كانت لي صديقة نشئنا معا ونحن صغار في نفس العمارة التي نسكن فيها. كانت أمي تقول لي هذه هي آختك التي لم أنجبها لكِ، لأنها ولدتْ في نفس الشهر الذي ولدتُ أنا أيضا فيه. كبرنا معا وذهبنا إلى المدرسة سويا، في كل مراحل التعليم. وكنا نلعب معا فئ مدخل العمارة، بل ونقضى طول الليل سويا في المناسبات كالأعياد وخبيز الكعك وشراء الملابس الجديدة...

My beloved children in the lands of Immigration, both clergy and laity, 

Arabic version 

I send to you my sincere love to each one of you, wishing you a joyous life in the lands of immigration. May the Lord keep you without fault, loving one another with true love, that each you be careful to edify his brother, without offence.

I would like to congratulate you all with the start of the New Year, and the Glorious Feast of Nativity. May it be a blessed and happy year, carrying to you what the birth of the Lord carries from inspirations to the soul and also deep spiritual memories.

“Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfilment of those things which were told to her from the Lord” Lk 1:45

It is amazing how we sometimes in our reading of scripture pass by words and verses which convey themselves with such simplicity of flow and meaning, yet when we spiritually contemplate on those very words and verses we are stopped in our mental tracks. For our hearts and our minds are left gazing at the most amazing wonders ordained by God. In the end we are left praising with King David saying, “The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.” Ps 119:130 and “I have seen the consummation of all perfection, but your commandments are very broad” Ps 119:96.