Letter of His Beatitude Gregorios III
Patriarch of Antioch and all the East,
of Alexandria and of Jerusalem
of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church
On the occasion of the Feast of the Nativity
25 December 2015
From Gregorios, Servant of Jesus Christ
By the mercy of Almighty God,
Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, of Alexandria and Jerusalem
To my
brothers, their graces the bishops, members of the Holy Synod
and
our other sons and daughters in Christ Jesus, the clergy and people, called to
be saints,
with
all those who invoke the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, their and our Lord,
“Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father,
and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor: 1: 3)
“I
bring you good tidings of great joy..
“unto
you is born this day ... a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2: 10-11)
The
Nativity according to the Flesh of our Lord God and Saviour, Jesus Christ
25
December 2015
“I bring you good tidings of great joy..unto you is
born this day ... a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2: 10-11)
This verse begins the Holy Gospel, telling the good
news of Jesus to people, “all people” of this world, which is God’s domain.
Gospel
means good news for mankind, news that
is beautiful, lovely, joyful, gladsome, comforting, healing, sublime, close to
everyone.
Glad
tidings! Gospel! Great joy! Thus begins the Gospel of our Lord, God and Saviour
Jesus Christ. Thus begins Christianity. Thus begins our holy Christian faith.
This
is the Feast of the Nativity. On this holy day, this year we hear anew the
Christmas angel in the dark night, in the fields of Beit Sahur and Bethlehem,
and in all parts of the world. We hear again the voice of the angel announcing
to us all without exception, and particularly to all those receiving this letter,
“I bring you glad tidings of great joy. I bring to you a Gospel, the Gospel of
joy. This joy is Jesus himself, the Saviour.”
Christ
the Lord is Redeemer, Friend, God who loves mankind. The All-merciful is the friend
of saints and is compassionate to sinners, calling all to redemption and the
heavenly banquet.
Today
more than ever, the world needs, we need, you, our families need, our country
needs, every human being who is afraid, sceptical, hungry, thirsty, displaced,
sick, desperate needs joy! That is why I chose this title for the Christmas
Letter in this fifth year of our Arab, especially Syrian, way of the cross.
The
Arab world, our churches, communities, patriarchs, archbishops, priests,
deacons, monks, nuns, faithful sons and daughters of our parishes,
fellow-citizens and the whole world, all need this joy heralded by the
Christmas angel, “I bring you glad tidings of great joy!”
This proclamation
made to the shepherds also goes out through this letter to all the sons and
daughters of the Greek Catholic Church, both clergy and people ... and so to
all people, including all who will read this message, in order to bring to
everyone’s heart new joy, the joy of the Gospel, the joy of the Lord Jesus the
Saviour, the new Child, God before the ages.
This
is what His Holiness Pope Francis called us to in the Apostolic Exhortation, The
Joy of the Gospel, (2013), saying, "The joy of the gospel fills the
hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of
salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With
Christ joy is constantly born anew.”(Evangelii Gaudium 1)
The
announcement of the Nativity, "I bring you glad tidings of great
joy," echoes what was mentioned in the books of the Old and New
Testaments, and expected for generations: this was fulfilled by the birth of Christ.
Joy
in the Torah
The
Covenant with God in the history of the people of the Old Testament is the era
of joy! It is a holiday! A true expression of fidelity!
Here
are some verses from some of the books that refer to the people’s joy in God’s
salvation. (See below, selected verses in the Appendix)
Joy
in the New Testament
The
Gospel is the good news of joy. Here, too, we should like to cite the verses
that call for joy. There is no faith in Christ without joy in Christ Jesus. His
Nativity is the birth of joy: “I bring you glad tidings of great joy! For unto
you is born a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”
There
follow some of verses from the Gospels about joy. (See Appendix)
Joy
in the Apostolic Epistles
St.
Paul is the Apostle of joy. One of his many statements is, "I am exceeding
joyful in all our tribulation." (2 Corinthians 7: 4) This language
expresses the situation of all of us and that is the reason why I chose the
subject of this letter, despite the bloody, grievous, sad, tragic circumstances
experienced by our country and through which we are all going...
And
his beautiful, “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your
moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing;
but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your
requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 4: 4-7) (See more verses in the Appendix)
Joy
in the daily service books
Look
again here at some verses from the daily prayers, or what we call the Horologion.
Our prayers are a permanent invitation to joy. So we can say, “He who prays is joyful!”
There is no prayer without joy and no joy without prayer!
“They
that fear thee will see me and rejoice: for I have hoped in thy words.” (Psalm
119: 74 LXX)
"O
Virgin Mother of God, unassailable wall and fortress of salvation, we beg thee;
scatter the counsels of the foe; turn thy people’s grief into joy; restore thy
world; strengthen the devout; intercede for the peace of the world; for thou, O
Mother of God, art our hope." (Theotokion from the Midnight Office)
“But
let the righteous rejoice; let them exult before God: let them be delighted
with joy.” (Psalm 67 LXX)
“Let
all that seek thee exult and be glad in thee: and let those that love thy
salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.” (Psalm 69: 4 LXX)
“But
the king shall rejoice in God; every one that swears by him shall be praised;
for the mouth of them that speak unjust things has been stopped.” (Psalm 62: 11
LXX)
"Come,
all ye faithful. Let us venerate the Holy Resurrection of Christ. For behold,
through the cross, joy has come to all the world."
"O
sweetness of the angels, joy of all those in distress, Virgin Mother of the
Lord, thou art the protection of Christians. Come to my aid, deliver me from
the eternal torments.” (Little Paraclesis)
Another verse about joy (First
Hour): "We have been satisfied in the morning with thy mercy; and we did
exult and rejoice: let us rejoice in all our days, in return for the days
wherein thou didst afflict us, the years wherein we saw evil. And look upon thy
servants, and upon thy works; and guide their children." (Psalm 89: 14-16
LXX)
"O Christ our God, who wast voluntarily lifted up
on the Cross, grant thy mercies to thy new people named after thee. Gladden
with thy power Orthodox Christians and give them victory over their enemies.
May they have as an ally that invincible trophy, thy weapon of peace."
(Kontakion for Wednesday)
"For thou, O Lord, hast made me glad with thy
work: and in the works of thy hands will I exult.” (Psalm 91: 4 LXX)
“The light of thy countenance, O Lord, has been manifested
towards us. Thou hast put gladness into my heart, they have been satisfied with
the fruit of their corn and wine and oil. I will both lie down in peace, and
sleep: for thou, Lord, only hast caused me to dwell securely.” (Psalm 4: 6-8
LXX)
"Pity me, O Lord, for to thee will I cry all the
day. Rejoice the soul of thy servant, for to thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my
soul."(Psalm 85: 3-4 LXX)
“Guide
me, O Lord, in thy way, and I will walk in thy truth: let my heart rejoice,
that I may fear thy name.” (Psalm 85: 11-12 LXX)
“Let
the glory of the Lord be for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works.” (Psalm
103: 31 LXX)
“Let
my meditation be sweet to him: and I will rejoice in the Lord.” (Psalm 103: 33
LXX)
"Lead
us in thy way that we may walk in thy truth. Make glad our hearts, that we may
fear thy holy name. " (The first Prayer of Light at Great Vespers, said by
the priest)
Our
prayers are a permanent invitation to joy.We even have liturgical books named
consolation or joy. So the book named comforter (Paraklitike) is the book
of eight tones, a book used essentially at Vespers and Matins. We rotate these
prayers every eight weeks throughout the year. The hymns and prayers contained in
it are really a fountain of consolation, joy, strength, courage and morale ...
a companion for a priest, monk or nun! That is why we hope to be faithful and persevere
with reading it every day!
Joy
of the Gospel
After
reviewing this large group of beautiful verses about joy (see Appendix), I should
like to offer verses to accompany our daily life and bring joy to our hearts.
This group has become our daily bread thanks to our confidence in God's love
for us.
In
this letter, I am pleased to convey to everyone some extracts about joy from Pope
Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation entitled The Joy of the Gospel. I
recommend that everyone read and reflect upon this document.
Here
are some extracts from it:
“...An
evangelizing community is filled with joy; it knows how to rejoice always. It
celebrates every small victory, every step forward in the work of
evangelization. Evangelization with joy becomes beauty in the liturgy... The
Church evangelizes and is herself evangelized through the beauty of the
liturgy, which is both a celebration of the task of evangelization and the source
of her renewed self-giving.” (No. 24)
The
Pope emphasises the importance of joy in all aspects of life. “Evangelization
as ... joyful..preaching...must be a priority.” (No. 110) “The salvation which
God has wrought, and the Church joyfully proclaims, is for everyone.” (No. 113)
"We will know the missionary joy of
sharing life with God’s faithful people as we strive to light a fire in the
heart of the world."(271) His Holiness speaks about the source of joy and
happiness, "Only the person who feels happiness in seeking the good of
others, in desiring their happiness, can be a missionary. This openness of the
heart is a source of joy, since `it is more blessed to give than to receive.´
(Acts 20:35) We do not live better when we flee, hide, refuse to share, stop
giving and lock ourselves up in our own comforts. Such a life is nothing less
than slow suicide."(No. 272)
On
the same topic, His Holiness says, quoting the words of Pope Paul VI's
Apostolic Exhortation entitled Proclaiming the Gospel, "Consequently,
an evangelizer must never look like someone who has just come back from a
funeral! Let us recover and deepen our enthusiasm, that “delightful and
comforting joy of evangelizing, even when it is in tears that we must sow… And
may the world of our time, which is searching, sometimes with anguish,
sometimes with hope, be enabled to receive the good news not from evangelizers
who are dejected, discouraged, impatient or anxious, but from ministers of the
Gospel whose lives glow with fervour, who have first received the joy of Christ."(Paul
VI, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi, 8 December 1975, 80 [No.
10 Evangelii Gaudium])
He
says elsewhere: "With a tenderness which never disappoints, but is always
capable of restoring our joy, he [Christ]makes it possible for us to lift up
our heads and to start anew. Let us not flee from the resurrection of Jesus,
let us never give up, come what will."(No. 3)
And
how beautiful the statement in his speech on July 7, 2013 before the Angelus
prayer in St. Peter's Square for peace in Syria, "Dear friends, be glad!
Do not be afraid of being joyful! Don't be afraid of joy! That joy which the
Lord gives us when we allow him to enter our life. Let us allow him to enter
our lives and invite us to go out to the margins of life and proclaim the
Gospel. Don't be afraid of joy. Have joy
and courage!"
Thus,
when others ask the reason for our joy, let us give an account of it to them!
And let us try to inspire joy, hope, optimism and a smile in others. Thus we
redouble our joy by sharing it with others.
Inner
Joy!
This is our human force in the face of distress, pain
and sorrow, sickness and hardship of all kinds. This is our strength in the
face of the stifling crises that overshadow our life, oppress our spirits and
lead us to despair and frustration ... and in the face of the emigration that
saps our lifeblood, causing the loss of the finest forces of our society,
especially its young people, doctors and thinkers and makers of history and its
future!
Today, more than ever, we need joy, because there are
many causes of sorrow, pain and frustration ... We have to look for, and even
devise possible reasons for joy, and we expect and hope for those longed for
but unexpected joys! There are small things that can spark an outburst of
emotion and feelings of joy and happiness ... We have to discover, and even
create them!
It
often happens that joy springs from the moment, from the present moment, and
does not come from without, or from anyone else! That joy lies within and springs
from within, so it can be said to be a joy for direct, local, personal
consumption... a pure, spontaneous, given joy - deep, personal, stemming from
the depth of the human heart, and surpassing all joy!
I should
like to tell you, beloved, who read this message: The finest moments and
experiences of joy in my whole life, the moments of this joy emanating from
within, bursting powerfully from within... were not shared with anyone ... but often
occurred in hours or moments of inner solitude, or individual, personal reflection
... often in very difficult circumstances ... when I felt surprised by a
mysterious joy or shed a tear of joy, hope, faith and love! Fortunately, I
still often feel such moments! ...
Great
joys often arise in our hearts from small joys! So, for example, we want our young
children to be glad because we give them big presents and toys ... but if we do
not give them our love , we fail to recognize that we may experience moments of joy with them, joy that can become
our joy!
I recently
read a book by the German Benedictine monk named Anselm Grün. I should like to
convey some reflections from it to the readers of this Christmas Letter.
Be
glad about your life
You
do not need unusual reasons to rejoice. Be glad by yourself and with yourself.
Rejoice at your life’s memories. Be reconciled to yourself. Take the decision
to be happy and joyful. An American writer says, if you take a decision every
day to be happy, then you are more powerful than the most powerful force in the
world.
Be
glad that you are who you are! Do not compare yourself with others! And do not be
proud, boasting of what you have. And don't be sad because you do not have
things that you see others have. Be confident in your identity! It is enough
that you can be proud and glad that you are God’s creature! God loves you! Repeat
aloud, "God loves me!”
Rejoice
in nature
God
created man and created a paradise! And put in it all sorts of beautiful
creatures! This is not poetry, myth or fiction! But reality. It is to be
regretted that we rarely really look at nature. This is what Jesus said: "For
this people's ... eyes have closed, but blessed are your eyes, for they see:
and your ears, for they hear."(Matthew 13: 15-16)
Psalm
103 LXX (104) is paying tribute to God the Creator and we recite it every day at
Vespers. And through it we learn about the paradise of this universe which God
created for us and for our salvation! Many saints have discovered happiness in
their spiritual life and relationship with God and their fellow human beings through
nature, including St. Francis of Assisi. And before him the desert fathers and
hermits ... including saints of our Church, such as the Arab St. Mary of Jesus
Crucified, who was in constant dialogue with the joy of nature.
This
year in particular Pope Francis issued his Encyclical entitled, Praise be to
you, my Lord. "Christian spirituality proposes an alternative
understanding of the quality of life, and encourages a prophetic and
contemplative lifestyle, one capable of deep enjoyment free of the obsession
with consumption." (No. 222)
“It
is a return to that simplicity which allows us to stop and appreciate the small
things, to be grateful for the opportunities which life affords us, to be
spiritually detached from what we possess, and not to succumb to sadness for
what we lack. This implies avoiding the dynamic of dominion and the mere
accumulation of pleasures.” (No. 222)
"Can
one needs to live a little too much, especially when it is able to give more
space for other pleasure grounds, and to test the satisfaction in fraternal
events, service, investment and talent in music, in art, in contact with
nature, and in prayer. That happiness lies in knowing the limits of certain
needs that confuse us, staying so open to multiple possibilities offered by
life. " (No. 223)
“Even
living on little, they can live a lot, above all when they cultivate other
pleasures and find satisfaction in fraternal encounters, in service, in
developing their gifts, in music and art, in contact with nature, in prayer.
Happiness means knowing how to limit some needs which only diminish us, and
being open to the many different possibilities which life can offer.” (No. 223)
The
Pope prays every day the prayer of St. Thomas More, "Grant me, O Lord, a
sense of good humour...to discover in life a bit of joy and to be able to share
it with others.”
Pope
Francis addressed the Cardinals and members of the Roman Curia just before
Christmas 2014, telling them that they were suffering from certain diseases (some
fifteen in all) including disease no. 12, “The disease of a lugubrious face...
In fact, a show of severity and sterile pessimism are often symptoms of fear
and insecurity... An apostle must make an effort to be courteous, serene,
enthusiastic and joyful, a person who transmits joy everywhere he goes... A
heart filled with God is a happy heart which radiates an infectious joy. How
beneficial is a good dose of humour!"
Communing
with nature
I do
not know whether we commune with nature when we pray (we monks, nuns and
priests) the opening lines of this beautiful psalm 103 (104) at Vespers. And here
I should like to share its beauty with all the faithful who rarely attend
Vespers. The title of the Psalm is hymn to God the creator.
Here
are some verses from this psalm which describe nature, and we should not close
our eyes to its beauties:
"Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou
art very great...
"He sends forth his fountains among the valleys: the
waters shall run between the mountains.
"They shall give drink to all the wild beasts of
the field: the wild asses shall take of them to quench their thirst.
"By them shall the birds of the sky lodge: they
shall utter a voice out of the midst of the rocks.
"He waters the mountains from his chamber: the
earth shall be satisfied with the fruit of thy works.
"He makes grass to grow for the cattle, and green
herb for the service of men,
"To bring bread out of the earth; and wine makes
glad the heart of man...
"The trees of the plain shall be full of sap;
even the cedars of Lebanon which he has planted.
"There the sparrows will build their nests; and
the house of the heron takes the lead among them.
"The high mountains are a refuge for the stags,
and the rock for the rabbits.
"He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knows
his going down...
"How great are thy works, O Lord! In wisdom hast
thou wrought them all...
"All wait upon thee, to give them their food in
due season.
"When thou hast given it them, they will gather
it; and when thou hast opened thine hand, they shall all be filled with good.
"I will sing to the Lord while I live; I will
sing praise to my God while I exist.
“Let my meditation be sweet to him: and I will rejoice
in the Lord.”
Thus the human life of the believer and psalmist
become an anthem and prayer of joy, gladness and blessedness, through his proximity
to God and nature, and his fellow-man ...
We need to communicate with the nature that God
created for us. We need to "walk" in Paradise, with him who created
it, and where he met Adam and Eve, whom he created ... When we walk in nature, we
relax, not confining our thinking to our worries and pain ... but we get out of
ourselves, for we are met by God in nature, and are happy and joyful at its
beauty. .. it is good to go beyond our ideas, projects, problems and concerns
of today ... to go into nature, where we meet God its Creator ...
Rejoice in small things
Joy awaits you in the small things of everyday life.
Try to be happy with all the work you do, no matter how small. Rejoice ... as you
arrange your desk ... or take a morning bath and enjoy breakfast with your
family, your wife and children and friends! Be glad when reading a message from
a friend, or loved one or relative ... and happily reply to the message with love,
thanks, gratitude and congratulations for his or her well-being and so forth or
wish them success in a project or work or other ...
Rejoice with friends! And try to have fun with them
... And bring them good news or a joke or a spiritual or social idea ... Shed
your ego to meet up with others or simply rejoice in bringing joy to others
through the details of your everyday life.
Rejoice with friends!
Be glad to recollect time spent with friends and
remember the pleasant times spent with dear ones, with friends, relatives or
colleagues. So you will move on from a sense of loneliness towards forgetting
your worries.
Contact friends! This facility is available today
through social media. Call them particularly on special occasions: birthdays –
anniversaries – illness – travel ... And don't wait for them to call you ...
Devote ample time to meeting friends! Even without a
plan, object or outline. Meet friends to experience the joy of friendship,
without artifice or ulterior motive, without sin, shame or reproach in
friendship, just trust, honesty, and loyalty, affection, sympathy and joy!
Isn't this what Jesus meant when he said, “Where two
or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
(Matthew 18: 20) And “If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing
that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in
heaven!”(Matthew 18: 19) Isn't this what Jesus did with his friend Lazarus, and
with the Apostles after the resurrection, when he prepared fish grilled on
embers? (John 21: 9) ... Isn't this what Jesus said to his disciples at the
Mystic (Last) Supper, "Ye are my friends…! Henceforth I call you not
servants… but I have called you friends! " (John 15: 14-15) He also said,
" And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again [after the
resurrection], and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from
you.”(John 16: 22) Then he announced," For the Father himself loveth you,
because ye have loved me.”(John 16: 27)
How beautiful is the prayer of Jesus for his disciples
before his saving passion, as we see in Chapter 17 of John’s Gospel! It is a
prayer of love and friendship, trust, unity, loyalty, compassion and honesty.
“And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might
have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world
hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the
world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou
shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not
of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast
sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that
they also might be sanctified through the truth. " (John 17: 13-19)
“I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made
perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast
loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou
hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou
hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. O
righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and
these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy
name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in
them, and I in them.” (John 17: 23-26)
This is the friendship to which Jesus invites us! He
invites us to faith! He is a source of joy for all of us! Jesus is the teacher
of friendship and joy!
Enjoy giving joy to other people
Enjoy giving joy to others! Try to discover joyful
things! I recall that when we were in the process of developing the new
liturgical books, we used to spend hours in hard work. We had a list of jokes
and funny stories. One or other of our group often used to begin by telling a
joke, just to create a comfortable atmosphere of joy and friendship. Then we
would resume our work. I remember how His Grace Archbishop John Mansour used to
enliven our sessions with something topical from the newspapers, with stories,
anecdotes and jokes. I remember my school days at the Major Seminary of Holy
Saviour, where there was always pleasant, cheerful joy among the students! The
Superior General and the Presbyteral Council would come to take part in the
evening study sessions of the older students and hear the jokes told by one of
the brothers who was renowned for his humour, and experience the atmosphere of
joy that he created among his companions.
This is just a matter of human social skill. It should
be on the social and moral education curriculum!
We can learn sound doctrine from proverbs. Don't
forget that proverb, "Don't walk about with your eyes shut!" I mean:
keep in touch with love, affection, friendship and attention to others.
Rejoice! And give joy to others! One of the senior Druze sheikhs told me,
"A comfortable person makes things comfortable, but a complicated person
complicates things!"
“Man is created for joy”
That is a phrase from the famous French philosopher
Pascal. Indeed, joy is a characteristic of human beings and the aim of
Christian spirituality is to attain that joy, which is the essence of man. The
celebrated French thinker Paul Claudel says, “Christian mission is an
invitation to joy.” The French novelist Georges Bernanos wrote, “The mission of
the Church is an invitation to enable the believer to discover the source of
joy that was lost through human sin.” And the Gospel is good news of joy to
humanity.
Therefore, the call to joy is at the core of the
Christian faith. That is why the Christian always radiates joy.
It is most appropriate to rejoice and express your
deep faith. Discover joy in your life.
The road to joy and happiness
And here I am reminded of a letter from a German
friend, referring to a text he had found at a barber’s in Cairo. He sent me a
copy of the text which he had translated into German. This text is called, The
Road to Happiness:
·
Keep far from your heart hatred,
enmity and grudges!
·
Don’t overload your thoughts with
many worries!
·
Live simply, don’t expect sublime
things!
·
Be generous! Hum and sing a lot!
·
Keep going!
·
Fill your life with love!
·
Let your soul shine!
·
Don’t think of yourself, but of
others!
·
Treat others as you would be done
by!
These are the beads that make up the rosary of
happiness.
Pope Francis says in his Bull on the Extraordinary Jubilee
of Mercy, "To let go of anger, wrath, violence and revenge are necessary
conditions to living joyfully." (Misericordiae Vultus No. 9)
God bestows joy on people
God sends an angel to announce to people joy at the
birth of Jesus Christ, "I bring you glad tidings of great joy." The
Saviour is the greatest joy. People should make God joyful, by loving him, keeping
his commandments, and trusting him, and gladdening their fellow human beings. The
Christian faith is based on joy.
Christian love is joy. A feast of love! The liturgical
year is a calendar of feasts. Christian festivals are festivals of joy: the Annunciation
of Jesus Christ, his Nativity, his Presentation at the Temple, his Baptism, his
Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, the Entry to Jerusalem, the Mystic Supper with the
disciples, and through Passion Week to Pascha, and the Divine Ascension, and the
Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
Then there are the principal feast days of the Blessed
Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary: her Conception, her Nativity, her Entry into
the Temple, the Annunciation, her Birth-giving to Jesus Christ, her
Purification, and finally her glorious Dormition.
Not to mention the feastdays of the saints whom we
commemorate daily, especially during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy: the holy angels, prophets, apostles, martyrs, Church
fathers, unmercenary doctors, wonderworking bishops and the male and female martyrs,
confessors and ascetics.
Church history has always been a festive history!
Although it is also a history of struggle, pain, agony and martyrdom. It is a
way of the cross, but leading to the joys of the resurrection.
Enjoy the moment
There is a saying in Latin, Carpe diem meaning,
“Seize the day.” Enjoy the moment. It's your moment! It's your opportunity!
It's your very own!
There was a monk in Gaza named Dorotheos (that is,
gift of God) who lived in the sixth century. He was an ascetic. People used to
visit him or send him messages and he offered them advice according to their
needs. His basic advice was usually, “Live today! seize the moment!”
I understood this teaching through noticing a man
sitting in front of me on the plane. He was wearing a jacket marked, “Yesterday
is history, tomorrow’s a mystery. Today is a gift: that’s why it’s called the
present!”
So the past is over and done for you, and you don’t
know what the future holds in store. Now: this is your time! This is your domain!
In this regard, I remember a book by Brother Roger Schütz, founder of the Taizé
community, entitled: Live God’s today. Enjoy the moment. Vivre
l'aujourd'hui de Dieu. Savour the moment while striving for your ultimate
goal!
This is also the nature of daily liturgical prayers.
They always refer both to the here and now, and to eternity. So we pray
repeatedly every day, "For an angel of peace, a faithful guide, a guardian
of our souls and our bodies, let us ask of the Lord! That this whole day may be
perfect, holy, peaceful and sinless, let us ask of the Lord." We pray, “O Lord,
keep us thy people this day without sin.”
This leads us to joy in our faith! This is what Jesus
says to us, "While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the
children of light.” (John 12: 36)
Beloved!
Someone might say on reading this letter about the joy
of the Gospel: You, Your Beatitude, are not in the real world, but in your
ivory tower! You don’t see the painful reality of bitterness, wormwood and gall!
And there is no sign on the horizon of any sign of joy and relief, no end to
this dark tunnel, this bloody Way of the Cross which our Middle East,
especially Syria, has been treading for the last five years!
But I do know all that very well. I experience every
day our common tragedy, and walk, as do our people, like a prisoner, with
bloodied feet, carrying the daily cross! Yes, this way of the cross is long! This
is a harsh Calvary and a dark tunnel! This horizon is overcast ... That is
precisely why I have entitled given this title to my letter, echoing the
angel’s greeting to all people, “I bring you good news of great joy!” This is
what you need, in the face of the tragedies, victims and martyrs and the hundreds
or rather thousands of mortars and rockets ... and the scenes of destruction, barbarity,
murder, violence and torture ... Yes, what you need today, my beloved, is joy! As
the poet said, “In the dark night, the full moon is wanting!”
I wanted to contribute to the introduction of
spiritual joy, the joy of faith, hope and love, hopefulness and confidence,
optimism, happiness and contentment ... I wanted to bring these feelings to
your hearts! And to the hearts of the sons and daughters of Syria, Iraq,
Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Kuwait and the Gulf, Oman, Saudi Arabia,
Qatar and Yemen ... and to the hearts of the children of our Church, pastors
and believers everywhere ... and the heart of every human being ... My friends
and benefactors of my patriarchal service, and to all of those who relievie people’s
suffering and pain ...
I want to gladden your hearts with the joy of Jesus! Let
us sing joyfully at the Nativity, as the angels did on that saving night,
singing the Christmas hymn with the angels, “I bring you good tidings of great
joy, which shall be to all people...”
Thus we echo the words of the angels of Beit Sahour,
Bethlehem and Jerusalem and all our churches and our guardian angels and say, Brother!
Sister! I bring you good tidings of great joy! God knows your name! You are the
apple his eyes! God loves you! Repeat over and over again, “God loves me!” And
allow happiness to enter into your heart.
With the Apostle Paul, repeat, “Rejoice, and again I
say, rejoice!”
And Merry Christmas! In peace, security and love!
May the New Year 2016 be a year of peace for Syria,
the whole region and the world!
With
my love and apostolic blessing
+Gregorios
III
Patriarch
of Antioch and All the East
Of
Alexandria and of Jerusalem
For
the Melkite Greek Catholic Church
Appendix
Joy in the Torah (Law and Prophets)
Leviticus
(Rejoicing)
"And ye shall take you on the first day the
boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees,
and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven
days." (Leviticus 23: 40)
Numbers
(Rejoicing on feast days)
"Also in the day of your gladness, and in your
solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the
trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace
offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the
Lord your God." (Numbers 10:
10)
Deuteronomy
(The whole family rejoices before
God)
"And thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God,
thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant,
and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless,
and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the Lord thy God hath
chosen to place his name there." (Deuteronomy
16: 11)
"Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto
the Lord thy God in the place which the Lord shall choose: because the Lord thy
God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine
hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice." (Deuteronomy 16: 15)
“And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the
Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite,
and the stranger that is among you." (Deuteronomy 26: 11)
(Enjoyment of all the Lord’s gifts)
"[Thou art cursed] because thou servedst not the
Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of
all things." (Deuteronomy 28: 47)
"[Thou shalt return] and the Lord thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine
hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the
fruit of thy land, for good: for the Lord will again rejoice over thee for
good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers."(Deuteronomy 30: 9)
Isaiah
"Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not
increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as
men rejoice when they divide the spoil."(Isaiah 9: 3)
(Joy in waiting for God in our
lives)
"Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of
the wells of salvation." (Isaiah
12:3)
"Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the
cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up
against us." (Isaiah 14: 8)
"And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is
our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have
waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation."(Isaiah 25: 9)
"Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a
holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to
come into the mountain of the Lord, to the mighty One of Israel.“ (Isaiah 30: 29)
(General joy)
"The wilderness and the solitary place shall be
glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose." (Isaiah 35: 1)
"And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and
come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain
joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." (Isaiah 35: 10)
(God giving joy to his creatures)
"For the Lord shall comfort Zion: he will comfort
all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert
like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein,
thanksgiving, and the voice of melody." (Isaiah 51: 3)
"But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that
which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a
joy." (Isaiah 65: 18)
"And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my
people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice
of crying." (Isaiah 65: 19)
"Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her,
all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her."(Isaiah 66: 10)
Joy
in the New Testament
The Gospel of Matthew
"When they [the wise men] saw the star they
rejoiced with exceeding great joy." (Matthew 2: 10)
"Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is
your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before
you." (Matthew 5:12//Luke 6:23)
"But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth
the word, and anon with joy receiveth it." (Matthew 13:21//Luke 8: 13)
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto
treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for
joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field." (Matthew 13: 44)
"And if so be that he find it [the stray sheep],
verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and
nine which went not astray." (Matthew
13: 18)
"His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and
faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee
ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." (Matthew 25: 21)
"And they departed quickly from the sepulchre
with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word." (Matthew 8:28)
The Gospel of Mark
"And these are they likewise which are sown on
stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with
gladness." (Mark 4: 16)
The Gospel of Luke
Joy begins with the Annunciation
to Mary
(John rejoices in the womb of his
mother, Elizabeth)
"For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy [Mary’s]salutation
sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. " (Luke 1: 44)
(Surprised by joy, Mary exclaims)
"My soul doth magnify the
Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.” (Luke 1:46-47)
"And the angel said unto them [the shepherds],
Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to
all people.” (Luke 2:10)
“And the seventy returned again with joy, saying,
Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name." (Luke 17: 10)
"Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the
spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are
written in heaven." (Luke 10: 17)
"And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his
shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends
and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep
which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one
sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need
no repentance." (Luke 15: 5-7)
"And when she hath found it, she calleth her
friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found
the piece which I had lost. " (Luke
15: 8-10)
"And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it;
and let us eat, and be merry: for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he
was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry." (Luke 15: 23-24)
"And when he was come nigh, even now at the
descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to
rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had
seen." (Luke 19:37)
"And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he
was parted from them, and carried up into heaven." (Luke 24: 15)
The Gospel of John
"He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but
the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly
because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled." (John 3: 29)
"And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and
gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth
may rejoice together." (John 4: 36)
"Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and
he saw it, and was glad." (John 8: 56)
"These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy
might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." (John 15: 11)
"Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away,
and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go
unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I." (John 14: 28)
"These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy
might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." (John 11:15)
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall
weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but
your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath
sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child,
she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.
And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart
shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.” (John 16: 20-22)
"Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask,
and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” (John 16: 24)
"And now come I to thee; and these things I speak
in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves." (John 13:17)
"And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his
hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord."
(John 20: 20)
Acts of the Apostles
(Joy of the first Christian
community)
The first Christian community
was, like Paul, overflowing with joy, despite harassment and persecution.
"Then they that gladly received his word were
baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand
souls." (Acts 2:41)
"And they departed from the presence of the
council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.“
(Acts 5:41)
"And when they were come up out of the water, the
Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he
went on his way rejoicing." (Acts 8: 39)
"And when the Gentiles heard this, they were
glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to
eternal life believed." (Acts 13: 48)
"And the disciples were filled with joy, and with
the Holy Ghost." (Acts 13: 52)
"So when they were dismissed, they came to
Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the
epistle." (Acts 15: 30)
"But none of these things move me, neither count
I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the
ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the
grace of God." (Acts 20: 24)
The Holy Apostle Paul’s Epistle to the Romans
"Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation;
continuing instant in prayer." (Romans
12:12)
"Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with
them that weep." (Romans
12:15)
"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink;
but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." (Romans 14:17)
The Holy Apostle Paul’s First Epistle to the
Corinthians
"[It remaineth that both] they that weep, [be]as
though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and
they that buy, as though they possessed not." (1 Corinthians 7: 30)
"And whether one member suffer, all the members
suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it."(1 Corinthians 12:26)
"[Charity] rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth
in the truth." (1 Corinthians 13: 6)
The Holy Apostle Paul’s Second Letter to the
Corinthians
"For if I make you sorry, who is he then that
maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me?" (2 Corinthians 2:2)
"As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet
making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." (2 Corinthians 6: 10)
"How that in a great trial of affliction the
abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their
liberality." (2 Corinthians 8: 2)
"Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of
good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace
shall be with you."(2
Corinthians 11:13)
The Holy Apostle Paul’s Letter to the Galatians
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith..." (Galatians 5:22)
The Holy Apostle Paul’s Letter to the Philippians
"Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having
the same love, being of one accord, of one mind." (Philippians 2:2)
The Holy Apostle Paul’s Letter to the Colossians
"[I, Paul] now rejoice in my sufferings for you,
and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for
his body's sake, which is the Church." (Colossians 1:24)
The Holy Apostle Paul’s First Letter to the
Thessalonians
"For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of
rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his
coming? For ye are our glory and joy." (1 Thessalonians 2: 19-20)
For what thanks can we render to God again for
you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God?" (1 Thessalonians 3:9)
"Rejoice evermore." (1 Thessalonians 5: 16)
The Holy Apostle Peter’s First Epistle
"[Jesus Christ] whom, having not seen, you love;
in whom, though now you see him not, yet believing, you rejoice with joy
unspeakable and full of glory." (1
Peter 1: 8)
"But rejoice, inasmuch as you are partakers of
Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, you may be glad
also with exceeding joy." (1 Peter 4: 13)
The Holy Apostle John’s First Epistle
"And these things write we unto you, that your
joy may be full." (1 John 1: 4)
The Holy Apostle John’s Third Epistle
"I have no greater joy than to hear that my
children walk in truth." (3 John 1: 4)
So we can clearly
see that faith is the real road to joy. And joy is a genuine expression of
faith and salvation.
