ഉണര്‍ന്നിരുന്നു പ്രാര്‍ത്ഥിക്കുവിന്‍..!

Prayer before work...

HG.Mor Theophilose Metropolitan inaugurated One Day Retreat in New York

NEW YORK: A joint one day conference and retreat organized by St. Mary's Women's league and St.Pauls Prayer Fellowship of Malankara Archdiocese Eastern Region held at St.Marys Syrian Orthodox Church, Lynbrook, Newyork on march 6th Saturday,2010. His Grace Dr.Kuriakose Mor Theophilos metropolitan (Resident Bishop of Udayagiri Seminary & Central Europe ) inaugurated the meeting and delivered keynote address." I have set an example for you " (St.John 13:15) was the theme for the conference.  V.Rev.Dr.Adai Jacob Corepiscopo (Principal,Udayagiri Seminar, Rev. Dr. A.P. George, Mr.Vivek Alex lead various sessions such as study class, retreat and discussion. A quiz competition also were conducted lead by Mr.Reji Paul and Mrs.Susan Varkey. St.Marys church choir sing melodious songs during the sessions. V.Rev.Fr.Varkey Mundackal Corepiscopo, V.Rev.Issac Paily Corepiscopo, Rev.Dr.Varghese manikat (Diocesan secretary), Rev.Fr. Geevarghese Jacob Chalissery(Dio.Joint. Secretary) , Rev. Fr. Geevargheese Chattathil,Mrs.Elmy Paul(General secretary, Womens league), Mr.Biju Cherian (General secretary, St.Pauls Fellowship), Chevaliar Varghese Parambath(Diocesan Council member) and 300 representatives of Womens league and St. Pauls Fellowship from all parishes within the region attended this blessed occasion.

Nombukalachinthakal

One day retreat on 06 Mar 2010 by Vanitha Samajam, St. Marys MSOC Vienna

Following the practice, one-day retreat was organized by the Vanitha Samajam of the St. Mary’s Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church, Vienna during 2010 Great Lent period also. It was held on Saturday, the 6th of March 2010 at St. Mary’s MSO Church, Vienna, under the leadership of Rev. Fr. Biju Parekkattil, Vicar of the Church, and Rev. Fr. Prince Paulose, a veteran theologian and a doctorate scholar based in Rome, Italy.

Rev. Fr. Biju Parekkattil asserted the need of repentance with firm belief that He the Jesus Christ would pardon and wash away the sins of those who really repent and come forth unto Him.  Rev. Fr. Biju further wished and prayed that let the Great Lent period be a raison d'être for such a repentance, reversal and U-turn.

The main topic of Rev. Fr. Prince Paulose was the importance and necessities of keeping own home as a role-model of real Christian life and becoming more subservient to the Almighty.  He pointed out that deterioration and diminution of peace and happiness in every home are increasing in this modern world. Rev. Fr. Prince spotted out that lack of tolerance and forbearance are the main causes of conflict and the repercussions of such conflicts within home are innumerable and would be enduring as it would adversely influence the children.  He reminded one and all that the present generation has a duty to shape up spiritually healthy future generation in leading peaceful and joyful life. 

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

Photos of one-day retreat 

Thoughts in the Lent season...

ടെന്മാര്‍ക്കിലേയ് ഏറ്റവും വലിയ എക്കുമെനിക്കല്‍ ആരാധന നടത്തപ്പെട്ടു

കൊപെന്ഹഗെന്‍ -ടെന്മാര്‍ക്കിന്റ്റെയ്    ചരിത്രത്തിന്റെ തന്നെ ഭാഗമായ ഏറ്റവും വലിയ എക്കുമെനിക്കല്‍ ആരാധനയായ ചര്ച്ച് ട്രാവല്‍ ഇന്‍ സിറ്റി രണ്ടായിരത്തി പത്തു ജനുവരി മാസം പത്തൊന്‍പതാം തീയതി ടെന്മാര്‍ക്കിന്റെയ് തലസ്ഥാനമായ കോപെന്ഹഗേനില്‍ വച്ച് നടത്തപ്പെട്ടു.ആയിരത്തി തൊള്ളായിരത്തി അന്‍പത്തി അഞ്ചില്‍ ആള്ബാന്‍ സെര്ചിസംഫന്ടെറ്റ് എന്നസംഘടനയുടെ നേതൃത്തത്തില്‍ ആരംഭിച്ച ഈ ക്രിസ്ത്യന്‍ കൂട്ടായ്മയുടെ പ്രത്യേകത രാജ്യത്തെ എല്ലാ ക്രിസ്ത്യന് ‍സഭകളുടയും മെത്രാന്മാരും ,വൈദീക-അല്‍മായ പ്രതിനിധികളും ഒര്മിച്ചുകൂടി അല്മായര്‍ ,വൈദീകര്‍ ,മെത്രാന്മാര്‍ എന്ന ക്രമത്തില് ‍ടെന്മാര്‍ക്കിന്റെയ് പ്രധാന വഴികളിലൂടായ് പ്രദീക്ഷണം ആയി ഏറ്റവും പഴക്കമുള്ളതും, പ്രധാനപ്പെട്ടതുമായ, വ്യതസ്ത സഭകളുടായ് ദേവാലയങ്ങളില്‍ പ്രവേശിച്ചു അതതു സഭയുടെ ക്രമീകരനമാനുസരിച്ചു ആരാധന നടത്തി ലോകസമാധാനത്തിനും ക്രൈസ്തവ പുരോഗതിക്കും വേണ്ടി പ്രത്യേകം പ്രാര്‍ത്ഥന നടത്തുന്നതുമാണ്. .അന്‍പത്തി ആറാം വര്‍ഷമായ ഈ വര്‍ഷത്തെ ആരാധനയില്‍ ,യാക്കോബായ സുറിയാനി സഭ ,കത്തോലിക്കാ സഭ ,റഷ്യന്‍ ഓര്‍ത്തഡോക്‍സ്‌ സഭ ,ലുതെരിന്‍ സഭ ,ജെരുസേലേം മേതോടിസ്റ്റ് സഭ ,കോപ്ടിക് സഭ ,ഉക്രൈന്‍ ഓര്‍ത്തഡോക്‍സ്‌ സഭ ,ആഗ്ലിക്കന്‍ സഭ ,സ്വീഡിഷ് സഭ ,തുടങ്ങിയ സഭകളുടെ പ്രാധിനിത്യം ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു.

  Report by: Fr. Eldhose Vattaparambil, Copenhagen

The Significance of the Nineveh Nombu for us today (Article by HG.Dr. Geevarghese Mor Koorilose Metropolitan)

Article by HG.Dr. Geevarghese Mor Koorilose Metropolitan

Although the least in terms of the number of days of fast, the "Nineveh Nombu" is one of the most important fasts in the Syrian Orthodox Church tradition. Fasting is meant to be a sign of our giving up of our ego or `selves' for the sake of others. They are, in other words, occasions of self-emptying or `kenosis' of which the supreme example is Jesus Christ himself (Phil.2). Prayer and fasting are two cardinal corner stones of a Christian life. The what , the why and the how of prayer and fasting are clearly explicated in the Sermon on the Mount (Mt.6). Prophet Isaiah brings home to us the concrete manifestation of a genuine spiritual life, itself rooted in prayer and fasting.

Exposing the hypocrisy and the pseudo-spirituality of the people of his time, the prophet challenges them to observe lent and fasting the way God wants them to observe it:

Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
And to strike with a wicked fist
Such fasting as you do today
Will not make your voice heard on High
Is such the fast that I choose
A day to humble oneself?
Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush
And to lie down in sackcloth and ashes?
Will you call this a fast
A day acceptable to the LORD?

Is not this the fast that I choose
To loose the bonds of injustice
To undo the thongs of yoke
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
And bring the homeless to your house
………(Is.58:4-7)

Fasting is an occasion for us to live through the pain of poverty and starvation. For most of us, fasting has become an easy option of `dieting', which many of us do need to shed the extra kilos that gain, given that we all live in a consumerist society such as today's. As my own spiritual guru, the late lamented Yakoob Mar Themotheose thirumeni, taught me, fasting should enable us to feel the pain of hunger, which, in turn, will make us compassionate to the poor and the hungry. Unfortunately, we have lost this dimension of serving the poor some where along the lines. May this time of "Moonu Nombu" be a time for us to reclaim and recover this lost sense of charity and compassion towards the less privileged and the needy among us.

The story of Jonah has many lessons for us. Let me highlight just one of them here. All human beings have some sense of pride and ego within themselves- a false sense of prestige. Prophets were no exception to this rule- Jonah certainly wasn't one. He knew that his obeying God's commandment to preach in Nineveh had some risks involved with it. He knew quite well that his God was a compassionate God. He was asked to bring the message of God's anger and wrath onto the people of Nineveh. He knew that when people would regret their ways of living and return to the LORD, they would be forgiven and redeemed. It happened exactly the way he `feared'. For Jonah it was a matter of great disappointment.

His ego was hurt, his `name' affected and pride shaken. He wanted God to punish the people as he had prophesied so that `his' words would come true. But God thinks and acts beyond our perceptions and calculations. Jonah was much more concerned about his prophecy being fulfilled than God's compassion towards the people and their welfare. It is a clear case where even prophets get their priorities wrong. This, in fact, is a grave temptation for all of us, especially for those who work in the vineyard of the LORD- a desire to keep our `selves' in tact, to get our predictions right, even at the cost of the ruin of others around us. We should always strive for the wellbeing of others even if it comes at the expense of our pride and name.

This is the challenge of all feasts, especially the Nineveh Nombu, to risk ourselves for the sake of the gospel and Christ, particularly for the poor and the downtrodden in whom Christ can be encountered in our daily lives.

May God have mercy upon us, be gracious to us, and accept the fast of the Holy Church, as HE accepted the fast of the people of Nineveh and spared them.

Three Days Fast of Nineveh ( 25 - 28 Jan 2010)

Our "Fast of Nineveh" or "Jonah's Fast" begins today  and ends on 28th (Thursday) January, 2010. The three day fast of Nineveh commemorates the three days that Prophet Jonah spent inside the fish (for the story, see the Book of Jonah in the Old Testament). This fast is unique to the Syriac Orthodox Church which it passed to other Oriental Churches such as Coptic and Armenian. It is observed for three days from the tenth Monday before Easter Sunday.

The "Fast of Nineveh" or "Jonah's Fast" comprises three days of fasting, followed by the Feast of Jonah itself. This liturgical celebration of our Church is set just a few days after Epiphany and two weeks before Great Lent. The Church's positioning the fast in this liturgical sequence has a mystical significance. During the service of Matins on the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of that week, the entire Book of Jonah is read. Why indeed should the Church devote so much attention to such a short book written by such an obscure prophet? (In fact, all we know about Jonah himself comes just from his book and a single reference to him in 2Kings 14:25.) Succinctly put, the Church sees within this book's simple story an icon of Christ symbolically represented.

How could such a "cute" story about an unwilling prophet who gets swallowed by a fish when he tries to escape doing God's will carry such a profound meaning? Unlike other prophetic books, the Book of Jonah does not contain "words of prophecy," as such, but rather it tells a tale of Jonah's personal encounter with the Lord. Using a story motif, Jonah's prophecy speaks to us not with words but with symbols. Reading these symbols spiritually, we behold the mystery of salvation in Christ exemplified in imagistic types. Indeed, it is no wonder that this book also portrays a unique instance in the Old Testament of God's love and concern not just for His own people, Israel, but for a nation of Gentiles who were actually Israel's enemies. Here again we find an archetype of Christ's mission of salvation extending beyond Israel to embrace the whole world, all the enemies of God.

Historically, this fast is one of the most rigorously observed fasts in the Syriac Orthodox Church. The faithful traditionally refrain from food and drink for three consecutive days, from Monday till Wednesday! Some observe the fast by refraining from food (and drink if they so wish) from morning till sunset during the three days. The church enjoins you to at least refrain from meat, fish and dairy products during the period of fasting.

The faithful are urged to go to church after this fast (or the following Sunday) and receive the Holy Qurbono (the Eucharist).

Please keep praying... for Haiti

Heavenly Father, I want to say THANK YOU,

... because this morning I woke up and knew
where my children were;
because this morning my home was still standing,
because this morning I was able to drink a glass of water,
because this morning I was able to turn on the light,
because this morning I was able to take a shower,
because this morning I am not crying for my husband, my child,
my brother or sister buried underneath a pile of concrete,
because this morning I was not planning a funeral,

.... but most of all I thank you this morning
because I still have life and a voice to cry out for the people of Haiti.

Lord I cry out to You,
the One that makes the impossible...possible,
the One that turns darkness in to light.
I cry out that You give those mothers strength,
that You give them peace that surpasses all understanding.
that You may open the streets so that help can come,
that You may provide doctors, nurses, relief workers,
food, water, and all that they need in a blink of an eye.

For all those that have lost family members ....
give them peace,
give them hope,
give them courage to continue to go on!

Protect the children, the widows, the sick, the old ... and shield them with your power.

I pray all this in the most precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ!!!
..because we here are truly blessed!

How do you pray?? - A spiritual short film