Glorious Days of Antioch

A Parish Meets Its Shepherd on Holy Land

Dr. Michel E. Abs

The Secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

At one point in time, two apostles from my country decided to establish the Church of the Incarnate Lord, in order to minister to the believers who were suffering from persecution at the hands of the enemies of the young Church community. The Holy See of Antioch was thus founded, and Peter and Paul, the two leading father figures of the apostles, later to become martyrs, were the founders.

On the anniversary of the founding of the See of Antioch, the Church celebrates this occasion, telling history that it is a timeless entity, and that it will continue to embrace its children until the end of time, and will continue to preach the message of salvation, as long as the universe remains as universe, and as long as humanity needs such a salvation- community

The date is Friday, June 28. The place is the Monastery of the Vision of Saint Paul, in Tell Kawkab, on the outskirts of Damascus, the oldest inhabited capital in history. The time was the Vesper Service of the day.

They were there, and the sun was setting. They came in large numbers, from all parts of the See of Antioch, and from the diaspora, church leaders and parishioners, covering the whole site with their presence, waiting for the coming of the shepherd, the inspiring Patriarch. One would think they were waiting for the coming of Paul the Apostle, in expectation of a recurrence of  the vision that changed the course of humanity.

In this very place, Saul's conversion to Paul was initiated, as stated in the Acts of the Apostles:

3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” 7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes, he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind and did not eat or drink anything. (Acts 9:3-9).

This is where the believers gathered, coming from all over the world. Were they expecting the coming of Saul, perchance they could see the light coming from heaven, or hear the voice of Christ calling him?

In this holy place, the Church of Antioch built the monastery, which it called the Monastery of the Vision of the Apostle Paul, after the historical event that took place there, and this place became a pilgrimage place for believers, who come to it from all over the globe.

 Moments later, the Patriarch, John X is there, here he is approaching, and necks straighten and eyes stare for a moment. The thirteenth of the holy and pure apostles has arrived, looking at his faithful, his children whom he is visiting, viewing their conditions, in various areas of the See of Antioch, strengthening their resistance and providing them with the necessary spiritual power that will help them continue, despite all the tragedies that have stricken every corner of the Antiochian Levant, and all the conspiracies that were have been hatched against it.

They came to meet the Patriarch, with all the longing that a human soul can contain, and this was evident in the cheers they uttered, the chants they chanted, the shouts of joy they emitted, and the verses of poetry they recited. Children, adults, and the elderly were there, old and young. They came to greet the Patriarch, to receive his blessings, and to accompany him in the vespers service of the feast of the founding of the blessed Apostolic See of Antioch.

The intense emotion towards the Patriarch was expressed through the popular culture of this faithful people, who did not lose their identity despite the siege, impoverishment, displacement, and terrorism, which they experienced from a slanderous war, which was planned for them in the dark night, in suspicious undergrounds, to undermine their steadfastness and dignity.

The Patriarch's blessing and presence are part of the morale of steadfastness for this authentic and committed people who have sprung up from the earth of the prophets and apostles.

At this very moment, I recalled a song that my mother used to sing when I was young, and it spoke of the land of the Levant, the site of the glorious revelation, and proclaimed that we had sprung up from the earth of the prophets and that we were children of glory. How right this is!

 During His Beatitude's "march" from the entrance of the monastery courtyard to the church building, where the vespers service was held, the Patriarch stopped from time to time, blessing the believers gathered in the courtyards, taking the initiative to give them a blessing, or listening to wishes and expressions of love, or verses of poetry or chants, that they composed. His face showed an expression of love and longing, and his usual smile did not leave his countenance the entire way.

After the prayer, His Beatitude sat in the courtyard of the monastery, with representatives of official institutions next to him, and the believers started coming to Him, to greet Him, to receive a blessing, and sometimes to take pictures. They are loyal people who embrace their master and express to him an unambiguous sense of belonging and unquestionable loyalty. His Beatitude remained with the people for a long time, long enough for him to communicate with everyone who was present there and give him a blessing. This was followed by an agape meal to which His Beatitude invited the believers and their shepherds.

The leader who watches over his faithful followers does not allow their dispersion, and he cares for them indefinitely, both spiritually, with his presence, care, and support, and materially, through development work, because his leadership is based on the certainty that life is matter and spirit, and that both are necessary to live with human dignity, without which life has no meaning.

Greetings and reverence to you, O Patriarch of the great city of God, Antioch, and all the Antiochian Levant, O Shepherd of the Shepherds, the thirteenth of the holy and pure apostles, who travels throughout the Antiochian space and the world, inspecting Your children of faith.

Greetings to You and to every leader whose nights are disturbed by the worries about the harsh conditions of his people, and who wants them to have a decent life, safeguarded with pride, and to live with dignity.

Greetings to You and to every leader who understands his subjects and his people, supports them in their difficult life path, soothes their physical and psychological wounds, and guides them to the right path.

In Tal Kawkab, in front of the Monastery of the Vision of the Apostle Paul, where fierce battles took place but a few years ago,  we recall not only Antioch, but also Alexandretta, Cilicia, Adana, Mersin, Aintab, Killis, Kharbout, Edessa, and Nisibis, all the way to Tur Abdin and Hakkari, Mosul and Ainkawa, where our ancestors, and our brothers today, bled, until the earth was irrigated with their pure  blood. In Tal Kawkab, Jerusalem and the rest of the occupied land of holiness are also evoked.

In it you feel that you are on sacred ground, where every grain of earth tells the tale of a martyr.