Phoenix - Arizona, July 27, 2023

His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the Orthodox Family, met the graduates from the St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology - University of Balamand, Lebanon, in the presence of Archdiocesan Metropolitan His Eminence Saba Esber. During the meeting, His Beatitude Patriarch John X stressed Balamand’s role in graduating pastors of the Church. This was a paternal conversation that tackled general issues of the ecclesiastical and daily life in the homeland and abroad. His Beatitude listened to the facts and concerns of pastoral care and suggested ways to improve it. The Reverend fathers listened to His Beatitude Patriarch John X as he talked about the challenges that the Antiochian Church faces with all its educational and relief institutions.

The President of the Finances and Patriarchal Commissioner His Eminence Metropolitan Isychios of Kapitolias with a group of Holy Sepulchre Fathers visited the Cemetery of Holy Zion, in order to explain to the relatives of those buried there, that the excavations carried out there by the German Archaeological company have received the approval of the Patriarchate for the support the rights of the Christians on Holy Zion.

From Secretariat-General

“Women are the first building block of the Christian family”

Phoenix - Arizona, July 26, 2023

His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the Orthodox Family, emphasized the importance of family and the role of women in building the Christian family. His Beatitude the Patriarch spoke during a meeting for the "Antiochian Ladies", an organization of the Archdiocese of New York and All North America. Archdiocesan His Eminence Metropolitan Saba Esber and the Bishops were also present at the meeting.

His Holiness Pope Francis releases his prayer intention for the month of August, which is dedicated to the upcoming World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal, and invites young people to set aside fear and embark on a joyful journey to bear witness to Christ in our world.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

His holiness Pope Francis' monthly Prayer intention for August is for the World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal.

The Pope invited the Church to pray for this intention in this month's The Pope Video, which is entrusted to the entire Catholic Church through the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network.

“You are the future of the Antiochian Church in this land”

As part of his Pastoral tour in the Archdiocese of New York and the All North America, His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the Orthodox Family, met with the youth of the Archdiocese, and delivered to them a word in which he said “You are the future of the Antiochian Church in this land”.

As part of his pastoral visit, His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the Orthodox family, presided over the Divine Liturgy in Phoenix - Arizona, on Wednesday 26 July 2023. It was within the Annual Conference of the Archdiocese of New York and All North America, which was launched on Tuesday 25 July 2023. His Beatitude Patriarch John X was assisted in the Divine Liturgy by Archdiocesan His Eminence Metropolitan Saba Esber, as well as Priests.

July 21-24, 2023

“The woman said to him: Sir, give me this water so that I will not thirst nor come here to draw water” (John 4:15).

With the blessings of His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the Orthodox Family, the meeting of the ladies of the Diocese of Damascus and its countryside was launched at the Patriarchal Monastery Saint George Al-Homeyra with the title: “Your Presence Gives Me Life” and different subjects.

On Friday, July 8 / 21, 2023, the memory of the Holy Great Martyr Procopius was celebrated by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

On this feast, the Church commemorates from the Synaxarion that Saint Procopius came from the city of Aelia Capitolina, which is the later Jerusalem, and martyred during the reign of Diocletian around 290 in Caesarea in Palestine. He used to be a persecutor of Christians but was called by the Lord through a vision, a crystal cross and a voice saying to him “I am the crucified Jesus, the Son of God”.

XVI Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Mt. 13:24-43 

We continue listening to chapter 13 of Matthew, which offers us, after that of the sower, three more parables: that of the wheat and the weeds, that of the mustard seed, and that of the leaven.

All three begin with the same incipit: "The Kingdom of heaven is like ..." (Mt 13:24,31,33), and it seems to me that they answer a single question: how does the Kingdom of heaven come, how does it manifest itself? But also: how does evil act, how does it try to hinder the growth of the Kingdom?

Hidden among the images of the parable, just as the seed is hidden in the soil, the Gospel offers us several answers.

The first is that the Kingdom, when it grows, does not wipe out evil: the good seed is sown in the ground, destined to bear good fruit. But in the same soil other seeds are sown, which instead only take up space but bear no fruit.

A video clip circulating on social media revealed on Thursday 20/7/20, Israeli radicals lying on a “couch” inside the lands belonging to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate on the Mount Zion in Jerusalem, and they attack the Patriarchate employee refusing to leave the land, and they bid him and the patriarchate of insults, and they claim to be right without others with this Orthodox land.

The Patriarchate issued a statement shortly after the wide circulation of this video on social media, in which it said that this painful video revealed little of what its property has been exposed to in general, since many years of frenzied attacks by radicas, and exposed a small part of the ongoing suffering, war and battles between the Patriarchate and the far right-wing groups with the aim of protecting its property and rights in the face of the radical tendencies and provocative attacks of these groups.

With the blessing of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church of Cilicia, H.E. Arch. Kegham Katcherian, Prelate of the Armenian Prelacy of Greece, celebrated the Divine Liturgy on the occasion of the Feast of Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ, at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias.

The Feast of Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ is one of the five major feasts (Daghavar) of the Armenian Church, and it holds a special place in the hearts of Armenians. After celebrating the feast with a solemn Divine Liturgy, a centuries-old pre-Christian festival called Vartavar, integrated with the Transfiguration by St. Gregory the Illuminator, is held outside of all churches and wherever Armenians can meet, where participants release doves and engage in water games.

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem successfully regained its’ full rights to a plot of land in Abu Tor neighborhood in Jerusalem, for about 80 million shekels. Thus, the Patriarchate was able to completely liberate the land from all the restrictions that were hindering its ownership, which arose as a result of old lease agreements and reservations made by the Israeli government in response to judicial decisions issued in previous eras.

The Patriarchate with the guidance and follow-up of His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem, was able to restore the strategic piece of land in Jerusalem after more than a decade of continuous effort, given the value of this religious heritage and archaeological land.

On Wednesday, June 29 / July 12, 2023, the feast of the Holy Glorious and Chiefs of the Apostles Peter and Paul was celebrated by the Patriarchate.

On this feast, the Church honours the Apostle Peter, remembering that he heard the call of the Lord at the Sea of Tiberias and followed Him after his brother Andrew and confessed Him saying: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16,16) and denied Him, but he repented and proclaimed Him to the gathered multitudes on the day of Pentecost and in Judea, Antioch and finally in Rome, where he died by death on the cross.

The Church also honours the apostle Paul, a former persecutor, but enlightened on his march to Damascus and called to the apostolic office and preaching Christ and labouring for all others through Christ and being able to say: ” I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me” (Gal. 2:20) and wrote his 14 letters and ascended to the third heaven.

Mt 13:1-23

The Gospel passage for this 15th Sunday (Mt 13:1-23) is the beginning of Jesus' third discourse reported by the evangelist Matthew. It is the discourse that Jesus delivers by telling a series of parables, of which today we hear the first one, that of the sower.

It is a complex passage, which is structured in three parts, preceded by an introduction (Mt 13:1-3): in the first part (Mt 13:3-9) Jesus tells the parable; in the second part (Mt 13:10-17) the disciples approach Him and question Him as to why He speaks to people in parables; in the third part (Mt 13:18-22) Jesus explains the parable to the disciples.

July 16, 2023

His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, celebrated the Sunday Divine Liturgy at the Antiochian Village in Pennsylvania. Concelebrating were the Archdiocese Metropolitan His Eminence Metropolitan Saba Esber, His Eminence Bishop Anthony and a group of Priests. Also present was His Eminence Bishop Thomas. The students of the annual camp of the Church Music Department served the Divine Liturgy.

Pennsylvania, Antiochian Village, July 15, 2023

In the context of his visit to the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of New York and All North America, His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, celebrated Vespers at the Antiochian Village in Pennsylvania, in the presence of His Eminence Metropolitan Saba Esber, Their Eminences Bishops Thomas and Anthony, and a group of Priests. The students of the annual camp of the Church Music Department served the Prayers.

"I rejoiced with those who said to me,

Let us go to the house of the Lord”

(Psalm 122: 1)

Saint George Al-Homeyra Patriarchal Monastery - Al-Mashtaya, Syria

July 12/13 2023

"I rejoiced with those who said to me,

Let us go to the house of the Lord.” (Psalm 122: 1)

With the blessings of His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the Orthodox Family, the Families Meeting of the Diocese of Damascus and its Countryside was launched in the Patriarchal Monastery Saint George Al-Homeyra.

New Jersey, July 13, 2023

Within the context of his visit to the Archdiocese in North America, His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, met some Priests of the area near the the Archdiocese Residence in New Jersey. The meeting touched on the status of the Antiochian Church in the homeland and abroad.

New York, July 12, 2023

His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East has arrived at JFK Airport in New York, commencing his visit to the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of New York and All North America, accompanied by a Church delegation. His Eminence Metropolitan Saba (Isper), Archbishop of New York and All North America received His Beatitude at the airport, with a group of Priests and Parishioners.

Upon his arrival at the Archdiocese Headquarter, a Prayer of thanksgiving was held. The program of the visit includes participation in the Archdiocesan Conference to be held this month in Arizona.

By: Nicolawos Hazboun/lpj.org

GALILEE – From July 4th to July 8th 2023, the Assembly of the Catholic Ordinaries (ACOHL) held its annual Retreat for Catholic Bishops and Priests in Korazim.

You can find a video about this Retreat.