Holy Cross Melkite Catholic Church Bulletin. Sunday, June 17, 2018.
The Centurion’s Servant. 4th Sunday After Pentecost.

June 17. Commemoration of the The Holy Martyrs Manuel, Sabel and Ismael.
Manuel, Sabel and Ismael were Persian messengers sent by King Sapor II to negotiate peace with Emperor Julian the Apostate. He had them beheaded because they would not renounce their Christian faith.
For the Melkites: First day of the Lent of the Apostles.

The Melkite Eastern Catholic Community at Saint Kilian’s Roman Catholic Church. Please invite your family and friends and remind everyone in the area to join us. We will meet in the hall at 5:45 p.m. to review the hymns and the Divine Liturgy will begin in the Church at exactly 6:30 p.m. on Sunday July 15, 2018, at Saint Kilian’s. 26872 Estanciero Drive, Mission Viejo, CA 92691 (off Marguerite Parkway).
2018 dates: Sunday, July 15, Sunday, August 12, Sunday, September 16, Sunday, October 14, Sunday, November 11, and Sunday, December 9.
If you live or know anyone who lives in the area surrounding Mission Viejo please give us their contact information so that we can keep everyone informed on upcoming events. Please send contact details to the parish office at (714) 985-1710 or email a list of names to Father François at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain” (Psalm 127:1).

Vacation Bible Camp at Holy Cross Church: Monday, July 16-Friday, July 20, 2018.
Time: 9:00 a.m.—12:30 p.m. Theme: Shipwrecked-Rescued by Jesus. Ages: 5-12.
At Shipwrecked Vacation Bible Camp, children experience God’s Word in surprising and unforgettable ways! Each day, leaders reinforce one simple Bible truth – which makes it easy for them to remember and apply the message to real life situations!
Registration information and download forms at: HolyCrossMelkite.org/vbc
To view previous year’s Vacation Bible Camp: YouTube.com/HolyCrossMelkite

Patriarch Joseph (Youssef) Absi’s visit to Orange County and Los Angeles on Friday, July 20-Sunday, July 22, 2018. With great joy and pride we announce that His Beatitude Youssef, Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, will be visiting our Eparchy of Newton for the Melkites in the United States of America.
   Friday, July 20, 2018. 7:00 p.m. Pontifical Divine Liturgy at Holy Cross Melkite Catholic Church (Placentia).
   Sunday, July 22, 2018. 11:00 a.m. Pontifical Divine Liturgy. Saint Anne Melkite Catholic Cathedral (North Hollywood).
   Sunday, July 22, 2018. 2:30 p.m. Luncheon in honor of Patriarch Joseph Absi’s visit. Please join us for this historical occasion to welcome our Patriarch. Caesar Banquet Hall (6723 Foothill Blvd, Tujunga, CA 91042). Tickets for the luncheon are $65 a person. Please call Holy Cross Church office to reserve a seat.

June 15-June 17. St. John Maron Church is hosting their: OC Lebanese Cultural Festival. This family friendly event hosts good food, live music, singers & dancers, debke, shopping, and a grand raffle. Come have fun and support their church. Location: 300 S. Flower Street, Orange, CA 92868. Admission & parking is free. For more information visit: oclebanesefestival.com.

Choir practice. “Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16). Please join our choir practices to review the regular hymns of the Divine Liturgy and learn new ones. Everyone is welcome.
At Holy Cross Melkite Catholic Church for the Sunday choir. Every Thursday at 7:00-8:30 p.m. and every Sunday at 10:00-10:45 a.m.
For the Melkite Eastern Catholic community at Saint Kilian’s Roman Catholic Church (26872 Estanciero Drive, Mission Viejo, CA 92691). 7:00 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month. Upcoming dates: June 27 & July 18. Parish center. Room 6.

Our Eastern Christian Formation (Sunday School) program is for all children up to grade 8. Thank you to all the teachers and program leaders for your support. God bless you. Program will start again after summer.

Holy Cross Youth Ministry Spiritual Meetings take place every Sunday following the Divine Liturgy for all those in grades 9-12.

Holy Cross Young Adults Group. We are planning social and religious activities to build our Young Adults Community at Holy Cross Church. Feel free to bring your friends and family. Ages 21-35. See calendar for event details (Holycrossmelkite.org/ministries/young-adults). Contact Tony Helo (562) 371-5466; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Upcoming events: July 1: No event due to Holiday Weekend; July 14: Movie at the Beach; August 5: Ice Skating.

Seminarian Mikhael Naddaf will be with us at Holy Cross Church from June 9-August 9. Please keep him in your prayers as he discerns his priestly vocation and as he experiences the life of our parish.

Isaiah House Women’s Shelter. Holy Cross Church prepares and serves a meal for the women at Isaiah House (316 South Cypress Avenue, Santa Ana) every month that has a 5th Sunday. Volunteer to help prepare, serve, and enjoy a meal with those in need. 2018 dates: July 29, September 30, and December 30. 2019 dates: March 31, June 30, September 29, and December 29. Time: 3:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m. Contact the office on how to get involved.

Listen to Melkite audio links on our parish website at holycrossmelkite.org/Melkite-hymns
We uploaded many Melkite hymns for the Divine Liturgy and other important services. To practice or become more familiar with our beautiful liturgical hymns you can listen or download them by visiting the above link.

Vocational Awareness. In the readings today, both Saint Paul and Jesus are urging people to live in a faith relationship with God so that they might experience dynamic freedom and salvation. That faith must be expressed in the attitudes and actions of one’s life. Faith opens the door to a transforming relationship with God. We need priests to help us keep moving in that direction in our Christian lives. Have you ever considered that ministry for yourself? Have you encouraged others to it? Have you prayed for more vocations? That in itself is an act of faith.

Vocation View. Saint Paul urges Christian readers to live a life of communion, in mutual love, and in the love that God has given us. Jesus teaches us the importance and implications of that life of loving communion. Who shall preach and teach it to us today? Pray for an increase of vocations to the priesthood and monastic life and encourage possible candidates.

A Prayer for Vocations. O Lord God, in every age, You invite men and women to hear Your call to serve You and the Church. We bow before You now, asking that You call forth more persons to serve our Melkite Church in America. Give us priests, deacons, monks and nuns, who will lead and guide your holy people. By Your will, bless us with vocations so that we continue to be the church which You called us to be, centuries ago. Let all hear Your voice inviting them to care for and serve Your people. Strengthen us in being disciples of Jesus Christ, Your Only-begotten Son and fishers of men. Inspire in us the spirit and pride of Antioch, our holy heritage. We ask You, O Lover of mankind, to raise up men and women who appreciate what they have received from You and who want to be generous in their service, willing to offer their lives and all their gifts, to serve others, to give You glory, thanksgiving and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.

Your Sunday donation envelopes are mailed to you every two months. These envelopes are dated with your envelope number on the back. The next mail out also contains the July and August Church calendar. Please contact the office if you are not registered or did not receive your envelopes. Thank you.

Receive the emailed weekly Holy Cross Church Bulletin and Homily. If you or someone you known would like to receive the emailed weekly parish bulletin or homily please sign up on our website or email or call the office. Please also let us know if you are on our list but have changed your email. To read past homilies visit: holycrossmelkite.org/parish/homilies

Do you want to be inspired and learn more about your Catholic Faith? Listen to Relevant, a Catholic Radio station (formerly Immaculate Heart Catholic Radio) on 930 am. For further information visit their website or call 1-888-887-7120.

Thank you for your ongoing generous donations:
-Wednesday, May 16 building fund deposit: $4,560.
-Sunday, May 20 collection: $1,520 in 32 envelopes (average of $48 per envelope) + $220 cash + $99 candles = $1,839.
-Wednesday, May 23 building fund deposit: $1,649.
-Sunday, May 27 collection: $1,265 in 34 envelopes (average of $37 per envelope) + $197 cash + $100 candles = $1,562.
-Wednesday, May 30 building fund deposit: $4,987.
-Saturday, June 2 collection: $34.
-Sunday, June 3 collection: $2,203 in 38 envelopes (average of $58 per envelope) + $174 cash + $143 candles = $2,520.
-Wednesday, June 6 building fund deposit: $4,792.
-Sunday, June 10 collection: $1,912 in 35 envelopes (average of $55 per envelope) + $189 cash + $89 Candles = $2,190
-Sunday, June 10 Mission Viejo collection: $400 in 9 envelopes (average of $44 per envelope) + $22 cash = $422
-Wednesday, June 13 building fund deposit: $1,772.

Total deposits in the past four months: March: $44,034, April: $23,236, May: $24,485, June: $11,730.

Sample Holy Cross Church Expenses:
$832.20 paid on May 14, 2018 for General Wax church supplies.
$200.00 paid on May 18, 2018 for Gardening services.
$161.19 paid on May 14, 2018 for Republic Trash Services.
$200.00 paid on June 4, 2018 for Gardening services.
$165.98 paid on June 4, 2018 for Envelope services.
$328.93 paid on June 4, 2018 for Church cleaning company.
$68.97 paid on June 4, 2018 for Sparkletts water services.

Hymns: (See our Church’s website for Audio Recordings: holycrossmelkite.org/Melkite-hymns)
Troparion of the Resurrection (Tone 3). Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad! For the Lord has done a wondrous deed by his arm! He has crushed Death by his death becoming the first to rise from the dead. He has delivered us from the mouth of Hades and bestowed great mercy upon the world.
Troparion of the Holy Cross (Tone 2). O Lord, save your people and bless your inheritance. Strengthen our Public Authorities in every good deed and protect your nation with your Cross.
Kondakion of the Virgin (Tone 2). O never failing Protectress of Christians and their ever present intercessor before the Creator, despise not the petitions of us sinners, but in your goodness extend your help to us who call upon you with confidence. Hasten, O Mother of God, to intercede for us, for you have always protected those who honor you.

Epistle: Romans 6:18-23. Amin Abukhader will read this Sunday’s Epistle. Full reading below. If you would like to read the Epistle please contact the office.
Gospel: Matthew 8:5-13. Full reading below.

Today’s Divine Liturgy is celebrated for the repose of the souls of:
Diana Emseis (May 25, 2018), Haifa Nesheiwat (May 18, 2018), Dr. Claire Hanna Matta (May 15, 2018), John the Baptist Khang Van Tran (May 14, 2018), Mousa Emsais (May 2, 2018), Issa Sami Ewiss (April 28, 2018), Alfie Evans (April 28, 2018), Kawter Shaban (April 28, 2018), Hani Saliba Salman (March 10, 2017).
the health, safety, and salvation of:
Jimmy Bahnan, Bishop Peter Hickman, Brother Gabriel Jon, Bill Jacobson and Family, George and Majda Kassaseya, Rafat Luga, Caryl McCabe Family, Samira Mashni, Jamal Nesheiwat, Avo Semerdjian, José Vargas, Noel Zadah.
For vocations to the priesthood, monastic life, and lay parish ministries.
For peace in Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and all the troubled regions around the world.

Scripture Memory:
“Now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life. [23] For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:22-23)

“As Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, beseeching him [6] and saying, ‘Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terrible distress.’ [7] And Jesus said to him, ‘I will come and heal him.’ [8] But the centurion answered him, ‘Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.’ ” (Matthew 8:5-8)

Calendar:
Thursday, June 14.
7:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Choir Practice at Holy Cross Church.

Friday, June 15-Sunday, June 17, 2018 (Father’s Day weekend). Saint John Maron Maronite Catholic Church Festival. 300 S Flower St, Orange, CA 92868.

Friday, June 15.
2:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. House blessings.

Saturday, June 16.
4:30 p.m. Confession.
5:00 p.m. Vespers (Evening prayer). Family night, Bible study, Pot-luck.

Sunday, June 17. Father’s day. Welcome Seminarian Mikhael Naddaf.
9:45 a.m. Orthros (Morning prayer).
10:00 a.m. Choir practice.
11:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy.
12:15 p.m.-1:15 p.m. Youth Ministry spiritual discussion for all in grades 9-12. Discussion Class: Presentation by Crystal.
1:30 p.m. Theosis Meeting in Conference Room. Adult members of Cross Church are invited to learn more about their Eastern Byzantine tradition by attending our monthly meetings to discuss how Scripture and Christ’s teachings show us how God became man in order so that man can become God-like. Anyone seeking more information can contact - Mark Bergeron at (714) 307-2196.

Tuesday, June 19.
2:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. House blessings.

Thursday, June 21.
11:00 a.m. Prayer for the Sick and Spiritual talk given by Deacon Elias Kashou. Topic: Naming of the Apostles.
2:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. House blessings.
7:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Choir Practice at Holy Cross Church.

June 22-29. Religious Freedom Week.

Friday, June 22.
2:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. House blessings.

Saturday, June 23.
5:00 p.m. Vespers (Evening prayer).

Sunday, June 24.
9:45 a.m. Orthros (Morning prayer).
10:00 a.m. Choir practice.
11:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy.
12:15 p.m.-1:15 p.m. Youth Ministry spiritual discussion for all in grades 9-12. Discussion Class: Seminarian Mikhael Naddaf Talk.

Wednesday, June 27.
10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. Youth Retreat: DAILY at Holy Cross: YOU The Theology of the Body.
7:00 p.m. Choir practice for the Melkite Eastern Catholic community at Saint Kilian’s Roman Catholic Church. 26872 Estanciero Drive, Mission Viejo, CA 92691. Parish center. Room 6. Second and fourth Wednesday of each month.

Thursday, June 28.
10:00 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Youth Retreat: DAILY at Holy Cross: YOU The Theology of the Body.
5:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. House blessings.
7:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Choir Practice at Holy Cross Church.

Friday, June 29.
10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Youth Retreat: DAILY at Holy Cross: YOU The Theology of the Body.
2:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. House blessings.
7:00 p.m. - Youth Summer Party (Youth Group).

Saturday, June 30.
5:00 p.m. Divine Liturgy in Arabic.

Sunday, July 1.
On the first Sunday of each month you may use your building fund envelope (or a specially marked envelope) and deposit it in the regular collection. Thank you for your continued generosity as we move closer to our parish goal of a new hall and church building.
9:45 a.m. Orthros (Morning prayer).
10:00 a.m. Choir practice.
11:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy in English.
12:15 p.m.-1:15 p.m. Youth Ministry spiritual discussion for all in grades 9-12. Discussion Class: Youth Presentation.
Young Adults Group for ages 21-35. No event due to Holiday Weekend.

2:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. House blessings.

July 5-8, 2018. Houston, Texas. Melkite Convention. Lift up your eyes. The fields are ready for the harvest.

Thursday, July 5.
7:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Choir Practice at Holy Cross Church.

Saturday, July 7.
4:30 p.m. Confession.
5:00 p.m. Vespers (Evening prayer).

Sunday, July 8.
9:45 a.m. Orthros (Morning prayer).
10:00 a.m. Choir practice.
11:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy.
12:15 p.m.-1:15 p.m. Youth Ministry spiritual discussion for all in grades 9-12. Discussion Class: Youth Presentation. Last Day To Submit Permission Slips For Youth Retreat At Celebrity Ranch.
2:00 p.m. Youth Social Event: Bonfire in Huntington Beach or Bolsa Chica.

Wednesday, July 11.
2:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. House blessings.

Thursday, July 12.
2:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. House blessings.
7:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Choir Practice at Holy Cross Church.

Friday, July 13.
2:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. House blessings.

Saturday, July 14.
4:30 p.m. Confession.
5:00 p.m. Vespers (Evening prayer). Religious Service: Youth Vespers.
7:00 p.m. Young Adults Group: Jaws movie on the beach. We will meet at Huntington State Beach at Newland & Pacific Coast Highway.
7:30 p.m. Youth Social Event: Sky Zone.

Sunday, July 15.
9:45 a.m. Orthros (Morning prayer).
10:00 a.m. Choir practice.
11:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy.
12:15 p.m.-1:15 p.m. Youth Ministry spiritual discussion for all in grades 9-12. Discussion Class: Youth Presentation.
1:30 p.m. Theosis Meeting in Conference Room. Adult members of Cross Church are invited to learn more about their Eastern Byzantine tradition by attending our monthly meetings to discuss how Scripture and Christ’s teachings show us how God became man in order so that man can become God-like. Anyone seeking more information can contact - Mark Bergeron at (714) 307-2196.

3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. House blessings.

5:45 p.m. Music practice in the hall.
6:30 p.m. Divine Liturgy. The Melkite Eastern Catholic Community at Saint Kilian’s Roman Catholic Church. 26872 Estanciero Drive, Mission Viejo, CA 92691.

Monday, July 16-Friday, July 20.
9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Vacation Bible Camp.
9:00 p.m.-12:30 p.m. Youth Volunteer Event: Vacation Bible Camp.

Wednesday, July 18.
7:00 p.m. Choir practice for the Melkite Eastern Catholic community at Saint Kilian’s Roman Catholic Church. 26872 Estanciero Drive, Mission Viejo, CA 92691. Parish center. Room 6. Second and fourth Wednesday of each month.

Thursday, July 19.
7:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Choir Practice at Holy Cross Church.

Friday, July 20.
7:00 p.m. Pontifical Divine Liturgy presided by Patriarch Joseph Absi at Holy Cross Melkite Catholic Church.
7:00 p.m. Youth Spiritual Event: Evening Divine Liturgy for Patriarch visit.
8:30 p.m. Pot-luck dinner in the hall. Please call the office if you are able to bring a food item.

Saturday, July 21.
3:00 p.m. Baptism of Elias Kashou, son of Randy & Rania Kashou.
4:30 p.m. Confession.
5:00 p.m. Vespers (Evening prayer).

Sunday, July 22.
9:45 a.m. Orthros (Morning prayer).
10:00 a.m. Choir practice.
11:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy.
12:15 p.m.-1:15 p.m. Youth Ministry spiritual discussion for all in grades 9-12.
2:30 p.m. Luncheon in honor of Patriarch Joseph Absi’s visit. Please join us for this historical occasion to welcome our Patriarch. Caesar Banquet Hall (6723 Foothill Blvd, Tujunga, CA 91042). Tickets for the luncheon are $65 a person. Please call Holy Cross Church office to reserve a seat.

Readings for Sunday, June 17, 2018.
Epistle: Romans 6:18-23.
Prokimenon (Tone 3)
Sing praise to our God, sing praise!
Sing praise to our King, sing praise!
Stichon: All you peoples, clap your hands!
Shout to God with cries of gladness!

A Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans:
Brethren, now that you have been freed from sin, you have come to serve justification.
I speak in a human way because of the weakness of your flesh. For as you yielded your members as slaves to uncleanness and iniquity, so now yield your members as slaves of justification so as to be sanctified. For while you were the slaves of sin, you had nothing to do with justification. But what fruit did you gather then of those deeds of which you are now ashamed? For the end of such things is death. But now, set free from sin and become slaves to God, you have your fruit resulting in sanctification, and as your end, life everlasting. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is life everlasting in Christ Jesus our Lord.

ALLELUIA (Tone 3)
In you, 0 Lord, I have hoped: let me never be put to shame.
In your goodness, save me and deliver me; lend your ear and hasten my deliverance.
Stichon: Be for me a protecting God, a sheltering house to save me.

Gospel of the Feast: Matthew 8:5-13.
The Holy Gospel According To St. Matthew.
At that time when Jesus entered Caparnaum, there came to him a centurion who begged him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying sick in the house, paralyzed, and is grievously afflicted.” Jesus said to him, “I will come and cure him.” But in answer the centurion said, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man subject to authority, and have soldiers subject to me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” And when Jesus heard this, he marveled, and said to those who were following him, “Amen I say to you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel. And I tell you that many will come from the east and from the west, and will feast with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, but the children of the kingdom will be put out into the darkness outside; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; as you have believed, so be it done to you.” And the servant was healed at that hour.

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Holy Cross Melkite Catholic Church.
451 West Madison Avenue, Placentia, CA 92870-4537
Telephone: (714) 985-1710.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Parish Web site: HolyCrossMelkite.org
Facebook Page: Facebook.com/HolyCrossMelkite
YouTube Page: Youtube.com/HolyCrossMelkite
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HCMelkite

Pastor: Father François Beyrouti.
Electronic mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - Cellular phone: (714) 914-1710

Pastoral Associate: Deacon Elias Kashou.
Office Manager: Tony Helo.
Administrative Assistant: Rosemarie Nasr.
Parish Hall Rentals: Hala Nakhoul (714) 920-6180.
Choir Director: Reader Saad Tashman and Lupe Ojeda.
Sunday School / Eastern Christian Formation Program: Every Sunday after the Divine Liturgy from September-May. Pre-School to Grade 8.
Our Lady’s Society: Iman Lutfi (714) 595-7999.

LITURGICAL SCHEDULE
SATURDAY: 4:30 p.m. Confession. 5:00 p.m. Vespers (Evening prayer).
SUNDAY: 9:45 p.m. Orthros (Morning prayer). 11:00 a.m. The Divine Liturgy.

ARABIC DIVINE LITURGY: 5:00 p.m. Saturday before the first Sunday of the month. In 2018: June 30, August 4, September 1, October 6, November 3, December 1.

ENGLISH DIVINE LITURGY: 11:00 a.m. First Sunday of the month. In 2018: July 1, August 5, September 2, October 7, November 4, December 2.

HOLY DAYS AND WEEKDAYS: Please check the bulletin.

THE HOLY MYSTERIES
MYSTERIES OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION: The three Mysteries of Baptism, Chrismation and Holy Eucharist are always celebrated together in one ceremony. One month notice is required and one baptismal preparation meeting is required with the priest.
MYSTERY OF HOLY CROWNING: Six month notice, an initial meeting with the priest, marriage preparation sessions, and a wedding license are required. You must be an active member of the parish.
MYSTERY OF HOLY CONFESSION: Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
MYSTERY OF HOLY ANOINTING: Available for anyone who is ill.
PLEASE NOTE: There is no charge for the celebration of the Sacramental Mysteries, however, it is appropriate to offer a gift of thanksgiving. Therefore the Parish Advisory Council suggests an offering of $200 for Baptisms; $500 for Weddings; $300 for Funerals; and $100 for a Memorial Service.

HALL RENTAL POLICY.
MERCY-MEAL ON THE DAY OF THE FUNERAL, MERCY-MEAL FOR THE 40th DAY OR OTHER MEMORIALS: $200.00 for registered parishioners of Holy Cross Church who regularly use donation envelopes.
A PARTY WITH MUSIC, FOOD, AND DRINKS (up to 5 hours of use): $400.00 for parishioners + $100 insurance payable to the diocese. $500.00 for non-parishioners + $100 insurance payable to the diocese.
DAMAGE/CLEANING DEPOSIT: $200.00. Refundable if the hall is left in the condition it was given to you.
SECURITY FEE: $150 charge will be added to cover security for 5 hours.
A MEETING (Use of the chairs and tables only. No use of the kitchen, oven, or refrigerator). $75 / hour for parishioners. $100 for non-parishioners.
ADDITIONAL CHARGE FOR A RENTAL OVER 5 HOURS: $100 / hour.

Communion: Already here and more to come.
Homily. Father François Beyrouti. Pastor of Holy Cross Melkite Catholic Church.

Friday, May 18, 2018. 7:00 p.m.“That they may be one as You Father are in Me and I in You.” (John 17:20).
The Twelfth Annual Roman Catholic, Eastern Catholic, and Orthodox Christian Ecumenical Service of Prayer for Christian Unity at Pentecost will be held at Annunciation Byzantine Catholic Church (995 N. West Street, Anaheim, CA 92801). Orthodox and Catholics Together/Orange County OCTOC.org
Featuring choirs from Saint Nicholas Roman Catholic Church, Annunciation Byzantine Catholic Church, St. Paul’s Assyrian Church of the East, St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church, and the Coptic Youth Singers. Organized by “Orthodox and Catholics Together in Orange County” octoc.org

Homily.

Some jokes start with the line: “A priest, an imam, and a rabbi walk into a bar…”

Once a Catholic and Orthodox priest walked into a bar and the bartender said: “Hey, what is this a joke or something?”

We have a lot of priests here tonight. We did not walk into a bar together before we got here, neither will we be going to one after. This is our only event tonight. Although we are all very happy to be here, our gathering is definitely not a joke. Rather, our prayer this evening is nothing short of the work of the Holy Spirit who brought all of us together, clergy and lay people, to first rejoice in the fellowship and communion we already share and second to discern how to increase that fellowship and communion.

The opening Biblical verse of the 2016 statement of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church emphasizes the communion, in Greek “koinonia,” we already share between us (September 21, 2016 “Synodality and Primacy during the First Millennium: Towards A Common Understanding in Service to the Unity of the Church”).

This document quotes 1 John 1:3-4: “We declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have communion [koinonia] with us; and truly our communion [koinonia] is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.”

It is always important to clarify expectations, especially in ecumenical prayers and dialogue. Our event today is not a meeting of the Theological commission nor is it a social gathering. Rather, it is a truly profound expression of our already existing communion [koinonia] and a prayer for fuller communion [koinonia].

My goal is simple, yet the crucial starting point if we are to bear further fruit. First, I will share with you the joy I have for the communion we already share and second, highlight the importance of our common witness as Jesus clearly expressed His desire that we keep growing in our unity when He said: “That they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in me, and I in You, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that You have sent me” (John 17:21).

Jesus tells us our unity is specifically tied to the legitimacy of our witness that He is the Messiah who suffered, died, and rose for the salvation of the whole world. When we lack a visible unity we compromise the unity that Jesus desired we have and weaken our witness to a world that is more in need than ever to hear clearly His saving message. Although we can’t lose sight of this goal, let us first rejoice in the communion we already share at the Theological and pastoral levels.

At the pastoral level, let us start with what is happening here in Orange County. Every month the Catholic and Orthodox clergy meet for a dinner at one of our Churches. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange organizes these dinners, which are coordinated by Fr. Quan Tran, the Episcopal Vicar of Ecumenical & Interreligious Affairs for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange. The primary goal is for the Catholic and Orthodox clergy to better know each other, share a meal, discover “in vino veritas,” and exchange our common pastoral experiences of shepherding the flock of God (1 Peter 5:2 & Acts 20:28).

This is not considered an official theological dialogue, but perhaps it should be, as Jesus wanted us to understand that the first steps of communion happen with a meal: from Cana in Galilee (John 2:1-12), to the feeding of the 5000 (Mt. 14:13-21), to the last or mystical supper (Mt. 26:17-30, Mk. 14:12-26, Lk. 22:7-39, Jn. 13:1-17:26, and 1 Cor. 11:23-26), to the meal at Emmaus (Lk. 24:13-35), to other times in Jesus’s ministry, and finally at “the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:9).

The word “companion” comes from two Latin words “cum” (with) and “panis” (bread). Thus, “companion” means to share bread with someone. We cannot have full communion if we don’t first consider each other companions. Without this informal growth in friendship, the formal theological dialogue and statements will never bear fruit.

This friendship between the Roman Catholic, Eastern Catholic, and Oriental and Eastern Orthodox clergy is also found in other dioceses around the world. In the Syrian cities of Damascus and Aleppo, there are Churches that Eastern Catholics and Orthodox use together. One was built by a Melkite Eastern Catholic donor and the other by an Eastern Orthodox donor. Although we do not yet have full Eucharistic communion, this is an example of a communion of friendship where a Catholic and Orthodox community share the same Church, but have their own times to celebrate the Sunday Divine Liturgy and other services.

In addition to this, the Catholic and Orthodox Church in Jordan celebrate Christmas together on the Gregorian calendar, December 25, and Pascha together on the Julian calendar. This avoids the embarrassment, especially in a predominantly Muslim country, to have, in some cases, the Orthodox, celebrate Palm Sunday on the same day that the Catholics are celebrating the Resurrection.

At Pascha, in the Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Church, we greet each other: “Christ is Risen. He is truly Risen.” An internet meme was shared in the Middle East last year with the title: “Christ is Risen, … and now is He looking for a donkey to re-enter Jerusalem.”

Our pastoral communion is important for us and for our witness to the Gospel. These examples of our pastoral communion in Orange County and from the region where Jesus and the apostles lived and walked, remind us that communion is something we have and that fuller communion is something we need to keep praying for. However, if we don’t live the communion we can with those around us, then we will never have the fuller communion we’re praying for.

In addition to this pastoral communion, we as Catholics and Orthodox already share a Theological communion. Saint Pope John Paul II in his encyclical “Ut Unum Sint/That they may be one” reminded us of the words of Saint Pope John XXIII who said: “What unites us is much greater than what divides us” (Paragraph 20. May 25, 1995).

The Theological dialogue is doing great work focusing on the important points needed for full Eucharistic communion between our Churches. There is great optimism for this dialogue because there is already so much koinonia [communion] between the Roman Catholic, Eastern Catholic, and Orthodox Church on many Theological issues.

Although expressed in different ways, all Catholics and Orthodox have the same Theological understanding of the Eucharist as the Body and Blood of Jesus, the centrality of the Mary, the Mother of God, the importance of saints and sacred images, apostolic succession, and a variety of other crucial historical Christian teachings.

Tradition is crucial to the Orthodox and Catholic understanding of doctrine. Saint Paul says in his first letter to the Corinthians: “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered [traditioned] to you” (1 Cor. 11:23). This is not human tradition (Col.2:8), it is sacred tradition (1 Cor. 11:2; 2 Thes. 2:15; 2 Thes. 3:6) because it was handed down from the Lord, to the apostles, then to every generation that preceded us and which we continue to treasure.

We as Catholics and Orthodox should never forget our common witness to this apostolic faith that already unites. Today, what it means to be a Christian has become diluted as we live in a world where you can buy a clergy license online within a few minutes and start up a church with you and your neighbors within a few weeks.

The word Catholic means “universal” in Latin and “belonging to the whole” in Greek. The word Orthodox means “correct teaching.” Whether we are Catholic or Orthodox we believe in a Church that is both Catholic and Orthodox. This Church that we both believe in is Catholic because it teaches the same thing throughout the whole neighborhood and has done so since the time of the Apostles and it is Orthodox, because what it teaches is consistent with the teachings of the Apostles, ecumenical councils, and Church hierarchy.

Our names, irony reflect an already present unity. The Catholic Church believes profoundly that it is Orthodox, that it is professing the right teachings, and the Orthodox Church believes it is Catholic, that it is a Church that goes back historically and geographically to the foundations of Christianity.

At the transfiguration Peter says “Lord, it is good that we are here” (Mt. 17:4). It is only when Peter recognizes the beauty of the moment that God showed him, James, and John something greater: the voice of the Father saying “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him” (Mt. 17:5. Matthew 17:1-8, Mark 9:2-8, Luke 9:28-36).

Today, we are here together from all five apostolic liturgical families: Roman, Byzantine, Armenian, Coptic, and Syriac. This is truly ecumenical, because the whole household of God is together. Let us keep rejoicing at the unity that we have as we say with Peter: “Lord, it is good that we are here” (Mt. 17:4). After we recognize how good it is that we who are praying here together already share a communion of truth, love, and friendship with each other, we can listen to the voice of the Father who says “this is my beloved Son” to remind us of the focus of our communion.

We do not want and are not looking for mere human communion, but one that is built on and always faces the beloved Son, who died and rose from the dead as Saint Paul tells us: “Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. …[10] that I may know him and the power of his resurrection” (Phil.3:8, 10).

We are in communion in so many ways, let us continue to rejoice in that communion, and realize that through our humility and unwavering prayers before our Savior, He will at the right time prepare our hearts for an even greater communion to fulfill His words “that the world may believe that You have sent me” (John 17:21).
Since, the proclamation of the death and resurrection of our Lord is the foundation of our faith, I would like all of us to share this Paschal greeting with each other: “Christ is Risen. He is truly Risen.”

Father François Beyrouti
Holy Cross Melkite Catholic Church
451 West Madison Avenue
Placentia, CA 92870-4537
Office: (714) 985-1710
My cell: (714) 914-1710
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