Homily of His Beatitude Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rai at the Concluding Mass of the Symposium Marking the Tenth Anniversary of the Promulgation of the Post Synodal Exhortation:
"Ecclesia in Medio Oriente", Cyprus, Sunday April 23, 2023
Below you can find the Homily of His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, at the concluding Mass of the Symposium marking the tenth Anniversary of the promulgation of the Post Synodal Exhortation: "Ecclesia in Medio Oriente". In Cyprus, On Sunday April 23rd, 2023.
"Stay with us" (Lk 24:29)
Your Beatitudes, the Patriarchs Heads of Churches, Your Excellency Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, Prefect of the Decastary of the Oriental Churches, Brother Bishops, Priests and Religious, dear Brothers and Sisters.
1. The words addressed by the disciples of Emmaus to Jesus, in reality, the stranger who joined them on their way to their village: "stay with us", are like a bridge joining what precedes them and what follows. That encounter between Jesus and the two disciples, could perhaps be likened to a Synod, the first held by Jesus (1), all the elements of a synod could in effect be detected in it: the rapprochement, walking together, listening and the discernment in the light of the Word of God. This came before the invitation addressed to "the stranger": "stay with us, it is nearly evening, and the day is almost over." (Lk 24:29). What comes after for the disciples is the recognition of Jesus "upon the breaking of the bread", the rejuvenating of their forces and the renewal of their commitment to the mission, which is the declaration of the resurrection of Jesus, as the foundation of our Christian faith.
(1) See. Younan Obeid: "Jesus, an Encounter of Love" p.240
2. Today, here in Cyprus, we are closing our "Synod" in which we discussed the Post Synodal Exhortation "Ecclesia in Medio Oriente", ten years after its promulgation by the late Pope Benedictus XVI in Beirut on 14 September, 2012. All of us, Patriarchs, Bishops, Priests, Religious and Lay Faithful, came here from our Apostolic Churches; Alexandria, Antioch, Babel-Iraq, Cilicia and the Latin Church of Jerusalem. We journeyed together, listened to each other, discerned together and clarified our new mission for the present and the future.
We offer this Divine Liturgy, as a thanksgiving Sacrifice to God, who was present among us during the past three days, enlightening us and directing our steps. We beseech him to strengthen us with his grace to carry out the recommendations that we adopted under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
3. In effect, what took place on the road to Emmaus, is but the first Synod held by Jesus on the day of His Resurrection from among the dead, an encounter which includes all the elements of a Synod.
a - Rapprochement and listening
4. Jesus took the initiative, approached the two disciples as they walked "with their faces downcast". He walked along with them, listening to them, empathizing with them, as he always did with everyone he met (see Lk. 24:15-24).
b- Discernment in the light of the Word of God
5. After having briefed Jesus on the motive behind their grief, and how their hopes were dashed, albeit with an inkling of hope remaining, because of an unconfirmed rumor that Jesus had risen. Then Jesus started the process of discernment with them, i.e. the reading of the painful event in the light of the Word of God; he led them back to the sayings of the Prophets and all the Books, until he reached the conclusion that "the Christ should suffer before entering into his glory" (see verses 25-27)…
This Homily was originally published on the Page of the Maronite Patriarchate on Facebook. Please click here to read the full text.