By Natalie
Salameh
We enjoyed
several days of prayer and visiting with friends at the National Shrine to Our
Lady of Lebanon, North Jackson, Ohio in celebration of the Dormition of the
Mother of God.
The pilgrimage began
on Wednesday evening, August 13, with a Divine Liturgy of the Roman Church celebrated
by His Excellency, Bishop Jeffrey M. Monforton of Steubenville, Ohio, followed
by a candlelit procession and blessing with the Icon of Our Lady of Lebanon.
On both
Wednesday and Thursday nights, we spent time in prayer, adoration and
fellowship with the MYO of the parish with their Excellencies, Bishop Elias
Zaidan and Bishop Gregory Mansour also in attendance. Both Bishops spoke to the
teens on the role of Our Blessed Mother in our everyday lives and they
emphasized that we should never be afraid of loving Mary too much because she
is our mother, given to us by Jesus as he was suffering on the cross. Like a
good mother, she is always there to nurture, guide and support us, her beloved
children.
On Thursday,
August 14, we were blessed to hear a number of conferences and to celebrate a
Byzantine Divine Liturgy, offered by His Excellency, Bishop John Bura, Bishop
of the Byzantine Eparchy of St. Josaphat Parma, Ohio. Following Divine Liturgy,
the Byzantine Tradition has a very beautiful ritual of burying the Mother of
God on the vigil of her Dormition, a ritual they call the “Funeral of the
Theotokos, the Ever-Virgin Mary”. We processed behind the tomb and shroud of
the Virgin Mary, which was later placed in the chapel for all to venerate.
On the day of
the Feast of the Assumption, Friday August 15, we celebrated the Maronite
Pontifical Liturgy outside beside the shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon. The
Liturgy was followed by a huge candlelit procession around the entire shrine of
Our Lady of Lebanon, with a great number in attendance. The procession
concluded with a beautiful display of fireworks above the shrine, and
festivities in the Cedars Hall.
We remembered you
in our prayers during these holy days of pilgrimage at the Shrine and we especially
remembered our persecuted brothers and sisters in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. Our
Lady of Lebanon, pray for us.