Homily of His Excellency Msgr Selim Sfeir Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus Mission of the 72 disciples (Luke 10 / 1-7)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
On August 2, the beatification ceremony of Patriarch Estephan Al Douaihy will take place at the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerke at 8.30pm.
This is a very important event for Cyprus, as before being elected Maronite Patriarch, Estephan Al Douaihy was Bishop of the Maronite Archeparchy of Cyprus (1668 – 1670).
On August 3, 2024 at 6.30pm, a divine liturgy will be celebrated in his hometown of Ehden, and a thanksgiving mass will also be celebrated at the Patriarchal see of Dimane at 10am on Sunday August 4.
Let's try to take part in these ceremonies and pray together.
1. He sent them out two by two before him.
In today's Gospel, Jesus sends his disciples out two by two to preach the message of the Kingdom of God. He sends them to bring his word and announce his coming. He wants their testimony and words to prepare minds and open hearts to hope. He wanted people to find out what this good news full of hope could be.
We, disciples of Christ, are also messengers of the Good News. For such a mission, God chose people in this world to proclaim his word and, by their example, bear testimony to the coming of Christ. We too are among those chosen by God. In his message of June 23, 2004, Pope John Paul II confirms: "All the baptized are called to give Christ to the world ... Each of us must, according to our strengths and vocation, bring Christ to the world of today. Be strong in the Lord".
2. Jesus invites us
This invitation to follow him and to serve him is as strong today as it was for the seventy-two disciples! We proclaim the peace and salvation brought by God to humanity 2,000 years ago, but we must renew this message every day of our lives. Our mission is to ensure that all those who meet us feel within themselves the redemption brought by Christ. To do this, we have to work to bring this Kingdom of love, truth, life, grace and peace into this world, in the various social, economic, professional and family structures. There can be no brackets or slack moments in our efforts to proclaim the good news of Christ's love to people.
3. Do not be afraid!
However, God warns us that the world we live in is often closed to the Christian message of truth and love. Jesus assures us that "nothing shall harm you". So what should we fear? Jesus has promised to be with them - and therefore with us - until the end of the world. So he encourages them to be courageous even in the face of apparent failure. In the same way, we must not be discouraged when many reject the Gospel message. We must shake off the dust from our feet and move on to proclaim the kingdom of God!
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you call workers to your harvest today, as you did during your life on earth. The harvest is great, but the laborers are few. Send more workers, Lord. Send us! You know we want to serve you, but you also know our weakness. Give us your strength to live and bear witness to our love for you, to live our Christian faith wherever you send us.
May the Beatification of Patriarch Estephan Al Douaihy be an invitation to all of us to return to God, and an opportunity for Maronites to unite around the Church, which has given them and continues to give Saints, worthy to continue its Apostolic work. Amen.
† Selim Sfeir
Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus