“And on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”
Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ,
On the 7th Sunday of Pentecost, we commemorate with our Church the martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul. St Peter was martyred crucified on an inverted cross as he had declared that he was not worthy to die like Jesus. His crucifixion occurred on the spot where St Peter Church stands now in the Vatican. St Paul was martyred by cutting his head off by sword outside the city under Nero’s reign.
The feast of Saints Peter and Paul is the feast of every baptised who carries in their heart the love of Christ, walking on the footsteps of Paul in proclaiming the Good News, and carrying the banner of faith, like Peter to whom the Holy Spirit revealed that Jesus is “the Son of the living God.” Our faith grows through the Word brought to us by the Bible, and through the teachings of our Mother the Church and our participation in the Sacraments of sanctification. We are all called to be tuned to the Holy Spirit to find out, through prayer and the Eucharist, the will of the Lord for us, so we can build the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of peace, forgiveness, love, mercy and fraternity in our daily lives, wherever we work, study or serve. The past is not important, it is rather our current journey that matters! Paul persecuted the Christians, yet he was transformed through the grace of the Lord and became one of the greatest preachers of His Word and one of the Church’s pillars, loving the Church to death! Peter who had declared his faith in the divinity of Christ and the Lord made him the rock upon which he would build his Church, denied Jesus three times before he repented and expressed his love to Him with tears. Peter holds now the power to bind and loose and the keys of heaven, leading the Church, fulfilling the Lord’s request to him three times: “tend my sheep.” If the Lord calls us today, do we follow Him? Do we truly love Him so we can be fishers of people as He wants us to be, or killers of people with our harsh words? If He asks me “do you love me?” What do I say? And if He asks “Whom do you say am I?” Do I answer “you are Christ the Son of the living God?” One last question, and the answer should be left to the conscience to each one of us: “Am I really a rock upon which the Lord can build His Church?”
On the parish news, the work in the grotto area has resumed in the hope that it will be completed within five weeks. In the meantime, the serious spiritual and temporal preparations to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of our Mother Virgin Mary in body and soul into heaven have started. It is the feast of our parish which we will be celebrating under a theme that tells the story of Mary’s tenderness and love for us: “Embrace our Youth O Morning Star”. She is the mother to whom each one of us yearns for her warmth, but we have dedicated the theme specifically to our youth as it is the Year of the Youth in the Church. I hope that you participate in the preparation meeting on Monday 2 July 7 pm in the Pastoral Centre of the Co-Cathedral… Hand in hand, we build the stone and the human in our parish!
The Sixth Sunday of Pentecost
Brothers and Sisters, This Sunday marks the sixth Sunday in our journey through the Season of Pentecost. In the Gospel, the Lord continues his discourse or teaching through the Gospel of Matthew on the mission of the Apostles. Last week we reflected on their calling and this week we reflect on their mission. We find inherent in this discourse the linguistic art of contradiction. As the Lord instructs his Apostles, he says to them, that he is sending them out like sheep into the midst of wolves and instructs them to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Further he paints quite a gloomy picture of the things that they will face; brother will betray brother, father against child, hate, persecution are among the many things that he speaks of. Despair and chaos seem to be the order of the day. Jesus is telling them and tells us today that we should expect persecution because of Him, because of the truth, but we should not live in fear and by being innocent as doves and wise as serpents (the contraction) is the key to not living in fear. Speaking the truth and defending the truth no matter what it costs is what is implied. The Lord is calling us to speak the truth as an innocent child (the dove analogy) would, however with the wisdom of a wise man/woman (the serpent analogy). In other words, we mustn’t shy away from saying what we need to say, however in a respectful way, in a loving way and without ourselves becoming the persecutor.
I must say that this has been the approach of our parish family over the last week in dealing with certain parish issues. Last week I invited the parish to comment on some proposed plans that were unveiled at the Gala Dinner that were being considered as part of an overall plan to beautify the parish grounds and Cathedral. As part of these plans, the replacement of the statue of Our Lady with a cross atop of the Cathedral was being considered as an option with the statue of Our Lady being brought down so that it could be closer to the parishioners. I have received many e-mails and letters regarding this from committees and parishioners and I can honestly say that your passion and love for this parish has truly moved me because it has been expressed in a way that is reflective of the Lord’s instructions for us today, innocent as doves and wise as serpents. As the Dean of this Cathedral, I guarantee that your views will be heard, and they will be communicated with the committees and individuals who are in the decision-making process. I can assure you of this. The statue atop of the Cathedral was one issue that you spoke about, many of you have also commented with passion on the air conditioning of the Cathedral and many other issues. Again, I assure you that all your comments and recommendations are being carefully considered and discussed by the parish councils. Please continue to do so and never feel that you are not able to speak out your views. It is by working together and making these tough decisions together that we will continue to grow as a parish and ensure that Our Lady of Lebanon Co-Cathedral is the most beautiful shrine of the Blessed Virgin, both spiritually and aesthetically.
I take this opportunity to thank the Stewardship and Pastoral Councils of this parish for helping me in this process. Your work and dedication is a testament to your great faith, love and the hope that you have for your second home, Our Lady of Lebanon parish
The Church vs The World – Fixing Catholic Boredom
We have reached the 5th Week of Pentecost in our Maronite Church this week. This Sunday’s Gospel speaks about the authority given to the 12 disciples to continue the work of Christ within the world: to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And since then, the laying of hands upon candidates for the priesthood has seen the passing down of this great responsibility. If we can somewhat, try to comprehend this mystery, we can then appreciate what it is that the clergy do and who they bring to us.
Boredom is a side effect of our fast-paced, materialistic culture. We feel bored because we are constantly being over-stimulated and sold on the idea that we can have it all now and that something better is always around the corner. As rational human beings, we must realise that this is neither true or sustainable. If we are sincerely seeking Christ, we will find Him through the Church He founded. We will also come to the realisation that it is only Christ who doesn’t change and never will. He is the one who sustains us, because He is the way, the Truth and the Life.
The world offers celebrities to idolise, but the Church offers saints to follow. The world offers noise, but the Church offers peace. The world offers false, unrealistic dreams, but the Church offers the Truth. The world offers and celebrates the vices, the Church offers a life of virtue and holiness. The world offers earthly pleasures, but the Church offers eternity in Heaven. What the Church offers is reality and what the world offers is nothing but false hopes and dreams. At what cost do we sell our souls to the temporary, here today, gone tomorrow concept? Is the earthly human lifespan worthy of the eternity that is to follow? This is not to say that the temporal goods of the world are not needed or not useful, no indeed we need them but how much attention we give them and the level of importance we place upon them needs to be examined. If they are affecting our relationship with Jesus, then we need an instant re-examination of them and of our attachment to them.
At the Gala Fundraiser this year, a new model of the Church, that the Stewardship committee presented has caused a bit of an upset and has started some heated discussion regarding it. Please be assured that your passion and love for the Parish, on all levels, is to be highly commended. Furthermore, any possible changes and renovations that will occur will be done so through discussion and negotiation. Every parishioner’s opinion is highly valued and respected and if anyone has any comments, please do not be afraid to email any of the clergy or staff regarding any issue. Discussion is the key to providing the best possible services to the people of God whose care we have been entrusted with.
I ask that you also keep our 2nd group of First Holy Communion students and their families in your prayers as they prepare to receive the Lord for the very first time this Sunday. I wish you all a blessed and fruitful week ahead.
