Detailed LCCC English News Bulletin For March 30/2018

Detailed LCCC English News Bulletin For March 30/2018

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on March 29-30/18
Thursday of the Holy Mysteries: Sacraments, Humility and Temptation/Elias Bejjani/March 29/18
Report: Israeli stealth fighters fly over Iran/Jerusalem Post/March 29/18
The Secret World of the Palestinian Authority/Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/March 29/2018
Trump and the war hawk/Ahmad al-Farraj/Al Arabiya/March 29/18
A China-Pakistan Base Deal Could Put Iran on the Back Foot/Farzin Nadimi/Washington Institute/March 29/18
The contours of a non-imminent war/Hazem al-Amin/Al Arabiya/March 29/18
Doha’s fingerprints all over false news, cybercrimes/Mamdouh AlMuhaini/Al Arabiya/March 29/18

Titles For Latest LCCC Lebanese Related News published on March 29-30/18
Thursday of the Holy Mysteries: Sacraments, Humility and Temptation
Parliament Approves 2018 State Budget
Berri: Electoral Law Article on Voting Cards to be Amended
Supreme Judicial Council Says Judiciary Won’t Boycott Elections
Bukhari Says Saudis May Return to Lebanon as ‘Biggest Emirati Plane’ Lands at RHIA
Superjumbo Flight to Lebanon Brings Hopes of Tourism Revival
Franjieh Accuses Aoun of ‘Interfering in Elections’
Shorter Hosts Fund Raising Night for ‘Smartcrutches for Lebanon’ Project
STL Registrar Meets Lebanese Officials on Working Visit to Beirut
Senior U.S. Army Commander Concludes Visit to Lebanon
Hariri congratulates Sisi, receives World Bank regional director
Aoun Says Bankruptcy Warning Aimed at Prompting Counteraction
Aoun sounds optimistic about situation in Lebanon
Finance Minister Admits to Violations as Lebanon Is Yet to Be a State of Law
Hankache Takes Pride in Kataeb’s History, Vision for Future
Salameh Rejects Devaluation of Pound
BDL Governor: Talks about Bankruptcy are Political Exaggeration
Lebanon: Civil Society Runs for Elections With 66 Candidates in 9 Electoral Districts
Frangieh criticizes Aoun electoral ‘interference’

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on March 29-30/18
On Easter, Israel Prevents Christian Gaza Youth From Entering Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Iran Trains Two Saudis to Target Oil Pipelines
Iraq Wants to Stay Out of US-Iran Conflict
New Deal on Douma, Tal Rifaat to Divide Syria
Syrian army prepares “huge” operation in Douma as pressure mounts
Streets of Syria’s ‘Neutral’ Suwaida are Free of Assad’s Photos
Security Minister: Britain to Introduce New Counter-terrorism Legislation
World’s Biggest Solar Power Project in Saudi Arabia
Al-Sisi Reelected with More than 90% of Vote
Egyptian Artists Add Festive Mood to Presidential Elections
Egyptian Artists Add Festive Mood to Presidential Elections
Protests continue in Ahwaz as Iranian forces use violence to limit them
Saudi Arabia Grants Investment Licenses to 13 American Firms
Security Minister: Britain to Introduce New Counter-terrorism Legislation
Sisi leads polls while Egypt awaits election turnout
Egyptian Artists Add Festive Mood to Presidential Elections
UN Security Council: Houthi Missiles Are Serious Threat to KSA, Regional Security
Hadi Calls on Stopping Iran’s Interferences in Region
Driver Tries to Ram Soldiers as France Mourns Terror Victims
SoftBank’s CEO: Vision 2030 Is Consistent with Our Vision

The Bulletin’s Link on the lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/newselias18/english.march30.18.htm

News Bulletin Achieves Since 2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006

Thursday of the Holy Mysteries: Sacraments, Humility and Temptation
Elias Bejjani
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/38445
On the Thursday that comes before the “Good Friday, when Jesus was crucified, Catholics all over the world, including our Maronite Eastern Church celebrates with prayers and intercessions the “Thursday of the Holy Mysteries”, which is also known as the “Washing Thursday “, the “Covenant Thursday”, and the “Great & Holy Thursday”. It is the holy day feast that falls on the Thursday before Easter that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with His 12 Apostles as described in the gospel. It is the fifth day of the last Lenten Holy Week, that is followed by the, “Good Friday”, “Saturday Of The Light and “Easter Sunday”.
Christianity in its essence and core is Love, Sacrifice, honesty, transparency, devotion, hard work and Humility. Jesus during the last supper with His 12 Apostles reiterated and stressed all these Godly values and principles. In this holy and message proclaiming context He executed the following acts : He, ordained His Apostles as priests, and asked them to proclaim God’s message. “You have stayed with me all through my trials; 29 and just as my Father has given me the right to rule, so I will give you the same right. 30 You will eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom, and you will sit on thrones to rule over the twelve tribes of Israel. (Luke 22/28 and 29)
He, taught His Apostles and every body else, that evil temptation and betrayal can hit all those who detach and dissociate themselves from God, do not fear Him, lack faith, lose hope and worship earthly treasures. He showed them by example that even a disciple that He personally had picked and choose (Judas, the Iscariot) has fell a prey to Satan’s temptation. “But, look! The one who betrays me is here at the table with me! The Son of Man will die as God has decided, but how terrible for that man who betrays him!” Luke 22/21)
He, washed His Apostles’ feet to teach them by example modesty, devotion and humility. “So when he had washed their feet and put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do. Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him” (John 13/12-16).
Modesty was stressed and explained by Jesus after His Apostles were arguing among themselves who is the greatest: “An argument broke out among the disciples as to which one of them should be thought of as the greatest. Jesus said to them, “The kings of the pagans have power over their people, and the rulers claim the title ‘Friends of the People.’ But this is not the way it is with you; rather, the greatest one among you must be like the youngest, and the leader must be like the servant. Who is greater, the one who sits down to eat or the one who serves? The one who sits down, of course. But I am among you as one who serves.” (Luke 22/24 till 27)
Thursday of the “Holy Mysteries”, is called so because in His Last Supper with the 12 disciples, Jesus Christ established the Eucharist and Priesthood Sacraments when “He received a cup, and when he had given thanks, he said, “Take this, and share it among yourselves, for I tell you, I will not drink at all again from the fruit of the vine, until the Kingdom of God comes.” “He took bread, broke it and gave it to the disciples saying: This is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me. And when He Likewise, took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you”.
Thursday of the Holy Mysteries (Secrets-Sacraments) is the heart of the last Lenten holy week, in which the Maronite Catholic Church lives with reverence and devotion the Lord’s Last Supper spirit and contemplation through prayers and deeply rooted religious rituals and traditions:
The Patriarch prays over and blesses the chrism (Al-Myroun), as well as the oil of baptism and anointing that are to are distributed on all parishes and churches.
During the mass that is held on this Holy Day, the priest washes the feet of twelve worshipers, mainly children (symbolizing the apostles numbers). Jesus washed His disciples feet and commanded them to love each other and follow his example in serving each other.
Worshipers visit and pray in seven Churches. This ritual denotes to the completion of the Church’s Seven sacraments (Secrets) : Priesthood, Eucharist, Holy Oil, Baptism, Confirmations, anointing and Service.
This tradition also denotes to the seven locations that Virgin Mary’s went to look for Her Son, Jesus, after she learned about His arrest. The detention place, The Council of the Priests, twice the Pilate’s headquarters, twice the Herod Headquarters, till She got to the Calvary.
Some Christian scholars believe that this tradition was originated in Rome where early pilgrims visited the seven pilgrim churches as an act of penance. They are Saint John Lateran, Saint Peter, Saint Mary Major, Saint Paul-outside-the-Walls, Saint Lawrence Outside the Walls, Holy Cross-in-Jerusalem, and traditionally Saint Sebastian Outside the Walls. Pope John Paul II replaced St. Sebastian with the Sanctuary of the Madonna of Divine Love for the jubilee year of 2000.
The Mass of the Lord’s Supper is accompanied by the ringing of bells, which are then silent until the Easter Vigil. Worshipers used to kneel and pray the rosary in front of the Eucharist (Blessed Sacrament) all Thursday night. The Blessed Sacrament remains exposed all night, while worshipers are encouraged to stay in the church as much as they can praying, meditating upon the Mystery of Salvation, and participating in the “agony of Gethsemane” (Garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives) in Jerusalem where Jesus spent his night in prayer before His crucifixion on Good Friday.
After the homily washing of feet the service concludes with a procession taking the Blessed Eucharist (Sacrament) to the place of reposition. The altar is later stripped bare, as are all other altars in the church except the Altar of Repose.
Thursday of the “Holy Mysteries”, is called so because in His Last Supper with the 12 disciples, Jesus Christ established the Eucharist and Priesthood Sacraments when “He received a cup, and when he had given thanks, he said, “Take this, and share it among yourselves, for I tell you, I will not drink at all again from the fruit of the vine, until the Kingdom of God comes.” “He took bread, broke it and gave it to the disciples saying: This is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me. And when He Likewise, took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you”.
Jesus ordained His disciples as priests of the New Testament when he said to them during the Last Supper: “But you are those who have continued with me in my trials. I confer on you a kingdom, even as my Father conferred on me, that you may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom. You will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”Before Celebrating the Resurrection Day (Easter) worshipers live the “Paschal Mystery” through the Thursday Of the Sacraments, Good Friday and Saturday Of The Light.
Because He loves us and wants us to dwell in His Eternal Heaven, Jesus Christ for our sake willingly suffered all kinds of torture, pain, humiliation and died on the Cross to pave our way for repentance and salvation.
Let us pray on this Holy Day that we always remember Jesus’ love and sacrifices and live our life in this context of genuine, faith, love, meekness and forgiveness.