A missionary tour of faith and hope
“Go and make disciples of all nations” is the command that our Lord Jesus Christ gave us, and today more than ever we must keep this, because in the world many people still do not know Christ and many more fall into the hands of false prophets who lead them away from the truth. However, when we talk about Mission, we must not think that it is a foreign work, but is addressed to all of us. Every Christian is invited to participate in the transmission of Orthodoxy to the world, because we must not think that the message of missionary work is exclusively for priests. All of us from our position must participate in it.
Even greater is the responsibility for the Greeks, because the Gospel is written in their own language, as are the works of the Church Fathers. Now, as for the way in which each one participates in this mission, this depends on the possibilities that each one has. What is not allowed is to be indifferent to those who still do not know Orthodoxy.
Latin America. Until recently, they were exclusively lands unknown to the Orthodox world, just as Orthodoxy was unknown to the natives there, because although there were a few parishes, they were limited to immigrants from Orthodox countries. It is the Great Church of Christ, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, which, as it did with the Slavs, opened the door for the natives so that we too could taste the Bread of life and the Divine Word of Truth, which is our Lord and God-man Jesus Christ.
Our Metropolis is geographically very extensive, therefore it requires extensive pastoral trips from one country to another, and when I speak of trips I mean by air, which means that the life of our Metropolitan is a true adventure that requires a lot of effort and sacrifice, combined with the fact that these are nations that politically suffer regular ideological upheavals and a variety of cultures. Imagine that when our Metropolitan has to visit Colombia, he has to travel four hours by air within his own Metropolis. And within Colombia, once he arrives in the capital Bogota, there are long tours awaiting him, some of which last even for days.
When the Mother Church of Constantinople decided to appoint His Eminence Iakovos as Metropolitan of Mexico, we wondered whether he would be able to endure this course that one must follow in these countries, which differ so much from the Greek environment. However, from the first moment he set foot in his own province, we understood that this was the most correct decision: a young man, spiritually inspiring, a perfect shepherd, full of love, humility and simplicity.
We welcomed him to the city of Bogotá and immediately began the various pastoral and liturgical tasks. Soon, we understood that he has a great calling and vocation from God, but also the charisma to touch people’s hearts with his gaze. We have been impressed to this day that he speaks so well in various languages, but especially Spanish. Besides that, he is capable of experiencing the reality of each people, becoming himself a bridge between rich and poor, old and young and embracing everyone without discrimination.
He made a particular impression on the faithful of the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Bogotá, who are especially young people, children of God who expect a Metropolitan to understand them and support them on the path of Orthodoxy, which they walk, finding every ontological answer for their own lives.
The pastoral tour began after visiting each parish of Bogota performing several sacred services, and we had to make a nine-hour journey to the other city called Pereira, where he met with the local faithful, and the next day we entered the city of Kali. Immediately afterwards, we continued towards Medellin, where we currently have 4 parishes and other missionary communities in various parts of the department of Antioquia. Many people together with the priests welcomed their pastor with love, but the love of the pastor for those people was even greater. The image of the hierarch offered hope, and once again, made a great impression on the people as regards his own spirituality. As an assistant bishop, I would say that his own sermons and the words he told us were extremely good, but his own presence was even better, which, like a magnet, drew you in.
From Medellin we set off for the Atlantic part of Colombia, that is, towards the Caribbean side of our country. We had been traveling by car for two whole days and despite the fatigue and the sacrifice that comes from so many hours of travel, we did not hear him complain. On the contrary: he himself gave us courage, sleeping as the ordinary everyday Colombian sleeps, in simple hotels and in the car.
The parish of Saint Athanasius of Cerete’ in the Cordoba department is known as the “kindergarten” of the Metropolis, because most of them are young children. Holding the Greek flag, they welcomed their father to this place where we are building the church with the help of the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity. The construction works have already been completed, and what is left to be done is the installation of the frames, marbles and church equipment.
Having finished all the work in Cerete’, we had two more days to reach the parish of St. John the Forerunner on the border of Colombia and Venezuela, which we did. Once again, the presence of His Eminence created an excellent and very positive impression on the whole flock. It is from there that we entered the country of Venezuela to visit the faithful. Starting first with the brothers of Colon, who are locals and operate in a rented space. It is there that I understood the charisma of our Metropolitan to become completely poor with the poor, sanctifying every soul with his own simplicity and humility.
Immediately afterwards we went to the various parishes and Greek communities in the city of Caracas, Valencia and San Cristobal. We also visited other Greek communities, such as in the city of El Vigia. It was moving that the Greeks had not seen a Greek Metropolitan visit them for many years. I must mention the fact that the Most Venerable Iakovos in the parish of Saint Nicholas in the city of Valencia, being young in age and at heart, particularly touched and sealed the hearts of the youth of this Greek parish, who even today when I visit them, have something to say about his presence and how he embraced them and brought them close to him.
As you can understand, for me, an indigenous Colombian, it was a special and great blessing to walk next to the Most Venerable Iakovos. Looking at him made me think of the Good Shepherd, who goes to find the scattered sheep, wherever they may be, bringing hope, renewing the faith of the brothers, experiencing the reality of each people and participating dynamically in our culture.
We thank God, the almighty Shepherd and God-man Jesus Christ, the Great Church of Christ of Constantinople as well as His All-Holiness, for giving us a dynamic, humble and simple shepherd, as is needed in our own land today. Since then we have established new parishes, have got new priests, and have acquired a new breath of life in our missionary work. May the Lord God preserve the Most Venerable Iakovos, the priests and the flock of our Metropolis along with its fellow travelers, the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity and all of you.
† Timotheos of Assos
