The Feast of the Nativity and Theophany of Christ was celebrated on January 6, 2025, at Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias. The Divine Liturgy was presided over by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, assisted by Archbishops Nareg Alemezian and Shahan Sarkissian, with hymns performed by the “Shnorhali” choir, led by V. Rev. Fr. Zaven Najarian.

On the eve of the Feast of the Nativity and Theophany of our Lord Jesus Christ, January 5, 2025, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, presided over the Christmas Vigil Service (Jrakaluyts – Lighting of the Candles) at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias.

On January 5, 2025, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches celebrated the Holy Qurobo on the occasion of Denho or Epiphany, at St. Mary Church in Paramus - New Jersey.

‏In his sermon, His Holiness spoke about Epiphany as the revelation of the Holy Trinity where the Lord Jesus Christ was proclaimed by the Father as His Beloved Son.

‏On January 2, 2025, upon the invitation of His Eminence Mor Dionysius John Kawak, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches warmly received His Grace Bishop David, Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of New York & New England, His Eminence Metropolitan Saba (Esper) Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, His Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian the Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, The Most Reverend Bishop Gregory John Mansour Eparchial Bishop of Saint Maron of Brooklyn, His Eminence Mor Titus Yeldho, Archbishop of the Malankara Archdiocese of the Syriac Orthodox Church, His Eminence Mor Silvanos Ayub, Archbishop of the America and Europe Region of the Knanaya Archdiocese, His Grace Bishop Gabriel, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in New Jersey, His Grace Bishop Nektarios of Diokleia, National Chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, V. Rev. Fr. Simeon Odabashian representing His Grace Bishop Mesrop, Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church and, Rev. Fr. Ryan Muldoon

On the morning of Friday, 21st December 2024 / 3rd January 2025, the Service of the Royal Hours was held at the Holy Church of Saints Constantine and Helen.

At the beginning, the Matins Service was read, and immediately following it, presided over by His Beatitude Patriarch Kyrios Kyrios Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and all Palestine and Jordan, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), the First Gospel was read. His Beatitude offered The First Incense, followed by the Holy Sepulchre Archbishops.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, visited the nativity scene that had been set up in the cathedral courtyard and expressed his admiration, encouraging the team responsible for its design and execution.

The prayers began with the Midnight Prayer, followed by Kiahk praises interspersed with words from the general bishops overseeing the pastoral sectors of Alexandria: Their Graces Bishop Bavly, Bishop Elarion, and Bishop Hermina. The praise concluded, after which His Holiness delivered a speech. He began by congratulating everyone on the start of the new year, 2025, noting its significance as marking the completion of the first quarter of the 21st century.

My Beloved Ones,

From Antioch, the city of light that first called the disciples “Christians” and Christianized the entire world; from Antioch, adorned with the glory of its Lord, revealing the truth of the Incarnation and enveloping the universe in the name of Christ;

From the Maryamite of Damascus, at whose gates Paul heard that voice: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”—a voice that settled in his heart and enabled him to overcome the barriers of nations;

From the whiteness of Lebanon's snow, Lebanon who was celebrated by the Psalmist for the immortality of its cedars, and from Mount Hermon, in whose snowmelt water Christ was baptized in the Jordan;

From Straight Street, from corners that, since the youth of their stones, have preserved the voice of Paul and the stirring of Ananias’ heart;

The inaugural Divine Liturgy of 2025 was held at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias on January 1, presided over by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, and celebrated by V. Rev. Fr. Antranig Kurumian.

On December 29, 2024, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) celebrated the Holy Qurobo, at Mor Markose Cathedral in New Jersey. The Holy Qurobo is the Archdiocesan Youth Qurobo.

On Sunday, 16th/29th December 2024, the Feast of the Forefathers was celebrated by the Patriarchate, that is, the forefathers of Christ according to the flesh, both before and under the Law, who were pleasing to God. This feast commemorates the line of patriarchs beginning with Abraham, the one blessed by God, and from whose seed the Most Holy Theotokos was born, through whom, by the Holy Spirit, our Lord Jesus Christ was conceived and born.

John 1:1-18

The Prologue of John (John 1:1-18), which we read this Sunday, serves as the foundation, the basis on which the evangelist John then builds the rest of his Gospel.

However, the prolog is not only the basis, the principle of the Gospel: it is also the basis and the principle of our life of faith, of our relationship with the Lord: it gives us the coordinates on which we then move, a point of reference to which we return again and again to check the conformity of our life with that of the Lord.

The Prologue has two levels.

The first is that of revelation.

In the prolog there are many terms that speak of a God who reveals Himself: Word, light, testimony, truth, right up to the last verse in which John clarifies that “No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known” (John 1,18).

On Sunday, December 29, 2024, at the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and President of the Assembly of the Catholic Ordinaries in the Holy Land (A.O.C.H.L.), presided over a celebratory Mass to mark the beginning of the Jubilee Year in the Diocese of Jerusalem.
The celebration began with a procession of altar boys, priests, and bishops, followed by His Beatitude Cardinal Pizzaballa, towards the main door of the Basilica. There, the prayers commenced. The faithful were invited to enter after the Cardinal, carrying the Cross—'a sign of hope that does not disappoint'—crossed the threshold. This act marked the start of the Holy Jubilee Year for 2025 across the Diocese of Jerusalem, signaling the journey of repentance toward Christ, the true Holy Gate (cf. John 10:7-9).

On Friday 27 December 2024, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, anointed the relics of Saint John Kame the priest at the Monastery of the Virgin Mary and Saint John Kame (El-Sourian Monastery) in Wadi El-Natroun.

His Holiness delivered a spiritual message to the monks.

Damascus, December 26, 2024

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, presented to His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Orthodox Family his wishes for the Feasts and expressed the solidarity of the Coptic Church with the Church of Antioch in the events of Syria. For his part, His Beatitude John thanked His Holiness for this fraternal stance, conveying the love of the children of the Church of Antioch for the Coptic Church.

In continuation of a longstanding tradition, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, extends his blessings for the New Year and Christmas through visits to institutions in Lebanon dedicated to social service within the Armenian community.

“Birds’ Nest” Orphanage

On Wednesday, December 18th, 2024, His Holiness paid a visit to the “Birds’ Nest” orphanage. He appreciated the opportunity to spend time with the children, who performed Christmas songs and showcased their creative crafts. His Holiness bestowed blessings upon the children and praised the administration, led by V. Rev. Fr. Dajad Ashekian and V. Rev. Fr. Antranig Keurenian, as well as the women’s auxiliary, staff, benefactors, and supporters of the institution. His Holiness departed after presenting them with gifts.

On Wednesday, December 12th/25th, 2024, the memory of our Holy Father Spyridon, Bishop of TrImithus the Wonderworker, was celebrated in his holy Monastery, located within the walls of Damascus.

On this feast day, the Church remembers St. Spyridon from Cyprus. He lived during the reign of Emperor Constantine the Great and his son Constantius. He was a married priest and the father of a daughter, living as a shepherd of sheep. After the death of his wife, he became a shepherd of rational sheep in his Christian and priestly vocation. He was elected Bishop of Trimithus, a historic city on the island of Cyprus, the first episcopate of St. Lazarus, the friend of our Lord Jesus Christ, during the early Christian years.

Today's Gospel (Luke 2:41-52) describes Jesus' journey with his family to Jerusalem for the Passover.

The first element that strikes us is that the whole passage is permeated with tension.

On the one hand, we find elements of tradition with all the rites and customs that the people of God had to observe: the evangelist Luke repeats that Jesus' parents went up to Jerusalem every year (2:41), and this year they also went up according to custom (2:42). And he indicates that they will stay there for the necessary days to take part in the rites of the feast.

And not only that: he also indicates that this pilgrimage is a family ritual, which points to the close affiliation to a clan, to an extended family: they set off again from Jerusalem in the certainty that Jesus is with them, and if they do not find him, they look for him among relatives and acquaintances (Lk 2:44).

Prot. N. 38 (3)/2024 

Message to the faithful of the Holy Land from the ACOHL 
Hope does not disappoint 

Dear Brothers and Sisters of the Church who lives “as a pilgrim and guest” (1 Pt. 2:11; Heb. 11:13) in the Holy Land,
may the Lord give you peace! 

Pope Francis, in keeping with an age-old tradition, proclaimed 2025 a Holy Year, a year of special forgiveness and mercy from God, and December 24 last he opened the Holy Door at St. Peter’s in Rome to begin this Jubilee.  

As Ordinaries of the Holy Land, December 29 next, we too will open the Jubilee with a solemn celebration at the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, at the very place where the Virgin Mary opened her heart to the angel’s announcement and her womb to the Son of God so that He could be incarnate by the working of the Holy Spirit. With this act, both in Rome and Jerusalem the doors of divine mercy and reconciliation will be thrown wide open to all men and women who wish to experience divine forgiveness and its effects in a profound way.  

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark extended his congratulations to His Beatitude Patriarch Ibrahim Ishak, Patriarch of the Catholic Copts in Egypt, on the occasion of the Glorious Feast of Nativity, which several Christian Churches will celebrate.

His Holiness visited the headquarters of the Catholic Coptic Patriarchate in Kobri El-Qobba. He was received by His Beatitude the Patriarch along with several Catholic bishops, clergy, and nuns.