“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a living hope through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3)
Greetings from the Holy City of Jerusalem, from the Life-Giving Tomb of Christ, as we draw near to the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
I address you in a time of profound trial. Human suffering bears heavily upon the Holy Land, from the streets of Gaza City to Taybeh, and to the subdued stillness of the Old City, pierced by the sirens that forewarn incoming attacks. Amid such affliction, we find ourselves unable to gather in Jerusalem as we ordinarily have done for worship over centuries.
This week, we shall perform our sacred and historic rites within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, bearing witness to the unbroken continuity of Christian presence in the Holy Land since the time of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Yet we do so under grievous circumstances, and without the physical presence of the many faithfuls who would customarily share these holy moments with us.
We are living through a season of war. In this Lenten period, we are consoled by the assurance that our Lord hears our cries and shares in our suffering. From His tears at the tomb of Lazarus, as recounted in John 11, to His anguished cry upon the Cross, we are reminded that even in our darkest hour, we are not abandoned.
Yet, as Christians, we know that Holy Week does not conclude in the shadow of Good Friday. “He is risen; He is not here!” (Mark 16:6). The sorrow of the Cross yields to the radiant light of the Resurrection, wherein hope is revealed, and the promise of life renewed in its fullness.
In this Holy Week, though our services may be limited in number, we are not alone. Though not present in the flesh, Christians throughout the world remain united with us in spirit, remembering us faithfully in their prayers, for which we offer our profound gratitude. In turn, we lift our prayers for the entire Church and the whole world at the empty Tomb of our Risen Lord.
In this holy season, we shall once more bear witness to the miracle of the Resurrection, and the Holy Fire shall emerge from the Tomb of Christ. No darkness can conceal His light, and no force can extinguish the hope granted to us in His Resurrection.
Christ is Risen!
