Homily of His Excellency Selim Sfeir Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
“Blessed are you, Jesus Christ our Lord and God, you chose to go up to the temple with Mary and Joseph to fulfill the law of the Passover, which you had previously established and placed in the hands of your prophets.” – Ramsho
The Maronite Church celebrates this Sunday the Finding of the Lord in the Temple. The gospel recounts a very painful moment in the life of the Holy Family when Jesus went missing for three days. “Christ wanted to come into this world without being noticed, without a house, without money, without a cradle, without possessions … but not without a family … a Holy Family. He didn’t want us to be left without that Holy Family either and now Mary is our Mother, St. Joseph our father, Jesus our Brother and we … the privileged members of the Holy Family.” (December 29, 2024, iPray with the Gospel)
Families exist so that the happy moments and sorrowful times can be shared. We are never truly alone. That is why the devil works so hard at attacking the family. St. John Paul II said that “as the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.” We are living amid a Great War.
How can I change the world? What can I do to help Cyprus? What can I do for world peace? The answer is incredibly simple: love your family, love each single member, taking the good with the bad and the bitter with the sweet. The unity of the family is like a hammer blow on the devil’s head.
When we love each other in the family, forgive each other, share the joys and sorrows of life together, when we pray together and place God at the center and holiness our common goal; this kind of family life can change the world. Families are under attack, but family love is the weapon with which to fight back! Let us pray for all families today, especially those suffering the most.
Catechism of the Catholic Church #2212
The fourth commandment illuminates other relationships in society. In our brothers and sisters, we see the children of our parents; in our cousins, the descendants of our ancestors; in our fellow citizens, the children of our country; in the baptized, the children of our mother the Church; in every human person, a son or daughter of the One who wants to be called “our Father.” In this way our relationships with our neighbours are recognized as personal in character. The neighbour is not a “unit” in the human collective; he is “someone” who by his known origins deserves particular attention and respect.
+Selim Sfeir
Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus