passaic and was attendedby Bishops, priests, deacons and laity.His Grace, Bishop Nicholas, represent-ed the Melkite Eparch at his funeral.Bishop Andrew Pataki was born inPalmerton PA in 1927.

Following graduation from St.Procopius College-Seminary in Illinois,he went on to complete further studiesat the Byzantine Catholic Seminary ofSts. Cyril and Methodius in PittsburghPA. In 1982 he was ordained to thepriesthood by Bishop Daniel Ivancho

for the Eparchy of Passaic. He also earned a licentiate at the

Pontifical Oriental Institute in Romeand became rector of Sts. Cyril andMethodius Seminary. He also washonored to serve on the PontificalCommission for the revision of theEastern Code of Canon Law and wasgiven the rank of Prelate of Honor byPope Paul VI.

Bishop Andrew became the auxil-iary at the Eparchy of Passaic in 1983and then was installed as Bishop ofParma in 1985. After ten years, he thenreturned to Passaic and became bishopthere and served until the age of 80.He retired in 2007.

May he rest in a place of light, aplace of peace, a place of happinesswhere there is no pain, no grief, nosighing, but everlasting life. May hismemory be eternal! †

Retired Byzantine Bishop Killed in Auto Accident

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The Reverend Philip A. Azoon, 73, of Totowa, N.J., fellasleep in the Lord on March 5, 2012 at St. Joseph’sHome for the Elderly.He was born on Sept. 16, 1938, in Riverdale, N.Y. He spent

his early years in Lake Worth, Fla., before moving to NewJersey. He served in the Army during the Vietnam War, and wasan educator in the Archdiocese of Newark for nearly 30 years.

Before his ordination as a priest, Father Philip worked atNBC, and served as legislative liaison to former governorBrendan Byrne. He was also a member of the John RaadAmerican Legion Post in Paterson and a fourth degree mem-ber of the Knights of Columbus.

Father Philip was ordained Jan. 28, 1994, for service in theMelkite Eparchy of Newton at his home town parish of St. Annin Woodland Park. He served as pastor for the Melkite church-es of St. Elias in Fremont, California, and St. Joseph inScranton, Pennsylvania.

Father Philip will be remembered for his generosity, humor-ous storytelling, and, most especially, his rare gift of friend-ship, as witnessed by the host of devoted friends he leavesbehind. At every stage of his life he met and befriended peoplewith whom he forged close and lasting relationships. May hismemory be eternal! †

Asleep in the LordFather Philip Azoon

On January 25, 2012 Greek Orthodox HieromonkBasilios Nassar was shot by an armed terroristgroup in Hama, Syria on the second day of heavyfighting there.

Fr. Basilios was at the Metropolis when he wasinformed by a phone call that a parishioner of his wasshot and needed assistance. The Patriarchate of Antiochhas reported that the 30-year-old priest was shot whilegiving medical aid to the wounded man who was previ-ously shot.

His funeral took place January 26th, in the Church ofSaint George in Hama. The blessed Father Basilios,known in the world as Mazin, was born in 1982 in the vil-lage of Kfarmpo in Hama and was a graduate of theTheological School of Balamand. He was also a teacherof Byzantine Music in the school Saint Kosmas theMelodist which he founded in the Metropolis.

A video tribute to Fr. Basilios may be viewed athttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgUtssSin80.

May he rest in a place of light, a place of peace, a placeof happiness where there is no pain, no grief, no sighing,but everlasting life. May his memory be eternal! †

Orthodox Priest is Killed in Syrian Unrest


Youth Alive in ChristFollowing the dictates of OurLord as found in the Gospel ofSaint Matthew chapter 25, St. Ann Melkite Youth of WoodlandPark, NJ have been quite activethis past fall. Beside bake sales,and assisting with Parish func-tions, they delivered 22 donatedturkeys for Thanksgiving, and 30"angel" Christmas gifts along withhats, scarves, mittens and gloves,collected from the ReligiousEducation children, for familieswith disabled children to CatholicCharities in Paterson, NJ. MayGod continue to prosper the workof their hands and bless them.

I am delighted to announce thatthe National N.A.M.Y. Conferencewill take place on July 1-5, at theColumbiere Retreat & ConferenceCenter, 9075 Big Lake Rd.,Clarkston, MI. You can visit theirwebsite at www.columbiere.com.The cost of the conference is $185per person.

If you ask any of our young Melkites that have attendedpast conferences, they will tell you what a wonderfultime they have had there. The experience of laughing,loving, learning, and praying together is powerfullyenriching. Lifetime friendships have come from people

meeting at these conferences. So, if you are a Melkiteteen who has never been to the national conference –what are you waiting for?

All of the necessary registration forms, consent forms,and deadline dates are available from your local pastor,N.A.M.Y advisor, or can be downloaded from theNational N.A.M.Y. website at www.melkite.org. Youthparticipants must be at least 13 years old by December31, 2011, under 19 years of age by July 1, 2012, and notyet started college.

Please remember to pray for our advisors and for ouryouth. I look forward to being with everyone at the con-ference again this year. See you in Michigan!

Fr. Tom SteinmetzNational N.A.M.Y. Director

World N

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Metropolitan Archbishop-electWilliam C. Skurla, D.D. has beenappointed as the fifth MetropolitanArchbishop of the Archeparchy of Pittsburghand head of the Byzantine Catholic(Ruthenian) Metropolitan Church sui iuris ofPittsburgh, the only Eastern CatholicMetropolitan Church sui iuris (self-govern-ing) in the United States. His enthronementis scheduled for April 18, 2012. ArchbishopWilliam was ordained to the Episcopacy and

enthroned as the Third Bishop of theByzantine Catholic Eparchy of Van Nuys(now the Eparchy of Phoenix) on April 23,2002 in Phoenix, AZ. In December 2007 hewas appointed Fourth Bishop of Passaic NJand was enthroned at St. Michael Cathedralin Passaic in 2008.

Metropolitan Archbishop-elect William wasnamed by His Holiness, Pope BenedictXVI on January 19, 2012. May God granthim many years. †

New Metropolitan Appointed for ByzantineCatholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh

The North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultationheld its 81st meeting at St. Paul’sCollege in Washington D.C. October 27-28, 2011. The meeting was chaired byCatholic Archbishop Gregory Aymondof New Orleans. The Orthodox co-chair-man since 1987, Metropolitan Maximosof Pittsburgh, has retired, and a successorhas not yet been named.

During this meeting the membersheard reports about major events in thelives of the Catholic and OrthodoxChurches and issued a brief statement,“On the Plight of Churches in theMiddle East.”

The members of the Consultation alsocontinued their study of the role of thelaity in the two churches and the interme-diate or regional levels of ecclesialauthority. A paper on the Catholic theolo-gy of the parish by Sister of Charity ofLeavenworth Susan K. Wood ofMarquette University was presented inher absence. Father Patrick Viscuso of theGreek Orthodox Archdiocese of Americadelivered a paper, “Canonical Reflectionson the Orthodox Parish.” Father NicholasApostola of the Romanian OrthodoxArchdiocese in the Americas presented astudy, “The Role of the Laity in theChurch,” and Chorbishop John D. Faris,pastor of St. Louis Gonzaga MaroniteChurch in Utica, New York, presented apaper, “Synodal Governance in the

Eastern Catholic Churches.”The Consultation also welcomed a

new Orthodox member, Despina D.Prassas, Ph.D., associate professor oftheology at Providence

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