Easter Message 2021

Beloved Brothers and Sisters, Sons and Daughters of our Maronite Eparchy,

The story of man’s salvation reached its pinnacle and fulfilment on Easter Sunday in the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus, who rose from the dead, triumphing over evil, sin and death. This is the great historical event by which the Will of God the Father was revealed, opening the doors of hope and new life for all humanity.

On the morning of the glorious feast of Easter, we return to the prayer which Our Lord made in the mount of olives when He said: “Father … let your will be done, not mine.” (Lk 22:42) In light of this prayer, we understand the salvific plan of God, manifested in Jesus’ obedience and voluntary surrender to the Will of His Father, embracing the suffering and passion, which would lead Him to the Cross. However, on the third day He rose from the dead. Through His Resurrection, the Will of God the Father was revealed, for “…everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (Jn 6:40).

On this blessed feast, we recognise that Jesus Christ not only assumed our humanity, but even bore our griefs and carried our sorrows (Is 53:4), and was obedient unto death, even death on the cross (Phil 2:8). This was the Will of God His Father, so that we might all attain redemption and salvation. We have come out of the darkness, suffering, and oppression of Good Friday, into the light, joy and glory of the Resurrection. Through His wounds and His passion, we experience the grace of healing. At dawn on Sunday, the morning of the third day, we accompany Mary Magdalene to the grave in tears, sorrow and anxiety, but we return with great faith and firm hope, bearing the Good News, and joyfully announcing: “He is no longer there …. He is risen” (Matt 28:6).

How wonderful it is for us to submit to the holy Will of God, not only today, but every day of our lives, realizing that in this we do not simply bow our heads in surrender, becoming slaves, but rather we gain the freedom of beloved children; we worship God in spirit and in truth (Jn 4:24) and we embrace our faith with full freedom and love. In this context, His Holiness Pope Francis said: “As children, we must be conscious of the loving heart of God the Father, whose saving love pours forth in the heart of each one of us and of the whole world” (20 March 2019).

What distinguishes the feast this year from last year is that we are celebrating it with you, and the doors of the churches are open to welcome the faithful to participate in the Mass and all the other Divine Mysteries. Here, we must say a word of thanks for the measures taken by the State and Federal governments in Australia, to deal with the Coronavirus pandemic, that have spared us all a lot of pain and suffering, and drew world attention to our country.

On this feast, we can only pray for our world that is suffering from this dangerous pandemic. More than 122 million people have been infected with the Coronavirus, which has sadly led to the death of about two million seven hundred thousand of them so far, in various parts of the world. The COVID-19 pandemic is like a long dark night that envelops the world, frightening people, but we now all look with eyes of hope to the rise of a new dawn, ending the spread of the virus. With renewed faith in the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus, may we become a better Church and society as we ever strive to protect the weak and the vulnerable. In doing so, we shall always abide by the teachings and directives of our Holy Mother, the Catholic Church, which teaches us the truth and directs us on the right path.

However, our joy in this Easter remains incomplete, because we all feel the suffering of our families and our people in Lebanon, who are walking a long road to Golgotha, carrying on their shoulders the crosses of poverty, hunger, unemployment, and despair, caused by the neglect of the state and the corruption of many in its institutions who have stolen public funds.

As Maronites in Australia, let us pray with our brothers and sisters residing in Lebanon, asking the Lord to look with mercy to that country and its tormented people, and to inspire consciences to launch a new stage in the Lebanese history according to the vision of His Beatitude and Eminence Mar Bechara Boutros Cardinal Rai. This vision would lead Lebanon to active neutrality under the auspices of the United Nations. Let us stand in solidarity with everyone in Lebanon rebelling against corruption, and demanding the return of stolen public funds. These reforms are the fundamental rights of all the Lebanese people, and will pave the way to preserve their dignity and strength, and thus to save this great nation from the evil of tyrants and the oppression of the corrupt.

In conclusion, the feast of our Father Saint Maroun this year was a special occasion to announce a new phase of my programme of pastoral priorities in our Eparchy for the next seven years 2021-2026. This announcement came at the end of the first stage of pastoral priorities, which extended from 2014 to 2020. The seven pastoral priorities include our pastoral vision, and themes for thinking and working with each other in order to cater for the needs of our growing Maronite Church and its mission in Australia.

Easter remains the cornerstone on which we build up the faith and the Church, and is an occasion to discern the will of God in our lives, and to act upon it. This will make us members of the Holy Family, standing alongside the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph, especially in this year dedicated to St Joseph, announced by His Holiness Pope Francis. We joyfully praise the resurrection of our Lord, proclaiming:

“Christ is Risen … He is truly Risen
And we are witnesses to that.”