TAYBEH – On Sunday, November 6th, 2022, to mark the end of the olive harvest and as part of the traditions of the diocese, His Beatitude Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, presided over a Mass with the faithful at Christ the Redeemer Church, in Taybeh (Ramallah), and blessed the olives yielded by the land.
In their field, Palestinians gathered under the olive trees. Harvest has several steps: the ripe olives are collected, pressed into oil, and fermented, to be enjoyed throughout the whole year. In this part of the Holy Land, the end of October is known as the olive harvest season.
As part of the Patriarchate’s yearly traditions, the Patriarch thus celebrated with the faithful in Taybeh, and blessed their harvest.
The reading of the Mass was from the Gospel of Luke (20: 27-38), which focuses on the question of the resurrection of the faithful – where Jesus was presented with inquiries and questions regarding the truth of the matter. “He is God, not of the dead, but of the living,” Jesus answered. Responding to the Gospel, His Beatitude stressed in his homily on the importance of viewing the pains endured in this life with faith and hope in the resurrection. “We believers get distracted with the things of the world, forgetting to set our eyes on Heaven,” he said. “Unlike unbelievers, our view of trials and tribulation should be met with hope of the resurrection that awaits us,” he went on to explain. “This is why we, the body of Christ, should remain in communion with Him, allowing His resurrection to be our source of strength, hope and joy,” he added.
After Mass, Mgr Pierbattista, and the celebrating priests gathered with the faithful at the parish for a traditional breakfast made from this year’s products. The meal was followed by a visit to the retirement home of Beit Afram, where the Patriarch and his delegation met the former Patriarch Mgr Michel Sabbah and Mgr Kamal Bathish. During the visit, His Beatitude blessed the shrine of Our Lady that was newly added to the yard, and prayed for the elderly at the center.
By: Miral Atik/ lpj.org
