Rev. Fr. Esper Antoun - Pastor Deacon Michel Kassas – Assistant 504, 30th Ave. N.W 9809, 76th Avenue Calgary, AB T2M 2N6 Edmonton, AB T6E 1K6 Phone: Phone: The Sunday of the Visitation to Elizabeth. November / December 2008 Day 30: St. Andrew the Apostle & Mar Bishai. Day 1: Prophet Nahum. Day 2: Prophet Habakkuk & Saint Nounis. Day 3: Saint Francis Xavier Day 4: Saint Barbara the Martyr. Day 5: Saint Saba Day 6: Saint Nicolas (Zakhyo) the miraculous, archbishop of Mira

The Sunday of the Visitation to Elizabeth. A Reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians: (Ephesians 1: 1 – 14) Bless me Father. Brothers and Sisters, Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus: grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory. The Word of the Lord. A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, (Luke 1: 39 – 45) In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” This is the Truth, Peace be with you.

The Sunday of the Visitation to Elizabeth. Our Lady of Good Help – Edmonton Our Lady of Peace – Calgary Intercession Prayers On the Sunday of the Visitation to Elizabeth, we remember your Church in the world especially our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI (Sixteenth), Mar Nasrallah Boutros our Patriarch of Antioch, Mar Joseph our Bishop and all the priests and deacons who assist them, so their service may glorify you. We pray to the Lord. 1- With the Holy Father’s prayer and that of the Church in the world, we ask you Lord, to inspire the world leaders to use their power and authority for the good of others. We pray to the Lord. 2- We put before you Lord the faithful community who is visiting you today. Allow them to bear witness to your goodness and fatherly love. We pray to the Lord. 3- As the world prepares for the coming of your Son Jesus, give us Father, the grace of repentance to prepare our hearts for the birth of our Saviour. We pray to the Lord. Remember Heavenly Father, all the faithfully departed who served you and carried your saving word in the world, especially (…). Accept our offerings on their behalf and give them eternal rest in your kingdom. Forgive their sins and ours. We pray to the Lord. “Blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

The Sunday of the Visitation to Elizabeth. Christmas is Near! Our Lady of Peace Parish Calgary & Our Lady of Good Help Parish Edmonton have the Joy to announce for you that “Christmas is near!” Please, all the parishioners are invited to help and support the Churches to have a gracious and wonderful Christmas together Families and for our great Children! Please join us! Our Lady of Good Help Parish Edmonton & Our Lady of Peace Parish Calgary would like to thank the Lebanese Ambassador Mr. Massoud Maalouf for his gracious visits to the Parishes. In addition, the parishes encourage all the Lebanese to register their children in the embassy and as soon as possible because our children merit the Lebanese Nationality and they should be proud of being a Lebanese descendants. Any further information visit the website : When Barbara was a little girl, her wicked father imprisoned her in a high tower. So Barbara lived in the tower with only the servants who cared for her. And she was very good. One day a priest passed under her tower. He was singing about Jesus Christ. Barbara heard him. She asked him about his song. He told her all about the Savior. Barbara was overjoyed. "I love Jesus too," she cried. "I am a Christian." When her father heard this, he was furious. In those days, it was against the law to love Jesus or to be a Christian. So this cruel father dragged his own daughter to the judge. "My daughter is a Christian," he cried. "She is not my daughter any longer." "What shall we do with her?" the judge asked. For he saw that Barbara was good and pure. "Do what the law orders," her father shouted. "Beat her until she is almost dead. Then chop off her head." So the soldiers carried out that cruel order. But suddenly they saw angels coming. The angels carried the soul of Barbara to heaven. And a terrible flash of lightning struck her cruel father and killed him where he stood. Her Feast is December 4th.