A Man of Obedience

Today, Metropolitan Saba Esper took off for America. He carried with him our love and prayers, and followed the decision of the Antiochian Synod to serve his new Archdiocese. His departure from us is anguish that can only be healed by our knowledge that all the faithful in the expanse of his new ministry, old and young, have joined him with love as a bride joins her bridegroom. This is a man who belongs to God and to His good work. Those in whom the wounds of emigration are still bleeding, are able to apprehend the sacrifices made by Metropolitan Saba in accepting this relocation, about which he did not give other than a single justification, in all his comments that have reached us from him: obedience, obedience to God and to His Church. Is the Church in North America telling us that She, hand in hand with Metropolitan Saba, will experience, more and more, that God alone is worthy of being obeyed? Obedience is due to him who obeys. This is a new start of a good that I hope for, for our entire Church. May God be with you, Sayyedna.