On Wednesday 5th January, the Custos made a solemn entrance to Bethlehem on the eve of the feast of the Epiphany. Of the three entrances, which follow on from the feast of St. Catherine, it is the simplest, although it follows the same protocol requiring the opening of the three heavy steel gates which for a few years now have blocked the old road of the patriarchs to “isolate” Rachel’s tomb.
About thirty cars, from Bethlehem, Beit Jala and Beit Sahour, joined those arriving from Bethlehem to accompany the Custos to the parvis of the basilica for his entrance to the Te Deum in the church of St. Catherine. However, in actual fact, what should have been a day of celebration was inevitably marked by the tragic events befalling the countries in this region.
In Mar Elias, the Custos expressed his sympathy to the Israeli colonel who lost a brother in the fire on Mount Carmel; after dinner he went with all the members of the Discretorium and Frairs Ibrahim and Samir, the Egyptian Franciscans and Catholic Copts to offer his condolences to the Orthodox Copts. Father Antonios Urashalimi, representing the Archbishop Anba Abraham, received them in the afternoon and there were also numerous Muslims who had come to take part in the mourning and unanimously condemn the bombing.
In the afternoon, after the first vespers, whilst the Franciscans stayed in the basilica or the office of the readings, the Custos, accompanied by the friar Father Marwan Di’des and his vicars, and the friar Rami Haitham Yalda Asakrieh, visited the community to extend season’s greetings, learn about their projects and share with them their joys and sorrows.
This year also saw the grief of Sister Annaïde of the Dominicans of St. Catherine of Siena who recently lost three relatives in various attacks in Iraq, as well as the grief of the Franciscan sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary who are still distraught over the sudden death of three sisters on 24th December.
When, on one of his visits, the Custos met those communities that have not recently known harsh periods, the sorrow of some was also the sorrow of the others and the illness of a friar of the Custody is effectively a matter of concern for all.
Alongside the leaders of the Scouts and Catholic Action, the Father Custos insisted on the fact that the activities proposed must spread a religious spirit and that those directed in particular at youngsters must allow them to mature and become responsible young people, capable of putting themselves at the service of the local community, in a spirit of unity for the formation of all.
These same intentions must not have been far from his spirit when, at midnight the Custos inaugurated the cycle of Masses that follow on every half-hour from midnight until seven in the morning.
The Latins then continued the celebrations in the morning with the celebration of the Epiphany with a solemn mass presided by the Custos, attended by the General Consuls of the four Latin Nations.
In the meantime, the city’s attention was concentrated on the subsequent entries of the oriental Orthodox Patriarchs and bishops who were starting their Christmas celebrations.
As on 24th December, the Catholic scouts animated the mass, with the exception of the Coptic scouts, who remained in silence, as also the Coptic archbishop had made a very discreet entrance to mark the community’s mourning.
All day long, the church of the Nativity, and in particular the Grotto, echoes with songs, including of the Oriental churches which followed on one another for the various offices. Then, at the end of Vespers, it was the turn of the Custos and all the Franciscan friars who came down to bring to the Child Jesus the gifts of the Magi: gold, frankincense and myrrh.
The Custos, holding the Child Jesus, Prince of Peace seated on his throne, then went round the cloister three times, giving the faithful the time to express their adoration for the Son of God made man, venerated as a symbolic representation.
For a few hours, there was a truce in the basilica. The local faithful left, leaving room for some courageous pilgrims, whilst behind the scenes, the Orthodox were getting ready for the long night when together, Copts, Syriacs and Greek Orthodox, would sing the mystery of the birth of the Messiah in the same basilica, each according to their culture and in their own language… The joy of a new Christmas rekindles the light of hope.
Mab
About thirty cars, from Bethlehem, Beit Jala and Beit Sahour, joined those arriving from Bethlehem to accompany the Custos to the parvis of the basilica for his entrance to the Te Deum in the church of St. Catherine. However, in actual fact, what should have been a day of celebration was inevitably marked by the tragic events befalling the countries in this region.
In Mar Elias, the Custos expressed his sympathy to the Israeli colonel who lost a brother in the fire on Mount Carmel; after dinner he went with all the members of the Discretorium and Frairs Ibrahim and Samir, the Egyptian Franciscans and Catholic Copts to offer his condolences to the Orthodox Copts. Father Antonios Urashalimi, representing the Archbishop Anba Abraham, received them in the afternoon and there were also numerous Muslims who had come to take part in the mourning and unanimously condemn the bombing.
In the afternoon, after the first vespers, whilst the Franciscans stayed in the basilica or the office of the readings, the Custos, accompanied by the friar Father Marwan Di’des and his vicars, and the friar Rami Haitham Yalda Asakrieh, visited the community to extend season’s greetings, learn about their projects and share with them their joys and sorrows.
This year also saw the grief of Sister Annaïde of the Dominicans of St. Catherine of Siena who recently lost three relatives in various attacks in Iraq, as well as the grief of the Franciscan sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary who are still distraught over the sudden death of three sisters on 24th December.
When, on one of his visits, the Custos met those communities that have not recently known harsh periods, the sorrow of some was also the sorrow of the others and the illness of a friar of the Custody is effectively a matter of concern for all.
Alongside the leaders of the Scouts and Catholic Action, the Father Custos insisted on the fact that the activities proposed must spread a religious spirit and that those directed in particular at youngsters must allow them to mature and become responsible young people, capable of putting themselves at the service of the local community, in a spirit of unity for the formation of all.
These same intentions must not have been far from his spirit when, at midnight the Custos inaugurated the cycle of Masses that follow on every half-hour from midnight until seven in the morning.
The Latins then continued the celebrations in the morning with the celebration of the Epiphany with a solemn mass presided by the Custos, attended by the General Consuls of the four Latin Nations.
In the meantime, the city’s attention was concentrated on the subsequent entries of the oriental Orthodox Patriarchs and bishops who were starting their Christmas celebrations.
As on 24th December, the Catholic scouts animated the mass, with the exception of the Coptic scouts, who remained in silence, as also the Coptic archbishop had made a very discreet entrance to mark the community’s mourning.
All day long, the church of the Nativity, and in particular the Grotto, echoes with songs, including of the Oriental churches which followed on one another for the various offices. Then, at the end of Vespers, it was the turn of the Custos and all the Franciscan friars who came down to bring to the Child Jesus the gifts of the Magi: gold, frankincense and myrrh.
The Custos, holding the Child Jesus, Prince of Peace seated on his throne, then went round the cloister three times, giving the faithful the time to express their adoration for the Son of God made man, venerated as a symbolic representation.
For a few hours, there was a truce in the basilica. The local faithful left, leaving room for some courageous pilgrims, whilst behind the scenes, the Orthodox were getting ready for the long night when together, Copts, Syriacs and Greek Orthodox, would sing the mystery of the birth of the Messiah in the same basilica, each according to their culture and in their own language… The joy of a new Christmas rekindles the light of hope.
Mab