The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem celebrates the Holy Feast of Abba Gerasimus of the Jordan

This news was shared from the website of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem

From the Secretariat-General of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem

On Monday, March 4th/17th, 2025, the Patriarchate celebrated the memory of Saint Gerasimus of the Jordan at the sacred Monastery dedicated to his name, located in the valley of the Jordan, on its western bank near Jericho.

Saint Gerasimus, having come to the Holy Land from his homeland of Lycia in Asia Minor around the middle of the 5th century, lived in various monasteries in Palestine until he established the Lavra of Kalames in the wilderness of the Jordan. There, he guided thousands of monks in the Orthodox faith as defined by the Fourth Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon, which professes the two natures in the one Person of Christ.

At the solemn feast of the Monastery of Abba Gerasimus, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of Lydda presided over the Vespers service in the evening, and on the feast day itself, the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts was celebrated by His Beatitude Patriarch Kyrios Kyrios Theophilos III, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, and the Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches. He was joined in the service by their Eminences, the Archbishops; Methodios of Tabor and Dimitrios of Lyda, the Holy Sepulchre priests, led by the Exarch of the Holy Tomb in Moscow, Archimandrite Stephanos, and followed by Archimandrites Claudius, Amphilochios, Christodoulos, and Kyriakos, as well as Arab-speaking and Russian-speaking priests, among whom was Fr Issa Mousleh. The Hierodeacons, Simeon, Eulogios, and Dositheos were also present, with the chanting led by the First Cantor of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Deacon Eustathios, and the students of the Patriarchal School of Zion. Many local and pilgrim worshippers, hailing from various regions, attended the services, along with the representative of the Greek General Consulate in Jerusalem, Mr. Athanasios Abu Aeta.

To this devout congregation, His Beatitude preached the divine word as follows:

“Rejoice, O divine offspring of Lycia, Rejoice, O illustrious dweller of the Jordan, Rejoice, O divine ornament of Palestine, Rejoice, O most perfect imitator of the Holy Forerunner, Rejoice, Father Gerasimus,” thus sings the hymnographer of the Church.

Beloved in Christ,
Pious Christians and pilgrims,
The grace of the Holy Spirit has gathered us all here today in the renowned Holy Monastery of our venerable and God-bearing Father Gerasimus by the Jordan River to joyfully commemorate his sacred memory amid the Lenten season, before the Pascha.

“Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.” (Psalm 69:5), says the psalmist. Our Father Gerasimus, from his early youth, was greatly moved by the fear of the Lord and, with fervour, sought the monastic and ascetic life. For this reason, he retreated to the inner wilderness of Thebaid during the reign of the Roman Emperor of the Orthodox, Marcian. Around the year 451 AD, he visited the Holy Land, traveled through the great monasteries of Palestine, where he met the desert fathers, including the holy Sabas, the hermit Kyriakos, and especially the pride of the desert, the great Euthymius…

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This news was originally published on the website of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Please click here to read the full text.