Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East Mar Mari of Yonkers, NY
ܥܕܬܐ ܩܕܝܫܬܐ ܘܫܠܝܚܝܬܐ ܩܬܘܠܝܩܝ ܕܡܕܢܚܐ ܕܐܬܘܪ̈ܝܐ
ܥܘܡܪܐ ܕܡܪܝ ܡܐܪܝ ܫܠܝܚܐ
Sunday Liturgical Reading
Welcome
Welcome, and thank you for visiting Mar Mari Church Online. We hope that our website highlights the wide variety of worship, fellowship and service opportunities that are available. Please feel free to read more about our church on this site, or come in for a visit. We would love to greet you and share with you our love for Jesus Christ and for you, our neighbor.
Our Mission Statement
St. Mari Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East in an incorporated entity within the Mystical Body of Christ. We recognize that The Church is an unceasing living tool offering and extending to the masses of humankind the gracious ministry of (Maran o'Paroqan Eesho Misheekha) Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
We, the pastor, deacons, parish committee, sub-committees, and faithful in community of St. Mari Church, under the blessings of our beloved Catholics Patriarch His Holiness Mar Awa III of the Assyrian Church of the East, commit ourselves to work together in one accord , thus bringing to fruition the Sacred Ministry of Our Lord Jesus. We will present to those who are oppressed, salvation; to those who are sick and infirm, healing; to those in bondage, release; to those who are weary, comfort and rest; to those who are afar-off, bringing them near.
We will watch over those who are at hand, offering absolution to the sinner, acceptance of the repentant; honor the righteous, nurture of the poor, finding those who have strayed; bringing back the abandoned, remembering those who have died and gone to their rest; visit those who are shut-in; and to show mercy and kindness to all of humankind.
The Seventh Sunday of Summer
The Church put in front of us the following readings:
The first reading is from Isaiah (30:1-15)
The rebellious children are the people of Judah, those who have rebelled against God. The negotiations for an alliance were underway, and Isaiah condemned their twisted plans. The people of Judah sought advice from everyone but God. When we are driven by fear, we tend to search everywhere for comfort, guidance, and relief, hoping to find an easy way out of our troubles. Instead, we should consult God. Although He gives emergency help in a crisis, He prefers to be our Guide throughout our lives. By reading God's Word and actively seeking to do His will, we can maintain our bond with Him, who provides stability no matter the crisis. Some people in Judah may have sought refuge in Egypt. In their desire to find security, they wanted to hear only good news. They did not welcome the truth from God's prophets. Often the fact makes us uncomfortable. We prefer lies and illusions when they make us feel more secure. It is much better to face reality than to live a lie. Do not settle for something that makes you feel comfortable but is not valid.
The second reading is from 1 Thessalonians (2:14-3:13)
God worked through Paul and his companions to tell the Gospel so that people could share in Christ's glory. It may seem strange that God works through us fallible, unfaithful, untrustworthy human creatures. But He has given us the fantastic privilege of accomplishing His great mission, telling the world how to find salvation. Paul knew that the Thessalonians would face pressure from persecutions, false teachers, and apathy to waver from the truth and leave the faith. So he urged them to “stand firm” and hold on to the fact they had been taught both through his letters and in person. We also may face persecution, false teachings, worldliness, and apathy. We should hold on to the truth of Christ's teaching because our lives depend on it. Never forget the reality of Christ's life and love. Paul did not pray for his personal needs but the advancement and protection of the Gospel. The apostle reminded the Thessalonians that the Lord is faithful to establish us on the Word and guard us against the evil one. The best protection against the evil one is standing firm in the Word of God. Paul asked the Lord to direct the hearts of his readers and remove the obstacles that stand in their way, which is any barrier to spiritual growth.
The third reading is from Luke (18:1-14)
Jesus told this story to encourage His listeners to be persistent in prayer and not give up. This does not mean endless repetition or painfully long prayer sessions. Constant prayer means to keep our requests continually before God as we live for Him day by day, believing He will answer. When we live by faith, we are not to give up. God may delay answering, but His delays always have good reasons. As we persist in prayer, we grow in character, faith, and hope. And Jesus wants to tell us if godless judges respond to constant pressure, how much will a great and loving God respond to us? If we know He loves us, we can believe He will hear our cries for help. And Jesus gave us another example of prayer: we have to focus on our sins through prayer, and we don’t have to be like the Pharisee. The Pharisee did not go to the temple to pray to God but to announce to all with a high voice how good he was. The tax collector went, recognizing his sin, asking and begging for mercy. Self-righteousness is not excellent and dangerous. It leads to pride, causes people to despise others, and prevents them from learning anything from God. The Pharisee’s prayer was meaningless before God, the tax collector wrapped in the righteousness of Jesus, a sinner saved by Grace. The tax collector would spend eternity with God. His prayer should be our prayer because we all need God’s mercy and grace every day. Don’t let pride in our achievements cut us off from God.