Pat. of Jerusalem: We Must 'Serve and Guard the Holy Places'

JERUSALEM — On August 4, Pat. Theophilos III, accompanied by members of the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulcher, visited the Convent of Saint Mary Magdalene to celebrate its Patron Saint’s Feast.

In his address, His Beatitude praised Saint Mary Magdalene’s unwavering faith, noting her presence during Christ’s ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection.

The Patriarch highlighted the mission of the Patriarchate to guard the Holy Places, which testify to the resurrection, and to foster unity among Christ’s followers, as Saint Mary Magdalene did by rallying the scattered disciples:

Our mission in the Holy Land is to serve and guard the Holy Places, which are the undisputed testimony of the resurrection. And we cannot forget that by spreading the good news of the resurrection, Saint Mary Magdalene fostered a deeper unity among the followers of Christ. Her bold proclamation brought back together the disciples who had been scattered in fear by our Lord’s crucifixion.

Our unity also has its fruits, which is the salvation of all. Our unity guarantees the way and the means of salvation, and, as Saint Paul says to Saint Timothy, it is by a healthy faith that the way of salvation is opened to us. As Saint Mary Magdalene showed us by the rest of her life a a missionary to others, our mission here is not for ourselves alone, but for the sake of the whole world, both Christians and non-Christian. We share a common human life and a common human destiny, and Jerusalem keeps this light of hope, a light that Saint Mary Magdalene also displayed, undimmed.

Addressing the convent’s Mother Abbess and sisters, Patriarch Theophilos prayed for their strength, inspired by their heavenly patron, to continue their sacred mission in the Holy Land.

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