Maronite Meditations

We study the letter which the Monks of St Maroun and other monks wrote to Pope Hormisdas in 517, subsequent to the massacre of about 350 monks by Monophysite s(anti-Chalcedonians). It shows that the Maronite monks were well and truly prominent within 70 years of the foundation of their monastery. It also provides evidence of their acknowledgement of the pre-eminent position of the Pope, and how th...

We go more deeply into the history of the monastery of St Maroun. It is interesting to examine what we can know about it, and how we know. In the end, we see that it must have been founded in 452 as a bulwark teaching the doctrine of the Council of Chalcedon, and destroyed by the year 956.

We examine the evidence of Procopius, and Abu l-Fida, which taken together, show that it was almost certainly on the Orontes River, near Emesa and Hama. But we also examine some of the other ideas floating around, and critique them where appropriate. I forgot to mention that the Monastery of St Maroun is mentioned in the monks' letter to the Pope of 517 - further evidence that the Monastery pr...

We examine the evidence for St Simeon's relation with the Maronites, and close with a summary of Maronite history so far.

We examine a critique of Theodoret's brief biography of St Maroun, and commence a related enquiry into the life of St Symeon (Simon) the Stylite.

We examine the letter of St John Chrysostom to St Maroun: a short but beautiful letter with its statement: "No distance can weaken the look of love." We also deal with Moosa's assertions that this letter was not addressed to St Maroun, patron of the Maronite Church.

We study what is known of St Maroun, his actions, age at death, and the significance of the similarity of his life, as reported, to that of St Anthony of Egypt.

We study the basic texts about early and medieval Maronite history, and of his life.

We look at Christian Life in Antioch, not least how Scripture was read, i.e. using typology.

We examine what is known of the Divine Liturgy in Antioch at the time when St Maroun is living.

We examine the life of St John Chrysostom, and explore his book "On the Priesthood." We note his letter to St Maroun, but we explore that in the forthcoming programme on the life of St Maroun.

The fact that the bishops were successors to the apostles explains why the episcopate did not develop to its fullest inJerusalem. Although St James the Apostle was what we would consider bishop of Jerusalem, St Peter was possibly still alive in the year 66 when the Jewish rebellion broke out. Certainly, St John was still alive, and it is possible that other apostles also lived. Antioch, which had...

We study the great saint's Epistle to the Ephesians.

We examine the deep work of St Theophilus of Antioch, its bishop from about 169 until perhaps 188. He was the first known to have used the term "Trinity". He defended the faith in the only surviving work, a rich volume in three books which shows the profundity of the faith, and the development of its theosophy, theology, and understanding of scripture, and the inspiration of what we now...

The Christian search for oneness with God is, I believe, at the basis of all which St Ignatius wrote, for what is ONE in heaven, is MANY in this world; but the many do not have to be utterly separated from God. Rather, they can be brought into relation through a hierarchy, a holy rule or state of being. This is where the unity of the Church and its hierarchy comes in: the Church, bishops, priests...

We examine, in a general manner, the seven epistles of St Ignatius of Antioch. These remarkable testaments to the faith were written within 80 to 90 years from the death of the Lord. The last of the apostles, St John, had probably died, but there were people still living who had known them. These letters hit us with the impact of a powerful and sincere faith.

It was Antioch where we were first called "Christians." Prior to this, we had been known as followers of "The Way of God" and "The Way of the Lord," showing Jesus (the Lord) was understood as God. Why? What can we draw from this? Finally, we note the critical of St Peter in ancient Antiochian tradition, and the little-known saying that while Christ Himself baptised Pe...

In this, our first podcast on Maronite History, we look at the city of Antioch, and why it was so central to the first Christian missionaries.

We complete our review of "Loss and Gain," noting the brilliance and fairness of St Newman's arguments for an against conversion, the poignancy of leaving Oxford, becoming a stranger where he had hoped to find a home, and losing the friends of his childhood and youth. We close with a summary of the greatness of this wonderful saint.

We examine St Newman's treatment of how a soul moves, slowly but surely, from one state of belief to another which is different and more satisfying. We open with his discussion of how scents and sounds affect our actions without any logic or argument, and what this means for the way we move from one faith to another. It closes with an exposition of how worship necessarily implies certain ideas...

We begin studying the story of Loss and Gain. We see how it begins by making some insightful observations on how people develop in character and in spirit. We follow Charles Reding through childhood to Oxford, and meet the various personalities who present him with a range of current ideas; all of which leave Charles unsatisfied.

We present an overview of St J.H. Newman's first novel, "Loss and Gain," 1848. We see how Charles Reding, a young man with a desire to live life consciously in the presence of God, moves - in both mind and heart - to Catholicism, and the peace he thereby finds. This under-appreciated novel anticipates the later deep ideas on belief and its development in an individual.

It might seem at first sight paradoxical that The Tamworth Reading Room is itself a logical argument. Logic can be quite useful in showing the weakness of arguments, and where they cannot look to philosophy for vindication. But St Newman never said that logic had no legitimate place, no critical role. What he said was that it does, but then, so too does faith, and the one should not usurp the role...

In this section look at The Tamworth Reading Room, we see how St J.H. Newman explains that faith is the basis of action, and is more fundamental even than knowledge (to the extent that knowledge does not fall within faith). It is faith, not secular knowledge, which we need.

In the first part of our analysis of St JHN's "Tamworth Reading Room," we see what he says about the need for something higher than science and intellectual knowledge to bring order to the internal chaos of man, and to teach virtue. True moral achievement comes from active self-conquest, not passively learning things, no matter how "scientific."