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“Another great issue of the JMS (January 2000).
Your editorial packed power. In Christ.”
“My name is Antoine Harb. I am a 24-year-old
student living in Canada. My family’s origins are from Tannoureen.
I would like to thank you for your wonderful and thought-provoking informative
site. I have learned so much about my history and I teach my sisters
what I learn too. I look forward to reading all new issues and I
am anxious for the next April edition. P.S Is there anyway that I can contribute
to this organization. Do you need any editing in English? Thank you and
God Bless.”
“Thank you for the Journal of Maronite Studies, I’m so proud of you and of Lebanon. You are doing a great job.” "I would like to express my appreciation of your
site and the resources it makes available to the wider public."
“The editorial about God's plan really hit hard
and impacted me. Not only this article but also all the articles
in MARI have made me bond more with my Christianity. I am Roman Catholic,
but the closest Maronite church is 50 miles from me. I am learning
a lot from the articles. Religion has taken on a new meaning for
me. Just knowing that I am descended from the first converts to Christianity
makes me proud of my heritage. Something keeps drawing me to Lebanon.
My grandparents came over close to 100 years ago but I keep having a feeling
that I have to visit. There is a bond. I feel that my religion
is being revitalized. I look forward to the articles. It is
also a learning experience for me. I am always looking for more information
on my religion and heritage and I feel that MARI has filled that need.
Guita you are to be commended for doing such a good job. God Bless You.”
"MARI's work is of historic significance; probably the most important in the history of Maronite migration. We are very proud and From Lebanon "Pleased to know that such in-depth study is taking
place and being presented to the world."
"Thank you so much for your Journal of Maronite
Studies. It is helping us know who the Maronites are. There are only two
pages written about the Maronites in Russian. Your work has made it possible
to learn about your heritage in a language known to us more than Arabic.
St. Sharbel is becoming more and more famous in Russia: A Lebanese Saint
who cures Russian Orthodox people! Keep up the good work."
“Je me permets de vous féliciter de tout
Coeur pour votre admirable travail pour mieux faire connaitre et aimer
l’Eglise Maronite Catholique notre Mère. Que Dieu vous bénisse
et vous recompense pour toute la peine que vous prenez sur vous. Je me
sens très uni à vous et je vous assure de ma sympathie. Je
suis plein d'admiration en apprenant que vous êtes des volontaires
non-payés. Je ne sais trouver les mots pour vous encourager encore
dans votre mission au service de l'Eglise et des hommes de bonne volonté.
Oui, que Dieu vous bénisse et que lui-même soit votre récompense.
Je prie le Seigneur de vous bénir, vous et tous vos collaborateurs
et qu'il vous donne de poursuivre votre importante mission spirituelle
et humaine. ”
"I would like to congratulate you on your Journal
of Maronite Studies. It is very informative, easy to read, yet has an uncanny
level of intellectualism that does not derail non-scholarly people from
reading it…. I am fascinated by your church and heritage and therefore
decided to conduct research and write my thesis on the Maronites. I hope
to enlist your help when needed. May God bless you and your endeavor."
"The Journal of Maronite Studies has provided
a positive outlet for me with respect to sharing information about my Maronite
Catholic heritage. While there are other outlets for this, they are
in large part localized. The JMS has a worldwide reach because of
the power of the Internet. As a source, the articles are well- written
and well-researched providing a valuable tool as I continue to explore
my roots. In terms of helping people on their personal spiritual
journey, the JMS is, and I believe should remain, a source of inspirational
stories and research, but its true value can be realized only by those
who are predisposed to the journey that may evolve. Keep the presses rolling
-- the JMS has tremendous potential. The surface has been scratched
but underneath are treasures that cannot be fathomed at this time."
“I am a Latin Catholic living in Ohio, the United
States of America. The Journal of Maronite Studies, which I receive through
email, has uplifted me during some of my darkest hours. Through it,
I have been able to understand, and share in the spiritual strength and
beauty of the people of Lebanon. Through it, I have come to know
in my heart that Lebanon and her people are precious gifts from God, given
to this world, as it lives on the bitter edge of hope. I have learned
about the lives and miracles of the saints of Lebanon, especially St. Sharbel.
I have learned of the kind of faith in God that enables one to continue
along the road toward sanctity, even in the midst of overwhelming trials.
I have been able to share these lessons with others of many faiths.
Through the lessons that I have learned with the never failing help of
the editor and staff, I have been able to impart hope, which has helped
people in my state to rid themselves of despair and return to their faith
in the power of prayer. This wonderful journal has caused me to pick up
my Bible again, and read God's messages on Lebanon. It has helped
me and many that I come in contact with to have the desire to stand tall
and sturdy, always reaching upward, just like one of His great cedar trees.
I have learned of the heritage of a humble, yet great Christian people
and of the holy land of their birth. And I will continue to take
these lessons with me, sharing them with people in my own country. May
the blessings of Almighty God always be with you.”
"I would like to share with you my enthusiasm
and feelings when I first visited your web site. We no longer feel alone
here in Cyprus, since the moment we realized that the Maronite Catholics
of the whole world could learn about their Christian heritage and communicate
via your site, irrespective of place, time and living conditions."
"Sometimes in our quest to be Maronite Catholic,
we forget the very simple idea that Jesus Christ wants us to evangelize
the world for Him. And so our intellectual inquiries into our history,
Syriac and Arabic cultural background, and religious development and beliefs
are only valid and useful if we remember it is all for Christ. I
must say that MARI has always remembered this very simple Christian principle.
That being said, I think you have brought intellectual and spiritual inquiry
to a higher level, especially to the general audience. By taking
advantage of the Internet, you have made this inquiry accessible to all.
Let me just list some of the things I learned from MARI through the Journal
of Maronite studies: It was the first place I found the writings of St.
Theodoret of Cyr on St. Maron and his disciples; it was the first place
that I found covered in detail the history and situation of our brothers
and sisters, the Maronites in Cyprus; it was the first place where I learned
about St. Aquilina, the martyr saint of Byblos…. Without your efforts we
all would know less about the Maronite Church. Sometimes we here in America
take for granted our freedoms. For those of you in Lebanon and in
the Middle East to carry on evangelization, as you are through MARI, is
a very brave thing. God bless."
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