Yesterday, singer Dalia Freifer, coordinator of the Pastoral Office for Persons with Disabilities, held a Marian evening titled "To My Mother," under the patronage and in the presence of Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, at the Church of the Outer Courtyard of the Patriarchal See in Bkerki, "Capella of the Resurrection," with the participation of Fadi Abi Hashem and the Mar Nimatullah-Tamish Choir conducted by Father Antoine Salameh. The event was presented by media personality Gracia Anton and featured expressive dance by students of the Sacred Heart School, in the presence of Information Minister lawyer Dr. Paul Morcos, a number of bishops, priests and nuns, several current and former MPs and ministers, political, social, military, media and union figures, Maronite institutions, offices of the Maronite Patriarchal departments, and a crowd of believers.
At the conclusion of the evening, al-Rahi delivered a word of thanks to singer Dalia and all those who helped make this Marian evening a success, describing it as "a moment of conscience and prayer toward every mother in light of her sacrifices, after the example of our heavenly Mother." He pointed to the well-known saying, "My mother's face is the face of my nation," adding to it: "The face of our heavenly Mother is the face of our Church." He said: "This evening has ushered us into the Marian month of May, in which we honor our Mother Mary, who accompanies us in all the difficult circumstances of life and accompanies our homeland and the world."
Regarding all the attacks and insults that have taken place, he said: "We have only one teacher, Christ, and His word is not mere speech; it is the constitution of life for every Christian. The Lord Jesus teaches us to forgive and pardon, just as He did from the cross for those who crucified Him when He said: 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing!' Likewise, following the example of the first martyr in our Church, Saint Stephen, who prayed to the Lord for his killers, saying: 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them.' In truth, I am saddened for them, not by them; saddened by their morals and their view of us, and by the desecration of our sacred things through mockery on social media platforms. I feel sorry for them and for their feelings toward us. All that we strive to uphold is the dignity of the person, the homeland, and safe coexistence. But their condition does not bode well and does not guarantee the sanctity of coexistence, which is the value of covenantal Lebanon."
He concluded: "We forgive them and call on them to return to the homeland, to good morals and sacred humanity, and we entrust them to the intercession of our Mother, the Virgin Mary, in this blessed month."
