Papal Message for the Feast of Nativity 2011

[center]الرسالة البابوية لعيد الميلاد المجيد - يناير 2011[/center]

[right]أبنائي الأحباء في المهجر، إكليروساً وشعباً

سلام لكم ونعمة، وتهنئة بعيد ميلاد ربنا له المجد.

كونوا جميعاً بخير، يرعاكم الله ويحفظكم، ويُسمعنا عنكم كل خبر طيب. ولتكن لكم تأملاتكم في الميلاد المجيد وأحداثه.
ومن جهتنا، اُحب أنكم لا تقلقون علينا. نحن بخير

إن الأحداث الأليمة التي مرت بنا، أوجدت تعاطفاً علينا من كل ناحية، ونشاطاً وتدقيقاً أكثر في حماية الكنائس والإهتمام بأمنها. كما أن الضيقة بطبيعتها تقرِّب النفس إلى الله. ونحن نؤمن أن الله هو الحافظ والمعين، وأنه "أن لم يحرس الرب البيت، فباطلاً سهر الحراس."
كما نؤمن بوعد الرب للكنيسة إن أبواب الجحيم لن تقوى عليها. لذلك فالكل في سلام.

كونوا جميعكم في هدوء، مطمئنين إلى عمل الرب، فرحين جميعاً بهذا العيد. لأن ميلاد ربنا يسوع المسيح، وأقصد تجسده، كان نقطة البدء في كل الخيرات التي تمتعت بها البشرية حتى توَّجها الفداء. كما كان التجسد دليلاً على محبة الله لنا، وعلى التصالح الذي تم بين السماء والأرض.

إفرحوا بالرب يا أبنائي، وأقول أيضاً إفرحوا. وكل أحداث تمر بكم، قولوا "كله للخير."

أخيراً لكم محبتي جميعاً.

وكونوا محاللين من الروح القدس.

(إمضاء)

البابا شنودة الثالث
عيد الميلاد 2011
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[center]Papal Message for the Feast of Nativity
[/center]My beloved children in the lands of immigration, both clergy and laity.

Peace to you and grace.  My congratulations for the Feast of Nativity of our Lord, to whom is the glory.

Be all well, shepherded by God who keeps you.  May we hear all good about you. May you have contemplations in the glorious Nativity and its happenings. As for us, I want you not to worry about us – we are well…

The painful circumstances that happened to us have brought compassion upon us from all sides, as well as extreme care and eagerness in protecting the churches, as well as care for our cause.  Also, tribulation, by its nature, makes the soul closer to God.  And we believe that God is the Protector and Helper, and that “unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.”  We also believe the promise of the Lord to His Church, that the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.  Therefore all are in peacefulness. Be calm all of you, assured of the work of the Lord, and all of you to rejoice in this feast, for it is the Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, and I mean, His Incarnation was the starting point for all the good that graced humanity till it was crowned with redemption.  As well, the Incarnation was proof of the love of God to us, and the reconciliation that was fulfilled between heaven and earth. Rejoice in the Lord my dear children, and again I say rejoice. In all circumstances that pass by you, say ‘it’s all for good.’ (كله للخير)

Finally, my love to you all.

Be absolved from the Holy Spirit.

(Signed)
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III
Feast of Nativity 2011

Comments

  • to be perfectly honest with you, what he said during the sermon in Cairo was just beyond words.

    He had many people in tears, including Adel Imam.
  • [quote author=Zoxsasi link=topic=10402.msg126529#msg126529 date=1294359872]
    to be perfectly honest with you, what he said during the sermon in Cairo was just beyond words.

    He had many people in tears, including Adel Imam.


    Can someone perhaps write us a transcript for it? Pleaseeeee... lol, I tried really hard to understand.. but the Fos-ha Arabic is makes me think too hard :)

    Oh and I thought he wasn't gonna do the liturgy in the Cathedral.. guess HH couldn't stay away!

    Cheers and Happy Feast!
  • His Holiness said that there would be no celebratory events.  He said that the Liturgies should be carried out.
  • [quote author=ilovesaintmark link=topic=10402.msg126554#msg126554 date=1294405347]
    His Holiness said that there would be no celebratory events.  He said that the Liturgies should be carried out.

    yes....and i think he made that clear in his sermon.
  • Does anyone have a link to the Papal Sermon from the Nativity Litugy?  I am interested to watch it.
    Please.
  • [quote author=ilovesaintmark link=topic=10402.msg126560#msg126560 date=1294412161]
    Does anyone have a link to the Papal Sermon from the Nativity Litugy?  I am interested to watch it.
    Please.

  • Thanks, Minagir.

    He was drawing a contrast without having to say it implicitly.
  • [quote author=ilovesaintmark link=topic=10402.msg126564#msg126564 date=1294413804]
    Thanks, Minagir.

    He was drawing a contrast without having to say it implicitly.

    yeah....
  • How fortunate we are to live in the time of Pope Shenouda!!!!!?!!!
  • [quote author=ilovesaintmark link=topic=10402.msg126569#msg126569 date=1294414324]
    How fortunate we are to live in the time of Pope Shenouda!!!!!?!!!

    very....to the  point that i think we don't deserve. May God be with him always.
  • So here is a transcript of His Holiness word. (Whenever “Jesus Christ” appears, the literal translation is “Christ the Master”…..I like to always make that distinction.)
    Also if you don't understand any parts please tell me, i can clarify things from the video...also i didn't spend that much time on it.

    [center]In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.[/center]

    My children and my beloved brothers.

    I congratulate you for the feast of the glorious Nativity, asking for you a blessed and holy life, confirmed in the Lord.
    But before I congratulate you, I first send my condolences to our children in Alexandria and many other cities for the martyrdom of a great number of those innocent and without sin. Likewise I also send my condolences to our children in Nag’ Hammadi as a year has passed since the martyrdom of people of them. As the wisemen presented to Jesus Christ gold, frankincense and myrrh on the day of His Birth, we also offer Him these precious souls that have ascended to Him. And here I remember the saying of President Mubarak “The blood of our children is not cheap.” I thank him for that statement and also for his congratulations to us for the Feast and His condolences from the call that was between me and him this morning. We thank the President (Mr. President) from the depths of our hearts for he has made the Feast of the Nativity to be a national holiday for all Egyptians.

    Now, I provide you with my (our) contemplations in the Feast of the Nativity. Jesus Christ came to the earth to preach the love and spread it in the whole world. Amir Al-Shu’araa (Prince of Poets), Ahmad Shawki, was truthful when he said “Love was born on the Birth of Jesus (‘esa).” [Jesus] spread the love and He was also a dynamic love wherever He dwelt. Whoever connected to Him gained a share of His love, of his kindness, of His gentleness and of His compassion. Thus it was said about Him that He was traveling while doing good things, passing by sick people that He healed and comforting those who were sad. Also He was calling everyone to feed the hungry, cover the naked with clothing, care for the strangers and visit those in prisons. When they answered Him, “Lord, when did we [not] do that to You?” He answered them, saying, “Inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me” (Matthew 24:44-45). He loved walking among the people.

    He was interested in the communities of those who were excluded from the Jews like the Samaritans and Gentiles. For example, the Samaritans, if a shadow of one of them covers a Jew, it would be considered as defilement upon him. The result was that Christ the Master embraced those with His love. He told them the parable of the good Samaritan and how he was nobler than the priests and the levites. As well as the Gentiles who were hated by the Jews. Jesus Christ said about one them, the Centurion, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel” (Matthew 8:10).

    He was not satisfied to only be a love walking among the people, but He also called them to worship God for He is the Love; God is Love. He spoke to them about the first commandment in the Law: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart” and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Here, neighbor refers to your human brother (brother in humanity). For we are all relatives, we are all children of one father, Adam, and one mother, Eve. Loving your neighbor is to love all of humanity.
    He taught us that God is Love and out of [His] love for mankind, He created them. He shepherds everyone, He tends to everyone, He keeps (guards) everyone and takes care of [everyone]. Therefore we must love God as He loved us. We love to obey Him, keep His commandments, do His divine will on earth and not sin against Him or anyone of all humanity. Thus Jesus Christ taught us to love goodness (good things) and love others. To love goodness is to live a life of virtue and righteousness, in love and without constrains [in dealing with matters] and taking action. We love goodness and others despite who they are. We love all people. On the negative side, we do not hurt anyone, we do not envy anyone and we do not bother (tire) anyone. And on the positive side, we love the people that we may do good for their sake and here, giving seems to be an important virtue; a man, out of his love for another, gives. He gives out of his heart constantly and to the utmost extent even to self-offering. Blessed is the Lord who taught us love, to love all the people and that through love people shall live in peace, not sinning against each other.

    Now, I come back and thank the President one more time. Also all those who are present with us: the ministers, the ambassadors, the elite, the state officials and the guards who labored greatly on this day. We also give thanks for the release of the brothers who were held captive.

    And to God is the eternal glory forever. Amen.
  • "Blessed is our Lord who taught us love"

    I love how his holiness stressed the importance of love,
    a message that is most needed in these circumstances..

    That's Christianity, that's our God, God Who is Love!! :D

    May He keep his holiness and bless him with more and more wisdom!


  • Thanks SO much minagir! I thought I was gonna be ignored upon my request haha

    Cheers and Happy Feast!
  • Here's a link to the whole liturgy
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