By JOANNE SADLER BUTLER
In his 1995 apostolic letter, Orientale Lumen, Pope St. John Paul II reminded us to look to the East, the land of Jesus and the place where the Church began. He also exhorted us to be mindful of our brothers and sisters in the Eastern Rite churches. As a humble part of that exhortation, I invite you to take a look at how Maronite Catholics celebrate Christmas.
First, let’s examine what’s behind being a Maronite Catholic.
The Maronites take their name from St. Maron, a monk, a mystic, and an evangelizer, who lived in the fourth century AD in what is now Syria. His aesthetic life, combined with his preaching, brought many to the Catholic faith. One of his first disciples, Abraham of Cyrrhus (also in Syria), brought the Maronite Catholic faith to Lebanon, where it continues today.
The fifth and sixth centuries were chaotic times for Catholics in the Middle East; schisms and wars abounded. However, Pope St. Hormisdas was the first to formally recognize the Maronite Rite as part of the Catholic Church in 518.
The continuous fighting in the region caused the Maronites to retreat to the hills of Lebanon. Meanwhile, Pope St. Sergius I recognized the first Maronite patriarch (equivalent to an archbishop) in the late seventh century.
The Maronites continued to survive despite being ruled by Muslims and later, as part of the Ottoman Empire. During the First Crusade of 1096-1099, French Catholics discovered the Maronites of the Lebanese hills. The Frenchmen must have been impressed by how the isolated Maronites strongly maintained their loyalty to Pope.
After World War I, France was given control over Syria and Lebanon from 1923 to 1946. Even after French troops left Lebanon, the French continued to influence Lebanese, and thus Maronite, culture.
Finally, in 2011 a statue of St. Maron was installed in Vatican City’s last empty niche. Pope Benedict XVI unveiled the statue and gave it his apostolic blessing.
On to Christmas: Being in communion with the Holy See, Maronite Catholics celebrate Christmas on December 25.
Maronites call Advent “The Season of Announcements.” Their liturgy takes the people through the “announcements” that lead up to the Savior’s birth. Thus, the first Sunday is called “The Announcement to Zechariah” wherein Zechariah is told by the Angel Gabriel that his aged wife will conceive a son (Luke 1:12-17). This occurs before Gabriel encounters Mary. Thus, the second Sunday is “The Announcement to the Blessed Virgin Mary.”
The final Sunday in the Season involves the genealogy list from the Gospel According to St. Matthew (Matt. 1:1-17). The ten days before Christmas are days of abstinence. Maronites also have a pre-Christmas novena, including a benediction with the Blessed Sacrament.
In Maronite homes, families set up Christmas trees and crèches. Some of the crèches are done in cave-like settings, reflecting the period when Maronites lived in isolation in the Lebanese hills. Some families decorate their crèche with sprouted seeds (reflecting the emergence of life).
Families gather before the Christmas Midnight Mass for a traditional meal of stuffed chicken and kibbee (meatballs of minced lamb or veal mixed with cracked wheat and cinnamon).
The dessert is a nod to the French influence on Lebanese culture: a cake Yule log known as a Buche de Noël. It’s a chocolate sponge cake spread with a filling, and rolled into a log. The last step involves shaping the chocolate frosting so it looks like tree bark.
The rest of Christmas season involves visiting family and friends, usually over espresso-strength coffee, sugared almonds, and (in another nod to the French) butter cookies. Children get to enjoy a visit by “Baba Nöel” (Santa Claus) with his presents.
The Maronite Christmas greeting can be the French “Joyeux Noël” or the Arabic “Eid Milad Majid” (Glorious Birth Feast).
Most Maronites live outside of Lebanon now — I once attended Sunday liturgy at a Maronite mission just south of Las Vegas, Nevada. Wherever they are, Maronites hold fast to their traditions, and have an impact that goes beyond a Lebanese ethnic background. The Mexico City Cathedral and the Basilica of Our Lady of Guanajuato have shrines for a Maronite saint, St. Sharbel, who was introduced to the Mexicans by Maronites who settled there.
The Maronites are a good example for all Catholics. They managed to be true to their faith despite centuries of persecution. They kept their faith even during their long exile in the Lebanese hills. Today, they continue to uphold the Catholic faith in their Eastern tradition, no matter where they happen to be. And they’ve never forgotten St. Maron’s example of evangelization.
This Christmas, may we follow Pope St. John Paul II’s exhortation to “look to the east” with our Eastern Rite brothers and sisters, to bear witness the Incarnation of the Lord our God.
Powered by WPtouch Mobile Suite for WordPress