December 3, 2017

Numbers and Their Significance in the Bible

Nine: As a multiple of three, nine symbolizes life ( e.g., it takes nine months for a baby to develop in the womb).

Elders live to be nine hundred years old as a symbol of wisdom (Genesis 5:5). “Altogether, Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died.”

Abraham received God’s Covenant when he was ninety-nine years old (Genesis 17:1). “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless.”

Defeat of nine hundred chariots required divine intervention (Judges 4:3). “Because he had nine hundred chariots fitted with iron and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help.”

The Crucifixion was at the ninth hour (Mark 15:25). “It was nine in the morning when they crucified Him.”

The Holy Spirit descended at the ninth hour (Acts 2:15).

“These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It is only nine in the morning.”

December 3, 2017

Issue 600

▪18100 Merriman Road ▪ Livonia, Michigan 48152 ▪ www.saintmarylivonia.com ▪ Office: (734)-422-0010 ▪

Sunday Services

Confession: 8:30AM

Matins: 9:00AM

Divine Liturgy: 10:00AM

St. Mary’s Cultural

and Banquet Center

(734) 421-9220

Daily Confession by Appointment - Call the Church Office

“And the disciples were first called

Christians in Antioch.” Acts 11:26

The Antiochian Orthodox Basilica of St. Mary

Fr. George Shalhoub - Pastor Fr. Jim King - Director of Youth & Pastoral Outreach Programs Archdeacon Issa Rizkallah

313-690-2030 Deacon Dr. Dennis Bojrab Deacon Samer Hanna Salim Sessine - Parish Council Chairman Linda Lawson - Choir Director Stacey Badeen - Church Administrator Sonya Kassis - Parish Ministries Coordinator Haitham Fakhouri - Communications Richard Shebib/Sami Azzouz - Ushers Dr. Tom Saba - Young Adults- St. John Divine Nancy Ghannam - Ladies Society President Michael Nunu - Teen Soyo President Lina Nunu - Arabic School Montessori School - Abeer Samaan, Director - 734-743-5601 Keith Rowe - Cultural Center General Manager 734-421-9220

The Light of Christ

AL-NOUR

PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY:

THE ANTIOCHIAN ORTHODOX BASILICA OF ST. MARY

Christmas Eve Service

Matins at 8:00pm

Divine Liturgy at 9:00pm

Followed by Christmas Breakfast

in the Activity Center.

Page 2 The Antiochian Orthodox Basilica of St. Mary

THE EPISTLE

Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us. Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous!

The Reading is from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians Chapter 5:8-19

B rethren, walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth), proving what is acceptable to the Lord; and have no communion with the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them; for it is a shame even to speak of the things which they do in secret. But all things when they are exposed are made manifest by the light, for everything that is made manifest is light. Therefore he says: “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine upon thee.” See then that you walk circumspectly, not as unwise, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and chanting in your heart to the Lord.

THE GOSPEL

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke Chapter 18:35-43

At that time, when Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging; and hearing a multitude going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” And he cried, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped, and commanded him to be brought to him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me receive my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

The Antiochian Orthodox Basilica of St. Mary Page 3

Please visit www.saintmarylivonia.com for details about events and activities happening at the Basilica of Saint Mary. If you have any questions regarding Youth and Outreach Events,

please contact Fr. Jim or Sonya Kassis at (734) 422-0010.

The Basilica of Saint Mary

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

December 3: St. Nicholas Day

December 8: Teen SOYO Friday Night Retreat-call Sonya Kassis for details

December 17: Nativity Play and Program

December 22: SOYO Lock In

January 12-15: SOYO Family Ski Weekend at Shanty Creek (Details to follow)

Annual SOYO Thanksgiving Dinner

Page 4 The Antiochian Orthodox Basilica of St. Mary

PRAYER CORNER memorials

I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me shall never die.” (John 11:25)

Dec. 10th - 40 day memorial in loving

memory of Akram Mkhail Khoury offered

by the family,

Dec. 10th - 1 year memorial in loving

memory of Michel Kehdy offered by the

family,

Jan. 7th - 1 year memorial in loving

memory of Adil Ghannam offered by his

wife Laurice Ghannam and family,

Thank You

“A Vigil Light is Burning”

In Loving Devotion

F or The Health and Well Being Of:

Phiebe Musallam, Natalie Cameron

I n Memory Of: Joseph Michael

Mouaikel, George Abodeely, Michael

Webb,

HOLY BREAD OF

OBLATION

H oly Bread of Oblation

is offered by the families, for the

month of December, in loving

memory of:

Suheil M. Ajluni

Salem & Fadow Qaqish

Hanna & Refkah Serhan

Suhail Saba, Sr.

H oly Bread of Oblation

is offered by the families, for the

month of December, for the health

and well being of:

Leja Family

Jamal & Raghdeh Kakish,

children and grandchildren

Mason Family

Farida Rabah

Irene Saba and Family

Snage Family

L ord, You are the physician of

our souls and body. We pray You

grant the following parishioners

good health and blessings:

Metropolitan PAUL Yazigi,

Archbishop Youhanna Ibrahim,

Nazih, Linda, Nadia Ayoub, George

Elias Gharib, Marcus, Marie

Abouassaly, Art, Abe Azzam, Laila

Hassan, Mohammed Osman, Almaz

Jaafer,

T he following parishioners and

friends of the Basilica of St.

Mary have given special donations

to the Church in the past few

weeks:

$100-For the health and well being

of Farida Rabah offered by Kamal

and Maha Khalil and family,

$100-For the health and well being

of newly baptized Roman Warra

offered by his grandmother Maha

Warra,

$100-For the health and well being

of Robert Mourad offered by

Edmond and Georgette Mourad,

$100-For the health and well being

of newly churched Juliet

Genevieve offered by parents

Joseph and Nicole Obeidi,

$100-Congratulations to Bobby

Deeg, proud parents Joe and

Darlene Deeg and grandparents

Bob and Barbara Nader on his

graduation from the University of

Michigan, Ann Arbor, with a

degree in Meteorology and

commissioned as a 2nd

Lieutenant in the Air Force,

$200-Anonymous donation for the

needy,

$250-In loving memory of Suheil

M. Ajluni offered by his wife

Catherine Ajluni, and children

Emeel (Elizabeth) Ajluni, Dr.

Steven (Samar) Ajluni and Karen

(Joseph) Timpone,

$1625-In loving memory of Akram

Khoury offered by family and

friends,

$5000-In loving memory of Akram

Khoury offered by his brother Dr.

Issa Khoury,

Thought for the Day

“Remember that a heart at

peace makes the body happy.

Anger, like fire, can consume

and burn the joy of the day.”

Fr. George Shalhoub

The Village Up North Join our team!

The Village

Up North is a

new

Antiochian

Orthodox

camping

program for

children at our church. We are looking

to expand our program and need new

committee members. Please join the

team and help create an outdoor

camping tradition at the Basilica. No

camping experience needed – only a

sense of adventure! Please contact Tom

Saba: (tom.saba@gmail.com)

Help Needed

Home care needed 7 days a week from

8:00am to 8:00pm.

Please contact Hiyam at 734-464-8070

for more information.

The Antiochian Orthodox Basilica of St. Mary Page 5

18100 MERRIMAN ROAD ▪ LIVONIA, MICHIGAN 48152

Return service requested

Dated Material

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

PAID LIVONIA, MI

PERMIT NO. 413

visit our website: www.saintmarylivonia.com

The Antiochian Orthodox Basilica of St. Mary

FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY

T he Basilica of St. Mary is looking for donations of turkeys, canned goods or non perishable

food to help the needy. Please call the church office @734-422-0010 for additional

information. This Thanksgiving Season, we are so thankful to God and for all the blessings that

He has given us. If you wish to help a family in need, kindly include a $25 check per family, in

your weekly envelope, payable to St. Mary’s, earmarked Food for the Needy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CHRISTMAS PLANTS

I n order to decorate our Church with Poinsettias for the Christmas Season, we kindly ask that you respond by

completing the form below and enclose it in your weekly giving envelopes or by placing it in the collection

basket on Sunday.

Name: ______________________________________Amount:_____________

In memory of: _________________________________________________________

Health and well being of:_________________________________________________