Brothers and Sisters,

Christmas is truly a glorious occasion when everyone is filled with so much joy in welcoming our Lord and Saviour into our hearts. As the joy of this Season continues to penetrate our hearts and minds, it is also an opportune time to reflect on the year that has just passed and start planning for the year ahead.

In reflecting on 2015, I cannot help but reflect on the people that have influenced my life in one way or another and the relationships that have added so much value to me personally and to the parish as a whole. Although we sometimes get caught up in everything that takes place here at the Cathedral, it is very timely that we take a moment to share our gratitude and appreciation for all the hard work that everyone does. For this reason, I would like to dedicate this Shepherd’s Corner to say “Thank you”.

Firstly, I would like to thank my brother priests for all their hard work and support in helping me in the administration of this parish. I have learnt so much from you and continue to learn. I appreciate your dedication to the parish and pray that each of you continues to be a beacon in transmitting the love of Christ in everything that you do. Secondly, I would like to thank all the staff members. It is not easy working for a Church and staff members are usually working long hours behind the scenes to ensure that everything is planned well and runs smoothly. I thank you for your commitment and enthusiasm. Next I would like to thank all our committees, volunteers, choirs, traffic controllers, altar servers, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, altar decorators and all who work tirelessly plan, prepare, organise and run every aspect of our parish. Without you we cannot exist! Thank you for your generosity and your love in serving the needs of every generation that exists in our parish. You are the underpinning strength that keeps the foundations of this parish so strong and so alive. Further, I would like to thank the Maronite Sisters of the Holy Family for their support and presence beside and among us always. Finally, thank you to all our parishioners. Thank you one and all for everything that you do and for everything that you give. Most of all thank you for all your prayers. Our Lady of Lebanon Co-Cathedral is truly the nurturing and compassionate mother who supports all Parishes within our Eparchy. This is because of the love and support of each one of you – the children of Our Lady of Lebanon.

In our Pastoral Council Committee we have taken up the following motto for all that we do during this Jubilee Year of Mercy: “Unified in Christ, we will be Merciful like the Father through the Grace of the Holy Spirit.” As we look forward to the year that has just begun, I ask you all also to take this motto as a resolution that you can live by so that together we can continue our journey towards the Kingdom of God. I wish you all a blessed 2016.

Fr Tony Sarkis

Brothers and Sisters,

Over the last few weeks we have been reflecting on the gifts that we can give Jesus this Christmas. I wrote about the gifts of our lives, strengths, weaknesses, dreams, past, present and future. All these seem a little strange, but as we reflected on them we came to understand their importance when we place them in the hands of our Lord. Two thousand and fifteen years ago, the Magi from the East came bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Again, strange gifts to brought to a little baby! However it is through these gifts that the Magi symbolically acknowledged Jesus as King, Priest and Saviour. Gold is a symbol of kingship on earth; frankincense is a symbol of priesthood and myrrh (embalming oil) is a symbol of death. As Christians and through our baptism we share in Christ’s kingly, priestly and prophetic mission.

So today in 2015, with everything that is taking place in our contemporary lives, what gift will we give to Jesus? What gold will we present him with? Will it be our families, our strengths and talents, our possessions and all that is valuable in our lives? What frankincense will we bring to the new born king? Will it be our prayers, our Christian life and mission, our service to the Church and its people? And what myrrh will we offer the new born babe? Will it be our weaknesses, our fears, the tragedies that we are facing all around the world, the wars, the poverty and the devastation of our brothers and sisters in humanity? All of these things not only represent who we are, but more importantly represent who our Lord is. Christmas is a life changing event where we encounter God among us who communicates himself through his son Jesus Christ. God communicates the wellspring of his Mercy and compassion through the Gift of Mercy – Emmanuel. We are called to transmit this gift of Mercy to all those that we come in contact with. You see, Jesus is me and he is you – he is every single one of us. We should be able to see the face of Jesus in the face of our neighbour. When we are merciful to our neighbour, then we are not only radiating God’s mercy, but we are giving back to Jesus the gift of Mercy – the gift of himself. The Magi fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy which says: “Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance.” Today we are called to continue to fulfil this prophecy day in and day out. We need to walk by the light of Jesus and shine his radiance throughout the world so that through him, the Gift of Mercy, we can become “Merciful like the Father.”

On behalf of all the priests, I would like to wish you all a blessed Christmas. Thank you one and all for all your prayers, support and encouragement throughout the year. Without you we are unable to do the things that we do in our parish.

Fr Tony Sarkis