Shepherd’s Corner – The Dinner Table
Sisters and Brothers,
As we continue our journey in this Glorious Season experiencing the radiant light of the Resurrection in our lives we stop at a very important station in our Liturgical and Scriptural life – The Emmaus Story. St Margaret and Nehme have beautifully reflected on this story in their articles but one aspect of this story that continually intrigues me year after year is the following passage: “When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.” The disciples, who had not recognised Jesus at all during the long trip to Emmaus, recognised him at the dinner table. Their eyes were opened at the dinner table! How important is this dinner table then?
The dinner table is extremely important as it represents the family! Through the gift of the family the eyes of our children are opened to our faith. Through the family, our eyes are opened to the love that we have for each other and the abundant love that stems from our heavenly father. The family is the heart of our lives. It is the foundation in which everything in this world revolves around. And like soil, if you look after it, then it will produce good fruits which will nourish our society.
When a man and a woman are joined together in marriage the unity of the two into one makes the new unity a reflection of the unity of the Holy Trinity, and the unity of Christ and the Church. For the family of many persons united in one truth and love is indeed the created manifestation of the one family of God’s Kingdom, and of God himself, the blessed Trinity. A family united together in the love of God and of one another is a good example for others. If we want a unified world then we need to have unity in our families.
As you are all aware, Pope Francis is emphasising the place and role of the family through the Synod which began in October last year and will finish in October this year. At a local level, Bishop Antoine-Charbel dedicated the Friday Sermons during Lent to the family also. For the next few weeks I will also be focusing on the various aspects of the family in this corner. I pray that together we can continue to learn just how important the family is.
On the 17th May our parish will be honouring a very important member of our families – our beloved Mothers. This year we will be celebrating Mother’s day one week after the official day to allow each family to celebrate this beautiful day at a personal level. The 11 o’clock Mass on this day will be celebrated by His Excellency Bishop Antoine-Charbel. After the Mass we have organised a function in the Church Hall. I ask you all to bring your mothers, grandmothers, great grandmothers and mothers-in-law to this wonderful celebration. Details can be found in the announcements section of the newsletter and all our social media sources. To book, please see one of the committee leaders or call the main office. All proceeds from this event will go towards the building of the new presbytery. Your support is much appreciated.
Fr Tony Sarkis
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Renewal of Life
We are a people of the Light and as we enter into the mystery of the Resurrection, we are called to be faithful witnesses to the Light and the Truth that is Jesus Christ. In these times of tribulation and unrest throughout the world, we personally need to focus on the light of faith, rather than the surrounding darkness. Our light must shine through the darkness of despair and discouragement, for all to see. When we say “Christ Is Risen” we need to believe this Truth and to proclaim it from the depth of our hearts, that Christ is TRULY Risen!
Today, as the Church celebrates New Sunday, we reflect upon what the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of the Christ has meant to us. How has our own life been renewed by our sharing in these Mysteries of the Church? How has our spiritual life been enriched over these past 7 weeks? This is a time when we are each offered the opportunity, by the Grace of God, to renew our hearts so that we can become more like Christ.
This is a time when families come to know how important they are as a unit of love, a ‘domestic church’ within our Universal Church. Our parish family here at Our Lady of Lebanon has been blessed to share in the sorrow, the pain, the death, and finally the glorious Resurrection of Our Lord, as one family of God. Let us continue to renew our lives and our hearts in a daily conversion, so that our Faith, Hope, and Love may bring us closer and closer to the Heart of God.
Also today, we warmly welcome back Monsignor Shora Maree, who has been away in Rome on Sabbatical leave. May the Lord continue to bless him with grace and wisdom, as he serves with a generous heart in his priestly ministry among us.
Let us pray on this New Sunday that the Light of the Resurrected Christ will conquer the darkest corners of the earth, and that all hearts will come to have knowledge of the Way, the Truth, and the Life that is Christ Jesus our Redeemer! May the Lord bless each and every member of our parish family, and may you continue to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world!
Fr Tony Sarkis
Christ is Risen! He is Truly Risen!
The Light of Christ has come into our world to dispel all the darkness, and turn our mourning into dancing! Let us rejoice and give thanks, for the Lamb of God has paid the ransom for our freedom, for our Redemption! He has conquered death and sin, and opened the gates of Heaven to all believers. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Light, and we are a people of light, no longer dwelling in darkness! The days of preparation have led us to this time of rejoicing, for if Jesus Christ had not died, and risen again, our faith would be in vain.
It has been wonderful, and so encouraging, to see the large numbers of our faithful community gather together as one family under the banner of Our Lady of Lebanon Parish, during this Holy Week. Your participation in all the Rites of our Maronite tradition is a sure sign of Faith, Hope and Love growing within our own community, our family of God. I pray that this community spirit will continue to grow and be nourished in virtue and faith.
These Liturgical feast days could not have been celebrated successfully without the help and cooperation of so many generous members and friends of Our Lady of Lebanon Co-Cathedral. We thank everyone who assisted in the preparations and liturgies of this Holy Week, and throughout the Season of Great Lent, as together we offer our lives and services to glorify our Living God. Special thanks is extended to the Sisters of the Holy Family, the Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers, the Arabic/English Choir, the ladies who prepared the Altars and flowers on all occasions, the Traffic Controllers and Crowd Marshals, the Apostles for Holy Thursday, the Altar Servers and Sacristans, the plate collectors, the men who prepared the tomb for veneration, the photographers, the Bakery Staff and all the men and women who provided nourishment and refreshments after the Liturgy.
I would like to also thank our OLOL staff for their cooperation, and of course my brother priests who have led us prayerfully along this spiritual journey to the glorious Resurrection.
Let us continue to pray for one another’s perseverance in faith, so that we may endure along the path of holiness in imitation of our Risen Lord.
May the Light of the Risen Christ shine upon all families this Easter and may our Parish continue to grow in unity of heart. Fr Tony Sarkis
