Today's Gospel passage (Mt 10:26-33) is taken from chapter ten of Matthew's Gospel, which brings together Jesus' words on the missionary mandate of his disciples.

We saw last Sunday where these words come from: Jesus sees the crowds and feels compassion, because he sees them tired and exhausted, lost, like sheeps without a shepherd. This is why he sends out his disciples, to proclaim to all the poor the presence of the Kingdom that is drawing near, and to bring God's compassion to everyone.

Jesus doesn't give precise instructions; he doesn't tell his disciples what to say or do. Quite simply, the disciples must bring peace, take on the evil and pain they will encounter, accept to pay the price of such a precious proclamation with their lives: much of the missionary discourse is devoted to this, to putting the disciples in the perspective that their message will be rejected, that their presence will be uncomfortable, that they will be rejected; they should not be surprised by this, for nothing more will happen to them than what happened to Jesus himself.

A joint commission of Orthodox and Catholic theologians met at the seat of the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa in Alexandria, Egypt, for a week from June 1 to 7, 2023, resulting in the adoption of the document, “Synodality and Primacy in the Second Millennium and Today.”

Representing the Orthodox Church were Their Eminences Job, Metropolitan of Pisidia, Co-President of the Joint Theological Commission, Maximos Metropolitan of Silivria and Fr. Alexis Torrance (Ecumenical Patriarchate), Gennadios, Metropolitan of Botswana, Petros Metropolitan of Accra and Professor Gregory Liantas (Patriarchate of Alexandria), Archbishop Nektarios Anthidonos and Professor Theodoros Giagkou (Patriarchate of Jerusalem), Metropolitan Joseph of Western and Southern Europe and Fr. Patriciu Vlaicu (Patriarchate of Romania), Metropolitan Theodoros of Akhaltsikhe and Fr. Georgios Zviadadze (Patriarchate of Georgia), Metropolitan Vasileios of Konstantia and Ammochostos and Fr. Gregory Ioannidis (Church of Cyprus), Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Messinia and Fr. Amphilochius Miltos (Church of Greece), Professors Messrs. Jerzy Ostapczuk and Jerzy Betlejko (Church of Poland), Metropolitan Iοannis of Korçë and Professor Nathan Hoppe (Church of Albania), Metropolitan Juraj of Mikhalovsky and Fr. Kyrillos Sarkisian (Church of the Czech Republic and Slovakia).

Mt 9, 36 – 10, 8

The Gospel passage we hear today is taken from what in Matthew, is Jesus' second major address to his disciples, namely the missionary address.

A discourse addressed not so much to hypothetical missionaries but to his disciples and, we might say, to the whole Church: the Church is called to share the gift received. If the gift is not shared, if it is jealously guarded, the gift is lost and the fruit of salvation does not ripen.

And the gift that the Church is called to share is made clear in the first verse: Jesus sees the crowds and has compassion on them (Mt 9:36), where compassion does not mean the emotion of a moment that we feel in the face of another's suffering, but the deep bond - which the Easter Gospels reminded us of - that makes our brother's life my own life, his pain becomes my pain, his wound becomes my own wound. Dwelling in one another, being one body: this is the fruit of Easter, the new humanity inaugurated by Jesus' resurrection.

On June 15, 2023, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Syriac Orthodox Church, presided over the evening prayer at St. Georges Patriarchal Cathedral in Bab Touma – Damascus.

‏Their Eminences Archbishops: Mor Cyril Babi, Patriarchal Vicar for the Patriarchal Archdiocese of Damascus, Mor Yacoub Babawi, Patriarchal Vicar for Monks Affairs and the Administration of Mor Aphrem Theological Seminary in Maarat Saydnaya, Mor Joseph Bali, Patriarchal Assistant, and Mor Augeen Al Khoury Nemat, Patriarchal Secretary, were present at the evening prayer.

With a call to honour and never abandon grandparents, His Holiness Pope Francis issues Message for 3rd World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly on 23 July. The 86-year-old Pope instituted the Day in 2021, to be held the fourth Sunday in July, close to the feast of Jesus' grandparents, Saints Joachim and Anne.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

"Let us honour them, neither depriving ourselves of their company nor depriving them of ours. May we never allow the elderly to be cast aside!"

This is His Holiness Pope Francis' heartfelt invitation in his Message for the Third World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, which the Church will celebrate on Sunday, 23 July. The text was published by the Vatican on Thursday 15 June 2023.

His Holiness Pope Francis returns to the Vatican on Friday morning after he is discharged from the Gemelli Policlinic hospital following his hernia-related surgery on 7 June, making his usual detour to pray before the Blessed Mother at Santa Maria Maggiore, and a private visit to greet some nuns.

By Vatican News staff reporter

His Holiness Pope Francis was released from Gemelli Hospital on Friday morning following his abdominal surgery on 7 June, and has returned to the Vatican.

As he left the hospital, Pope Francis stopped his car briefly to greet those present, pausing for a moment for some salutations.

In a brief statement Thursday, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, informed the press that Pope Francis would be released from the hospital this morning.

we recall, remember and pray-God hear our prayers

Article by Dr Theodora ܬܐܘܕܘܪܐ Issa ܥܝܣܐ SFHEA, FAIM

Doctor of Philosophy in Management (Ethical Mindsets), Author, Academic, Senior Fellow Higher Education Academy at Advance HE, Fellow of Australian Institute of Management, Alumna of UWA, Murdoch, and Curtin Universities

Source: https://shorturl.at/buwKZ

Usually, huge commemorations and remembrance for anniversaries would be always saved for the anniversaries with rounded numbers such as 25, 50, 60, 75, and 100. However, for this specific sad event in the history of our beloved Church needs to be commemorated in an honorable manner always and more specifically on each anniversary as these events need to be glued not only to our minds and hearts, but to the minds and hearts of our new and future generations.

Held in the Headquarters of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE)

A reception was held in the Headquarters of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE) on Monday, 12 June 2023, in honor of Mr. Zaven Khanjian, Executive Director of the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA), and his wife, Mrs. Sona Khanjian. Hosted by the Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian, MECC President for the Evangelical Family, President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East, and President of Haigazian University in Lebanon, numerous official guests and representatives from various Churches, organizations and committees, Armenian as well as non-Armenian, visited the Khanjians.

On Saturday, June 10th, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church of Cilicia, held a meeting with representatives from the Armenian organizations in Ontario, at St. Mary Church, within the framework of revitalization and reorganization of the diaspora following the 2023 declaration of the Catholicos as the Year of the Armenian Diaspora II.

On Friday evening, June 9th, 2023, an official banquet was organized in honor of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church of Cilicia.

HE Arch. Papken Tcharian—Prelate of Canada—HG Bp. Torkom Donoyan—Prelate of the Western Prelacy of the USA—Mr. Krikor Mahseredjian—co-Chair of the Central Council of the Catholicosate—Mr. Mher Karakashian—Chair of the ARF Central Committee in Canada—Ms. Dzovig Terzian—Chair of the Executive Council of the Prelacy—members from the Prelacy Executive Council and St. Nishan Church Board of Trustees and representatives of community organizations attended the banquet.

His Holiness Pope Francis pens a message for the annual World Day of the Poor, stressing that “whenever we encounter a poor person, we cannot look away, for that would prevent us from encountering the face of the Lord Jesus.”

By Joseph Tulloch

His Holiness Pope Francis has released his message for the annual World Day of the Poor, stressing that a “great river of poverty is traversing our cities”, and that every Christian is called to become “personally involved” in the struggle against it.

His message for the World Day, which will be celebrated this year on Sunday 19th November, takes the form of an extended reflection on the Book of Tobit.

On Wednesday evening, June 7th, 2023, the Pontifical Procession consisting of clergy, the Homenetmen Toronto band, scouts, and the ARF Canada youth chapter, arrived at St. Mary Church.

His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church of Cilicia, entered the Church with the Hrashapar hymn, accompanied by the Prelate of Canada H.E. Arch. Papken Tcharian and the Prelate of the Western Prelacy of the USA H.G. Bp. Torkom Donoyan and Canonical Prayers were conducted.

Secretariat-General of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem

Sunday, May 29th/June 11th 2023 was celebrated by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem as All Saints’ Sunday, the Feast of all the Saints of the Old and New Testaments, Patriarchs, Prophets, Forefathers, Apostles, Preachers, Evangelists, martyrs, confessors, retainers, new martyrs, Who are the fruit of the activity, of the manifestation of the Holy Spirit.

If the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, did not come, we would not have the miracle of the institution of the Church and its Myriad Saints.

With the feast of All Saints, the cycle of Pentecost holidays closes.

His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church of Cilicia, visited the Armenian community in Cambridge on Friday evening, June 9, 2023, and delivered his pontifical address at St. Nshan Church.

The Prelate of Canada HE Arch. Papken Tcharian and the Prelate of the Western Prelacy of the USA HG Bp. Torkom Donoyan accompanied His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, as the Pontifical procession—consisting of clergy and Homenetmen Cambridge chapter scouts—entered the Church with the “Hrashapar” hymn and Canonical Prayers were conducted.  

The Holy See Press Office announces that His Holiness Pope Francis continues to recover well from his surgery, having recited the Angelus Prayer in private before joining members of staff who have been assisting him for lunch.

Vatican News

As His Holiness Pope Francis continues his convalescence in Rome's Gemelli hospital, after abdominal surgery, the Holy See Press Office announced on Sunday that:

The medical staff has informed us that the post-operative recovery of Pope Francis is normal..

His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church of Cilicia, met with the Right Honorable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, in Ottawa on the afternoon of June 6, 2023. The meeting, attended by Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Mélanie Joly, H.E. Arch. Papken Tcharian, Prelate of Armenian Prelacy of Canada, Mr. Hagop Der Khatchadourian, President of ANC-International, and Mr. Mher Karakachian, Chair of the Armenian National Committee of Canada focused on various topics concerning the Armenian-Canadian community and the broader international landscape.

On Thursday morning, June 8th, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church of Cilicia, accompanied by his Pontifical delegation consisting of the Prelate of Canada, Prelate of the Western Prelacy in the USA, Co-chair of the Central Council of the Holy See of Cilicia and Dean of the Armenian Theological Seminary, led by Canadian police procession, visited the Armenian Community in Niagara Falls.

His Holiness Catholicos Aram I was welcomed at the border by the Prelate of the Eastern prelacy of the USA and the faithful. There, USA police escorted the procession to the Cemetery of Niagara Falls, where a requiem service was conducted for the souls of the deceased members of the local Armenian community.

Celebrating Corpus Christi is “to affirm and live His Truth for us”

By: Miral Atik, Photos: Nicolawos Hazboun/ lpj.org

JERUSALEM – On Thursday, June 8th, 2023, at the Holy Sepulcher, in front of the the Aedicule, His Beatitude Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, presided over the celebrations for the feast of Corpus Christi, which celebrates the Solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

Every year, on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, the Roman Catholic Church honors Jesus Christ, Really, Truly and Substantially Present in The Most Holy Eucharist. This feast dates back to the 13th century, due to a convergence of two separate events, which includes a Eucharistic miracle that occured due to a German priest doubts of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

The surgeon who operated on His Holiness Pope Francis on Wednesday 7 June 2023 afternoon tells journalists the operation went ahead without complications and the Pope is alert and in good spirits.

By Linda Bordoni

“The Holy Father is well, he is awake, alert, and has already joked with me!”

Doctor Sergio Alfieri, the surgeon who operated on His Holiness Pope Francis at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Wednesday afternoon, told journalists the operation went ahead without complications and the Pope is expected to make a full recovery within the usual timeframe for such an intervention.

He confirmed that the programmed surgical procedure to remove an incisional laparocele (hernia) caused by scarring from old surgeries was not an emergency operation.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Excellencies and priests,

May the Lord give you peace!

"Remember!" This is Moses’ invitation to the people of God after they came out from the experience of the wilderness alive! (Deut 6:2).

"Do this in memory of me!" It is the Lord’s command in the Last Supper before He left His disciples and arose from the dead victorious (Lk 22:19).