Saint Maron: Life and Legacy

8. February, 2019Past EventsNo comments

Saint Maron, born in the middle of the 4th century, was a priest who latter became a hermit, retiring to a mountain of Taurus near Antioch. His holiness and miracles attracted many followers, and drew attention throughout the empire. St John of Chrysostom sent him a letter around 405 AD expressing his great love and respect asking St Maron to pray for him.
Saint Maron spent all of his life on a mountain in the region of Cyrrhus in Syria. It is believed that the place was called “Kefar-Nabo” on the mountain of Al-Yambos, making it the cradle of the Maronite movement.
St Maron embraced the quiet solitude of the mountain life. He lived his life in open air exposed to the forces of nature such as sun, rain, hail and snow. His extraordinary desire to come to know Gods presence in all things, allowed St Maron to transcend such forces and discover that intimate union with God.
Accompanying his deeply spiritual and ascetic life, he was a zealous missionary with a passion to spread the message of Christ by preaching it to all he met. He sought not only to cure the physical ailments that people suffered, but had a great quest for nurturing and healing the “lost souls” of both pagans and Christians of his time.
This missionary work came to fruition when in the mountains of Syria, St Maron was able to convert a pagan temple into a Christian Church. This was to be the beginning of the conversion of Paganism to Christianity in Syria which would then influence and spread to Lebanon. After his death in the year 410 AD, his spirit and teachings lived on through his disciples.
The Maronite movement reached Lebanon when St Maron’s first disciple, Abraham of Cyrrhus, who was called the Apostle of Lebanon, realized that paganism was thriving in Lebanon, so he set out to convert the pagans to Christians by introducing them to the way of St Maron. The followers of St Maron, both monks and laity, always remained faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Mass Time Change in Pickering

4. February, 2019Past EventsNo comments

From now on, The evening Maronite Mass will be celebrated every Sunday at 6:30pm in Pickering.

Presentation of the Lord to the Temple

1. February, 2019Past EventsNo comments

Join us to celebrate the Mass on the occasion of the feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, in which takes place the ritual of the blessing of candles, Saturday February  2^nd at 6:30PM and Sunday February 3^rd, 2019 at 10:30AM & 12:30PM, at Our Lady of Lebanon Church, as well as in Pickering at 7:00PM.

On 2 February, the Maronite Church commemorates the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. Presenting the first born male at the temple was a Jewish tradition. The parents of a newborn would bring the child, forty days after their birth to make an offering for purification. Mary and Joseph followed this customary offering by bringing with them the newborn Jesus and two young pigeons.

The Maronite has a liturgy for this day to commemorate the feast, with the rite of blessing of the candles, to remind us of the words of Simeon the elder that Jesus is sent by the Father, “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” This rite of the light brings us back also to commemorate the fact that Jesus is the light of the world (Cf. John 8:12). May God bestow on us the blessing of this feast, and allow us in to rejoice in its everlasting light.

ندعوكم للمشاركة في القداسات التي تقام لمناسبة عيد تقدمة المسيح الى الهيكل، التي نحتفل فيها أيضاً برتبة تبريك الشمع: السبت 2 شباط الساعة 6،30 مساء، والأحد 3 شباط الساعة 10،30 صباحاً و12،30 ظهراً في كنيسة سيدة لبنان تورنتو، والساعة 7،00 مساء في بيكرينغ.

الشمعة ترمز للمسيح وتبريك الشمع في هذا عيد دخول المسيح الى الهيكل يعود لما قاله سمعان الشيخ عن المسيح انّه “ينجلي نورًا للأمم”. وتصف رتبة تبريك الشمع بحسب طقس الكنيسة المارونيّة هذا النور الروحانيّ الذي ينير ضمائر المؤمنين وعقولهم من الأنوار الإلهيّة، فيقول الكاهن في صلاة التبريك الأولى “أنِر بنور بركاتك السماويّة هذا الشمع ليكون مستنيرًا بقُبُولنا إيّاه، حتّى اذا ما قرَّبناهُ اليك نُصبح مضطرمين بنار محبّتك العذبة”.

OLOL Wednesday Night Bible Study

10. January, 2019Past EventsNo comments

Our Lady of Lebanon church Wednesday Night Bible Study

The Parable of the

GOOD SAMARITAN

(Luke 10, 25-37)

Wednesday, February 20^th 2019, 7:30pm

Christmas Midnight Mass

20. December, 2018Past EventsNo comments

Join Our Lady of Lebanon parish family

to celebrate the coming of our Lord and Savior!

Christmas Midnight Mass

Monday December 24^th at 11:30PM

* Confessions are heard from 10:00PM to 11:15PM

“The darkness at midnight parallels humanity’s condition of spiritual darkness

as the world awaited the radiant birth of the promised Messiah.”

Let’s welcome the Nativity of Jesus together!

Have a Blessed Christmas

Ignite Christmas Potluck

6. December, 2018Past EventsNo comments

Ignite Youth Group is happy to invite you to a Christmas Potluck,

on Friday December 14th, at 8:00pm

at Our Lady of Lebanon Church.

Let’s Welcome Jesus Together!

Jrass l3eid – Christmas Bazaar 2018

11. November, 2018Past EventsNo comments

Our Lady of Lebanon 4th Christmas Bazaar – “Jrass l3eid”
Sunday November 25th & Sunday December 2nd, 2018
From 11:30am until 3:00pm
Don’t Miss this Opportunity to enjoy the Creative Handmade Products, Jewellery, Painting, Home baking and Pastries, Lebanese “MOUNEH”.

For more information Please contact: Ramona: (647)287-8421

IGNITE’s “Berbara Night”

18. October, 2018Past EventsNo comments

Hey everyone! Remember those Halloween parties that the youth group at OLOL used to have in the basement? Remember how fun and exciting it was to come all dressed up and enjoy a night full of eating, drinking, and dancing? IGNITE is extremely excited to bring back our fun and successful Berbara Night at OLOL. Join us for a fun night full of themed activities, dancing, costume contest, and many more! This event is open to members ages 14+ and is $5 per person. Our party begins at 8pm on Friday, October, 26th in the basement of Our Lady of Lebanon Church. Please invite all your family and friends to this fun event, everyone is welcome! You won’t want to miss it! Food and drinks will be provided. Hope to see you all there! 🙂

NOTE: Please come wearing an appropriate costume for church!

Christmas Spiritual Retreat

6. October, 2018Past EventsNo comments

Our Lady of Lebanon Parish invites you to join us for the Christmas Spiritual Retreat, on Saturday December 8^th, from 10am to 5pm, at Queen of Apostles Renewal Center (Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate), located at 1617 Blythe Rd., Mississauga, ON, L5H 2C3.

To register, please call the Church office at (416) 534-7070 or Jean Aoun at (416) 834-8585.