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God
and Lebanon |
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Lebanon holds a very prominent
and unchallenged place in the Bible. In chapter after chapter, we find
references which reveal the eternal inseparable bond that exists between God
and Lebanon. |
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The testimony of the Holy
Bible, the most distinguished of all mankind's books of faith, is everlastingly
present in the human consciousness of people in every corner of the world. And
Lebanon, which is mentioned seventy times in the Bible, remains as
everlastingly present in human consciousness as does the Holy Book itself. |
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It was in Lebanon that Christ
performed "the first of His miraculous signs" and "thus revealed His glory"
(John 2:11). It is in this chapter that we follow the footsteps of Christ in
Galilee, where He attended a wedding in Cana (in south Lebanon) and, upon the
request of His mother, "transformed water into wine." At first, He refused,
saying "My time has not yet come," but then He accepted, realizing that the
time had indeed come for Him to reveal himself as God. It was here and on that
day that the Church of Christ on earth was established, transforming the
wedding celebration of Cana into a celebration of salvation for all
mankind. |
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It was also in south Lebanon,
near Sidon, that Christ decided to extend his ministry of salvation beyond the
house of Israel to become the Saviour God of the universe. This happened in his
encounter with the Canaanite (Lebanese) woman, who pleaded for His help on
behalf of all those with no hope for salvation and to whom He replied, "I was
sent only to the lost sheep of Israel, it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs". "Yes Lord she replied, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table" (Matthew 15: 21-28 ) ,( Mark 7:24-30 ) .
In that moment, the God of the universe responded to the Canaanite: "O woman
great is thy faith", and decided to take the bread destined for the children of
Israel and cast it out across the entire world to all nations. It was as though
Christ had remembered His Phoenician ancestry -- through Athlia who was the
wife of Joram, the son of Joshafat, King of Judea, and the daughter of Isabel
who was the daughter of Ethbaal, King of Tyre -and chose to launch His
universal mission of salvation from the same land. |
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The most beautiful
transformation, viewed as an event where heaven and earth embraced, occurred on
Mount Hermon in Lebanon, known as Jabal El Sheikh. There, Christ was
transfigured. His face, glowing as brilliantly as the sun, suddenly appeared to
all as the incarnate light of the Lord of Heavens and Earth and Saviour of
Mankind. On this mountain in Lebanon, from a voice in the clouds, came this
glorious confirmation to all those who denied Christ as God: "This is my
beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him." (John 12:25), (Luke
9:28-43), (Matthew 17:1-8). |
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When Christ sent His disciples
out into the world to spread His Word, it was in Lebanon - in the eparchy of
Marjayoun in Caesarea Philippi - that He handed over the Keys of the Church ,
"the keys of the kingdom of heaven " to Peter (Matthew 16:13 ) , (Mark 8:27
). |
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All this has made Lebanon a
blessed and sacred land. Christ lived His most gratifying , pleasant and
significant days during His missions of preaching in Lebanon. In contrast, He
endured the bitterness of exile as a child, the suffering of persecution and
finally the profound pain of crucifixion and death in Palestine. |
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We invite you to come to
Lebanon, to the land sanctified by the presence of Christ, to the country where
the early Church was founded and where the enduring sounds of its bells still
mingle with the eternal and glorious chants of angels. |
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The land and people of Lebanon
open their arms to your visit and promise you a warm welcome in every way. We
invite you to come and greet the third millennium amid its verdant mountains
and alongside its glistening sea. Come and follow in the footsteps of Christ.
Come and make a spiritual pilgrimage to His many sanctuaries and renew your
faith. And when you leave, take with you a handful of Lebanon's sacred earth to
cherish as a token of Christ's eternal blessings upon your home. |
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By: Antonio Andary |
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Maronite Foundation |
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Foreign Relations
Director |
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