I have met many people from our country who had left to come here. It struck me from the conversations we had that there are people from among our own who have forsaken the connection with their heritage. If you let the world strip you of yourself, it will not keep you well, but rather ...
Read moreAuthor: Father Elia Mitri
Meeting and Parting
I thought I was talking to my granddaughter about something that would make her happy. I told her, "is it not great that we get to spend fifty days together?". I did not expect her reaction. She immediately put her hands over her ears, refusing to hear, and raised her voice and said: "do not ...
Read moreBrethren in Life
To this day, I have prayed here, in an expanse I am visiting, in three churches that are affiliated to our diocese in North America. It is such a precious tradition that we make a pilgrimage to the local saints in whatever city we happen to be in. I have been told about churches here ...
Read moreNotre-Dame Basilica
When my daughter pointed out to me the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal, first by talking about it, then from a brochure about it, she told me: “dad, talking is nothing like seeing”. Prepare yourself. Tomorrow, we will visit it”. I have not abandoned the view of our heritage that links visiting churches to worship. Nevertheless, ...
Read moreOne of the Most Precious Gifts
My two eldest grandchildren race to accompany me on my walking in this beautiful expanse. In these days in which I have known the country, sometimes, the four seasons of the year could pass in a single hour. Days ago, when I left the house, it was springtime. In a few minutes it turned into ...
Read moreGod is Here
Every human being carries a message. These days on which I went out to walk here, two people spoke to me. The first man asked me about the hour. I got the message! Wherever I am, my call is to extend to the hour, to the one which Jesus has asked us to spend our ...
Read moreA Precious Call
On the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, after the Divine Liturgy, the brethren in the Orthodox Youth Movement, in Hazmieh, organize every year a general meeting in a mountainous area, in which they enjoy nature together, and share the Word, bread and salt. This year, I did not participate with them in their ...
Read moreFeast of the City
Thirty-five years ago, one of the brethren priests in Mount Lebanon proposed to some priests in his neighborhood the idea of celebrating together the feasts of the patron saints of their parish churches. However, the idea did not materialize. Yesterday, here, in the city of Montreal, believers from the parishes of the city responded to ...
Read moreGreater than Language
4% of the population of Montreal are Arabs! The insanity of politics and the fear for their fate and their children has driven most of them to emigrate out of their countries. When my friend Samir Abi-Ghanem bade me farewell before I travelled, he told me that, here, in this city whose inland seaports open ...
Read moreThe Face of Jesus
In my son’s house, an icon of Jesus is placed above the entrance door. My son knows that it is not part of our heritage to put the icon in our homes, in other than an inner room, in the place of prayer, on the eastern wall. The icon is not for public display, but ...
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