No. EN
128/22
ܒܫܡ ܐܝܬܝܐ ܡܬܘܡܝܐ
ܐܠܨܝ ܐܝܬܘܬܐ ܕܟܠ ܐܚܝܕ
ܐܝܓܢܛܝܘܣ ܦܛܪܝܪܟܐ ܕܟܘܪܣܝܐ ܫܠܝܚܝܐ ܕܐܢܛܝܘܟܝܐ ܘܕܟܠܗ̇ ܡܕܢܚܐ
ܘܪܝܫܐ ܓܘܢܝܐ ܕܥܕܬܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܬܐ ܐܪܬܕܘܟܣܝܬܐ ܕܒܟܠܗ̇ ܬܒܝܠ
ܕܗܘ ܐܦܪܝܡ ܬܪܝܢܐ ܡ̄
We
extend our apostolic benediction, benevolent prayers and greetings to our
brethren, His Beatitude Mor Baselius Thomas I, Catholicos of India, and their
Eminences the Metropolitans; our spiritual children: Very Reverend
Corepiscopoi, Reverend priests, monks, nuns and deacons and the entire blessed
Syriac Orthodox people throughout the world. May the divine providence embrace
them through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and St. Peter,
Chief of the Apostles, and the rest of the Martyrs and Saints. Amen.
«ܐܰܝܢܐ ܕܺܐܝܬ
ܠܶܗ ܦܽܘܡܐ ܘܡܶܠܬܐ ܐܳܦ ܠܶܫܳܢܐ܆ ܚܰܝܳܒ ܢܰܘܕܶܐ ܚܠܳܦ ܒܶܪ̈ܝܳܬܐ ܫܰܬܺܝ̈ܩܳܬܐ»
(ܡܐܡܪܐ 54 – ܥܠ ܬܫܒܘܚܬܐ ܕܥܕܢܐ ܕܪܡܫܐ)
“He
who has a mouth, am intellect and a tongue is indebted to give thanks on behalf
of the silent creatures” (Mimro 54, on the Evening Praise)
Dearly beloved in
Christ,
With these words,
our great saint and teacher Mor Jacob of Serugh clarifies to us the
responsibility of humans for the entire creation, which God entrusted to Adam
not only to have dominion over, but also to care for as its steward.
As we contemplate
the creation and see its beauty and the accord that exists among all creatures;
we glorify God, the Creator, for His grace, for “The heavens are telling the
glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.” (Psalm 19: 1).
When we observe nature, we are amazed by the harmony of the movements of the
stars and planets, and the fine order prevailing among the animals and birds of
all species and kinds. We stand in awe before the majesty of God’s wisdom and
power, for all creatures are subject to the laws of nature which God has
ordained to put the universe in order, because “He established them forever and
ever; he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.” (Psalm 148: 6).
The power of God
is revealed by the establishment of His authority over the whole world. Thus,
His kingdom rules over all the creation, rational and irrational, living and
inanimate (cf. Psalm 103: 19), as St. Paul wrote to the Romans: “Ever since the
creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though
they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made” (Romans
1: 20). We also read the revelation to Job the righteous instructing him to
consider the wondrous works of God and realize the careful attention of God to
all the details of our lives, and understand the miracles that are performed by
the One whose knowledge is perfect (cf. Job 37: 14-16).
Hence, the earth
became a home that God prepared to man and to all creatures. We, humans, live
in this house, according to the image of God, our Creator, reflecting in our
lives, love which is the principal attribute of God. Mor Jacob of Serugh wrote
these beautiful verses depicting the unity of this house:
ܠܰܒܢܰܝ̈ܢܳܫܳܐ ܚܰܕ
ܗ̱ܽܘ ܒܰܝܬܐ ܒܢܳܐ ܒܳܪܘܝܐ܆ ܘܰܚܕܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ ܐܰܪܥܐ ܕܳܐܚܕܐ ܠܟܽܠܗܽܘܢ ܟܰܕ ܣܰܓܺܝ̈ܐܺܝܢ.
ܚܕܳܐ ܥܳܡܰܪܬܐ ܘܰܠܥܶܠ
ܡܶܢܳܗ̇ ܚܰܕ ܬܰܛܠܺܝܠܐ܆ ܘܢܽܘܗܪܐ ܘܣܰܘܩܐ ܕܟܽܠܗܽܘܢ ܚܰܕ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܡܶܢ ܒܳܪܽܘܝܐ.
ܘܟܽܠ ܡܽܘܢ ܕܺܐܝܬ
ܒܶܗ ܒܒܰܝܬܐ ܕܓܰܘܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܡܶܢ ܐܰܠܳܗܐ܆ ܕܚܰܕ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܥܽܘܡܪܐ ܘܚܰܕ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܓܶܢܣܐ ܕܰܡܕܰܝܰܪ ܒܶܗ܀
(ܡܐܡܪܐ ܟܚ – ܥܠ
ܚܢܢܝܐ ܘܒܪܬ ܙܘܓܗ)
Which
is translated as:
One
is the house which the Creator built for all human beings,
And
one is the earth which holds all of them despite being many
One
is the universe, with one roof (the sky),
One
light and one breath from the Creator, has everyone
All
that is in the house is from God:
One
is the house and one are all who dwell in it”
(Mimro
28 – on Ananias and Sapphira)
When
God created man, He bestowed on him dominion over all creatures of the earth,
the air and the sea (cf. Genesis 1: 26). Man then was instructed to till the
earth and keep it (cf. Genesis 2: 15). Man thus was given the responsibility to
take care of God’s creation which was subdued to His rule. To describe the
importance of this responsibility which was handed down to us, we recall Mor
Jacob of Serugh’s verse, which we pray weekly on Sunday Evening. He says:
«ܐܰܝܢܐ ܕܺܐܝܬ ܠܶܗ ܦܽܘܡܐ ܘܡܶܠܬܐ ܐܳܦ ܠܶܫܳܢܐ܆
ܚܰܝܳܒ ܢܰܘܕܶܐ ܚܠܳܦ ܒܶܪ̈ܝܳܬܐ ܫܰܬܺܝ̈ܩܳܬܐ»
(ܡܐܡܪܐ 54 – ܥܠ
ܬܫܒܘܚܬܐ ܕܥܕܢܐ ܕܪܡܫܐ)
“He
who has a mouth, an intellect and a tongue is indebted to give thanks on behalf
of the silent creatures” (Mimro 54, on the Evening Praise)
Therefore,
man is called to take care of nature as a custodian who shall give praise,
glory, and thanksgiving to God for His gifts and His grace.
However,
man was not always faithful concerning this responsibility towards nature. As a
result of his bad choices and misbehavior, “the earth was corrupt in God’s
sight, and the earth was filled with violence” (Genesis 6: 11), there was a
flood. After the flood, God made a covenant with man and all the creatures.
Man’s abuse of nature, therefore, became a cause for many natural disasters and
environmental pollution, which resulted in a great ecological imbalance. Man
has long acted selfishly, neglecting nature and ignoring other species. He even
showed enmity towards his fellow brethren, abusing the authority entrusted to
him by God over nature. Greed has overtaken man who, on individual, group, and
state level, is consuming natural resources to quench his desire to collect material
possessions beyond his needs. This behavior exhibits a clear distrust in the
promise of the Lord Who says: “Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow
nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are
you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6: 26).
Dear
beloved spiritual children,
On
this occasion of the great Lent, we invite you to contemplate with us the
greatness of our Creator and the beauty of nature which He entrusted to us to
care for and benefit from. Let us endeavor to make the earth good soil where
the word of the gospel is planted, a garden where love abounds and a sacred
place where we glorify the name of God our Creator. The great Lent is an
opportunity for us to strengthen our relationship with God, appreciate His
redemptive work for us, and thank Him through our good deeds. Let us combine
our fasting and charity work with more care for the environment and creation.
Let refrain from abusing nature and excessively using in order to contribute to
the elimination of pollution and the restoration of our natural habitat to make
it sustainable for the benefit of future generations. While we prayerfully
contemplate the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic which is still affecting
many people, we ask our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom the wind and all nature
submit (cf. Mark 4: 41), to help us and lead our ship to the harbor of
salvation, so that at the end of this Lent, we may reach the Feast of the
Resurrection and celebrate it with great joy.
Dearly beloved,
May the Lord bless
your fasting and accept your prayers, alms and repentance. May God protect you
all from all kinds of pains, sicknesses and diseases, through the intercession
of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, St. Peter the Chief of the Apostles, and all
the martyrs and saints. ܘܐܒܘܢ ܕܒܫܡܝܐ ܘܫܪܟܐ
Issued
at our Patriarchate in Damascus, Syria
On
the First of March 2022,
Which
is the Eighth Year of our Patriarchate