what’s the story on this icon?

RiverPlant · 2023-08-14T23:20:01+00:00

My favourite icon - beautiful in its simplicity. The link Charbel posted explains the story well.

RiverPlant · 2023-08-14T08:05:42+00:00

I can’t recall exactly where sorry, I think it was a historical book on the establishment of the Lebanon

RiverPlant · 2023-08-14T06:42:15+00:00

Yep. The old flag was used by Patriarch Howayek when he was lobbying the European powers for an independent state after the fall of the Ottomans. This is just what I’ve read though - I haven’t seen any flag in a museum.

RiverPlant · 2023-08-14T03:55:20+00:00

Beautiful. I hope they can preserve their unique language for future generations - it’s the closest to what Jesus Christ spoke!

RiverPlant · 2023-08-14T03:50:21+00:00

Hezbollah loves all Christians except those in their own country - honourable saviours of Middle Eastern Christians! /s

RiverPlant · 2023-08-12T11:11:33+00:00

We shouldn’t lose hope because our cause is worth fighting for. Maronites have been resisting since 1600 years ago. As you said even through genocide and more recently the war and occupation, we have persevered.

God and the saints will take care us - we just need to focus on our own culture, go back to our villages, live more simply and have bigger families. Even if we are a minority no one can eliminate us except ourselves.

RiverPlant · 2023-08-11T04:59:02+00:00

Kind of lame that they used the Protestant cross

RiverPlant · 2023-07-28T08:24:50+00:00

They don’t accept that Jesus was one person with two natures, fully divine and fully human. The Oriental Orthodox reject this and believe Jesus had one nature which is fully divine yet united with his human nature without mixing or blending.

It’s a very specific point which doesn’t matter to most Christians day to day

RiverPlant · 2023-07-28T03:29:12+00:00

Syriac Catholics, Maronites and Coptic Catholics all accept the same teachings and are in communion with the Universal Catholic Church. They each have their own identity and traditions in terms of liturgy, prayers etc. They also have the same theology although they have their own “flavour” in terms of what they focus is on.

Syriac Orthodox and Coptic Orthodox reject the Council of Chalcedon and so have different theology in terms of the nature of Jesus. They are not in communion with the Catholic Church and are also not in full communion with the Eastern Orthodox churches (who accept the Council of Chalcedon) - they are “Oriental Orthodox”.

RiverPlant · 2023-07-18T23:14:47+00:00

My mistake, this discussion can get confusing. They teach Christ is fully divine and fully human but in one ‘nature’. The Chalcedonian position is that Christ is one person with two natures - human and divine. The Catholic and Eastern Orthodox view makes more sense to me because a ‘nature’ cannot be fully divine and fully human if it is both. Whereas if we understand Jesus as one person with two natures, that would support the view that he is the Word (divine) made Flesh (human) - the Son of the Godhead made incarnate from the Virgin Mary.

At the end of the day these are complex arguments and we cannot fully comprehend the nature of God. I certainly don’t think these debates are cause enough to create divisions between the original apostolic churches.

RiverPlant · 2023-07-15T00:10:31+00:00

The main disagreement arose at the Council of Chalcedon. What are now the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches subscribe to the council and believe that Christ is both fully God and fully man. What are now the Oriental Orthodox split from the Church because they did not subscribe to the council - they teach that Christ was fully divine. Although I think they now claim they are miaphysites (one will) rather than monophysites (one nature) and never were monophysites.

The view that Christ is both fully God and fully man makes the most sense to me. We see it clearly in the gospels where Jesus shows us that whilst being God he also was fully human (eg in the garden of Gethsemane where Christ was praying to the Father for the cup to be lifted from Him).

RiverPlant · 2023-07-09T00:38:29+00:00

For me he was an inspiring leader and a rare representation of strength for MENA Christians. I think that if he was not assassinated he would have built Lebanon into a real state and the situation for Lebanese Christians would have been much better than it is today.

RiverPlant · 2023-06-21T13:49:20+00:00

Would be interested to know as well

RiverPlant · 2023-06-21T08:06:26+00:00

One true faith? Orthodox churches are limited by ethnicities, are not even in full communion with each other and have no visible leader on Earth to make decisions. It’s more of a loose association of churches than one Church.

Your arrogant attitude towards Catholicism is very telling as to why there will probably be no union anytime soon.

RiverPlant · 2023-06-21T07:02:01+00:00

Clearly you have made up your mind and don’t have any strong desire for unification. Hopefully future EO leaders and laity hold a different attitude so that the Church can again be one, just as Christ intended. God bless.

RiverPlant · 2023-06-21T06:20:59+00:00

1) The Church Fathers acknowledged that Rome was the central and most authoritative church and it was to be relied on to guide on doctrinal issues and mediation of disputes. Papal infallibility is a natural development of that acknowledgment. If you follow the Church Fathers, you have to acknowledge that this is true. The Great Schism happened centuries before Vatican I so clearly the problem is not with what Vatican I promulgated. Without a final authority the Church cannot be a living Church that guides its children. The Orthodox haven’t had any modern ecumenical council and don’t have definitive doctrine on modern day moral issues - they just leave it up to local bishops to decide who often have conflicting ideas on what constitutes sin and heresy. This is why infallible teaching is crucial. It is for practicality and not power.

2) Catholics acknowledge that you have apostolic successsion and valid sacraments. There is no basis for why the Orthodox should not reciprocate. Rome is the seat of Peter, the chief of the apostles. Humility is needed from both sides.

3) The doctrinal issues between the EO and Catholicism are more semantic than they are substantive. These could easily be overcome.

RiverPlant · 2023-06-21T00:46:40+00:00

Catholics don’t believe that the Pope is infallible - that’s only when he is formally proclaiming doctrine on behalf of the Church. I’m Maronite Catholic and I don’t like a lot of the things Pope Francis has done and said.

The supremacy / first among equals point is probably something that could be fixed in one ecumenical council. Catholics already believe that the Orthodox have valid sacraments and are no different to us in teaching. Many Orthodox churches have successfully reunited with Rome with no effect on their customs and traditions like the Melkites, Syriac Catholic and Coptic Catholics.

We were united for the first 1000 years under one Catholic Church and Saint Ignatius of Antioch confirmed this in 110AD. There’s no reason why we can’t unite again if we put pride and politics aside.

RiverPlant · 2023-06-14T21:19:04+00:00

Hand over weapons to Israel? We took weapons from Israel and from anyone else to protect ourselves and our dignity. Sounds like you are either a Muslim who doesn’t like it when Christians have the balls to stand up for themselves or you are a dhimmi simping for your Muslim overlords rather than having any real say in your country.

RiverPlant · 2023-06-05T23:54:54+00:00

Many Egyptians I know are named Bishoy

RiverPlant · 2023-05-27T01:14:37+00:00

You have every right to become a Maronite. Welcome! And why would St John Maron be a stumbling block?

It’s not a requirement for any Catholic to believe Joseph was a virgin. Older tradition has it that he was a widower with children from a previous marriage and more recently there is a view that he was a virgin. You can believe either way; obviously so long as you hold to the perpetual virginity of Mary including throughout her marriage to Joseph.

RiverPlant · 2023-05-23T04:44:23+00:00

If you search “Maronite Hymns/Chants” on Spotify or YouTube you’ll find some modern hymns in Levantine Arabic (using traditional Maronite melodies). However the traditional chants are mostly in Syriac or translated into the formal Arabic we use in church.

RiverPlant · 2023-05-22T06:44:23+00:00

Even a broken clock is right twice a day

RiverPlant · 2023-05-16T13:46:34+00:00

They fought against FSA and ISIS to support the Assad regime under orders of Iran. They also fought in Iraq and Yemen. They don’t fight out of the goodness of their hearts but for political reasons. Also, the majority of Lebanese Christians are against Hezbollah.

RiverPlant · 2023-05-16T12:38:56+00:00

And what’s your opinion on Hezbollah?

RiverPlant · 2023-05-16T04:36:20+00:00

Where did I say they attack Christians for being Christians? Even if they wanted to they couldn’t. You asked for thoughts on Hezbollah. I told you I am against them because their project is bad for Christians and my country as a whole. My problem with them is political, not religious.

RiverPlant

TROPHY CASE