THE FEAST OF THE BLESSED MASSABKI BROTHERS
THE FEAST OF THE BLESSED MASSABKI BROTHERS
AND PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
"Let us pray for the Christian communities in the Middle East, that they may continue to live in the land where Christianity was born". (Pope Francis)
In 1860, these great Maronite Martyrs were killed for their Christian faith during a time of sectarian and political tensions in Damascus and the Middle East.
At Our Lady of Lebanon in the lead up to the Feast on 10 July 2016, we are dedicating ourselves to a program of prayer for the intercession of the Blessed Massabki Brothers for peace and for refugees.
Nine days of Prayer in the lead up to the Feast
Beginning Friday 1 July, every night we will pray for the intercession of the Blessed Massabki Brothers followed by the Rosary at the Church. All are welcome, particularly our Eastern Christian brothers and Sisters.
Fri 1 July 7:30pm in the Church with Exposition
Sat 2 July 7:30 pm with Rosary
Sun 3 July 6:50pm Before Mass
Mon 4 July 8:00pmbwith Rosary
Tue 5 July 8:00pmbwith Rosary
Wed 6 July 6:30pm in the Church before 7pm Mass
Thu 7 July 7:30 pm with Rosary
Fri 8 July 7:30 pm with Rosary
Sat 9 July 7:30 pm with Rosary
Sun 10 July, Feast of the Massabki Brothers.
The Life of the Massabki Brothers
We have uploaded a video on the life of the Massabki Brothers to our You Tube channel and website at olol.org.au for you and your families to learn about these great Martyrs.
If you are unable to join us at the Church for the nine days of prayer we have also uploaded to our webpage a special prayer dedicated to the intercession of the Massabki Brothers for peace in the Middle East for you to download and pray at home.
Three Massabki Martyrs.
Pray for us
PRAYER OF THE BLESSED MASSABKI BROTHERS
FOR PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
O Christ our God, we remember the three Massabki Martyrs, Francis, Abdul-Mooti, and Raphael, who gave their lives because of their faith in you.
Let us raise glory, honour, and praise to Christ the Martyr, who shed his blood and quenched the thirst of the holy martyrs; to the One, who strengthens the faithful, crowns those who persevere, and rejoices in their feast.
The martyrs endured great suffering and bitter persecution because of their love for you and their trust in your mercy. They won crowns of victory, making their relics sources of grace, healing, and blessings.
We remember the three Massabki Martyrs, known for their piety, goodness, and genuine concern for the poor.
O Lord, we ask you, through the prayers and intercession of your three beloved martyrs to strengthen us in our daily struggles, forgive our sins, and grant us your grace. Have mercy on those who have faith in you, and lead all peoples to you. May we walk on your path in the light of your Gospel, keeping your commandments and following in the footsteps of our holy martyrs, that we may receive their crown in your eternal dwellings.
O Lord on high, hidden from all creation, you are peace reconciling those who are enemies and rescuing the persecuted and displaced of your flock. Lord, we raise our prayers and ask through the intercession of the Blessed Massabki brothers, for peace in the Middle East, especially Syria, Iraq and Lebanon, lands which continue to face oppression and bloodshed.
Three Massabki martyrs. Pray for us
Amen
(Adapted from the Maronite Liturgy for the Blessed Massabki Brothers)
To learn more about the Massabki brothers we provided the Video below.
