Odeh: In the recent past, you embraced us with consensual democracy

The Beirut Metropolitan and his subordinate Greek Orthodox Archbishop Elias Odeh presided over Sunday Mass at St. George’s Cathedral in Beirut.

After the Holy Gospel, he said in his sermon: “Our Holy Church dedicated the second Sunday of Lent to the memory of Saint Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessaloniki. Saint Gregory was born in Constantinople in 1296, into a faithful family. After the death of his father, his mother raised him, from a very young age, with his brothers and sisters. On the path of Christ. When Gregory turned twenty, he decided to enter monastic life. When his mother approached the matter, she gathered all his sons and persuaded them all to join the call of his older brother, saying: Here I am and the children that God has given me, this is how all the members of his family have become, even the servants of his house. Monks and nuns, his mother, sister and servants went to the monasteries of Constantinople, while Gregory and his two brothers went to the holy mountain of Athos. Gregory became an example of true repentance, always crying out to the Lord: “Be! Light, oh Lord my oppression! “He always felt that he was full of passions and sins, and that he was in need. For mercy and enlightenment to perform and act on the holy will of God. After living for several years, Gregory Left the Holy Mountain with twelve monks, due to the raids of the Turkish pirates, to Thessalonica, where he helped spread the practice of the Lord Jesus prayer among the people: My Lord Jesus played Oh, have mercy on me, the sinner. Saint Gregory used to say: In the Holy Name there is a divine energy that penetrates the human heart and changes it every time it emanates in his body. At the age of thirty he was ordained a priest and transferred to live in a cave, after the example of the ancient hermits. After five years, he returned to Mount Athos due to the incursions of the Serbs, and there he began his writing work.In 1347, Gregory became Archbishop of Thessalonica, but was captured by Turkish pirates during a trip from Thessalonica to Constantinople, then went released after a long time thanks to the pious of the rich who paid a ransom for his release. Gregorio returned to his functions in Thessalonica, but suffered a serious illness, for which he fell asleep on November 14, 1359. “

He added: “Originally, the second Sunday of Lent was dedicated to Saint Polycarp, Bishop of Izmir, but after the proclamation of the sanctity of Saint Gregory, the Church decided to celebrate it on November 14, and another memorial was set for him on the Second Sunday of Lent as the second celebration of the victory of just opinion. “The Church saw the need to celebrate the victory of the faith of Saint Gregory the Just over the opinion of the announced Barlaam, who criticized the wavering ascetic life. Our saint taught people to pray like a tax collector: Oh God, have mercy on me, I am a sinner. That the judgment of God will come and they will be expelled from the paradise of bliss. Thus the just faith of Gregory triumphed. , and here we return to him today after our party for the triumph of justice of opinion last Sunday. Beloved, faith is very important in the life of a Christian. By the faith of the four who brought today’s Gospel from the roof, the deposed was healed and walked again. Saint Polycarp, Bishop of Izmir, says: Imitate the Lord, and be strong in faith, firm, loving your brothers and each other, sharing the truth, tolerating you with the tenderness of the Lord, and do not despise anyone. Only him, but he also contributes to the salvation of all. The Lord Jesus says: If you can believe, everything is possible for the believer (Mark 23: 9). A sinner who does not believe in the mercy of the Lord becomes discouraged and falls into a great abyss from which there is no escape. That is why the Lord says to Saint Silwan Al-Athosi: Stay in hell and do not despair, that is to say that the Lord invites us to cling to faith in Him, so that we obtain salvation and resurrection. The Apostle Jacob says: If one of you lacks wisdom … then you should ask in faith, suspecting nothing, because the suspect is like a wave of the sea that is chased by the wind and pushed by the wind (Jas 16). Faith is not only at times, or when I need something. Dealing with God is not the best, whether you believe it or not. The Christian always cries out to the Lord, saying: I believe, Lord, abandon my unbelief (Mark 9:24), so that the Lord intervenes to strengthen him and strengthen his faith, and make him seeker of the divine. light and of the divine uncreated powers of which Saint Gregory spoke through Palamas.

He continued: “From here, the Christian places himself in the hands of his Creator, the only defender of him, and does not work in a crooked way, calling his ways in defense of the rights of Christianity and Christians. Whoever really wants to work , then must defend the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the oppressed, the afflicted and the helpless, whoever they may be, because our faith is. It affirms that man was created in the image and likeness of God, and humanity has no color. , doctrine or tribe, thus, the person responsible, especially the Christian, is responsible for everyone, not only for his followers, supporters and cheers, because the homeland is for all its citizens, as well as for those responsible for it … Because the homeland is for everyone, so are its institutions, departments and ministries. It is shameful in a country that the formation of a government stops due to tribal performance, everyone in it wants the part of their tribe and their interest before the interests of the country ís and society, even at the cost of starving millions of people and stopping the work of hundreds of institutions The bankruptcy of dozens of sectors. What age do we live in? We must break with the sectarian and sectarian. Cord if we want salvation. The solution is in the shadow of the nation’s flag. The logic of bullying is rejected by whoever does it. It is enough to present private interests above the interests of the people. No one should be alone in Lebanon is the destiny of the country and its people, whoever they are. “

He said: “In the recent past, they embraced us with consensual democracy. Consensus was not permissible in times and not permissible in others? The language of defiance and intimidation is rejected at a time when it is required to grant interests, agreement between officials , and avoidance around the idea of ​​a single, free and independent nation to come out of the crisis. Bullying no. “The homeland is permanent. Therefore, it is necessary to stop talking, to withdraw from quotas, to share power, to form a government that is dedicated to working day and night, and to initiate a series of reforms that reassure the people and abroad, instead of be aware of what we have achieved. The price of the struggles of others. Lebanon is our homeland, its independence, freedom, stability, and its exclusion from everything that happens outside its borders will benefit everyone. What is required is understanding and cooperation, not settling accounts, the citizen pays the price from his security and stability, for his support and the future of his children. We turn once more to your consciences: leave your affiliations, aspirations and your achievements. They set aside and form a government that carries out the necessary reforms and works to save what is left of Lebanon. It seems that the interest of the world in Lebanon is greater than the interest of officials in it. What image of Lebanon do we give to the world? Politics and politicians. Let the experts and specialists take care of what the politicians have spoiled with their selfishness and quotas, because the interest of Lebanon comes before the interest of the rulers. They are expected to make concessions as long as the tragedy is great. “

He added: “Establish your faith only in God, and do not put hope in people who express their personal interests over the public interest. Christ has abdicated and accepted the crucifixion for the salvation of the people, and we do not find a responsible person.” That gives up, not a chair or a profit, for the good of the people, and in return looks at us. “With comments on Christians and their rights. Let us learn the Christianity of Christ, as the apostle Paul says: Imitate me as I am in Christ (1 Cor 11: 1), and let us apply it with deeds, not with words and slogans, to save a people consumed by despair over empty promises. “

He concluded his vow: “In the end, we ask the Lord our God to have mercy on us through the breadth of his mercy, and to make the light of the uncreated shine in our hearts, so that we feel his presence in our lives, and our faith is strengthened, so that we may reach the glorious resurrection. “