Tag: Maronite Church

Introduction to Syriac Spirituality: A Thematic Approach

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Introduction To Spirituality: A Thematic Approach

A New Book
by Chorbishop Seely Beggiani

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Introduction to Syriac Spirituality: A Thematic Approach is an introduction to Syriac spirituality by presenting the themes and insights of a selection of major Syriac writers who lived from the fourth to the eighth centuries. Its approach is not to devote separate chapters to each writer, but to present a synthesis of the Syriac writers of this period according to the principal themes found in their body of work. Since many of the authors cited do not write in a systematic and analytical fashion, this work strives to give an orderly presentation of how Syriac spirituality progressed in those early centuries.

To provide a context for better understanding the approach of these writers, the first chapter of this work presents a theological context within which Syriac spirituality developed.

Besides Syriac writers, the teachings of Evagrius of Pontus have been included because they had a significant influence on many of the writers cited. Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite is also included because some of his ideas were incorporated by Isaac of Nineveh and other later Syriac writers.

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Chorbishop Seely Beggiani is former rector of Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Seminary and former Adjunct Associate Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at The Catholic University of America.

The Cross in the Light of Jesus Christ: Theology of the Cross in the Maronite Book of Offering

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Armando Elkhoury

The cross is a heinous instrument of execution. Why, then, do Maronites and other Christians venerate it? The cross adorns our necks, for example, and we hang it in our homes, churches, workplaces, etc. At various liturgies, we adore the cross by kissing and bowing to it. We refer to it as the cross of splendor, the cross of wonder, and the cross of glory, and the Church celebrates the feast of the Exaltation of the Glorious Cross each year, on September 14.

The cross, in and of itself, depicts total defeat and horrendous death. Paradoxically, the cross of Jesus Christ symbolizes victory and life. Why? Precisely because of who Jesus the Nazarene is: he is the Messiah, the Son of God, the Crucified One. Hence, in the light of Jesus Christ, let us explore a couple of theological themes about the cross found in the Maronite Book of Offering—henceforth BO.

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Season of the Glorious Cross: The Exaltation of the Cross – (Maronite Divine Liturgy)

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Alejandro Landin
Translator

Syriac Melody: ܪܰܡܪܶܡܰܝܢܝ
Our Savior, guard Your Church and her children with the Cross of Light because it is the source of life and fulfillment of all mysteries.ܒܰܨܠܺܝܒ ܢܘܽܗܪܳܐ ܦܳܪܘܽܩܰܢ ܆ ܢܰܛܰܪ ܠܥܺܕܬܳܟ ܘܰܠܝ̈ܰܠܕܶܝܗ̇ ܆ ܕܡܰܒܘܽܥܳܐ ܕܚ̈ܰܝܶܐ ܐܺܝܬܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܆ ܘܫܘܽܡܠܳܝܳܐ ܕܟܽܠܗܘܽܢ ܪ̈ܳܐܙܶܐ ܀
With Your Cross, the power of your divinity, the priest signs Your Body and Blood on the altar and consecrates the mysteries of Your Church.ܒܰܨܠܺܝܒܳܟ ܪܳܫܶܡ ܟܳܗܢܳܐ ܆ ܦܰܓܪܳܟ ܘܰܕܡܳܟ ܥܰܠ ܡܰܕܒܚܳܐ ܆ ܒܫܘܽܠܛܳܢܳܐ ܕܰܐܠܳܗܘܽܬܳܟ ܆ ܘܰܡܩܰܕܶܫ ܪ̈ܳܐܙܶܐ ܕܥܺܕܬܳܟ ܀
Our Savior, Your Cross, which became a ladder [see Gn 28:10-17] for Your Church, is blessed, and by it, mortals are raised and joined to the Spiritual Beings.ܒܪܺܝܟ ܗ̱ܘܽ ܨܠܺܝܒܳܟ ܦܳܪܘܽܩܰܢ ܆ ܕܰܗܘܳܐ ܠܥܺܕܬܳܟ ܣܶܒܶܠܬܳܐ ܆ ܘܒܶܗ ܡܶܬܥܰܠܶܝܢ ܡܳܝ̈ܘܽܬܶܐ ܆ ܘܡܶܬܚܰܠܛܺܝܢ ܥܰܡ ܪ̈ܘܽܚܳܢܶܐ ܀

I am the true Light – A Syriac Hymn

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“I am the true light,” said our Lord to his disciples, “and anyone walking in the light, darkness does not overtake them.” Blessed are the Righteous and the Just who walked in the light of the truth. Behold their commemorations resound on earth and above in heaven. May their prayers be a fortification to us.

See John 1:9; 3:19; 8:12; 9:39; 12:46.

 ܐܶܢܳܐ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܢܘܽܗܪܳܐ ܫܰܪܺܝܪܳܐ ܐܶܡܰܪ ܡܳܪܰܢ ܠܬܰܠܡܺܝ̈ـܕܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܃ ܘܟܽܠ ܐܰܝܢܳܐ ܕܰܒܢܘܽܗܪܳܐ ܡܗܰܠܶܟ ܠܳܐ ܡܰܕܪܶܟ ܠܶܗ ܚܶܫܘܽܟܳܐ ܃ ܛܘܽܒܳܐ ܠܟܺܐܢ̈ܶܐ ܘܙܰܕܺܝ̈ܩܶܐ ܕܗܰܠܶܟܘ ܒܢܘܽܗܪܳܐ ܕܰܫܪܳܪܳܐ ܃ ܗܳܐ ܪܳܥܡܺܝܢ ܕܘܽܟܪ̈ܳܢܰܝܗܘܽܢ ܒܰܐܪܥܳܐ ܘܰܠܥܶܠ ܒܰܫܡܰܝܳܐ ܃ ܨܠܘܽܬܗܘܽܢ ܫܘܽܪܳܐ ܬܶܗܘܶܐ ܠܰܢ ܀

Maronites in America – Continuing the Legacy

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Seely Beggiani
Short Biography
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Short Biography

Seely Beggiani

Chorbishop Seely Beggiani, S.T.D. was Rector of Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Seminary from 1968 to 2013, and Adjunct Associate Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at The Catholic University of America from 1967 to 2014. He has researched and written on a variety of subjects including systematic theology, Maronite Church history, Maronite liturgy, Syriac theology, and Eastern Christian Spirituality.

His doctoral dissertation at The Catholic University of America in 1963 is entitled: The Relations of the Holy See and the Maronites from the Papacy of Pope Gregory XIII (1572-1585) to the Synod of Mount Lebanon in 1736. His book, Early Syriac Spirituality: with special reference to the Maronite Tradition, was published by Catholic University Press in 2014. Among his published articles during the past 50 years are: “A Case for Logocentric Theology,” Theological Studies 32 (1971): 371-46, “Theology at the Service of Mysticism: Method in Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite,” Theological Studies 57 (1996): 201-23, “The Typological Approach of Syriac Sacramental Theology,” Theological Studies 64 (2003): 543-557, and “The Incarnational Theology and Spirituality of John the Solitary of Apamea,” Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies 21.2 (2018):391-421. In retirement, Chorbishop Beggiani is preparing a manuscript for publication entitled: “A Thematic Introduction to Syriac Spirituality.” He continues to offer courses in Maronite and Syriac studies at the Maronite Seminary and to offer lectures to various audiences.

Address Given by Chorbishop Seely Beggiani, S.T.D., to the Joint Clergy Meeting, Cleveland, Ohio, June 30, 2015. The following first appeared in the Maronite Voice September 2015 issue.

The Maronites in the United States during the past 135 years have not only survived but have grown and prospered. Beginning especially in the 1880s, Maronites emigrated in large numbers from Lebanon and Syria to many parts of the world. There were various reasons for leaving. While religious issues may have been a factor, the principal causes were a lack of economic opportunities and lack of living space. Significant numbers settled in North and South America, Australia and parts of Africa. But it was only in the United States that numerous parishes were established. This may be due to the fact that the United States was already becoming a very prosperous country with advanced means of transportation and communication. However, we should also recognize the strong faith, efforts and generosity of the Maronite clergy and laity of the early decades.

The first part of this presentation will chronicle and analyze the major events of the Maronite experience in the United States. The second part will be devoted to continuing this legacy.

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Syriac, Spiritual Ancestral Language, Key to a Vast Treasury

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Aramaic, an ancient language spoken in the Near and Middle East, goes back to the 9th century BC. Like any language, it evolved with time and broke off into several dialects. Syriac (Suryoyo), one of these dialects that came to the scene decades after the Ascension of our Lord, became the dominant Christian literary language among the Peoples who spoke these various local Aramaic tongues and whose presence extended from the coast of present day Lebanon all the way to China.

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My Vision of the Maronite Church

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  • The Antiochene Syriac Maronite Church is depicted as a Cedar of Lebanon. She is founded on Christ (the cross) who is the cornerstone of all churches and she is nourished by God’s Word as found in both Testaments of the Bible. Her roots are based in Jerusalem (the mother of all Churches), Antioch, Edessa and Nisibis, and Lebanon, the See of the Maronite Patriarch.
The Family of Maron
  • For the Maronites, the Cedar of Lebanon represents Mary. In the Maronite Marian litany we find, “O Cedar of Lebanon pray for us.”
  • The cross represents Jesus, the Son of God, who freely accepted death on the cross between two thieves and was vindicated and resurrected by His Father.
  • The Maronite Church embraced Mary as her mother following Jesus’ words to his beloved disciple “Behold, your mother.” And as “from that hour the disciple took her into his home,” the Maronite faithful took Mary into their own homes. Wherever the Maronite Patriarch’s See ended up Mary was at its heart. She is the Patron Saint of every Maronite Patriarch’s chapel.
  • Maronites should return to their Syriac Heritage which is biblical. “Save me, O Lord, from the poison of the Greeks (i.e. philosophy)” uttered Saint Ephrem. The Syriac Fathers used typology in interpreting the Bible. The image of the Cross of Christ was evoked in their mind every time they read a reference to trees and wood in the Old Testament. Therefore, the Cedar of Lebanon refers to the cross.
  • The Maronite Church is a universal Church with roots extending in all continents. Her branches embrace the world as a mother embraces her children without distinction and discrimination.  Let us not forget the parable given by Christ, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches” (Mt. 13:31) The same parable is being evoked. A cedar tree, however, is used instead of a mustard tree.

Growth of the Maronite Church in the United States – Five Necessary Components

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The Great Commission

Introduction

I am excited and privileged to be at the forty-seventh Maronite Convention. “The Identity of the Maronite Church” and “Welcoming Non-Maronites into our Faith and Heritage” are two very important topics that are dear to my heart. Instead of treating them separately I would like to address them in the context of the growth of the Maronite Church in the United States – if I may say, “Looking at the whole forest rather than individual trees.”

The Maronite Church in the United States has definitely grown in the last three decades. There is a high probability that this growth is largely due to the influx of immigrants who left their homelands seeking a better life in this country. Thank God for immigrants! Their contribution has been tremendous to our nation and Church, yet the Church’s growth cannot only depend on the waves of immigrants coming from the Middle East. After all, we, as a Church, are called to abide by Christ’s Divine Commission “to make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:18-20). The growth of the Maronite Church in this country might have been limited in part because our congregations have been integrating mostly – if not almost exclusively – (Middle Eastern) immigrants. However, there are many other reasons why the growth of the Church was limited. My objectives are not to enumerate or examine them all, but rather to propose five necessary components that will Lead to the growth of the Maronite Church in the United States.

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Crisis in the Life of the Maronite Church

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The Maronite Church is going through an identity crisis. In fact, this is a worldwide phenomenon and not specific to the United States. Is the Maronite Church an ethnic Church? Is it a Lebanese Church or an Arabic Church? Does the Maronite Church serve only those who come from Lebanon or the Middle East and by extension those who are married into a Lebanese or Middle Eastern family? Or is it the Church of Christ, in which there is no distinction between Lebanese and non-Lebanese?

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Catechetical, Liturgical, and Biblical Implications of the Hoosoyo in Contemporary Maronite Tradition

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Written by Fr. Anthony Salim, Pastor of  St. Joseph Maronite Church, Olean, NY and author of Captivated by your Teachings

Captivated by your Teachings
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When Professor Miller asked me to consider presenting a paper at this symposium, he told me that he wanted to have a living witness to the ideas in the papers of the other presenters. I genuinely think that the current liturgical tradition of the Maronite Church fits the bill. Thus, the purpose of this paper will be to demonstrate how a central liturgical form of the Antiochene West Syriac Tradition, namely the hoosoyo, has come to be understood as a both an effective catechetical tool on passing on the Faith and a source for Maronite interpretation of the Bible.

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To Be a Maronite, to Be a Maronite in the United States

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Seely Beggiani
Short Biography
x

Short Biography

Seely Beggiani

Chorbishop Seely Beggiani, S.T.D. was Rector of Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Seminary from 1968 to 2013, and Adjunct Associate Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at The Catholic University of America from 1967 to 2014. He has researched and written on a variety of subjects including systematic theology, Maronite Church history, Maronite liturgy, Syriac theology, and Eastern Christian Spirituality.

His doctoral dissertation at The Catholic University of America in 1963 is entitled: The Relations of the Holy See and the Maronites from the Papacy of Pope Gregory XIII (1572-1585) to the Synod of Mount Lebanon in 1736. His book, Early Syriac Spirituality: with special reference to the Maronite Tradition, was published by Catholic University Press in 2014. Among his published articles during the past 50 years are: “A Case for Logocentric Theology,” Theological Studies 32 (1971): 371-46, “Theology at the Service of Mysticism: Method in Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite,” Theological Studies 57 (1996): 201-23, “The Typological Approach of Syriac Sacramental Theology,” Theological Studies 64 (2003): 543-557, and “The Incarnational Theology and Spirituality of John the Solitary of Apamea,” Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies 21.2 (2018):391-421. In retirement, Chorbishop Beggiani is preparing a manuscript for publication entitled: “A Thematic Introduction to Syriac Spirituality.” He continues to offer courses in Maronite and Syriac studies at the Maronite Seminary and to offer lectures to various audiences.

Maronite Seminary

To be a person of faith involves several dimensions. Religious faith is the conviction that all of reality, despite the many aspects of life that seem to go wrong, is radically good and has an ultimate purpose. Faith arises from an encounter where God offers us his unconditioned love and awaits our response. For the Christian, faith is the choice to see God, the world, and ourselves through the eyes of Jesus Christ, and the decision to live our lives according to His teachings and His way of life. Faith is embodied in liturgical worship, creeds, a code of morality, and commitments to action especially against injustice.

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