Homily of Patriarch JOHN X New Year’s 2025

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;

From the depths of this history, buried yet radiant at once, and from the heart of this East, where Christ was born as the dawn of our dawns, we gaze upon the world at the outset of the second quarter of the twenty-first century to reflect on the Incarnation of that Child whose birth made angels sing at the threshold of a humble cave: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.”

Today, we turn to call upon the Newborn Child. We turn to call upon the Virgin, who, in her silence, received the Creator's love. We turn to recount to Him the story of two millennia of our presence in this land, in this East. We turn to once again share with the world the story of those who bear Christ’s name in the land where He was born. From this place, the Maryamiyya, we speak as Christians:

We are the wheat of Christ in this East. We are from this land that kneads its wheat into bread of thanksgiving to the Creator. We are from this land that presses its grapes for Him in thanksgiving and praise.

We are from that cave that witnessed His birth and from that tomb that held Him in death and resurrection.

We are from the olive trees with which He prayed on the Mount of Olives.

We are from the rushing waters of the Jordan, where He was baptized in its waters.

We are from the snow of Hermon and the cedars of Lebanon.

We are from Damascus, the city of Paul and Ananias, and from Beirut, the city of Quartus.

We are from Tyre and Sidon, from the nets of those who became fishers of men.

We are from the vineyards of Zahle, from the unique Bekaa Valley, and from Baalbek, the City of the Sun, where eternity was carved from the stones of its citadel.

We are from Tripoli, which embraces Homs, and from Akkar, which unites Syria and Lebanon into one heart.

We are from the majesty of Mount Lebanon, which meets the heritage of Aleppo, and from Latakia, which neighbors Antioch, the city of the two Apostles.

We are from the olive groves of Idlib, which soothe the heart of the Syrian Jazira.

We are from the nobility of Daraa, the land which holds Quneitra and the Syrian Golan in its arms and bathes in the waters of Tiberias.

We are from Homs and Hama, which embrace Houran and the high mountain of Suweyda.

We are from Baghdad, which beholds Mersin and Adana and recounts the history of Diyarbakir and Erzurum.

We come from the geography of this East, reaching out to the entire world. We are from this East, where Christianity is woven into the souls of its people, just as churches are carved from its rocky land.

Ages upon ages have passed. Kingdoms and empires have risen and fallen. Yet the essence of our enduring presence here lies in a faith passed down from the mouths of the Apostles; a Gospel we were nourished with from our mother's milk; a bread we have kneaded with both the hardships and joys of time; a authenticity we never sought from anyone; and a Cross in which we have taken pride, and still do, placing it in our hearts above all else. In contemplating this, we touch, and continue to touch, the dawn of resurrection.

We are from the spark of that love which sanctified our land two thousand years ago, naming it the “Dayspring from the East,” as the Christmas hymn proclaims. Here we are, in Syria, which is undergoing a new phase—one we hope to traverse together with our Muslim brothers, aspiring for it to be crowned with freedom, justice, and equality. We stand here on the threshold of a stage we hope will herald a dawn—a dawn that knows no darkness but overcomes all with the brilliance of its light. And this brilliance, for us, is drawn from the true fraternity we have experienced with our Muslim brothers through all times, despite the hardships and challenges. I had said it in Tartous in 2013, repeated it a few days ago, and I say it again today: My Muslim brothers: Between the “we” and the “you,” the connecting “and” dissolves and falls away. It falls away by a society built on the principles of citizenship, one that respects all religions and considers all spectrums in drafting a modern constitution—a constitution prepared with the participation of all, ourselves included; a constitution that reflects the logic of role and mission, not the logic of dimensions of minority versus majority groups; a constitution that draws from the openness of Islam and the heritage of Christianity in the Levant, fostering mutual respect for a common life we have always lived and continue to live; a constitution that ensures equality among all Syrians on every level—social and political alike.

We are from the Church of Patriarch Elias IV Mouawad, “Patriarch of the Arabs,” who, half a century ago, in February 1974, spoke on behalf of every Arab at the Islamic Summit in Lahore, Pakistan. His voice echoed across the earth, representing Muslims and Christians alike at that summit dedicated to Jerusalem. This title, “Patriarch of the Arabs,” was further reaffirmed for Patriarch Ignatius IV Hazim during his participation at the Islamic Summit in Taif in early 1981. We extend our hand, as we have done in all times and circumstances. Let me take you back to 1918, when our hand was the hand of Gregorios IV Haddad—or “Mohammad Gregorios,” as our Muslim brothers called him then. Today, our hand is the hand of that patriarch who was among the first to welcome the Arab national rule and one of the few, if not the only one, to bid farewell to King Faisal at the Hijaz Railway station nearby. We are from the Church of that figure who made no distinction in distributing the bread of charity between Muslim and Christian during the First World War. Our Cross will remain embracing the Crescent of tolerance in this land. It will embrace every soul of goodwill that seeks the gladness of the Almighty Lord in this blessed land, where His right hand had planted us to live together.

Our prayer comes from Maryamiyya, Damascus, for the stability of Lebanon, which has suffered the bitterness of war and continues to endure its repercussions, from the Beirut port explosion to the plundering of depositors’ funds in banks, to the postponement in electing a president for the Republic. We welcome the ceasefire that has finally been reached and urge everyone to make every effort to reinforce and solidify it. We call on the Members of Parliament to fulfill their constitutional duty and elect a president as soon as possible. The situation in the region in general, and Lebanon in particular, cannot tolerate further risk-taking or the manipulation of this issue. We urge everyone to rise above narrow interests and adopt a language of dialogue and agreement in order to emerge together from all crises. We also call on everyone, including external powers, to stop using Lebanon as a mailbox for sending messages to others. Lebanon is the country that carries the message of coexistence and cultural convergence, not a mailbox through which messages are sent to and from. “Let our people live,” as a member of our church once said. Here, we repeat it again and again: “Let our people live.”

We say this while Palestine is crucified at the crossroads of international interests. We say this while we mourn the children of Gaza, who long for the peace of the Newborn Child. We say this as Jerusalem writhes beneath the cross of Palestine's suffering. We say this with full awareness that as Christians of the East, following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, we have taken up the path of Calvary. We have borne the spears of this world with joy and hope, and our sole hope is in the Lord who rises, breaks the chains of death, rolls away the stone, and makes us partners in His Resurrection.

Our prayer today is for our two kidnapped brothers, the Archbishops of Aleppo, Youhanna Ibrahim and Boulos Yazigi, and for all the suffering ones who endure and await the dawn of the Resurrection.

From the Mariamite of Damascus, we raise our prayers to the Almighty Lord, asking that He envelop His world in the light of His peace and touch hearts with some of His divine radiance. As we stand at the dawn of the New Year, we ask the Newborn Child to quench the fires of war and extinguish them throughout the world. We ask Him to welcome into His embrace the souls of our beloved departed ones, who have gone before us into the light of His holy presence. We ask Him for comfort for all those in distress, for He is the God of consolation and the Lord of hope.

May the new year be a sign of goodness, hope, and a new beginning for all of you, our beloved ones, both in the homeland and abroad.

In Your name, Jesus, we begin the New Year. Witnessing Your love and drawing strength from Your stillness, we gaze upon the world from this land where we are rooted, just as Your cross was firmly planted on Calvary. We have shared the story of our love for You, O Dayspring from the East, from our land—the land of light rising from the East. We have told this story, and we will continue to tell it to our children and to the world. We have shared it from beneath this Cross and the apse of this holy Church, and in our hearts, the fragrance of this saying spreads: “God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved.” He is blessed forever.

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Finally, I personally address Mr. Ahmed Al-Sharaa, wishing him and his new administration health and strength as they lead the new Syria that every Syrian dreams of. On this occasion, I reaffirm that we have extended our hand in partnership to help build the new Syria, but we still await Mr. Al-Sharaa and his administration to extend theirs in return!!

To this day, despite media reports about the imminent convening of a comprehensive Syrian convention and other related matters, there has been no official communication from their side with us. It is worth noting that Syria’s legacy includes visits by Presidents of the Republic to this Patriarchal Headquarters—Maryamiyya of Damascus—dating back to the era of independence. We welcome him to his house and his home.

I also remind you that on the day the Arab Kingdom of Syria was proclaimed, and allegiance was pledged to King Faysal, there were only two speeches delivered before the Syrian flag was raised: one by Mr. Muhammad Izzat Darwaza, representing all Muslims, and the other by Patriarch Gregorios, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch, representing all Christians and Jews. Such is the esteemed stature of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch in Syria.

I am pleased to convey to our faithful here the love and solidarity of all our churches across North America, Canada, South America, Australia, the Arabian Gulf, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the rest of Europe. They have remained in constant contact with us, offering us reassurance and support.

We anticipate goodness and blessings, my beloved, and we pray for a blessed year for Syria and the entire world.

Wishing you all a prosperous and joyous New Year.

Amen