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Have a Merry Christmas and a Blessed, wonderful New Year

ܡܫܝܚܐ ܐܬܝܠܕ..ܗܠܠܘܝܗ
Christ is born! Glorify Him

Christmas is a time of celebration and reflection for many around the world. For Christians in the Middle East, particularly in countries like ̇Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, etc... this holiday holds profound significance, especially after enduring years of conflict and hardship.

In Syria, Christmas is celebrated with various traditions that reflect both religious significance and local customs. Families often gather to attend church services, where they participate in prayers and hymns that celebrate the birth of the Lord Christ. The lighting of candles and decorations of Christmas trees are common, symbolizing hope and renewal.

After years of war, many communities are striving to rebuild their lives and restore a sense of normalcy. Humanitarian efforts are ongoing, focusing on providing aid, shelter, and support to those affected by the conflict. The spirit of Christmas can serve as a catalyst for healing, promoting messages of peace, love, and reconciliation among diverse communities.

In sharing goodwill during this season, there’s a collective wish for stability and prosperity throughout the Middle East. People are hoping for a future filled with opportunities for all, where Christmas can be celebrated joyfully, not just as a religious occasion, but as a time for building bridges and fostering understanding among different cultures and faiths.

In essence, Christmas in troubled countries, marked by resilience and faith, represents a hope for peace that transcends borders, uniting not just Christians but all people striving for a better world.

On this joyous Christmas season, we contemplate Christ, Who is accepted to be born in the night of our mortal world so that He could bring us light and life. We beseech Him to enlighten our lives the way He inspired us with His birth on the night of the shepherds in Bethlehem. May the darkness of ignorance, sin, and death be scattered away and turned into light, knowledge, grace, truth, and life.

Dear beloved faithful of the Western USA
The Holy Bible teaches that God loves to locate Himself somewhere specific so His people can find Him and receive His gifts.

St. John, the apostle, said, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt within us." St. Paul, the apostle, made a statement saying: "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person," Heb 1:1-4.

In his gospel, St. John, the apostle, states, "And we have seen His glory." This glory is associated with both the Tent and the Temple. It is the same glory that Moses and the Children of Israel observed in the wilderness, hovering over the Tabernacle. It is also the same glory that the Apostles witnessed in the God-Man Jesus during His transfiguration on the mount. They recognized Him as "the only begotten Son of the Father, full of grace and truth," and they proclaimed this to us.
The miracle of Bethlehem lies in the fact that this baby, born to Mary, is both true God and true Man. However, there is no indication in the gospel that any glory was visible at that moment; only the angels proclaimed this from heaven. In Bethlehem, we see a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes.

At Christmas, we contemplate God-made man, divine glory hidden beneath the poverty of a Child wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger, the Creator of the Universe reduced to the helplessness of an infant. Once we accept this paradox, we discover the Truth that sets us free and the Love that transforms our lives. On Bethlehem Night, the Redeemer becomes one of us, our companion along the precarious paths of history. Let us take the hand that He stretches out to us: it is a hand that seeks to take nothing from us but only to give.

In this blessed month, as you celebrate My birthday, the newborn Jesus says, I would like to remind you of the true purpose of My coming into the world:
1. I came to be a light that dispels darkness and spreads love, peace, and joy among you.
2. I came to forgive you your sins, and to teach you to forgive one another, for forgiveness is the key to understanding and the healing touch of hearts. Forgive without limits or conditions, as true forgiveness liberates and rejuvenates lives. We should all strive to forgive without any boundaries or conditions.
3. As I "loved you without limit," Jesus says, I invite you to love one another, to love your enemies, to bless those who curse you, and to pray for those who offend you. Doing so brings blessings for both you and them. In this way, your light shines in the world, spreading warmth and love while you celebrate My birth.
4. Be wise in a world filled with wars, conflicts, and divisions. I urge you to stay strong in faith and hope in facing challenges, difficulties, and persecution.
5. On My Nativity Day, as you exchange gifts and celebrate, please remember the elderly, the needy, the patients, the prisoners, and all those who long for a touch of love and mercy. When you serve these individuals, you are serving Me.
6. I want to remind you, my loved ones, to be beacons of hope. Live your life as a reflection of the peace I offer—a lasting peace that remains unshaken and comes from the faith and trust that I Am always with you.
7. Fill your heart with gratitude and thanksgiving, allowing your life to be a source of strength and a positive way to live in full love and righteousness.
8. In conclusion, I encourage you to be instruments of goodness and let us collaborate to make the world a better place. I assure you that I will always be with you until the end of time.

Let us enter the stable of Bethlehem with the shepherds beneath the loving gaze of Mary, the silent witness to His miraculous birth. May she help us experience the joy of Christmas and teach us to cherish in our hearts the mystery of God, who became man for our sake. May we witness His truth, love, and peace in our world.

As we celebrate the birth of the Son of God in the cave of Bethlehem, we pray for God's protection over the entire world, especially the Middle East—particularly Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and other affected countries.

That’s a beautiful sentiment! Wishing peace and prosperity to Syria and the entire Middle East is especially important during Christmas when themes of hope and goodwill are emphasized. May this season bring healing, understanding, and unity to all communities in the region. We ask for inspiration of their leaders so they may provide just and effective leadership, and we seek hope for their people.

On this beautiful and joyful occasion that the eternal Son of the Father has given to us in the flesh as a newborn Baby, we wish all humanity in general, and Christians in particular, and especially His Holiness, the patriarch, the head of our Syriac Orthodox Church, with all prelates, clergy and faithful of our Syriac Orthodox Church, a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year—asking the Newborn Lord to extend His life and their Eminences, the prelates of the Church, with good health and prosperity.

I also wish our esteemed faithful, clergy, and all organizations of our Western Archdiocese a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year.

Christ is Born! Glorify Him.