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2012-01-22
His Eminence Metropolitan John celebrates the Divine Liturgy in Cologne-Germany
On Sunday the 22th of January, the parish of St. Demetrius witnessed a solemn Divine Liturgy. His Eminence John of Europe presided over the divine service in which Revd. Fr. Elias Esber, the parish priest, and the deacons Gerasimus Kabbas and Parthenius Allati participated.
This Liturgy was the first opportunity for the faithful of the parish to see their pastor among them in the new year. Their active participation in the prayer expressed their original and lovely relationship with their faith. They presented a really concrete example of an active parish. At the end of the Liturgy, His Eminence delivered a speech in which he explained the story of Zacchaeus who had a great desire to see the Lord. He explained the symbolism of this story; Zacchaeus is a symbol of every Christian; Zacchaeus had a great desire to see Jesus and every Christian should have the same eagerness to see and know the Lord of his life. Zacchaeus climbed the tree to see the Lord, so as he trampled that tree to perceive the Lord so should every Christian trample upon his own sins to see the only One who is without sin.
After the Liturgy, all faithful participated in a lovely reception and sat around their pastor who was so happy to meet them again.
