Youth - MSOCME

SUPERB QUOTES !!! - Part 1

2010-06-29T17:13:00.000+02:00

Some hidden information contained in famous logos

2010-06-28T16:56:00.001+02:00

Amazon.com

This logo doesn’t seem to hide much at first sight, but it gives you a little insight in the philosophy behind the brand. First of all, the yellow swoosh looks like a smile: Amazon.com want to have the best customer satisfaction. The swoosh also connects the letters a and z, meaning that this store has everything from a to z.

Fedex

This is probably one of the best known logos with a hidden meaning. If you look closely, you’ll see an arrow that’s formed by the letters E and x. This arrow symbolizes speed and precision, two major selling points of this company.

Continental

Continental is a manufacturer of tyres. You could actually see this in their logo, because the first two letters create a 3-dimensional tyre.

Toblerone

Toblerone is a chocolate-company from Bern, Switzerland. Bern is sometimes called ‘The City Of Bears’. They have incorporated this idea in the Toblerone logo, because if you look closely, you’ll see the silhouette of a bear.

Baskin Robins

The old logo of Baskin Robbins had the number 31 with an arc above it. The new logo took this idea to the next level. The pink parts of the BR still form the number 31, a reference to the 31 flavours.

Sony Vaio

Sony Vaio is a well known brand of laptops. But did you know that the name Vaio logo also had a hidden meaning? Well, the first two letters represent the basic analogue signal. The last two letters look like a 1 and 0, representing the digital signal.

Carrefour

Carrefour is one of the biggest European retailers, and it’s also French for “crossroads”. The logo symbolizes this word via two opposite arrows. They also added the first letter of the name, because if you look closely you’ll see the letter C in the negative space between the two arrows.

Unilever

Unilever is one of the biggest producers of food, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products. They produce a huge amount of different products and they wanted to reflect this in their logo. Each part of the logo has a meaning. For example: the heart represents love, care and health - feeling good, a bird is a symbol of freedom. Relief from daily chores – getting more out of life.

Formula 1

At first, this logo might not make much sense. But if you look closely, you’ll see the number 1 in the negative space between the F and the red stripes. I also love how this logo communicates a feeling of speed.

Sun Microsystems

The Sun logo is one of the most famous ambigrams in the world. You can read the brand name in every direction; both horizontally and vertically. This logo was designed by professor Vaughan Pratt of the Stanford University.

NBC

The NBC (National Broadcasting Company) is one of the biggest American television networks. I think most of you have already seen the peacock in this logo. The peacock has 6 different tail feathers, referring to the six divisions at the time that this logo was created. The peacock’s head is flipped to the right to suggest it was looking forward, not back.

Abune Melketsedek verstorben

2010-06-28T10:42:00.001+02:00

Seine Heiligkeit Abune Melketsedek, Erzbischof von Kembata, Hadiya, Gurage und Silte ist letzten Samstag verstorben.

Unter seiner Heiligkeit fand das tausendjährige Mehur Eyesus Kloster zu neuem Glanze. Er liess es ausbauen und um Bildungseinrichtungen erweitern. Zudem reiste er häufig durch Europa, um Spenden für seine unzähligen humanitären und geistlichen Projekte zu sammeln.So kam seine Heiligkeit auch mehrmals in die Schweiz und nahm auch zweimal an der Orthodoxen Vesper zu Ehren der Stadtheiligen Felix, Regula und Exuperantius in Zürich teil.

Unermüdlich setzte er sich für Waisenkinder ein, denen er ein neues Zuhause gab und ihnen eine Schulbildung ermöglichte.

Die Debre Gennet Qiddist Maryam Kirchgemeinde in Opfikon-Glattbrugg wurde von seiner Heiligkeit mehrmals mit einem Besuch beehrt, wodurch über die Jahre eine enge Verbindung zu ihm entstanden ist.

Fotos und Video

Picture of the Week (featured theme: self-determination)

2010-06-28T10:37:00.004+02:00

(Featured theme: Self-determination)

The highest manifestation of life consists in this: that a being governs its own actions. A thing which is always subject to the direction of another is somewhat of a dead thing.

(Thomas Aquinas)

St. Mary's MSOC Vienna conducted their annual Grill(BBQ) and Sports day

2010-06-27T23:49:00.000+02:00

St. Mary's MSOC Vienna conducted their annual Grill(BBQ) and Sports day on the 12th of June 2010.

Click to see photos.

SOC Youth Convention In North America, Canada

2010-06-22T17:26:00.000+02:00

This years Syriac Orthodox youth convention in North America will be in Toronto Canada. The time of this event is 1st of July to 4th of July. The activities for the whole wekeend are among others workshops, seminars, gala party, cruise, a Holy mass and farewell lunch. The theme of this years convention is “You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world…”

May God enlighten our youth to go the right path in their lives.

This is the formal invitation of the convention written by Fr. Stephanos Issa.

To the Syriac Orthodox Youth of North America:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! By God’s grace, it is an honour for me to invite you to join us in the 2010 Syriac Orthodox Youth Convention at St. Barsaumo Church in Toronto, Canada, from July 1 to July 4, 2010. Our Youth Convention Committee and church members have planned a time of spiritual refreshment and enjoyment for you to participate with fellow worshippers from Canada and the United States.

This year’s Convention Theme is found in Matthew 5:13-14, “You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world…” As Christians, we are members of Christ and represent His message and teachings through our lives. As Christ lives within us, His light shines through us and spreads His message to open the eyes of those who do not know Him, for the praise of our Father in Heaven. It is an indescribable blessing to let the Lord work through us and give meaning to our lives and the lives of others.

I am very excited to have you join us and hope to spend time together learning more about the Lord’s desire and giving praise to Him. Among spiritual gatherings and workshops, this will also be a time of fun and laughter together as we have many activities planned for you. I pray that you will have a safe trip in July and that the Lord blesses you always.

Yours truly in Christ,

Very Reverend Father Stephanos Issa

Determination and Persistence

2010-06-22T17:20:00.000+02:00

This is a real life story of engineer John Roebling building the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, USA back in 1870. The bridge was completed in 1883, after 13 years.

In 1883, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However bridge building experts throughout the world thought that this was an impossible feat and told Roebling to forget the idea. It just could not be done. It was not practical. It had never been done before.

Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. He thought about it all the time and he knew deep in his heart that it could be done. He just had to share the dream with someone else. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built.

Working together for the first time, the father and son developed concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With great excitement and inspiration, and the headiness of a wild challenge before them, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge.

The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was also injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to talk or walk.

“We told them so.” “Crazy men and their crazy dreams.” “It’s foolish to chase wild visions.”

Everyone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built.

In spite of his handicap Washington was never discouraged and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge and his mind was still as sharp as ever. He tried to inspire and pass on his enthusiasm to some of his friends, but they were too daunted by the task.

As he lay on his bed in his hospital room, with the sunlight streaming through the windows, a gentle breeze blew the flimsy white curtains apart and he was able to see the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just a moment.

It seemed that there was a message for him not to give up. Suddenly an idea hit him. All he could do was move one finger and he decided to make the best use of it. By moving this, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife.

He touched his wife’s arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again.

For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife’s arm, until the bridge was finally completed. Today the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge stands in all its glory as a tribute to the triumph of one man’s indomitable spirit and his determination not to be defeated by circumstances. It is also a tribute to the engineers and their team work, and to their faith in a man who was considered mad by half the world. It stands too as a tangible monument to the love and devotion of his wife who for 13 long years patiently decoded the messages of her husband and told the engineers what to do.

Perhaps this is one of the best examples of a never-say-die attitude that overcomes a terrible physical handicap and achieves an impossible goal.

Often when we face obstacles in our day-to-day life, our hurdles seem very small in comparison to what many others have to face. The Brooklyn Bridge shows us that dreams that seem impossible can be realised with determination and persistence, no matter what the odds are.

How the poor live

2010-06-22T17:07:00.000+02:00

One day, a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, “How was the trip?”

“It was great, Dad.”

“Did you see how poor people live?” the father asked.

“Oh yeah,” said the son.

“So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?” asked the father.

The son answered, “I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden, and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden, and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard, and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on, and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us; they have friends to protect them.”

The boy’s father was speechless.

Then his son added, “Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are.”

MJSSA Essay Competition for sunday school students

2010-06-22T16:42:00.000+02:00

WCC mission body to revamp ecumenical understanding of mission for the 21st century

2010-06-21T11:42:00.000+02:00

H.G Dr. Mor Coorilos Geevarghese as the moderator represented Universal Syriac Orthodox Church

The World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission on World Mission and Evangelism has launched a process aimed at an overhaul of the ecumenical understanding of Christian mission.

Two key steps in the process will be a mission event scheduled for March 2012 and a new affirmation on mission and evangelism to be submitted to the upcoming WCC 10th Assembly, which is due to take place in Busan, Republic of Korea (South Korea) in 2013.

The WCC Commission on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME) took these decisions at its 7- 10 June meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland, which followed the Edinburgh 2010 conference commemorating the hundredth anniversary of a landmark 1910 World Mission Conference in the same city.

For the WCC, the authoritative missiological text is currently the document Mission and Evangelism - An Ecumenical Affirmation adopted by the WCC central committee in 1982. This landmark document draws on insights from Protestant, Evangelical, Orthodox and Roman Catholic mission theologies. It keeps a fruitful tension between the commitment to the proclamation of the gospel and the prophetic role of the churches.

To read more, please click here

Picture of the Week (Featured theme: Music)

2010-06-21T11:34:00.000+02:00

(Featured theme: Music)

“Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul.”

An interview with His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas

2010-06-18T20:18:00.000+02:00

The Patriarchal Youth Organization, www.melthodhaye.com , has recently published the first and only EXCLUSIVE interview with His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, Patriarch and Supreme head of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch and all the East!

In this unique interview His Holiness reflects upon his life and his journey from childhood all the way to being ordained as Patriarch. H.H also speaks about his role as Patriarch and how a normal day is lived as the shepherd of the Syriac Orthodox Church.

"If I preach, first of all I preach (to) myself, then I preach (to) the people."

"The main thing for us, the clergy, is to fear God, to be in faith and to love one another. To love God, love our Lord Jesus Christ, and love our neighbour. And to serve our church, and to serve anyone that needs our service, in a sacrifice way, not to be selfish. To deny ourself for the benefit of our church and humanity."

'We are proud of Melthodhaye which, in a short time, they took their position in the church as young people, the faithful, and holding (the) doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ. And trying to set themselves (as) a good example to our youth. I want them and pray for them to continue working for the benefit of the church... And I want all our youth to be like them and love the church, God, and their neighbours."

For the full interview please log on to

www.melthodhaye.com

(Sign in required)

Ten commandments on marriage

2010-06-18T19:58:00.000+02:00

Commandment 1
Marriages are made in heaven.
But so are thunder and lightning.

Commandment 2
If you want your wife
to listen and pay strict attention
to every word you say;
talk in your sleep.

Commandment 3
Marriage is grand
-- and divorce is at least 100 grand!

Commandment 4
Married life is very frustrating.
In the first year of marriage,
the man speaks and the woman listens.
In the second year,
the woman speaks and the man listens.
In the third year,
they both speak and the neighbours listen.

Commandment 5
When a man opens
the door of his car for his wife,
you can be sure of one thing:
Either the car is new or the wife is.

Commandment 6
Marriage is
when a man and woman become as one.
The trouble starts
when they try to decide which one.

Commandment 7
Before marriage,
a man will lie awake all night
thinking about something you say.
After marriage,
he will fall asleep before you finish.

Commandment 8
Every man wants a wife
who is beautiful,
understanding,
economical, and
a good cook.
But the law allows only one wife.

Commandment 9
Marriage and love are purely matter of chemistry.
That is why wives treat husbands like toxic waste.

Commandment 10
A man is incomplete until he is married.
After that, he is finished.

എടുക്കെടാ ശംമ്പളം......

2010-06-18T19:48:00.001+02:00

Where is your salary?

Touching Moments of Father with their kids

2010-06-18T19:42:00.001+02:00

Why always Mummy............ Daddy dis time:)

Touching Moments of Father with their kids..

Very cute pictures of fathers with their children. It is something usual to see a mother with her child on a picture, but when you see a father so loving and caring, it is someway even cuter. And sometimes, when they play with their children, they also remind big kids themselves :

HOW A SON THINKS ABOUT HIS FATHER AT DIFFERENT AGES:
At 4 Years
My daddy is great.

At 6 Years
My daddy knows everybody.

At 10 Years
My daddy is good but is short tempered

At 12 Years
My daddy was very nice to me when I was young.

At 14 Years
My daddy is getting fastidious.

At 16 Years
My daddy is not in line with the current times.

At 18 Years
My daddy is becoming increasingly cranky.

At 20 Years
Oh! Its becoming difficult to tolerate daddy. Wonder how Mother puts up
With him.

At 25 Years
Daddy is objecting to everything.

At 30 Years
It's becoming difficult to manage my son. I was so scared of my father
When I was young.

At 40 Years
Daddy brought me up with so much discipline. Even I should do the same.

At 45 Years
I am baffled as to how my daddy brought us up.

At 50 Years
My daddy faced so many hardships to bring us up. I am unable to manage
A Single son.

At 55 Years
My daddy was so far sighted and planned so many things for us. He is
One Of his kind and unique.

At 60 Years
My daddy is great.

Thus, it took 56 years to complete the cycle and come back to the 1st. Stage. Realize the true value of your parents before it’s too late.

Concelebrated Divine Liturgy of the Oriental Orthodox Churches in the U.S.A

2010-06-18T19:22:00.000+02:00

12 June 2010, Teaneck, New Jersey. The Annual Concelebrated Divine Liturgy of the Oriental Orthodox Churches in the USA took place in St. Mark’s Syriac Orthodox Cathedral, Teaneck, New Jersey On June 12th, 2010. The Liturgy was celebrated this year according to the ancient rites of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church, presided by H.E. Archbishop Abuna Zecharias, Primate of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church Archdiocese of North- Eastern U.S.A. Participating in the Divine Liturgy also were the following Hierarchs: His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Orthodox Church in America, His Eminence Archbishop Mor Titus Yeldho of the Malankara Archdiocese of the Syrian Orthodox Church in North America, His Eminence Archbishop Mor Cyril Aphrem Karim of the Syrian Orthodox Church for the Eastern USA. Present also were the Ethiopian Orthodox Archbishop of Trinidad, His Eminence Abuna Thaddaius and the retired Armenian Archbishop, His Eminence Yeghishe Gizirian. His Eminence His Grace Bishop David of the Coptic Orthodox Church was unable to participate due to his travel overseas. The Liturgy was served by several priests and deacons from the sister Oriental Orthodox Churches. A big crowd of parishioners from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church showed up with their choir and their traditional drums.
All the clergy walked in a procession to the church, amid clapping and chanting of the parishioners. Everybody enjoyed their chanting and music, which started them into worship. There was a great joy in the Church, especially after receiving Communion, which spread the feeling of oneness among the congregation. The Liturgy lasted over three hours. It was concluded by some warm thanksgiving words given by Archbishop Karim, in which he thanked His Eminence Zecharias and his clergy for agreeing to conduct the liturgy and for choosing our Cathedral for the celebration assuring them that they are always welcome. His Eminence also thanked the Hierarchs, the clergy and the parishioners for their presence and participation in this year’s Concelebrated Holy Liturgy.
After the conclusion of the celebration of the Holy Eucharist all participants were invited to a delicious Lenten Lunch provided by our sister Ethiopian Church

Annual feast at the St. Mary's Knanaya Church at Lawala, Italy

2010-06-17T20:44:00.001+02:00

Centenary Celebration of Metropolitan Ordination of St. Athanasius Paulose, 'Valiya Thirumeni of Malankara'

2010-06-17T20:12:00.000+02:00

ANGAMALY: Centenary Celebration of Metropolitan Ordination of St. Athanasius Paulose, 'Valiya Thirumeni of Malankara' concluded at Akaparambu Mor Sabor Afroth JSO Cathedral on June 13, Sunday. H.B Catholicose Dr. Baselios Thomas I lead the Holy Penta Mass at the Cathedral. Metropolitans Their Graces Dr. Mor Severios Abraham, Dr. Mor Ivanios Mathews, Dr. Mor Theophilose Kuriakose, Mor Athanasius Elias, Mor Aphrem Mathews, Mor Eusebios Kuriakose, Dr. Mor Clemis Kuriakose & Mor Philaxinos Zacharias assisted. Lots of priests and thousands of faithful attended the function.

The public meeting was inaugurated by H.B Catholicos Dr. Baselios Thomas I. Dr. Mor Severios Abraham presided over the function. Honourable Minister S. Sharma inaugurated the distribution of endowment. Mor Athanasius Elias, UDF convenor Commander P. P Thankachan, K. P Dhanapalan MP, Church Secretry Bar Etho M'hero Thampu George Thukalan, Block Panchayath President K. J Issac & Vicar of Catholic Church Rev Fr. Thomas Pynadath spoke during the occasion. Rev Fr Poulose Arakkaparambil, Vicar of the Cathedral, Rev Fr. Varghese V Areekkal, Jacob Kooren & T.I Elias Thombra coordinated the function.

Annual general body meeting of MJSSA

2010-06-17T20:08:00.000+02:00

PUTHENCURIZ: The annual general body meeting of MJSSA held at Puthencuriz on 12th of June. President of MJSSA & Metropolitan of Simhasana churches H.G Mor Dioscorus Kuriakose presided over the meeting. Catholicos H.B Baselios Thomas I delivered the keynote address. Students who scored high marks in the exams from class VI to X are awarded with prizes. Sunday school teachers who have completed 50 years in their service were also felicitated.

Never give up!

2010-06-17T19:49:00.000+02:00

One day I decided to quit…I quit my job, my relationship, my Spirituality… I wanted to quit my life.I went to the woods to have one last talk with God. God, I said. Can you give me one good reason not to quit His answer surprised me…Look around, He said. Do you see the fern and the bamboo
Yes, I replied.When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them.

I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth.

Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed.

But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed.
But I did not quit on the bamboo.

He said.

In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit. In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. I would not quit. He said.

Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant…But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had spent the five years growing roots.

Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle. He said to me.

Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots

I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you.

Don’t compare yourself to others. He said. The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful.

Your time will come, God said to me. You will rise high

How high should I rise I asked.

How high will the bamboo rise He asked in return.
As high as it can I questioned

Yes. He said, Give me glory by rising as high as you can.

I left the forest and bring back this story. I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you.

He will never give up on you!

A LOVELY MAIL FROM JESUS!

2010-05-31T15:08:00.001+02:00

If you never felt pain, then how would you know that I am a Healer?

If you never had to pray, How would you know that I am a Deliverer?

If you never had a trial, How could you call yourself an overcomer?

If you never felt sadness, How would you know that I am a Comforter?

If you never made a mistake, How would you know that I am a forgiver?

If you knew all, How would you know that I will answer your questions?

If you never were in trouble, How would you know that I will come to your rescue

If you never were broken, Then how would you know that I can make you whole?

If you never had a problem,How would you know that I can solve them?

If you never went through the fire, Then how would you become pure?

If I gave you all things, How would you appreciate them?

If I never corrected you, How would you know that I love you?

If you had all power, Then how would you learn to depend on me?

If your life was perfect, Then what would you need me for?

If you never had any suffering, Then how would you know what I went through?

Love,
Jesus

Picture of the week (Featured theme: Caged Beauty)

2010-05-30T15:45:00.000+02:00

Picture of the week

(Featured theme: Caged Beauty)

THERE I FIXED IT (AGAIN) …Hats off to All those Engineers…

2010-05-29T15:02:00.000+02:00

Seniors and Juniors!

2010-05-28T14:50:00.001+02:00

Seniors and Juniors

ഈ വാര്‍ത്ത തെറ്റോ ശരിയോ എന്തെങ്കിലും ആകട്ടെ.!

2010-05-26T23:09:00.003+02:00

ഇന്ത്യക്കാരാ ,മലയാളീ .....എവിടെയും നിയമം പാലിക്കാന്‍ ശ്രമിക്കൂ .

സ്വയം നിയമത്തെ അനുസരിക്കുക .
നിയമത്തെയും സുരക്ഷാ നിര്‍ദ്ദേശ ങ്ങളെയും പുല്ലുപോലെ അവഗണിച്ചു കൊണ്ടു വിമാനത്തിനകത്ത്‌ പെരുമാറുന്നവരെ നമ്മള്‍ ഒന്ന് പരുഷമായി നോക്കുകയെങ്കിലും ചെയ്യണം .

അല്ലെങ്കില്‍ തന്നെ , നിയമ വിരുദ്ദമായ പെരു മാറ്റത്തെ ചോദ്യം ചെയ്യാനും നമുക്ക് അവകാശം ഉണ്ട് മൊബൈല്‍ ഫോണ്‍ ഓഫ്‌ ആക്കാതെ ജാഡ കാണിക്കുന്നവനെ ചെവിക്കു പിടിച്ച് പുറത്തു കളയേണ്ടത് മറ്റു യാത്രക്കാരുടെ സുരക്ഷക്ക് ആവശ്യം ആണെന്ന ബോധം ഓരോ യാത്രക്കാരനും ഉണ്ടാകണം

Incense Found To Be Psychoactive

2010-05-25T13:04:00.000+02:00

Biologists from Johns Hopkins University and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem have discovered that burning frankincense (resin from the Boswellia plant) activates poorly understood ion channels in the brain that alleviate anxiety and depression, suggesting that an entirely new class of medicinal drugs might be right under our noses.

Reporting their findings in The FASEB Journal, the researchers said that the active compound - incensole acetate - significantly affected areas in the brain known to be involved in emotions as well as in nerve circuits that are affected by currently prescribed anxiety and depression drugs.

"In spite of information stemming from ancient texts, constituents of Boswellia had not been investigated for psychoactivity," said researcher Raphael Mechoulam. "We found that incensole acetate, a Boswellia resin constituent, when tested in mice lowers anxiety and causes antidepressive-like behavior. Apparently, most present day worshipers assume that incense burning has only a symbolic meaning."

To make their discovery, the researchers administered incensole
acetate to mice and found that the compound activated a protein called TRPV3, which is present in mammalian brains and also known to play a role in the perception of warmth of the skin. When mice bred without this protein were exposed to incensole acetate, the compound had no effect on their brains.

"Perhaps Marx wasn't too wrong when he called religion the opium of the people: morphine comes from poppies, cannabinoids from marijuana, and LSD from mushrooms; each of these has been used in one or another religious ceremony." said Gerald Weissmann, Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. "The discovery of how incensole acetate, purified from frankincense, works on specific targets in the brain should also help us understand diseases of the nervous system. This study also provides
a biological explanation for millennia-old spiritual practices that have persisted across time, distance, culture, language, and religion - burning incense really does make you feel warm and tingly all over!"
source: http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/20080420185436data_trunc_sys.shtml

2nd European Knanaya Jacobite Sangamam at Manchester

2010-05-24T20:01:00.000+02:00

MANCHESTER: 2nd European Knanaya Jacobite Sangamam will be held at Knai Thomman Nagar (St. George Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Knanaya Church) here at Manchester on May 29, 30. Rev. Fr. Dr. Thomas Jacob Manimala will hoist the flag on May 29, Saturday at 2.30 PM. Archbishop H.E Ayoob Mor Silwanos will preside over the public meeting which will be held following the Holy Qurbono. Archbishop H.E Kuriakose Mor Severios will inaugurate the meet.

SOCM News Bureau - Europe

Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Youth Association All India Camp

2010-05-23T23:56:00.000+02:00

PERUMBAVOOR: Annual youth association camp concluded here at Thuruthiply St. Mary's JSO Church.

Camp started with the registration of the youth association members from different parts of India. Close to 600 members got registered. H.G Mor Irenios Paulose ( Kozhikode, Australia & New Zealand diocese & President of Youth Association) hoisted the flag which marked the official beginning of the camp. H.G Mor Irenios Paulose, H.G Mor Osthatheos Ishaq (Mylapore Diocese) & H. G Mor Barnabas Geevarghese lead the evening prayer held inside the church.

H.B Catholicos Dr. Baselios Thomas I inaugurated the camp during a public function held after the evening prayer. H.G Mor Gregorios Joseph (Kochi Diocese & Holy Synod secretary in India), H.G Dr. Mor Ivanios Mathews (Kandanad diocese), H.G Mor Osthatheos Ishaq, H.G Mor Barnabas Geevarghese (Spiritual organizations in India) blessed the occasion with their speeches. Mor Irenios presided over the meeting. Facilitation speeches were delivered by Church Vicar Rev Fr. Behnan Pathiyarath Parambil, Chevalier T.T Joy, K.J Reji & M.S Benny. Youth Association General Secretary Biju K Tampy delivered the vote of thanks. All the previous general Secretaries of the Youth Association was honoured during the meeting. Dinner break was followed by the ice breaking / introduction of camp members & Theme presentation by Mor Irenios.

Second day of the camp began with Morning prayer followed by Holy Mass. Main attractions of the second day was the retreat by H.G Dr. Mor Clemis Kuriakose, Study session by H.G Mor Osthatheos on Syriac Orthodox Heritage, Session by H.B Catholicos Dr. Baselios Thomas I & Leadership Skills training by Dr. JFP Siju Thottapilly. Second day
concluded with group discussion and the cultural program.

The camp concluded on 23rd May with camp members attending Holy Mass & Pentecosty service which was lead by H.G Mor Irenios Paulose. The main attraction of the camp was that The President of the Youth Association H.G Mor Irenios Paulose was present from beginning to end of the camp.

Manish, member of St. Gregorios JSO Church, Madiwala, Bangalore selected as the best camper.

View Photos http://picasaweb.google.com/editor.msv/JSCYAAnnualCamp2010#

Picture of the week (Featured theme: Silence)

2010-05-23T23:37:00.000+02:00

Picture of the week

(Featured theme: Silence)

A photo with a great meaning!

2010-05-21T23:01:00.000+02:00

Annual Holy Episcopal Synod at Patriarchal Centre, Puthencuriz

2010-05-19T17:57:00.000+02:00

PUTHENCURIZ: The Annual Holy Episcopal Synod and Retreat of Metropolitans of Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Church will conclude today, May 19, Wednesday at Patriarchal Centre here. His Beatitude Catholicos Baselios Thomas I is presiding over. The Holy Episcopal Synod started on May 17, Monday. Metropolitans Their Graces Mor Gregorios Joseph (Synod Secretary, Kochi Diocese), Dr. Mor Ivanios Mathews (Kandanad), Mor Athanasius Geevarghese (Simhasana Churches), Mor Dioscorus Kuriakose (Simhasana Churches), Dr. Mor Theophilose Kuriakose (Resident Metropolitan, MSOTS, Central Europe), Dr. Mor Coorilos Geevarghese (Niranam, UK), Mor Eusebios Kuriakose (Thrissur, Mumbai), Mor Aphrem Mathews (Ankamali - High Range), Mor Theodosius Mathews (Kollam), Mor Osthatheos Pathrose (Chairman, Liturgical Commission), Mor Athanasius Elias (Assistant to Catholicos, Working President, Viswasa Samrakshana Samithy), Mor Gregorios Kuriakose (Metropolitan Knanaya Arch Diocese, Kallisserry - Malabar Region), Mor Chrisostomos Markose (EAE), Mor Irenios Paulose (Kozhikode, Australia), Mor Anthonios Ya'qub (Honnavar Mission), Mor Philoxenos Zacharias (Malabar), Mor Osthatheos Ishaq (Mylapore, Delhi) and Mor Barnabas Geevarghese (Spiritual Organizations) attended the Synod on Tuesday.

The Positive Side of Life

2010-05-18T12:52:00.000+02:00

Living on Earth is expensive, but it does include a free trip around the sun every year.

How long a minute is depends on what side of the bathroom door you're on.

Birthdays are good for you; the more you have, the longer you live.

Happiness comes through doors you didn't even know you left open.

Ever notice that the people who are late are often much jollier than the people who have to wait for them?

Most of us go to our grave with our music still inside of us.

You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.

Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened.

We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors....but they all exist very nicely in the same box.

A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Have an awesome day, and know that someone who thinks you're great has thought about you today!

Life is About Correcting Mistakes!

2010-05-17T22:44:00.001+02:00

THIS IS ESPECIALLY FOR COUPLES BUT EVEN SINGLES CAN LEARN A THING OR TWO FROM IT. ENJOY!

Jocelyn married William this day. At the end of the wedding party, Jocelyn's mother gave her a newly opened bank saving passbook. With $1000 deposit amount.

Mother: 'Jocelyn, take this passbook. Keep it as a record of your marriage life. When there's something happy and memorable happened in your new life, put some money in. Write down what it's about next to the line. The more memorable the event is, the more money you can put in. I've done the first one for you today. Do the others with William. When you look back after years, you can know how much happiness you've had.'

Jocelyn shared this with William when getting home. They both thought it was a great idea and were anxious to know when the second deposit can be made.

This was what they did after certain time:

- 7 Feb: $100, first birthday celebration for William after marriage
- 1 Mar: $300, salary raise for Jocelyn
- 20 Mar: $200, vacation trip to Bali
- 15 Apr: $2000, Jocelyn got pregnant
- 1 Jun: $1000, William got promoted

.... And so on...

However, after years, they started fighting and arguing for trivial things. They didn't talk much. They regretted that they had married the most nasty people in the world.... No more love...Kind of typical nowadays, huh?

One day Jocelyn talked to her Mother: 'Mom, we can't stand it anymore. We agree to divorce. I can't imagine how I decided to marry this guy!!!'

Mother: 'Sure, girl, that's no big deal. Just do whatever you want if you really can't stand it. But before that, do one thing first. Remember the saving passbook I gave you on your wedding day? Take out all money and spend it first. You shouldn't keep any record of such a poor marriage.'

Jocelyn thought it was true. So she went to the bank, waiting at the queue and planning to cancel the account. While she was waiting, she took a look at the passbook record. She looked, and looked, and looked. Then the memory of all the previous joy and happiness just came up her mind. Her eyes were then filled with tears. She left and went home. When she was home, she handed the passbook to William, asked him to spend the money before getting divorce.

The next day, William gave the passbook back to Jocelyn. She found a new deposit of $5000. And a line next to the record: 'This is the day I notice how much I've loved you thru out all these years. How much happiness you've brought me.'

They hugged and cried, putting the passbook back to the safe. Do you know how much money they had saved when they retired? I did not ask. I believe the money did not matter any more after they had gone thru all the good years in their life.

"When you fall, don't see the place where you fell, instead see the place from where you slipped. Life is about correcting mistakes."

Picture of the week (Featured theme: Scavenging)

2010-05-16T14:33:00.000+02:00

Picture of the week

Featured theme: Scavenging

Mera Bharat Mahaan !!!

2010-05-13T19:12:00.002+02:00

Mera Bharat Mahaan !!!

We live in a nation ,

where Pizza reaches home faster than Ambulance/police/fire force,
Where you get car loan @ 5% and education loan @ 12%,
Where rice is Rs 40/- per kg but sim card is free,
Where a millionaire can buy a cricket team instead of donating the money to any charity,
Where the footwear, we wear ,are sold in AC showrooms, but vegetables, that we eat, are sold on the footpath,
Where everybody wants to be famous but nobody wants to follow the path to be famous,
Where we make lemon juices with artificial flavours and dish wash liquids with real lemon.

...and the list goes on...Incredible India,* * Mera Bharat Mahaan.*

His Holiness Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas visits H. H. Pope Shenouda III of the See of Alexandria

2010-05-13T15:28:00.000+02:00

Cairo, Egypt: His Holiness Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas visited His Holiness Pope Shenouda III of Coptic Orthodox Church at Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate on May 05, Wednesday. His Holiness is on a visit to the Coptic Orthodox Church, a sister church of Holy Syriac Orthodox Church, which continues till May 07.

Secretary to the Holy Episcopal Synod and Archbishop of Lebanon, Mor Theophilose George Saliba, Patriarchal Vicar for Beirut Mor Clemis Daniel and Patriarchal Assistant Mor Philoxenos Mathias Nayis accompanying His Holiness.

For more details and photos: http://www.socmnet.org/News_HHscopticvisitMay10_2010.htm

HOW TO STAY MARRIED FOR 50 YEARS

2010-05-13T15:23:00.000+02:00

At a Catholic Church, men were having their weekly Husbands'-Marriage - Seminar.

During session, the priest asked Giuseppe, who was approaching his 50th wedding anniversary, to take a few minutes and share some insight into how he had managed to stay married to the same woman all these years.

Giuseppe replied to the assembled husbands, 'Well, I've tried to treat her nice, spend money on her, but best of all, I took her to Italy for the 5th Anniversary!

The priest responded, 'Giuseppe, you are an amazing inspiration to all the husbands here!

Please tell us what you are planning for your wife for your 50th Wedding Anniversary ?

Giuseppe proudly replied, “Well, I'm planning to get her back from Italy to see how it goes!”

Mothers' Day celebration at St. Mary's MSOC, Vienna

2010-05-12T16:38:00.002+02:00

As it was in last year, Mother’s Day celebration was organized by St. Mary’s MSO Youth Association of the St. Mary’s Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church, Vienna on Sunday, the 9^th of May 2010 at St. Mary’s MSO Church, Vienna. After the prayer and introduction of Rev. Fr. Biju Parekkattil, President of the Youth Association, Mr. Soja Jose Chelapurathu, Vice President of the Youth Association, welcomed the audience and then Mr.Yacob Padickakudy gave a profound Mother’s day Message. He stated that Mother’s Day is the one day a year dedicated to honoring moms and all that they do and explained its origin and development in different parts of the world. Then Master Sam Padickakudy read a Mother’s day poem and youth Association members distributed candle holders with candle and greeting cards to the children to present it to their mother. This warmed the hearts the mothers as well as the children and provided others a memorable experience.

Mrs. Leelamma Poomkottayil thanked the Vicar, Inaugurator, the Youth Association and all those concerned for creating such a programme to honor Mothers and motherhood and wished the endeavor every success.

Florence Nightingale: founder of modern nursing.

2010-05-12T15:39:00.001+02:00

FLORENCE Nightingale is remembered as 'The Lady With The Lamp,' a nursing saint who brought comfort and hope to thousands of wounded British soldiers in the Crimea. But her influence on British medicine goes much deeper than that.

Taking her Christian name from the Italian city in which she was born in 1820, Florence was the daughter of William Edward Nightingale. she trained as a nurse. first at Kaiserswerth in Prussia in 1851, and later in Paris. She took over as superintendent of a London women's hospital in 1853.
The Crimean War began that same year and within 12 months, disturbing reports were reaching Britain of the suffering caused to the wounded by lack of care and supplies. Florence volunteered to take a party of 38 nurses to the battle zone, setting up her headquarters at Scutari.

There she organised the barracks hospital, introducing badly-needed sanitary measures which massively reduced the hospital's mortality rate after the Battle of Inkerman on November 5th.
Grateful soldiers dubbed her 'The Lady With The Lamp' because of her nightly rounds of the wards.
However, not everything about Florence was sweetness and light. She had blatantly racialist reasons for refusing to work with a black Jamaican nurse called Mary Seacole, who also volunteered for the Crimea and did an exceptional job nursing soldiers at the front line.
By the time she returned to England in 1856, Florence Nightingale had become a national heroine and the public raised the then enormous sum of £50,000 to help her found a nurses' training institute at St Thomas's Hospital and King's College Hospital.

When the Indian Mutiny broke out in 1857 Nightingale offered to leave for India immediately if there was anything she could do. Her services were not required but she became interested in the sanitary condition of the army and people there. From her work, a Sanitary Department was established in the Indian government. She became familiar with many facets of Indian life and demanded that there should be improvements in health and sanitation there. She did not visit India.She wrote papers on the causes of famine, the need of irrigation and the poverty of the people of India. In 1890 she contributed a paper on village sanitation in India. Her book, Notes on Nursing first appeared in 1860 and was reprinted many times during in her lifetime.

She devoted the rest of her life to improving public health and standards of hospital care, taking nursing out of the dark ages and turning it into a skilled and honorable profession.
She wrote several books on the subject, her main one, Notes on Nursing (1859), running to many editions. She died in 1910, but in the century since then, her attitudes, motivation and politics have been frequently called into question by historians. The Nightingale Pledge taken by new nurses was named in her honour, and the annual International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world every May 12, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth.

International Nurses' Day - 12th of May

2010-05-12T08:34:00.001+02:00

International Nurses' Day is celebrated around the world every May 12, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth.

With best compliments - Youth-MSOCME

Story about Two friends........

2010-05-10T14:20:00.000+02:00

A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE.

They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone: TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE.
The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?" The other friend replied "When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it."

LEARN TO WRITE YOUR HURTS IN THE SAND AND TO CARVE YOUR BENEFITS IN STONE.

They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them.

Happy Mothers' Day!

2010-05-09T06:13:00.001+02:00

Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever.

Youth-MSOCEME celebrates mothers' day on 09 May 2010

Picture of the week (Featured theme: Mother)

2010-05-09T00:23:00.000+02:00

Picture of the week

Featured theme: Mother

Classic Exercises On Lateral Thinking

2010-05-07T10:08:00.002+02:00

Questions

1. There is a man who lives on the top floor of a very tall building. Everyday he gets the elevator down to the ground floor to leave the building to go to work. Upon returning from work though, he can only travel half way up in the lift and has to walk the rest of the way unless it's raining! Why?

   This is probably the best known and most celebrated of all lateral thinking puzzles. It is a true classic. Although there are many possible solutions which fit the initial conditions, only the canonical answer is truly satisfying.
   2. A man and his son are in a car accident. The father dies on the scene, but the child is rushed to the hospital. When he arrives the surgeon says, "I can't operate on this boy, he is my son!" How can this be?

   3. A man is wearing black. Black shoes, socks, trousers, coat, gloves and ski mask. He is walking down a back street with all the street lamps off. A black car is coming towards him with its light off but somehow manages to stop in time. How did the driver see the man?

   4. One day Kerry celebrated her birthday. Two days later her older twin brother, Terry, celebrated his birthday. How?

   5.. Why is it better to have round manhole covers than square ones? This is logical rather than lateral, but it is a good puzzle that can be solved by lateral thinking techniques. It is supposedly used by a very well-known software company as an interview question for prospective employees.

   6. A man went to a party and drank some of the punch. He then left early. Everyone else at the party who drank the punch subsequently died of poisoning. Why did the man not die?

   7. A man died and went to Heaven. There were thousands of other people there. They were all naked and all looked as they did at the age of 21. He looked around to see if there was anyone he recognized. He saw a couple and he knew immediately that they were Adam and Eve. How did he know?

   8. A woman had two sons who were born on the same hour of the same day of the same year. But they were not twins. How could this be so?

   9. A man walks into a bar and asks the barman for a glass of water. The barman pulls out a gun and points it at the man. The man says 'Thank you' and walks out. This puzzle claims to be the best of the genre. It is simple in its statement, absolutely baffling and yet with a completely satisfying solution. Most people struggle very hard to solve this one yet they like the answer when they hear it or have the satisfaction of figuring it out.

   10. A murderer is condemned to death. He has to choose between three rooms. The first is full of raging fires, the second is full of assassins with loaded guns, and the third is full of lions that haven't eaten in 3 years. Which room is safest for him?

   11. A woman shoots her husband. Then she holds him under water for over 5 minutes. Finally, she hangs him. But 5 minutes later they both go out together and enjoy a wonderful dinner together. How can this be?

   12. There are two plastic jugs filled with water. How could you put all of this water into a barrel, without using the jugs or any dividers, and still tell which water came from which jug?

   13. What is black when you buy it, red when you use it, and gray when you throw it away?

   14. Can you name three consecutive days without using the words Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday? (or day names in any other language)

   15. This is an unusual paragraph. I'm curious how quickly you can find out what is so unusual about it. It looks so plain you would think nothing was wrong with it. In fact, nothing is wrong with it! It is unusual though. Study it, and think about it, but you still may not find anything odd. But if you work at it a bit, you might find out.

Solutions
   1. The man is very, very short and can only reach halfway up the elevator buttons. However, if it is raining then he will have his umbrella with him and can press the higher buttons with it.

   2. The surgeon was his mother.

   3. It was day time.

   4. At the time she went into labor, the mother of the twins was traveling by ship. The older twin, Terry, was born first early on March 1st. The ship then crossed a time zone and Kerry, the younger twin, was born on February the 28th. Therefore, the younger twin celebrates her birthday two days before her older brother.

   5. A square manhole cover can be turned and dropped down the diagonal of the manhole. A round manhole cannot be dropped down the manhole. So for safety and practicality, all manhole covers should be round.

   6. The poison in the punch came from the ice cubes. When the man drank the punch, the ice was fully frozen. Gradually it melted, poisoning the punch.

   7. He recognized Adam and Eve as the only people without navels. Because they were not born of women, they had never had umbilical cords and therefore they never had navels. This one seems perfectly logical but it can sometimes spark fierce theological arguments. (Just what a HUMOR list needs!!) ;^)

   8. They were two of a set of triplets (or quadruplets, etc.). This puzzle stumps many people. They try outlandish solutions involving test-tube babies or surrogate mothers. Why does the brain search for complex solutions when there is a much simpler one available?

   9.. The man had hiccups. The barman recognized this from his speech and drew the gun in order to give him a shock. It worked and cured the hiccups--so the man no longer needed the water. The is a simple puzzle to state but a difficult one to solve. It is a perfect example of a seemingly irrational and incongruous situation having a simple and complete explanation. Amazingly this classic puzzle seems to work in different cultures and languages.

   10. The third. Lions that haven't eaten in three years are dead.

   11. The woman was a photographer. She shot a picture of her husband, developed it, and hung it up to dry.

   12. Freeze them first. Take them out of the jugs and put the ice in the barrel. You will be able to tell which water came from which jug.

   13. The answer is Charcoal.

   14.. Sure you can: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow!

   15. The letter "e," which is the most common letter in the English language, does not appear once in the long paragraph...

Alternate Solutions
   4. Because one of them did not necessarily celebrate their birthday on the day they were born, but celebrated later or earlier. Much simpler than having Mom giving birth while crossing the International Date Line and tossing in a Leap Year and the like. Needlessly complicated.

   6. Because he was the one who put the poison in the punch. Of course he wouldn't drink any *after* he poisoned it. Who goes to the effort of making poison ice cubes, except Bond villains and those bad guys in the "Encyclopedia Brown" mystery stories we read in elementary school?
   8. Because they were adopted. It's a coincidence they were born on the same exact day. OK, so Occam's Razor could be applied equally to both solutions...

President Obama Proclaims National Day of Prayer

2010-05-04T10:18:00.000+02:00

President Obama has issued a proclamation declaring this Thursday as National Day of Prayer.
In his proclamation, he states that prayer has long been an important part of U.S. history. The nation upholds as fundamental principles the exercise of religion and freedom of conscience, he said. Thus Americans have long considered it “fitting and proper” to publicly observe the importance of prayer on May 6.
“On this day, let us give thanks for the many blessings God has bestowed upon our Nation,” said Obama in the proclamation. “Let us rejoice for the blessing of freedom both to believe and to live our beliefs, and for the many other freedoms and opportunities that bring us together as one Nation.”
The National Day of Prayer was officially created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the U.S. Congress, and signed into law by President Harry Truman. Since 1952, every president has signed a National Day of Prayer proclamation.

To read more about this News, please click here

Chattayum Mundum-- Traditional Syrian Christian dress

2010-05-04T09:42:00.001+02:00

MANARCAD, KOTTAYAM: The annual general meeting of Morth Mariyam Samajam, Kottayam Diocese was one of its kind. All the participants were in traditional Syrian Christian dress. Around 500 members participated in the meeting held at Morth Mariyam JSO Cathedral here. Metropolitan of Kozhikode, Australia & New Zealand Dioceses, Mor Irenios Paulose inaugurated the conference. Very Rev. Kuriakose Cor Episcopa Kizhakkedath presided over.

Where have you been?

2010-05-04T09:27:00.001+02:00

Sometimes women are overly suspicious of their husbands. When Adam stayed out very late for a few nights, Eve became upset. "You're running around with other women," she charged.

"You're being unreasonable," Adam responded. "You're the only woman on earth." The quarrel continued until Adam fell asleep, only to be awakened by someone poking him in the chest.

It was Eve. "What do you think you're doing?" Adam demanded.

"Counting your ribs," said Eve.

Picture of the week (Featured Theme: Anguish )

2010-05-02T22:51:00.002+02:00

Picture of the week

Featured Theme: Anguish

Noah's Ark remains 'discovered'

2010-05-01T22:31:00.000+02:00

Despite the notable lack of significant evidence, the media and the blogosphere are abuzz over the cries of a team of Chinese and Turkish explorers who claim that the wooden structure they found on Mount Ararat in Eastern Turkey is none other than Noah’s Ark.
Experts in history, archaeology, and bibliology, meanwhile, are making note of the claim but not taking the bait.
They say they’ve heard the cries before and will need a lot more than the confirmation of 4,800-year-old wood to take the claims seriously.
“Periodically, there are announcements, almost always by enthusiasts without real background in archaeology, about the discovery of Noah's ark somewhere in Turkey,” says Dr Aren M Maeir, a professor at Israel’s Bar Ilan University and director of the Tell es-Safi/Gath Archaeological Project.
“As with other fantastic discoveries relating to biblical archaeology coming from non-professional archaeologists (location of Mt Sinai; the Egyptian army in the Red Sea; the deciphering of the Copper Scroll, etc, etc) these announcements are quite suspect, since the full information is never published in ‘real’ scientific journals, and all one gets to see are the media announcements and website info,” he adds.
On Sunday, the team from Noah’s Ark Ministries International (NAMI) that explored Mount Ararat announced at a press conference that the wood specimens they had retrieved last year from the “large wooden structure” they discovered more than 4,000 metres above sea level were found to be 4,800 years in age – a figure that would correspond with the time of Noah, based upon a literal reading of the Bible.
Backed by Turkish government officials and his group’s own set of experts, NAMI representative Man-fai Yuen said, “We believe that the wooden structure we entered is the same structure recorded in historical accounts and the same ancient boat indicated by the locals.”
Dr Oktay Belli, an archaeologist at Istanbul University: “The search team has made the greatest discovery in history. This finding is very important and the greatest up to now.”
According to Belli, there has never been human settlement above 3,500 metres on Mount Ararat, which has long been considered the location of where Noah’s Ark settled following the receding of the flood recorded in the Bible.
In Genesis 8, it is recorded that “the ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat”.
“Mount Ararat is a holy place and has rich historical accounts about Noah’s Ark on the mountain,” said Belli on Sunday. “Many people have searched the mountain for the holy Ark. This time’s discovery is the first serious search that the team found a wood structure under ice.”
Also present at the press conference was Dutch Ark researcher Gerrit Aalten, the head of NoahsArkSearch.com, who claimed “there’s a tremendous amount of solid evidence that the structure found on Mount Ararat in Eastern Turkey, is the legendary Ark of Noah”.

Among the “many details” Aalten listed were the height at which the structure was found, the “slightly tilted” way it was situated on the mountain, its “reddish/brown wood appearance”, and its “very dark, long and rectangular” appearance.
The structure, he said, is “very solid and of high quality”.
Dr Eric H Cline of George Washington University, however, says the structure could be anything.
“The problem with going out specifically to find a particular object, such as Noah’s Ark in this instance, is that one frequently finds what one is looking for, whether there is any merit to it or not,” the archaeology professor told The Christian Post on Wednesday.
“[A]ll that we know at the moment is that the expedition members are showing us pictures and samples of a structure made out of wood. It could be ancient, it could be medieval, it could even have been constructed last week. Even carbon-14 dating will only tell us how old the wood is; it will not tell us when the structure was constructed,” he commented.
That’s not to say, however, that the respected archaeologist is ruling out the find. But like many others, he’s waiting for the results of more independent and comprehensive probing.
Even Young Earth creationists at the Christian apologetics ministry Answers in Genesis said they “will withhold judgment until further study”.
“Over the decades, we have learned to be cautious about such Ark claims,” it reported Tuesday.
But the ministry said it has “no doubt, however, that there once was a massive ark that served as a vessel of salvation during a global flood and landed on the mountains of Ararat, as recorded in the book of Genesis.”
Bar-Ilan University’s Maeir, meanwhile, said he “seriously doubt[s] this one is real”.
“When and if the finds are published in a full and comprehensive manner, one will truly be able to assess it,” he told The Christian Post. “Meanwhile, it joins many other such discoveries - and sound quite hard to believe.”
According to NAMI’s announcement Sunday, the ministry will invite other scientists to participate in the search and study of its discovery, and is committed to uncovering the truth behind it.
They read and signed a cooperation agreement in which they agreed to collaborate with any further probing of their discovery, noting that their results “are of significance to the whole world in that humankind should cherish its common beliefs and origins”.
They said: “We believe that the discovery of Noah’s Ark will resolve centuries of national ideological conflict. We are dedicated to working towards a better, peaceful world."

Video:
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20100428/video/vwl-explorers-claim-noah-s-ark-found-on-15af341.html

Source:
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20100428/twl-explorers-claim-noah-s-ark-found-on-41f21e0.html

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/latest.claim.of.noahs.ark.discovery.like.others.for.now.experts.say/25818-2.htm

H.G Mor Osthatheos Ishaq Metropolitan in Middle Europe

2010-05-01T22:16:00.001+02:00

H.G Mor Osthatheos Ishaq visited our Middle Europe from 16th to 26th April, 2010. He celebrated the Holy Qurbono at St. Eugen Monastery in Arth, Switzerland on 18th of April. His Grace was welcomed there by Rev. Raban Lahdho. The Syrian community in Arth attended the Holy Service. After the Holy Qurbana a reception was also give in the Saloon of the Monastery. The members of St. Mary's Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church in Zurich, Switzerland also attended the Holy Liturgy along with their secretary, Mr Mathai Kakkattu.
During last week, he went to Sweeden and on 25th of April, Mor Osthatheos Ishaq celebrated the Holy Qurbono at St. Gabriel Syriac Orthodox Church, SÖDERTÄLJE. the Syriac Orthodox Community there receieved him with a warm welcome. Patriarchal Vicar for Sweden & Scandinavia, His Eminence Mor Dioscorus Binyamin Atas presided over the function. During His Eminence's speech, Mor Dioscorus remembered the care and support of Malankara Archdiocese and His Beatitude Catholicos Baselios Thomas I showing towards His Eminence and Syriac Orthodox Church & faithful. Mr. Yusuf Aydin, Chairman, Syriac Orthodox Youth in Sweden spoke. Later, Mor Osthatheos visited His Eminence Archbishop Mor Julius Abdulahad G. Shabo of Sweden & Scandinavia at the office of Archbishop at Sodertalje.

To view the photos, please visit: Album One, Album Two

കക്ഷി വഴക്കിനെ തുടര്‍ന്ന്‌ പൂട്ടിയ ചീങ്ങേരി പള്ളി തുറക്കാന്‍ തീരുമാനമായി

2010-05-01T22:06:00.001+02:00

കല്‍പ്പറ്റ: കക്ഷി വഴക്കിനെ തുടര്‍ന്ന്‌ വയനാട്ടില്‍ ആദ്യമായി പൂട്ടിയ ചീങ്ങേരി പള്ളി തുറക്കാന്‍ ഇരു വിഭാഗങ്ങളും ധാരണയിലെത്തി. 1974 പൂട്ടിയ അമ്പലവയല്‍ ചീങ്ങേരി സെന്റ്‌ മേരീസ്‌ സുറിയാനി പള്ളിയുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട പ്രശ്‌നങ്ങളും, സ്വത്ത്‌ സംബന്ധമായ തര്‍ക്കങ്ങളുമാണ്‌ യാക്കോബായ- ഓര്‍ത്തഡോക്‌സ് വിഭാഗങ്ങള്‍ പരസ്‌പരം ചര്‍ച്ച ചെയ്‌ത് പരിഹരിച്ചത്‌. വിഷയം രമ്യമായി പരിഹരിക്കുന്നതിന്‌ ഇരുവിഭാഗത്തെയും ഇടവക പൊതുയോഗം തീരുമാനിച്ചതിനെത്തുടര്‍ന്നാണ്‌ കഴിഞ്ഞ ദിവസം ചര്‍ച്ച നടത്തിയത്‌. തീരുമാന പ്രകാരം, സെമിത്തേരിയിലേക്കുള്ള വഴിക്കു കിഴക്ക്‌ പള്ളി ഉള്‍പ്പെടെയുള്ള സ്‌ഥലവും കാരച്ചാലിലുള്ള കുരിശുകളും യാക്കോബായ വിഭാഗത്തിനു ലഭിക്കും. വഴിക്ക്‌ പടിഞ്ഞാറുള്ള സ്‌ഥലവും കുമ്പളേരിയിലുള്ള കുരിശും ഓര്‍ത്തഡോക്‌സ് വിഭാഗത്തിനും ലഭിക്കും. സെമിത്തേരി പൊതുവായി ഉപയോഗിക്കും. സെമിത്തേരിയില്‍ പൊതുകല്ലറ നിര്‍മിക്കുന്നതിന്‌ അഞ്ചുസെന്റ്‌ സ്‌ഥലം വീതം ഇരുവിഭാഗത്തിനും ലഭ്യമാകും. മാനന്തവാടി ആര്‍.ഡി.ഒ. കോടതിയിലും സമുദായ കോടതികളിലുമുള്ള കേസുകള്‍ പിന്‍വലിക്കുന്നതിനും തീരുമാനമായി. ഭാവിയില്‍ സമുദായ കേസിന്റെ വിധി എങ്ങിനെയായാലും അത്‌ ഈ ഒത്തുതീര്‍പ്പ്‌ വ്യവസ്‌ഥക്ക്‌ ബാധകമല്ല. തങ്ങള്‍ക്ക്‌ അര്‍ഹമായ സ്‌ഥലത്ത്‌ ഓര്‍ത്തഡോക്‌സ് വിഭാഗം ചാപ്പല്‍ നിര്‍മിക്കുകയാണെങ്കില്‍ പഴയ പള്ളിയുടെ മരവും ഓടും നല്‍കുന്നതിനും തീരുമാനമായി.

യാക്കോബായ വിഭാഗത്തെ പ്രതിനിധീകരിച്ച്‌ വികാരി ഫാ. ജേക്കബ്ബ്‌ മിഖായേല്‍ പുല്ല്യാട്ടേല്‍, ട്രസ്‌റ്റി എന്‍.പി. വര്‍ഗീസ്‌, സെക്രട്ടറി ഷെവ. എ.ഐ. കുര്യാക്കോസ്‌, കമ്മിറ്റിയംഗങ്ങളായ ബേബി വര്‍ഗീസ്‌ അതിരമ്പുഴ, സജി തുടമ്മേല്‍, സജി പുളിക്കല്‍, സജീഷ്‌ തത്തോത്ത്‌, ഓര്‍ത്തഡോക്‌സ് വിഭാഗത്തെ പ്രതിനിധീകരിച്ച്‌ വികാരി ഫാ. ഗീവര്‍ഗീസ്‌ സാമുവേല്‍ ആറ്റുവ, ട്രസ്‌റ്റി കെ.എം. വര്‍ഗീസ്‌, സെക്രട്ടറി എം.എം. പൗലോസ്‌, കമ്മിറ്റി അംഗങ്ങളായ എം.എം. ഐസക്‌, എ.പി.കുര്യാക്കോസ്‌, എന്‍.ജി. അച്ചന്‍കുഞ്ഞ്‌, കെ.വി. പുരവത്ത്‌ എന്നിവര്‍ ചേര്‍ന്ന സബ്‌കമ്മിറ്റിയാണ്‌ ഒത്തുതീര്‍പ്പ്‌ വ്യവസ്‌ഥയില്‍ ഒപ്പുവെച്ചത്‌. അതേ സമയം കൊളഗപ്പാറ സെന്റ്‌ തോമസ്‌ പള്ളി, കണിയാമ്പറ്റ സെന്റ്‌ ജോര്‍ജ്‌ പള്ളി, കോറോം സെന്റ്‌ മേരീസ്‌ പള്ളി എന്നിവിടങ്ങളില്‍ തര്‍ക്കം നിലനില്‍ക്കുന്നുണ്ട്‌.

Give Priority to the Will of God and to Fulfill His Work. (Article by Fr George Vayaliparambil, Australia)

2010-04-28T12:17:00.001+02:00

- Article by Fr George Vayaliparambil, Australia

John 4:31-38 (King James Version)

“In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.”

Dear beloved in Christ

Through the experience of the resurrection and freedom, the word of God calls all of us to lead a Theo-centric life. In the above quoted pericopa, Jesus, the full man and full God, explaines to his disciples about the ultimate need and aim of His Life as fulfilling the will of His heavenly Father.

The disciple came to Jesus and asked him to have the food that they brought for him. But Jesus instead of having the food, he is trying to twist the situation to convey a new message to his disciples. Here he is not refusing the basic need of human being, but he gives a priority to the spiritual matters than the physical need.

According to the famous Humanitarian Psychologist Abraham Maslow, there is a hierarchy of needs to fulfill for one to achieve self actualization and self transcendence.

The basic premise of the model is: Each of us is motivated by needs. Our most basic needs are inborn, having evolved over tens of thousands of years. Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs helps to explain how these needs motivate us all. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs states that we must satisfy each need in turn, starting with the first, which deals with the most obvious needs for survival itself. Only when the lower order needs of physical and emotional well-being are satisfied, we concern with the higher order needs of influence and personal development. Conversely, if the things that satisfy our lower order needs are swept away, we are no longer concerned about the maintenance of our higher order needs.

In this humanitarian Psychologist’s view basic need of the human being is the physiological need such as food, water and air and so on. But in today’s gospel our Divine psychologist swears that the basic and ultimate need of a son of man is to fulfill the will of God. “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.”(John 4: 34). What does it mean? Does He against the basic human needs. Never, He is not against the basic needs of Human being, but he wants to give the message that the basic need of a human being should be “to do the will of God”.

In this Modern world we fail to give priority for our spiritual needs. We give priority to our other needs that the humanitarian psychologist suggests. As Christian we are supposed to see and be conscious to fulfill our spiritual need that which the God wants to be fulfilled fist in our life.

After a while Abraham Maslow proposed another theory as Self transcendent theory, as an addition to the self actualization theory. He says even though one has achieved his self actualization needs, there he will feel a vacuum in his life. Which he termed as Self-transcendence: to connect to something beyond the ego or to help others find self-fulfillment and realize their potential.

Here Jesus the true God says us that the self transcendence is possible if we give priority to our spiritual needs in our life for fulfilling the will of God. Jesus says

"But seek ye first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." -Matthew 6:33

As Christians, we have to rearrange our hierarchy of needs in a circular shape, instead of Abraham Maslow’s Pyramidal shape.

The human needs will be either achieved either fully or partially. Once if our spiritual need is fulfilled our other needs will be fulfilled automatically. We can experience self-transcendence through out our life if we give priority to spiritual needs in our life. Jesus teaches his disciples that the rest of the human needs will be fulfilled by the grace of God or fulfilling that needs are not a matter for the existence of a spiritual man. We can achieve a transcendent life with out fulfilling the lower needs.

We can say that it will change the importance of each need in a person’s life according to the situations. For example, we all have heard many stories of parents who were willing to die for their children. The parent placed far less importance on their own physiological and safety needs and far more importance on their love and belonging needs. The starving artist is another example of someone who places a greater importance on aesthetic needs than other needs.

Dear friends let us all give priority for the will of God and to fulfill his work in our life. Let it be our basic need.

St.Gregorios Abdul Galeel Dukhrono Perunnal

2010-04-27T22:01:00.001+02:00

The festival of St.Gregorios Abdul Galeel Dukhrono Perunnal is celebrated on 27th April every year in Mor Thoma Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church at Vadakkanparavoor, situated near the Cochin city of Kerala. This church is dedicated to the famous apostle of Jesus Christ, St Thomas.

According to the history and traditions of the Indian Church, Apostle St. Thomas (Mor Thoma Sleeho) who reached 'Maliankara' (Malankara) in AD 52 had established a Church at 'North Paravur' (then known as Kottailkavu). This is said to be the first Christian congregation in India. This historic site is located just a few miles south of the ancient port of Kodungallor (Cragnannor). The early Christian converts are believed to be, the Jewish settlers who migrated to the India for trade purposes and also some upper caste Hindus. North Paravur in the early centuries was the most prominent Christian centre in India and it still holds a unique position in the Malankara Church.

St. Gregorios Abdul’ Galeel, the Syrian Orthodox Metropolitan of Jerusalem who came to India in AD.1665 on the request of the Malankara Church to reinstate the Holy Apostolic faith here, is remembered by the local Syrian Christian community with great veneration. It was his untiring efforts that helped to revive the ancient faith and traditions of the Malankara Syrian Christian Church.

His Holiness was born in the city of Mosul in Iraq. In AD.1654 he was ordained Metropolitan by name 'Thimotheos' for the Omid diocese (Ameed/Diyarbaker) in Turkey by the Patriarch of Antioch Mor Ignatius She'mun. After ten years, the Patriarch elevated him as the Archbishop for the Syrian Orthodox Archdiocese of Jerusalem. In view of the historical importance of the city of Jerusalem in the Christian Church, the Metropolitan residing here was often referred as the 5th Patriarch in the Syrian Orthodox Church. 'Mor Gregorios' was the honorable title entrusted to this Jerusalem Patriarch who was within the spiritual supremacy of the Holy Patriarchal See of Antioch. Thus from his assumption as the Metropolitan of Jerusalem diocese, Mor Timotheos came to be known as 'Mor Gregorios'.

During the 16th and 17th Centuries, Malankara Jacobite Syrian Church was subjected to different kinds of religious persecution and suppression from external forces. In that period, first the Nestorians through their emissaries, and later the Catholic Church with the help of Portuguese, established their foothold in Malankara. In 1653, Patriarch Mor Ahatullah who was on his way to Malankara was murdered by the Portuguese navy and drowned in the Arabian Sea. The desperate Malankara church leadership appealed to the Patriarchate for immediate help. To discuss about the serious situation, the Patriarch of Antioch summoned an Episcopal Synod and decided to send his delegate to protect the interests of the Syrian church in Malankara. The mission was boldly undertaken by Archbishop Mor Gregorios Abdul' Jaleel Bava. During his journey he had to encounter many hardships, ultimately he landed near Ponnani, then an important port in north Kerala, in 1665. Bava was fully conscious of the situations prevailing in Malankara and was prepared to face any untoward instances. He stayed there in disguise until some parishioners of the St. Thomas Church, North Paravur visited the place to whom he revealed his identity. They took him to their church and informed others. Thomas Arkadiyokan (the one who was giving leadership to the Malankara church) and others rushed to place, all were very happy to see the delegate from the Apostolic See. Soon after, Mor Gregorios Bava ordained Thomas Arkadiyokan as bishop in the name 'Marthoma I'. With this single act, the holy father reestablished the Malankara-Antioch relationship which was cut off during some time. Later both these bishops jointly travelled the length and breath of Kerala, visiting various Churches and preached to the people and revived the spiritual traditions and faith of the Syriac Christians. In 1670 Mor Gregorios and Marthoma the first, together ordained Marthoma the second. But for His Holiness timely action, the Malankara Church in its present form should not have been in existence. As he was responsible for the re-establishment of Jacobite (Orthodox) faith, Mor Gregorios is known as "Yakub Burdana" of Malankara. Due to the abound love and respect showered on Him by the faithful of the St. Thomas Jacobite Syrian Church, North Paravur, the holy father stayed on for about 7 years there. On 27th April, 1681 A.D. (M.E. 857 Medom 14th, Friday), His Holiness was called to eternal rest and entombed in the North Paravur Church. The sacred tomb of the saintly father has subsequently became a Holy Place for the Syrian Christians.

Thousands of Pilgrims visit the tomb every year seeking his intercession. On April 9, 2000, the supreme head of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch & all the East, H.H the Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I, through an historical bull, permitted to recite the Quqalya hymns and prayers of the Zadeeqo (saints) at the tomb of Mor Gregorios Abdel`Jaleel Bava and beseech his intercession.

For a proper understanding of the events that led to the arrival of Mor Gregorios in Malankara, please visit this web page http://www.syrianchurch.org/Paravur/StGregorios.htm

This is what is called determination....

2010-04-27T09:09:00.000+02:00

Theological forum of St. Mary’s MSO Church, Vienna

2010-04-26T10:19:00.000+02:00

With a view to educate and practice theological aspects of the Syrian Orthodox Church as also to provide opportunity for the members to partake and sermonize the Gospel, a “Theological Forum” of the St. Mary’s Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church, Vienna, was instituted in November 2008. Under the leadership of the Vicar, Rev. Fr. Biju Parekkattil, the Forum meets once a month after the Holy Qurbana and a member by rotation used to speak on any theological subject and the Vicar makes in-depth analysis on various facets of the Church.

Following the practice, this month’s meeting was organized on Sunday, the 25th of April 2010 at St. Mary’s MSO Church, Lainzerstrasse 154 A, Vienna and Mr. Ouseph Padickakudi, a parishioner, delivered the message to the forum on the following topic: “The relevance of the Faith of Abraham in our day-to-day life”

Mr. Padickakudi asserted the need of obedience with firm belief that He, our Lord God, would help and rescue them those who really depend upon Him and trust in Him. He further wished that let our faith in God help us for such an accurate, timely, and speedy decision making and to lead our life unchallenged by the tribulations of the world.

Most of the parish members attended the forum meeting who found it was virtually a Christian fellowship that would enable spiritual revival.

- Report by Fr. Biju Parekkattil, Theological Forum, St. Mary's MSOC, Vienna

Picture of the week (Featured theme: Fury of mother Earth)

2010-04-25T09:12:00.000+02:00

Picture of the week

Featured theme: Fury of mother Earth

A few years ago, at the Seattle Special Olympics ...

2010-04-24T22:50:00.000+02:00

... nine contestants, all physically or mentally disabled, assembled at the starting line for the 100-yard dash. At the gun, they all started out, not exactly in a dash, but with a relish to run the race to the finish and win. All, that is, except one little boy who stumbled on the asphalt, tumbled over a couple of times, and began to cry. The other eight heard the boy cry. They slowed down and looked back. Then they all turned around and went back......every one of them.

One girl with Down's Syndrome bent down and kissed him and said, "This will make it better." Then all nine linked arms and walked together to the finish line. Everyone in the stadium stood, and the cheering went on for several minutes. People who were there are still telling the story.

Why? Because deep down we know this one thing: What matters in this life is more than winning for ourselves. What matters in this life is helping others win, even if it means slowing down and changing our course. If you pass this on, we may be able to change our hearts as well as someone else's.

"A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle"

ATTITUDE MAKES DIFFERENCE.. !

2010-04-23T19:29:00.003+02:00

When it rains all BIRDS occupy shelter, but EAGLE avoid rain by flying above clouds, problem is same to all but ATTITUDE MAKES DIFFERENCE.. !

I feared being alone
Until I learned to like Myself.

I feared failure
Until I realized that I only Fail
when I don't try.

I feared success
Until I realized that I had to try
in order to be happy with myself.

I feared people's opinions
Until I learned that people would
have opinions about me anyway.

I feared rejection
Until I learned to have faith in myself.

I feared pain
Until I learned that it's necessary for growth

I feared the truth
Until I saw the ugliness in lies.

I feared life
Until I experienced its beauty.

I feared death
Until I realized that it's not an end,
but a beginning.

I feared my destiny,
Until I realized that I had the power
to change my life.

I feared hate
Until I saw that it was nothing
more than ignorance.

I feared love
Until it touched my heart,
making the darkness fade into
endless sunny days.

I feared ridicule
Until I learned how to laugh at myself.

I feared growing old
Until I realized that
I gained wisdom every day.

I feared the future
Until I realized that
Life just kept getting better.

I feared the past
Until I realized that
It could no longer hurt me.

I feared the dark
Until I saw the beauty of the starlight.

I feared the light
Until I learned that the
Truth would give me Strength.

I feared change,
Until I saw that even the most beautiful
butterfly had to undergo a Metamorphosis
before it could fly.

If you want to take your mission in life to the next level, if you’re stuck and you don’t know how to rise, don’t look outside yourself. Look inside. Don’t let your fears keep you mired in the crowd.

Abolish your fears and raise your commitment level to the point of no return, and I guarantee you that the “Champion Within” will burst forth to propel you toward victory.

A newly wed girl - "I don't want you all to change your way of life"

2010-04-23T19:05:00.002+02:00

FOR ALL THE GIRLS WHO ARE GONNA GET MARRIED (and THE married ONE as well) and husbands, pls pass it on to your wives :-)

A newly wed girl was being welcomed at the husband's home in a traditional manner. She was asked to give a little speech. She addressed as follows:

"My dear family members, I thank you for welcoming me in my new home and family", she said "Firstly, with my presence I would not want to create any inconveniences by my being here. I mean that I don't want you all to change your way of life, your routine."

"What do you mean my child?" asked the patriarch of the family.
What I mean dad is:
Those who used to wash dishes must carry on washing them.
Those who used to do the laundry must carry on doing it.
Those who cooked shouldn't stop on my account.
Those who used to clean should clean.

As for me, I am here just to entertain your son.

April 23rd. - St. George day

2010-04-22T18:49:00.003+02:00

The world is celebrating the memory of Mor Geevarghese Sahada on April 23rd. St. George was a Roman soldier from ancient Palestine in the third century AD. Hagiographers (those studying hagiography: the lives and writings of the saints) indicate he was most likely a historic personage in the guard of the Emperor Diocletian (244-311 AD), an emperor notorious for his persecutions of early Christians. In the most popular and most likely scenario of those involving his real life story, George refused to offer up a sacrifice to the gods of the Roman Empire (a type of refusal which was one of the primary issues of discontent between the Roman Empire and monotheistic cults like Christianity and Judaism). When bribery to coerce his sacrifice failed, he was tortured and purportedly killed three times, all the while refusing to renounce his faith and allegiance to the Christian God. Supposedly his devotion to his cause was so moving, that the pagan priest and writer Athanasius and a potentially fictional consort of Diocletian, the so-called Empress Alexandra, were converted on the spot and were executed alongside George.

By the end of the fourth century AD, his worship was popular in the Near East, particularly in George’s native Palestine and in Turkey. He was canonized (made a saint) in the 4th century in 494 AD . But it was the Crusaders in the Middle Ages who made Mor Geevarghese so popular and by their time, St. George’s story had expanded to include what is today its most prominent and romantic element: George’s encounter with a dragon.

Legend has it that during George’s travels with the Roman legionnaires, George found himself in Lydda in Palestine (potentially also his hometown) where a fearsome dragon was holding the town’s water supply hostage. The townspeople had been distracting if with an offering of a sheep a day in order to sneak past it to collect water. But eventually the dragon had tired of sheep (or they had run out of them) and the town had started sacrificing its young woman to the dragon: one a day. The maidens were chosen for sacrifice by lot, and as it happens, the day George strolled into town was the day a local princess was being offered up. George promptly stepped in between the dragon and the princess, crossed himself (hence his emblem the St. George’s cross, which is prominently featured on the flags of the United Kingdom), killed the dragon and rescued the princess. Some legends have him briefly marrying the princess (who is occasionally given the name Sabra) before rejoining the army in order to make it back to Diocletian in time for his later martyrdom; others have him monastically denying her devotion and the reward of her hand in marriage to pursue his celibate military life.

As such, it is appropriate that he is venerated so widely around the world. He is the patron saint of Genoa, Georgia, Germany, Gozo, Greece, Istanbul, Lithuania, Malta, Moscow, Netherlands, Palestine, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Venice. He is also known as the patron of shepherds, horses, equestrians, warriors, battles, farmers, fighting diseases (all and specifically snakebites, syphilis, herpes, and leprosy).

One-day Seminar by Southern Zone of MGJSM on 24th April 2010

2010-04-21T10:55:00.000+02:00

Southern Zone of Mor Gregorios Jacobite Student Movement organizes a One-day Seminar on 24th April, 2010 from 7 am to 1. PM at Michael Mor Dionysius Dayara, Adoor.

Mor Gregorios Jacobite Student Movement (MGJSM) is the official Students organization of the Jacobite Syrian Church and was known prior to 1958 period as 'Mar Gregorios Syrian Vidhyarthi Sangam' or the 'Mar Gregorios Syrian Students Association' (MGSSA). This was the first students organization in the whole world that was named after St. Gregorios Chathuruthy- Parumala Thirumeni. HG.Dr.Kuriakose Mor Theophilose Thirumeni ( President), Rev. Fr. Bobby John ( General Secretary), Mr. Prasobh Reji (Joint Secretary and Special Coordinator-Thrissur, Malabar, Calicut region), Mr. Arun George (Joint Secretary), Mr. Jijo Thomas( Treasurer), Rev. Dn. Thomas Poothicote (Member & Special Coordinator -Kollam, Niranam, Thumpamon region), Rev. Dn. Eldho Raj (Committee Member), Rev. Dn. Shibu Paul(Committee Member), and Mr. Jerin Matthew (Committee Member) are the Office-bearers of the Movement.

Your feedback is our perfection!

2010-04-20T23:26:00.001+02:00

Send your feedback to youth.msocme@gmail.com

Inviting articles: Topic of the month - "Role of youth in..."

2010-04-20T23:16:00.006+02:00

New section "Topic of the month"

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Send us your article to be published at this new section "Topic of the month"

Topic of this month - "Role of youth in ... | select section of your interest |"

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Picture of the week (Theme: Antique)

2010-04-18T12:02:00.000+02:00

Picture of the week

Featured theme: Antique

H.E Dr. Julius Hanna Aydin, the Syriac Orthodox bishop of Germany is attacked

2010-04-16T13:09:00.000+02:00

Warburg: Mor Julius Hanna Aydin The bishop of the Aramean (Syriac) Orthodox church in Germany has been attacked in the early hours on Thursday. According to NW-News three previously unknown offenders have broken into the Syriac Orthodox monastery in Warburg and fled with a large sum of money.

Hasyo Hanna Aydin was a resident, who Alerted the police in his room, found beaten and tied up with major injuries, but without loss of life, he is transported to the hospital Warburg. With serious injuries, but without loss of life, he is transported to the hospital Warburg.

Hasyo Hanna Aydin said that the perpetrators of a large sum of cash and have therefore stolen laptop and a cell phone.

The act is said to have occurred about 5 clock in the morning. The three armed offenders who have left no evidence of forced entry should be escaped with the loot from 6:45 clock with a presumed black Mercedes with Wiesbaden indicator.

For more information, please visit: http://www.suryoyocenter.com/

http://www.malankarasyriacvoice.com/News/Germany%20News.JPG

http://www.malankarasyriacvoice.com/News/HE_Hanna_Aydin_News.JPG

God's Fool - a story

2010-04-15T03:16:00.001+02:00

Once there came from the desert to the great city of Sharia a man who was a dreamer, and he had naught but his garment and staff. And as he walked through the streets he gazed with awe and wonder at the temples and towers and palaces, for the city of Sharia was of surpassing beauty. And he spoke often to the passers-by, questioning them about their city—but they understood not his language, nor he their language.

At the noon hour he stopped before a vast inn. It was built of yellow marble, and people were going in and coming out unhindered. “This must be a shrine,” he said to himself, and he too went in. But what was his surprise to find himself in a hall of great splendour and a large company of men and women seated about many tables. They were eating and drinking and listening to the musicians. ‘Nay,’ said

the dreamer, ‘This is no worshipping. It must be a feast given by the prince to the people, in celebration of a great event.’

At that moment a man, whom he took to be the slave of the prince, approached him, and bade him be seated. And he was served with meat and wine and most excellent sweets.

When he was satisfied, the dreamer rose to depart. At the door he was stopped by a large man magnificently arrayed.

‘Surely this is the prince himself,’ said the dreamer in his heart, and he bowed to him and thanked him.

Then the large man said in the language of the city: ‘Sir, you have not paid for your dinner.’

And the dreamer did not understand, and again thanked him heartily.

Then the large man bethought him, and he looked more closely upon the dreamer. And he saw that he was a stranger, clad in but a poor garment, and that indeed he had not wherewith to pay for his meal. Then the large man clapped his hands and called—and there came four watchmen of the city. And they listened to the large man.

Then they took the dreamer between them, and they were two on each side of him. And the dreamer noted the ceremoniousness of their dress and of their manner and he looked upon them with delight. ‘These,’ said he, ‘are men of distinction.’

And they walked all together until they came to the House of Judgement and they entered.

The dreamer saw before him, seated upon a throne, a venerable man with flowing beard, robed majestically. And he thought he was the king. And he rejoiced to be brought before him.

Now the watchmen related to the judge, who was the venerable man, the charge against the dreamer, and the judge appointed two advocates, one to present the charge and the other to defend the stranger. And the advocates rose, the one after the other, and delivered each his argument. And the dreamer thought himself to be listening to addresses of welcome, and his heart filled with gratitude to the king and the prince for all that was done for him.

Then sentence was passed upon the dreamer, that upon a tablet about his neck his crime should be written, and that he should ride through the city on a naked horse, with a trumpeter and a drummer before him. And the sentence was carried out forthwith.

Now as the dreamer rode through the city upon the naked horse, with the trumpeter and the drummer before him, the inhabitants of the city came running forth at the sound of the noise, and when they saw him they laughed one and all, and the children ran after him in companies from street to street. And the dreamer's heart was filled with ecstasy, and his eyes shone upon them. For to him the tablet was a sign of the king's blessing and the procession was in his honour.

Now as he rode, he saw among the crowd a man who was from the desert like himself and his heart swelled with joy, and he cried out to him with a shout:

‘Friend! Friend! Where are we? What city of the heart's desire is this? What race of lavish hosts, who feast the chance guest in their palaces, whose princes companion him, whose kings hangs a token upon his breast and opens to him the hospitality of a city descended from heaven?’

And he who was also of the desert replied not. He only smiled and slightly shook his head.

And the procession passed on. And the dreamer's face was uplifted and his eyes were overflowing with light.

Sad Demise of Mr. C. S. Ulahannan (72), Chelappurathu

2010-04-13T16:08:00.005+02:00

With deep sorrow informing you the demise of Mr. C. S. Ulahannan(72) ,

expired on 12th of April 2010 at 08:30 PM in Mannuthy, Trichur.

Mr. Ulahannan, father of

Johnson Chelappurathu (Austria),

Shaji Chelappurathu (Austria),

Reji Chelappurathu (Ireland) and

Eldo Chelappurathu (Ireland)

Youth-MSOCME extend our deepest condolences to the family.

Let us pray for the departed soul.

Picture of the week (Featured theme: Wild life)

2010-04-12T09:29:00.000+02:00

Picture of the week

Featured theme: Wild life

NAIL IN THE FENCE

2010-04-10T22:52:00.000+02:00

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper.

His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered that it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally, the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail each day that he was able to hold his temper.

The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence & said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one."

It won't matter how many times you say, "I'm sorry", the wound is still there. " A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one."

The forgotten plight of Palestinian Christians!

2010-04-09T12:43:00.000+02:00

Christians around the world have just finished celebrating the Easter holiday--and thousands did so by making the annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem (where the Church of Holy Sepulchre is one of Christianity's most revered sites). Yet for many Palestinian Christians who have attempted to make this journey, ongoing Israeli restrictions on movement have made this a particularly discouraging holiday, with many being turned away at Israeli checkpoints in the West Bank, specifically in Bethlehem where hundreds demonstrated in the week leading up to Easter.

These events combined with the recent US-Israel controversies regarding Jerusalem have begun to shine a light on one of the more problematic if underreported issues surrounding the Arab-Israeli conflict: namely, Israel's problematic approach to the protection of religious freedom. This of course is a far cry from the many attempts of Israeli officials and supporters to claim it as a beacon of religious freedom that protects the rights of religious minorities and notably of the Christian community in the Holy Land. The deputy consul general of Israel to Florida and Puerto Rico, Paul Hirschson, recently took this questionable notion to extremes, applauding Israel's efforts to protect the religious freedoms of Christians while claiming the rest of Middle Eastern countries and the international community were indifferent to or exacerbated their plight. Sadly, it is Israel that is at the cutting edge of contributing to this tragic reality for Christians in the region.

Read more...

Tintumon rocks again!

2010-04-08T10:00:00.000+02:00

ടിന്റുമോന്‍ന്‍റെ കോഴി ചത്തു!!!

ടിന്റു മോന്‍റെ വീട്ടിലെ കോഴി ചത്തു. ഇതു അറിഞ്ഞ ടിന്റു മോന്‍ വാവിട്ടു കരഞ്ഞു. അപ്പൊ ടിന്റു മോന്റെ അയല്‍ ക്കാരനായ നാരായണന്‍ ടിന്റു മോനെ ആശ്വസിപ്പിക്കാന്‍ അങ്ങോട്ട്‌ വന്നു.

നാരായണന്‍ : വിഷമിക്കണ്ട മോനെ. ഒരു കോഴി അല്ലെ ചത്ത ത്. എന്‍റെ അച്ഛന്‍ മരിച്ചിട്ട് പോലും ഞാന്‍ കരഞ്ഞിട്ടില്ല.

ടിന്റുമോന്‍ : അതിനു തന്‍റെ അപ്പന്‍ മുട്ട ഇടുമായിരുന്നോ!!!

അമ്പലത്തില്‍ ആരും ചെരുപ്പ് ഇടാറില്ല!!!

ടിന്റുമോന്‍ കൂടുകാരനോട്

മിന്നു മോളോട് എനിക്ക് ഐ ലവ് യു പറയണം. അതിനു പറ്റിയ സ്ഥാലം ഏതാ?

കൂട്ടുകാരന്‍ : അമ്പലം.

ടിന്റുമോന്‍ : അമ്പലമോ? അവിടെ എന്താ പ്രത്യെഗത ?

കൂട്ടുകാരന്‍ : അമ്പലത്തില്‍ ആരും ചെരുപ്പ് ഇടാറില്ല!!!

ഞാന്‍ വരുന്നില്ല... ഡോക്ടര്‍ ഒറ്റയ്ക്ക് പോയാല്‍ മതി!!!

ടിന്റുമോന് ചര്‍ദ്ദി പിടിപെട്ടു. ഡോക്ടറുടെ അടുത്ത് പോയ ടിന്റു മോനോട്

ഡോക്ടര്‍ : ഈ മരുന്ന് കുടിക്കു... അതിനു ശേഷം കുറച്ചു കഴിഞ്ഞു വീടും എന്നെ കാണൂ.
കുറച്ചു സമയത്തിന് ശേഷം ടിന്റുമോന്‍ വീണ്ടും ഡോക്ടറെ കാണാന്‍ വന്നു.

ഡോക്ടര്‍ : ചര്‍ദ്ദിക്കാന്‍ വരുന്നുണ്ടോ?

ടിന്റുമോന്‍ : ഞാന്‍ വരുന്നില്ല... ഡോക്ടര്‍ ഒറ്റയ്ക്ക് പോയാല്‍ മതി!!

TIME & TEMPERATURE AROUND THE WORLD! - Unique and Very Interesting !!!!

2010-04-08T09:46:00.003+02:00

This attachment keeps up with the time and temperatures in major cities around the world. It is a very useful attachment to save in your files. It even displays error, when the signal is not properly updated. Very Interesting! !

Rome (Italy)	Berlin (Allemagne)	Moscow (Russia)	Madrid (Espagne)
Bruxelles National (Belgium)	San JosÃ© (Guatemala)	Acapulco (Mexique)	Rio (Brazil)
Hong Kong (Chine)	Tokyo (Japan)	Ovda (Israel)	Makokou (Gabon)
Puerto Plata (Rp. Dominican)	Nassau (Bahamas)	Port-au-Prince (Haiti)	Athens (Greece)
Zurich (Suisse)	Dublin (Ireland)	Bayreuth (Lebanon)	Budapest (Hongrie)
Belgrade (Yugoslavia)	Kuwait (Kuwait)	New Delhi (India)	Paris (France)
Quebec (Quebec, Canada)	Ottawa (Ontario, Canada)	Le Cairo (Egypt)	Casablanca (Morocco)
Los Angeles (California, USA)	Tehran (Iran)	Addis Ababa-Bole (Ethiopia)	Lublin Radawiec (Bologna)
Sydney (Australia)	Miami, Florida (USA)	Easton Washington (USA)	Kodiak, Alaska (USA)
Vostok (Antartique)	Havana (Cuba)	Reykjavik (Islander)	Summit (Greenland)
Bagdad (Iraq)	Londres ( Angleterre)	Honolulu (Hawk, USA)	Las Vegas (Nevada, USA)
Montreal (Quebec, Canada)	Prague (Rpublique Tchque)	San Andres (Colombia)	Barcelona (Espagne)
Saint Denis (Ile de la Reunion)	Turkey (Ankara)	Lausanne (La Suisse)	Jonquiere (Quebec, Canada)
Polynesia frenzies (Tahiti)	Niamey (Niger)	Shanghai (Chine)	Grenade (Espagne)
Gatineau (Quebec, Canada)	Amsterdam (Pays-Bas)	Mexico city (Mexico)	New York (USA)
San Francisco (California, USA)	Nairobi (Kenya)	Brisbane (Queensland, Australia)	Lisbon (Portugal)
Edmonton (Alberta, Canada)	Fredericton (N.B. Canada)	Tel Aviv (Israel)	Noemi (Nouvelle Caledonia)
Guatemala (Guatemala)	Tunis (Tunisia)	Strasbourg (France)	Portland Maine (USA)

Pastoral message of the month - April 2010, by Rev.Dn. Aji George (Rome)

2010-04-05T18:52:00.004+02:00

നിങ്ങളുടെ ഈസ്റ്ററ്

Rev.Dn. Aji George, Rome

ഈ ജീവിതത്തില് ഏതു കാര്യത്തിനാണ് ഉറപ്പുളളത് ?

യാതൊരു കാര്യത്തെ കുറിച്ചും നിശ്ചയം പറയാനാവാത്ത ഈ ലോകജീവിതത്തില്‍ ഉറപ്പുള്ള ഒരേയൊരു കാര്യം ഏതോ ഒരു ദിവസത്തില്‍ ഈ കാണുന്നതെല്ലാം വിട്ടേച്ചു പോകേണ്ടി വരും എന്നത് മാത്രമല്ലേ? വീഴ്ച്ചഭവിച്ച സൃഷ്ടി സമൂഹത്തിന് ജീവന്റ്റെ തുമ്പില് കെട്ടിവച്ച നിത്യ സത്യം പോലെയാണ് ഇന്ന് മരണം അല്ലങ്കില് ജീവന് തന്നെ മരണത്തിലേക്കുള്ള യാത്ര മാത്രമായാണ് അനുഭവപ്പെടുന്നത്. മനുഷ്യന്റെ വിശ്വസിക്കാവുന്ന സുഹൃത്തായ ശാസ്ത്രതിനും മരണത്തിനു അപ്പുറം എന്താണെന്നു അവനു പറഞ്ഞു കൊടുക്കാന് ഇനിയും കഴിഞ്ഞിട്ടില്ല. എന്നാല് അജ്ഞാതമായ മരണത്തിന്റെ ദുരൂഹതകളില്‍ നിന്നും ഒരാള്‍ മാത്രം സ്വയം മടങ്ങി വന്നു!! പ്രത്യാശയുടെ സന്ദേശവുമായി.

ഈസ്റ്ററ് ഈ മടങ്ങി വരവിന്റെ ഓര്‍മയാണ്, മരണത്തിന്റെ പിന്‍ സമസ്യകളില്‍ നിന്നുമുള്ള മശിഹായുടെ മടങ്ങി വരവിന്റെ ഓര്‍മ്മ !

ഈസ്റ്ററ് ആഘോഷപൂറ്വ്വം അനുസ്മരിക്കേണ്ട ഒരു ദിവസം തന്നെയാണ് എന്നതില് തറ്ക്കമുണ്ടാവുമെന്നു തോന്നുന്നില്ല. 50ദിവസം നോയമ്പ് എടുതതുകൊണ്ടാല്ല, മറിച്ച് ഈ ദിവസം ക്രിസ്തു നമുക്ക് നല്കുന്ന വലിയൊരു ആത്മബലത്തെ പ്രതി. ഒരു ഫിനിക്സ് പക്ഷിയെപോലെ* പറന്നുയരാന് മശിഹായുടെ ഉയറ്പ്പ് ലോകത്തിന് ഒരു വലിയ ഊറ്ജ്ജം തരുന്നുണ്ട്. ഇന്നലെ ഒക്കെ മറന്ന് ഒരു പുതിയ തുടക്കത്തിലേക്ക് കാലെടുത്തവെക്കാന് അനിറ്വചനീയവും പ്രത്യാശപൂറ്വ്വവുമായ ഒരു ഉള്വിളിയുടെ കാഹളനാദം ഈ ഈസ്റ്ററ് കാലത്തില് നിങ്ങളുടെ അന്തറ്കരണത്തിലും കേള്ക്കുന്നില്ലേ?

(*ഫിനിക്സ് ഗ്രീക്ക് പുരാണത്തിലെ ഒരു പക്ഷിയാണ്. സുവറ്ണ്ണ ചിറകുളള മനോഹരിയായ ഒരു പക്ഷി. ജീവിതത്തിന്റ്റെ ഒടുക്കം അവള് ഒരു കൂടൊരുക്കി അതില് സ്വയം എരിഞ്ഞടങ്ങുന്നു. ശത്രുക്കളില് നിന്നൊക്കെ മുറിവേറ്റ് മരണാസനയാകുമ്പോഴും അത് അങ്ങനെ തന്നെ ചെയ്യുന്നു. പിന്നീട് അ ചാരത്തില് നിന്ന് പുത്തനൊരു (കുഞ്ഞു) ഫിനിക്സായി അത് വീണ്ടും ഉയിറ്ക്കൊളളുന്നു. എന്നിട്ടീ പഴയ ഫിനിക്സിന്റ്റെ ചാരത്തെ ഒരു മുട്ടത്തോടിനകത്താക്കി ഹെലോപ്പോലീസ് എന്ന ഈജിപ്ഷ്യന് സിറ്റിയില് കുഴിച്ചിടുന്നു. അങ്ങനെ പോകുന്നു ഫിനിക്സ് പക്ഷിയെ പറ്റിയുളള വിശ്വാസങ്ങള്. ക്രിസ്ത്യന് കലാകാരന്മാറ് ഈ ഫിനിക്സ് പക്ഷിയെ ക്രിസ്തുവിന്റ്റെ ഉയിറ്പ്പിനെയും ക്രിസ്തീയ മരണാനന്തരജീവിതവിശ്വാസത്തെയും അനശ്വരതയെയുമൊക്കെ വറ്ണ്ണിക്കാന് ധാരാളമായി ഉപയോഗിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്. ഈസ്റ്ററ് മുട്ടക്കു ഈ ഫിനിക്സ് കഥയുമായി എന്തൊക്കെയോ ബന്ധമുണ്ടെന്നു തോന്നുന്നു.)

മരണത്തെയും ജീവിതത്തെയും ക്രിസ്തു പൂര്‍ണ്ണ മനസോടെ സമീപിച്ചു. രണ്ടിനെയും കീഴടക്കി. അല്ലങ്കില് രണ്ടിനെയും തോല്‍ക്കാതെ തോല്‍പ്പിച്ചു. അങ്ങനെ തന്റ്റെ തിരിച്ചു വരവാല്‍ ഒരു ഉണറ്വ്വുള്ള സാന്നിധ്യമായി ക്രിസ്തു നമ്മോടൊപ്പം ഇന്നും ചേരുന്നു. ഞാന് തന്നെ പുനരുദ്ധാനവു ജീവനുമാകുന്നു എന്നരുളിചെയ്ത യേശുനാഥന് നമ്മെ പഠിപ്പിക്കുന്നത് ക്രിസ്തീയമായി എങ്ങനെ ജീവിക്കണമെന്നു മാത്രമല്ല, എങ്ങനെ അതിജീവിക്കണം എന്നു കൂടിയാണ്.

നമ്മളില്‍ ഓരോരുത്തരിലും ഒരു ക്രിസ്തു ഉണ്ട്. എങ്ങനെയൊക്കെ ക്രിസ്തുവിനെ നിഷേധിച്ചാലും, പള്ളിയില്‍ പോയാലും ഇല്ലെങ്കിലും, പ്രറ്ത്ഥനപൂറ്വ്വം ജീവിച്ചാലും ഇല്ലെങ്കിലും, ആടിയും പാടിയും ആറ്ത്താലുമില്ലെങ്കിലും നിശബ്ദ സാന്നിദ്ധ്യമായി ഒരു ക്രിസ്തു എല്ലാവരുടെ ഉള്ളിലും ജീവിക്കുന്നുണ്ട്. ഈ സാന്നിദ്ധ്യത്തിനു ഏറ്റകുറച്ചിലുകള് ഉണ്ടാകാമെന്നു മാത്രം. ഉദാഹരണമായി കുട്ടികളെ മാറോടണയ്ക്കാനാഗ്രഹമുളള ഒരു മനുഷ്യന് നമ്മുടെയെല്ലാമുളളിലില്ലെ? പ്രണയത്തെയും സൌഹൃദത്തെയുമൊക്കെ ഇഷ്ടപ്പെടുന്ന ഒരു മനുഷ്യന് നമ്മുടെ ഉളളിലില്ലെ? അതെ, അപരന്റ്റെ ദുഃഖങ്ങളെയും വേദനകളെയും അലിവോടെ കാണുന്ന ഒരു ക്രിസ്തു നമ്മിലുണ്ട്. വഴിയില് മുറിവേറ്റുകിടക്കുന്ന മനുഷ്യനെ ശുശ്രൂഷിക്കാന് ആഗ്രഹമെങ്കിലുമുളള ഒരു ശമര്യാക്കാരന് നിങ്ങളുടെ ഉളളിലുമുണ്ട്. സ്വന്തക്കാരുടെ ഇടയിലും സമൂഹമദ്ധ്യത്തിലും പരിഹസിക്കപ്പെടുമ്പോള് അവനും അപ്രകാരം പരിഹസിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരുന്നു എന്നൊരോറ്മ്മയായി, സ്നേഹിതറ്ക്കൊപ്പം വഴിയോരങ്ങളിലും ജോലി ചെയ്യുന്നവറ്ക്കൊപ്പം വയലുകളിലും ഒക്കെ ആയിരിക്കാന് ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്ന ഒരു മനുഷ്യനായി. മറ്റുളളവറ്ക്ക് ഭക്ഷണം പങ്കുവെക്കാന് ആഗ്രഹമുളള, അവരെ ഭവനങ്ങളില് കരുതുന്ന ഒരു ക്രിസ്തുഹൃദയം സകലമാന മനുഷ്യരിലുമുണ്ട്. പ്രീയപ്പെട്ടവറ് തളളിപറയുമ്പോഴും കൂടെ നടക്കുന്നവരിലൊരുവന് ഒറ്റുകൊടുക്കൊടുക്കുമ്പോഴും മറ്റുളളവരാല് തെറ്റിദ്ധരിക്കപ്പെടുമ്പോഴും നിശബ്ദനാക്കപ്പെടുമ്പോഴും ഒടുക്കമേതൊക്കെയോ ഇടങ്ങളില് കുരിശിക്കപ്പെടുമ്പോഴും നമ്മില് വിളങ്ങുന്നത് ക്രിസ്തു തന്നെയാണ്.

അതുകൊണ്ട് ഈസ്റ്ററ് നമുക്കേറെ വിലപ്പെട്ടതാണ്. കാരണം നമ്മുടെ ഉളളിലെ ക്രിസ്തു ഉയറ്ത്തെഴുന്നേല്ക്കുന്നവനാണെന്ന അവബോധിന്റ്റെ ആത്മബലം നമുക്കു നല്കുന്നത് ഈ ദിവസമാണ്. ഏണസ്റ്റ് ഹെമ്മിങ് വേ പറയുമ്പോലെ, „മനുഷ്യനെ നിങ്ങള്ക്കു കൊല്ലാനാവും എന്നാല് തോല്പ്പിക്കാനാവില്ല“. ഈ ചിന്ത ശക്തമാക്കുകയാണ് നമ്മിലെ ക്രിസ്തു സാന്നിദ്ധ്യം ഈ പുനരുദ്ധാനദിനങ്ങല് ചെയ്യുന്നത്.

ജീവിതവഴിയില് പലപ്പോഴും മനസ് കൊല്ലപ്പെടുന്നുണ്ട്, ചിലപ്പോള് ക്രൂശിക്കപ്പെടുകവരെ സംഭവിക്കുന്നുണ്ട്. ഇരുള് വീണവഴികളില് ഇനിയൊരു പ്രഭാതവും ഞാന് കാണില്ലയെന്നോ, ഇനിയൊരു പകല് എനിക്കു കാണേണ്ടായെന്നോ ഒക്കെ ചിന്തിക്കുമ്പോള് ആ വഴികളില് ക്രിസ്തു ഉയറ്ത്തെഴുന്നേല്ക്കട്ടെ. നമ്മുടെ ഉളളിലെ ക്രിസ്തുവിനെ നാം അവഗണിക്കാതിരിക്കുക. ഇനിയൊന്നു ചെയ്യാന് എനിക്കാവില്ല എന്നു വിചാരിക്കുമ്പോള് ഒടുങ്ങാത്ത പ്രത്യാശയും അടങ്ങാത്ത ശക്തിയുമായി നമ്മോടൊപ്പമുളള ക്രിസതുവിനെ തിരിച്ചറിയാന് ശ്രമിക്കുക. സഹനങ്ങള് കൂടെപിറപ്പുകള് ആകുമ്പോള്, ഇനി ആരുമില്ലയെന്നെ സഹായിക്കാനെന്നു തോന്നുമ്പോള് നിങ്ങളുടെ ഹൃദയപടകില് ഉറങ്ങുന്ന ക്രിസ്തുവിനെ ഉണറ്ത്താന് മറന്നു പോകരുതേ.....

സഹനവുമായി ചേറ്ത്തു ചിന്തിക്കുമ്പോള് ഓറ്ക്കേണ്ട പേരാണ് ഈയോബിന്റ്റേത്. ഏതളവുകോലുകള് കൊണ്ടളന്നാലും നന്മകള് മാത്രം നിറഞ്ഞവന്, എന്നിട്ടും അവനും പരീക്ഷിക്കപ്പടുന്നു. മക്കളുള്പ്പെടേ ജീവിതത്തിന്റ്റെ സമ്പത്തുകള് നശിക്കുന്നു. എങ്കിലും ‘‘നഗ്നനായി വന്ന് നഗ്നനായി പോകുന്നു‘‘ വെന്നു പറഞ്ഞുകൊണ്ട് തന്റ്റെ തീരാനഷ്ടങ്ങളെ നിറ്മ്മലതയോടെ, കൂസലില്ലാതെ അയാള് നേരിടുന്നു. പിന്നീട് ഈയോബിന്റ്റെ ആരോഗ്യവും നശിക്കുന്നു. സഹനങ്ങളുടെ സഹനമാണ് രോഗമെന്നൊക്കെ പറയുന്നത്. പൂറ്ണ്ണ ആരോഗ്യവാനായിരിക്കുമ്പോള് ശരീരത്തെക്കുറിച്ച് ഒരിക്കലും ഓറ്ക്കാറില്ല. അസുഖമെന്തെങ്കിലും പിടിപ്പെട്ടാല് പിന്നീട് ശരീരത്തിന്റ്റെ അടിമയായും തീരുന്നു. ഇത്തരമൊരു അനുഭവത്തിലൂടെയാണ് നമ്മെ പലരെയുംപോലെ ഈയോബും കടന്നു പോകുന്നത്. ഭക്ഷണത്തിനും വിശ്രമത്തിനും ഒരു പ്രാധാന്യവും കൊടുക്കാതെ ഒരു കാളകണക്കെ ജീവിച്ചിട്ട് ഒടുവില് ഒരുപാട് വിലകൊടുക്കേണ്ടി വരുന്ന എത്രയോ പോരുണ്ട് നമ്മുടെ ഇടയില്!!! ചിലറ് മാനസീകമായി പോലും തകറ്ന്നുപോകുന്നുവെന്നു മാത്രമല്ല, ഒന്നു പൊരുതി നില്ക്കാന് പോലുമവറ്ക്കു് തോന്നുന്നുമില്ല. ഇവറ്ക്കെല്ലാം യേശുവിന്റ്റെ ജീവിതം പോലെ ഈയോബിന്റ്റെ ജീവിതവും ഏറെ വിലപ്പെട്ടതാണ്.

സൌഹൃദങ്ങളുടെ യഥാസ്ഥിതിയിലേക്കുകൂടി യേശുവും ഈയോബും ഒരുപോലെ നമുക്ക് വഴികാട്ടിയാകുന്നുണ്ട്. കഷ്ടകാലം ഒരറ്ത്ഥത്തില് തങ്ങളുടെ യഥാറ്ത്ഥ സ്നേഹിതന്മാരെ തിരച്ചറിയാനുളള കാലം കൂടിയാണ്. പഴയൊരു സിനിമാപ്പാട്ടുപോലെ‘‘ചിരിക്കുമ്പോള് കൂടെ ചിരിക്കാന് ഒരായിരം പേറ്, കരയുമ്പോള് കൂടെ കരയാന് നിന്റ്റെ നിഴല് മാത്രം‘‘. എന്തൊരു ഞെട്ടിപ്പിക്കുന്ന സത്യമാണിത്!! എല്ലാ അറത്ഥത്തിലും ഒറ്റയാകേണ്ടി വന്നവരാണ് ഈയോബും ക്രിസ്തുവുമൊക്കെ. സുഹൃത്തുക്കളൊക്കെ മാറിനിന്നപ്പോള്, ഏകാന്തത ക്രൂരമായി വേട്ടയാടിയപ്പോളൊക്കെ അവറ്ക്കു വ്യക്തമായത് സൌഹൃദങ്ങളുടെ ഉളളിലെ ഞെട്ടിപ്പിക്കുന്ന ഈ നേറ്ക്കാഴ്ച്ച തന്നെയാണ്. അല്ല, ഏകാന്തതയെന്നത് മനുഷ്യചരിത്രത്തില് രേഖപ്പെടുത്തിയ എറ്റവും പുരാതന ദുഃഖം തന്നെയല്ലേ? ഏദന്റ്റെ പറുദീസയിലെ ആദത്തിന്റ്റെ ഏകാന്തത ഒന്നു ഓറ്ത്തു നോക്കുക.

ചില വിശ്വാസങ്ങള്, തലമുറകളായി മനസില് ഉറപ്പിച്ചു പോന്ന ചില വിശ്വാസങ്ങള് തന്നെ തകരുന്നതു നമുക്കു കാണാം ഈയോബിന്റ്റെയും ക്രിസ്തുവിന്റ്റെയും ജീവിതത്തില്. ദൈവം തന്നോടു ചേറ്ന്നു നില്ക്കുന്നവരെ സംരക്ഷിക്കുന്നു. മോശപ്പെട്ട മനുഷ്യറ്ക്കാണ് മോശമായവ സംഭവിക്കുന്നത്................... വെറുതെയാണ്. നമ്മള് നന്മചെയ്താലും ദുരിതങ്ങള് നമ്മെ വേട്ടയാടിയെന്നിരിക്കും. ക്രിസ്തുപോലും ദൈവത്തോടു ചോദിക്കുന്നു. ‘‘എന്റ്റെ ദൈവമേ, എന്റ്റെ ദൈവമേ, നീയെന്നെ കൈവിട്ടതെന്തേ?‘‘. ഇവിടെ ‘പിതാവേ‘ എന്നു കൂടിയല്ല അഭിസംബോധന, ‘ദൈവമേ‘ എന്നാണ്.

ജീവിതവഴികള് പൂറ്ണ്ണമായും മങ്ങുകയാണ് ..എന്തിനു ജീവിക്കണം. മനസ് ഒരു ഒളിച്ചോട്ടത്തിനു പരുവപ്പെടുന്നു. ഒന്നുകില് എല്ലാം അവസാനിപ്പിക്കാം. അല്ലെങ്കില് യോനാ പ്രവാചകനെപ്പോലെ നിനുവായിലേക്കുളള വഴി മാറി തറ്ശ്ശീശിനു കപ്പല് കയറാം. ഈ വിധ ചിന്തകളൊക്കെ നിന്നിലേക്ക് ഇരച്ചു കയറുമ്പോള് ഓറ്ക്കുക, ഈ ഈസ്റ്ററ് നിനക്കുളള സുവാറ്ത്താ ദിനമാണ്. ഈ വഴികളില് നിനക്കു മുമ്പേ യാത്ര ചെയ്ത് അവയെ അതിജീവിച്ച ക്രിസ്തു ഇതാ നിന്നോടൊപ്പമുണ്ട്. യോനായെപ്പോലെ എറിയ്പ്പെട്ട് കടലാനയാലെന്നപോലെ വിഴുങ്ങപ്പെട്ട് ഒരു പകലിനും രണ്ടു രാവുകള്ക്കുമപ്പുറം ഒരു നിത്യ പ്രഭാതമായി ഉയറ്ത്തെഴുന്നേറ്റ് ഇതാ നിനക്കു വേണ്ടി കാത്തു നില്ക്കുന്നു. „തന്നെ സ്നേഹിക്കുന്നവറ്ക്ക് എല്ലാം നന്മക്കായി കൂടിവ്യാപരിക്കുന്നു“ (Rom. 8:28) വെന്ന സമാശ്വാസ വചനമായി ഈയോബിന് പതിന്മടങ്ങ് ഐശ്വര്യങ്ങള് ലഭിച്ചതായി വിവരിച്ചു കൊണ്ട് ആ പുസ്തകാവസാനത്തിലും, ഈ ഈസ്റ്ററ് കാലത്ത് നിങ്ങളുടെ ഉളളിലും ക്രിസ്തു ജീവിക്കുന്നു.

ഓരോ കഷ്ടാനുഭവങ്ങളും പിന്നീടുളള ഉയറ്പ്പും നമ്മെ പഠിപ്പിക്കുന്നത് ജീവിതത്തിലെ ഏറ്റവും വിലപ്പെട്ട ചില സത്യങ്ങളെയാണ്. കടിനമായ കഷ്ടാനുഭവങ്ങളിലൂടെ കടന്നുപോകുമ്പോള് മാത്രമാണ് ഒരാളുടെ ഏറ്റവും മനോഹരമായ ചില ചൈതന്യങ്ങള്, കഴിവുകള് ആലസ്യം വിട്ടുണരുക. അമ്മയുടെ വേദനയിലൂടെ മാത്രമേ ഇന്നോളം ഓരോ ശിശുവും ഈ ഭൂമിയില് പിറന്നു വീണിട്ടുളളു. പ്യൂപ്പയില് നിന്ന് പുറത്തുവരാനായിട്ട് കഷ്ടപ്പെട്ട പൂമ്പറ്റയെ സഹായിച്ച പരോപകാരിയെപറ്റിയൊരു കഥയുണ്ട്. ഒരു കത്രികകൊണ്ട് ആ പ്യൂപ്പ അയാള് പൊട്ടിച്ചു കൊടുത്തു. ചിറകുബലപ്പെടാത്ത ചിത്രശലഭം താഴെ വീണു ചത്തു. അയാള് അറിഞ്ഞിരുന്നില്ല അത്തരമൊരു കഷ്ടതയിലൂടെയാണ് ആ ജീവിയുടെ ചിറകുകള്ക്ക് ദൃഢത കിട്ടുകയെന്ന്. സഹനങ്ങളിലൂടെ കടന്നു പോകുന്ന സകലമാന മനുഷ്യരും ഈ ഈസ്റ്ററ് ദിനങ്ങളില് അറിഞ്ഞിരിക്കേണ്ട സന്ദേശം, പ്രതിസന്ധിയിലാണ്, പ്രയാസങ്ങളിലാണ് അതിജീവനത്തിന്റ്റെ മുഴുവന് ഊറ്ജ്ജവും പ്രകാശിപ്പിക്കപ്പെടുന്നത് എന്നതാണ്.

നിങ്ങള് പ്രതിസന്ധികളിലൂടെ കടന്നുപോകുന്നുവെങ്കില് എനിക്കു നിങ്ങളോടു പറയാനുളളത് ഇത്രമാത്രമാണ്. സുഹൃത്തേ, ദയവായി കാത്തിരിക്കുക. നിങ്ങളുടെ ഉളളിലെ ക്രിസ്തുവിനെ ഉയറ്ത്തെഴുന്നേല്ക്കാന് അനുവദിക്കുക. ഇതിന് രണ്ട് രാവിന്റ്റെയും ഒരു പകലിന്റ്റെയും കാത്തിരിപ്പ് ആവശ്യമാണ്. കാത്തിരിപ്പിന്റ്റെ ദൂരത്താല് തളറ്ന്നു പോകാതിരിപ്പാനും, പ്രതിസന്ധികളില് പതറാതെ മുന്നോട്ടു പോകാനും മശിഹായുടെ പുനരുദ്ധാനം നിങ്ങളെ സഹായിക്കും.

Picture of the week (Theme: Spring)

2010-04-04T11:49:00.000+02:00

Picture of the week

Featured theme: Spring

Youth-MSOCME wishes you all a very happy easter!

2010-04-04T10:50:00.000+02:00

Youth-MSOCME wishes you all a very happy easter!

St. Mary's സിറിയന്‍ ഓര്‍ത്തഡോക്‍സ്‌ ചര്‍ച്ച് സ്വിറ്റ്സര്‍ലന്‍ഡ് ഹോശാന പെരുന്നാള്‍ നടത്തി..

2010-04-01T09:57:00.002+02:00

News: http://vartha.ch/MAR2010/28/hosanna.htm

DUKHA VELLIYAZHCHA NAMASKARA KRAMAM

2010-04-01T09:40:00.000+02:00

DUKHA VELLIYAZHCHA NAMASKARA KRAMAM is now available for free download for use during the Haasa Week (passion week)

Click to download the file...
Transliterated from the Haasa Namaskaram of Malankara Jacobite Syrian Christians
by Youth Association, St. Mary's MSO Church, Vienna

The treasure map of Holy week!

2010-03-30T12:38:00.001+02:00