Remembering the Martyr Mar Paulos Faraj Rahho

on the Feast of Mar Addai

The fifth Sunday of the Resurrection marks the Commemoration of the Apostle Mar Addai, one of the seventy disciples who came to preach the Gospel in our homeland between the rivers. As St. Paul says in the letter to the Romans, quoting Isaiah the prophet, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!” (Romans 10: 15)  With him we also celebrate one of the powerful preachers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Mar Addai, as well as our beloved martyred bishop, Mar Paulos Faraj:

Precious in the eyes of the Lord our God is the death of his revered one, and the passing away of his saint, the honorable apostle, he who competed in spiritual battle in all excellence and left the divine arena in victory, leaving us a choice trophy, one excellent and spotless: his revered and honorable body.  And lo, his soul celebrates with the angels, and offers prayers on behalf of our souls.  

The two images used in this hymn are Biblical and, in fact, taken from St. Paul’s life. The first is the image of “fighting the good fight” or “running the spiritual race,” which is found, among other places, in Paul’s second letter to Timothy: “Bear your share of hardship along with me like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. To satisfy the one who recruited him, a soldier does not become entangled in the business affairs of life. Similarly, an athlete cannot receive the winner’s crown except by competing according to the rules.” (2 Timothy 2:3-5)

 The second image comes not from Paul’s writings but his deeds, which are described in the Acts of the Apostles: “So extraordinary were the mighty deeds God accomplished at the hands of Paul that when face cloths or aprons that touched his skin were applied to the sick, their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.” (Acts 19: 11-12)  The practice of honoring relics, that is the physical things that were near the saints or, as described here in Scripture, their skin itself, is one that our Church honors as well, and so our hymn calls the body of Mar Addai an “excellent and spotless trophy.”

Of course, all of the honor due to martyrs and saints, and the power coming even from their bones is only a reflection of Christ and the grace he has poured out upon his body, the Church, and which comes to the human race through her, and so the final hymn commemorating Mar Addai ends as it should, with a glorification of the Master himself:

Blessed is your commemoration, O splendid apostle, who was persecuted for the sake of the Truth, and who endured pains and afflictions, that you may be an inheritor of the Kingdom. Who is able to describe the course of your spiritual works, which you prepared in vigil, fasting and prayer? May your prayer be a shelter for the sinners who take refuge in you, and may we be worthy to lift up glory to your Lord who has exalted you!

It is remarkable how the hymns in honor of the holy martyrs of the early Church apply so perfectly to those who today follow their example.

By Father Andrew Younan

IN HONOR OF A MARTYRED SHEPHERD

Mar Paulos Faraj Rahho  1942 – 2008

Reaching home in glory

The Catholic Diocese of St. Peter the Apostle for Chaldeans and Assyrians in USA mourned the death of Archbishop Paulos Faraj of Mosul, Iraq, a Chaldean Martyr of Faith.

           At St. Peter Chaldean Cathedral in El Cajon, California, on a day of remembrance, Bishop Sarhad Yawsip Jammo expressed in tender words the struggle of the Christians of Iraq and the particular sacrifice of this shepherd of the flock of Christ. Red, the symbol of blood and martyrdom, is the color of some of the garments given to bishops at their consecration, and Bishop Paulos Faraj has made the symbol a reality.

           Hundreds of faithful gathered at the Cathedral to say farewell to a martyred
shepherd that sacrificed his blood for his faith, people, and homeland. The clerics sang the "Hymns of the Martyrs" in his honor.

            Other Parishes within the Diocese held Masses in remembrance of the new martyr of their persecuted Church who has joined our Heavenly Father in His kingdom.

D I O C E S A N    N E W S

Eastern Catholic Bishops Meeting

St. Louis, Missouri

On April 2nd and 3rd, 2008, the Eastern Catholic bishops of the USA held their annual meeting in St. Louis, Missouri. Bishop Shaheen the Maronite eparch of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon hosted the meeting. Our bishop, Mar Sarhad Yawsip Jammo attended the encounter this year and discussed with his brothers the common issues among their eparchies and the ways to improve their pastoral ministry.

St. Paul Chaldean & Assyrian Catholic Church of the East
Parish Council - Los Angeles, California 

Catholic Diocese of St. Peter for Chaldeans & Assyrians

gladly announces the dedication of

St. Barbara Church

 in Las Vegas, NV

Saturday, May 24^th 2008

11:00 am

Our Bishop

Mar Sarhad Yawsip Jammo

will preside over the consecration

of the new church

You are invited to participate in this remarkable event.

 

               

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

راعي أبرشية مار بطرس يقيم قداساً الهياً لأبنائه في ارسالية القديسة بربارة

 

 

 أمضى سيادة مطراننا الجليل مار سرهد يوسپ جمو الجزيل الاحترام يوم السبت 29 آذار مع ابناء رعيته في ارسالية القديسة بربارة يعمل يدا بيد مع المتطوعين في تنظيف وترتيب كنيستهم الجديدة في لاس فيگاس، وتركت اللمسات الاخيرة في تصميم وهندسة المذبح من قبل راعينا الجليل الأثر الاكبر في اعطاء المبنى جوا من القدسية وجمالاً ورونقاًً روحياً.

        تفضل سيادته فأقام اول قداس حضره جمهور غفير من اهالي لاس فيگاس، وعبر عن فرحته بهذا الانجاز العظيم، وتحدث عن الصعوبات الكبيرة التي واجهها هو وابناء جاليته، ولكن اللـه حقق انجازه وأكمل ارادته في قيام هذه الكنيسة - فان لم يبنِ الرب البيت فباطل يعمل البناؤون- اجل لقد حقق الرب لنا انجازا عظيما كان حلما كبيرا لكل ابناء لاس فيگاس.  وبعد انتهاء القداس صحب ابناء الارسالية راعيهم الى القاعة حيث استقبل بالتصفيق والهلاهل، فشكر سيادته كل الذين اشتركوا في تحقيق هذا الحلم، خاصة الاخ عصام حميكا الذي تفانى في العمل لانجاز هذا الحلم.

        هنيئاً لاهل لاس فيگاس بهذا الانجاز العظيم، وشكرا وتسبيحا لك يارب لانك اعطيتنا فوق ما كنا نتصور، فأنت قلت إن بدأ احدكم عملا صالحا فهو أمين وقادر ان يكمله الى يوم مجيئه، امين.

 

 بسام ابونا

 

ܟܘܪܐܦܣܩܘܦܐ؛ ܦ̮ܝܠܝܟܣ ܫܐܒܝ

ܡܙܲܝܚܵܐ ܥܹܕܲܬܢ ܕܡܲܕܢܚܵܐ ܥܹܐܕܵܐ ܕܲܩܝܵܡܬܵܐ ܒܫܘܼܒܚܵܐ ܪܲܒ̈ܵܐ. ܘܫܲܒܬܼܵـܐ ܕܐܵܬܼܝܵܐ ܒܵܬܲܪ ܥܹܐܕܵܐ ܕܲܩܝܵܡܬܵܐ ܟܦܵܝܫܵܐ ܩܪܝܼܬܼܵܐ ܫܲܒܲܬ ܫܲܒܹ̈ܐ. ܒܟܘܼܠܗܹܝܢ ܥܘܿܢܝ̈ܵܬܼܵܐ ܕܒܵܣܵܠܝܼܩܹܐ ܕܗܵܕܹܐ ܫܲܒܬܼܵܐ ܛܲܟܣܲܢ ܟܟܵܬܸܒ ܥܸܠܕ ܩܸܨܸܬܵܐ ܕܦܘܼܪܩܵܢܵܐ ܕܡܵܪܲܢ ܬܵܐ ܒܢܲܝܢܵܫܵܐ.

ܗܵܠܹܝܢ ܥܘܿܢـܵܝ̈ܬܵܐ ܡܡܲܠܠܝܼܢ ܘܲܡܙܲܝܚܝܼܢ ܚܲܝܠܵܐ ܕܲܨܠܝܼܒܵܐ ܕܡܵܪܲܢ ܕܐܵܗܘܼ ܟܸܡܟܼܵܠܸܨܠܵܗ ܒܪܝܼܬܵܐ ܡܼܢ ܫܘܼܠܛܵܢܵܐ ܕܲܫܝܘܿܠ. ܡܫܵܪܹܝܢ ܘܚܵܬܡܝܼܢ ܥܘܿܢܝ̈ܵܬܵܐ ܒܸܡܕܵܚܵܐ ܕܲܨܠܝܼܒܵܐ.

ܒܲܨܠܝܼܒܵܐ ܕܡܵܪܲܢ ܟܠܵܗ ܒܪܝܼܬܵܐ ܟܚܵܙܝܵܐ ܦܘܼܪܩܵܢܵܐ، ܘܒܹܗ ܟܝܵܪܬܲܟ ܚܲܝ̈ܝܹܐ ܕܲܠܥܵܠܲܡ ܘܫܘܼܒܼܩܵܢܵܐ ܕܲܚܛܵܗܹܐ ܐܲܝܟܼ ܓܲܝܵܣܵܐ. ܒܫܘܼܒܚܵܐ ܕܲܨܠܝܼܒܼܵܐ ܕܡܵܪܲܢ ܥܹܕܬܵܐ ܟܫܵܩܠܵܐ ܫܘܼܒܗܵܪܵܐ ܘܚܵܕܘܼܬܵܐ. ܘܗܲܡ ܡܥܲܝܕܵܐ ܒܝܵܘܡܵܐ ܕܲܥܪܘܼܒܼܬܵܐ (ܕܫܲܒܲܬ ܫܲܒܹ̈ܐ) ܝܵܘܡܵܐ ܡܸܛܠ ܣܵܗܕܹ̈ܐ ܘܡܵܘܕܝܵܢܹ̈ܐ. ܒܹܝܕ ܗܲܡ ܣܵܗܕܹ̈ܐ ܐ̄ܙܸܠܵܝܗܘܢ ܒܗܵܕܹܐ ܐܘܼܪܚܵܐ ܕܲܨܠܝܼܒܼܵܐ ܒܲܬܲܪ ܡܵܪܲܢ ܘܲܡܛܹܠܲܝܗܘܿܢ ܠܡܲܠܟܘܼܬܼܵܐ.

 ܥܘܼܢܝܼܬܵܐ ܕܒܵܣܵܠܝܼܩܹܐ ܕܸܬܠܵܬܒܫܲܒܵܐ ܕܫܲܒܲܬ ܫܲܒܹ̈ܐ܇

ܓܼܘܼܪܵܒܵܐ  ܘܬܹܥܠܵܐ

ܓܼܘܼܪܵܒܵܐ (ܛܲܝܪܵܐ) ܢܬܸܫܠܹܗ ܓܸܒܬܵـܐ ܘܦ̮ܹـܝܪܹܠܗ ܬܵܐ ܕܐܵܟܸܠܵܗ ܠܪܹܫܸܕ ܐܝܼܠܵܢܵܐ. ܘܚܹ̇ܝܪܹܠܗ ܒܓܵܘܹܗ ܬܹܥܠܵܐ ܘܒܥܹܝܠܹܗ ܕܫܵܩܸܠܵܗ ܡܸܢܹܗ ܒܚܸܝܼܠܬܵـܐ ܘܡܹܪܠܹܗ ܛܵܠܹܗ ܓܼܘܼܪܵܒܵܐ؛ "ܒܚܲܩܘܼܬܼܵܐ ܡܵܐ ܫܲܦܝܼܪܲܝܘܸܬ ܘܡܵܐ ܚܸ̈ܠܝܹܐ ܓܘܼܠܦܵܢܘܼܟܼ، ܘܒܸܫܟܵܒܸܪ ܡܸܢܗܘܢ ܩܵܠܘܼܟܼ، ܘܠܹܝܬܼ ܛܲܝܪܵܐ ܐ̄ܚܪܹܢܵܐ ܕܕܵܡܹܐܠܘܼܟܼ". ܓܼܘܼܪܵܒܵܐ ܦܨܸܚܠܹܗ ܒܗܵܢܘܢ ܬܲܢܵܝܵـ̈ܬܼܵـܐ  ܕܕܘܼܓܠܵܐ؛ ܘܲܦ̮ܬܲܚܠܹܗ ܦܘܼܡܹܗ ܕܡܲܫܡܹܥ̄ ܩܵܠܹܗ. ܘܟܲܖ ܦܬܸܚܠܹܗ ܦܘܼܡܹܗ؛ ܢܦܸܠܵܗ ܓܸܒܬܵـܐ ܘܟܸܡܚ̇ܵܛܦ̮ܠܵܗ ܬܹܥܠܵܐ، ܘܟܸܡܐܵܟܸܠܵܗ، ܘܟܸܡܫܵܒܸܩܠܹܗ ܠܓܼܘܼܪܵܒܵܐ ܒܸܒܟܵܝܼܵـܐ ܥܸܠܸܕ ܓܝܵܢܹــܗ܀

The Crow and the Fox