Monthly Reminder


  Dear friend,
       Thanks for being a member of the Malankara Orthodox Renaissance Movement. 
We are a support group of those people who earnestly wish for a renewal in our
church, and together, let us strive to make a renaissance in our church and in
our world.

      You may contact us at  almayavedi@..., and send a message to the
group at MORM@... .You may also post a message directly on the the
site of the group by going to http://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/MORM/.  Feel free
to write to us anything you want to tell us. However, everything you write may
not be posted in the group. We are trying to have a focused discussion and
research of the issues in our church.

       If you have a friend who might like to join us, please encourage and help
him/her to join, or send that person's email address to us, and we will be happy
to send an invitation.

      We are looking for volunteers to do researches on specific topics and
issues related to the church. If you like to participate, please let us know.

Regards,

         Moderators

A Song for Easter to Pentecost Days.
PDF & MP3 Files

Pl. Visit
http://www.malankaraorthodox.tv/


Joice Thottackad
Kottayam, Kerala


      
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Dear friends and brethren,

The March 2008 edition of "Shroro - The Syriac Orthodox Christian
digest" http://www.socdigest.org is now online.

Your dedication to the faith has given birth to Shroro, and your love
and interest has made the tremendous growth in this magazine leading
to its immediate success.

We ask that you pray for us, so that we may better serve
ourcommunity's interests in coming years.

Shroro Editorial Board
http://www.socdigest.org

1. Clergy Transfer in American Diocese:

A Symposium Conducted Online 2001- 2007

PDF Files

2.  Communion, Confession & Absolution

A Symposium Conducted Online

PDF File

Pl. Visit
http://www.malankaraorthodox.tv/

Joice Thottackad
Kottayam, Kerala


      
________________________________________________________________________________\
____
Never miss a thing.  Make Yahoo your home page.
http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs

The Knanaya Association, the supreme decision making body of the
Knanaya Archdiocese of Syriac Orthodox Church in Malankara
http://knanayadiocese.org/, which met on 26 March 2007, Wednesday at
Chingavanam, has elected two auxiliary bishops for the community. Rev.
Kuriakose Kolath vicar of Knanaya Church, Ranni and Rev. Job
Thottathil, vicar of St. Peters & St. Paul Church, UK were elected by
the 317 member body through split votes. Rev. Thottathil received 214
votes. Rev. Kolath received 187 votes. The meeting was chaired by
Archbishop Kuriakose Mor Savarios, head of the Knanaya archdiocese.

SOCM News Bureau - Chingavanam

1. Clergy Transfer in American Diocese:

A Symposium Conducted Online 2001- 2007

PDF Files

2. Communion, Confession & Absolution

A Symposium Conducted Online

PDF File

Pl. Visit
http://www.malankaraorthodox.tv/

Joice Thottackad
Kottayam, Kerala

__________________________________________________________
Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page.
http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs

New Sunday

The first Sunday after Easter, we call it New Sunday, why?

 It is not the beginning of the liturgical year of the Church. That is the Kudosh Etho Sunday falls between October 31st. and November 5th. It is not the dedication day of the Church that is the Hudosh Etho Sunday. .We have the universal New Year, the first of January, having church service on the day, and even the first Sunday of January is not our New Sunday. How, then, the Sunday after Ester Is regarded as New Sunday? What is the newness with it? It is not a great thought, may be a wild guess, but have you ever thought of it?

            We hear in a Sedera on Good Friday of some important accounts of the14th of Medam, the Malayalam month.(Medamasam pathinalam thiyathy…etc) That is the day of the Old Testament Passover- 14th of Nisan or Abib, the first moth of Jewish Sacred Calendar (Ex. 12: 1; Deut. 16: 1). Both Medam and Abib come in the fortnights of March –April. It was on the Passover the Israelites were saved from the killing of the first-born in Egypt and redeemed from slavery and
journeyed to the Promised Land.

It was on the Passover the Savior and Redeemer of mankind offered His sacrifice on the Calvary. So, this is the New Sunday for those who have been saved by the blood of the cross. And we should, therefore, witness the experience of salvation in our life toward our journey to the Lord, is the message of the day.

Yesudasan Nedumoncave,
Detroit

It is truly unfortunate that some of the Orthodox priests are even worse
than the faithful in matters of knowledge about doctrines and fervor of
practising the undefiled faith, let alone the moral integrity. An Orthodox
parish had been torn apart because of the immoral behaviour of its priest.
Not only he had immoral  (sexual) relationship with many, he himself
published it making the situation dangerous, as if he were a hero. The
families are torn apart and the parish with group rivalry even after ten
years of his exit. He divorced and live with another woman and he earns his
livelihood as a taxi driver. Bishop disrobbed him, these are what I heard
from many sources and have no direct knowledge-I have not known him
personally. Another priest was Penticostal in his speech and practices and
as a result many women are inclined to Pentecostal style of prayer. He left
the church and now leading pentecostal life but his legacy lingers still.
There are a few others still living the way of Pentecostal and continuing as
priests, that is easy way to make money. Unfortunately our bishops have no
control of such things and that is our disgrace. We have to examine how we
test the candidates for priesthood and I believe bishops must cause them to
declare their faith as often as needed, KKJohnachen.



Thankyou and God bless you !!

Johnachen

Dear All,

Much water had flown after the January 25 episode. The only notable
difference from 2007 was the organizers or director/s had changed
places and the eventual winners and those who were battered, remained
the same. Though the time of this post may seem untimely, the contents
should remain relevant till the time the pride and prestige of
Malankara Orthodox Church is fully restored spiritually & legally.
Orthodox Church members seem to treat the various incidents or tests –
or reverses – which the Church is going through for the past few years
in almost the same way the mega-serials are watched by the viewers. On
December 5, 2002 we witnessed a real son of the Church literally
shedding his blood while standing to protect the values, integrity and
sovereignty of the Church. Days passed by where the physical and
tearful exit of Malankara Varghese was pushed into oblivion just as
another incident & his sad loss seemed to matter only to his family
members and a few church-members in and around the Northern dioceses
of our Church. On January 25, 2007, we did see an attempt in the name
of `Prarthana-Yajnjam' as projected by media, as the first of many
steps to capture the Thrikkunnathu Seminary. Though our church members
experienced more than what they could feel as irate and disappointed,
the act was `sponsored' by a minister and an MLA against our Church
with the silent consent of the Government. February 13, 2007 saw
events that bruised the heart of the Church yet again, where the
`Secretariat March' by our Church protesting against the January 25
incident turned out to be yet another blow to our pride, prestige and
respectability. Though all channels vied with each other on who would
come topper in giving maximum coverage &`sensation masala' to the
`debut' by the Orthodox church members to the street, any thinking
individual can easily recognize who won outright. Apart from the
channels who tried to tarnish the Church's image adding more masala on
the self-made assault on media persons (though it is a fact that the
church members within the City Church reacted only when the press
persons tried to enter the Holy Madbaha), I feel the bruises from
within the Church, its members and probably its own administration had
hurt the Church than anything else. (Many a posts in ICON and other
discussion groups related to Church were even seen from persons who
rarely voice out their opinion). Though we were made to look a
laughing stock, we did prove indirectly that we played lesser
poli'tricks' compared to what the dissident faction did. That is what
Christian principles, teachings and faith are all about, on which we
should feel solace at. Hence the reverse this year too, is neither a
wound to our pride nor a jolt to our ideology, if we continue to stick
to the Christian approach of handling such situations. As I mentioned
in the beginning of the post, at this juncture we unfortunately remain
as onlookers or mere spectators interested in the sensation created
time to time by the channels, forget it and look for the next
possible, sensationalized story.

To my analysis, rarely or may be less prayers go up along with the
incense for the well-being of the Church or its bright future,
irrespective of whether it is from laymen or anointed ones. It is yet
to be seen whether February 13 or January 25, 2008 will evoke any
positive impact on the progress & direction of our Church, but being
one among the younger generation who aspires the well-being of the
Church, I believe as Mr. Saji Thannikkottu pointed out, that `we
should move forward without tarnishing Christian's image and Orthodox
faith'. It is not an easy task. Day by day, the number of persons who
finds it easier to acknowledge shame on all actions of the Church and
interpret them as against Christian principles, who prefer to be blind
to the pains the Church had undergone and forget the pathways which
she had initiated to bring us all to this level, who proclaim to be
too impartial and think it is right to point fingers at the Church
administration and criticize it whenever it is faulty, are increasing.
Whoever feels that his duty is over when he throw tantrums at his
Church's ineffectiveness rarely remembers that he is more analogous to
the Pharisees who got instant gains before the world. It is good to be
a critic but rarely anyone realizes that there are three fingers
pointed towards his/her self whenever he/she points one to another.
Anyone can satisfy his mind to hide his guilt at being irresponsible
to the Church, by setting ablaze his own abode as one does to his
enemy. But most of us always overlook the fact that the Church did
progress all these centuries by unselfish prayers by a majority who
did so without fail, out of their silent love and dedication for the
Church. They might have no access to express their thoughts as we all
do, and remain behind the curtain with their self-less love and
prayers to the Church. If I quote the words of my late uncle – Late
Fr. T. S. Thomas from Ranni – a Christian loses right and deservedness
to pray for a guilty person each time he criticize another, instead of
trying to correct him with love and care of Jesus, which was
demonstrated in His advice to love even your enemies. It's high time
every Orthodox Christian should stay away from being a critic and
straighten his inner strength already diverted to areas where it is
ought not to go, where it is ought not to be spent. It is a fact that
there are flaws and follies from ourselves as well as Church
administration as a whole, but it is the best time as being in the fag
end of the Holy Lent season to retreat/redirect ourselves and pray
that the Holy Spirit guides us all in the right Christian perspective.
As St. Paul rightly advises Philippians in his letter to them
(Philippians 3: 13, 14), "Brethren, I count not myself to have
apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which
are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I
press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in
Christ Jesus". An Orthodox Christian is bound to leave behind the
happenings of the past, rethink about the shortcomings, and progress
forward with the right assessment and perception to guide the Church
to shores of safety future safeguarded by Holy Spirit. As we are
moving past the blessed 40th day of the Holy Lent and on the eve of
the Palm Sunday, I would like to request all who love the Church to
meditate on the following, in order to guide our Church and the future
generation to a meaningful and blessed future:

Create in the younger generation the love, fondness and warmth towards
our Church. As the German Football Federation's motto "Catch them
young" to groom more youngsters for future, our Church also should
rephrase or rewrite its policies to instill in our younger generation
the confidence and love towards our Church during their childhood.
(Sadly, in the dissident faction, the love to their Church is more and
in ours it is rarely seen, as we can see from the slogan "ammaye
marannalum anthiokyaye…. .I dont mean the faith should turn out to be
of fanatic or extremist nature). Our Sunday School syllabus should be
redone in such a way elucidating the effect of sufferings our Church
fathers had gone through, on the growth of the Church. The love and
allegiance by our ancestors towards the Church should serve as role
models to our bubbling and enthusiastic future generation. It is a
worrying fact that a part of the present elder as well as younger
generations prefer to keep the Church History away, as if it is just
one reason the Church is losing our members. I believe to put my faith
the other way around, as I trust a community cannot survive, exist and
progress forward with total ignorance or acting blind to it's
ancestors…..as it is our duty to pray well from the time when each
child is received by the godfather or mother on behalf of the Church
during the Holy Baptism, and ensure he/she is groomed well in the
right way as the Church desire.
Pray for the Church, it's leaders and for the forthcoming September 11
Malankara Association to instigate a welcome change in the Church,
such that all actions are stimulated by none other than the Holy
Spirit. We Orthodox Christians are infamous for our unappreciative
actions especially to their mother Church after they achieve their
personal aims. Hence it is just one of the most simple gestures
through which we can give something back to our Church by including in
the daily prayers a couple of minutes for leaders who could revamp and
reassess the current tribulations and guide the Church to environs
guided only by Holy Spirit. Let this Holy week be the right time to
keep our Church in our prayers and wish we are all blessed with the
right fruits of Holy Spirit.

Wishing you all a blessed Holy Week.

Ajoy Jacob George,
Makkamkunnu St. Stephens Cathedral, Pathanamthitta,
presently member of St. Gregorios Orthodox Maha Edavaka, Kuwait.

On April twenty the world famous Pentecostal speaker Dr.Reynard Bonke
will be speaking here in Kochi. This is his second visit here in
Kerala. The programmes are hosted by some Pentecostal groups. They
also claim to have support from other Episcopal Churches.

The Sad Part

The sad part is that one of the Orthodox Priests Rev.Dr.M.V.Elias
Pathimattom(not sure whether he belongs to our Church or the Jacobite
Church) is an Executive Committee member of this programme. It is
really pathetic for an Orthodox Priest to be part of some Pentecostal
Convention. The snap of this priest have now appeared in one of their
publications along with the snaps of some Pentecostal Pastors. We
cannot even compare a Pentecostal Pastor and a Priest. How can we say
Our Church members not to take part in such conventions? Even our
Priests are moving in the wrong direction. This kind of act is making
us sick. We might loose all our Holy Orthodox traditions to some
protestant speakers. I can guarantee that more people will move out of
our Church due this foolish act. We cannot blame even some joins the
Roman Church too. The Orthodox Priests must understand their true
value; they must understand that they are unique and quite different
from Roman or some Protestant Priests.

As true lovers of the Church we must not allow Unnecessary Ecumenism
to destroy the Holy Orthodox Faith!!!

Are We Helpless???


Please post your responses

George
Chairman
Orthodoxy Beyond Limits
(An International Online Forum for Orthodox Christian Unity and Faith)

www.theorthodoxchurch.info

Easter message from His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas

BY THE GRACE OF GOD

Ignatius Zakka I Iwas
Patriarch of Antioch and All the East
Supreme Head of the Universal Syrian Orthodox Church

No.E72/08
15-March-2008

Apostolic Benediction to our beloved Metropolitans and our dear
spiritual children: the Reverend Vicars and the Parishioners of all
our churches and congregations in the Arabian Gulf Region.

The Holy Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is at
hand. When describing about the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and
its relation to baptism, the blessed Apostle Saint Paul, in Romans
6:4 says: "….just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of
the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life". When we
received baptism, we died with Christ in our sin, and rose with Him
into a new life. In the 6TH chapter of Romans, the Apostle clearly
explains this new life of a Christian as a new creation in God. In
Colossians 3:9,10 also we read thus: "seeing that you have put off
the old nature with its practices and have put on the new nature,
which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator."
The Apostle summons us to give up the sinful life of our inherent
human nature and as new creation in the image of our God, to walk in
the newness of that new creation. When Jesus Christ resurrected by
defeating death, that gave a new meaning and a new hope to humanity.
Now this life of ours is a life of hope and not of despair or of the
fear of death. In John 12:32, our Lord says: "and I, when I am
lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." So He
attracts all humanity to that new life of hope, where death has no
power over us. When we enter into that newness of life, we have to
be new in every aspect of our life. It is not enough to be new in
our spiritual life alone, but in all our deeds and dealings with our
co-creatures too. To experience true newness means that every part
of our life becomes filled with the Holy Spirit – our deeds, our
words, thoughts, actions, as well as our depth in the spiritual life.

Another aspect of this new life is that, it is a life of happiness
and of light. We are to keep that newness and the radiance of the
new life all through out our lives. We are called to be true lights
of this world. Jesus commanded: "Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who
is in heaven.(Matthew 5:16)" Let us pray to our resurrected Lord, to
renew us everyday day of our life and make us the true witnesses of
Him giving forth light in the darkness of this world. Our beloved
spiritual children, we pray that, may our Lord furnish you all with
the qualities of the new life, so that through each one of you, the
world may see the light of our creator.

We wish you all a Blessed and Happy Easter. We extend our Apostolic
Blessings to you. May the grace of God be with you all. Amen.

Copy of the Apostolic Encyclical is available at
http://www.socmnet.org/Resource/Bull/HHEaster_2008.JPG

** Reproduced with permission from the Patriarchate. The encyclical
has been addressed to each Archdiocese as appropriate.

Posted by
Chev. Thomas Daniel (Reji)
http://www.socmnet.org

MIKHAIL Gorbachev, the last Soviet Communist leader, has acknowledged
his Christian faith for the first time in a surprise visit to the tomb
of St Francis of Assisi.

Accompanied by his daughter Irina, he spent half an hour on his knees
in silent prayer at the tomb. "St Francis is, for me, the alter
Christus, the other Christ," he said. "His story fascinates me and has
played a fundamental role in my life."

http://www.theage. com.au/news/ world/gorbachev- confesses- his-
faith/2008/03/ 20/1205602579530 .html

Dear Moderator,

Please excuse me if the delay of the message.

Yesudasan  

  A thought for Good Friday- II

Seven Words on the Cross (A Good Friday Meditation)

The most appropriate for the continued meditation on Good Friday is the last
words of Christ on the cross. “For the message of the cross is foolishness to
those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God”
(1 Cor. 1: 18)

We like to hear again and again the last words of some one who passed away in a
distant place from us, and we eagerly enquire if they had said some thing about
us. We try to keep up their words as a memorable. Similarly, it is bliss to hear
the last words of our Savior who gave His life for us. Perhaps, any thing in
that may be about us? Let us listen to the cross.

Njaan varunnu Crushunkal sadhu Ksheenan kurudan
Sarvavun Enikechil poorna reksha kaanum njan.
Sharanan en-Karthave vazhthappetta Kunjaade
Thaazmayai kumpidunnu rakshikka Enne ippol

Seven are the words of Christ on the cross. We find them from the four Gospels
as under in the order:
(1) “Father, forgive them, as they do not know what they do”. (Luke 23: 34)
(2) “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise”. (Luke 23:
43)
(3) “Woman, behold your son”; “behold your mother”. (John. 19: 26, 27)
(4) “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” (Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachtani?)
(Matt. 27: 43; Mark 15: 34)
(5) “I thirst” (John.19: 28)
(6) “ It is finished” (John. 19: 30)
(7) “Father, in to Your hands I commend My Spirit” (Luke 23: 46)

These seven words give plentiful thoughts for seven Good Fridays meditation, but
here let us see each of them briefly, and subject them for our personal thoughts
during the rest of the days.

1. Father, forgive them, as they do not know what they do.
The context of this prayer trembles the thoughtful mind. It comes from an
innocent and just person laid down on a wooden cross. His hands and legs nailed
to the cross; lifted up the cross with the body by strong men and lowered in to
a deep pit forcefully to fix it therein. Entire body is shaken to the joints and
to the nerves. Mockers are around Him to abuse and mock Him. Terrible
humiliation and agony is suffered. The prayer reminds us what Jesus taught us:
“love your enemies, bless those who curse you” (Matt. 5: 44)

This prayer has been head from different arena as a paragon of love and
forgiveness in different context. A prayer close to this in the Bible is that of
Stephen in Acts 7: 60, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin”

Jesus prayed for whom? Obviously for those who crucified him, the context
reveals. But, who are all included in it? Are we somehow happened to be included
therein inadvertently? Do not hurry to say no, let us here to the end.

Jesus perceived from Adam through all who born on earth until that time and
those yet to born. None was invisible in His divine perception. His prayer rose
to the presence of the Father for all from Adam, the root cause of His
crucifixion, through the entire world.

The disciples who deserted Him, Jude who betrayed Him, Peter who denied Him, the
soldiers who spat on Him, who struck on His head and crowned Him with thrones;
those who pierced His hands and feet with nails, the rulers and the priests-
Herod, Pilate Annas and Caiaphas - who tried and condemned Him to death and all
those who mocked Him including the criminal on the cross who abused Him and his
friend who got saved; all these were included in His prayer.

Not only for these, His prayer even today goes to the Father for those
unbelievers who are reluctant to come to the foot of the cross on the Calvary
and look up and get saved.

Also He prays today for the name-sake Christians who cannot love their enemies
and love each other too. His prayer is up before the Father for those who
forsake the faith and crucify Him again and again. He prays for those hypocrites
who cannot partake in the sufferings of Christ, the least being the observance
of fast and lent. His painful prayer is up before God for those who do not keep
the lent, yet await with bottles the celebration of braking of the lent.

The underlying aspect of His prayer is that the willful commitment of sin is
unpardonable. That is why Jesus in His ministry told of the Pharisees, “If you
were blind you would have no sin” (John 9: 41) and “If I had not come and spoken
to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin”
(John 15: 22).

2. Today you will be with me in paradise
The second word on the cross is Jesus answer to the prayer of a sinner before
His death on the cross, and the last wish fulfilled of the sinner. The
co-incidence of both is significantly important. We read in Gen.3: 24 that God
drove out Adam from Eden and placed Cherubim with flaming sward to guard it. The
closed Paradise reopened for man on the Calvary was the first presentation to
the one who accepted Christ as savior and died with Him. All the sinners who
repent are entitled for this gift. “Messiah the High Priest open the door of the
Paradise” says Jerome Bible Commentary about this.

The words “today” and “with Me” emphasize the living state of the departed
souls in continued proximity. But, living with God is not the life after death
only; it is to begin while in the world and continued eternally. Let us listen
to Paul:
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives
in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of
God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” Gal. 2: 20)
“For if we live, we live to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are
the Lord’s” (Rom.14: 8)

“Jeevitha Yathrakkara, Kaladikal Engotte,
Naashathin Paadeyo Jeeventhe Maargamo,
Lakshyam Nin Munpilenthe

If it runs on the wrong path: Thalluka Ninte Paapamellaam, Kallameedum
Ninakkenda Nin-ullil Nee”

3. Woman, behold your Son; behold your Mother
These words of Jesus reveal His love and concern towards Mother - the filial
piety. Apart from this, entrusting His Mother and His beloved disciple to each
other conceals in itself something else which the Church interpret and teach
that in place of Eve the woman of Eden, the mother of all, who forfeited the
eternal life, stands here the Mother of all believers who inherit the eternal
life by faith in Christ. And John the beloved disciple represents all the
beloveds of Jesus. This representative character is seen in John in the Last
Supper too: “Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom
Jesus loved” (John 13: 23)

This also negates the argument that Virgin Mary had other sons than Jesus.
Should there have been any, obviously they ought to have taken care of the
Mother, and there was no need for Jesus entrusting her to John.

Addressing the Mother as “woman” is a controversy among the apostates. They ask,
“Why should we call her mother when her own son did not do so?”

But, this was neither denial nor disregard of the Mother. Jesus was only
re-introducing the “woman of Aden” and her “seed that bruise the head of the
Satan” (Gen. 3: 15). Since crucifixion was Jesus’ glorification, He was only
proclaiming and affirming that relation

4. My God My God why have You forsaken Me?
Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, “Not My will but Yours be done”, and committed
Himself to the will of the Father. Then, why He cried on the cross, “Eloi, Eloi,
lama sabuchtani” is a perplexing question. Many explanations have been offered
for this, but, the one acceptable in relation to our faith is that it is not the
cry of disappointment that God the Father had forsaken Him and that His mission
had become futile. The cloud of the sin of man separated the Father and the Son
for a while. Jesus cried while He was being burned in the furnace of
righteousness and love of God. The communion of the Father and the Son cut off
for a while under the shadow of the sin of man. At that crucial moment was the
cry, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabuchtani”- My God My God, why have You forsaken Me?
This cry could be heard in Psalm 22, a prophecy of Jesus’ passion and
sufferings. Psalm 22 is ascribed as the “Psalm of the Cross”. We heard the first
verse from the lips of Christ now. Fulfillments of the prophecies in verses 6 –
18 could be witnessed on the cross. Despise, reproach, mocking and dividing of
His garments etc were foretold by David in spirit.

5. I Thirst
“After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that
scripture might be fulfilled, said, I thirst”

Jesus did not drink or ate anything after He was caught in the previous night.
He had untold physical agony. There are no two opinions why Jesus thirsts. It
was His physical thirst. Thus it is the cry disapproves the antithesis of
Docetism that Jesus was not a real person – His man-hood was not real but, only
“seems to be”.

This cry also was to fulfill the prophecy in Ps. 69: 21. “For My thirst they
gave me vinegar”. He, the fountain of living water who said, “If any one thirst,
let him come to me and drink”, cries now for water to quench His thirst; what a
paradox? Jesus thirst for us to quench our thirst, lest we may not thirst for
the “drop of water from the fingers of Abraham”, as did the rich man in the
parable. He thirsts for us even today

6. It is finished
“So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished” (Joh.19:
30)
Jesus was self declaring His death. No one could kill Him, if it was not the
will of God and His own. The strong iron nails would not have held Him on the
cross, if God did not will. The hands that struck His face, the mouths that spat
on Him, the tongues that mocked Him, all would have withered and crippled if God
did not will all that. “You could have no power against me unless it had been
given you from above” (John 19: 11)

We find the accounting of this finishing with the Father in the Priestly prayer
of Jesus after the Last Supper:
“I have glorified you on the earth. I have finished the work which You have
given me to do. And now, O father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the
glory which I had with You before the world was” (John 17: 4, 5)

Two things are finished, one, the redemption of the world and two, the
glorification of the Son.

7. Father, into Your hands I commend my Spirit
Luke records that Jesus had cried out with a loud voice and then He gave up
His Spirit and breathed His last. It is not the feeble illegible murmuring of a
dieing soul we heard. In full consciousness, legibly uttering the verse
concerning Him from Ps.31:5,
He placed His spirit into the hands of the Father.

It is role model that any one ends his life on this earth should do. The Live
Soul (Spirit) that is given in us by God, we must return it alive to its giver.

Dear faithful, where do we stand now? Let me repeat the question again. Are we
included in Jesus prayer on the cross? I feel, I am; what about you? Every one
has to feel himself.

The Story of how Death was Killed

"I know what to do!" the emperor declared. The heaven was relieved
to hear this statement.

The emperor of the heaven and the earth was seated on the throne of
fire. Legions of angels flew around waiting to obey any command from
his lips.

The emperor had appeared worried about something for a few days. The
entire heaven shared the uneasiness of the emperor. The heaven had
never seen its emperor that troubled about anything. The angels
could guess that there must have been something terribly wrong
somewhere in the empire.

The emperor was concerned about the well-being of the human beings
on the earth. He treated them as his own children. Given the
potential to grow as wise and powerful as the emperor, they had the
freedom to choose their own way of life. This was a privilege even
the angels in heaven couldn't dream of.

It was the presence of a fierce monster on the earth that troubled
the emperor. This huge, ugly monster was called Death. It lived in a
cave somewhere underground, and nobody knew the exact location of
the cave. The monster had the unusual ability to appear anywhere on
the earth and capture human beings. The captured ones were chained
inside his cave.

The heart-breaking cry of the captives reached the throne of the
emperor, which made him think of the most effective way to solve the
problem. Finally a solution surfaced in his mind. And he
declared, "I know what to do!"

The emperor wanted to put an end to the terror of Death and set all
its prisoners free. In order to accomplish this, he descended to the
earth disguised as a human being. Born as a human baby to a poor
village girl, he grew up just like any other human being. When it
was time, the emperor walked straight toward Death to be captured by
him.

While he was walking toward Death, the entire heaven looked down
with apprehension. The Sun, moon, and the stars looked down with
curiosity at their emperor. The earth, the ocean, all the plants,
and animals looked up to see their emperor walking on the earth as a
human being. Ironically, the only beings who could not recognize the
emperor were the human beings although they were the beneficiaries
of all the troubles the emperor was going through.

The emperor of heaven and earth gave himself to suffer and die at
the hands of the human beings. Watching their emperor suffer at the
hands of the ignorant earthlings, the angels of heaven got furious.
They were so mad that they wanted to fly down and burn those
earthlings. But they restrained themselves, for they knew the plan
of their emperor.

Mistaking the emperor to be just another human being, the monster
captured him and threw him into his dungeon. Once inside, the
emperor assumed his own real form. Seeing the emperor of heaven and
earth within his cave, the monster trembled with fear. He made an
attempt to escape, but the emperor didn't let him go.  What followed
was a fierce battle between the emperor and the monster. At the
battle of the giants, the earth quaked violently, and the heaven
thundered. The battle continued until the monster fell dead. A sigh
of relief rose from all the angels and other beings who were
watching the cosmic battle. It was followed by shouts of joy and
victory throughout the empire.

The emperor broke the chains of all the prisoners and freed them.
They all assembled before the emperor, bowed before him, and thanked
him profusely for all the trouble he took to save them.

Once again there was peace and well-being all over the heaven and
the earth.
**********
Read the story in Malayalam here.
http://www.malankaraorthodox.tv/John%20Kunnathu/Death%20of%
20Death.pdf

A thought for Good Friday- I

A meditation for Good Friday
”And when they have come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified
Him and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then
Jesus said, Father forgive them, for the do not know what they do” (Luke 23:
33, 34).

Devesha Yesupara jeevanenikai vedinju
Jeevenatta papikalkku
nithya jeevan koduppanai
Nee marichu

”Lord Jesus, the Lamp of God who takes away the sin of the world and who
became a sacrifice for our sins on a day like this, open our inner eyes and
hearts to behold the Cross of our salvation and to hear the Words thence”.

Today is Dukha Velliazhcha, Good Friday the Great Friday. It is Dukha Velliazha
because of the passion and crucifixion of our Lord. It is Good Friday because
Satan and his legions have been defeated on the Calvary, won over the death and
we have been gifted with the eternal life. It is also learned from the fathers
who know Syriac that the term used in Syriac is to mean the Great Friday. All
these are meaningful. We have a mixture of feeling of these three, but sorrow is
the dominating reflection in us as we commemorate the passion and death of our
Lord. The depth of sorrow may be searched individually inwardly.

Good Friday worship in the churches all over the world is not a symbolic of
crucifixion, or a ritual, or a commemoration of the past incident. It is to turn
the Sacrifice of Christ, two thousand years ago, a living reality to us who live
in this present age. It is with this sense of living reality that we attend and
partake in our worship. Not only on Good Friday, but in all our worship services
we should cherish the sense of reality and submit our body and mind. Otherwise
Christ may implore of us: “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they
do.”  As we say in Holy Qurbana, “With the Lord God are our minds and our
intellect and our hearts”,   it is a time to behold the Christ at the right hand
of God as Stephen perceived. (But I beg the pardon to ask, is it not a mere lips
exercise at least for some of us.).

Three Cross on Calvary: After having kept the Great Lent in devotion, piety and
discipline (or even without), and after observing Hosana and Pesaha, we have now
come to Good Friday worship. Let us now go up to Calvary and get acquainted with
the three crosses and the persons crucified on them. There have been many
crosses raised up on that hill in the past. The name of the hill is Calvary,
means the place of the skull. A tradition associated with the name is that it
was the place of Adam’s skull.

What is the importance of these three crosses, who are crucified on them? On
each, the name of the crucified is inscribed as well as the crime of each. The
two cross on the left and the right are generally believed to be of two thieves.
Luke describes them as criminals. They might not have been mere thieves, as the
Roman law does not crucify a thief. Instead, they might have been criminals of
capital punishment. Who ever they might be, one thing is certain, they are our
former friends, our pals, and our acquaintance. They represent the entire world
that has been perished by sin. The two cross on either side represent the whole
world.

On the cross in the middle hangs a Man oozing His blood. He prays, He blesses
and He gives absolution of sin. The inscription on this cross is significant and
obvious. “JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS”

Who is this Jesus?
”Crushinmel, Crushinmel kaanunna-thaarita
Praananaathan Praananaathan Enperkkai chaakunnu”

(1) This was the Jesus, the Seed of the woman that bruise the head of the
serpent (Gen. 3:15)

.
(2) This was the Jesus, the Son of Abraham, the Son of Isaac and the Son of
Jacob that God promised to the fathers (Gen.22: 18; 26: 5; 28: 14).

(3) This was the Jesus, the “Shiloh” foretold by Jacob while blessing his
son Judah, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from
between his feet, until Shiloh comes” (Gen 49: 10)

(4) This was the Jesus about whom Moses foretold Israel that God would raise
them a Prophet like him. (Deut. 18: 15)

(5) This was the Jesus Isaiah prophesied, “The virgin shall conceive and bear
a Son” (Is.7: 14)

(6) This was the Jesus about Isaiah said, “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace”. (Is. 9: 6)

(7).This was the Jesus about prophet again said, He was wounded for our
transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; and by His stripes we are
healed (Is.53: 5)

(8) This was the Jesus Malachi prophesied “And the Lord whom you seek, will
suddenly come to His temple” (Mal. 3: 1)

(9) This was the Jesus Zechariah foretold “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of
Zion! Behold your king is coming to you” (Zezh.9: 9)

(10) It was at the birth of this Jesus the Angel declared, “I bring you good
tidings of great joy which will be to all people” (Luk.2: 10)

(11) This was the Jesus John the Baptist witnessed “The lamp of God who takes
away the sin of the world” (John.1: 29)

These crosses were the fulfillment of prophecy. It was not the simple
co-incidence that these three crosses were raised together on the same day at
the same place, but the fulfillment of prophecy.

”Because He poured out His soul unto death,
And He was numbered with the transgressors,
And He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors” (Is.53: 12).

Jesus in His life on earth was with the sinners; He was the comforter of the
sinners; He was the redeemer of the sinners and He was the friend of the
sinners. Even at the moment of death, a sinner was given absolution of sin and
promised paradise.

His cross is to reconcile those on earth with those in heaven. (Rom.5: 10)
The bronze serpent raised by Moses in the wilderness was a shadow of Christ’s
cross (Num. 21: 9; John 3: 14)

The ram that rescued Isaac from the altar was the type of this Lamp of God (Gen.
22: 13)

The sacrificial lamp of Passover that saved Israel in Egypt was the portrait of
the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary (Ex. 12: 13)

All the six statutory sacrifices of Israel (Lev. 1- 7) are fulfilled in the
divine sacrifice of. Christ.

What is the cross for us? Jesus’ death on the Calvary was the fulfillment of
prophecy; it was an event of historical significance too. Do we perceive any
thing other than these in the Cross of Jesus?

”Rekshidavine kanka papi,
Ninte perkkalleyo Krussinmel thoongunnu”

Jesus proclaimed in His ministry:

 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the
wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in
Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3: 14, 15).
As the people in the wilderness bitten by the poisonous serpent could survive by
looking on to the brazen serpent that had no bit of poison, a mediator without
sin was necessary to save the mankind that was being perished by sin.

Jesus was sinless. Pilate who trialed Jesus said, “I find no fault in Him at
all” (John. 18: 38).

The centurion stood by the cross said, “Truly this was
the Son of God” (Matt.27: 54; Mark. 15: 39)

.Pilates wife sent word that Hewas a just Man (Matt. 27: 19)

Jesus challenged His enemies to convince Him of His sins.

What we see on the cross? God’s love and His righteousness are
accomplished on the cross. Man who was created in the image and in the likeness
of God lost the Glory of God by sin and became liable for punishment of death.
But, a sinless sacrifice was the righteousness of God to fulfill His love that
all His creation must be saved.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3: 16).

Ithramam snehathe ethranal thalli njan,
Eemaha papathe Daivame orkkalle.
Papathe snehippan Njanini pokumo,
Daivathin paithalai jeevikkum njanini.

God has given this gift of salvation freely to all; absolution of the past sins,
to live without sin the present and to bring all to Him, without falling in the
grip of sin in the future. This is the salvation of the past, of the present and
of the future. The Only way to get this salvation is to believe in the crucified Christ. Psalm 2:
12 say, “Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way.”  Now is
the time for that. Not the next moment, not tomorrow, and not even next Good
Friday.

”Ippozhaakunnu suprasaada kaalam,Ippozhaakunnu raksha divasam.”

We may not get a last moment as the criminal on the cross did. Those two
criminals were the portraits of the sinful world. One could inherit the
salvation of the cross, but the other could not. One repented and confessed his
sins and submitted himself to the Savior on the cross. The other, a witness to
all that was happening, did not care to make use of the opportunity.

”Today if you will hear His voice: Do not harden your hearts” (Ps.95: 8)

Mere attendance of Good Friday Service will not enable us to inherit the
salvation of the cross. Let us lay down the load of our laden sin at the foot of
the cross and return. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit prevail us to keep our
garment, washed in the blood of the Lamp of God, undefiled. Let us submit
ourselves with a firm conviction. Amen.

Shudhikkai nee Yesu sameepe poyo,
Kullicho Kunjattin Rekthathil,
Himampol nishkalankamo nin- anki,
Kullicho, Kunjattil
Almashudhi nalkum rakthathil.

 Yesudasan Nedumoncave

A Thought for Hosanna eve

1. Having completed 41 days of the Great Lent and reached the Hosanna feast, it is a time for us to look back and review the days we have just passed. We have left behind 41 steps that leads us to the climax of the orthodox spirituality. The Words of Life that we have been hearing these days were the descriptions that reveal the different visible aspects of the salvafic work of Jesus Christ. Kothne Sunday through the Saturday of Lazarus, Holy church has set apart a series of seven miracles of Jesus Christ for gospel reading and meditation in Holy Qurbana. Having reflected the message of salvation from those, we have now come to Hosanna eve with the prayer of Hosanna – “Save now” - that is the meaning of the word Hosanna

2. Let us look back the days of lent that we have passed through. How was our lent observance? There have been those who kept the lent from the very first day; there are those who kept from the Mid-Lent; there are those who wait to start the lent, holy and pure, in the Passion week, and yet a large number to observe the lent on Good Friday, to begin and end in one day. I am not trying to castigate or criticize, but only to attempt to point out what is lent and fasting.

3. The two inseparable factors of any lent is prayer and fasting, the only way to defeat Satan. Jesus, who taught that except by prayer and fast these kinds do not go, has shown it by His own prayer and fasting.

4. Where did the lent/fast begin? It is appointed and commanded by God to Adam in Eden. “Of any tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not, for the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Gen. 2: 17)

5. When the covenant of God was given, there was only one fast in the Old Testament; the Day of Atonement, the only statutory fast as per the covenant. It is called there as “Afflicting the soul” –Aalmathapanam cheyyuka – in Malayalam. (Lev. 16: 29, 30)

6. Apart from these, there evolved personal, communal and national fasts in various situations. The exilic and post-exilic Israelites observed annual commemorations of the four dreadful events in chapter 25 of the Second Kings, also the Purim fast of the book of Esther.

7 The post exilic community inquired of God through the prophets and the priests of Jerusalem temple whether to continue or not one of the above four fasts in Zech. 7: 2, 3.

“Should I weep in the fifth month and fast as I have done for so many years?” (Zec.7: 3). Even though it was not a statutory/canonical fast, God did not allow them to stop it, instead He said “The fast of the fourth month; the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh and the tenth shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts” (Zech. 8: 19)

8. It is a question very relevant for our time today. Standing in
the midst of affluence, influenced by personal taste, appetite and interests;
without the proper understanding of the internal meaning of the fasting, many a
believers ask this question and comes to the conclusion in negative. How can one fast now as in the past. There are people to debate and give advice, quoting
some verses out of context, that fasting is not even advised by Jesus Christ.

9. What is fast? Enthanu upavadsum? It has altogether a different meaning in Malayalam than in English. It means living with. In the context of lent, it means, living with God. So our food habits, our behavior, our daily life style, every thing should have some abstinence to suit our company with God. Even the marriages are not allowed in the Orthodox Church.

10. 40^th. Friday of the lent was to remember the end of the40 days fast of Jesus Christ. He rebuked Satan and taught him and the world three things, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God”; “You shall not tempt your God” and “You shall worship the God your Lord and Him only you shall serve”. Are we sure, we have complied with these three during the lent this year?

11. More than we desire to live with God, it is He who longs to live with us:

“Behold I stand at the door and nock. If any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and he with Me.”  (Rev.3: 20)

“If any one loves Me, he will keep My word; And My Father will love him, and  We will come to him and make Our home with him” (John 14: 23)

12. What He says to the rebellious?

 “I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and try him there for the treason which he committed against Me” (Ezek. 17: 20)

“And I will bring you in to the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will plead My case with you face to face” (Ezek. 20: 35)

“Therefore, behold I will allure her, Will bring her in to the wilderness, and speak comfort to her” (Hose. 2: 14)

“Come now and let us reason together, says the Lord” (Is.1: 18)

  Wilderness and Babylon have been the places of trial in the history of Israel.  It was there the God Lord taught them repentance of their past sins and brought them under His feet

13. In our life too, the Lenten period is the time of our trials and purification. Solitude of the wilderness and Babylon is symbolic for us. The time we take for prayer and meditation is the time God wants to speak comfort to us, to plead with us and to reason with us. But, men in this age try to find ways to evade it.

!4. What we have to benefit out of lent and fasting? It is not mere ritualistic accomplishment and satisfaction we have to achieve by observing the lent and fasting. God wants us to be washed of our sins.

“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil.” (Is. 1: 16)
 

“Turn to me with all your heart. With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning” (Joel 2: 12)

15. Fasting, prayer, weeping and mourning all these go together. We cannot agree with those who teach that prayer is sufficient and enough, lent and fasting are not required because the word of God does not agree with that. I shall quote two more verses to substantiate it:

“And this woman was a widow of about eighty four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fasting and prayers night and day” (Luke 2: 37)

“Now on the twenty fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth and with dust on their heads. And they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers” (Neh. 9: 1, 2)

16. It is now Hosanna eve, tomorrow we will lead the great procession with flowers and tender leaves of coconut tree to commemorate the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ to Jerusalem. What does it mean to us today more than a memory?  Yes it means more than a memory to us. Lent also denotes spring and visible sign of spring is the budding of the trees with new leaves and flowers. Our Hosanna worship and celebration with leaves and flowers is the symbol of our renewed spirituality of the Lenten period and we thus pray:

“HOSANNA! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD”.

“SAVE NOW, I BESEACH O LORD! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE

NAME OF THE LORD’ (Ps.118: 25, 26); (Matt. 21: 9; Mark 11: 9; Luke 19: 38; John 12: 13)

Yesudasan Nedumoncave

Philadelphia

“Save now, I pray, O Lord” (Ps.118: 25)

(1) Six Psalms, 113 – 118, are the songs of praise of Tabernacle Feast and Hanukah (Dedication) Feast of the Jews. Psalms can be divided in to several groups according to their contents. One psalm may fall under different groups. Psalms of prophecy, psalms of penetration, psalms of morning praise, psalms of evening praise, psalms of thanks giving and so on; 18 are the groups for the convenience of study and meditation. In this perception, psalm 118, in its initial four verses and the concluding two, is praise and thanks giving. “.O give thanks to the Lord for He is good.” Psalms 105, 106 and 136 are of this group.

(2) There are also psalms in the Bible out side of the Book of Psalms. The first psalm in the Bible is the song of Miriam (Ex. 15: 1-21).  Judges 6; 2 Sam 22; 1 Chro.16: 8-36 and Habakkuk 3 are also psalms.

(3) In the main content, 118 is a psalm of Messianic Prophecy. Other psalms of Messianic Prophecies are 2, 16, 22, 24, 40, 45, 68, 69, 72 and 110. Every Sunday we hear the 15th verse from this psalm in our churches as a prelude to the Old Testament reading

“The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous”

“Neethimanmarude koodarathil.

Jayathinteyum rekshayudeyum shabdamennu

Daveed mukhandaram Parishudha Rooha paadi”

Some times we sing thus:

”Nayavaanmaar gehe jaya ghodha dwani-

yenna-lmavil Davee-damo-dal paadi”

(4) Verses 25 and 26 of this psalm are quoted as the praise of Hosanna in the Gospels.

               “Hosanna! Blessed is He comes in the name of the Lord” (Mark 11:9; John12; 13)

(See also Matt. 21: 9 and Luke 19: 38)

Meaning of the word Hosanna (Greek) is “Save now, we beseech Thee” “Yehove Rekshikkename”. Hosi-ah-na –Hebrew; Hosana -Aramic (Jerome Bible commentary)

It is the prayer of the pilgrims gathered for the feast of Tabernacle and the Feast of Dedication rather than a triumphal acclamation – A prayer for salvation- Save, now, we pray. “Hosanna to the Son of David” (Matt.21: 9) may be erroneous by passage of time. Such mistakes can happen in literature for improper editing etc.

(5) Our procession hymn, we also sing the same, “Oosana Oosana  Daveedalmajnoosana”; meaning, “Hosanna to the Son of David”. But if we sing with understanding, “Daveedalmajan Oosana”, it is meaning full. We have committed another error in our hymn by printing in the second couplet “Vara vahananai”, instead of the correct word “Khara vahananai”.

(6) It was not by intension that the multitude who saw Jesus in their Feast of Hanukah- Dedication sang from Psalm 118.Traditionally they used to do so, but the coincidence was Jesus’ presence in their midst to fulfill the Divine Prophecy of the psalmist, and the prophecy of Zechariah was also fulfilled on that day.

               “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!

               Behold your king is coming to you; He is just and having salvation.

               Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, a foal of a donkey” (Zec.9: 9)

               (7) All these in the psalm seem directly related to our Hosanna meditation, but the three verses preceding, verses 22,23,24 and the one following, are not relatively connected to the rest of the verses and stand apart. Verse 22 and the second half of verse 27 attracts our particular attention.

(8) Verse 22

 “The stone which the builders rejected

 Has come the chief corner stone”

According to Jerome Bible Commentary, the Jews considered that the psalmist says this of himself, but New Testament quotes it as fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Matt.21: 42; Mark 12: 10; Acts 4: 11 and 1 Pet. 2: 5-8 connect to the salvefic and redemptive work of Jesus Christ.

“This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in.” (v.24) Read with verse 15 above and, “Out of the mouth of the babes and infants you have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, that you may silence the enemy and the avenger” Ps.8: 2)

(9) We do not find a literal fulfillment and accomplishment for verse 27 second half. “Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.”

(10) The significant meaning of this half verse in relation to Hosanna is generally not understandable. For that we have to consult the covenant with reference to sacrifice, altar and horns of altar.

(11) Sacrifice:  Levite chapters 1-7 detail the sacrifices. The center of worship of the Jews was the sacrifice and the altar. “A perpetual fire shall burn on the altar, it shall never go out” (Le. 6: 13), was the commandment of God through Moses. Of the sacrifices offered there, the important one was the holocaust (Dahana Yagam). “A male without blemish” was the offering for sacrifice (Lev.1: 3, 10)

Jews regarded the cry “Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar” as “A command given to the community to execute a procession to the horns of the altar” (Jerome Bible Commentary) as good as a sacrifice

But for us, this does not seem meaningful. For us, Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the Calvary was the fulfillment of all the sacrifices and He was the real unblemished male whose shadow was the covenant. “There no longer remains a sacrifice for sin” (Heb. 10: 26) 

.

(The Malayalam version “YAGA PASHU” is evidently erroneous. It should be understood as the sacrifice or the sacrificial animal)

(12) Horns of the Altar: In the Tabernacle and Jerusalem temple, there were two altars, one for the sacrifice and the other for innocence offering. Both had four strong horns each at four corners. The purpose of these is not mentioned, but the priest once in a year should sanctify these hones with blood of the sacrifice. (Ex. 27: 1-8; 38; 1-7; 29: 12;  30: 10; Lev. 4: 7; 8: 15; 9: 9;  16: 18 and Eze. 43: 18- 20). The horns, presumably, were for binding up the sacrifice on the altar; hence the cry in the psalm to bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of altar.

The horns of the altar have been the refuge for the criminals, pending judgment. (Ex.21: 14; 1Ki. 1: 50; 2: 28).

Before starting the temple worship, altar was the central place of the worship where the presence of the Glory of God was visible (Gen.8:20; 12:7; 26: 24-25; Ex.17:15).

Apart from all these, horn is depicted as the symbol of power, authority, majesty, strength and salvation. “The horn of my salvation” (Ps.18:2)

(13) In the Old Testament if the horns of the altar had been the refuge of the culprits and the criminals, in the New Testament the refuge of the sinners is the Holy Cross. Satan has no power to detach a sinner who puts his trust on the Holy Cross; however hardened sinner one might have been. See the descriptions in Zech. 3: 1 and Jude 9.

We have seen the reality of the sacrifice, the altar, and horns of the altar as Jesus Christ and His wholesome sacrifice on the Holy Cross. Our Hosanna procession is meaningfully accomplished only when we reach at the foot of the Cross with the prayer of Hosanna- Save now, I pray, O Lord.

Yesudasan Nedumoncave

Archbishop Faraj Rahho was kidnapped last February 29 by an Islamic
group in Mosul, Iraq. During kidnapping three people who were with him
were killed.

Today Bishop Faraj Rahho was fund murdered outside of Mosul.

Source: EasternStar New Agency

When Light Increases Growth - fast

Sermon delivered by Fr John Brian at Holy Transfiguration Mission Chapel in
Madison, Wisconsin on Sunday March 9, 2008

LISTEN ONLINE:
http://frjohbrian.blogspot.com/2008/03/when-light-increases-growth-fast.html

This sermon speaks to the transformative power of why Orthodox Christians
fast and hold fast to Truth. Using the scriptures: Joel 2:12-13, Isaiah
58:5-14, Colossians 3:1-17 (with reference Exodus 20 and other scripture)

PODCAST OR DOWNLOAD:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/frjohnbrian or
http://frjohnbrian.hipcast.com/rss/spiritual_reflections_or_fr_john_brian.xm
l



+*+*+*+*+*+ Previous Sermons +*+*+*+*+*+

Living Through Death on Both Sides - Sunday March 2, 2008
Fr John Brian at Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Mission in Madison,
Wisconsin.
Based on readings of the Sunday of the Departed as we continue to honor the
memory of our beloved Bishop Thomas Mar Makarios who died February 23, 2008
Eternal memory! - 29 minutes, 50 seconds

LISTEN ONLINE:
http://frjohbrian.blogspot.com/2008/03/living-through-death-on-both-sides.ht
ml

Bishop Among the Departed Clergy - February 24, 2008
Fr John Brian at Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Mission in Madison,
Wisconsin.
Based on readings of the Sunday of Departed Clergy and the memory of our
beloved Bishop Thomas Mar Makarios who died February 23, 2008 - 30 minutes,
45 seconds

LISTEN ONLINE:
http://frjohbrian.blogspot.com/2008/02/bishop-among-departed-clergy.html

PODCAST OR DOWNLOAD SERMONS:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/frjohnbrian or
http://frjohnbrian.hipcast.com/rss/spiritual_reflections_or_fr_john_brian.xm
l



Please pray for our mission efforts.

Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Mission Parish (Maruroopa Palli)
621 N. Sherman Avenue, Suite B3, Madison, Wisconsin
Sundays 9:30 am ~ 608.242-4244
http://maruroopa.blogspot.com/
www.angelfire.com/wi/inroads/transfig.html
o HEALING LIFE o DEEPENING FAITH
o ENRICHING PRACTICE o REFRESHING SPIRIT

When Light Increases Growth - fast

Sermon delivered by Fr John Brian at Holy Transfiguration Mission Chapel in
Madison, Wisconsin on Sunday March 9, 2008

LISTEN ONLINE:
http://frjohbrian.blogspot.com/2008/03/when-light-increases-growth-fast.html

This sermon speaks to the transformative power of why Orthodox Christians
fast and hold fast to Truth. Using the scriptures: Joel 2:12-13, Isaiah
58:5-14, Colossians 3:1-17 (with reference Exodus 20 and other scripture)

PODCAST OR DOWNLOAD:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/frjohnbrian or
http://frjohnbrian.hipcast.com/rss/spiritual_reflections_or_fr_john_brian.xm
l



+*+*+*+*+*+ Previous Sermons +*+*+*+*+*+

Living Through Death on Both Sides - Sunday March 2, 2008
Fr John Brian at Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Mission in Madison,
Wisconsin.
Based on readings of the Sunday of the Departed as we continue to honor the
memory of our beloved Bishop Thomas Mar Makarios who died February 23, 2008
Eternal memory! - 29 minutes, 50 seconds

LISTEN ONLINE:
http://frjohbrian.blogspot.com/2008/03/living-through-death-on-both-sides.ht
ml

Bishop Among the Departed Clergy - February 24, 2008
Fr John Brian at Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Mission in Madison,
Wisconsin.
Based on readings of the Sunday of Departed Clergy and the memory of our
beloved Bishop Thomas Mar Makarios who died February 23, 2008 - 30 minutes,
45 seconds

LISTEN ONLINE:
http://frjohbrian.blogspot.com/2008/02/bishop-among-departed-clergy.html

PODCAST OR DOWNLOAD SERMONS:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/frjohnbrian or
http://frjohnbrian.hipcast.com/rss/spiritual_reflections_or_fr_john_brian.xm
l



Please pray for our mission efforts.

Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Mission Parish (Maruroopa Palli)
621 N. Sherman Avenue, Suite B3, Madison, Wisconsin
Sundays 9:30 am ~ 608.242-4244
http://maruroopa.blogspot.com/
www.angelfire.com/wi/inroads/transfig.html
o HEALING LIFE o DEEPENING FAITH
o ENRICHING PRACTICE o REFRESHING SPIRIT

The link below is for a new Yahoo group for members and friends of the Church of
North
India

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/churchofnorthindia/

Nerum Neriyum

by Joice Thottackad

March 3, 4

Pl. Visit
http://www.malankaraorthodox.tv/

The Work of God should be revealed.

The Gospel reading for Holy Qurbana on the sixth Sunday of the Great Lent is St.
John 9: 1-41, the miracle of healing the born-blind. Jesus and disciples saw a
blind man sitting by the way side and begging harms. The disciples asked Jesus
that the man was born blinded as he or his parents sinned. Jesus replied that
neither the man nor his parents sinned, “but the work of God should be revealed
in him” (9: 3). By saying so Jesus healed the blind man without the usual
intercession or even a request from the blind man. This is the most
controversial and lengthy description of any miracle of Jesus, recorded only in
the fourth gospel.

We are now more curious than the disciples that the poor man was created blinded
to reveal a work of God? Not only in him, but in every one of us also the work
of God should be revealed, especially during and after the Lenten, is the will
of God concerning us?

The very purpose of Jesus healing the born-blind, in His own words, was to
“reveal the work of God in him”. Let us see what the work was revealed in the
blind man. Jesus Christ has once disclosed the will of God concerning man
saying, “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that every one who sees the
Son and believes in Him have everlasting life”( John 6: 40).

The blind man did not know who the Son of God was. He is ready to believe,
should He be pointed out. “Who is He, Lord that I may believe in Him”, he asked.
He sees Jesus with his eyes, he knew Jesus gave him sight, yet he did not know
that He was the Son of God. His inner eyes were blinded until Jesus once told
him that He who was talking to him was the Son of God. At once his inner eyes
were brightened, and seeing Jesus he declared his faith, “Lord I believe” and
worshiped Him. The blind man was given the opportunity to see the Son of God and
declare his faith. This was the work of God revealed in the blind man by giving
him the sight.

Here, Jesus perceives the blind man as the portrait of the entire man kind who
lives in darkness. That is why He said that the works of God should be revealed
in him. Jesus Christ came to give light to the world. He said,. “As long as I am
in the world I am the light of the world.” (9: 5) “That was the true light
which gives light to every man who comes into the world” (John 1: 9).

Literally the blind man believed in the Son of God by seeing Him. But the
Pharisees and the Scribes who claimed seeing could not recognize and accept Him
as Messiah, the Son of God. Whenever He said He was the Messiah, they tried to
stone him (John 8: 59) or pull Him down from the top (Luke 4: 29).
“The god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the
gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” (2
Cor.4: 4).

Finally Jesus reveals the purpose of His coming thus, “”For judgment I have come
to this world that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be
made blind” (9:39). Up on hearing this, the doubt arises in the minds of the
Pharisees that if they are also blind. (9:40) Jesus then clarifies, “If you were
blind, you would have no sign; but now you say, we see. Therefore your sin
remains.” (9: 41).
Elsewhere He told them, “If I had not come and spoke to them, they would have no
sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin” (John 15: 22)

Now let us examine ourselves as to where we stand. Are we among those who see
Christ and reveal the work of God as per His Will? Or are we among the Pharisees
who pretend to see?

We should be the faithful believers who see Christ in spirit and worship Him in
spirit, devoid of the will of flesh and ego. Jesus said, “God is spirit and, and
those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John.4: 24)

St. Paul tells us how he knew Christ. “Therefore, from now on we regard no one
according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh,
yet now we know Him thus no longer.” (2Cor.5: 16)

The Prophet Isaiah depicts how and when he saw the Lord.
“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and
lifted up” (Isa.6: 1). Uzziah died in740-739 B.C., but the year is not the
important criteria here. He was a good king enthroned at the age of 16 and ruled
over Judah for 52 years. But, out of sheer ego he once entered the Sanctuary and
burned incense on the altar (2 Chro.26: 16) that was counted a sin for him. Even
the prophet Isaiah could see the Lord, only when Uzziah died (i.e. his
personified ego and the resultant sin). Are we not some times obstacles for
others to see the face of God by our many ways in the church, in the society and
even in our own homes?

In this age, how can we “see the Son of God” and believe in Him when He is not
physically present? It is possible by our ecclesiastical life, sacramental
living. Our fasts and feasts should be Christian reality in the current world.

Jesus Christ told St. Thomas: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet
have believed”. It is said in the past tense, but there was no body who believed
among the eleven who had not seen the risen Christ. Then, is it not the saying
evidently of us? Let the Great Lent of 2006 prepare our way to see Christ closer
so that we can see us transparently and cry out as Isaiah did:
“Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the king,
The Lord of hosts”

Yesudasan Nedumoncave

Dear friends and brethren,

The February 2008 edition of "Shroro - The Syriac Orthodox Christian
digest" http://www.socdigest.org is now online.

Your dedication to the faith has given birth to Shroro, and your love
and interest has made the tremendous growth in this magazine leading
to its immediate success.

We ask that you pray for us, so that we may better serve ourcommunity's
interests in coming years.

Shroro Editorial Board
http://www.socdigest.org

Dear Mr. Joice Thottackad & all team members of Malankara Orthodox TV

This is just to express a word of appreciation from me for providing
the complete photo coverage of HG Makarios Thirumeni\'s last journey
and funeral services that took place during the last few days.
Please keep up the excemplary service, which no other web sites
(official or unofficial) could manage.
Regards,

Varghese John

Dear Joice
Thank you for uploading the photos on the funeral of Makarios
Thirumeni. We couldn't access official website for the webcast.
Hope all is going well with you.

Regards
Sunu


Hai Achayan,

Thank u. ur presantation of funaral of Mar Makarios . u are number
1, than mosc.in. with prayer,

Brigith Kollam


Hi Joice,

I am sending this message from US. I am frequent visitor to this
site. I would like to congratulate all of you for posting Macariose
Thirumen\'s Funeral photos so detailed and so fast. I feel like I
participated in the funeral service and Nagari Kaanikkal. Good job.
May God bless all of you for doing this wonderful service.

Roy Thomas

Dear Joice and Team,

Hearty congrats and sincere thanks for the marvelous job done with
regard to Makarios Thirumeni's last journey's update

With prayerful regards
Shinu Achen
St.Dionysius Indian Orthodox Church, New Zealand

Dear All

Barakmore / Shlomo

"All the Glory and Praises to HIM only"

St. Mary's Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, Singapore welcome you to
The Holy Qurbono by Rev Fr Kuriakose Kadavumbhagam at St. Gregory
Armenian Orthodox Church, Hill Street on Sundays, Starting from 9th
March 2008.

Morning Prayer: 8:00 AM
Holy Qurbana: 9:00 AM

Location:
St. Gregory Armenian Orthodox Church,
60, Hill Street,
Singapore - 179366

To get there by MRT or Bus:

By MRT:
Take MRT to City Hall / Clarke Quay and walk in direction of Hill
Street.

By Bus: 2, 12, 32, 33, 51, 61, 63, 80, 147, 197 and get down at
Armenian Church Bus Stop.

For more details please contact

Paul +65 96245472
Anoop +65 96314253
George +65 82005811
Benny +65 91521619

In HIS Love
Chev. Thomas Daniel (Reji)
http://www.socmnet.org

Living Through Death on Both Sides

Homiletic and memorial sermon delivered Sunday March 2, 2008 by Fr John
Brian at Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Mission in Madison, Wisconsin.

Based on readings of the Sunday of the Departed as we continue to honor the
memory of our beloved Bishop Thomas Mar Makarios who died February 23, 2008

Eternal memory!

29 minutes, 50 seconds

LISTEN ONLINE:
http://frjohbrian.blogspot.com/2008/03/living-through-death-on-both-sides.ht
ml

PODCAST OR DOWNLOAD:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/frjohnbrian or
http://frjohnbrian.hipcast.com/rss/spiritual_reflections_or_fr_john_brian.xm
l

The Lord assign the soul of our beloved bishop to where the just repose in a
place of light
whence all suffering, sorrow, and sighing have fled away - life everlasting!


Thirumeni pray for us!


+*+*+*+*+*+ Previous Sermons +*+*+*+*+*+

Bishop Among the Departed Clergy - February 24, 2008
Fr John Brian at Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Mission in Madison,
Wisconsin.
Based on readings of the Sunday of Departed Clergy and the memory of our
beloved Bishop Thomas Mar Makarios who died February 23, 2008 - 30 minutes,
45 seconds

LISTEN ONLINE:
http://frjohbrian.blogspot.com/2008/02/bishop-among-departed-clergy.html


Please pray for our mission efforts.

Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Mission Parish (Maruroopa Palli)
621 N. Sherman Avenue, Suite B3, Madison, Wisconsin
Sundays 9:30 am ~ 608.242-4244
http://maruroopa.blogspot.com/
www.angelfire.com/wi/inroads/transfig.html
o HEALING LIFE o DEEPENING FAITH
o ENRICHING PRACTICE o REFRESHING SPIRIT

Dr. Thomas Mar Macarios Last Journey: Photos From
Cochin Air Port.

Pl. Visit
http://www.malankaraorthodox.tv/

Joice Thottackad
Kottayam, Kerala


      
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