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
