1. At the His Holy Lavra in the desert of Judea

The feast of our Father among the Saints Savvas the Sanctified was celebrated by the Patriarchate on Monday December 5/18, 2017, at the Monastery founded by him around the end of the 5^th century, which is located on the right bank of Brook Kidron, and is directed towards the Dead Sea.

St. Savvas founded this Monastery after a fifteen-year apprenticeship by St. Euthymios and after five years of ascetic striving opposite the Monastery, where his hermitage is preserved to this day.

The Monastery served as a Lavra, meaning that only the advanced monks from organized Monasteries were accepted. It became a great monastic centre throughout the centuries, with saints, martyrs, writers, theologians, musicians and copy writers. Some of the great poets and hymn writers of the Church that lived there were St. John of Damascus and St. Cosmas the melodist.

With the actions of St. Savvas and his contemporary compatriot St. Theodosios the Cenobiarch from Cappadocia, the Monastery played a significant role for the establishment of the Orthodox doctrine against Monophysitism, regarding the one hypostasis and the two natures of Christ in the 4^th Ecumenical Synod of Chalkidon in 451A.D.

Nowadays, twenty monks live in the Monastery, following the Typikon of worship and monastic life founded by St. Savvas, which has been disseminated to all Orthodox Churches.

According to this Typikon, the monks begin their monastic life with their morning rule of prayer at 1.00 a.m., followed by the Church service until 5.00 a.m. After that there is a small rest, followed by the daily tasks, and the reception of the pilgrims except on Wednesdays and Fridays. There is one main meal on weekdays, and two meals on Weekends and Feast days. After Vespers and the Compline the evening rest follows until 1.00 a.m.

For St. Savvas’ feast, the all-night Vigil was officiated by the Most Reverend Metropolitan Joachim of Helenoupolis, with co-celebrants Archbishops, among whom the Most Reverend Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina, Hieromonks and Arab-speaking Priests. The choir leader of the All-holy Church of the Resurrection Archimandrite Aristovoulos sang in Greek, with the participation in prayer of Greek pilgrims and Arab-speaking locals from Bethlehem, Beit Sahour and Beit Jalla.

The Divine Liturgy was followed by a reception with the boiled wheat and the blessed bread and then a monastic meal. 

2. At his chapel in the H. Monastery of the Archangels in the Old City of Jerusalem

There, Vespers in the evening and the Divine Liturgy in the morning were officiated by the Hegoumen Most Reverend Archbishop Demetrios of Lydda, who has renovated the Monastery. A faithful congregation attended the Services.

From Secretariat-General

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1. The feast of St. Barbara the Great Martyr

The feast of St. Barbara the Great Martyr was celebrated at her chapel in the Holy Monastery of St. Nikolaos on the west side of the Patriarchate on Sunday December 4/17. Vespers in the evening and the Divine Liturgy in the morning of the feast were officiated by the Hegoumen of the Monastery Archimandrite Aristovoulos. Nuns of the Patriarchate formed the choir, while the service was attended by a noble congregation. After the Divine Liturgy the Hegoumen offered a reception to the congregation at the Hegoumeneion.

2. The commemoration of St. John of Damascus

The commemoration of St. John of Damascus, hymn writer of the Church, doctrine theologian and musician, the composer of the Octoechos, defender of the Holy Icons, was observed at the Holy Monastery of St. Savvas the Sanctified. The Service was held at his chapel, at the place his cell used to be, on the aforementioned date with an all-nigh vigil. The Vigil, which was attended by pilgrims and local Arab-speaking faithful, was officiated by the Most Reverend Metropolitan Joachim of Helenoupolis, who went to the Monastery for the three-day celebrations of St. Savvas.

From Secretariat-General

 During the Divine Liturgy on Tuesday to Wednesday night, November 29 to 30/ December 12 to 13, 2017, the Hagiotaphite Monk Patrick, who has graduated the Patriarchal School of Zion, was ordained a Deacon. The ordination was held by Geronda Sacristan, Most Reverend Archbishop Isidoros of Hierapolis.

Before the ordination the Archbishop addressed  and congratulated the ordained for his forthcoming ministry in the Church of the Resurrection in Fatherly words as follows;

“Dearest Subdeacon Patrick,

Today our Holy Church honours the memory of St. Andrew the first-called Apostle. He and his brother Peter are the first Apostles who accepted the Lord’s invitation: ““Come, follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people”. There was no need for a second word, because “at once they left their nets and followed him” (Matt. 4:19-20).

This day was chosen by His Beatitude our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos and the Holy and Sacred Synod to call you to follow the footsteps of the Holy Apostles and serve the Church of Christ. They have honoured you especially, by placing you at the centre of our faith, the All-holy Church of the Resurrection of our Lord.

Here, you will be strengthened by the power of the Sacred and Life-giving Cross in the Horrendous Golgotha and the All-holy and Life-giving Tomb will shed its grace upon you. You will serve the incoming noble pilgrims in a spirit of humility, you will stand firm and defend the rights of our Brotherhood as a faithful guardian, in self-denial against the heretic wolves who come in sheep’s clothing. You will be vigilant and keep the prayer in a clean heart and a contrite spirit, “for our sins and the for the ignorance of the people”. 

The top priority of your ministry will be your participation in the great Sacrament of the Eucharist, with which you will be sanctified and give sanctification to those who proceed nigh in fear of God, faith and love.

You cannot succeed in all the above if you don’t prepare and furnish yourself with the appropriate spiritual supplies. The arena of the spiritual fight that is before you is not easy at all. The malicious devil will set many traps for you. You owe to be ready to recognize and avoid them, without any spiritual harm.

The only way to achieve this is the daily study, first of all of the Holy Bible, so that you will be enlightened and shown the example of the great and infinite love of God towards us, His ultimate humility and eternal care to re-establish us in the paradise of bliss. 

Moreover, you will study the writings of the Holy Fathers of our Church, setting as your priority the Ladder of St. John of Sinai, so that your will practically learn the acquisition and keeping of the virtues and the avoidance of sin.

You will also study the history of the Church of Jerusalem, to learn the struggles of the previous Hagiotaphite Fathers, many of whom shed their blood as martyrs in the altar of the ministry of the All-holy Shrines.

The study will help you examine yourself better and progress in the spiritual life. The cultivation of obedience will be the basis for the acquisition of the holy humility. The memory of death will strengthen you towards the acquisition of apathy. The prayer which will be in contrition of heart and hope in God will strengthen your faith and comfort you in times of temptation.

The grace of the Holy Spirit which you are about to receive in your ordination as a deacon, will change you, and it will give you the strength to minister the Holy Altar in fear of God.

His Beatitude our Father and Patriarch along with the Holy and Sacred Synod will council and guide you, they will advise and stand by you in every step you take.

All the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood participates in today’s joy and wishes you to increase the “bags of gold” (in Greek “talanto”) which you are about to receive, to receive and offer sanctification to others.”

The ordained was escorted by Hagiotaphite Fathers, Archbishops, Hieromonks, Deacons, Monks, Nuns, and noble pilgrims who hailed “Axios” to him. 

After the ordination and the dismissal of the Divine Liturgy the newly-ordained Deacon offered a reception to all who honoured him at the office of Geronda Sacristan.

From Secretariat-General

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On Tuesday 29th November/12th December 2017, H.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos tonsured two monks who joined the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood according to the decision of the Holy and Sacred Synod. The tonsure was held in the presence of Hagiotaphite Fathers, the Most Reverend Metropolitan Isychios of Kapitolias, Geronda Secretary-General Most Reverend Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina, the Most Reverend Metropolitan Joachim of Helenoupolis, the Master of Ceremonies Archimandrite Bartholomew and Dragouman Archimandrite Mattheos and others.

The novices who were tonsured to monks are; Monk Cheruvim Krinellos who came from Mount Athos and Apostolos Koutsoupis who was named Athanasios. The latter has graduated the Patriarchal School of Zion and serves at the Cave of Bethlehem.

After the tonsure, His Beatitude sermonized the new monks in Fatherly and Patriarchal words, underlining the honour of their calling in the monastic life and the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood which has been the guardian of the All-holy Shrines since the reign of St. Helen, as well as the obligations stemming from this call in the monastic life, for the preservation of the shrines and the reception of the pilgrims who seek Christ’s comfort in their pilgrimage.

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The commemoration of the Holy and Glorious Catherine the Great Martyr was observed on Friday 25th November/8th December 2017 at her Monastery located on the south of the Patriarchate at the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem.

Saint Catherine lived in Alexandria, she had an excellent Christian and philosophical education and with the wisdom given to her by the Holy Spirit, she scorned the irreverent men and confessed Christ. She martyred for the sake of Christ during the reign of Maxentius.

In the aforementioned Monastery, Vespers in the evening and the Divine Liturgy in the morning of the feast in honour of St. Catherine were led by the Most Reverend Metropolitan Joachim of Helenoupolis, with co-celebrants Hagiotaphite Hieromonks, among whom was the Hegoumen of the H. Monastery of Praetorion Archimadrite Dionysios, and Arab-speaking Priests from Jerusalem. The choir was led by the choir leader of the H. Church of Saints Constantine and Helen Archimandrite Eusevios with the help of the students of the Patriarchal School of Zion. The Services were attended by a congregation of monks, nuns, local faithful and pilgrims. After the Divine Liturgy there was a reception for the Episcopal Entourage and all pilgrims at the Hegoumeneion and the courtyard of the Monastery by the Hegoumen of the H. Monastery Archimandrite Stephen.

THE FEAST OF ST. CATHERINE AT MOUNT SINAI

For the feast of St. Catherine at Sinai, where her relics are kept, a delegation of the Patriarchate under the Archbishop Theophylactos of Jordan arrived on the eve of the feast. The delegation participated in the Divine Liturgy on the day of the feast and returned to the Patriarchate in the evening of the same day.

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His Beatitude our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos officiated the Divine Liturgy at the chapel of St. Catherine in the Holy Church of The Holy Trinity in Ekaterinburg of Russia, according to the calendar of the Russian Orthodox Church on Thursday 24th November/7th December 2017.

His Beatitude officiated this Divine Liturgy at the invitation of His Beatitude the Patriarch of Moscow Cyril and the Most Reverend Metropolitan of Ekaterniburg, with co-celebrants the Most Reverend Metropolitan Cyril and other Metropolitans of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Tikhon of Tabov who escorted His Beatitude, other Archbishops and many Hieromonks and Priests of the Moscow Patriarchate. The choir was composed of nuns who chanted also in the Byzantine Greek language. An impressive congregation stood still in silent prayer and contrition during the Service.

After the Divine Liturgy His Beatitude our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos addressed the congregation as follows;

“Most Reverend Archbishops,

Reverend Co-celebrants Presbyters and Deacons,

Blessed people of God,

Being in the city of St. Catherine as pilgrims by the invitation of your most devout pastor, in order to co-celebrate the memory of your patron Saint with this noble congregation, we wholeheartedly thank His Beatitude for the honorary invitation to Our mediocrity. From the Holy City of Jerusalem we convey the Gospel of our Lord who became Incarnate in the humble manger of Bethlehem for our salvation, abundantly offering to all of you the Life-giving grace of the All-holy Tomb, by which all creation is illumined, namely “the heaven the earth and everything beneath”, with the unwaning light of the Resurrection.

As we celebrate today the memory of Catherine the Great Martyr of Christ, who shines like another aurora borealis over the luminous shimmer of the martyrs, especially in this ultimate time of the earth, we feel indebted to offer hymns of praise to the protector of your city. We praise the feats of this all-wise woman, the modest and dexterous bride of Christ, the reliable guide “to the narrow and sorrowful path”, which leads however to the Kingdom of God, wherein the faithful friends of the martyrs march in great jubilance.

With extended hands and from the depths of our heart we beg her to remain always an irrefutable companion and defender of all the servants of God against the various deceitful workings of the lurking enemy.

We wholeheartedly thank her for being quick to intercede to the All-gracious God for every faithful beseeching her help, especially for those who willingly carry the cross of the martyrdom of consciousness.

The Saint knows by her personal experience the pain of the martyrdom, but she also knows the glory of the saints. They suffered a little in this temporary life and received the eternal wreath of unceasing beatitude, and being the praising choirs of the righteous, they surround the throne of glorified Christ, forever celebrating the heavenly Liturgy. The Saint in fact denied herself and lifted up her cross and followed Christ, considering pulchritude, worldly wisdom, wealth and all other gifts given to her by the mercy of God too little, compared to the spiritual wealth. She thought of all these as “petty things”, so she despised them “in order to win Christ”. She displayed bravery according to the council of the Proverbs on the bravery of the woman, and patiently endured the torments contrived by the maliciousness of the people. In that manner, by the grace of God she was highlighted an eternal prototype for every Christian.

Catherine the great martyr is an ecumenical saint. She is honoured in the East and the West, by native Orthodox peoples and converts by missionary work, in parishes and monasteries. She is especially honoured in the Church of her hometown at the Patriarchate of Alexandria, as well as in the God-trodden Mount Sinai, which belongs to the jurisdiction of the Jerusalem Patriarchate for many centuries. She is also honoured in the vast land of Russia and the other Slavic Churches, in the blessed Greek-speaking world, and especially in every Church and every Monastery dedicated to her name. The reverence of the Orthodox people highlighted the commemoration of the Great Martyr in a prominent position among other feasts, especially by placing her feast after the apodosis of the Entrance of the Theotokos in the Temple.

According to the scriptures of the saints that narrate St. Catherine’s life, our Lady Theotokos, at the Lord Christ’s command, gave the Saint “the ring” signifying her betrothal to Him. In that manner the Theotokos became the guide to the union of the Saint with the perfect love of the perfect man, namely the God-man Christ. According to the wise Archbishop of Thessalonica, St. Gregory Palamas, and our Father among the Saints Nicodemus of Mount Athos, the Theotokos is the most perfect creature that has ever been born in the world. All creation came into existence so that the Theotokos would be born, the woman who due to her immaculate purity would be able to bear the perfect God in her womb and consequently nurture Him. God the Word became incarnate so that He would be one of the people, and therefore be in communion with the people. This union of the created with the uncreated in the incarnate presence of Christ became the ladder that bridges the communion with God for all people. This is the pre-conceived plan of God, according to St. Maximus the Confessor. God the Word became incarnate not only to redeem the humankind from sin and corruption, but also to give it the chance of the full communion with Him, which is feasible to all those who willingly follow the path of the martyrdom of consciousness and of blood. Today’s honoured St. Catherine was related to this perfect woman, the Theotokos. Both of them stand by God as bold intercessors. You have such a powerful protector and patron Saint for your city, that you should feel the absolute spiritual and physical security.

St. Catherine was distinguished for her strong worldly wisdom and immense patience in the atrocious tortures of her martyrdom. Nowadays that the secularized society is being projected and proclaimed, unfortunately led by foreign to the Christian doctrine authorities, the spirit and mind of the Saint are a bright beacon for all of us. As it was rightly noted by the Holy and Great Synod of the Orthodox Church in Crete last year: “In these years of secularization, the need to highlight the significance of the holiness of life becomes imperative, as we face the spiritual crisis which characterizes the contemporary world… The Orthodox tradition that has been shaped by the actual living of the Christian truth, is a carrier of spirituality and of ascetic ethos, which should be projected and highlighted especially in our contemporary era”.

Therefore, all of us the Orthodox Christians owe to bear witness to the Gospel of Christ in unity and strength, thus becoming “the light of the world” and “the salt of the earth”. It is a necessity for all Christians to realise that the starting point for the re-evangelization is the concrete testimony of Christ, of course in unity and respect of the ecclesiastical institutions, primarily of the Synodical institution.

Hence we urge you, beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, to love Christ according to the example set by the Saint, wholeheartedly, and strive at all costs to proclaim our faith to all nations. In that manner Orthodoxy will be established once more the certain hope of the world.

May the grace of our All-gracious God be with you all!”

After this address, Metropolitan Cyril of Ekaterinburg offered His Beatitude a set of Patriarchal egolpia, while His Beatitude offered the Metropolitan an icon of the Theotokos’ Nativity, an ivory cross and a set of Episcopal egolpia, and then He venerated the Holy relic of St. Catherine.

After the Divine Liturgy there was a Litany around the city.

At noon, the Governor of the city offered a meal to His Beatitude at the State Building, where His Beatitude offered him a copy of the recently discovered at the restoration of the Sacred Edicule cross of the architect Kalfa Komnenos.

In the evening His Beatitude attended a cultural event of a traditional concert under the pianist Mr. Alexei Lioubimov.

THE LAST DAY OF THE VISIT OF HIS BEATITUDE THE PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM IN EKATERINBURG

On Friday 25th November/8th December 2017, accompanied by the Most Reverend Metropolitan Cyril of Ekaterinburg, His Beatitude the Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos visited the underground place of the execution of the Tsar of Russia Nikolai and his family. A magnificent Church has been built at this place, dedicated to the Russian Orthodox new martyrs of the years of the communist regime. Therein the Patriarchal entourage chanted the apolytikion of the martyrs.

Afterward His Beatitude visited the historic small Church of St. John the Baptist. During the October Government this was the only open Church for the services of feasts, weddings, funerals and other sacraments for the religious needs of the citizens who number half a million.

Later on, at the invitation of the Metropolitan, His Beatitude spoke on the Gathering of the Metropolis which was attended by Priests, teachers, monks, nuns and catechumens. His Beatitude conveyed the blessing of our Lord Jesus Christ who became incarnate in the Cave of Bethlehem and was resurrected from the dead at the All-holy Tomb. He especially underlined the continuous mission of the Church throughout the centuries: “I am the light of the world, you are the salt of the earth”. He also underlined the significance of the centenary anniversary festivities for the Russian Church and all Churches, due to the persecutions and sorrows; the Russian Church was victorious over these, having as the first martyr the Patriarch of Moscow Tikhon the Confessor. He stressed that the rebirth of Russia and its Church is owed to two leading figures, President Putin and Patriarch Cyril, with the mutual cooperation of Church and government. President Putin is in favour of the Evangelic principles and morals against the liberate principles and morals projected by Globalization, which circumvent the institutions of family, national identity and biological entity of the people. The Priests as the Cyrenes of the Bishops should focus their attention to the young people.

On the occasion of this Gathering, Metropolitan Cyril offered the medal of St. Seraphim of Sarov to distinguished Priests for their pastoral and ministerial work.

Finally, His Beatitude visited the historic Holy Monastery of St. Alexander Nevsky, which numbers 150 nuns. In this Monastery, the Church of Theotokos Novotichnaskoria is very large and most beauteous, with byzantine structure and murals. The Church has no electricity but its lighting is provided by oil canticles. It is a place that one can admire the beauty of the Church as a reflection of the heavenly beauty.

The choir of the nuns of the Monastery chanted in Byzantine music and in the Greek language. The nuns keep iconography and translation workshops where they translate books from Greek into Russian. They welcomed His Beatitude and His Entourage in a touching reception, singing hymns of the Theotokos by St. Nectarios and the Polychronion.

His Beatitude spoke with reference to the present owner of the Church Mr. Igor Altouskin and his past donations for the Patriarchal Hall and the Exarchy of the Holy Sepulchre in Cyprus.

His Beatitude offered the nuns an ivory cross while they offered Him in return an embroidered cloth for the holy vessels and a complete embroidered Patriarchal set of vestments.

The welcoming reception at the Church was followed by a lunch meal offered by the Monastery.

Finally His Beatitude was escorted to the airport of Ekaterinburg by the Most Reverend Metropolitan Cyril of Ekaterinburg, the Most Reverend Metropolitan Tikhon and Archimandrite Theophanes. His Beatitude returned safely in Tel-Aviv airport by the grace of God.

From Secretariat-General

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On Monday 21^st November/4^th December 2017, the Patriarchate celebrated the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos in the Temple, at the Holy Monastery dedicated in this event, know under the name “Megali Panagia”.

On this feast, the Church commemorates the event of St. Joachim and Anna  dedicated the “three-year-old” Theotokos to the Temple of Solomon, and she entered in the “Holy of Holies” being fed by the Angels until the Priests delivered her to Joseph her betrothed, in order to protect her as a chosen vessel of God, so that she would incarnate by the Holy Spirit the Son and Logos of God, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

In honour of the Entrance of the Theotokos in the Temple, who “gathered us in the grace of the Holy Spirit” Vespers was held in the evening in the aforementioned H. Nunnery, and the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the morning of the feast, led by the Most Reverend Archbishop Demetrios of Lydda and Secretary of the Holy and Sacred Synod, with co-celebrants Hagiotaphite Hieromonks, the ministering Priest of the Monastery Archimandrite Makarios and Hegoumen of the H. Monastery of St. Nicodemus, Archimandrite Ignatios Hegoumen of the Holy Monastery of the Shepherds, Archimandrite Ieronymos Hegoumen in Fhes of Jordan; the Choir Leader of the All-holy Church of the Resurrection Archimandrite Aristovoulos led the choir along with the left choir singer of the All-holy Church of the Resurrection Mr. George Alvanos, and the students of the Patriarchal School of Zion. The service was attended by the full congregation of the nuns of the Monastery and other nuns of the Patriarchate, local Arab-speaking faithful and pilgrims from various Orthodox countries.

After the Divine Liturgy the good keeper and renovator of the Monastery Abbess Melani offered a reception to the Episcopal Entourage and all congregation at the Hegoumeneion.

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On Monday 21^st November/4^th December 2017, on the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos, the Patriarchal and Multi-Episcopal co-celebration of the Divine Liturgy took place at the Holy Church of the Saviour Christ in Moscow.

This co-celebration was officiated by His Beatitude the Patriarch of Alexandria Theodoros, with co-celebrants the Heads of the other Orthodox Churches and the Archbishops escorting them, and approximately 300 Archbishops of the Russian Orthodox Church who participated in the Synod for this festivity. There were also Hieromonks and Hierodeacons, while the choir of the Holy Church of the Saviour served in the chanting. Participants also in prayer were many Priests, monks, nuns and laity, all of them glorifying God in one confession of faith.

The Holy Communion of the Heads of Churches, Archbishops, clergy and laity was followed by an address of the Heads to His Beatitude the Patriarch of Moscow Cyril, delivered by the officiating the Co-celebration His Beatitude the Patriarch of Alexandria Theodoros, with a reply of the Patriarch of Moscow towards all the Heads of Churches. Consequently there was a reception and an afternoon meal.

Later in the afternoon, H.H.B. attended the festal Service at the State Kremlin Building, while in the evening He attended the dinner in honour of the Heads of the Churches, which was offered by the President Putin. After dinner, His Beatitude had a private meeting with President Putin.

With all the above the visit of His Beatitude the Patriarch of Jerusalem in Moscow came to an end.

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On Sunday 20^th November/3^rd December 2017, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Metochion of the Holy Sepulchre in Moscow near the Kremlin, which bears the name of the Resurrection of the Lord and of the Holy Apostle Philip; the Church and has been preserved despite the communist persecution against the Christians.

The Divine Liturgy was celebrated by Geronda Secretary General Most Reverend Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina, at the presence of His Beatitude our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos, the Most Reverend Archbishops of the Church of Russia, Bishop Tikhon of Polonosk and Most Reverend Metropolitan Theodosios of Tabov and Raskalovo, with co-celebrant Priests ministering at this Metochion, and Archdeacon Mark.

The choir of the Metochion sang in Russian at the presence of a vast number of faithful. His Beatitude blessed the congregation and spoke to them on the meaning of the people’s life and the preservation of their religious and national identity in Christ and in the Orthodox Church.

After the Divine Liturgy the Hagiotaphite Archimandrite Stephen who has renovated the Monastery and preserves it in a good condition, offered a rich festal meal to the Patriarchal Entourage and the guests.

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On Wednesday 16^th/29^th November 2017 the feast of the New Martyr St. Philoumenos was celebrated at Jacob’s Well in Nablus of Samaria.

As known, the canonized by the Church of Jerusalem Saint in 2009, had joined the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood since his early childhood, and was ministering as the Hegoumen of Jacob’s well when he suffered a martyr’s death by the hands of an irreverent man in 1979.

On the feast of this new martyr at the marvellous Church that has been built by Archimandrite Ioustinos above the well, the Divine Liturgy was led by H.H.B.  our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos, with co-celebrants the Most Reverend Archbishops Aristarchos of Constantina and Philoumenos of Pella, Metropolitan Joachim of Helenoupolis, the Hagiotaphite Hieromonks; the Hegoumen of the Monastery of the Shepherds Archimandrite Ingatios, Arab-speaking Priests, Archdeacon Mark and Deacon Anastasios. The choir leader of the All-holy Church of the Resurrection Archimandrite Aristovoulos sand in Greek, Russian and Romanian on the right, and Archimandrite Leontios in Arabic on the left, at the presence of the Consul General of Greece in Jerusalem Mr. Christos Sophianopoulos and a vast crowd of faithful, Arab-speaking locals and pilgrims from Greece, Cyprus, Russia and Romania who honour the Saint.

His Beatitude preached the divine word to this congregation as follows:
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.  Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord” (2 Tim.1:7-8), St. Paul advises his disciple Timothy.

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Noble Christians and pilgrims,

The sacred memory of the new hieromartyr Philoumenos the Hagiotaphite has gathered us in this holy hagiographic place of Patriarch Jacob’s well and the hometown of St. Photeini, the Samaritan woman, where the saint suffered his martyr’s death, in order to honour him and glorify in Eucharist our Lord and God Jesus Christ, who suffered death on the cross for us and our sins.

The unselfish love for our Saviour Christ has highlighted the indeed great and dense cloud of people who martyred for the truth of Christ’s faith. And the blood of these martyrs is what has watered the tree of life, namely the mystical body of Christ and the Church.

The holy martyrs, Stephen the first martyr, James the Brother of God, and James the son of Zebedee, became the primary founding apostolic stones of the foundation of the Church of Jerusalem through their sacred martyr’s blood.

In other words, they became co-martyrs of the sacred blood of Christ on the cross, who was indeed the cornerstone of the foundation of the Church (Eph. 2:20). Those who became the house of the Spirit of God are all the saints, and the Palestinian martyrs and friends of Christ among whom is today’s honoured Saint Hieromartyr Philoumenos.

The Church of Jerusalem boasts in “the glory of Christ” (Eph. 15:17), because according to St. John the Theologian, the martyrs of the Lord are those who “have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them” (Rev. 7:14-15).

And again the Church of Jerusalem boasts in “the glory of Christ” (Eph. 15:17), because it is the “womb” of the martyrdom of the redeeming blood of the Son of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

In other words, Christ delivered us from the bondage of sin, offering His precious blood as a lamb’s sacrifice, being totally immaculate and clean as St. Paul preaches by saying “ Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you” (1 Peter 1:18-20).

The holy Martyrs are the soldiers of Christ who have drunk from the cup and received the baptism of His life-giving death, as communicants of His sufferings and glory, according to St. John Damascene who says: “And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers” (1 Cor.12:28); and the martyrs of the Lord chosen soldiers from all orders, who have drunk of His cup and have been baptized the baptism of His life-giving death as communicants of His suffering and glory”.

Such a soldier of Christ and communicant of His life-giving death was our Father Hieromartyr Philoumenos, who loved Christ from his early childhood and placed himself in the ministry of His vineyard, namely the Church, and the Church of Jerusalem, by his joining the Order of the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood.

During his ministry as the Hegoumen of this holy shrine and as the shepherd of the congregation of the Nablus district and Samaria, not only did he drink from the spiritual water that the Samaritan woman drunk, but also he followed her footsteps, preaching and teaching that Christ is the Messiah the Son of God, the light and the life and the redeemer of the world.

St. Philoumenos’ preaching that Christ is the completion of the Mosaic Law and the prophets and “in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Col. 2:9) caused the wrath and rage of his murderers. Those who hated him, the friend and Priest of Christ, hieromartyr Philoumenos, thought that by slaughtering him at the time of prayer they offer worship to God, according to the testimony of St. John the Evangelist: “These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service” (John 16:1-2).

The killers of the martyrs of Christ, among the latter our saint Philoumenos, did not realise that the holy martyrs are standing by the throne of God and worship Him eternally in boldness, as St. Methodios of Olymbos says “the martyrs are chanting; and there are two choirs of the martyrs, the one of the New Testament, and the other of the Old Testament”.

Our Father Philoumenos who has been deemed worthy of the truth of Christ’s gospel as a martyr, is rejoicing along with all the holy martyrs in heaven and unceasingly prays to God for all those who honour his memory. Therefore my dear brothers, let us say along with the hymn writer: “No tribulation, threat or hunger, persecution, fire, sword or savage beast could separate the holy martyrs from God! They were bound by His love and lived as exiles in this world! Their suffering has won them a glorious prize: They inherited the heavenly Kingdom//where they ceaselessly pray for our souls” and for the peace in our region. Amen. Many happy returns!”

After the Divine Liturgy, the Hegoumen and owner of the Holy Church Archimandrite Ioustinos offered a reception and a meal.

During lunch the Lawyer Mr. Halil Ganam, of Roman-Orthodox descend, addressed His Beatitude in Arabic as per the link below:

https://en.jerusalem-patriarchate.info/ar/2017/11/29/34298

From Secretariat-General

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httpv://youtu.be/I4hEJri93gQ