September 2012 Year 17 — No. 7

Holy Cross Catholic Church NEWSLETTER

Paphos Gate, 1010 Nicosia; PO Box 21964, 1515 Nicosia, Cyprus

Tel. (357) 22 662132; Fax: (357) 22 660767; Email: holcross@logos.cy.net

Parish Priest: Fr. Evencio Herrera ofm; Assistant Priests: Fr. Andrew Arhin ofm, Fr. Vito Gabriele Scagliuso

Dear brothers and sisters:

After the summer break, rested and blessed, we take back our ministry.

I am glad that I was able to be with my parents for two weeks and glad

to be back.

1. We are always happy to welcome consecrated people and friends at

Holy Cross. But, when a young Franciscan brother comes and stays for

two months, serving with joy and dedication our parish community, our

joy is greater! Thank you very much, Bro. David, for your unselfish and

faithful service to our Holy Cross community. May the Good Shepherd

continue to bless you as you go back to your studies in Jerusalem. We

hope to see you soon back in Nicosia.

2. On Thursday evening (13 September) and Friday (14 September),

we will celebrate the Feast of our Parish: The Exaltation of The Holy

Cross, with solemn masses and procession (see details on p. 3 of the

Newsletter). The General Visitator, Reverend Fr. Renato Beretta

OFM, will say the Thursday mass.

“The Cross ahead me, the world behind me…”

Please come and join us! This is our Parish Feast!

Fr Evencio Herrera, ofm

Death itself died when life was slain on the Tree.

SUNDAY MASSES

8:00 am English

9:30 am English

11:00 am French: Every 1st Sunday of the month

11:00 am Tagalog: Every 2nd Sunday of the month

11:00 am Indian: Every 3rd Sunday of the month

11:00 am Sinhala: Every 4th Sunday of the month

6:30 pm English (Children and Family Liturgy)

7:00 am English

Sri Lankan Sisters’ Chapel

7:00 am English

St. Joseph’s Sisters’

7:30 am Greek (Tuesdays)

Devotion to St. Anthony

8.00 am English (Wednesdays)

6:30 pm English

4:00 pm Polish: Every 1st Saturday of the month

4:00 pm Spanish: Every 2nd Saturday of the month

6:30 pm English (Sunday Liturgy)

WEEKDAY MASSES

SATURDAY MASSES

Monday to Saturday at 5:20 pm or

by appointment.

CONFESSIONS

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

When I put my feet on the Cypriot ground two months ago, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I only knew that my stay would certainly be full of surprises. And one of the most beautiful of them was that I felt at home right away.

I felt at home because, from the beginning, I found myself in front of a well-known figure: it was that of Jesus. A Jesus though different from the one we’re used to see on TV or on pictures: he had black skin with slanted eyes, was eating curry and loved Ceylon tea. He had a European accent somewhere between French, English and Rumanian, while he was performing a Greek-Cypriot dance on a Latin American music.

That’s the Jesus I believe in: a Jesus that reaches all peoples and that reaches you through all people. A Jesus that teaches us that more important than where we come from is where we’re going, towards Him, towards that perfect unity in which we discover that the main aspect of our culture has to be the culture of love which, as He showed us, is without borders.

May God Bless You Always, Thanks for everything,

CALENDAR SEPTEMBER CELEBRATIONS

Death itself died when life was slain on the Tree

THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS

The Feast of the Exaltation (or Triumph) of

the Holy Cross celebrates three historical

events: the finding of the True Cross by Saint

Helena; the dedication of churches built by

Emperor Constantine, her son, on the site of

the Holy Sepulchre and Mount Calvary; and the

restoration of the True Cross to Jerusalem by

the emperor Heraclius II. But in a deeper sense, the feast also

celebrates the Holy Cross as the instrument of our salvation. This

instrument of torture, designed to degrade the worst of

criminals, became the life-giving tree that reversed Adam's

Original Sin when he ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good

and Evil in the Garden of Eden. (by Scott P.

3/9 St. Gregory the Great, pope (540-

604), Memorial

8/9 Birth of Blessed Virgin Mary, Feast

13/9 St. John Chrysostom, bishop &

doctor (350-407), Memorial

14/9 Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Feast

15/9 Our Lady of Sorrows, Memorial

17/9 The Stigmata of St. Francis of Assisi

(1224)

20/9 St. Andrew Kim Taegon and

companions, martyrs (1839),

Memorial

21/9 St. Matthew, Evangelist, Feast

27/9 St. Vincent de Paul, priest (1530-

1660), Memorial

29/9 Ss Michael, Gabriel & Raphael,

archangels, Feast

YEAR 2—CYCLE B

John Chrysostom was born in Antioch, an important center of early Christianity, in 349.

After an extensive classical education (in philosophy and rhetoric), he withdrew from profane

studies, became a Christian, was ordained a lector, and then embraced asceticism. He became a

monk-hermit, living in a cave for two years, but his health having been ruined by this sort of life,

he returned to the city of Antioch and resumed his office as lector. He was ordained a deacon in

381 and entered the priesthood in 386. He distinguished himself by his preaching (his eloquence

earned him his surname of Golden mouth).

In 397 he was elected bishop of Constantinople. Initially he enjoyed great popularity, but soon

his reforms started to upset certain priests, monastic and secular leaders. He was committed to reforming the

morals of the clergy and the faithful, and to restore monastic discipline. He cut down on the expenses of the

episcopal household, gave generously to the poor, built hospitals, etc. But the envy of his enemies forced him into

exile (403). Riots however obliged the authorities to order his recall. Upon his return John found himself again in

the midst of political intrigue and jealousy (Empress Eudoxia and Theophilus, the patriarch of Alexandria, kept

trying to bring about his downfall). In spite of the support of the pope who wanted him to be restored to his see,

his life was threatened and John was soon back into exile (404). Worn out and sick, he died (14 Sept 407) in

Comana, Pontus. His last words were: Glory to God for all things.

With St. Athanasius, St. Gregory Nazianzen and St. Basil, he is one of the four great doctors of the Eastern

Church. John Chrysostom is important as an orator, an exegete and a dogmatic theologian. He left us with many

sermons on moral subjects, letters, treatises and apologetic works. Adapted from the Catholic Encyclopedia

May we learn from his teachings and gain courage from his patient endurance.

SAINT OF THE MONTH: ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM

OUR LADY OF SORROWS At the cross her station keeping,

Stood the mournful mother weeping,

Close to Jesus to the last.

Through her heart, his sorrow sharing,

All his bitter anguish bearing,

Now at length the sword has passed."

(Stabat Mater)

September falls during the liturgical season of Ordinary Time.

We follow the life of Christ through the Gospels, and focus on the

teachings and parables of Jesus and what it means for us to be a

follower of Christ:

2 Sept - 22nd Sun.: Jesus admonishes the Pharisees; 9Sept - 23rd Sun.:

Jesus heals the deaf man; 16 Sept - 24th Sun.: Peter says "You are the

Christ": 23 Sept - 25th Sun.: Jesus says whoever receives one child in

His name receives Him; 30 Sept - 26th Sun. Jesus talks about scandal.

Other Highlights of the Month Optional memorials: Holy Name of Mary (12/9), St. John St. Robert Bellarmine

(17/9), Sts. Cosmas and Damian (26/9). The feasts of St. Peter Claver (9/9), Sts.

Cornelius and Cyprian (16/9), St. Pio (23/9) and St. Jerome (30/9) are

superseded by the Sunday liturgy.

PARISH UPDATES, NOTICES, NEWS, ETC.

Death itself died when life was slain on the Tree.

HOLY CROSS PARISH COUNCIL NEWS & MESSAGES

Greetings to everyone – we hope you had a wonderful summer, that you have enjoyed this special season to the greatest degree possible for you, whether you could go away for a vacation or not. As autumn begins, we hope we are all ready to begin anew, refreshed, with batteries recharged, full of energy and full of the Spirit of the Lord! Following the June meeting, over the months of July and August the Parish Council did not hold its regular monthly meetings, but its members continued to work on the Holy Cross Parish Website to be launched soon, this autumn. Texts were drafted, photographs were chosen, meetings of the Executive members were held to monitor development, the design of the website and decide on further action, contacts were made with various parties, emails were exchanged and reviews were made etc. All this with a view to progress in order to launch this autumn, as planned, the Holy Cross Parish Website, which was among the top priorities of the Parish Council’s Annual Plan. There is still some work to do and we hope to be able to announce soon the date our parish’s website will become live for everyone to begin to enjoy. In its September meeting the Parish Council will also review the progress of all items of its Annual Plan and decide on the action to be taken in order to progress further to satisfy the targets set. More information about this will be given in next month’s parish newsletter and on our website when launched. As we begin anew, we humbly ask for your prayers before the Lord for our Church, for our priests, for our parish and for each one of us on the Parish Council so that the Lord grants us His Spirit and strength to work for His people with zeal, love, faith and dedication always. May God bless you abundantly!

Akis HjiIossif (Chairman)

THURSDAY COFFEE MORNINGS

IN THE LIBRARY

Every third Thursday of the

month, 10.00-12.00.

Next : 20 September.

Everybody is welcome.

Contact: Rosemarie (99216007) or Monique

(99795207)

Community masses

The Sunday 11.00 am community language masses resume this month.

See page 1 of the Newsletter for more information.

Many thanks to all the faithful who prepare these masses.

THE HOLY FATHER’S INTENTIONS

for the month of September

General:

That politicians may always act with

honesty, integrity, and love for the truth.

Missionary: .

That Christian communities may have a

growing willingness to send missionaries,

priests, and lay people, along with concrete

resources, to the poorest Churches.

El Shaddai DWXI-PPFI Larnaca cell group

18th Anniversary

Our Lady of Graces Catholic Church, Larnaca

September 23, 2012 11:00 am- Holy Filipino Mass, celebrated by Rev. Fr. Zacheusz Dulniok 1:00 pm-4:00pm– FLU ( “Faith, Love and Unity”) The guest speaker will be Mae Hartberg, Overall Coordinator for the USA, Canada and Europe

Come and join us

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Mt. 11:28)

13-14 SEPTEMBER: THE FEAST OF

HOLY CROSS PARISH

Thursday 13 September

5.00 pm: Solemn First Vespers and Adoration of

the Blessed Sacrament.

6.00 pm: Holy Rosary

6. 30 pm: High Mass with our General Visitator,

Reverend Fr Renato Beretta OFM

7.30pm: Refreshments.

Friday 14 of September

5.00 pm: Solemn Vespers and Adoration of the

Blessed Sacrament.

6.00 pm: Holy Rosary

6.30 pm: Solemn Mass followed by Procession

and Veneration of the Holy Cross relic.

“How splendid the cross of Christ! It brings life, not death; light, not darkness; paradise, not its loss. It is the wood on which the

Lord, like a great warrior, was wounded in hands and feet and side, but healed thereby our wounds. A tree has destroyed us, a tree now

brought us life". (Theodore of Studium)

Death itself died when life was slain on the Tree.

MORE PARISH NOTICES FRANCISCAN CORNER

NOTICES, CONTRIBUTIONS, ETC.

FOR THE PARISH NEWSLETTER

Please send your notices and other

contributions for the next newsletter to

Monique [moniqueburston@yahoo.com],

or leave them in an envelope on the

Church Library desk, or see Monique.

Deadline for submissions: 23 Sept.

You can receive the

Parish newsletter electronically.

Go to

http://groupspaces.com/HCNewsletter/

Click on “JOIN GROUP” and follow the

instructions.

If you have any suggestions and

comments for our Parish please send

them to the Parish Council's email

address

holcrossparishcouncil@yahoo.com or

place them in the Suggestion Box

REFLECTION

PRAYER HAS THE POWER TO OVERCOME WEAKNESS

From the catechesis of Pope Benedict XVI [13 June 2012]

The daily encounter with the Lord and regular acceptance of the Sacraments enable us to open our mind and heart to his

presence, his words and his action. God draws us towards him, offering us enlightenment and consolation, and enabling us

to scale the mountain of holiness so that we may be ever closer to him... This is the personal experience to which St Paul

refers in Chapter 12 of his Second Letter to the Corinthians. He points out his relationship with the Lord, a relationship

so intense as also to be marked by moments of ecstasy, of profound contemplation. He admits that to prevent pride

from going to his head in the greatness of the revelations he had received from the Lord on the road to Damascus, he

was given a “thorn”, an affliction, and begs the Risen One to free him of this painful thorn in the flesh. The Risen One

reassures him in his contemplative prayer that: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in

weakness”... This also applies to us. The Lord does not free us from the evils, but helps us to mature in sufferings,

difficulties and persecutions. Faith alone, trust in the action and goodness of God, is the guarantee that we are not

working in vain… In prayer, therefore, let us open our soul to the Lord, so that he may come and inhabit our weakness,

transforming it into power for the Gospel. In a world in which we risk relying solely on the efficiency and power of

human means, we are called to rediscover and witness to the power of God which is communicated in prayer, with which

every day we grow in conforming our life to that of Christ… Therefore, like Paul, the more room we make for prayer the

more we will see our life transformed and enlivened by the tangible power of God’s love… As mysticism did not distance

Paul from reality…, so the union with God does not distance us from the world but gives us the strength to remain really

in the world, to do what must be done in the world… prepared/adapted by

St Francis and the Stigmata

On 17 September we commemorate the Stigmata of the Crucifix,

which St. Francis received on Mount La Verna in 1224. Note

that it was on or about the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross

(14 September) while meditating on the Passion of Christ that

Francis beheld the Crucifix in the shape of a seraph. When the

vision ended his own hands and feet bore the marks of the

angelic crucifixion which he had seen in the vision.

St. Bonaventure, biographer of Francis, gives this account of the miracle:

Two years before Francis, the faithful servant of Christ, gave his soul back to

God, he was alone on the top of Mt. Alverna. There he had begun a fast of forty

days in honor of the archangel Michael and was immersed more deeply than

usual in the delights of heavenly contemplation. His soul became aglow with the

ardor of fervent longing for heaven as he experienced within himself the

operations of grace.

As he was drawn aloft through ardent longing for God one morning near the

feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, and was praying on the mountainside, he saw

what appeared as a seraph with six bright wings gleaming like a fire descending

from the heights of heaven. As this figure approached in swift flight and came

near the man of God it appeared not only winged but also crucified. The sight of

it amazed Francis and his soul experienced joy mingled with pain. He was

delighted with the sight of Christ appearing to him so graciously and intimately

and yet the awe-inspiring vision of Christ nailed to the cross aroused in his soul a

joy of compassionate love.

When the vision vanished after a mysterious and intimate conversation it left

Francis aglow with seraphic love in his soul. Externally, however, it left marks on

his body like those of the Crucified as if the impression of a seal had been left on

heated wag […]

Because of this new and astounding miracle unheard of in times past, Francis

came down from the mountain a new man adorned with the sacred stigmata,

bearing in his body the image of the Crucified not made by a craftsman in wood

or stone, but fashioned in his members by the hand of the living God.

(Legenda Minor—De Stigmatibus sacris, 1-4 )

BIBLE WISDOM

‘ If it is possible!’ said Jesus, ‘

everything is possible to one who

believes.’

Mk 9:23

Become a POSSIBILITARIAN. No

matter how dark things seem or are,

raise your sights and see possibilities-