Showing posts with label Bethlehem. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bethlehem. Show all posts
Saturday, January 8, 2022
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
Patriarch John X Sends Message Born of the East
Once again,Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East has sent out a Christmas encyclical with his customary eloquence and paternal regard for his worldwide flock,who,wherever they may have wandered,are spiritually rooted in the Middle East.Here are some excerpts that speak so powerfully in their language of prayer and sacred memory:
By God's Grace,His Beatitude John X
Patriarch of Antioch and of All the East
It is about time that darkness may be scattered from the East and for the people of the East to live in peace on earth in their birthplace.It is about time for wars to cease in the land where Christ was born and from which heavenly religions were launched.The message of our East is one of freedom,peace,and of open hearts to the entire world.Neither is there any trace of Takfirism and violence,abandonment and terrorism,in our past and present time.We pray that the light of the cave will cast away the darkness of wars to instill in the minds of all people that our region is not an open market to sell arms,and that the destiny of our people should not end dead on the shores of other nations.*
We offer prayers today for the peace in Syria,for the stability of Lebanon,for the safety of Palestine,and for the welfare of the bleeding Iraq;for every spot and all peoples.We offer our prayers for Jerusalem and for its sacred shrines and institutions so Jerusalem may continue to be the city of prayers.We offer our prayers for all those who are captives;especially for the two hierarchs:Metropolitan Paul Yazigy and Archbishop Youhanna Ibrahim.We pray for the kidnapped,homeless,and those who live in travail.*
And we remember the East during these difficult days,we shall never ignore the active Antiochian presence throughout the world.We pray that Christ the Child will bestow His mercies on the entire world and on all our spiritual children of the Antiochian See,in the Middle East and the entire world.*
From the heart of the church of Antioch to the hearts of all people,we extend to you the best greetings in the name of Christ who is born in Bethlehem.We can indeed recall that Christianity was born in the East,and lived together fraternally with the others,and that the Christian Church of Antioch stretches her hands and embraces all her children,and is proud of them,wherever they are,for through them and by their active presence,the Antiochian Church carries the gospel of Christ and its message of the good news to the entire world.
Issued from our Patriarchal Headquarters
Damascus,Syria
December 20,2017
By God's Grace,His Beatitude John X
Patriarch of Antioch and of All the East
It is about time that darkness may be scattered from the East and for the people of the East to live in peace on earth in their birthplace.It is about time for wars to cease in the land where Christ was born and from which heavenly religions were launched.The message of our East is one of freedom,peace,and of open hearts to the entire world.Neither is there any trace of Takfirism and violence,abandonment and terrorism,in our past and present time.We pray that the light of the cave will cast away the darkness of wars to instill in the minds of all people that our region is not an open market to sell arms,and that the destiny of our people should not end dead on the shores of other nations.*
We offer prayers today for the peace in Syria,for the stability of Lebanon,for the safety of Palestine,and for the welfare of the bleeding Iraq;for every spot and all peoples.We offer our prayers for Jerusalem and for its sacred shrines and institutions so Jerusalem may continue to be the city of prayers.We offer our prayers for all those who are captives;especially for the two hierarchs:Metropolitan Paul Yazigy and Archbishop Youhanna Ibrahim.We pray for the kidnapped,homeless,and those who live in travail.*
And we remember the East during these difficult days,we shall never ignore the active Antiochian presence throughout the world.We pray that Christ the Child will bestow His mercies on the entire world and on all our spiritual children of the Antiochian See,in the Middle East and the entire world.*
From the heart of the church of Antioch to the hearts of all people,we extend to you the best greetings in the name of Christ who is born in Bethlehem.We can indeed recall that Christianity was born in the East,and lived together fraternally with the others,and that the Christian Church of Antioch stretches her hands and embraces all her children,and is proud of them,wherever they are,for through them and by their active presence,the Antiochian Church carries the gospel of Christ and its message of the good news to the entire world.
Issued from our Patriarchal Headquarters
Damascus,Syria
December 20,2017
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Smiles Amidst Tension:Christmas in Bethlehem 2014
A county fair atmosphere prevailed in Bethlehem in the West Bank,as thousands of individuals took in the sights and sounds of Christmas,marking the birth of Jesus Christ where it really occurred more than 2,000 years ago.You could buy candied apples,listen to choirs sing traditional Christmas carols,or even hear a rock band perform new Christmas music.A peaceful mood prevailed in Manger Square outside the Church of the Nativity,although the memory of war in the nearby Gaza strip over the summer-between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas organisation-was fresh on people's minds,keeping tourist numbers to less than half of what they were last year.About 4500 foreign tourists came to Bethlehem this year,and they are the bedrock of the local economy.*
All through December,Bethlehem and other West Bank towns and villages and their churches of various types,ranging from Lutheran to Melkite Eastern Catholic and Greek Orthodox,held tree lighting ceremonies with fireworks,scout parades and carols,as well as Christmas concerts.The churches themselves were also decorated with Christmas lights.*
There are very few Christians left in the Gaza strip-just one Greek Orthodox church.
They were allowed to cross over Israeli territory this year and into the West Bank town of Bethlehem and attend the celebrations there.In general,it has been a tranquil Christmas season for the Palestinian people with no shortage of smiles,troubled as they are by living under occupation.They say they want peace with justice,a recognition of their legitimate rights and a state of their own.
All through December,Bethlehem and other West Bank towns and villages and their churches of various types,ranging from Lutheran to Melkite Eastern Catholic and Greek Orthodox,held tree lighting ceremonies with fireworks,scout parades and carols,as well as Christmas concerts.The churches themselves were also decorated with Christmas lights.*
There are very few Christians left in the Gaza strip-just one Greek Orthodox church.
They were allowed to cross over Israeli territory this year and into the West Bank town of Bethlehem and attend the celebrations there.In general,it has been a tranquil Christmas season for the Palestinian people with no shortage of smiles,troubled as they are by living under occupation.They say they want peace with justice,a recognition of their legitimate rights and a state of their own.
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