Catholic church of our Lady of Rosary, Qatar

Welcome To Church Of Our Lady Of Rosary

Qatar is a peninsula bordering Saudi Arabia, with an area of 22,000 sq. km., and 350,000 inhabitants. It gained independence on 3 September 1971. The region is mostly a desert. The meagre incomes earned by traditional occupations rearing of cameis, pearl fishery, production of dates, and dry fish - were given a boost by the discovery of oil in 1949. The oil is collected from the well in Dukhan and piped to Umm Said, which serves both as a harbour and refinery centre. The Sheikhdom is ruled by a hereditary monarch of a royal family, which concentrates all power in its hands according to a constitution written in 1970. Doha is the Capital. The missionaries used to visit the Christian communities of Qatar from Bahrain. A permanent presence began with Fr. Adriano Benini in December 1970.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The nativity of Jesus Christ was proclaimed by angelic choirs in the heights of heaven. Meanwhile, a mother and father cared for their newborn child. No place for this family could be found in the inn, so they sheltered among livestock. The circumstances were strikingly humble, yet their infant was the occasion of the angels’ song:

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom God favours!”(Luke 2:13-14)

When this good tiding was announced by the angels two thousand years ago, it was received by various groups with different reactions. This revelation of glory in heaven was given to people living off the land, dependent on simple blessings found in fields and farmyards, in caring for sheep and celebrating a new birth. It was they who first heard the promise of so much more than bare survival or the simplest pleasure. Once they discovered God’s mercy they responded in a wonderful way. They dared to imagine the real possibility of peace on earth. The song of angels encouraged them to give glory to God alone and to seek peace with others, far and near; and they hurried to Bethlehem to meet their Saviour.

Secondly, we see the reaction of the people of Bethlehem. In spite of all the supernatural interventions they remained totally unaware of the mysterious events. They were caught up in the hectic routine of a monotonous life. Therefore, they did not see anything; they did not hear anything; and they were not affected by anything. This is the plight of the modern man who is caught up in the cycle of fast moving world. In our hurry we miss many things: the joy of life, the consolation of the society, the warmth of the family, the sweetness of friendship and the contentment of little sacrifices. This Christmas reminds us about the need to have some time for us to build our relation with God.

Thirdly, there was the reaction of Mary. “Mary treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.” She was trying to discover the depth of God’s love shown through the various events that took place around her.

Christmas is not about the amount of money paid, nor the amount of gifts purchased, nor trying to impress friends and relatives. Christmas is about the love in your heart to share with others as did the shepherds. The example of the shepherds remind us that our mission, too, is to discover the love of God, and to make it known to the rest of the world through our life and actions in a way understandable to them. So, we should not miss the opportunities to show our concern to the less fortunate people, who are often the victim of calamities; Christmas is the time to remind us about our relation with God; and Christmas is the time to recall the blessings of God that we have been receiving.

I wish all of you “Merry Christmas” and a “New Year, filled with the peace and joy of infant Jesus.”

May God bless you

Fr. Peter P.M. OFM Cap.

Saint Of The Day

Jan 28:

St. Thomas Aquinas Priest and Doctor 1225-March 7, 1274 Italy Canonized 1323 Patron of Catholic schools, students, colleges,philosophers and theologians:

Thomas Aquinas was a large man and a brilliant student, but he was quiet and seldom spoke. His classmates called him “the dumb ox.”

Thomas’s wealthy family sent him at age five to be taught by the Benedictines in hopes that he would join their community and someday become an abbot. But then the Dominicans’ life-style of prayer and study attracted Thomas more, and he joined them instead. His family was upset and shocked that Thomas, a nobleman, would join a group of poor friars, so they captured Thomas and kept him imprisoned for more than a year in a family castle. Nothing could change his mind, however, and they finally released him to rejoin the Dominicans. Thomas first studied science under Albert the Great, but he preferred theology. One of the greatest Christian thinkers and writers, Thomas Aquinas is well known for his writings in philosophy and theology. He reportedly never forgot anything he read and could dictate to four secretaries at the same time on different subjects. His most famous work, the Summa Theologica, contains five volumes of his thought on all the Christian mysteries. Though he was considered great even in his own time, he remained humble and quiet. He prayed often and acknowledged that his gifts came from God. While offering Mass on December 6, 1273, Thomas had a sppiritual experience. After that he stopped writing completely. He said that after what he had seen, all he had written was just straw. A few months later, the pope invited him to the Council of Lyons in France, but Thomas died on the way. Thomas had been an advisor to kings, a writer of masterpieces, a counselor to popes, and a teacher of classics. Most of all, Thomas was a servant of God. He is a Doctor of the Church and called “the angelic doctor” for his purity and knowledge.

St. Thomas, pray that we may come to understand our faith better!

Source: Saints Kit by Sister Mary Kathleen Glavich , S.N.D and oher Sisters of Notre Dame, Chardon

Todays Readings & Speciality

January 27:FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B:

CATHOLIC CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY, QATAR
FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B
27-29 JANUARY 2012

FIRST READING
A reading from the book of Deuteronomy 18:15-20
I will raise up a prophet and I will put my words in to his mouth.

Moses said to the people: ‘Your God will raise up for you a prophet like myself, from among yourselves, from your own brothers; to him you must listen. This is what you yourselves asked of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of Assembly. “Do not let me hear again” you said “the voice of the Lord my God, nor look any longer on this great fire, or I shall die”; and the Lord said to me, “All they have spoken is well said. I will raise up a prophet like yourself for them from their own brothers; I will put my words in to his mouth and he shall tell them all I command him. The man who does not listen to my words that he speaks in my name, shall be held answerable to me for it. But the prophet who presumes to say in my name a thing I have not commanded him to say, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.”

This is the Word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
R: O that today you would listen to his voice! Harden not your hearts.

1. Come, ring out our joy to the Lord; hail the rock who saves us.
Let us come before him, giving thanks, with songs let us hail the Lord .R.

2. Come in; let us kneel and bend low; let us kneel before the
God who made us for he is our God and we the people who belong to his pasture, the flock that is led by his hand. R.

3. O that today you would listen to his voice! ‘Harden not your hearts
as at Meribah, as on that day at Massah in the desert when your fathers put me to the test; when they tried me, though they saw my work.’ R.

SECOND READING
A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians 7:32-35
An unmarried woman can devote herself to the Lord’s affairs; all she need worry about is being holy.

I would like to see you free from all worry. An unmarried man can devote himself to the Lord’s affairs, all he need worry about is pleasing the Lord; but a married man has to bother about the world’s affairs and devote himself to pleasing his wife: he is torn two ways. In this same way an unmarried woman, like a young girl, can devote herself to the Lord’s affairs; all she need worry about is being holy in the body and spirit. The married woman, on the other hand, has to worry about the world’s affairs and devote herself to pleasing her husband. I say this only to help you, not to put a halter round your necks, but simply to make sure that every thing is as it should be, and you give your undivided attention to the Lord.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia! Blessed are you, Father Lord of heaven and earth, for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom to mere children. Alleluia!

GOSPEL
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark 1:21-28
He taught them with authority.

Jesus and his followers went as far as Capernaum, and as soon as the Sabbath came Jesus went to Synagogue and began to teach. And his teaching made a deep impression on them because, unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority. In their synagogue just then there was a man possessed by an unclean spirit, and it shouted, ‘What you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.’ But Jesus said sharply, ‘Be quiet! Come out of him!’ And the unclean spirit through the man into convulsions and with a loud cry went out of him. The people were so astonished that they started asking each other what it all meant. ‘Here is a teaching that is new’ they said ‘and with authority behind it: he gives orders even to unclean spirits and they obey him.’ And this reputation rapidly spread everywhere, through the surrounding Galilean country side.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

GENERAL INTERCESION:

CELEBRANT: Let us pray to God who gives us healing and salvation. Let us say: LORD, SPEAK YOUR HEALING WORD.

1. That in the Church we may bring to each other the healing of forgiveness and compassion, let us pray.
2. That all who are ill may keep hoping that they will be cured and may at least bear their suffering in patience, let us pray.
3. That all who suffer at a young age may experience the love and attention of people who care for them, let us pray.
4. That we may have room and concern for the mentally handicapped and that we may give them a place in our heart, let us pray.
5. That all those in hospitals and nursing homes may be given much human, loving care and be visited by those dear to them, let us pray.
6. That in our communities we may dare to lighten one another's suffering and learn to share each other's pain, let us pray.
CELEBRANT: Compassionate God, we know that you love us in sickness and in health. Be always with us and help us attend to one another, in Christ Jesus our Lord. R/ Amen.

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