Dear Brothers and Sisters,
On this fifth Sunday after the Feast of the Glorious Cross, the Gospel of the Wise and Foolish Virgins invites us to reflect on the meaning of wisdom in our Christian life. The wisdom that Jesus calls us to is not just knowledge or intelligence, but a spiritual light that guides our hearts and prepares us to meet the Lord. Without this wisdom, we risk living distracted, unready, and unaware of the presence of the Bridegroom among us.
To acquire true wisdom, we must cultivate three essential attitudes:
๐ ๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ, ๐๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ. A wise person recognises the gift of life and remains attentive to the presence of God in every moment. Awareness is a call to vigilance, to live each day with purpose and readiness.
๐๐๐๐จ๐ง๐, ๐ก๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ. True wisdom grows in a humble heart. The humble person knows that every grace and insight comes from God. Humility teaches us to depend on the Lordโs strength, not our own.
๐๐ก๐ข๐ซ๐, ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ. Wisdom demands more than good intentions; it requires perseverance and action. The one who truly desires God strives daily to walk in His ways, choosing love, truth, and service even when it costs effort and sacrifice.
As Saint Paul reminds us: โWork out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and to act according to his good purposeโ (Phil 2:12-13). Wisdom is both a gift and a responsibility. It is more precious than gold, for it leads us to the joy of the Bridegroom and to the fullness of life in His Kingdom.
๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ: ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ญ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐จ๐ง
Dear friends, wisdom also calls us to act with responsibility in our communities and for the good of our homeland. As Lebanese living in Australia, we carry both a spiritual and moral duty to help build a better future for Lebanon.
I encourage every eligible Lebanese citizen to register to vote in the 2026 Parliamentary Elections. Registration is open ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ ๐๐๐๐ and can be completed online at ๐ก๐ญ๐ญ๐ฉ๐ฌ://๐๐ข๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ญ๐.๐ฆ๐๐.๐ ๐จ๐ฏ.๐ฅ๐. Please take this step and invite your family and friends to do the same. Together, our voices can help shape a Lebanon built on truth, freedom, and dignity.
Let us pray that the Lord fills our hearts with the oil of wisdom and the light of faith, so that our lives may shine brightly in His presence and in service to our brothers and sisters.
+ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐-๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐๐ฒ