THE TIME OF PESSAH [PASSOVER] AND
THE CHRISTIAN TIME OF PALM SUNDAY
Dear Friends of RUM-ORTH-IVRI.NET, the site is restarting this week after a rather long period of interruption due to different technical problems. On this site, you will have the possibility to read every week the commentaries relating to the different Readings proposed by the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem [i.e. according to the Old Calendar] and the Jewish Communities. Since we are based in Israel, we do contemplate the opening of a specific Yahoo Group in the very near future which will allow us to edit differents texts in Hebrew, Russian and Ukrainian as we target also, of course, the local inhabitants of this country, without having to face too many technical problems.
We start again our Reading commentaries after a difficult period for the Middle East. This concerns mainly the war in Iraq and the general situation of all Christian communities in this area, as well as the Christian in the Holy Land [Israel, Palestine, Jordan]. This site is a part of the Greek Orthodox development within the framework of the Israeli Society which has been and is still very affected by the impact of the war in Iraq and the absence of any tourists for the Feast of the Resurrection.
The local faithful are also going through difficult times. We have tried to show on this site to goodwill shown by His Beatitude Ireneos I, Patriarch of Jerusalem, of All Palestine and Holy Zion to be a sign of respect and mutual understanding between all the Christian believers, especially among the Orthodox faithful. This task is huge these days. One way of helping him is to provide the Orthodox faithful living inside the territory of the Jerusalem Patriarchate to get some spiritual assistance through this site. At least that during these days leading to the Holy Week and, Passion, the Death and Sufferings of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy City of Jerusalem, we might together celebrate His Divine Resurection from the Dead.
As I write you on Sunday 13th of April, I met some people today in the streets of the Old City. This was the Catholic Palm Day. There were very few pilgrims and some faithful said that it was not a �feast�. In our faith, it is a celebration as it will be for the Orthodox on next Saturday and Sunday. Our faith goes beyond personal emotional reactions. We have to take them into account, especially when the burden of daily life is so heavy. A permanent threat of internal war and lack of security and prospects. But the answer in the Faith is that God saves, that Jesus assists us in the achievement of our daily life, that the Holy Spirit is present within our bodies and souls and directs our lives toward life, even though this might not be the direction which we would choose.
This week is holy for the Jews and the Christians. It paves the way to the acomplishment of what God entrusts us beyond our forces and own courage. Jesus was betrayed, He explained that to His disciples. The disciples were speaking of who would sit at His right or Left Hand! Jesus spoke of serving. We always speak of serving in the Church, but we hardly can unify our congregations and various groups. Jesus says that the nations of world are ruling over the heathens. We, as Christians, living in the core area of the Faith in the One God, pain to love each other openly, without fear! This year, we have to meet this exceptional challenge proposed by the Lord : �Don�t be afraid!� and �Peace be upon you all� or �There is no difference between all human beings because we have been reshaped in the Lord as at the initial day when God created the human being in His Image and Likeness!�
Saturday, April 19 / 6, 2003 � Shabbat 17 deNisan 5763
Lazarus Saturday � Shabbat deKhol HaMoed [Day 2 of the Comput of the Omer].
Christian Orthodox Readings :
Lazarus Resurrection Day :
Holy Epistle to the Hebrews 12:28 � 13:8 The Holy Gospel according to Saint John 11:1-45.
Dismissal Hymn. First tone.
In confirming the common Resurrection, O Christ God, You did raise up Lazarus from dead before Your Passion. Wherefore we also, like the children, bearing the symbols of victory, cry to You, the Vanquisher of death : Hosanna in the highest; blessed is He that comes in the Name of the Lord.
Kontakion. Second Tone.
Christ, the Joy of all, the Truth, the Light, the Life, the Resurrection of the World, has of His goodness appeared to those on earth and become the archetype of the Resurrection, granting divine forgiveness unto all.
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