Η ΕΟΡΤΗ ΤΗΣ ΑΓΙΑΣ ΜΑΡΙΑΣ ΤΗΣ ΜΑΓΔΑΛΗΝΗΣ & ΤΗΣ ΑΓΙΑΣ ΜΑΡΚΕΛΛΗΣ ΤΗΣ ΧΙΟΠΟΛΙΤΙΔΟΣ ΕΙΣ ΤΟ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΕΙΟΝ - Πατριαρχείοv Ιεροσολύμων

Τήν Τετάρτην, 22^αν Ἰουλίου/ 4ην Αὐγούστου 2021, ἑωρτάσθη ὑπό τοῦ Πατριαρχείου ἡ μνήμη τῆς ἁγίας ἐνδόξου Μαρίας τῆς Μαγδαληνῆς, μυροφόρου καί ἰσαποστόλου καί ἡ μνήμη τῆς ἁγίας Μαρκέλλης τῆς Χιοπολίτιδος.

Ἡ μνήμη τῆς ἁγίας Μαρίας τῆς Μαγδαληνῆς, ἡ ὁποία συμφώνως πρός τά Εὐαγγέλια ἐθεραπεύθη ἐκ τῶν δαιμονίων ὑπό του Κυρίου καί ἡ ὁποία ἐθεάσατο Αὐτόν καί ἐκήρυξεν Ἀναστάντα, ἑωρτάσθη εἰς τήν ἐπ’ ὀνόματι αὐτῆς Ἱεράν Γυναικείαν Ρωσικήν Μονήν εἰς Γεθσημανῆν, διά θείας Λειτουργίας, προεξάρχοντος τοῦ Μητροπολίτου Βερολίνου κ. Μάρκου τῆς ROCOR (RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH OUTSIDE RUSSIA), τῆς ὀνομαζομένης πρό τῆς Ἑνώσεως μετά του Πατριαρχείου Μόσχας τῆς “Διασπορᾶς”.

Διαρκούσης τῆς θείας Λειτουργίας, ἐπεσκέφθη τήν Μονήν ὁ Σεβασμιώτατος Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος Κωνσταντίνης κ. Ἀρίσταρχος, συνοδευόμενος ὑπό τοῦ Ἱεροδιακόνου Συμεών, ὁ ὁποῖος καί ἀνέγνωσε χαιρετισμόν τῆς Α.Θ.Μ. τοῦ Πατρός ἡμῶν καί Πατριάρχου Ἱεροσολύμων κ.κ. Θεοφίλου, ὄντος εἰς Ἰορδανίαν, ἔχοντα ὡς ἕπεται:

Greeting to the Community on the feast of Saint Mary Magdalene

Myrrh-bearer and Equal to the Apostles

at the Russian Church of Saint Mary Magdalene in Gethsemane

His Beatitude Theophilos III

Patriarch of Jerusalem

4 August 2021

Dear Archimandrite Roman,

Dear Mother Elizabeth,

Your Eminences,

Dear Fathers,

Beloved Monastics,

Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Today on this blessed and glorious feast of your patron saint, we are reminded of these words:

Praise be to the God of the Christians,

For he has raised up both men and women to serve His Holy Church.

Among the first of them was Mary, born in Magdala,

who walked upon this earth with the blessed Theotokos,

the venerable Apostles, and the pious myrrh-bearing women.

She hath shown us, through her marvellous transformation,

the life-changing power of Christ’s compassion and deliverance.

Let us, therefore, hasten to her and declare:

Rejoice, Mary Magdalene, holy myrrh-bearer and first proclaimer of the Resurrection.

(The Akathist)

The Gospels are eloquent testimony to Saint Mary Magdalene as a preacher of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. She was the first to the tomb on that first Easter morning, and the Good News of the resurrection was spread from her.

We who celebrate her festal memory today with such joy are the Church of the resurrection, and our mission is to be a witness to the resurrection in our own day. This mission is all the more urgent in our present time and circumstance when the pandemic has spread both death and the fear of death all around the world. Here in the Holy City of Jerusalem, it is incumbent upon us to whom the Holy Places have been entrusted by Divine Providence, to remain steadfast in our proclamation of the resurrection. We are to be champions of Christ’s resurrection, holding high, for all to see, the bright torch of the light and hope that come from the Holy Tomb.

We have experienced in our community the sting of death during this pandemic; today’s feast is our consolation, for Saint Magdalene reminds us through her own tears at the empty Tomb, that eternal life triumphs over death. As we read in the Gospel of Saint Mark:

The angel said to them, “Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. Look, see the place where they laid him.

(Mark 16:6)

Today, therefore, let us recommit ourselves to the message of the resurrection as we celebrate this joyous feast, and MAY Saint Mary Magdalene pray for us, that we MAY be faithful to our mission of proclaiming the resurrection.

Thank you”.

Ἡ μνήμη τῆς ἁγίας Μαγδαληνῆς ἑωρτάσθη καί εἰς τόν Ναόν τῆς Ἀναστάσεως τήν νύκτα διά θείας Λειτουργίας, προεξάρχοντος του Σεβασμιωτάτου Ἀρχιεπισκόπου Γεράσων κ. Θεοφάνους τῇ λιτανεύσει τοῦ τιμίου λειψάνου αὐτῆς.

Ἑωρτάσθη ὡσαύτως εἰς Μάγδαλα, πατρίδα αὐτῆς, εἰς το παρά τήν θάλασσαν τῆς Τιβεριάδος παρεκκλήσιον αὐτῆς τοῦ Πατριαρχείου Μόσχας, προεξάρχοντος τοῦ Σεβασμιωτάτου Μητροπολίτου Ναζαρέτ κ. Κυριακοῦ, συλλειτουργοῦντος τοῦ Προϊσταμένου τῆς MISSIA Ἀρχιμανδρίτου π. Ἀλεξίου.

Ἡ μνήμη τῆς ἁγίας Μαρκέλλης ἑωρτάσθη εἰς τό παρεκκλήσιον αὐτῆς ἐντός τοῦ Ἱεροῦ Ναοῦ τοῦ ἁγίου Σπυρίδωνος εἰς τήν Παλαιάν Πόλιν τῆς Ἱερουσαλήμ διά θείας Λειτουργίας ὑπό τοῦ Ἀρχιμανδρίτου π. Μακαρίου, ἡγουμένου τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Ἁγίου Νικοδήμου (τῆς Φακῆς) καί ἐφημερίου τῆς Μεγάλης Παναγίας τῇ φιλοξενίᾳ τοῦ ἡγουμένου Ἀρχιμανδρίτου π. Σεργίου.

Ἐκ τῆς Ἀρχιγραμματείας