Originally posted to World Apostolate of Fatima - Diocese of Honolulu Blog
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Messages from Our Lady of Fatima
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Originally posted to World Apostolate of Fatima - Diocese of Honolulu Blog
Originally posted to World Apostolate of Fatima - Diocese of Honolulu Blog
The Most Holy Name of Mary
Mary was a common name among the Hebrews because it recalled the memory of Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron. For this reason some scholars think this name is related to an old Egyptian word meaning beloved. This understanding certainly fits Mary of Nazareth. She was so beloved by God that she was always in the right relationship with Him. Out of love God chose her to be the mother of Jesus. Love is about the whole person, the entirety of her being, one whose very name is beautiful.
Every September 12 we honor the Holy Name of Mary in our liturgical calendar. St. Bonaventure prayed, “Your name, Mary, cannot be spoken devoutly without bringing with it some grace." We honor Mary’s name because it is a sacrament of the person. To know Mary’s name is to know her. To speak her name with reverence is to be familiar with her who was most familiar with God. In some Asian countries she is known by names that mean one who hears our cries.
May we always honor the name of Jesus’ mother and our spiritual mother. When in need, call on Mary.
-- Brother John M. Samaha, S.M.
Friday, September 11, 2015
ACN News - ACN helping Christians stay in Syria, Middle East
By Oliver Maksan
The apparent
willingness of major European countries—including Germany—to take in refugees
from the Middle East is spurring growing numbers of Syrian Christians to find
ways to emigrate, reported an official for international Catholic charity Aid
to the Church in Need (ACN).
Currently on a
fact-finding mission in Syria, Father Andrzej Halemba, who heads the Middle
East desk for ACN, said that “the discussions in Europe have also been noticed
here.”
“Many wish to leave,
and especially the Christians. I have often been asked if I can help people to
move to Germany, for example. But the aim of our work is to facilitate a future
for the people in their own country."
The priest
acknowledged the “ever greater instability in Syria. The military success of the
‘Islamic State’ causes fear and anxiety especially among the Christians.”
“The future of the
city of Aleppo, where many Christians still live, is uncertain."
However, there is
success on the part of ACN-supported project partners who are helping refugees
and internally displaced people. "They are working for the benefit of the
people in an ever more efficient and coordinated way,” said Father Halemba.
He cited the example
of the Christian town of Marmarita, near the Lebanese border, where aid has
made a huge difference: “One boy, when we met, only said one word in Arabic: shukran, ‘thank you.’ Everyone was very
moved by that.”
“An old woman pleaded
with me, with tears in her eyes, to go on helping the Christians in Syria so
that they could stay,” the priest reported.
The young dentist Sana
(name altered) heads team of volunteers in Marmarita—which is bursting with
refugees. She said: "Marmarita is safe. We do not hear any bombs or
explosions here.”
“But the cost of
living has become very high, and the people have hardly any jobs. Our work is
focused mainly on helping people pay their rent, as well as providing medical
care and tuition subsidies.”
Nearly 300 families
are currently receiving rent subsidies from ACN, which is also paying for the
travel expenses of 140 students attending universities at a considerable
distance from the town.
Father Halemba
emphasized that his organization not only provides humanitarian aid, but also
continues to put a premium on supporting pastoral projects.
"In the city of
Qusayr, for example, we have funded the renovation of a church that was
destroyed by jihadists. This gives the people hope that life can go on.”
“The Church must give
the people bread with one hand and the Bible with the other. People need
material as much as spiritual aid,” the priest said.
He is already
concerned about the coming winter. "Fuel and gas are in short supply in
Syria and very expensive. But the people rely on these for heating.”
“Last year some 50
people died from the cold. We will therefore need to pay particular attention
to aid for the winter,” said Father Halemba.
Aid to the Church in Need has given more than
$8M in aid to the people in Syria since the outbreak of the war in 2011. The
organization currently supports some 140 humanitarian and pastoral projects in
Syria.
With picture of Father Halemba with refugees in Marmarita,
Syria (© ACN)
Editor’s Notes:
Directly under the
Holy Father, Aid to the Church in Need supports
the faithful wherever they are persecuted, oppressed or in pastoral need.
ACN is a Catholic charity - helping to bring Christ to the world through
prayer, information and action.
Founded in 1947 by Father Werenfried van Straaten, whom Pope John Paul
II named “An Outstanding Apostle of Charity,” the organization is now at work
in over 145 countries throughout the world.
The charity undertakes thousands of projects every year including
providing transport for clergy and lay Church workers, construction of church
buildings, funding for priests and nuns and help to train seminarians. Since
the initiative’s launch in 1979, 43 million Aid to the Church in Need Child’s Bibles have been distributed
worldwide.
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