John X
Patriarch of Antioch and All the East
to
My brothers, Pastors of the Holy Church of Antioch
My sons and daughters, everywhere across this Apostolic See
“Let us love the Bridegroom, O brethren, and prepare our lamps, shining with the virtues and a right faith; that, like the wise virgins of the Lord, we may be ready to enter with Him into the wedding feast. For as God He granteth unto all the Bridegroom's gift; an incorruptible crown.”[1]
This is the Church's prayer on these days of Holy Week, uttered by
the hymnographer, where she addresses every soul that longs for the
thresholds of Resurrection. We hereby extend it to you my brethren, for
thorough reflection, while you accompany us in prayer from the corners
of your homes and the cores of your souls. Today, a few steps away from
Resurrection, we call on you to accompany the Bridegroom, the One who
dwells in the empty tomb. We invite you to contemplate Christ Jesus,
whom the hymnographer designates as the Bridegroom of the soul. Let us
put everything aside. Let us put all the worries and epidemics of the
whole world; let us, for a moment, lose sight of worldly communication
and media. There, in the depths of our soul, let us behold Christ, who
is treading the path to the Golgotha and the Resurrection. And let us
love Him. Let us wash Him, sprinkle Him with the myrrh of our love for
Him, with the fragrance of our love for each other. Let us shed before
Him our tears of love and gratitude, for He is suffering the Passion for
the sake of our salvation.
We are called in the quietness of the heart, from the corners of our
homes, to light up our hearts before the Lord of the hearts, as we pour
the oil of patience before His divine Light. We are called to pour out
the oil of mercy and charity, and to light our lamp of Pascha, first and
foremost with the oil of repentance and with the quietude of the heart,
in contrition before the Crucified Lord. We are called to quench the
heart with the dew of prayer and to purify the soul from all conceit,
presenting it to Him, to Christ, as a pure bridal chamber. On Holy
Friday, we are called to reflect how the dawn of the Resurrection
followed the bitter wailing. So much wailing and restlessness affect us
times and again: wars, distress, epidemics! However, our consolation is
that the Lord wipes out every tear from our eyes, looking down from the
height of his Cross and embracing our hearts with the light of His
Glorious Resurrection.
Christ is our new Pascha; He is the Bridegroom of the virgin soul
that expels all the worries and worldly vanities from her depths and
heart. Hence, she may acquire Christ as the Bridegroom who sanctifies
the inner being and pours out His mercies. Let us be aware and keep in
mind that the Lord loves the souls that long for Him and pours out His
peace over the whole world. Let us know in our hearts that the
Resurrection is first and foremost a resurrection of the soul, filled
with love for God and the neighbor. The present circumstance is but an
occasion to express our love for the Bridegroom of the soul and our love
for His creation. Wherever we may be, we pray to God the Father of
Mercies and Lord of all Comfort, that He sends His peace and displaces
the heavy tombstone. Then our souls may shine in the light of the
Resurrection.
We pray today for all those who are in suffering and pain, for the
hungry and those who worry about their destiny. May the Triumphant
Christ resurrect them from distress. We also pray for the departed who
died during the new epidemic and for those who are struck by it; may
they be cured. We pray for those who watch over the recovery of the sick
and for those who work day and night to fight it. May the Almighty Lord
protect them with His care and providence. We pray for peace in the
East and all the world, and for the return of all the kidnapped,
including our two brothers, the Bishops of Aleppo, Youhanna Ibrahim and
Paul Yazji, who were abducted during this season, seven years ago. We
repeat again and again that it tears our hearts, even more than the
kidnapping, to see the global and international indifference for their
cause, which represents only a slight example of the displacement,
killing, terrorism, and kidnapping suffered by the human being of the
East.
From the Church of Antioch, the message of the Gospel went out to the
world two thousand years ago. It is the Church of Antioch who brought
the light of the Gospel to the world. Our ancestors were first and
foremost messengers of love and faith. They were messengers of the
Resurrection and joy. They poured into their lives and extended to all
whom they encountered the joy of the gospel of Resurrection, the hope of
Resurrection and its victory, at all times and places, despite the
circumstances and adversities. Besides, they were always on good terms
with their neighbors. They did not melt down as a minority, nor did they
segregate themselves, confining their horizons to a glorified past or a
blessed present. They never got inebriated by some protection obtained
here and there. Rather, their strength stemmed from the power of their
faith in Christ; their hope was woven from the unity of their testimony
to Him, from their adherence and loyalty to Him throughout the ages. We
hope to always remain united, joining our acts and hearts, despite the
adversity that besets us.
Today we pray the Lord of Life, our Lord Jesus Christ, to embrace the
souls of those who preceded us into the hope of Resurrection and
eternal life. We address our payer to the Crucified Christ, the Master
of hope and the Lord of Resurrection, the Bridegroom of the soul, the
Merciful Providence, may He send his divine consolation to our hearts
and to the hearts of all humankind, who is seeking the dawn of
Resurrection from every ordeal.
We extend the peace of Pascha to you, our children in the homeland
and overseas; may the Glorious Christ crown your life with the hope of
Resurrection so that, in the winter of these times, the spring of His
salvation shines with bountiful days of heavenly joy and divine
consolation comes your way. Then we shall sing with united tongues and
hearts:
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and on those in the tombs bestowing life!
From our Patriarchate in Damascus
April 17, 2020