OUR LADY OF LEBANON PARISH - TORONTO

Maronite Catholic Church. Served by the Antonine Maronite Order

Pastor : Fr. Maroun Abou Jaoude OAM Associate Pastor : Fr. Youssef Chedid OAM

November 25th, 2012 - Advent - Announcement to the Virgin Mary

Mass Intentions Sunday Nov 25th,
10:30am 12:30pm - Memorial mass for the late Pierre Amine El-Gemayel offered by Kataeb Toronto One year memorial mass for the late Georges Koussa offered by his wife Jamileh and his children Efram, Elie, Yolla, Norma, Marie-Rose and their families. 7:00pm - Pickering - One year memorial mass for the late Jean Ghanem offered by his daughter Therese Yorgy and her family.

SPIRITUAL RETREAT @ Marylake retreat centre

Reflection on Spirituality of Christmas. On Saturday Dec.1st, from 10.am to 6:00pm. Address: 13760 Keele St., King City ON L7B 1A7 Our Youth Group is organizing a Bake Sale as a fundraising event for their activities. This Sunday (after the two masses). Thank you for your participation.

Saturday Dec 1st,

6:30pm -40 days memorial mass for the late Vicky Mokbel Skaff wife of Laba Georges Skaff offered by Georges Skaff and family.

Sunday Dec 2nd,

10:30am 12:30pm Memorial mass for the late Msgr Raymond Hanna offered by his brothers Paul & Jean & their relatives and families. -Memorial mass for the late Habib Sahlani offered by the family. OLOL Youth Christmas Party 2012 A night full of Christmas Spirit! Sat. Dec. 22nd at 8pm in the church's hall. Food, Games, Music! Cost of tickets $ 10 Ho, Ho, Hope to see you there. For tickets please contact the Church office @ 416.534.7070

Our Lady of Lebanon Christmas Banquet

Saturday Dec 15th, 2012.

@ Rizzo Italian Banquet Hall .(Humberline & Albion Rd) Entertainment: Lebanese Super Star Georges Hadchiti Lebanese star Rami Badr

Doors open at 7:00 p.m. Dinner at 8:30 p.m.

Adults $ 80 Kids $ 40 ( age 5-11) For reservation please call: Maha 416.534.7070 Sam Dagher : 416-493-8945 Edmond Dagher: 416.371.2826 Claude Dagher : 416-294-9503 MASS SCHEDULE

Saturdays at 6:30 pm; Sundays at 10:30 & 12:30 in OLOL church (1515 Queen St W, Toronto ON); Sunday at 7 pm in Holy Redeemer Church (796 Eyer Dr, Pickering ON). Our Lady of Lebanon Parish; 1515 Queen St. West; Toronto, ON, M6R 1A5; Tel: 416-534-7070; Fax: 416-530-4103; www.ourladyoflebanon.ca; office@ourladyoflebanon.ca; mjaoude1@hotmail.com; ololtoronto, @ololtoronto

COLLECTION AND DONATIONS BALANCE Nov 25th, 2012 Abou-Atallah Elias Anonymous Bou-Saab Joseph Melki Rabih Serhal Chawki Total Collection 200.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 60.00 1392.00 Grand Total Alakji Georges Badr Malvina Bteich Pierre Sadaka Raymond Smeir Antoine Total Donations 5802.00 50.00 100.00 100.00 3500.00 250.00 4410.00

Please contact the Parishs office to arrange for any sacrament of the Church.

Office hours
Monday, Wednesday: 3pm - 8 pm Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 11am - 8 pm

Marriage
A marriage preparation course is necessary. Please call the Priest one year before the planned wedding date and before arranging the hall.

Baptism
OLOL parish thanks all the families for their annual donation of $250 CND. Your contribution are supporting our programs for our children and youth. Thank you and God bless you. Please make an appointment one month in advance.

Ministry of the Sick

Inform the priest for assistance.

Keep in touch!
Dear parishioners, if your address has recently changed, please contact the parish office to update our records.

Confession
By appointment or before the Mass.

ANNOUNCEMENT TO MARY The Annunciation was the point at which Mary was presented with her role in the great plan of God. As the narrative of the gospel notes, she is somewhat taken aback when she hears what God has in store for her. She is a young woman who is betrothed and awaiting the day of her wedding. Surely the angels greeting to this young woman must have been perplexing as Mary herself states when she declares that she does not know man. The next announcement is even more perplexing. She will conceive through the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet despite this perplexing conversation, Mary agrees to do her part in the plan of God. She is here a model of obedience and faith When we ourselves are called to participate in God's plan and realize that we do not have any clear understanding of what that means, it is good to ponder Marys faith at this moment. We are called, as Mary was, to put our total trust in God, who will make all things good.

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Galatians, Your blessings Father; (3:15-22)

A reading from the Holy Gospel of the Lord according to Saint Luke;(1:26-38)
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgins name was Mary. And he came to her and said, Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you. But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reignover the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I am a virgin? The angel said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God. Then Mary said, Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word. Then the angel departed from her.

I give an example from daily life: once a persons will has been ratified, no one adds to it or annuls it. Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring; it does not say, And to offsprings, as of many; but it says, And to your offspring, that is, to one person, who is Christ. My point is this: the law, which came four hundred thirty years later, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. For if the inheritance comes from the law, it no longer comes from the promise; but God granted it to Abraham through the promise. Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring would come to whom the promise had been made; and it was ordained through angels by a mediator. Now a mediator involves more than one party; but God is one. Is the law then opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could make alive, then righteousness would indeed come through the law. But the scripture has imprisoned all things under the power of sin, so that what was promised through faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
Praise be to God always.