Lahore: May 14, 2015. (Fr. Inayat Bernard) “ It is a joyous occasion for us when we meet together to pray. In Lent we prepared for 40 days for Easter and now we pray for 40 days for the Ascension and decent of the Holy Spirit.”. Archbishop Sebastian Francis Shaw OFM of Lahore was talking to over 200 faithful gathered at the Salvation Army Headquarters for the 4th interdenominational Alleluia Conference organized by Ecumenical Solidarity Committee and Council for, Archbishop Sebastian said that when Jesus Christ appeared to the other apostles, St. Thomas said that he would believe only when he sees him alive himself and touch him. At his appearance to all apostles including Thomas he gave them the gift of peace and asked them to go to the whole world to spread the message of love and peace to all nations of the world. The two disciples on the way to Emmaus were hopeless and they were made hopeful by showing himself to them. Jesus encourages them and strengthens their faith. He had prepared their minds and that he will suffer and rise again. In the current situation of our country we have gone through the hopeless situation like Kot Radha Kishan and Yuhanabad but we are people of hope and get strength by the fact that he is risen from the dead and given us the message of life, peace and love. On the feast of St. Marks the first evangelist to write the gospel with the help of the Holy Spirit, Archbishop said that Jesus Christ asked his followers to take up their crosses and follow him. By removing the stone at the tomb he clears the way for us to go on with his assurance that he is with us till the end of the world. We need to be effective evangelizers in our day to day life, he concluded. Through the ecumenical efforts we may bring this peace to all. It is expected to extend this ecumenical unity to your families, place of work and the entire society. Fr. Willima Basharat OFM Cap introduced the key speaker Pastor Arif M. Seraj, the moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Pakistan who said in his keynote address that all religions claim that their own founders were true. Jesus Christ gave the sacrifice of his life for all human beings. He based his reflection on 1 Peter 1:3-4 due to his resurrection we get born in a new way. If he was like the other founders he would not start a religion but founded salvation and he is the savior of us all. He said that one who believes in Jesus will have life eternal. St. Peter praises Jesus Christ and the divinity of Jesus Christ is highlighted so that we get new birth in his name. With his resurrection we are reborn. He had told Nicodemus to be reborn in order to inherit the eternal life. It is not a physical birth but the spiritual birth. He gives us a new hope. The life is given to all his faithful who believe in him. The happiness in the Lord can not be snatched from us because it is eternal. His resurrection is a blameless thing and a fact for which apostles gave their lives and early Christians sacrificed their lives and stood firm in their faith. In Jer 2:7-23 this inheritance is give to each one of us and we are to inherit it through our works and actions. He said that those who believe in Jesus Christ, their sins are forgiven and they become righteous in his name. He ended by saying to continue in this process of ecumenical services to become the witness of the risen Lord. Rev. Emmanuel Khokhar, the vicar general of the Church of Pakistan diocese of Raiwind extended the message of the moderator bishop of Church of Pakistan Samuel Robert Azaria of Raiwind. He has been operated and he appreciated this unity among denominations and through its’ visibility it will be an effective witness of our unity. Emmanuel Khokhar said that the resurrection of the Lord is the gift for us. He prayed that may this unity grow in the years to come. Fr. Francis Nadeem OFM Cap, the coordinator of Ecumenical Solidarity Committee thanked the Salvation Army for organizing this 4th Alleluia Conference at their place. He thanked the choirs of Salvation Army, United Christian Hospital, St. Thomas Church choir, Makka Colony and St. Themothias Church choir, Shera kot, Lahore. He made a special mention of the Salvation Army band who were singing Alleluia course before and during the prayer service. He raised slogan that Jesus Christ is risen Alleluia several times in the words of appreciation. He thanked the main speaker Pastor Arif M. Seraj for his valuable thoughts. Fr. Nadem said that due to Yuhanabad tragedy we had to change the date from 17th April to 25th April. We are people of hope and despite all these problems and difficulties we go on to proclaim that Jesus Christ is in fact risen from the dead according to what he had promised. In his introduction Fr. Inayat Bernard said that through the Ecumenical Solidarity Committee we have fixed three programs in a year. First is the unity week which starts on the 18th of January every year and starts from the Catholic Cathedral and ends on 25th January at the Cathedral of the Resurrection. In between the four mainline Churches organize the day of pray for unity in their respective churches with the participation from these denominations. The second program is Ecumenical Christmas Carol which is fixed on the 14th December at the different places in rotation. The third program is Alleluia Conference on the 2nd Saturday after Easter. Fr. Inayat Bernard said that the ESC has brought fruit and we have come close to each other and recognize and appreciate the chrism which each denomination has and is active in the vineyard of the Lord. The first reading was read from Isaiah 52:7-12 by Sr. Sumaira Arshad FTL, 2nd reading from Acts. 1:6-11 by Ms. Nazia Yousaf while the Gospel from Matt.28: 1-10 was read by Presbyterian pastor Rev. Amjad Niamat. The prayers were said by divisional commander of Salvation Army Major Salamat Masih, Maj Irshad Saleem, Fr.Qaiser Feroz OFM Cap, Captain Amjad Sardar Introduction of Archbishop was given by Rev. Shahid P. Meraj, the Dean of the Cathedral of the Resurrection who invited the Archbishop to cut the cake of 6th Episcopal Ordination Anniversary. Emmanuel Khokhar introduced lieut. Colonel Washington Daniel who welcomed all the present and extended his future cooperation and closed the conference with his prayer and benediction. Major Saleem Yousaf was the main person to facilitate the whole Alleluia Conference. Refreshments were served for all participants