Sunday, February 10, 2013

Patriarch John X Yazigi's Enthronement Speech

The Patriarchate of Antioch seems to be entering into a new era in terms of communications. Not only was a solid, professional-looking website created for Patriarch John's enthronement in Arabic, English, and Spanish, but they have already posted the full text of his enthronement speech, which is remarkable and very much worth reading!


We thank the Lord our God who allowed us, in the two previous months, to celebrate His appearance in the flesh as man and His manifestation as God coming to save us. After Jesus has fulfilled His plan of salvation by dying on the cross and rising from the dead, and after He ascended in the flesh to heaven from whence He had descended, sitting on the right hand of the Father, He prayed the Father to send the Holy Spirit to dwell in the hearts of each of us. Everyone who desires this and wants the Spirit to dwell in him does this so that Jesus may appear to him, and also that he might be reminded of the Lord’s sayings and teachings. The Holy Spirit shows us Jesus Christ, at first in the Church, which is His Body and which He wanted to be “a glorious church, with neither stains, wrinkles, nor any such thing” (Eph. 5: 27). It also makes Him present in the Church through the word of His Gospel, in the Body and Blood of His Eucharist, in His meeting with His brothers who gathered in His Name, as well as in every human being - especially in the poor, the homeless and the broken hearted, in whom He accepted to dwell. The Holy Spirit reveals Jesus wherever it dawns, making Him present yet veiled in all religions and all cultures. [...]

By all means read the rest  here!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

AXIOS, WORTHY, MUSTAHIQ! I watched the enthronement live on the internet and was moved by the liturgical event at the Holy Cross Church.
God bestowed upon us a great man of conviction. JOHN X is a believer in the Savior, a liturgist, theologian, monastic, confessor, and peacemaker. God grant him many, many years.