They Spoke Christ's Message At Jerusalem's Eastertide.

They Spoke Christ's Message

At Jerusalem's Eastertide.

Edited By Uncle Monty.

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"In Situations of Death We Demonstrate That
We Are the Apostles of the Resurrection"

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"In the evening of the first day of the week, Jesus

came and stood among them. He said to them,

"Peace be with you" and showed them his hands

and his side. The disciples were filled with joy

when they saw the Lord and again he said to them

"Peace be with you." St. John ch.20 vv 19-21.

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Dear Sisters and Brothers, Christ is risen:

Many people limit their thoughts on Easter to the

empty tomb. How important then, for us to concent-

rate on the first manifestation which our Lord made

to his disciples. There is considerable encouragement

to be gained from the fact that the living Christ is

greeting his living Church. We do not under estimate

the burden of so many of our faithful today from the

continuing violence and acts of terrorism that surround

them, and of which we all are victims, in the West

Bank, in Gaza and in the Israeli society. Nevertheless,

the Risen Lord reminds us and tells us that we have

a role and we have to change the present situation,

through the power and strength which He gives us.

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On that first Easter evening it seems obvious that the

disciples were full of fear mingled no doubt with doubt

and perplexity. So much had happened to make them un-

certain of the future and consequently they were afraid.

However, in their moment of greatest need Jesus came

and stood amongst them. At least they believed that

he suddenly appeared to them. Because, since they saw

him die on the Cross, they believed that everything

had ended and the Master has abandoned them. But,

fear, weakness and locked doors could not keep

Jesus from his disciples ... then or now !

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He appeared to them glorious and renewed their

faith. In giving the disciples the conventional greet-

ing "Peace be with you" Jesus is seeking to quieten

the hearts of his anxious and troubled disciples.

He shows them his hands and his side to convince

them of his identity as the one recently crucified.

So their fear and doubt are replaced by joy.

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Today we too, we live in fear and perplexity. We too

need to see the Risen Lord, in order to take away

perplexity and fear because of all that is happening

around us and in us, so to replace our fear and

anxiety with peace and joy. However the message

of Easter does not end there. The new joy is a

mission which the apostles have to bring to the

world. Jesus sent them to the troubled world as a

whole in order to bring to every one its joy and peace.

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So Jesus says: "As my Father has sent me,

even so send I you." In this way Jesus reveals that

his Church is to be the instrument through which

his saving power is to be made known to the world

as the lives of men and women are challenged to

submit to the claims of his Kingdom. More is re-

vealed as Jesus tells the disciples of the spiritual

power which will be given them to enable them to

fulfill their task which he has given them. "He brea-

thed on them and said Receive the Holy Spirit."

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In that instance he is preparing them for the

forthcoming Pentecost. He also shows them the

intimate relationship between himself and the

Holy Spirit, sometimes described in the Early

Church as "the Spirit of Christ".
Having told the disciples of the spiritual power

He is giving them Jesus then makes it clear that the

Church has a specific function in the world to explain

and convince people that men and women have a

responsibility to confess their sins. If they truly

repent and relieve then their sins are forgiven.

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It is very normal that we bring the same message

to our Land. Similarly we have to take away the

many burdens on people's lives caused by

Occupation, bloodshed, violence and killings and

mutual hatred, as well as the wrong ways followed

so far to reach security. In all these situations of

death we demonstrate that we are the apostles of

the resurrection, with its joy and hope. We have to

tell the people that the present situation in which

we are living is part of the world's sin, but it must

also be part of the new power given to us by the

Risen Lord. Hence we invite them to make

penitence, to admit their involvement in the sin

of the world, to be forgiven and to become able to

see the right ways that lead to security and peace.

We say this to our Leaders in Palestine and Israel.

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The ways used until today to reach security must

be changed. If not, we will remain in the same

positions in a permanent cycle of violence. For you,

Leaders of this Land, we ask that God give you

light and strength to take away from it death and

fear so as to restore in it peace with security.
So, as we greet all of you this Eastertide we urge

all concerned to demonstrate their faith in more

positive terms not least showing their personal belief

lin a Risen and Glorified Jesus. Moreover, our Jesus

is no figure of history but rather the One to teach

us and guide us along the path of peace and new life.

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To our friends across the world we wish the peace

and joy of the Risen Lord. Thank you for your

prayerful support but please we would ask that you

recall that your faith in Christ has its origin in this

Holy Land. You have to assume your responsibilities

here. You too are responsible with us for restoring in

it the joy of the Resurrection so as to lift the burdens

of death, hatred, Occupation, Security Walls and the

fear of taking the risk of peace. Do whatever you can

and please involve your Governments too to assume

their responsibilities for the peace of this Land.

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Pray for us as well as for a just and comprehensive

peace in this Land ; pray that fear, the main obstacle

for peace, will disappear. Pray that people recognize

and accept each other, so that the right ways be open

before the glory of the Resurrection so that this Land

of the resurrection may enjoy the new life to

which God has called it.
Christ is risen.
Happy and Holy Easter.

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Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem:

Patriarch Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch

Michel Sabbah, Roman Catholic Latin Patriarch Torkom

I Manoogian, Armenian Orthodox Fr. Pierbattista

Pizzaballa, OFM; Custos of the Holy Land Archbishop

Anba Abraham, Coptic Orthodox Archbishop Swerios

Malki Murad, Syrian-Orthodox Archbishop Abouna

Matthias, Ethiopian Orthodox Archbishop Paul Sayyah,

Maronite Bishop Suhail Dawani, Anglican Bishop Mounib

Younan, Lutheran Bishop Pierre Malki, Syrian-Catholic

Archimandrite Joseph Saghbini, Fr. Rafael Minassian,

Armenian Holy Patriarchate.

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JERUSALEM, MARCH 23, 2008 (Zenit.org).