Metr. Saba Addresses Christ on Church Failings and Humility
Metr. Saba addresses Christ in a prayerful encyclical, seeking guidance for humility and faithful leadership.
ENGLEWOOD, NJ — His Eminence Metr. Saba (Isper) has issued a deeply personal encyclical addressed directly to Christ, reflecting on the failings of the Church and its leaders and seeking guidance for humility, self-discipline, and fidelity to God.
In the encyclical, Metr. Saba acknowledges that the Church on earth is a community of “strugglers seeking holiness,” and he confesses human tendencies toward vainglory, zealotry, and misdirected ambition. He prays to Christ for mercy, protection from harsh discipline, and guidance to discern His will from personal passions.
The Metropolitan draws on Christ’s life, noting His humility, self-sacrifice, and ultimate descent, urging himself and Church leaders to model service rather than self-exaltation. The encyclical emphasizes listening to God, following the narrow path of truth, and ensuring that the Church remains a faithful witness to Christ’s teachings.
The reflection closes:
Grant that we may listen to You more than we speak about You, so that we may rightly discern between Your will and our passions.
My Lord, throughout history You have taught us that You permit both external and internal persecution when we stray from the truth and depart from the straight path.
Do not discipline us harshly, Lord, for we can scarcely endure it.
Preserve among us a remnant that bears witness to You—to the fullness of life You desired for us, and to the joy that Your angels proclaimed when You honored our earth when You visited us.
People are weary of Your Church because of us, O Lord. Forgive us and guide us onto the straight path.
It is You who we desire, Lord. Do not let us become distracted from You by that which belongs to You.
Previously, the UOJ reported that Metr. Saba said the Eucharist reflected unity but did not create it.
