Brothers and Sisters, a beautiful testimony has been given to the Maronites. Written in 1980 by Charles Malik — a very famous Lebanese statement, who helped form the United Nations in New York — I ask you to give it a good read. It’s kind of embarrassing and humbling to see someone from the outside view the Maronite Church and the great responsibilities and gifts that have been placed in our hands as Maronites through our Father in faith, St. Maron.
Click the button below to view Charles Malek’s letter to the Maronites.
[Charles Malik] summarizes “Much Is Required” through the following:
Accepting what has been given to [us] with utmost modesty, fear, and tremor. The last right stance is: “Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.”
Expressing gratitude to the bountiful giver, effusing gratitude for giving without asking;
Giving each of the ten talents the value it deserves, meditating on its splendor with total humility, fear, and piety, and discovering all challenges involved in each talent;
Taking very good care of each of these talents and pledging to develop them to the utmost;
Ascertaining that the existence and survival of the Maronites is of great meaning and deep mystery; probing this mystery with passionate yearning;
Ascertaining that this mystery is not limited to Lebanon only, but stretches farther and deeper;
Having total faith (a) in the responsible humanistic, individual, and existential liberty as being the holiest thing in existence; (b) that this liberty sums up and embodies the essence of the ten gifts given to the Maronites; (c) that Lebanon is entrusted with these talents forever, not only for itself but also for the entire Levant; (d) and if we lose these talents, the Maronites will lose, and Lebanon will lose with them all the talents they have been given, and the mystery of their survival will fade away, consequently every reason for the existence of Lebanon will fade away. When the reason of existence fades away, existence will then become extinct.
Meditating with fear, tremor, and trust in God, on the parable of the good and faithful slave and the evil and lazy slave; The good slave did not only keep his talents but rather doubled them. The lazy slave, however, was afraid and buried his talent in the ground. Thus far, the Maronites have been faithful with the talents they have been given, and they have doubled them. I have no doubt that the master who has given them the talents, if he decides to hold them accountable today, he would say to them what he said to the good servant: “Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.”
I sincerely pray that the day will not come, and I am certain that the day will not come, when the master one day says what he said to the evil and lazy slave: “Take the talent from him and give it to the (others). For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.”
Charles Malik
Rabieh, Lebanon, August 25, 1980