Homily of His Excellency Msgr Selim Sfeir Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus for the First Sunday of Advent Time
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:13-20)
The Church was not founded by men, nor is it man’s response to the salvific action of God in Christ. When we speak about the Church, we are talking about God’s work. This work of God began in the Old Testament when God chose Israel with an extremely specific calling. Then, with the Incarnation, Christ, the One who was completely “Dedicated to the Father”, the Church expanded beyond the borders of a nation to include all mankind. No longer would it be based upon a nationality or an ethnic identity. Instead, in Christ, all peoples of the earth can be part of the Church.
The Gospel of the Mass today suggests that Christ founded His Church at a specific moment when He changed the name of St. Peter, however, it is more correct to say that throughout Our Lord’s whole life, He established the Church, manifesting how his Church should be, from His Incarnation to His death, resurrection, ascension and the sending of the Paraclete. After the Ascension, the Holy Spirit was sent to the whole Church and stays in it, reminding people of all that Lord said and did.
The Church, like the buildings in which we worship, dedicated to the service of the Holy Spirt. The particular Churches, like the Maronite Church, are formed in the image of the universal Church presided over by the Pope.
Each local Church is under a bishop who delegates responsibilities to the clergy and is assisted by the laity. The communion of the particular Churches with the Universal Church offers a glimpse of the inner communion of the Holy Trinity. Everything that is part of the external structure of the Church is designed by Christ to serve the Spirit of Christ. We must give thanks for this solidity and permanence of the Holy Church.
Prayer
O Holy Spirit, renew the face of the earth by making the Church a more convincing sign of Christ.
+ Selim Sfeir
Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus