Metropolitan Melki Ürek: “Our Only One Choice Should Be God”
A special liturgy was held at the Syrian Catholic Church of İskenderun, which is being used only a few times a year because of the absence of a priest. Christmas and Christ’s Baptism festivities were celebrated with the participation of local Christians at the liturgy led by the Mgr Griegoriyos Melki Ürek, the Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan of Adiyaman and surrounding cities.
Metropolitan Melki Ürek during his sermon, talked about the meanings of Christmas and Christ’s Baptism. Speaking on ‘Love’, he said: “Jesus was born today. Jesus is borning again every year. Jesus was born for love from the Father and from Mary. He was born to unite the powers of the Heaven with those of the ground. Because we separated and are very distant from each other.
Dear brothers and sisters, today is a day of love, joy and enthusiasm. Love came from above, first He loved us. He reunited the family of the dispersed human race.
The love of God does not keep you away from positive affairs, so it does not keep you from even negative affairs! Even if He keeps you responsible for all of your affairs, He knows the depth of your hearts.
What is love? Love is to choose the admiration of the loved one for other admirations! If we say that God is everything, then He must be our only choice. Desires, troubles and worries will disappear with death, but man lives with the love in God. If we are together with God, the life is nothing but our attention! However, let’s put a finger on the fact that the world is against God, and God is against the world. So, what is love? Real love is to win the pleasure of God we are connected with; and it is to realize that He is superior to all the other beings.
I wish everyone happiness and happy holidays. May the warriors give water to the ground and not their blood; and so, the products of the life may grow up. In this way, happy years can come to our country and to the world.
Later, Melki Ürek, who blessed the Communion, distributed it to the congregation with wishes of peace and love. Metropolitan Ürek met with those who attended the mass at the church garden after the ceremony.
