Nhar il-Ħadd 5 ta’ Jannar 2020, l-Arċisqof Charles J. Scicluna attenda għaċ-ċelebrazzjoni tal-Epifanija, organizzata mill-Parroċċa Griega ta’ San Ġorġ tal-Arċidjoċesi Ortodossa tal-Italja u Malta, fix-Xatt ta’ Ta’ Xbiex. Għaċ-ċelebrazzjoni attendew ukoll il-President ta’ Malta George Vella, il-Ministru għall-Affarijiet Barranin Carmelo Abela u l-Ambaxxatur Grieg Dimitrios G. Tsoungas, kif ukoll membri tal-komunità Kristjana Griega u Ortodossa li jgħixu f’Malta.
L-Arkimandrita Nathanael Felesakis mexxa ċ-ċelebrazzjoni liturġika, wara bierek lin-nies u l-ilma, u tefa’ s-salib fl-baħar; waqt li l-President ta’ Malta tajjar ħamiema bajda. Erba’ għawwiema qabżu għas-salib, sakemm ġabru wieħed minnhom u tah lura lill-Arkimandrita. L-għawwiema ngħataw ikona kull wieħed. Iċ-ċerimonja ngħalqet b’diskors mill-Arċisqof.
Il-messaġġ tal-Arċisqof Charles J. Scicluna
Your Excellency, Honourable Minister, your Excellency the Ambassador,
Thank you so much for having us. I would like to exchange a fraternal greeting to the Archimandrite Nathanael, for inviting me to this very beautiful liturgy and the prayer over the waters.
Epiphany reminds us of three important mysteries: the visit of the Magi, the baptism in the Jordan and the wedding at Cana. These are the three mysteries that the great Christian traditions celebrate in the season of Epiphany which we start in these days. And this suggestive liturgy with beautiful prayers that come from the ancient Oriental tradition, help us understand that God is with us. In the Jordan, Jesus the lamb without sin, enters a ritual of purification, carries a human nature with us and rising from the river, blesses the waters and purifies us.
And this is the greeting I would like to extend at the beginning of this New Year, a year that I hope will also mark an important moment in Christian history with the visit of his Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, [Orthodox Archbishop of Constantinople]. I must say that I share and I have an extraordinary memory of the meeting with his holiness the Patriarch in Constantinople, in Istanbul, only a few weeks ago.
I thank also the Archimandrite Nathanael for facilitating this meeting and I hope that this great community with such a history on our islands and also in a few months’ time have a proper church where you can continue with your liturgies.
Blessings in the New Year and let’s work together in the name of the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen
✠ Charles J. Scicluna
Arċisqof ta’ Malta