Is it not time for us to have a homeland that brings us together and not torn it out of the leaders of the leaders?

Metropolit Beirut and its dependencies, Bishop Elias, presided over the return of the Divine Liturgy Service in St. George’s Cathedral.

After reading the Bible, he gave a sermon in which he said: Today, we will restore our Lord Jesus Christ to the Temple, in fulfillment of the law. This holiday is considered one of the twelve ethnic festivals of the ritual year, and we learn the theme of the theological from the icon of the feast and its hypocrisy. The icon of the feast shows the mother of the god and Simon the sheikh in the façade, while Youssef Al -Khatib and Henna of the Prophet draw in the back of the icon. Mary came to the temple on the fortieth day to purify her obedience to the law (no 12), carrying a husband of Yamam or Farkhi, a bathroom for her son to God as a first of her fruits, as we read in the book of the number that “every conqueror of a womb from every body they offer to the Lord” (No. 18:15). Simon Al -Sheikh stood in front of the altar, what his hands were to receive the hope, which was inflamed within him, and inside the conscience of all the righteous of the Old Testament represented by Simon. When the child carried Jesus, he uttered his famous praise: “Now your servant will launch, Mr. Master, according to your saying in peace …” that we recite at the end of the sunset prayer, foretelling that the child will be “a light for the nations and a glory for your people.”

He added: The mother of God presented her son to the temple, “As it is written in the law of the Lord that every male is a conqueror of a womb called a holy of the Lord” (Luke 2:23). After the blessing of the child, Samaan said to Mary: “This has been put in place for the fall and the establishment of many in Israel and a goal of the violation, and you will be permissible in a sword in yourself.” We recite in the magic of Eid: “Simon has already been predicted to the mother of God, saying: And you are the innocent of corruption, a sword will be permissible in yourself, because you will see on the cross your son who chanted towards him, saying: Mubarak, you, O God of our fathers.” The light granted to the nations and every believer is the light of the Holy Trinity, which is not created. Just as Isaiah won a purification when the Seravim touched his two lips with the burning anthrax (Isa 6), thus Sheikh Simon received a purification and knowledge of salvation when the Virgin Mary handed him the Lord, “The Light that they do not naked in the evening”, as we were recited in the magic prayer.

He continued: When Samaan carried the light in his hands, he filled a light, and was nourished by the body of the Lord, just like the believer of subsequent generations inhabited in the light of Christ, because the acceptance of Christ is the example of the non -bloody laxative sacrifice. Today’s hymns puts on the tongue of Simon, while it is based on death after the loyal Lord inspected an embodiment, the task he will do after his death, as he starts and takes the rank of prophets to preach the salvation of the territorial race with the Lord’s descent to hell. The hymns says: “Simeon chanted, saying: I am a past to show Adam Al -Thawi in hell and the oldest of the good news for Eve, consuming with the prophets and phone: Mubarak, you, O God of our fathers.” As well as for you to scream: Mubarak, O God of our fathers. ” To meet between Samaan Al -Sheikh and Christ the child represents the meeting between the Old and New Testament. It is a celebration of achieving the promise of God with the emancipation and salvation of those who call the Apostle Paul, “Israel God” -the Church, and the world through the Church. But emancipation and salvation are achieved only through the pain and death of the Lord. The little child, the eternal deity, completes his mission with his voluntary will to walk towards the cross. Therefore, this holiday is considered one of the large holidays in the church.

He said: On this holiday, the pregnancy and the shepherd are presented to receive it, not only two, but also. He is coming to us, we meet us where we are, in the midst of our torments and aspirations, in order to obtain the nail he achieved for us. We receive it like Simon and welcome it, we receive it within us, but rather we eat it and drink it in the Eucharist, every time we eat his generous body and blood. Therefore, our call on this blessed holiday is to wait for the Lord longing, and we are eager to fulfill the holy conversion, and this is done through sincere repentance and work with his commandments, and the first of it is love. Is not our Lord, to be ready to start peacefully, and that the end of our lives be a Christian, peaceful, without sadness, shame, and good answer to the pulpit of Christ, who are the remaining time of our life in peace and repentance, as we ask in all our prayers.

He added: The mother of God presented the most precious thing, her son, to the temple. Let us learn from this holiday to warn our hearts to the Lord, and offer the most we have for the homeland: our love, loyalty and support. Is it not time for us to have a homeland that brings us together and does not torn it out the differences of leaders and those who set themselves to leaders, their passions, interests, and their desires to power or domination? Is it a lot that the Lebanese dream of a coherent homeland, governed by a strong, fair authority, imposing its prestige on everyone with the power of law and justice? Weights, patching, and medium solutions does not build a state. The radical solutions based on the constitution and the law are the ones that lead to the establishment of the state, and the unity of the statesmen work in abstaining, and they make the difficult decisions that put the interest of the country over all interests, and strive to change the mentality and approach that brought the country to collapse and disintegration, and they are not subject to any pressure, extortion or to threaten. With design, courage, reform and transparency, not by hanging in strange customs of the spirit and text of the constitution, the state restores its role, restores the confidence of its children and respecting the outside. Only then the world turns to it and helps her to rise and build what has been destroyed by destructive wars and absurd situations.

He concluded: Our prayers are for everyone to return to their senses and hear the voice of conscience and duty, and put the interest of the country before their passion for power, and turn to the suffering of the citizens, and at the forefront of those who abandoned their land, lost their loved ones, or lost their homes and livelihoods, to straighten things and save Lebanon. The time is precious and Lebanon needs to work painfully and a great effort. We hope not to be long.