The Patriarch of Jerusalem sends us a message of hope from the Holy Land
Theophilus III writes:
‘At this time of the year, the hearts and minds of so many are turned towards Bethlehem and the Holy Land. Christians in every nation are making their spiritual preparation for the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word that is coming into the world.
‘The Church in the Holy Land is a living witness to our sacred history. This is the land of the divine-human encounter, where God has kept his promises to his people through the ages. We believe that all of God’s promises were fulfilled in the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Creator of all came to walk among us. The Christian community of the Holy Land bears witness to this great mystery of our salvation.
‘God’s promises are fulfilled in a gift freely given – as we say in Greek, ‘δωρεά’. Firstly, in the gift of his Son, but also in the gifts of the Magi – gold, frankincense and myrrh. These imply further gifts. We are given the gift of faith, we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are given the gift of the life of the Church, we are given the gift of peace and justice, and we are given the gift of the promise of eternal life - all of them promised to us in the birth of the incarnate Son of God.
‘Not only does the Christian community in the Holy Land remain a living testimony to God’s promises, we are an enduring sign of these great gifts that reveal the life of God in the midst of his people.
‘We know that the eyes of the world are turned in our direction during the holy season. But our eyes here in the Holy Land are also turned to the world. We who call the Holy Land our home are conscious every day of the gift that divine providence has placed in our hands to bear, and to bear witness to, on behalf of the entire world.
‘We feel a sense of pride in this mission. Yet just as you look to us, so we look to you to help us in our mission. The Holy Land is the true spiritual home of every believer, whether Jew, Christian or Muslim, and everyone can be a witness.
‘We are living at a time when the Christian community of the Holy Land is facing unprecedented challenges that threaten the vitality of our local communities and imperil the integrity of this region. We are sometimes fearful for our future. Radical attacks can come from any side.
‘The recent attack by an Israeli radical on the Church of the Nations in the Garden of Agony in Gethsemane is another worrying incident in an increasingly long and distressing list of attacks and desecrations of churches and holy places, as well as encroachments on church property. COVID-19 has also taken its devastating toll, not just through illness and death, but also by bringing the economy of our local workers and business owners to a stand-still. So many may not recover economically from the near complete suspension of pilgrimages and tourism which is likely to continue well into next year.
‘Yet we have hope in the new-born Christ. And we have confidence in our fellowship with our Christian brothers and sisters all over the world, as well as in people of good will in other faith traditions, who know how crucial it is for us to maintain our life in this Holy Land.
‘In this holy season, as you look to us, so we look to you, and we pray that you will not forget the Christians of the Holy Land and the peoples of the Middle East. Just as the Magi came bearing gifts for the Christ Child, we ask you to come on pilgrimage in 2021, when eventually the pandemic ends. Needless to say, you are also a gift to us. For you bring us hope, you bring us solidarity and you bring us prosperity.
‘Let us be gifts to each other, just as the Christ Child is a gift to us and to the world.
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favours!” (Luke 2:14)
With our prayers and Patriarchal blessing from Bethlehem, the city of glory. ‘
Theophilos III
Patriarch of Jerusalem