Letter to the Philippians 4,1-7

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.
I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. …..

Happy and Blessed Feast of the Ascension of our Lord!

Join us, Thursday, May 14 at 7:30 PM for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy commemorating the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord.

The Ascension is the event, where Jesus arose into heaven, at the end of his time on earth.

Jesus’ time on earth began with his birth. It was interrupted for three days by His death on the Cross. During that time, He descended into the realm of the dead and preached the Gospel to the good people who died before Him. This allowed those good and holy souls–the righteous dead, as we call them–who accepted Christ as their Savior to proceed to heaven. On the third day after his death and burial, Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, an event we call the Resurrection. He spent the next 40 days preaching and preparing His disciples to perform the work of preaching and baptizing all people. At the end of this 40 day period, Jesus ascended into heaven. We call this the Ascension.

Scripture tells us what happened on that day in the Acts of the Apostles, 1:1-11

1. In my earlier work, Theophilus, I dealt with everything Jesus had done and taught from the beginning
2. until the day he gave his instructions to the apostles he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven.
3. He had shown himself alive to them after his Passion by many demonstrations: for forty days he had continued to appear to them and tell them about the kingdom of God.
4. While at table with them, he had told them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for what the Father had promised. ‘It is’, he had said, ‘what you have heard me speak about:
5. John baptized with water but, not many days from now, you are going to be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’
6. Now having met together, they asked him, ‘Lord, has the time come for you to restore the kingdom to Israel?’
7. He replied, ‘It is not for you to know times or dates that the Father has decided by his own authority,
8. but you will receive the power of the Holy Spirit which will come on you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judaea and Samaria, and indeed to earth’s remotest end.’
9. As he said this he was lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him from their sight.
10. They were still staring into the sky as he went, when suddenly two men in white were standing beside them,
11. and they said, ‘Why are you Galileans standing here looking into the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way as you have seen him go to heaven.

May Is the Month of Mary: A Time to Draw Closer to Our Blessed Mother

By Abigail James May 1, 2026

As spring unfolds in beauty and renewal, the Church invites the faithful into a deeply personal and spiritual tradition: honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary throughout the month of May. For centuries, Catholics around the world have set aside these days to deepen their love for the Mother of God, seeking her intercession and reflecting on her unique role in salvation history.

There is NO First Friday adoration scheduled till September.

Come be part of a group where you can grow in faith, build friendships, and have fun through activities, retreats, and service.

Ages 12 – 18   –  All are welcome!

“Let your light shine before others.” Said our Lord.

Tele Lumiere and Noursat, like many other institutions in Lebanon and the Middle East, is suffering tremendously and in danger of shutting down if it is not supported.

Very few parishes in the USA, of all Middle Eastern traditions, are supporting it. True there are millions living in poverty in the Middle East and we need to help them, but there are more millions living in darkness and need the message of hope and salvation. It is our responsibility to evangelize them.

We urge you in Christ’s name to help support Noursat. Here are few brotherly suggestions:

Talk about Noursat’s role of evangelization in the Middle East.
Announce this weekend the two-days Telethon. Share on your social media the attached video and flier about the Telethon.
Include in your weekly/monthly bulletin the attached flier about supporting Noursat.

God entrusted Noursat into our hands, let us unite our hands and hearts to keep it shinning.

With prayers and thanksgiving.
Chorbishop sharbel Maroun
President of Noursat, USA