Maria C. Khoury
“Come ye and receive light from the unwaning Light, and glorify Christ, Who a rose from the dead.”
“Christ is Risen” was proclaimed and celebrated at St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Taybeh following another beautiful and solemn procession of receiving the Holy Fire from the Life-Given Tomb of Christ on this Holy Saturday afternoon in the Holy Land. Since Palestinians are not permitted to freely travel into Jerusalem, our cousin Ibrahim traveled to the city of Ramallah as he has faithfully done every year where the Holy Fire was delivered from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Ibrahim carried the light in a lantern to the entrance of Taybeh where everyone was anxiously waiting to accompany the light to the Orthodox Church in an extraordinary ecumenical procession including all three Christian denominations of Taybeh. Usually the Scouts make the procession very festive but this year the road was creatively opened up by young men riding seven beautiful horses. Thus from the middle of the wilderness and from one of the highest mountain regions in Palestine we proclaim that the Lord has Truly Risen!
In Luke 16:15 we read that Jesus said: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” We witness the truth and received the Holy Fire today so that all who are not blessed to live in the land of Christ’s Holy Resurrection can believe that Christ is the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. (John 1:9)
The miracle of the Holy Fire today is the most glorious and magnificent celebrated events in the Holy Land. The modern day miracle of the Holy Fire continues to happen every year, at the same time, at the same place, at the same location and inspires pilgrims to visit this sacred land to experience and see with their own eyes Christ in our Midst.
Christ is Risen! May your Pascha be blessed and most holy and may all of our brothers and sisters in Christ who celebrated Easter last week receive our wishes late.
Maria C. Khoury was born in the US, but moved to Taybeh (biblical Ephraim) after marrying David Khoury, an Orthodox Christian Palestinian.
