A Holy Triduum with a Syrian mystic, witnessing the sufferings of Christ

Synthèse :

We were at Orly airport (Paris, France) with our three children on 15 April 1987, on our way to spend the Easter holidays in Aleppo, in the north of Syria, with our family. When we boarded the plane for Frankfurt, we learned that our next flight from Frankfurt to Aleppo would be diverted to Damascus because the runway in Aleppo was unusable. So it was from Frankfurt, in transit, that we informed our friend Father Elias Zahlaoui of this unforeseen event, entrusting him with the task of booking accommodation for us. Father Zahlaoui welcomed us in Damascus and told us: "This year, Catholics and Orthodox are celebrating Easter together. In her message to (the Syrian mystic) Myrna Nazzour on 24 March 1983, Our Lady insisted on the unity of Christians: 'The Church that Jesus adopted is one, because Jesus is one. The Church is the Kingdom of heaven on earth. Those who divide it have sinned. Whoever rejoices in its division sins. When Jesus built it, it was small; when it grew, it divided. He who divides it has no love in him. Be united!'"

At 3pm on Holy Thursday 16th April, we arrived at Myrna's house. We made our way to the door, leading through a narrow corridor into a patio, which was also packed. People were praying, some standing, some kneeling, some sitting. An elderly Muslim made room for my wife, who settled in, hugging our three children.

I entered the room alone where Myrna, lying on her bed, a brown blanket over her, her feet uncovered, moaned weakly, turning her head from right to left. The atmosphere was stifling, flashlights  crackling, video cameras buzzing, and, bent over her, Myrna's husband, her father, two priests and two doctors, transfixed and on the lookout for the slightest word or gesture accompanying the Passion she was obviously experiencing. Father Zahlaoui noticed me and greeted me briefly, then left the room to join my wife and children, and I followed him outside.

Why don't you go in too?" he asked her.
- I'd rather stay with the children, I'm afraid they'll be scared...
- Think about it... It's not up to you to choose. Perhaps you have even been chosen."And he left her there, on the sofa, between a Muslim man deep in prayer and a young woman fanning herself, rosary in hand. She got up and, pushing our two boys and our seven-year-old daughter in front of her, went to the foot of Myrna's bed, next to Father Zahlaoui, at the very moment when, for the second time, the stigmata on the back of her feet and on her forehead opened up again. Father Zahlaoui resumed his place beside Myrna. For more than three hours, he spoke with her in Arabic, recording questions and answers in a file that he handed over to us that evening after the 6pm mass.

Father Elias had written: "I arrived in Soufanieh on Thursday at around 2.25pm. The Nazzour family were having their meal in the patio, near the holy icon. I prayed for a moment in front of the icon and asked where Myrna was. I was told that she was in the room, praying, with Father Maalouli. I came in and found her a little worried [...]. Myrna said, "Father, don't let anyone in, I'd rather be left alone" [...] The three of us were left alone. Myrna got up, repeating "Jesus, Mary..." as she walked. She stopped: "Father, I've got shivers all over my body, is it fear?" I replied: "Myrna, stop saying the word fear and let the Lord do His work!" She took a few steps, looking down, and, running her hands over her face, knelt down in a corner of the room, to the left of the bed, repeating, "Virgin Mary, O Jesus..." Suddenly, she started screaming, putting both hands to her temples: "Take it off, take it off!" I ran in her direction, because she was leaning backwards, as if she was going to lose consciousness: all of a sudden, I saw blood literally spurting out of her forehead. She opened her arms and let them fall back: blood was pouring from the palms of her hands. Father Maalouli and I helped her to lie down on the bed. I immediately ran to the phone to tell friends and doctors [...] and then came back to Myrna's bedside. Apart from the moment when I welcomed Jean-Claude and Geneviève Antakli, I stayed there for the duration of the Passion and the ecstasy, until Myrna came to [...]. From my heart rises an immense thanksgiving to the Lord for having allowed us, Father Maalouli, myself and our friends in France (Jean-Claude and Geneviève Antakli) to witness such an event. I took note of all these events on the spot."

At 5.20pm, Myrna opened her eyes a little, and Father Elias asked her:
"Did you see anything?
- I saw what he did for us.
- Did he tell you anything else?
- No.
- Is the suffering the same as before?
- No, but I'm broken, I've been through the whole Passion... I'm very tired... I can't forget this vision... I'll tell you about it later.
- I'll ask you to write down what you saw.
- I'll write it down. From a distance, I saw him coming down a staircase... carrying a Cross... in red clothes... a crown on his forehead... they climbed a mountain, the Virgin with the other three... there were three women... he was beaten a lot... when they flogged him... Yes... When he was scourged, before he was given the Cross... Someone carried the Cross with Him... A soldier... the vision of a Cross... A word spoken very loudly, as if it were not He who had uttered it: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." ... Three women on the ground, as if kneeling. I didn't hear any noise: it was a silent vision... They gave him something to drink... They pierced him with a spear... He didn't drink... The last thing was his cry: "Father, forgive them...".

Myrna added: "Maybe he's aiming those words at us too, I don't know... When he died, it was raining... A silent spectacle... A single man and three women took him down from the Cross. The world became dark (literally: black) ... women, a soldier ... a man and three women."

Aller plus loin :

Light from the East - Miracles of Our Lady of Soufanieh by Robert J. Fox, Park Press Quality Printing (January 1, 2002)

En savoir plus :

• Memoir Our Lady of Soufanieh Syrian Arab Republic (Messages From Jesus & Mary) and Other Phenomena by Dr. Antoine Mansour; Claire Mansour, 101 Foundation (January 1, 2003)

• See the other articles 1000 raisons de croire, relating to the events at Soufanieh: "Apparitions and message of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Myrna Nazzour" and " Oil exudations from Myrna and the Soufanieh icon".