February 9 - Feast of St. Maron - Father of the Maronite Church

Maroun.org ^ | February 9, 2005

[NYer]

Mar Maroun

All that is known about Maron, the spiritual father and protector of the Maronites comes from Theodoret, the bishop of Cyr. In approximately 444, Theodoret undertook the project of writing a religious history about his religion. Theodoret never knew Maron personally, but only through the disciples of this holy man. He described Maron as "the one who has planted for God the garden which flourishes now in the region of Cyr." Little is known of the birth or youth of Maron because Theodoret was unconcerned about that aspect of his life. He felt that Maron was a man born not for this world, but for heaven. In his description of the beginning of Maron's life, Theodoret assests that Maron had "already increased the number of saints in heaven." According to history, Maron was never satisfied with the ordinary practices of asceticism, but was "always seeking for new ways to accumulate all the treasures of wisdom." Maron was the spiritual leader not only of the hermits who lived near him, but of all the Christian faithful in the area. He used to counsel them, heal their bodily and spiritual ills. All of these apostolic endeavors manifested wisdom and holiness of the hermit Maron.

Some hold the opinion that Maron and John Chrysostom studied together at Antioch before 398 and that the famous letter sent by John Chrysostom was indeed sent to this hermit Maron and not to some other anchorite with the same name. If the monk referred to in this letter is from the region of Cyr, it is indeed our spiritual father, Maron.

The date of Maron's death is placed somewhere between 407 and 423. Because of his great popularity among the people, riots broke out at the time of his death because everyone wanted to save his remains in their village.

The Maronite Church formerly celebrated the feast of this great saint on January 5th. (This is the day in which the church of Kfarhai was consecrated in his honor.) However, in the seventeenth century, the feast was transferred to February 9th. Lebanon has proclaimed Maron as its patron saint and Pope Benedict XIV granted a plenary indulgence to everyone who visited a Maronite Chruch on February 9th.

The gospel tells us that a tree is known by its fruits and we know from Theodoret that the garden of Maron flouished after his death. One is able to number approximately twenty saints among Maron's disciples, three whom were women. Theodoret describes these disciples of Maron with these words: "These anchorites were virtuous and heroic, totally dedicated to a life of contemplative prayer. They were strangers to any other consideration in the world. They were obedient to Church authority and tried to imitate their predecessor in their exercises of austerity. At times, their acts of penance and mortification were excessive, but they were always obedient to ecclesiastical authority."

After the Council of Chalcedon, Bishop Theodoret worked to construct the famous Monastery of Saint Maron. In addition to being a stronghold for the defense of the teachings of the Council of Chalcedon, this monastery was for a long time the center of the cultural and theological heritage of Antioch.

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Patriarch Nasrallah Peter Cardinal Sfeir and the Holy Father

             The Maronite Church is one of 22 churches within the one universal Catholic Church.  A Church is a community of faith having a distinct tradition, theology, spirituality, liturgy, hierarchy, and canon law.  At the same time, each church enjoys an autonomy and independence from its sister churches.  All of the churches are united in the same profession of Faith, in the same celebration of the Sacraments, and in the same hierarchal unity.  Under the Pope, the different traditions evolved from five centers of Christianity where the apostles preached -- Antioch, Alexandria, Constantinople, Rome and Jerusalem.

           The Maronite Church evolved from the Antiochene tradition in the 5th century.  The first Maronites were direct descendants of the people who had received the Faith from the Apostle, Peter. The father of the Maronite Church was a holy monk and hermit, Maron, who lived from 350-410 AD.  Maron's life was one of piety and dedication to the simple life of prayer and meditation; his holiness attracted many to join him and to convert others to Christianity through the spreading of the Gospel.  St. John Maron, the first Patriarch of the Maronite people.  The Maronite Patriarchate was initiated by the election of John Maron in 686 AD and has continued, to the present.

           Late in the seventh century, due to religious persecution and heresy, the Maronite monks became obliged to seek refuge in Lebanon, where St. Maron's relics were transferred to the Patriarchal residence in Kafarhai. In the year 1130, they were removed to Foligno, Italy, and placed in the Cathedral there. In January, 2000, the relics were returned to Lebanon.

            The Maronite tradition was brought to the United States in the early 1900's with the immigration of many Maronites from Lebanon.  A hierarchy was established for the Maronites of the USA in 1965, and in 1972 the Diocese of St. Maron was established with the See in Detroit, Michigan.  The first Bishop was Archbishop Francis M. Zayek.  In 1994, the Diocese (Eparchy) of Our Lady of Lebanon was established with its See in Los Angeles.  There are over 54 Maronite parishes and several missions in the United States.

            The Maronite Church professes the same faith and beliefs of the One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.   It also administers the 7 Sacraments instituted by Christ, and obeys all the moral and dogmatic norms issued by our Holy Father the Pope, the successor of Saint Peter in the Vatican.  The liturgy, itself, is known as the Syriac liturgy of Antioch, ascribed to St. James the Less,  "brother of the Lord", Apostle and first Bishop of Jerusalem.  The ritual formulation expresses the spirit of Eastern monasticism.  The liturgical language used in the Maronite Mass is Syriac-Aramaic, the language spoken by Christ.  Incense is used during the Liturgy to signify that our prayers go heavenward to God as the sweet-smelling smoke of incense rises up.  In the Liturgy, the words of consecration are traditionally chanted in Aramaic, the same language our Lord spoke.  Communion is received by intinction, after the priest dips the Host in the Chalice.   This is the only form prescribed for reception of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Maronite Church.  Maronites cultivate profound adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, seeing in the Holy Eucharist the Risen Christ who sent to us the Sanctifying Spirit. They are also deeply devoted to Mary, The Mother of the Light, hailing her strength and fidelity in the title of "Cedar of Lebanon."

To locate a Maronite (or other Eastern Catholic) Church in your community, check this link:

Eastern Catholic Churches in the U.S.