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– chaldeanpatriarchate.com
Patriarch Louis Raphael Sako
To bishops, priests, monks and nuns,
consecrated men and women, and all Chaldean faithful in the world.
I extend my heartfelt wishes of a Merry
Christmas and happy New Year, to each and every one of you, praying for grace,
health, peace and joy throughout 2024 and beyond.
As we are preparing for Christmas, it is
necessary to think seriously about our faith in Jesus Christ, and to renew our
commitment to Him clearly, especially that we are living in a world that does
not care about human and spiritual values, and surrenders selfishly to
materialism and pleasure, a world that has begun to depend more and more on
artificial intelligence without evaluating its risks to humanity, a world that
completely different from the one before. In the mid of such unstable
political, security, and economic systems around the world, where people are
experiencing wars in Ukraine and the Holy Land, and conflicts almost
everywhere, even though poor people are still missing peace and awaiting it as
it was announced by angels on Christmas Eve, “and on earth peace” (Luke 2/14).
The Church: The Universal as well as our
Chaldean Church, must exercise its mission with courage and without fear,
preaching the message of Christ, the “Messenger” of peace, fraternity, and
love, and never stop demanding people’s rights, freedom and dignity, in order
to achieve justice and equality on the basis of full citizenship.
Who is Jesus Christ for us and what is New in
His Mission?
We often have wrong ideas about Christ,
unrealistic and imaginary ideas, that are not in line with the Bible. We also
deal with him as an “abstract” person, instead of a real person. Christology
(theology of Christ) is not a bundle of speculations and abstractions.
In light of the situation in Iraqi, the Holy
Lands, Lebanon, and Syria, it seems that the pioneering role of Christians in
building bridges among different Churches and with others has declined, which
means they are no longer able to influence, so they turned to emigration.
As Eastern Christians, we need to get away from
the “canned” information we are familiar with and have instead a “complete”
awareness of our faith, and a thorough knowledge of it, so that the heart of
Jesus Christ remains beating in us and enables us to spread hope, human,
fraternal, and spiritual revival in our societies.
The truth is with those who are living and
transmitting it honestly. We must know who is Jesus Christ for us and what is
new in His message. This was the fundamental question raised by Jesus asking
His disciples, when Peter’s answer came: “You are the Christ, the Son of the
living God” (Matthew 16/ 13-14). This faith shows who we are and what we should
be.
In my remark at the Synod of Bishops on
Synodality (October 4-29, 2023 in Rome), I urged Synod Fathers to search for a
new language, including selected and understandable vocabulary to introduce
Christian faith to people in a way that would be acceptable in their current
culture, since the mentality has changed, and the culture is different from the
past.
The Gospel reveals the nature of Jesus’
humanity, His divine filiation, dignity, and message of salvation. It is
well-known that the Gospel writers used familiar literary genres to convey the
message “meaning”. Therefore, we need to read the “sacred texts” carefully, and
search for the meanings behind the letters in order to grow with them.
Christ was born from Virgin Mary, who wrapped,
nursed, and raised Him. He cried, screamed, ate, drank, slept and played with
His peers. When He grew up He worked and got tired. This does not diminish His
greatness.
Jesus had friends, families dear to His heart,
such as the family of Lazarus and His two sisters Mary and Martha. He attended
with His mother Mary and Saint Joseph the wedding of a friend in Cana of
Galilee (John 2/ 1-2). Otherwise, what is the meaning of the fact that He
became a complete human being, and that He was “similarly been tested in every
way, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4/ 15).
Jesus Christ began His mission when He was
thirty years old, surrounded by male and female disciples to deliver His
message, after three years of formation (was the circle of formation at that
time). However, the minority accepted His message while it was rejected by
majority. In the end, He was crucified by Jews, but was risen by God for His
faithfulness. His resurrection is from another level and set up our hope for a
full and joyful life.
Jesus lived in a society of farmers, shepherds,
and Observatory Jewish clergy, with no means of media and social communication
that we have today: such as computers, mobile phones, radio, television, and
newspapers.
Christ owned His being, His talent, grace, a
beating heart that prayed, and a thoughtful mind that loved everyone and served
them without exception: “For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to
serve” (Mark 10/ 45).
Jesus Christ preached that God is a Father and
the source of love. All His words were about the reality of God and His
fatherly love. He highlighted our filial relationship with God, considering us
as sisters and brothers in one family, which is the family of God,
characterized by the utmost joy and happiness. This is the new mystery inspired
by Jesus Christ, about which He spoke with passion and boldness, and
personified in word and deed.
Jesus taught us that love remains eternal since
God is love, and “love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13/ 8). He gave us His
“divine spirit,” the flame of His love, so that we might be in His image and
likeness. Isn’t He the “firstborn”?
The Word of God is a living person named Jesus
Christ before He became a Gospel. He was born in flesh and dwelt among us. He
personified this teaching in Himself, even when His mission was painful and
been opposed by authorities, politicians, chief priests, and rich people.
Jesus Christ is the Word of God, spoken of Him
and in His name without affectation. He gave ordinary things of His life a
meaning, spirit, and amazing love.
God is in Jesus and Jesus is in God: “as you,
Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us” (John 17/ 21).
The invisible God became visible in Jesus:
“Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14/ 9). Isn’t this “incarnation”?
From this intimate relationship spirituality
and morality emerge and continue to the end. The identity of the Christians is
related to the identity of Jesus Christ.
Jesus called for repentance “metanoi”, that is,
acceptance of newness “the kingdom”. This kind of teaching must rouse us and
give us the grace and strength to walk with Him toward resurrection.
Based on this spirituality, Jesus spoke of
prayer, love, mutual forgiveness, and serving others to the full: “whatever you
did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25/ 40).
He gave us His body in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist to receive it, and
to remain with us, so that we may all feel that we are sisters and brothers.
Saint Pope John Paul II said in his first
encyclical, “Redemptor Hominis,” in 1979.
“Man cannot live
without love, because he remains an incomprehensible being to himself; his life
has no meaning if love is not revealed to him; if he does not find love;
experience it and engaged intimately in it. For this reason, Christ the
Redeemer “reveals man completely to himself.” … This is the human dimension of
the redemption mystery. In this dimension [sacrificial love] man finds once
again the greatness, dignity and value of his humanity” No. 10.
Practically: Faith is a radical follow of the
footsteps of Christ
In our current exhausting situation, and in
order to be in Christmas, we need more of listening to Christ, “the living
Gospel”. To listen to the voice of God, learn from it, and apply it profoundly.
Our salvation is based on imitating Christ, and
just as His brilliant resurrection surprised everyone, God will surprise us
with a beautiful solution to our problems and difficult circumstances. Didn’t
He solve the problem of confused women who visited His tomb: “Who will roll
back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb? When they looked up, they
saw that the stone had been rolled back; it was very large” (Mark 16/ 3-4).
Let us rely on Him in thought and heart,
keeping our attitude firm and brave, in spite of being demanding: “I have the
strength for everything through him who empowers me” (Philippians 4/13), so
that we can turn everything into grace.
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