The history of humanity is a tale of sadness, the book of Chronicles [2 Chronicles 36:16] describes it in this way: “the people added infidelity to infidelity, and even though The Lord had compassion on his people … they mocked the messengers of God.” Humanity continues to mock God and his laws, but He will never refuse anyone his love and reconciliation. We must rejoice because God is greater than our infidelities: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” That verse from John 3:16, gives us hope and joy that in the end God’s truth and love will triumph over our hardness of heart. The mission of the Church is to insist on God’s truth and love, especially in the face of a growing secularism and even mockery of God.     

 

We have a mission in the midst of this world and we are in this together. Every year during the season of Lent, we sacrifice for the greater good, and we support the mission of our Maronite Church, through the Lenten appeal, that we received from our bishop.
   We love and support our bishop, and all the good people who work in the Eparchy. Every Sunday we pray for Elias, our bishop by name in the Anaphora. This is the time, during Lent when, in addition to our prayers, we offer him a financial gift from the blessings God has bestowed upon us. This is the season when we share in his work of bringing God’s love and truth to the people of our Eparchy and overseas. 
   Our gifts help fund needy parishes and missions such as Indianapolis, MYO – MYA, marriage programs, Respect Life. As well as the dire need of our people in Lebanon, Syria and Palestine.  We help fund our eparchial social media and website, train seminarians, and send priests for further studies and assist retired priests, and many other services to our community. But most of all, our gifts simply send a word of support to a heroic bishop that we are behind him in his irreplaceable ministry. 
   The greatest service the bishop renders our community is to ensure that the Divine Liturgy is offered on 55 altars every day in our Eparchy, extending from Ohio to California.     
   Bishop Elias is the Vicar of Christ in this Eparchy, and his very presence gives us cause for rejoicing. We have a high priest who will never let us starve for the Bread of Life. Let us give what we can so that the Divine Liturgy will never be lacking in the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon, nor the Eucharist be lacking in the faithful to attend it.