Iskandar presided over the Annunciation Mass in Tyre

The Melkite Greek Catholic Archbishop of Tyre, Metropolitan George Iskandar, presided over the Annunciation Mass, assisted by Father Bishara Katoura, in the Church of Our Lady in Tyre, in the presence of a crowd of parishioners..

After the Mass, he delivered a sermon in which he addressed the meanings of the occasion and said: “Dear brothers and sisters, today is a day of great joy, a day of joy and happiness, because the angel Gabriel was sent by God and gave the Virgin Mary good news that she would conceive and give birth to a son and name him Jesus.”

He added: “The Feast of the Annunciation, beloved ones, is the beginning of the holidays, because had it not been for the Annunciation and the coming of the Word of God into Mary’s womb, the birth would not have occurred, and we would not have seen God hesitating among us. Without the gospel, salvation would not have occurred to this world. Through the good news, the Lord God was incarnated, born of the Virgin Mary, and we saw the glory of God, and we obtained salvation. The Feast of the Annunciation, my beloved ones, is not just an ordinary holiday that we celebrate. It is an announcement of the good news of salvation and redemption for all humanity.

He said: “So, dear ones, let us live our lives with joy and gratitude, in the spirit of good news and hope, remembering that God is with us, and that His love never ends. Let us carry the good news of salvation and proclaim it to the world around us. Let us proclaim it to people who are floundering, especially in these days, with despair, anxiety, and fear, and let us be messengers of the good news, of God’s love that prompted Him to incarnate His Son and become a human being like us, so that we, the children of God, can become participants in His divine life. Let us celebrate this day with great and profound joy, thanking God for the saving work He performed for us through the incarnation of His Son from the Virgin Mary, and thanking the Virgin Mary for accepting to be the mother of Jesus by saying to the angel: “Behold, I am a servant of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word, and let us sing to her from the depths of our hearts: “Rejoice.” O full of grace, the Lord is with you.” “Rejoice, O bride who has no bride“.

He concluded: “I congratulate all the people of the Eid and everyone who bears the name “Bshara,” and I would like to remind you that your name carries beautiful and great symbolic meanings. It is a symbol of joy and good news, and an embodiment of hope and optimism in life.”

(National Agency)