On Sunday 16th/29th January 2017, the memory of St. Peter’s sacred chain was celebrated by the Patriarchate at his prison where there is a Holy Monastery at present, named after St. Nicodemus or “The Lentil’s”, located east of the Praetorion which was the headquarters of each Roman Governor of Jerusalem, of Pilate’s at the time of the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Herod Agripa’s the first, at the time of St. Paul’s preaching.

This same Herod had killed James the son of Zebedee and brother of John the Evangelist, and in order to offer his services to the Jews, he imprisoned St. Peter, aiming also to kill him, however he was disappointed, because an angel of the Lord appeared at night, set free and helped St. Peter escape, by opening the gates of both the prison and the walls of the city for him; then St. Peter realised he was not having a vision but an angel of the Lord saved him from Herod’s intentions, and he went to Mark’s house which was used as a church, at the time when all the congregation was praying for his release, and a girl named Rode came to open the door at his intense knocking (Acts 12:1-17).

At the underground chapel of the Apostle’s prison, under the Church dedicated to St. Nicodemus, the Lord’s secret disciple, Vespers was held in the evening and the Divine Liturgy on the day of the feast, led by the Most Reverend Metropolitan Joachim of Helenoupolis, with concelebrants the Hegoumen of the H.Monastery Archimandrite Makarios, Archimandrite Meletios and other Hagiotaphite Fathers, at the singing and praying of monks, nuns, and members of the Church of Jerusalem.

After the D. Liturgy the Hegoumen Archimandrite Makarios offered a reception to the Episcopal Entourage and the congregation at the Hegoumeneion.

From Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/fnjHgeJta1A

ngg_shortcode_0_placeholder” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″] 

On Tuesday 11th/24th January 2017, the Feast of St. Theodosios the Cenobiarch was celebrated by the Patriarchate at the Monastery founded by him and dedicated to him, which is located east of Bethlehem and Beit Sahour, at the desert of Judea, at an 8km distance from the Lavra of St. Savvas the Sanctified.

This monastery was founded by St. Theodosios when he came from Cappadocia, at the place of the cave which hosted the Wise Men when “they returned to their country following a different path” (Matt.2:11-12). It was a Cenobion where the novices were trained for years in order to be accepted at the Lavra. St. Theodosios was the leader of the Cenobitic life in Palestine, while St. Savvas the Sanctified led the monks living in Lavrae. The monastery worked with four Churches and seven hundred monks, who were led by St. Theodosios in the monastic life and the charity actions, due to its neighbouring position with the world, and the people who kept knocking on the doors asking for help. The monastery’s slogan was “Let no one lazy man enter herein”. With the work of the monks it sustained an old people’s home, an orphanage and a School, that is a School for monks. From this monastery came St. Modestos and St. Sophronios, Patriarchs of Jerusalem. St. Theodosios with his co-patriot from Cappadocia St. Savvas played a significant and decisive role in the fight against Monophysitism and the establishment of the doctrine of the two natures of Christ in one Hypostasis, the human and the divine, that is the doctrine of the 4^th Ecumenical Synod in Chalcedon. The Monastery thrived in monastic life until 638A.D. and ever since it has survived the insults and transitions of the history of the world.

In the beginning of the 20^th century the Cretan monks Leontios and Galaktion undertook the refurbishment of the Monastery of the constructive damages, while in the decade of 1960s, the Hagiotaphite Archbishop Bartholomew of Madaba, from Krini of Minor Asia, reconstructed the Church. His successor was the Hegoumen Archimandrite Iakinthos from Samos. At present, and for the last forty years, Hegoumen has been the Hagiotaphite Archimandrite Ierotheos from Crete, who has protected even by putting his own life in danger the surrounding territory of the monastery. He has recently reconstructed new wings of the Monastery, paved the Church with marble and completed the icon painting on the walls according to the Byzantine art.

In this historic Monastery, for the feast of St. Theodosios, Vespers was held in the evening led by the Most Reverend Archbishop Theodosios of Sebastia. On the day of the feast, H.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos came and was warmly received, and He led the Matins and the D.Liturgy, with concelebrants the Most Reverend Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina, the Most Reverend Archbishop Methodios of Thabor and the Most Reverend Metropolitan Joachim of Helenoupolis, as well as the praying with them, Most Reverend Archbishop Theophylactos of Jordan and Hagiotaphite Hieromonks, first of whom was the Hegoumen of the Monastery of the Shepherds Archimandrite Ignatios, at the singing of the choir leader of the Church of the Resurrection Archimandrite Aristovoulos on the right in Greek, Russian and Romanian, and the Beit Jala choir on the left in Arabic, by Mr. Ibrahim Moukarker, with the praying Arab-speaking people of the neighbouring towns of Beit Jala and Beit Sahour.

At the Koinonikon of the Divine Liturgy H.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos gave a Sermon to the congregation in Greek, and the translation is as follows:

“Brothers, remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith you follow, considering the end of their conversation. Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:7-8).[Brothers, remember the holy example of your spiritual leaders and elders, who have taught you the word of God. You should recall and study Their holy and God-pleasing end of life and behaviour and imitate their faith, St. Paul preaches].

Beloved brothers in Christ,

Noble Christians and pilgrims,

The Sacred memory of our Father among the Saints Theodosios the Cenobiarch, rose like a star again this year in his Holy Monastery, meaning the place of his ascesis and burial, where we are gathered today, in order to thank and glorify our Saviour Jesus Christ, baptized by John in the river Jordan and made manifest in the flesh in the world on the one hand, and to festally honour the spiritual cultivator of the arid desert of Palestine on the other.

Our Father among the Saints Theodosios, imitating the faith of St. John the Baptist as well as that of the holy Apostles was highlighted “our Hegoumen, who spoke to us the word of God”, in words and in actions. This is witnessed by his works until the present time, that “Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever”.

St. Theodosios was proclaimed a teacher of the desert. And this is so, because while following the exhortations of the Bible, he did not neglect the schooling of the Lord through sorrows, which however brings spiritual benefits. Neither was he discouraged being controlled and tested by the Lord. “My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth”, (Hebrews 12:5-6/ Acts 3:11-12) St. Paul says referencing to the Proverbs.

Clad in the sacred garment of the monastic and ascetic life, at his arrival at the Holy City of Jerusalem from the town Mogarissos of Cappadocia, he went to Antioch near Symeon the Great the Stylite, “near whom he was engaged with the works of virtuousness, as he was meant to become a shepherd of many logical souls” according to his Synaxaristis.

Indeed, our Father among the Saints was established a universal citizen of the desert of Palestine, the very desert which bore the greatest among the Prophets John the Baptist, it hosted in the cave of Bethlehem our God and Saviour Jesus Christ with His Mother, the Most-Blessed and Ever-Virgin Theotokos Mary, it gave the shepherds who remained in their fields, and watered with the spiritual drink (1^st Cor. 10:4) the multitude of our God-bearing Fathers among the Saints, such as Euthymios, Savvas, Georgios the Chosebite and the Patriarchs of Jerusalem who shone forth from his Cenobitic Monastery and were preeminent through their ascesis, Saints Sophronios and Modestos.

Our Father among the Saints Theodosios proved in himself that indeed the Only-Begotten Son and Logos of God became man and deified our human flesh that He took upon Him, as the hymn writer sings about him: that being a man in nature, he became co-citizen with the Angels, living as if having no flesh and despising all bodily needs. St. Theodosios achieved this by practising the Lord’s words: “I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Commenting on these words of the Lord, St. Theophylactos says: “He did not say that the light is in me, but that I am the light”, while St. Cyril of Alexandria notes “the Only-Begotten Son is light by nature, as from light of the by nature light God the Father”. This irreproachable light, meaning the Holy Spirit, is what Jesus saw descending in the form of a dove and staying on Him at his baptism by John in the river Jordan “And lo, a voice from heaven saying, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt 3:17).

Having become partaker of this divine and irreproachable light, that is of the Holy Spirit, St. Theodosios confessed and preached with all his strength the two perfect natures, both the divine and human of the incarnate Logos of God our Lord Jesus Christ, as his hymn writer says; the one that makes the world clean is baptized for me, becoming human while he is God;  the two natures of whom, blessed Theodosios proclaimed.

This sermon my beloved brothers, meaning the festal memory of our Father among the Saints Theodosios, in his famous Monastery, is not a memory of some historic event, but merely a communion of the born in Bethlehem and baptized in Jordan our God and Saviour Jesus Christ. For this St. Paul advices us by saying: “Those who have been baptized in Christ have put on Christ” (Gal.3:21). And again “ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Eph. 4:24).

This new man, meaning Christ, who has given us humans incorruptibility and victory over death by His resurrection, we are called to put on, by the prayers of the Most-Blessed our Lady Theotokos Mary and by the supplications of the God-Bearer, our Father among the Saints Theodosios the Cenobiarch.

Let us also entreat St. Theodosios, as he has parresia towards Christ our God, to pray for the peace of our souls and our afflicted area. Many peaceful returns. Amen.

After the Divine Liturgy, the Hegoumen Archimandrite Ierotheos offered His Beatitude and the congregation a festal meal.

From Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/w64QNAn6E8o

ngg_shortcode_1_placeholder” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″] 

On Saturday 8th/21st January 2017, the following day after the Feast of Theophany, the memory of Saints Ioannis and Georgios the Chosebites was celebrated by the Patriarchate at the founded by them and dedicated to them Holy Monastery of Choseba, located at the banks of torrent Chorrath below the Sarantarion Mount and the city of Jericho.

Out of these two Saints, Ioannis was Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine in the 4th century, but he abandoned the pastoral care and became a monk in the Choseba Monastery, drawing a great number of monks there, while Georgios, of Cypriot origin, came to the monastery and renovated it from the damages, deterioration and destructions caused by the Persian raid in 614.

As evidenced by the history, before the time of these two Saints, four Anchorites lived in this monastery, named Promos, Zenon, Ganneos and Aian, and for those who remember, in the decade of 1950s the recently Canonized Romanian Saint Ioannis the New Chosebite lived there. Moreover, monks there were the memorable Hegoumen Archimandrite Amphilochios from Epirus, Archimandrite Antonios from Thessaloniki who was killed at the monastery while repairing the wall of the Narthex in the Church. His successor, also from Thessaloniki, Archimandrite Germanos was unjustly murdered by an irreverent man while he was driving back to the monastery. Archimandrite Gabriel was an ascetic at the cave of the steep cliff there, and at St. Anna’s Skete near the monastery a Cypriot monk and the icon painter and editor of the Gerondikon, monk Pavlos lived an ascetic life. At present monk, Blaze lives at the same place.

The stewardship of the monastery was appointed for some time by H.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos to the Hegoumen of the Monastery  of St. Gerasimos of Jordan, Archimandrite Chrysostomos, however in the last few years His Beatitude appointed as Hegoumen, Archimandrite Constantinos, who having joined the Brotherhood from the H. Archdiocese of Thebes and Livadia, manned the monastery with an entourage of Fathers and renovated the construction sites of the Church, the cells and other areas.

On the above mentioned day, His Beatitude was graciously received by the Hegoumen of the Monastery Archimandrite Constantinos with the following address in Greek:

“Your Beatitude Father and Patriarch,

With Your Reverend Entourage,

The Saints and Founders of this Holy Lavra, Ioannis and Georgios the Chosebites, as the holy hymn writer mentions, came to the desert of Judea, “in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is” having renounced the world. By their ascetic life and catharsis against the passions they gave a strong blow to the devil; and they especially managed this in his stronghold, in the desert!

Indeed, every newly founded Monastery is a trophy victory against the devil, while its annual feast constitutes an attribution of honour to the winners (!) its Saints, who defeated the enemy of our faith, just like the Saints Ioannis and Georgios did! The Saints, who, whilst walking on this earth in present life, became citizens of heaven.

Friend of Saints, Father and Patriarch,

We are convinced that being present at the Divine Liturgy, every single day You pray for all of us the Hagiotaphite Brothers. Spiritually we feel Your Fatherly affection and experience the care of your Beatitude for the Venerable Patriarchate. With unblemished ethos, Your Beatitute you thrive, by maintaining, renovating, beautifying the Holy Shrines in all places belonging to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Prime examples of which are the maintenance projects – with the appropriate reverence and caution – at the Holy Edicule and at the Basilica that hosts the Nativity Cave in Bethlehem! You decorate the Most Holy Shrines just like Saint Modestos did, as the hymn writer writes for him.

As your Sons, we honour Your Beatitude’s

Presence, exclaiming

You are most welcome!”

Thereupon His Beatitude led the All-Night Vigil of the Feast and the Divine Liturgy, with concelebrants, Geronda Secretary-General Most Reverend  Arcbishop Aristarchos of Constantina, Most Reverend Metropolitan Joachim of Helenoupolis, and the Hegoumen Archimandrite Constantinos and other Hagiotaphite Fathers, at the singing in Greek on the right of the Chosebite Fathers, Archimandrite Seraphim of the H. Monastery of Geromerion, and Fr. Georgios of the H. Archdiocese of Elia, and on the left in Arabic, the choir of Archimandrite Philotheos, the Patriarchal Commissioner in Acre. Present were also the praying faithful pilgrims from the neighbouring to Jericho areas and other towns, as well as pilgrims from Greece, Russia and Romania.

To this congregation His Beatitude gave a Sermon in Greek as follows:

“The Lord magnified His saints on earth, in all His will in them. Their infirmities were multiplied, and thereafter they were quickened.

The Lord made His Saints in Palestine worthy of admiration, and all His good will and pleasure is found in them. Many were the sorrows of these saints, soon afterwards though they were vanished, the Prophet David chants.

Beloved Brothers in Christ,

Noble pilgrims of the relics of Choseba,

Our Lord Jesus Christ, surrounded by the waters of the river Jordan, did not need the purification for himself by them, but on the contrary he bestowed our own rebirth through his action, He gathered us all in this hagiographic and sanctified place, namely the Monastery of Choseba, in order to thankfully and festively honour the memory of our Father among the Saints Georgios the Chosebite.

Our Saint Georgios, having received the same name as the Great Martyr Saint Georgios the Triumphant, and of course having become an earnest imitator of Christ our God, who died in the flesh for our sakes, he strove to die and to be crucified together with Him, through apathy, and having reached the outmost apathy, he was granted the fullness of the Holy Spirit as the Synaxaristis writes for him.

In other words, our Saint Georgios was a featured martyr of his strict ascetic struggle, as St. Chrysostom teaches by saying: “The exercise of devoutness is martyrdom”. And according to Prophet David “All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies (Psalm 25:10).

Our Father in Saints Georgios looked for a spiritual arena and found as the most suitable place the area surrounding the river Jordan, where John, Zacharias’ son was, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins (Lk 3:2-3), and Jesus, coming from Nazareth of Galilee was baptized by John in the river Jordan (Mark 1:9).

We say this, because the Monastery of Choseba, located within the borders of the Jordan area, became the baptismal site of Christ in the Holy Spirit, where a multitude of ascetics and monks were baptized in Christ and put on Christ, according to the words of St. Paul “Those of you who have been baptized in Christ, have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27), and in another verse, “and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephes.4:24).

St. Paul, who believed in Christ when “suddenly there shined around him a light from heaven” (Acts 9:3), was clad in the Light of Christ as in a garment, meaning the very same Christ, Who is the light of the world “I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12), says the Lord, and elsewhere, “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness” (John 12:46), and “he that doeth truth, cometh to the light” (John 3:21).

In this unapproachable light, that glowed in the form of a dove on Jesus baptized by John in the river Jordan, our Father among the Saints Georgios was clad, who has invited us together with his fellow ascetics Ioannis and Ioannis the New Chosebite in this Eucharistic gathering, in order to glorify and together with the hymn writer bless our Holy Trinitarian God saying: “ the illuminating and lighting the people, Jesus the self-generated light, being baptized in the river Jordan, Thou shone a light consubstantial to the Father, in which all creation enlightened cries to Thee, blessed is the God made manifest to us, glory to Thee”.

Our Holy Church preaches this self-generated light, the Holy Trinitarian God and evangelizes God Logos, our Saviour Jesus Christ to the world. This self-generated light is being witnessed in words and actions, in practise and theory, by the Saints of our Church, meaning the friends of Christ, who being made of clay put on the image of the Heavenly One (1^st Cor. 15:49) meaning the incorruptibility and resurrection of Christ. This fact is witnessed by the relics of the saints. This is also witnessed by the incorruptible and fragrant complete relic of the body of the Romanian St. Ioannis the New Chosebite, who was a spiritual student of our Father among the Saints Georgios. This is witnessed by the faith of us Christians, in the unspeakable mystery of the incarnation of God the Logos, our Saviour Christ, who was begotten by the pure blood of the ever Virgin Mary, born in the cave of Bethlehem, and baptized by John in the waters of the river Jordan.

Let us therefore my beloved brothers, purify perceptibly our senses and entreat our Holy Father Georgios by saying “to all those who honour you, grant enlightenment and communion with God”. Amen.

After the D. Liturgy, His Beatitude performed a Memorial Service at the graves of the three former Hegoumens of the Monastery, Archimandrites Amphilochios, Antonios and Germanos.

After the Dismissal, very early in the morning, the Hegoumen Arch. Constantinos offered a meal to His Beatitude and the congregation.

From Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/Q_Z6D8zhIhk

ngg_shortcode_2_placeholder” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″] 

1. Visit at the ruins of a 7th century Monastery at the Sir Bani Yas island

On Thursday 6th/19th January 2017, at the conference room of St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Abu Dhabi, capital of United Arab Emirates, the annual meeting of the Gulf Churches Fellowship took place.

On the second day of the meeting there was a visit at Sir Bani Yas island, at the United Arab Emirates border with Qatar. The participants’ team at the conference, approximately 30 clergy men, from different doctrines and countries of the Arab peninsula was accompanied by the Minister of Tolerance Seikha Lubna Khalid Al Qasimi herself.

The organization of the visit was undertaken by the Ministry of Tolerance of the United Arab Emirates Government and the expenses were covered by His Excellency, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

The discovery of the ruins took place in 1992, excavations began in 1994, and continue until the present time. Three million trees have been planted in the island, and a massive collection of animals has been transferred from various countries of the world, while there have also been constructions of an airport, three hotels and recreational areas.

The transition to the island was by plane, on a special 25-min duration flight. The archaeologists who have been carrying out the excavations gave a detailed guided tour to the members of the clergy and their formal companions’ team. During the tour, there was the first time ever presentation of artefacts with Christian symbols, which will be displayed at the Emirate of Abu Dhabi Museum.

2. The Feast of Theophany in Qatar

The Feast of Theophany was celebrated with the appropriate ecclesiastical brilliance at the Archdiocese of Qatar. Due to local conditions, the feast was moved to Friday 7th /20th January. On Thursday morning, 6th/19^th January 2017, the Royal Hours were read after Matins, and Vespers was held in the evening. In the morning after Matins, the D. Liturgy was celebrated, followed by the Blessing of the Waters.

The services were led by the Most Reverend Archbishop Makarios of Qatar, with concelebrants Archimandrite Savvas and other clergy, at the participation of the Christian Congregation of the local Church.

From the Holy Archdiocese of Qatar

ngg_shortcode_3_placeholder” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″] 

On the following day of Theophany, Friday 7th/20th January 2017, the feast of St. John the Baptist was celebrated by the Patriarchate at the Holy Monastery in his honour located south of the Church of the Resurrection and St. James’ guesthouse downlinked by the Israeli settlers of Ateret Kohanim.

When we say Synaxis of St. John the Baptist we mean the gathering of us Christians of the following day of Theophany in order to honour him as minister of the Sacrament of Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ, when pointing at Him he exclaimed “Behold the Lamb of God, who hath taken upon himself the sins of the world” and baptized him.

On the above mentioned Holy Monastery Vespers was held in the evening and the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the morning, led by the Most Reverend Archbishop Theophanis of Gerassa  with concelebrants Hagiotaphite Hieromonks, the Archimandrites Haralambos, Meletios and Porphyrios,  the Hierodeacons Markos and Anastasios; singing were the students of the Patriarchal School with Mr. Alvanos with the praying in nobleness and  contrition towards St. John the Baptist, monks, nuns and pilgrims.

During the Divine Liturgy His Beatitude with Hagiotaphite Fathers came to venerate. Before the Koinonikon , the Most Reverend Archbishop Theophanis gave a Sermon on the “Greatest man born of woman”, the celebrated St. John the Baptist.

 His Beatitude’s Entourage, the officiating Archbishop and the congregation were offered a reception by the renovator of the Monastery Hegoumen Archimandrite Bartholomew.

From Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/tGsKBGTljcI

ngg_shortcode_4_placeholder” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

On Thursday 6th/19th January 2017, the Feast of Theophany or Epiphany was celebrated by the Patriarchate, meaning the memory of the event of the baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ by St. John the Baptist at the River Jordan, when the mankind witnessed the Trinitarian Epiphany, Jesus Christ being baptized, the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove “anointing Him with Divine ointment” and the Father witnessing from heaven “He is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).

In the morning, the feast of Theophany was celebrated at the Most Holy Church of the Resurrection. At, the end of Matins at the Catholicon of the Church, His Beatitude officiated the Service of the Great Blessing of Waters, under the singing of the Leading Choir Singer of the Church of the Resurrection Archimandrite Aristovoulos on the right, and Mr. Alvanos singing on the left choir, “The voice of the Lord is upon the waters…”, “Today the nature of the waters is sanctified…” and “When Thou was baptized in the Jordan…”, bells joyfully tolling and the fasting pilgrims receiving the Blessed Water.

Consequently the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom was celebrated at the Holy Sepulchre, led by His Beatitude our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos, with concelebrants the Most Reverend Metropolitan Isychios of Kapitolias, and the Most Reverend Archbishops, Aristarchos of Constantina, Demetrios of Lydda, Theodosios of Sebastia, and the Most Reverend Metropolitan Joachim of Helenoupolis, the visiting Metropolitan Stephen of Zagire and Archbishop Savvas of North America from the Patriarchate of Georgia, at the presence of the Consul General of Greece in Jerusalem Mr. Christos Sophianopoulos.

At the end of the Divine Liturgy, the faithful who were prepared received the Holy Communion followed by the Blessed Water.

After the Dismissal, the ascent at the Patriarchate followed, where His Beatitude wished everybody the enlightenment of Christ our God baptized and made manifest, and the faithful who had filled the Hall received His blessing.

From Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/cvdwerujb9k

ngg_shortcode_5_placeholder” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

On Wednesday 5th /18th January 2017 the Feast of the Eve of Theophany was celebrated by the Patriarchate according to the typical order of the Church of Jerusalem.

In the morning of this day the Theophany Royal Hours were read at the Monastic Church of Saints Constantine and Helen at the end of Matins. The Divine Liturgy of St. Basil followed. At the end of the Liturgy H.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos officiated the service of the Small Blessing of the Waters, for the blessing of the Archbishops, Hieromonks, monks, nuns and pilgrims.

The ascent to the Patriarchate followed, with the priests dressed in their liturgical vestments and the choir singing “When Thou were baptized in the Jordan”. Therein, the Priest blessed the Patriarchate Hall, while His Beatitude and the Archbishops waited until the Entourage of the Blessing of the Waters from the Cathedral of St. James the Brother of God led by the Most Reverend Archbishop Theodosios of Sebastia arrived, who also blessed the Hall. Having completed the above, a short while later His Beatitude with the Hagiotaphite Fathers departed for the River Jordan via Jericho, accompanied by the Consul General of Greece in Jerusalem Mr. Christos Sophianopoulos.

In Jericho His Beatitude was received firstly by the Hegoumen of the Monastery of Prophet Elisha, Archimandrite Philoumenos, and then by the Palestinian Mayor of Jericho, whom His Beatitude addressed with the following:

“Honourable Mouhafez – Governor of Jericho,

Reverend Sheikh,

Mr. Mayor,

Consul General of Greece in Jerusalem,

The feast of Holy Theophany, known as the “Feast of Lights”, is marked as the extension and completion of the great Feast of Christmas, which was majestically celebrated at Christ’s Birth place, Bethlehem.

His Eminence the President of the State of Palestine Mr. Mahmoud Abbas – Abu Mazen, during his honouring presence, stressed in his speech that this Feast is a Feast for the Palestinian people, meaning both Christians and Muslims.

This very fact is what we ascertain today, being here with you, at the most ancient city of Jericho, where the unspeakable mystery of the Holy Spirit’s descent on our God and Saviour Jesus Christ took place, at His baptism by Saint John the Baptist.

The Greek Orthodox (Rum Orthodox) Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which is the source-mother of all Churches, continues throughout the centuries, meaning its long-lived historic active presence, to witness the holiness of the Palestinian land, which the Almighty God sanctified through His Only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ and through His Prophets.

The Holy Monasteries and Churches within Jericho and the neighbouring to the River Jordan areas witness this truth. They also witness that God is the source of Light and He is the Light which enlightens every man coming into the world. This Divine Light, is therefore the Light of love, peace and righteousness. Which means that it is not possible for peace to exist without righteousness.

This very message is being evangelized by the Greek Orthodox (Rum Orthodox) Patriarchate of Jerusalem throughout the centuries. Moreover, the historic treaty between Omar Ibn Khattab and our predecessor Patriarch Sophronios, was established based on this principle, that is, peace and righteousness according to the Divine Law: “ For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Romans 14:17), the Apostle Paul says. Furthermore, according to the evangelist Matthew’s witness, St. John the Baptist was preaching the way of righteousness: “For John came unto you in the way of righteousness” (Matthew 21:32).

We wish, that the Divine Light, which was revealed to the people in the banks of the River Jordan and the surrounding area, may enlighten the hearts of the mighty people of the earth so that they “exercise righteousness” (Acts 10:35), as to our reverend President of the State of Palestine, His Eminence Mahmoud Abbas – Abu Mazen, we wish that he may direct his government representations towards every good action for the Palestinian State, especially towards its complete national independence, peace and conciliation in our region. Many blessed and peaceful returns.”

From the Jericho Town Hall, His Beatitude was driven through the borderline iron gate which separates Jericho from the Israeli Military Command of the River Jordan area. Passing through, His Beatitude arrived at the Holy Monastery of St. John the Baptist. Therein he was graciously received by the Israeli Military Command, the Palestinian Scouts, the Hegoumen of the Monastery of St. Gerasimos Archimandrite Chrysostomos and a great crowd. Having been dressed in the Patriarchal cloak, His Beatitude led the 9^th Hour of Theophany at the Monastery of St. John the Baptist, which was destroyed at the six-day war in 1967. The Monastery has recently been renovated, funded by the Hegoumen of the Holy Monastery of Sarantarion Mount, Archimandrite Gerasimos.

After the 9^th Hour, the procession towards the bank of the River Jordan followed, the chanting was by the Leading Choir singer Archimandrite Aristovoulos in Greek, Arabic, Russian and Romanian, at the presence of the Consul General of Greece in Jerusalem Mr. Christos Sophianopoulos, a great multitude of pilgrims following or standing on either side of the road, crowded, in order to receive the blessing. When the procession arrived at the bank of the River Jordan, on a platform especially set, His Beatitude led Vespers and the Service of the Small Blessing of the Waters, at the end of which he went down to the river bank and submerged the Sacred Cross in the water, while everybody was singing “When Thou were baptized in the Jordan”.

From the River Jordan, His Beatitude went to the neighbouring Holy Monastery of St. Gerasimos of Jordan, where the good curator of the Monastery Archimandrite Chrysostomos offered to many people a fasting meal, as the Eve of Theophany is one of the great fasting days of our Church in order to drink the blessed water on the actual day of the Feast of Theophany.

From Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/h7Kbmbnso94

httpv://youtu.be/Hlbz5L2Y8wI

ngg_shortcode_6_placeholder” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″] 

On Saturday 1st/14th January 2017, the memory of St. Basil Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia was celebrated, not only at the Church of the Resurrection but also at the Holy Monastery dedicated to him, which is located on the west side of the Patriarchate on the way to the New Gate of the wall of Jerusalem.

This Monastery had been refurbished by the memorable Cypriot Archbishop Arcadios of Ashkelon, the icon painting of the Iconostasion had been made by the Cypriot icon painter monk Pavlos, who lived at the decade of 1960 in St. Anna’s Skete by the Choziba Monastery, and the Church of the monastery had recently been refurbished by the deceased Elder Archimandrite Keladion.

St. Basil had been honoured in this monastery as an Ecumenical teacher of the Church, defending the doctrine of the consubstantial nature of the Son towards the Father and as an incomparable worker of charity with Vasiliada, and beyond that, as the one who “bejewelled the morals of men”, in both theory and practice.

In the small aforementioned chapel, Vespers was held in the evening and the D. Liturgy in the morning by Archimandrite Kallistos, with the singing choir of nuns of the Patriarchate and the participation of many praying monks, nuns and pilgrims.

During the D. Liturgy, H.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos with Hagiotaphite Fathers visited the chapel to venerate. The Patriarchal Entourage and the Congregation were offered a reception by the worthy curator of the Holy Monastery respected Nun Thecla.

From Secretariat-General

ngg_shortcode_7_placeholder” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

At midnight on 1st /14th January 2017, the memory of the Circumcision in flesh of or Lord Jesus Christ and the memory of St. Basil the Great Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia were celebrated by the Patriarchate.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, incarnate through the Virgin, gave us an example of obedience by deigning to receive the circumcision of his flesh on the eighth day after his birth, according to the Mosaic law (Luke 2:5) in order to intersect the Law, and having become intersected by the Law, introduce Grace to the world. St. Basil is a Church Father, who lived in the 4^th century, he was an advocate of the 1^st Ecumenical Synod of Nice and an outmost worker of philanthropy through his charity guest house “Vasiliada”.

For these feasts, His M.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos came to the Catholicon of the Church of the Resurrection at midnight on the aforementioned day and after Matins, led the Divine Liturgy at the Holy Sepulchre, with concelebrants the Most Reverend Metropolitan Isychios of Kapitolias, the Most Reverend Archbishops Aristarchos of Constantina, Philoumenos of Pella, and the Most Reverend Metropolitan Joachim of Helenoupolis, Hagiotaphite Hieromonks among whom first was Archimandrite Nectarios, Archdeacon Markos and the Hierodeacons Eulogios and Anastasios. The leading choir singer of the Most Holy Church of the Resurrection Archimandrite Aristovoulos sang on the right, and the noble pilgrim Mr. Alvanos sang on the left, at the presence of the Consul-General of Greece in Jerusalem Mr. Christos Sophianopoulos, and Mrs Moropoulou, and reverend and contrite participation of many pilgrims from Greece, Russia, Romania and Ukraine.

After the Holy Eucharist and the Dismissal, there was a thrice procession of St. Basil’s hand relic around the Holy Sepulchre and the Shrines.

The procession was followed by the ceremony of the New Year Cake of the Church of the Resurrection led by H.H.B., at the Office of Geronda Sacristan Most Reverend Archbishop Isidoros of Hierapolis.

After the ceremony, bells tolling, the ascent to the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood Quarters took place. In the morning after the D. Liturgy at the Holy Church of Saints Constantine and Helen, His Beatitude cut the New Year Cake of the Hagiotaphite Fathers at the Epitropikon.

At noon, a festal meal was offered, at which invited guests were the Consul-General of Greece in Jerusalem, the dentist Mr. John Tleel, Mrs Moropoulou with the members of the Interdisciplinary Team of the N.T.U. of Athens, and all the Hagiotaphite Fathers.

From Secretariat-General

ngg_shortcode_8_placeholder” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

On 31st December 2016/ 13th January 2017, the memory of St. Melani the Roman was celebrated by the Patriarchate, at the homonymous chapel, which is located underground in the Holy Monastery of Megali Panagia, neighbouring on the south the Central Monastery of the Hagiotaphite Fathers.

According to the Synaxarion, St. Melani came from a wealthy family of Rome, she got married and bore two children. When both her children died, she and her husband devoted themselves in works of charity. The most important of those was the liberation of 8.000 captives and the sustenance of thousands of needy monks in Egypt where she itinerated.

From Egypt, she concluded in Jerusalem around 430 A.D. and lived a blessed life in a cell on the Mount of Olives where she slept in the Lord.

In the above mentioned chapel, Vespers was held in the evening, and the Divine Liturgy on the morning of the feast, headed by the Hegoumen of the Holy Monastery of the Shepherds Archimandrite Ignatios, with the choir of Temple Fathers and other choir singers, and the participation of praying monks, nuns and noble pilgrims.

After the Divine Liturgy, the renovator of the St. Melani’s church and Holy Monastery, Abbess Melani, hosted all participants in a generous reception at the hegoumeion.

From Secretariat-General

ngg_shortcode_9_placeholder” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]