A
message from Bishop John Elya
Annunciation
Cathedral
(To be read from the pulpit and/or to be distributed with the weekly
bulletin)
|
|
A
message from Bishop John Elya Annunciation
Cathedral (To be read from the pulpit and/or to be distributed with the weekly
bulletin) |
To the clergy, laity and friends of the Melkite Eparchy of Newton, grace to you and peace from God our Father and the risen Lord Jesus Christ.
Christ is risen ! He is truly risen !
Imagine what it must have been like the very first morning of the resurrection. The apostles and disciples were so discouraged and fearful. Their Lord and Master had been killed, hanged on a cross, executed for a capital offense. It had been written: "Cursed is he who hangs on a tree." (Deutoronomy 21:23) They had put their hopes and trust in this Jesus of Nazareth, and He had been taken from them. Were their hopes in vain? Then God spoke. Jesus Christ rose from the dead. All that He had said and done in His ministry, His teachings, and His life had been confirmed. Jesus proved His love for us by His death. He proved His Divinity by His life-giving resurrection.
Today, more than ever, the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ needs to be preached. The power and life that flow from our risen Lord are critical if Christianity is to impact the modern world. Men and women are discouraged and fearful today. They are confused and do not know where to put their hope and their trust. The violence in our streets is frightening. Youth are joining gangs to find a sense of belonging and self-esteem. Kids are carrying knives and guns and killing other kids to vent their frustration, their fear, and their anger. Jesus Christ is the answer to all the questions that our youth face today. Jesus invites these young people to share in the life of Christian Community in our churches. We must reach out to them. We thank God and we are proud of the outstanding work done by our Diocesan Youth Organization, NAMY (National Association of Melkite Youth). The Regional Retreats and the Annual Retreat and Convention as well as the various youth activities in our parishes, are humble but giant efforts to create a vision of the Resurrected Christ leading us to a better world of peace and love.
The words prayed during the 40 days of Lent at Great Compline as well as in the Little Compline every night of the year must become a reality:
"The Father is my hope, the Son my refuge, the Holy Spirit my protection: O all-Holy Trinity, glory to You!"
We must believe these words. We must avail ourselves of this 'protection' in the life and gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. We must seek this 'refuge' in Christ's cross and resurrection. We must live this 'hope' in the Father's unconditional love and boundless mercy. This is the Gospel that we preach. This is the treasure that we share. This is the guarantee that is ours because of the resurrection and glorification of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. "Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!" writes St. Paul. (I Corinthians 9:16) The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation of that gospel message. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the heart of the teaching of our faith. Let us strive to make the resurrection of Jesus shine through our lives.
Our society today would be so much stronger if our faith in the risen Lord were more evident in our lives and in the lives of our Christian leaders and politicians. If the Light of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ could shine through us and radiate brightly in our parishes and communities, Christ would be more visible and many would join or re-join our Melkite Christian family.
The Light of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ would bring clarity and truth to the relativism and confusion of today. Many of the greatest problems we face today in our society are because of this darkness, confusion, and 'culture of death'. Mother Teresa once said that America will never see an end to the killing in our streets, the killing in our schools, or the killing of our youth until we end the killing in the womb, the barbaric killing through abortion. What a tribute to our risen Lord if we could honor Him by respecting, loving, and honoring the most helpless of our human family, the unborn.
The recent document issued by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, "Dominus Iesus, On the Unicity and Salvific Universality of Jesus Christ and the Church" quotes the Second Vatican Council and reminds us: "The Church believes that Christ, who died and was raised for the sake of all (cf. II Corinthians 5:15) can, through His Spirit, give man the light and the strength to be able to respond to his highest calling, nor is there any other name under heaven given among men by which they can be saved (cf. Acts 4:12). The Church likewise believes that the key, the center, and the purpose of the whole of man's history is to be found in its Lord and Master." Glory be to Jesus Christ risen from the dead ! Glory be to Him forever !
We look forward to the first visit from our beloved new Patriarch, Gregory III Laham to the United States in May. I had the privilege and honor to participate with 12 other Melkite Bishops and 70 priests and religious and over 700 Melkite faithful gathered from throughout the world in his first visit to Pope John Paul II in Rome in February, 2001. We were received by His Holiness, who could not have been warmer or more hospitable. Our new Patriarch brings with him great hopes of progress to our Melkite Church and unity to the whole people of God. Pope John Paul said in his address: "You are a strong, consistent church rooted in your identity: take care to continue your pastoral commitment, developing your ancient treasures and giving suitable answers to the questions of our contemporaries."
Finally, let us keep in mind that Jesus suffered and died to show us the royal road to the resurrection. "Are you unaware that we who are baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were indeed buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in the newness of life." (Romans 6:3-4) Our Lord Jesus invites us to follow Him in His suffering and His death to reach the glory of His resurrection. After traveling with Him through the purifying period of the Great and Holy Lent and through the celebration of His life-giving Passion and Crucifixion, may we find the joy and hope of His Resurrection in our lives every day of the year.
Christ is risen! He is truly risen!
Your servant in Christ,