The Morning Offering

Two Orthodox bishops kidnapped by Muslim Extremists

Ibrahim. (Image frm)

Two Syrian Orthodox bishops have been kidnapped on the outskirts of Aleppo. While both clergymen are believed to be alive, their driver was killed during the attack.

Syriac Orthodox bishop Yohanna Ibrahim and Greek Orthodox Archbishops of Aleppo Paul, who also happens to be the brother of Patriarch John of Antioch and All The East were abducted en route to Aleppo from a town on the Turkish border where they were carrying out “humanitarian work.”

As they neared the city, they were met with an armed group in the village of Kfar who forced them out of the car. The driver, who was also a deacon was killed during the attack.

The bishops are believed to be alive and efforts are ongoing to secure their release, NNA reports.

The Greek Orthodox diocese of Aleppo declined to comment on the incident. The Russian orthodox church has condemned the act.

Earlier, Metropolitan Hilarion, the chairman of the Department of External Church Relations, noted that his close contact with the bishops of the Antiochian Orthodox Church, made him believe that “in those places where the authorities are replaced by the rebel groups, Christianity is being exterminated  to the last man: Christians are expelled, or physically destroyed,” quotes Itar-Tass.

He recalled that “Syria has taken more than two million Iraqi refugees, thousands of whom are Christians.”  But now the Metroplitain says “thousands of militant extremists under the guise of opposition forces unleashed a civil war in this country. Extremist groups armed and trained by means of foreign powers are deliberately killing Christians, ” Metropolitan Hilarion said.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the act but member of the National Coalition, Abdulahad Steifo, told Reuters that the clergy were abducted on the road to Aleppo from the rebel-held Bab al Hawa crossing with Turkey and that “all probabilities are open” as to who could have kidnapped the bishops.

In North America, where Patriarchate of Antioch has about 250 parishes and 400 priests,  Bishop Basil, Secretary of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America has asked for prayers from the followers.

In May 2011, International Christian Concern group suggested that the Christian minority in Syria are more afraid of the opposition forces than of the government, because under the Assad regime there has been tolerance towards religious minorities.

Abductions have become common in Syria as the country is locked in a two-year internal conflict. Ten days ago the home of bishop Paul was attacked by rocket fire.

Syria's 10 percent Christian population is particularly vulnerable to such attacks especially from the opposition groups as they have remained largely neutral or supportive of the government.

Tuesday April 23, 2013 / April 10, 2013
Sixth Week of the Great Lent. Tone five.
Great Lent. By Monastic Charter: Food without Oil
Martyrs Terence, Pompeius, Africanus, Maximus, Zeno, Alexander, Theodore, and 33 others, beheaded at Carthage (250).
New Hieromartyr Flegont priest (1938).
Martyr Demetrius (1942).
Martyrs James, presbyter, and Azadanes and Abdicius, deacons, of Persia (ca. 380).
New Hieromartyr Gregory V, patriarch of Constantinople (1821) (Greek).
Prophetess Huldah (Olda) (II Kings 22:14).
St. Milteades, pope of Rome.
The Holy Martyrs of the Kvabtakhevi Monastery, who suffered during the invasion of Tamerlane (1386) (Georgia).
New Martyr Demos of Smyrna (1763) (Greek).
Nun-martyr Anastasia, abbess of Uglich and 34 nuns with her (1609).
Monk-martyr Chrysanthus of Xenophontos, Mt. Athos (Greek).
Martyrs Beocca, Hethor and others, at Chertsey.
You can read the life of the saint in green, by click on the name.

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With love in Christ,  
Abbot Tryphon

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The Scripture Readings

Genesis 31:3-16

³ Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.”
⁴ So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field, to his flock, ⁵ and said to them, “I see your father’s countenance, that it is not favorable toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me. ⁶ And you know that with all my might I have served your father. ⁷ Yet your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not allow him to hurt me. ⁸ If he said thus: ‘The speckled shall be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore speckled. And if he said thus: ‘The streaked shall be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore streaked. ⁹ So God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me.
¹⁰ “And it happened, at the time when the flocks conceived, that I lifted my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams which leaped upon the flocks were streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted. ¹¹ Then the Angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, ‘Jacob.’ And I said, ‘Here I am.’ ¹² And He said, ‘Lift your eyes now and see, all the rams which leap on the flocks are streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted; for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. ¹³ I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me. Now arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family.’”
¹⁴ Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there still any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? ¹⁵ Are we not considered strangers by him? For he has sold us, and also completely consumed our money. ¹⁶ For all these riches which God has taken from our father are really ours and our children’s; now then, whatever God has said to you, do it.”

Proverbs 21:3-21

³ To do righteousness and justice
Is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

⁴ A haughty look, a proud heart,
And the plowing of the wicked are sin.

⁵ The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty,
But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.

⁶ Getting treasures by a lying tongue
Is the fleeting fantasy of those who seek death.

⁷ The violence of the wicked will destroy them,
Because they refuse to do justice.

⁸ The way of a guilty man is perverse;
But as for the pure, his work is right.

⁹ Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop,
Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.

¹⁰ The soul of the wicked desires evil;
His neighbor finds no favor in his eyes.

¹¹ When the scoffer is punished, the simple is made wise;
But when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.

¹² The righteous God wisely considers the house of the wicked,
Overthrowing the wicked for their wickedness.

¹³ Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor
Will also cry himself and not be heard.

¹⁴ A gift in secret pacifies anger,
And a bribe behind the back, strong wrath.

¹⁵ It is a joy for the just to do justice,
But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.

¹⁶ A man who wanders from the way of understanding
Will rest in the assembly of the dead.

¹⁷ He who loves pleasure will be a poor man;
He who loves wine and oil will not be rich.

¹⁸ The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous,
And the unfaithful for the upright.

¹⁹ Better to dwell in the wilderness,
Than with a contentious and angry woman.

²⁰ There is desirable treasure,
And oil in the dwelling of the wise,
But a foolish man squanders it.

²¹ He who follows righteousness and mercy
Finds life, righteousness, and honor.

 

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