On the occasion of the Feast of the Cross, a divine Liturgy at the Church of the Holy Cross in Damascus

On the occasion of the Feast of the Cross, the Church of the Holy Cross in Damascus held on Sunday evening a great liturgy presided over by Bishop Ephrem Maalouli, the patriarchal representative of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and the rest of the East.He  was assisted by a group of priests.

In his speech, Bishop Maalouli spoke about the sublime meanings of the Feast of the Cross and the journey of Christ’s Passion, calling for inspiration from this journey and taking it as an example to face difficult circumstances and adhere to the values and virtues of giving, sacrifice, patience and  helping others.

Bishop Maalouli pointed out that Christ preached love, humanity, mercy and faith in order to lead a better life in which peace, brotherhood and lasting justice prevail, as well as joy and happiness instead of conflict and dishonorable competition, arrogance and injustice.

The worshipers prayed to God for peace and security to prevail in the pure land of Syria, protect its people, army and leader, and heal the sick, noting the efforts made by the medical and service staffers in light of the spread of the Corona pandemic.

The mass was immediately followed by the burning of the Christmas torch, and  accompanied by the musical band of the Scouts of Cross Church in the yard of the Church of the Holy Cross.

In Homs, the Mar Elias Roman Catholic Church held a mass and scouts paraded on the occasion of the Feast of the Cross in the town of Rabla in Homs governorate.

Father Luke al-Gharbi, the priest of Rabla’s Greek Melkite Catholic parish, indicated in a statement to SANA that the celebration included a mass and a scout parade during which the icon of the feast, the cross, was lit with candles and  circumnavigated  throughout the town, returning to the church square and setting fire.

Al-Gharbi pointed out that the Feast of the Cross carries the highest, holiest and purest meanings and calls for love, cohesion and adherence to the earth.

For his part, Mahran Fayyad, who is in charge of the scouts of Rabla, noted that the scouts toured various parts of the village and included three groups for ceremonies, another for playing, and the third for carrying candles, crosses and the icon.

Inas Abdulkareem