+++ Indian, Orthodox & Christian

A Sunday Only Christian

2011-12-21T00:52:00.000-05:00

For the longest time, I was very vocal that one of our biggest problems in our Church was that we were "Sunday only" Christians i.e., we attend Church "religiously" on Sunday, but on all other days returned to our normal world.

More and more though, I'm beginning to understand that our issue is actually not that we are Sunday-only Christians, but rather we're not even Christians on Sunday!

St. John Chrysostom from his homily on 1st Timothy:

Let us learn at last to be Christians! If we know not how to pray, which is a very simple and easy thing, what else shall we know? Let us learn to pray like Christians. The Christian's (prayers) are the reverse, for the forgiveness and forgetting of offenses against us.

St. John then used St Stephen, who is remembered in our Church as the chief of the deacons and the first of the martyrs, as an example:

Hear Stephen saying, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge." Instead of praying against them, he prayed for them. You, instead of praying for them, utter imprecations against them. You then are wicked in the degree that he was excellent. Whom do we admire, tell me; those for whom he prayed, or him who prayed for them? Him certainly! And if we, much more then God. Would you have your enemy stricken? pray for him: yet not with such intention, not to strike him. That will indeed be the effect, but let it not be your object. That blessed martyr suffered all unjustly, yet he prayed for them: we suffer many things justly from our enemies.

The Saints understood that we had to learn to be like Christ. Moreover, they had no instruction on how to live their own life other than the life of Christ Himself. No excuses were given that the teaching was not "practical" to our day-to-day life ... instead, our holy role-models dedicated their life to God and eagerly sought not what improved their own wealth, health or stature but rather changing themselves to be like Him.

If we were truly were "Sunday-only" Christians - one who at least one day a week, completely gave up our own life to learn and become like our Lord, there is no doubt that this world would become a better place.

Again, leaning back on the wisdom of St. John Chrysostom, this time in his homily on the Gospel of St. John:

And we shall be able to do this, if we are bold, and give heed to the Scriptures, and hear them not carelessly. For if one should come in here regularly, even though he read not at home, if he attends to what is said here, one year even is sufficient to make him well versed in them; because we do not today read one kind of Scriptures, and tomorrow another, but always and continually the same.

The blessed Saint then acknowledges the pitiful state of those who call themselves disciples of Christ even in the ancient days, and what really is the core of the issues of our Church today:

Still such is the wretched disposition of the many, that after so much reading, they do not even know the names of the Books, and are not ashamed nor tremble at entering so carelessly into a place where they may hear God's word. Yet if a harper, or dancer, or stage-player call the city, they all run eagerly, and feel obliged to him for the call, and spend the half of an entire day in attending to him alone; but when God speaks to us by Prophets and Apostles, we yawn, we scratch ourselves, we are drowsy.

Rather than being the problem, the solution is really that we need to START by becoming Sunday-only Christians! As we see in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Christ (i.e., the Samaritan) brings the wounded to the Church (i.e., the Inn), and there starts our healing.

On Sunday, in the Presence of the God, through prayer, fellowship (Matthew 18:20 i.e., "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them"), through Scripture and the Body and Blood (John 6) ... our lives can and should change. We learn that we cannot look at anything in the same manner, for in Christ all things are made new (Revelations 21:5). We become healed.

And from Sunday, after learning from the fullness of the Word, we start to become like Him if we truly mean all the prayers, responses and hymns that are sung. The experience of Divine Worship brings within us His Presence, and like the Prophet Isaiah we become completely and totally "undone" (Isaiah Chapter 6). The more we understand and grow, our whole life will change and we naturally continue through the week with a greater understanding of how a Christian should live.

Being a Sunday-only Christian is really not a bad starting point.

#comeonbro

2011-11-14T17:34:00.000-05:00

Hash tags (or whatever they are called) often make me laugh out loud .. one example is #comeonbro, and this comes to mind at work or when I read something just crazy ...

Here in Chicago, there's a very popular pastor that invokes this reaction more often than I like to admit ... most recently, he wrote:

"We often let customs and traditions overwhelm the dynamic life of our relationship with God. Think about your Sunday routine for a minute. Can you explain why you do each of the things you do? Or is your spiritual life simply “what I’ve always done”? I don’t want to come to church and learn about customs and traditions. I want to know what the Word of God says. I want a church to be biblical. I don’t care about preachers wearing hats that are three feet high or capes. I don’t want anything that isn’t in the Scriptures."

Really? Come on bro!

We all have to learn about who Christ is because ... He is God! In the words of C.S. Lewis, "I want God, not my idea of God".

The 3-feet high hats and capes .. they do have a meaning. We are plagued by the fact that many in our Church are not aware of this meaning .. but facts are facts, and Truth is Truth.

For the ancient Church, all these images are supposed to invoke the understanding that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the 2nd person of the Holy Trinity .. the same who knocked the Apostles to the ground through His Glory (Matthew 17:1-9, Mark 9:2-8, Luke 9:28-36). The same Jesus Christ who in His Second Coming is described in the Book of Revelations by St. John, the Apostle whom many say was very close to Christ, in terms that are beyond description.

We do not approach Church to worship God with the mindset that we know everything there is to know about who He is - rather, with humility and willingness and, as the Divine Liturgy says, with our hearts and minds - our job is to learn and grow in Him through Scripture, prayer, fellowship and the Body and Blood. This is our understanding of the early Church as explained in Acts 2:42.

My Church is Biblical - 100%. And yes, my priests and Bishops wear hats and capes. #comeonbro

BHAG

2011-11-09T01:44:00.001-04:00

At the simplest and the most fundamental level, the goal of every Christian is to be like Christ. Our Big Hairy Audacious Goal is to "be perfect, therefore, like your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48).

Some will counter that the goal is rather to simply be with Christ forever (as opposed to spending eternity with the Devil) ... others argue our goal is to escape punishment. Some even teach that we have no control over what God does to us, and essentially we are born lucky or unlucky, loved or unloved.

The message in the Gospel emphasizes a God who is Love, and the early Church writings uphold this Truth. Moreover, Christ provides clear instruction to His followers e.g., teaching in the temple, Jesus taught, "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12). But, in the Sermon on the Mount, we see Him seated with His disciples and teach, "You are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14).

The message throughout the Gospel is clear i.e., be like Christ. But, to be like someone, we have to know who that person is ... so to be like Christ, we have to know who He is.

The start of the Liturgical Calendar of the Indian Orthodox Church is known as Koodhosh Eetho, or Sanctification of the Church, and in the Gospel reading for this day we hear Christ asking His disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" (Matthew 16:13-23). The following week (Hoodhosh Eetho, or Dedication of Church), we hear Christ say, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand." (John 10:22-38).

We have to know Christ and recognize His voice, and through a personal relationship with Christ we continue to know Him. Each interaction is one of growing understanding and enrichment, and our relationship goes well beyond any obligation or namesake.

For a Christian, these interactions occur through prayer (i.e., talking with God) and Scripture (i.e., the written Word) ... but we also know from the Holy Scripture that there is direct interaction with Christ when we have fellowship with others (Matthew 18:20, "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them”) and the Eucharist, the real Body and Blood of Christ (John 6:53-58).

This was the marks of the early Church i.e., Acts 2:42 - "And they continued steadfastly in the Apostle's doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of the bread, and in prayers".

If we avoid, disregard or diminish the importance of any of these opportunities to know God, we simply will be unable to experience the fullness of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. Let's be clear - there is no doubt that there are Christians who, even without having this fullness, live very Christ-like lives. But, this really is not for us to judge. We can definitely learn and apply the good actions and behaviors to our own situation ... but we are not to make any conclusions on the "effectiveness" of Scripture over prayer, Eucharist over fellowship, etc. This fullness in Christ is what we simply know "The Way", and we are to willingly and obediently follow even if things don't quite make sense. This is the definition of Faith.

Not surprisingly, we can again turn to the Gospel for guidance - in Luke 24:13-35, two disciples (St. Cleopas and tradition says the 2nd was St. Luke himself) were walking away from Jerusalem to Emmaus after the Crucifixion of our Lord. As they were walking, Christ Himself came into their midst but "their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him" (v16). During this memorable walk, the disciples gave witness, they discussed Scripture, they were in fellowship .. we see they had passion, as their hearts were "burning" (v.32) .. but not until Christ "sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them" (v.30) were there eyes opened and they saw.

The Orthodox Study Bible notes, our hearts do burn as this is "the inescapable effect of hearing the Holy Scriptures taught correctly and with faith. This burning is the conviction that the words and promises are true". And then, when "all who commune with the Lord in His risen Body in faith", our eyes are opened, "for the Lord is known most perfectly in the breaking of the bread".

This is our understanding of the Holy Eucharist (i.e., the Holy Qurbana) - not as rituals, customs, rules .. but as a Holy and most perfect interaction with our Lord. And, it's very important to note, if we partake without prayer, preparation or understanding, we are condemning ourselves (1 Corinthians 11:27-29).

We must know Christ, and we must be like Him - not just partially, but in His fullness. That is our goal - our BHAG.

After the crossroads ...

2011-11-02T02:17:00.001-04:00

I continue to be humbled when questioned why I haven't written in awhile. I began this blog many moons ago out of exasperation and feelings of confusion, frustration and often anger against the Orthodox Church ... however, looking back even to my earliest days as a child (and as the title of this blog reflects) I never doubted that there was and always will be only One Jesus Christ.

I just didn't know who He was, and everything that had been explained to me wasn't consistent with the Christ I had been reading about in the Gospels.

The past several years have been an incredible blessing, and the best way to describe the feeling was like I had been banging my head against a wall for so long, and then looked up and realized there was a door just slightly to my right. Long and memorable discussions with (now) Fr. Zachariah Diju Skariah years back before he entered Seminary accelerated a process of learning so much about early Christian teaching and the realization that our Indian Orthodox Church, as broken as it may appear on the outside, did uphold the fullness of the Faith.

Yet, my writings have gone down ... and when asked, I usually use a few of the excuses in my arsenal - 3 kids (the little one just about to enter her terrible twos), living in a 2-income house, busy work/life balance, an unexpected job hunt last year, more involvement with the Church, getting older, etc..

But, as I was looking back at the crazy stuff I wrote, and the 132 incomplete blog posts that I started writing and never completed ... I know deep down the main reason is best explained in one of my favorite books, 'The Orthodox Way' -

'The traveler on the Spiritual Way, the further he advances, becomes increasingly conscience of two contrasting facts - of the otherness and yet the nearness of the Eternal. In the first place, he realizes more and more that God is mystery. ... Yet, in the second place, this God of mystery is at the same time uniquely close to us, filling all things, present everywhere and within us.

The more I learned and became aware that there indeed was a Truth, and keep being amazed at the overwhelming evidence that our God is a God of Love and His Incarnation had nothing to do with a "pay-off", and that He indeed did not create a place called Hell but rather His love never forces anyone to love Him back the same way He does us ... everything changed. As the prophet Isaiah wrote, I became undone.

Ironically, I still am often left with the same emotions of confusion, frustration and anger, but in a different way as it's not about me, the individual, any longer. There's also the overwhelming realization and understanding that I continue to fail and be a sinner (Lord have mercy).

But, the strongest emotion that always prevails is one of hope in the future of the Indian Orthodox Church in America. Especially as a father of 3 beautiful children and a wife who has genuinely tried to learn alongside my ups and downs, this is so important that we keep moving forward and strive towards the vision that all Orthodox Churches are commanded to have - one of a mission-oriented, Christ-centered family that worships together.

The road ahead will no doubt continue to be a test of patience and I know that sadly it'll be more with my own generation than the leadership of this Church. But, perhaps writing again will spread the awareness ... an if nothing else, may help pass the time until we see a Mission Church in Chicago, which I'm convinced is not only necessary but critical to help us continue working on our Christ-like transformation (theosis).

There is a beauty in Christianity that surprisingly very few seem to know, and the potential of our Divine Liturgy (Holy Qurbana) in America to teach the beauty of the Christian faith will never cease to excite me.

I continue to ask questions, as I continue to love God with all my heart, soul and mind. But my questions are no longer grounded in doubt and anger, but rather awe, love and humility (James 1:2-8). I beg forgiveness if my future writings offend anyone, as that is not my intent ... at the end, there is a beautiful simplicity in Christ as He is taught through the ancient teachings and hope that as I share more of what I learn and the mistakes I make, it'll be learning points for others to get to the realization a lot faster in life than I did.

In Christ,

One Lord, Jesus Christ ...

2011-10-25T22:01:00.001-04:00

"But the faith is given. There is one faith, one hope, one baptism, one Lord, one God and Father of us all. There is one church. There is one truth. And that is there from the beginning. But the teaching about it, the defense of it, the explanation, the testimony, the witnessing, the praying, the doxologizing, the hymning, in a sense, you might even dare to say that the expressions of that are virtually infinite, because as we move through history, and as new people come and as new questions arise, those explications and formulations and defenses will continue. But the truth is one and the same.It says in the letter to the Hebrews, “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever.” He brings all things new, but beyond Him, there is no new thing essentially to be added."

- Fr. Thomas Hopko

Christ is Risen!

2011-04-24T21:25:00.002-04:00

Long before midnight, along the walls built with colossal stones, you could see endless lines of gray shadows passing the silent snow covered towers of the monastery, moving toward the old church… It is quiet. In silence the exhausted souls wait the holy words of the paschal prayers. Their ears strain to catch the singing from the open doors of the church. During this dark night, playing in multiple colours, danced the rays of the Northern Lights… Then, from the wide opened doors of the church appears a procession – a procession never seen or imagined before. Seventeen bishops in vestments surrounded by lit torches, over 200 priests, as many monks followed by waves of those whose hearts and thoughts were soaring toward their Savior in this mysterious, unforgettable night… Suddenly, with a voice of unearthly power sounded the words pronounced by Bishop Illarion: “LET GOD ARISE, AND LET HIS ENEMIES BE SCATTERED”… Then, just as powerfully, “CHRIST IS RISEN!” “INDEED HE IS RISEN!” flowed over the snow covered fields. “INDEED HE IS RISEN!” resounded under the glorious dome of the lit up sky. “INDEED HE IS RISEN!” echoed in the depth of the forest… Swollen, white lips, bloody, cracked, whispered the words of the promised eternal life. In a victorious, joyous song joined those whose death was so near, death they could expect at any minute, any day… The walls of the prison built by bloody hands fell. Christ’s blood spilled in love gives eternal and joyous life… That night the words “AND UPON THOSE IN THE TOMBS BESTOWING LIFE!” resounded as an inextinguishable truth. The joy of hope tore into their torn hearts and earthly suffering: the eternal life of the Spirit of Christ made them say, “We shall die, but we shall be raised! We shall be born again!”… And I will never forget it! NEVER!

From one of my favorite Ancient Faith Radio podcasts by Fr. John Hainsworth from his series 'Paradosis' titled 'This is not a safe book'

Holy Saturday

2011-04-22T23:21:00.003-04:00

Evening Kauma:

Ento-mb’d Thou effaced perdi-tion of tomb
Christ e-fface death, raise our dead -from the tomb.

Qurbana Kauma:

Christ Who- Effaced our Death by- Thy death –
Raise to life, the dead and have me-rcy on us.

Good Friday

2011-04-21T22:39:00.004-04:00

Procession 1:

Cross He carried on shoulders
As He came out from the fort
Hebrew women assembled
Weeping and wailing for Him
Holy Mother stood afar
With her kin waiting for Him
Overcome with grief and pain.
Like a dove she moaned and cried,
“Where, where are they taking you
My Son, my beloved one?
O, why Thou did Thyself give
Unto these unrighteous ones?
My Son, my beloved One
O, what has befallen Thee?
Blessed is Thy lowliness
And passion all - for – our – sake.”

Procession 2:

Joseph, hailing from, land of A-rimathea
He was one righteous, and venera-ble.
Beseeching He came, unto Pi-late’s Court
Pleading for Jesus’, Body Di-vine
Body of Savior
Most Holy – Treasure
Grant Thou me, Ru-ler
I may bu - ry Him – my – self
Crucified was He, on a Cross by Jews
Give it unto me, for my de-light

Veneration of the Cross:

We – bow – be-fore Your Cross
That brought us salva-tion
And with the – thief we cry out
Christ remem-ber us when- You come

(prose)

(song)

Morning Kauma:

Christ sa-ved us by Passion and lowliness
Let us, kneel and adore Him this morning.

3rd Hour Kauma:

Thy ser- vant questioned Thee Christ, on trial
Have me-rcy on us, at Thy- Judgment Day

6th Hour Kauma:

Thy ser-vant disdained Thee Christ, on trial
Have me-rcy on us, at Thy - Judgment Day

9th Hour Kauma:

Christ Thou- effaced her who cru-cified Thee
For us – Is Thy Cross refuge and fortress

Holy Thursday (Luke 22:14-30)

2011-04-20T19:33:00.009-04:00

Christ who by Thy Pasch
freed the Paschal Lamb
Gladden, All of us
blessed by, this Thy Pasch.

Praise to Thee, O Lord,
Praise to Thy Father
Glory and honor to Thy Holy Ghost.
Grace and mercy be upon us, sinners

May this pray’r ascend,
Lord un-to Thy Throne
Inside portals of Jerusalem high

Praise to - Thee, Messiah, Praise - unto Thee
Lord our – refuge for- ever,
BAREKMOR

[Click for explanation of Icon]

[Download from St. Mary's Syrian Orthodox Cathedral website]

God wept

2011-04-19T23:32:00.001-04:00

The story of Lazarus (John 11:28-46) is the Gospel passage read the day before Palm Sunday.

The story is one that is familiar to most Christians - Lazarus is dead for 4 days, Jesus wept, and then Jesus performs a miracle by raising Lazarus from the dead.

But, as with all Holy Scripture, the meaning is infinitely deeper. Fr. Thomas Hopko explains that the raising of Lazarus is the "ultimate Messianic sign in the Gospel - it is the proof that He is the Resurrection and the Life, that He is the one who has power over life and death".

As the Messiah, Christ fulfilled all prophecies of the Old Testament (reflected also in the icon above by the scroll in Jesus' left hand). As God, He had control over death thereby proving to those who need proof that Christ voluntarily gave Himself to death.

But ... the shortest verse of this passage arguably teaches the most profound and mind-boggling awesomeness of our God i.e., John 11:35 - "Jesus wept."

Lazarus died, Jesus wept, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.

When this story is read with the context of the Passion week, and with the knowledge that Jesus was truly Divine (John 1:1-5):

Man died, God wept, God raised man from the dead.

In Genesis, man disobeys God and this disobedience resulted in His beloved creation to experience death (Genesis 2:17). The fall of man (Genesis 3:22) came from sin ... death was not a "punishment" from God, but rather the result of the free actions of Adam and Eve.

St. Gregory the Theologian wrote - “Yet here too He provides a benefit – namely death, which cuts off sin, so that evil may not be everlasting. Thus His punishment is changed into a mercy” (Orthodox Study Bible Note, 'Ancestral Sin', page 7).

But, God wept ... just as Christ wept for his friend Lazarus.

And, in the words of the blessed St. Athanasius - what was God to do? Could He just forget about His beloved creation?

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17)

God became man as Jesus Christ, the Messiah, so that man could once again be like God and, by our own free will, become what we had been created for .. to be like Him (Genesis 1:26, Matthew 5:48)

The raising of Lazarus is a foreshadowing of all that is to come during the Holy Week .. but started with God humbling Himself to become man. St. Mary, the mother of God, through her humility and pious life became the vessel through which the Divine and uncreated One became a man ... and put into motion God's plan to save man from death by His own sacrifice on the Cross.

He who has power over death gave Himself to death for us. He who can create out of nothing saved us because of the love He had for his creation.

How meaningful the entire Scripture - Old and New Testament - becomes when we read with this understanding .. the fullness of teaching that Christ Himself gave us.

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins ... But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (from Ephesians 2:1-7)

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom ... but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (from Isaiah 40:28-31)

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. (from 1 Peter 2:9-10)

"See how He loved him!", cried the onlookers (John 11:36) as they saw Jesus weeping. And with every page we turn in Scripture ... we should always see how He loves us.

This indeed is the perfect meditation, not just for the Holy Week but our entire Christian walk -

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)

Palm Sunday (Luke 19:28-40)

2011-04-18T20:01:00.008-04:00

Palm Sunday Procession Song:

Who did raise me up the mount
Jeru-salem, the holy hill.
Hosanna – Hosanna!
Hosanna – Son of David!

Son of God, to the city ride
Mounted on a colt I see.

Prophets’ holy band I see
Walking all ahead of Him

Sacred band of Apostles
Follow Him closely behind

Olive branches holding high
Little children sing and praise

Earth and Heaven Hosanna!
Hosanna, Son of David!

He who came and is to come,
Blessed Lord, praise unto Thee!

[Click for explanation of Icon]

[Download from St. Mary's Syrian Orthodox Cathedral website]

Note to all parents ...

2011-02-04T22:28:00.000-05:00

If we expect our children and grandchildren to grow into adulthood, as practicing Orthodox Christians, we must give daily witness to the importance of our faith in our every day life. If we are lax in our fasting, church attendance, and piety, our children will see by our lack of seriousness, a faith that will mean nothing to them. If they do not see us keeping a prayer rule, they will not have prayer as a part of their lives. If they do not see us putting the divine services before entertainment, they will abandon Orthodoxy, once they've left the nest.

Abbot Tryphon

Marriage: A Path to Holiness

2010-10-07T21:39:00.007-04:00

A single, beautiful picture that explains the early Christian Church understanding of the Sacrament of Marriage i.e., a path to holiness

All content and images are copyright Nate Mathai Photography.

Please contact Nate Mathai for any photography services ... Nate is based in the greater Chicagoland area in Illinois, but can travel as well for assignment. Contact information at his website!

How we live ...

2010-10-04T19:57:00.003-04:00

When we live according to the moral principles of our Faith, those around us may respond in three possible ways.

First, they may be so impressed by the example of our goodness, and so envious of the joy which it brings, that they want to join us and become like us. That is the response which we most earnestly desire.

Second, they may be indifferent to us, because they are so bound up with their own selfish cares and concerns; although their eyes may perceive our way of life, their hearts are blind, so we are unable to stir them.

Third, they may react against us, feeling threatened by our example and even angry with us; thus they will cling even more firmly to their material possessions and selfish ambitions, and slander us at every opportunity. Naturally we dread this third type of reaction, because we want to live in peace with our neighbors, regardless of their personal beliefs and values.

But, if no one reacts to us in this way, we must wonder whether we are truly fulfilling the commandments of Christ

-- St. John Chrysostom

Exaltation of the Holy Cross

2010-09-19T22:04:00.002-04:00

Gospel reading for Feast of the Holy Cross: Luke 21:5-28

Gospel reading for 1st Sunday after Holy Cross: Mark 13:28-37

The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Cross on September 14^th. This is an important feast for Orthodox and Catholic Churches, and traces back to the ancient Christian days of St. Constantine and St Helen, and the discovery of the actual Cross that our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified.

The Gospel reading on the Sunday after that Feast is from Mark 13:28-37, and in this passage we hear the message very clearly – Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

Christ died on the Cross, rose from the dead and He ascended into Heaven. By His death, our death has been destroyed … we have eternal life.

The birth of Christ to Mother Mary, the Theotokos, the crucifixion of our Lord on the Cross, the glorious Resurrection, the establishment of the Church and the gift of the Holy Spirit … this is all part of the Divine Plan for eternal life, and is to be remembered on this Feast of the Cross.

As we read in 1 Corinthians 1:18 - “The message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to use who are being saved it is the power of God”. As Christians, we believe and confess that Christ did “trample death by death, ending this our death”, and our Salvation is the healing and restoration of mankind.

Eternal life - a beautiful gift, a mystery that one day will be known ... all part of God's Divine plan for his beloved creation. But … we also know Christ will come again, and this is the time when we experience the new life, our own resurrection.

Christ has died, Christ is Risen, Christ will come again.

From Mark 13:34 – “It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to keep watch. Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming .. lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I saw to you, I say to all – Watch!”

We don’t know when – only God the Father knows. But He will come. And the question is .. are we ready? Are we watching? Are we continuously living with “the mind of Christ”, as we heard in the Epistle reading of the day (1 Corinthians 2:10-16), or with the mind that is obsessed and worried with this world – our jobs, how to make more money, respect?

One of the Old Testament readings read before the Holy Qurbana is from the Psalms – Psalms 33 in the Orthodox Study Bible, 34 in the Hebrew: “I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Oh magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together”

This echoes the prayer during the the Holy Qurbana, where the priest (while praying on our behalf) says – “Make us worthy, O Lord, to offer you unceasing praise, glory and adoration and thanksgiving forever”.

Each of us must determine … is this our really our prayer? Is this what we are giving importance? Are we ALWAYS reflecting this in our thoughts, words and actions?

Today we remember the Feast of the Cross – each and every one here knows The Sign of the Cross (in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit).

The actions for the Sign of the Cross is simple … a test given to the Pre-Kindergarten class. But as we do this are we remembering the holiness of the Cross? Do we think on the depth of the mystery that this signifies … do we give Him praise, glory and adoration with this sign?

St. Cyril of Jerusalem says: “Let us not then be ashamed to confess the Crucified. Let the Cross be our seal made with boldness by our fingers on our brow and in everything; over the bread we eat, and the cups we drink; in our comings in, and goings out; before our sleep, when we lie down and when we awake; when we are on the way and when we are still. It is the Sign of the faithful, and the dread of evils; for He has triumphed over them in it, having made a mockery of them openly; for when they see the Cross, they are reminded of the Crucified; they are afraid of Him, Who has bruised the heads of the dragon.”

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Cross, but it should not be only once a year. Every day the simple sign of the Cross is a celebration, an exaltation … our way to honor the Lord for all that he has bestowed on us.

Another Church father, St. John Chrysostom teaches - "You should not just trace the cross with your finger but you should do it in faith”

Let the Cross protect us, the children of Light. Let the Cross lead and protect the Church always. Let us follow the Way of the Cross so that we may all attain eternal life.

Glory be to the Father who delivered the Son for our redemption. Adoration to the Son who died on the Cross and gave life to us all. Praise to the Spirit who began and fulfilled the mystery of our redemption. O Trinity, exalted above all, have mercy on us all! (from Prayer of Fraction that the priest silently prays during the Holy Qurbana)

Amen.

Love Christ, Hate Church

2010-09-11T13:24:00.004-04:00

Is Church relevant or necessary in today’s modern and educated world?

A growing number of Christians think of Church as a man-invented organization that often emphasizes rigid rules and customs above the teachings of Jesus Christ. Many struggle in reconciling what they see and experience on Sundays with “their own values, theological reflection and intuition”.

To respond, one must first understand that early Christians never differentiated between Christ and the Church. One could never call themselves a follower of Christ without being a member of the Church. Even those who stubbornly refuse to look at ancient writings can find evidence of this unity of Christ and Church in Holy Scripture – to be a Christian meant to be part of a worshipping, liturgical community that shared a common Faith (e.g., Acts 2:42). From Ephesians 5:30 - “For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones”, and earlier in Ephesians 2:19-22 St. Paul teaches that we are “fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” and makes the comparison to a spiritual building that “being fitted together grows into a holy temple in the Lord”. We believe and profess regularly in the Nicene Creed that this is the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

Christ clearly identified Himself as One with this fellowship - in Acts 9:1-6, the resurrected Christ confronts Saul (who had been persecuting the early Church) on the road to Damascas with the words, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”. Later He emphasizes - “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting”.

But, in order to understand the depth of this unity of Christ and Church, we need to appreciate that this relationship is not in the manner of master and slave, but rather an icon of the Holy Trinity. As H.G. Geevarghese Mar Osthathios explained, the basis of our Christian theology is in the Holy Trinity.

Arguably, it is the misunderstanding of the Trinity that has created the confusion and questions we see today in these modern times. A possible explanation is the difficulty in accepting that, as created beings, we simply can never understand or explain the mystery of the Holy Trinity i.e., Father, Son and Holy Spirit being individual persons and yet one God.

In the words of St. Gregory of Nyssa, "anyone who tries to describe the ineffable Light in language is truly a liar - not because he hates the truth, but because of the inadequacy of his description”. Although the Trinity is neither rational nor scientific, we know this is truth. As early as the Book of Genesis (verse 26) we see the Triune God i.e., “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness””. The prophet Moses was not having a senior moment , but rather had intentionally used the singular form ‘God’ in the same sentence as plural pronouns ‘us’ and ‘our’.

This is the beautiful and mysterious relationship of unity that permeates throughout the Church - Christ and the Church are One, we (man and woman) are One with Christ, and we are One with the Church. As we read in Ephesians 5:32 - “This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church”. The word ‘Sacrament’ is another word for mystery, and it is the Sacramental life of the Church that transforms us to be like Him.

Therefore, instruction from the Church should not be understood in legal or ritualistic terms, but rather as guides from Christ to nurture and grow the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-24) that is within us through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism.

As an example, fasting should not be understood as punishment or dietary restrictions. Rather, just as Christ had fasted for spiritual strength (Matthew 4:2), as His One Body we should gladly fast together to gain spiritually strength. Through the fellowship and indwelling of the One Spirit in each of us, our individual sacrifice mysteriously strengthens the whole Church and this manifests as increased prayer and charity. It is not coincidence that major Feasts such as Easter and Christmas are preceded with Lent.

And, if we take a second look we once again see the icon of the unity of the Trinity in this – although it was the Father who instructed the Son and sent forth the Holy Spirit, in no way did this diminish the One True Triune God. When the Church takes on the role of an instructor, in no way does our obedient response diminish the Trinitarian understanding that we are One Body.

Our practice of praying for the departed also stems from this understanding of One Body – as we know Christ is eternal, we therefore better understand that our unity in Him does not stop when we die. As an aside, this is why in Orthodox weddings we do not hear the couple consenting that marriage is until “death do us part” since Holy Marriage is the Sacrament that brings together man and woman as One in Christ (Ephesians 5:22-33) and death is never a separation from the Divine. Again, when we look at praying for the departed using the icon of the Holy Trinity, we see the aspect of eternal unity and therefore continue praying as if they are alive.

To summarize – “To say we love Christ, who is the Head of the Church, and at the same time reject His body is to deny the New Testament teaching” (Orthodox Study Bible , pg. 1604) .

“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).

Being a fool for Christ

2010-09-02T01:01:00.004-04:00

“Only a fool would attempt to change the world with a simple message of love and peace. So we can conclude that Jesus was a fool.

Only fools would agree to follow such a man, and then continue his mission even after he had been killed. So we can conclude that the apostles were fools.

Only fools would take seriously the message which a bunch of fools were preaching, and accept that message.

All this is hardly surprising.. God did not choose a wise philosopher to proclaim the Gospel, but a humble carpenter. And for His apostles he chose fishermen and tax collectors.

Can we claim to be any better? Of course not.

Even those among us that have been educated know that in relation to the Gospel our education is worthless. So let all happily admit we are fools. Then we happily commit ourselves to trying to change the world.

Yet weren’t those apostles cowardly and timid? Aren’t we equally afraid of trying to persuade strangers to change their lives? Doesn’t the crucifixion of Christ give us ample reason to be frightened?

Yes, but His resurrection gives us superhuman courage.” - St. John Chrysostom

Dormition of the Theotokos

2010-08-12T22:51:00.005-04:00

This devotional for the Feast of the Dormition of Mother Mary (August 15th) is from Rev. Dn. Abraham (Abey) George, a member of St. Mary's West Sayville, NY. He is a graduate of St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary.

On the feast of the dormition of the Mother of our God, what words or phrases can possibly describe the magnificence of her life? The Holy Church exalts her as the second Eve, the queens of the Saints, the second heaven, the preserver of the monastic’s and much more.

If we examine the life of the Mother of God, her life is the greatest example of “synergia". "Synergia" is a Greek word derived from ‘syn’ (meaning "with") and 'ergon' (meaning "work" or "effort") becomes ‘synergia’ or "working together with" and implies a cooperative effort toward a shared goal.

St. Mary worked with the Grace of God through which she was able to be in communion with Him. Her desire to be in communion with God led her to the purification and illumination of her soul, preparing herself to receive the Christ.

In the words of Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos, ‘God operates in our life when man co-operates with God’.

She was crowned with the virtue of Humility, which according to the Fathers is a requirement for any kind of spiritual progress. Often times in our daily lives, we may fall into the trap of thinking that being in the Orthodox Church is enough for our salvation. Taking a passive role in our spiritual lives, whether we are Orthodox or heterodox, is deadly to our spiritual lives. We are called to be proactive in our spiritual lives. God expects us to cooperate with Him through our ascetical efforts. The Holy Graces of God which flows from the sacraments do not work like magic.

We cooperate with the Grace of God through our spiritual efforts through fasting, praying, singing, prostrations, reading of the Holy Scriptures, observing lent, divine contemplation and acquiring stillness of mind through the aid of Holy Icons and so on. This cultivates humility, fruit of the spirit and invites the Holy Spirit to dwell within us.

This is exactly what we can see in the life of the Mother of the God. As a young child, she spent much time in the temple being in communion with God. Through her ascetic efforts being in the temple of God, she herself became a temple of God, bearing God in her womb. The Church being a hospital for sinners provides us with the medicine for our spiritual healing.

It is right in front of us but what do we do? Often times we just merely gaze at it and fail to embrace and reap spiritual fruits from it. In the process of pursuit after 'Happiness', the world has forgotten the true Christian goal, the pursuit of 'Holiness'.

During this Lenten time let us ask ourselves, why do we rebel against God? Why do resist the Holy Spirit? Why do we refuse to cooperate with God? What prevents us from our healing? How can we incorporate ascetical practices in our daily lives? It does not take much to change our lives. If we can start with the small things in our lives, we can slowly progress towards making big changes in every aspect of our lives.

The Mother of God knows the difficulty of living a spiritual life. She knows the amount of work required for spiritual progress and therefore she is willing to help us in our spiritual struggles through her prayers. On the feast day of the falling asleep of the Mother of God, let us work towards imitating her life and strive to cultivate virtue, obedience and holiness through our spiritual efforts.

Through the prayers of the most pure ever virgin Mary, the Mother of God, Lord Jesus Christ our God have mercy on us and save us. Amen!

Come prepared ...

2010-08-04T23:45:00.004-04:00

At St. Gregorios Orthodox Church in Oak Park before Sunday School begins, we have all the children sit together and after a few songs we spend the next 10 minutes reading the Gospel verse for the day followed by a short discussion.

We started this over a year ago, and is a a wonderful practice that I've always felt other Churches should adopt, particularly Orthodox parishes. I've noticed that on good days, we'll also have many elders just standing to listen :)

Note, the Liturgical Calendar of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (which can be accessed at this link) and other Orthodox Lectionaries are a Google search away ... very easy to access with today's technology.

I cannot claim responsibility for coming up with this brilliant idea, nor do I really remember how it actually developed .. but I can attest to the incredible blessing it has has been for me and my family.

Having to prepare for these short sermons developed into what is now a regular practice that the children look forward to - as a family during the car-ride to Church each morning (about 20 minutes), my oldest son reads the verse in the car and then we all talk about it. There has been several examples of insightful questions or comments even from the mouth of my 5-year old, and its always amazing the questions and perspective that those younger than us have. The spiritual growth has been beyond words for me both as a parent and an adult, and I find I'm better prepared for the Divine Liturgy and receiving the Body and Blood.

I also found myself starting during the week itself thinking about the upcoming Gospel reading and using my Orthodox Study Bible to read what the Fathers have taught on that Scripture verse. For me, this always leads to further readings (especially on the Internet) and in my growing library of books at home to understand the early Church teachings - yeah, they are all available! For reasons I don't remember I began updating the Sunday reading on Facebook and Twitter status which turned into yet another surprise, as a number of people mention that the sharing of the verse has helped them as well which never is a point of personal pride for me, but rather an unexplainable joy that someone else is beginning to understand the pure beauty of our Faith and Church.

Hence my surprise - although shouldn't be - when I read this saying from St. John Chrysostom that he had asked of his congregation before a sermon -

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.

I wish to ask one favor of you all before I touch on the words of the Evangelist. Do not, I beg, refuse my request, for I am asking nothing weighty or troublesome. Let each one of you, on some day of the week, even on the Sabbath itself, take in his hands the selection of the Gospels that is going to be read to you. Read it frequently as you sit at home in the time intervening, and often ponder with care the thoughts stored up in it and examine them well. Note what is clear and what obscure, and which thoughts seem to be contradictory, though they really are not. And when you have finally sampled all of it, thus prepared come to the sermon.

Indeed, both you and we shall derive no small profit from such effort. We shall not need to work much to make clear the significance of what is said, since your minds will have become familiar with the general tenor of the words. And because of this preparation you will become keener and more discerning, not only in hearing and learning yourselves, but also in teaching others.

So, knowing now that preparing for the Gospel on Sunday has the backing of the strong wisdom of St. John Chrysostom, I'll really begin encouraging everyone to be prepared each Sunday.

It's really not about whether the preacher was entertaining or that we found the sermon interesting, but rather how we can become more Christ-like with the infinite wisdom contained within the Scripture. This is why we come to Church, but we must do so prepared.

Another Hymn from the Sacrament of Marriage

2010-07-22T02:24:00.001-04:00

O Creator of the Garden of Eden, you are my youthful Bridegroom. From your garden brings forth a cool breeze for me.

O Lord, the true Bridegroom, the wise one, I am Your Bride. Have mercy on me for you are my refuge.

By the Cross You established my inheritance.

By your sufferings, You freed me from bondage and elevated me to Your heavenly feast.

Hymn from Sacrament of Marriage

2010-07-22T02:07:00.003-04:00

Blessed be He who has gladdened the heavenly hosts and has filled the dwellers on earth with joy.

O merciful Christ, grant rejoicing in the congregation of Your worshippers.

O Savior, stretch our Your right hand and bless by Your grace, the rings, which the priest give in Your Holy Name.

O Bridegroom, who has brethroted the Church to Himself and crowned her with His truth, bless O Lord, the bridegroom and the bride by the abundance of Your loving Kindness

Thoughts on Indianness ...

2010-07-21T01:40:00.004-04:00

Whenever i get discouraged about the future of the Indian Orthodox Church in America (which happens a bit too often), I go back and read this wonderful post by my brother in Christ, Wan Wei Hsien.

http://wanweihsien.wordpress.com/2008/10/29/further-thoughts-on-indianness/

Thank you to Wan Wei, and to Philip Achen of the Kuala Lampur Church for understanding and teaching the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church that we have been blessed and inherited. May we all have the strength and wisdom to continue encouraging each other, and not take our talent and bury it in the ground.

St. Basil

2010-06-28T23:13:00.004-04:00

"We understand the Way to be the road to perfection, advancing in order step by step through the words of righteousness and the illumination of knowledge, always yearning for that which lies ahead and straining toward the last mile, until we reach that blessed end, the knowledge of God, with which the Lord blesses those who believe in Him.

For truly our Lord is a good Way, a straight road with no confusing forks or turns, leading us directly to the Father.

‘No one comes to the Father,’ He says, ‘except through me’ (Jn.14:6). Such is our way up to God through His Son.” - St. Basil

Remembrance ...

2010-04-03T22:49:00.002-04:00

The message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the Power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18)

Anamnesis.

In the Indian Orthodox Church, we use a book called "The Living Sacrifice" that contains this Greek word, but with the simple explanation of "memorial". This word is often translated as "remembrance".

However, this word has a much deeper meaning than just the simple recollection of a past event. And as Orthodox Christians, the beauty and meaning of our Faith and teachings can never be appreciated to the fullest extent without an understanding of this Greek word.

There are different types of remembering, and when we experience something in person our memory is most vivid because we were there.

Many of those reading this article remember the events of 9/11, and for the majority of us these memories were formed by what we saw on TV and discussed with friends and family. But, those who were in New York at the time, or even in the Twin Towers as the airplanes hit will always have a much more vivid recollection that they carry all their life. Now compare with the stories I will tell my children when they grow up ... they too will also remember 9/11, but it can never be with the same emotion or clearness as those who were alive on that day in September 2001.

"Anamnesis" is that memory formed when we live the event as if we were there. It is the memory that those who were in the building when the planes hit the twin towers will carry for the rest of their lives.

What does this have to do with our Qurbana (or Divine Liturgy)?

As Fr. John Hainsworth, a priest in the Orthodox Church of America (OCA), explains - "Remembrance, therefore, cannot be understood as simply memory, however significant that memory may be; one cannot have a memory of an event that they had not been alive to witness. Rather, remembrance prescribed in Scripture can best be understood as the present participation in an event which has no relationship to time, but which arcs outside of the category of time. The fact that the Passover had happened in the past was irrelevant to the Jews of the Lord’s time, since that event was a memorialized revelation of how God always deals with his people. To remember in the Scriptures is to act, and therefore to remember God is to remember how he is acting now. Every battle becomes a battle with Pharaoh, the exile in Babylon becomes enslavement under Egypt from which God will free his people, and prophets like Isaiah and Ezekiel can refer to God’s mercy on the enslaved Israel as a reason that Israel should repent and be reconciled with their deliverer. But this can only be the case if biblical remembrance is understood not as memory but as revelation. Holy Week, Easter, and Liturgy is built on this … if we don’t get this, we miss the whole point. "

For those who ever wondered why our Liturgy is so long, this is the explanation ... during Palm Sunday, we celebrate the arrival of Jesus into Jerusalem as if it is happening right there in front of us. During Good Friday, we suffer the Passion of the Cross as if we were there ... we even taste the bitter drink so that more of our senses can help in forming the memory that will be with us always. And on Easter day, we along with all Orthodox Christians will cry out loud - CHRIST IS RISEN! It is not "Christ had risen" or that "Christ rose" ... it is intentionally and beautifully in the present tense.

Even during a "regular" Holy Qurbana, the entire Scripture - Old and New Testament - happens before our very eyes in this way so we can experience the beautiful mystery of our God. More to the point, when we read Scripture in the Church in this mindset that it is happening right there, the Word takes a whole new meaning, a different significance.

When the alter servers read from the writings of the Apostles, they end by saying "Habibai Barekmor" because it is the Apostle himself who had just spoke. When the Epistles of St Paul is read, we hear the words "Ahai Barekmor" because it is St. Paul speaking to us. And when the Priest reads the Gospel in the Church, it is Christ Himself speaking to us as if He was once again giving His sermon from the mount (Matthew Chapters 5-7).

For the Orthodox Christian, salvation is more than an idea or a philosophy ... it is a person, and He is Jesus Christ. In order to be saved, we must literally become like Him (Theosis). But, in order to transform ourselves to be like Him, we need to walk His footsteps ... and remember that He is God, the eternal (John 1:1-5). This is the importance of the Holy Sacraments that can only be received in the Church. Our responsibilities as Christians is not just to watch or acknowledge, but to participate and experience all that the Church gives in its present tense.

Anamnesis ... an act that is not just simply remembering but to gain the experience and be affected to such an extent that we change ourselves and become like Him. But, to be perfect like Him (Matthew 5:48) takes a lifetime, and we will frequently and often predictably fail. Which is why the cry of "Kurielieson" - Lord have Mercy! - accompanies every step of the Orthodox Christian on the path towards eternal life.

There is a popular song, used in the Catholic Church as well as other denominations, that contains verses such as "Were you there when they crucified my Lord?".

In order to truly be Orthodox, our answer must be "yes". And hopefully it will never be, "yes, but I was tired so went downstairs to drink some coffee".

References:

Fr. John Hainsworth, Ancient Faith Radio podcast - http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/paradosis/this_is_not_a_safe_book#transcript
The Orthodox Way, by Bishop Kallistos Ware

4th Week of the Great Lent

2010-03-06T23:15:00.001-05:00

The promise of Christianity is participation in a great, eternal Feast … but a great fast is needed in order to transform ourselves to partake. We read this even in the story of Creation – as St. Basil explained, “the first commandment Adam received” was a prohibition on eating. God told Adam he could eat freely from anywhere in the Garden (Gen. 1:29, 2:16) except the tree of knowledge for which man was not ready. But death came upon mankind because of our weakness to obey (Gen. 3:19). As Christians we must understand, believe and confess that by His death our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ truly defeated death. He shows the way to eternal life for all … as was always God’s plan from the beginning.

On Fasting ...

2010-02-27T20:03:00.002-05:00

Question: Wouldn't it be more sacrificial for someone to give up foods that they really loved such as candy rather than meat which they may not care for that much anyhow?

It is the incorrect to think about fasting as only about food and what we should "give up" - as we read in Psalm 50 (or 51 in certain translations), the sacrifice to God is humility. Therefore when we associate fasting only with what type of foods we give up, our actions are no longer a fast but instead we are dieting.

The practice of fasting was passed on to the early Christian Church from Judaism, and indeed we read Christ Himself instruct His followers on how to follow the fast (Matthew 6:16-18). It is important to note that the Lord instructed us to follow His commandment "when you fast", not "if you fast".

The purpose of the fast is to learn discipline, to gain control of those things that are indeed within our control but that we so often allow to control us. And in our Christian faith, we do so in order for us to become Christ-like, to be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48).

St. John Chrysostom (sometimes remembered as Mar Ivanios in the 5th Thubden) instructed us to think of fasting as a medicine, and the intention is for healing which is the correct understanding of Christian Salvation. But, just as one may become more sick if they take the wrong medicine, same is the case if we pretend to observe the Fast using our own formula and rationalism.

Fasting is obedience, prayer, discipline, Scripture ... as a Church and the Body of Christ, we make a special effort during these times of Lent to be One in Spirit and action. To quote further from St. John Chrysostom's teachings:

"Fasting is the change of every part of our life, because the sacrifice of the fast is not the abstinence but the distancing from sins. Therefore, whoever limits the fast to the deprivation of food, he is the one who, in reality, abhors and ridicules the fast. Are you fasting? Show me your fast with your works. Which works? If you see someone who is poor, show him mercy. If you see an enemy, reconcile with him. If you see a friend who is becoming successful, do not be jealous of him! If you see a beautiful woman on the street, pass her by. In other words, not only should the mouth fast, but the eyes and the legs and the arms and all the other parts of the body should fast as well."

If we do not have the discipline and conviction to joyfully follow the rules of the Lent, rather than justify, argue and rationalize we should instead humble ourselves and acknowledge our shortcomings, and pray even harder for the strength to improve ourselves. As Dn. Abi Chacko (serving in our Church) shared, when we fall down we don't lie on the floor but rather pick ourselves up ... in the same manner, if we fail in our observation of the Lent than we must pray even harder and try again.

More so, when we fast as a Church together, we give strength to our own brothers and sisters to follow the fast joyfully.

References:

On Fasting, from the homilies of St. John Chrysostom homilies "On Fasting"

Fasting to gain self-control, short video by Frederica Mathewes-Green

Questions and Answers about Orthodoxy, Orthodox Church of America

Rejoice, highly favored ...

2009-11-25T22:27:00.005-05:00

I was invited to reflect on the Gospel reading on Sunday, November 22nd, this time at my own Church, St. Gregorios Orthodox Church in Oak Park, IL ... still not getting used to this, but continue to feel blessed and humbled. This blog-post is based both on the prepared notes as well as"real-time" deviations.

Glory be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, One True God for ever and ever .. AMEN

Today’s Gospel Reading is from Luke 1: 26-38, where we hear the Angel Gabriel sent to St. Mary, exalting her – “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”.

This event is the Annunciation to Mother Mary - that she has found favor in the Lord’s eye, and that she had been chosen by the Lord to bear the greatest of honors … be the mother of God.

As Christians we should have no doubt that Jesus Christ, the second person of the Holy Trinity, was always divine and existent. Christ was not "created" or “born” on December 25th – rather, He became incarnate, took the form of a human, on that day. Christ is God, and God became man by being born of the virgin Mary. This is why we pray -

“Hail Mary, full of Grace, Our Lord is with Thee … Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, our Lord Jesus Christ”

Mother Mary is the mother of God, the Theotokos. Christ was divine, but owed His humanity to St. Mary. So, why did she, more so than any other, find favor?

Purity, faithfulness, humility … all characteristics we know of our Mother Mary. But, as we must realize, these are characteristics that ALL of us should have - the characteristics of an ideal Christian.

So why give honor to St. Mary? Why do we remember her in prayers, song and during the Holy Qurbana?

St. Mary and all the saints in the Church were human - they were born, and died, a natural human death. When she was chosen, she obediently and willingly accepted God’s request – “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word”.

Because of her willingness to accept God's will, she played an important role in God's plan for the salvation of us all. Because of her character and all we know happened when Mother Mary received Christ into herself … she is highly favored.

And because of her, this same glory will one day happen to us all when we too have Christ within us, as St. Mary did, and live the Christian life that is favorable in the eyes of God. Why doubt when we know that with God, nothing will be impossible.

Our duty as Christians is to join with our brothers and sisters, both living and departed, in prayer and exaltation to God. A critical step is to have the humility to understand how Mother Mary became highly favored and transform ourselves to that highest level of favor in God’s eyes, that we heard in Scripture. Hence, we also pray -

“O Virgin Saint Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners, now and at all times and at the hour of our death”

May the prayers of our Mother Mary bring for us intercession, and let her be our role model as we continue to transform into the perfect One, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Holy Communion in the age of HIV and H1N1

2009-11-18T21:48:00.000-05:00

This message was sent to people who subscribed to the mailing list of Sts. Peter and Paul Greek Orthodox Church in Glenview, IL. Fr. Vladimir Christy is one of the Priests at this parish. Although I did not get explicit permission to post, I felt this message had to be shared with a larger audience because, as Christians, we must put our doubts and fears aside and trust in our Lord Jesus Christ ... the Eucharist is truly the Body and Blood of Christ, and once we put ourselves into that state of mind, spirit and emotion we take one step closer towards Him.

HOLY COMMUNION IN THE AGE OF HIV and H1N1

by Fr. Vladimir Christy

Holy Communion is the reason Orthodox Christians celebrate the Divine Liturgy. It is the heart of the liturgy. The remainder of each week is spent in gratitude, preparation and anticipation of again receiving the most wonderful gift of Holy Communion.

During the liturgy, we pray the Eucharistic Prayer (The Anaphora) which gives us the direct commission and command from our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ who personally instituted the sacrament of Holy Communion when He commanded us to:

“Take, eat; this is My Body which is broken for you for the forgiveness of sins.”

He then commands us to:

“Drink of this, all of you: this is My Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

And, at the appointed time in the Liturgy when Holy Communion is distributed, we are invited:

“In the fear of God, and in faith and love, come forward.”

Why then do some people fear contracting an illness from receiving Holy Communion? We fear when we doubt His promises to us and His great love for us. Any Orthodox Christian concerned about contracting any disease through receiving Holy Communion should remember three things:

Our Lord Himself commands us to receive Holy Communion regularly when we pray for “The forgiveness of sins”.

The Orthodox Church believes and teaches that when the Holy Gifts are consecrated, they become the actual Body and Blood of Our Lord. Neither He, the hosts of angels and archangels nor all of the powers of heaven would permit anyone to contract a disease through the pure act of faith in receiving Holy Communion.

No government supported scientific study has ever hinted that any disease, including HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), the virus, which can cause AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome), can be contracted through sharing “the communion cup”. HIV/AIDS is a ‘blood-born’ virus. It is too fragile to exist outside of the bloodstream. Believers should therefore not be concerned about oral transmission of HIV. Saliva in people’s mouths contains enzymes which are very effective for killing the very low amount of foreign pathogens which many enter a person’s mouth.

No outbreak of communicable diseases has ever been linked to the communion cup, and those are the diseases, which are much more easily transmissible than the fragile blood-born HIV virus

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control), a branch of the United States Government has stated that there is almost no risk of becoming infected with the HIV/AIDS virus through routine, non-intimate contacts in either the home or workplace. This includes sharing utensils, drinking cups and even the use of another’s toothbrush.

Some denominations (mostly Protestant) believe that communion ‘represents’ or ‘symbolizes Christ’s body and blood. The Orthodox Church believes when the Holy Gifts are consecrated, the bread and wine absolutely and totally become the Body and Blood of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. It is therefore unthinkable to even consider that Our Lord would permit His Body and Blood to be a source of contamination or infection to any believer who would, ‘in faith and love come forward” to receive Holy Communion.

An interesting Observation:

If Holy Communion (by use of the ‘common cup” and the spoon) were a source of contamination, one might assume that many of our priests would therefore become infected and sick because, at the conclusion of each Divine Liturgy, the priest must consume the remainder of the Holy Gifts and yet, not one case if illness, much less contracting of HIV/AIDS or any other germ has been documented.

Therefore, given the scriptural promises of Our Lord Himself, along with the many years during which illness resulting from Holy Communion has never been observed, believer are encouraged to continue receiving Holy Communion at every Divine Liturgy for which they have prepared. Don’t let doubt or fear enter your mind or heart about anything which would create separation from the body of believers.

May God Continue to bless each and every one of you as we continue our journey of faith together.

Christianity

2009-11-15T23:32:00.000-05:00

"I really just think that if people who have problems with the Christian faith just took the time to study Orthodoxy, they could undoubtedly reconcile themselves to following Christ."

I heard this over the weekend from a girl who is half my age! Rather than dismiss the teachings of a Christ that you think you know in your head, take the time to understand the early Church teaching.

God IS love, and the Scriptures are infinitely deep wells of knowledge.

How long do you keep us in doubt?

2009-11-10T00:37:00.007-05:00

I was blessed to reflect on the Gospel at St. Thomas Indian Orthodox Church of Chicago on Sunday, November 8th ... really humbled, and this blog-post is based both on the prepared notes as well as"real-time" deviations.

Glory be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever ... Amen

On this 2^nd Sunday of our Church Liturgical Cycle, known as Dedication Sunday, the Gospel reading is from St. John 10:22-38. Because of the limited time, let’s focus on two points which I pray gives a better understanding on why this Gospel reading was chosen by our Church fathers for this 2^nd Sunday of the Liturgical Calendar.

In verse 24, we hear the Jewish authorities surrounding Jesus yet again, challenging Him by asking, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly”. And Jesus responded: “I told you, and you do not believe. The works I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me, but you do not believe”

In last week’s Gospel reading (Matthew 16:13-23), Jesus first asks His disciples who people say that He is, and then followed by asking the disciples who they think He is. It is St. Peter who responded, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”.

On this Dedication Sunday, this is the first reflection point that we, as His followers and as His disciples, must understand, believe and confess – Jesus is the Christ. He is the Truth, the fulfillment of the Scriptures that was written thousands of years ago. Jesus is the Truth, the Son of God, fully man and fully divine.

Every Holy Qurbana (Divine Liturgy), we are reminded of this – through the hymns, through our responses, through our prayers. Everything in the Orthodox Church points to that revelation of Truth.

Why did I kiss the hand of the Achen before speaking? Because he has touched the living Body and Blood of Christ. Why do we close the curtain? As a remembrance to us of the Old Testament days before the Incarnation, as a remembrance of time of crucifixion of the Lord, and when closed again before the Body and Blood of Christ is brought the act serves as a remembrance of the Second Coming.

Everything in the Church points to this truth - that Christ is the Son of the Living God. There is no doubt in His believers.

This is the teaching given to the Apostles and in turn handed to our forefathers and to us. This is the fullness of Truth - the same Truth that St Thomas brought to India. When asked, we refer to ourselves often as Indian Orthodox Christian. But what we must really understand is that we are Christian Orthodox ... Orthodox because there was no additions or subtractions from that ancient revelation of Truth. It's an after-thought that most of us happen to be Indian.

The words Jesus uses to those who challenge ... “I told you, and you do not believe. The works I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me, but you do not believe”.

The verse continues, and Jesus explained to the authorities, “I and My Father are one”. This angers some of the people to the point they are ready to kill Him, and begin picking up stones. Christ then responds by referencing a Psalm - “Is it not written in your law , “I said you are gods?”. This is Psalm 81 (or 82, depending on translation) i.e., “I said, “You are gods, And you are all sons of the Most High”.

Why did not God “tell us plainly”, as the Jewish leaders were asking Jesus in this Gospel message? God the All Mighty could easily have magically snapped His fingers and eliminated all evil, forcing all to see His Majesty and Lordship.

But the Church understanding of why He came down to Earth goes back to the story of Creation in Genesis (1:26), where Man was created in God’s image and likeness. It was always God’s plan for us to have eternal life and grow in communion with God. But we have to do this willingly, through love, become like Christ … become like God.

St Athanasius, a Church father who is remembered in the 5th Thubden, explained the Incarnation, the birth of Jesus - “God became man, so that man can become God”

How can this be? By following His teachings, given to the Apostles and to His followers … His Body, the Church. Through the Church, we are transformed to be like Him. This transformation is emphasized the Scripture - Matthew 5:48, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect”. St Paul writes in 2 Peter 1:4, “that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature”.

As we grow in Him, we gain knowledge .. illumination .. understanding of the Truth. What the non-believer sees and what a Christian sees is different - the non-believer sees bread and wine, but we experience through our Faith the Body and Blood of Christ. “For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (St Paul, 2 Corinthians 4:18).

This path to the Truth is given to us through the Church, where we have the most intimate communion with Christ through the Holy Qurbana (Eucharist). We become like Him.

This is our call for Dedication Sunday - to remember all that Christ revealed, and be committed to continue our transformation to be like Christ. Our Baptism into the Church is the beginning of this new life in Christ, the beginning of an endless process guided by teachings of the Faith to become divine.

True Christianity

2009-11-06T12:25:00.001-05:00

Please pray for me, that I may have both spiritual and physical strength to perform my duties; that I may not only speak the truth but become the Truth; that I may not only be called a Christian, but also live like a Christian.

Yet I do not want people to look to me as an example, for at best I can only be a pale reflection of Christ Jesus; let people look away from the reflection and turn to the reality. Christianity is not a matter of persuading people of particular ideas, but of inviting them to share in the greatness of Christ.

So pray that I may never fall into the trap of impressing people with clever speech, but instead I may learn to speak with humility, desiring only to impress people with Christ himself.

- St. Ignatius of Antioch

Who do you say that I am?

2009-10-31T08:54:00.000-05:00

He is the supreme god and ruler of heaven. He is mighty, glorious, awesome and wise, and although he shows a certain degree of surprising foolishness and naiveness, he is a wise ruler. He also demands just and righteous action from man. He was however vengeful, as can be seen in the creation of man. He is the guardian of political order and peace. His armor is so glorious and at the same time awful to behold that no human could see him in all his magnificence and survive. His weapon is hurled at whoever displeases him.

This description of a powerful, angry and judgmental god who sits "somewhere up there" removed from the created world is that of Zeus, the mythical Greek god who lived on Mount Olympus. And yet, this same view is held by many Christians today of our God … including many who call themselves Orthodox.

Knowledge is the deeper understanding of truth, and as members of His Body we must begin by understanding that Christian faith is Truth. There is neither conspiracy nor creativity involved to “fill in the blanks”. Truth was delivered to Moses and shared to the prophets, and through the Incarnation of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Truth was fully revealed and given to the Apostles (Luke 10:16, etc) and thereafter became the very foundation of the Church which is His Living Body in this world (Ephesians 2:19-22, etc).

It is incorrect for any Orthodox Christian to say that we believe in Tradition over Holy Scripture. There is only one Truth, and the Scripture contains this Truth in written form. Our duty as Christians therefore becomes to grow in the knowledge of this Truth, which indeed is the only path to Salvation. The irony and difficulty for many is that to follow this Way requires us to set aside what we learned from this world and things we love that has been accepted by culture and society, and in our thinking become an infant again (Mark 10:15).

This is why the road is not easy (Matthew 7:13-23), and why many who were with Him could not understand and even walked away (John 6:60). Selectively choosing what we feel makes sense in order to become “good people” hinders the fulfillment of our potential to grow into the likeness of our perfect God (Genesis 1:26, Matthew 5:48).

The Indian Orthodox Church begins a new Liturgical cycle on the first Sunday of November, and in the Gospel reading (Matthew 16:13-23), we hear Jesus ask His followers, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"

To answer Him with the words and conviction we see from St. Peter requires continuous study of Holy Scripture using His teachings, handed down to us by the Church and entrusted to us so that we can learn and carry on to the next generation. Further, we should not endeavor to do this alone, nor does it require us to re-define of rationalize to make more convenient for our thoughts and lifestyle. Just as in any other field, in the face of truth there is no opinion (e.g., 2+2 is always 4) and as Christians we must dedicate our lives to understand and be transformed. St. John Chrysostom emphasized this point and stated that it was ignorance for anyone to consider themselves a Christian but “not be able to give a reason for his own faith”.

The inherent difficulty is that the Truth is often radically different from what we as intelligent, modern thinking people have learned. On the surface, many things don’t make sense and we see struggles from the ancient days of Christianity, where often the revealed Truth instilled resistance, anger and sheer hatred in people. Our lesson from the blood of the martyrs that nourished the Church is that we cannot compromise on the teachings and only through the Sacramental life are we able to transform ourselves into acceptable living sacrifices to the Lord (Psalm 50(51):19).

Ironically, what really is "radical" is the revelation that God is Love. We are all special and we are all loved, and the "power" that will ultimately prevail is not individual strength, richness, beauty or popularity but rather love, joy, peace, and so on (Galatians 5:22). The One True God is no doubt of supreme might and awesome, incomprehensible power … and yet through the Word we know that He is self-denying and humble (Philippians 2:5-11) and is patiently guiding us. This is not so He can inflict His wrath for deeds that truly do hurt Him – this is not the will of God! But rather, His will is for all mankind to understand the purpose of creation and choose this transformation to be like God. Obedience and genuine understanding of the Scriptures is required, but this is the only way to truly glorify Jesus Christ and have the assured hope that we will ultimately enjoy the incomprehensible joys of everlasting life.

------------

"Strange were it that the physician, or the shoemaker, or the weaver, in short all artists, should be able each to contend correctly for his own art, but that one calling himself Christian should not be able to give a reason for his own faith; yet those things if overlooked bring only loss to men's property, these if neglected destroy our very souls.

Yet such is our wretched disposition, that we give all our care to the former, and the things which are necessary, and which are the groundwork of our salvation, as though of little worth, we despise."

- St John Chrysostom

Eucharistic Renewal: Fr. Alexander Schmemann

2009-10-17T22:17:00.005-04:00

For more than 30 years I have served the Church as a priest and a theologian, as a pastor and a teacher. Never in those 30 years have I ceased to feel called to think about the Eucharist and its place in the life of the Church. Thoughts and questions on this subject, which go way back to early adolescence, have filled my whole life with joy - but, alas, not only with joy. For the more real became my experience of the Eucharistic liturgy, the Sacrament of Christ's victory and of his glory, the stronger became my feeling that there is a crisis in the (Orthodox) Church.

In the tradition of the Church, nothing has changed. What has changed is the perception of the Eucharist, the perception of its very essence. Essentially, this crisis consists in a lack of connection and cohesion between what is accomplished in the Eucharist and how it is perceived, understood and lived.

Perhaps many people will be astonished that, in response to this crisis, I propose we turn our attention not to the its various aspects but rather to the Sacrament of the Eucharist and to the Church, whose very life flows from that Sacrament. Yes, I do believe that precisely here, in this holy of holies of the Church, in this ascent to the table of the Lord in his kingdom, is the source of that renewal for which we hope.

I also believe that, by God's mercy, Orthodoxy throughout all ages has kept and guarded this vision, this consciousness of the Church, this knowledge that "where the Church is, there is the Holy Spirit and fullness of grace" (Irenaeus of Lyons, Against the Heresies 3:24:1). But precisely because this is so, we the Orthodox faithful must find the inner strength to plunge into this Eucharistic renewal of the Church. It is not reform, adjustments and modernization that are needed so much as a return to that vision and experience that from the beginning constituted the very life of the Church."

- Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann, Introduction to "The Eucharist Sacrament of the Kingdom: Sacrament of the Kingdom"

Mission of the Church

2009-10-13T01:11:00.004-04:00

An Orthodox Christian parish, however it was founded and for whatever purpose it was organized, must understand itself to be an Apostolic community with a missionary purpose.

It's members, especially it's leaders, must be conscious of themselves as people sent by Christ from God and empowered by the Holy Spirit to bring God's unity, holiness and fullness to all human beings in this divided, sinful and fragmented world. If a parish has no awareness and consciousnesses of being sent by God to speak His words, to do His work and to accomplish His will in this world then it is not an Orthodox Christian parish.

At best, it is a bunch of decent people carrying on a bundle of benign activities for their own benefit. At worst, to use Apocalyptic words, it is a synagogue of Satan perverting God's Gospel by its blasphemy against the Holy Spirit which will not be forgiven either in this age or the age to come.

- From the keynote address by Fr. Tom Hopko at the 13th All-American Council (2002), Orlando FL. The document from which the above paragraph is extracted is at http://www.oca.org/PDF/13thAAC/documents/orthodoxparishinna.pdf

Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis

2009-10-01T00:10:00.003-04:00

I hope no reader will suppose that 'mere' Christianity is here put forward as an alternative to the creeds of the existing communions - as if a man could adopt it in preference to Congregationalism or Greek Orthodoxy or anything else.

It is more like a hall out of which doors open into several rooms. If I can bring anyone into that hall I shall have done what I attempted. But it is in the rooms, not in the hall, that there are fires and chairs and meals. The hall is a place to wait in, a place from which to try the various doors, not a place to live in. For that purpose the worst of the rooms (whichever that may be) is, I think, preferable. It is true that some people may find they have to wait in the hall for a considerable time, while others feel certain almost at once which door they must knock at.

I do not know why there is this difference, but I am sure God keeps no one waiting unless He sees that it is good for him to wait. When you do get into your room you will find that the long wait has done you some kind of good which you would not have had otherwise.

You must keep praying for light; and of course, even in the hall, you must begin trying to obey the rules which are common to the whole house.

And above all, you must be asking which door is the true one; not which pleases you best by its paint and paneling. In plain language, the question should never be: 'Do I like that kind of service?' but 'Are these doctrines true: is holiness here? Does my conscience move me towards this? Is my reluctance to knock on this door due to my pride, or my mere taste, or my personal dislike of this particular door-keeper?'

When you have reached your own room, be kind to those who have chosen different doors and to those who are still in the hall. If they are wrong they need your prayers all the more and if they are your enemies, then you are under orders to pray for them. That is one of the rules common to the whole house

We gather as Church

2009-09-29T22:04:00.004-04:00

A Christian should never be lonely!

If we feel lonely it means we forget that we are members of the people of God ... that we are fellow citizens with the Saints ... that we have access to God through the Son of God Jesus, raised and glorified, by the power of the Holy Spirit that is in all of the saints of all times and of all places.

And we are a member, each one of us, of that community, we are all members of Christ's body so we gather as Church

- Fr. Tom Hopko (Dean Emeritus of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Seminary)

Explaining the practice of closed Communion

2009-09-03T09:45:00.005-04:00

For those who are Christian Orthodox or curious about the teachings of our Church, this
wonderfully written article by Mr. Jeffrey Holton provides an excellent manner on how to give that uncomfortable explanation on an uncompromisable teaching of the Church - the closed Communion (or Holy Qurbana).

For me growing up, this was uncomfortable because the teachings of Christ emphasized humility and love for all brothers and sisters. We are called to love the sinner, without accepting or tolerating the sin.

This one line from Mr. Holton's article truly resonated and put into words a thought I had been feeling for quite some time as I grow more accepting of the Church's teaching, i.e.,

"But it is the case ...that those who hunger for this feast, if they hunger for it enough, recognize the mechanism by which they may eat of it"

Ultimately, both as Christians as well as free men, we all have a choice and a path. The closed communion is not so much that our Church is excluding, but rather our obedience to the command to uphold His teachings that we truly believe have been passed to the Apostles and down to us. The doors of our Church should always remain wide open, to invite and lovingly accept everyone and guide them through the teachings that we believe are witness to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Tradition

2009-09-02T01:24:00.004-04:00

From Bishop Kallistos Ware's book, "The Orthodox Church":

Orthodox Christians are always talking about Tradition. What do they mean by the word? A tradition is commonly understood to signify an opinion, belief or custom handed down from ancestors to posterity. Christian Tradition, in that case, is the faith and practice which Jesus Christ imparted to the Apostles, and which since the Apostles' time has been handed down from generation to generation in the Church.

But to an Orthodox Christian, Tradition means something more concrete and specific than this. It means the books of the Bible; it means the Creed; it means the decrees of the Ecumenical Councils and the writings of the Fathers; it means the Canons, the Service Books, the Holy Icons - in fact, the whole system of doctrine, Church government, worship, spirituality and art which Orthodoxy has articulated over the ages. Orthodox Christians of today see themselves as heirs and guardians to a rich inheritance received from the past, and they believe that it is their duty to transmit this inheritance unimpaired to the future.

Note that the Bible forms a part of this Tradition. Sometimes Tradition is defined as the oral teaching of Christ, not recorded by His immediate disciples. Not only non-Orthodox but many Orthodox writers have adopted this way of speaking, treating Scripture and Tradition as two different things, two distinct sources of the Christian faith. But in reality, there is only one source, since Scripture exists within Tradition. To seperate and contrast the two is to impoverish the idea of both alike.

To hear Dn. Gheevarghese John's teaching on this subject, please visit:

http://indian-orthodox.net/2008/06/28/scripture-and-tradition/

Remember our faithful departed one, Fr. James Pike ...

2009-07-24T11:03:00.002-04:00

My brother lives in Seattle, and he shared the sad news that Fr. James Pike passed away.

As I write this, the new website for St Gregorios/Spokane (http://www.stgregoriosspokane.org) is not yet completed, but there is a bit of history and a few pictures at the old site.

A website can and will never do justice to the amazing work done by our Church through the tireless efforts of Fr Hatcher, Fr Pike, Dn Pike and the members in the Northwest. However, it does give a glimpse of the unrealized potential of our Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church in the rest of America and around the world.

For reasons I will never be able to understand or accept, we keep our attention on the politics in Kerala. Week by week, we use the same tired excuses that our Church cannot change because we are Malayalee.

Fr Pike's life is a testimony that Christ and His Church truly has no boundaries, ethnic or otherwise. I'm saddened most because I never met this amazing man in person. Please do remember him and his family in prayer.

Again we remember all our faithful departed ones, who have passed away in love and are rest with You, O God, Lord of both the spirits and of all the flesh. We pray and beseech Christ, our God, who has received to Himself their spirits and their soul, that He may according to his abundant mercies, account them worthy of the remission of debts and the forgiveness of sins, and that He may make us and them to attain Your Heavenly Kingdom. Kurielaison!

Easter Sunday

2009-04-12T00:34:00.004-04:00

Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!

Easter Procession:

Truly am I the Gardener, O Mary!
I only planted Paradise, Great One!
O Mary, am I life of all living things.
I am the Resur-rection and new life.
I am Who was killed.
I was in the tomb.
Touch Me, not for I
Have not gone to my Father.
With glory have I ascended from the tomb
Good news this, thou pass to my disciples.

Holy Saturday

2009-04-11T22:22:00.000-04:00

Evening Kauma:

Ento-mb’d Thou effaced perdi-tion of tomb
Christ e-fface death, raise our dead -from the tomb.

Qurbana Kauma:

Christ Who- Effaced our Death by- Thy death –
Raise to life, the dead and have me-rcy on us.

Good Friday

2009-04-09T22:18:00.005-04:00

Procession 1:

Cross He carried on shoulders
As He came out from the fort
Hebrew women assembled
Weeping and wailing for Him
Holy Mother stood afar
With her kin waiting for Him
Overcome with grief and pain.
Like a dove she moaned and cried,
“Where, where are they taking you
My Son, my beloved one?
O, why Thou did Thyself give
Unto these unrighteous ones?
My Son, my beloved One
O, what has befallen Thee?
Blessed is Thy lowliness
And passion all - for – our – sake.”

Procession 2:

Joseph, hailing from, land of A-rimathea
He was one righteous, and venera-ble.
Beseeching He came, unto Pi-late’s Court
Pleading for Jesus’, Body Di-vine
Body of Savior
Most Holy – Treasure
Grant Thou me, Ru-ler
I may bu - ry Him – my – self
Crucified was He, on a Cross by Jews
Give it unto me, for my de-light

Veneration of the Cross:

We – bow – be-fore Your Cross
That brought us salva-tion
And with the – thief we cry out
Christ remem-ber us when- You come

(prose)

(song)

Morning Kauma:

Christ sa-ved us by Passion and lowliness
Let us, kneel and adore Him this morning.

3rd Hour Kauma:

Thy ser- vant questioned Thee Christ, on trial
Have me-rcy on us, at Thy- Judgment Day

6th Hour Kauma:

Thy ser-vant disdained Thee Christ, on trial
Have me-rcy on us, at Thy - Judgment Day

9th Hour Kauma:

Christ Thou- effaced her who cru-cified Thee
For us – Is Thy Cross refuge and fortress

Good Friday: The Tale of Two Thieves

2009-04-09T21:05:00.023-04:00

(note: I have NO idea why Blogger is putting this huge whitespace between the video and the text ... scroll down to read and meditate on the words!)

1. Come, ye, all tribes of this-world Hearken to wha-t transpi-res Between yond-r robbe-rs two Truly listen – and wi-tness	2. Cross of the Lo-rd at cen-ter Like a judge un-corru-pted And like a ba-lance trus-ted Conversation – weighed in – truth
3. Said to the Lord, one ro-bber Remember me – on tha-t day When you come in – Thy kingdom Let me see, Lord, Thy me-rcy	4. That robber on – left ha-nd side When he heard th-is, bespa-ke thus “If this man we-re truly – king How come He’s u-p on the Cross”
5. Thy love do I – prize m-y friend By the Cross we – are se-vered Sinless blood o-f this One – has Granted me li-fe and co-urage	6. Don’t you see tha-t like u-s two He too is bou-nd by tho-se nails? If He can gi-ve us king-dom Come out He no-w, we tru-st Him
7. I shall ent-er Para-dise Word of the Lo-rd is m-y key Accuse Him no-t, you a-re wrong Try not ye to – misgui-de me	8. Crucified li-ke one o-f us Tortured much mo-re than we – two If He is king – may He – be Saved anon b-y His a-rmy
9. On earth He ha-ngs on a-tree His fierythro-ne in hea-ven Nature, her Lo-rd, recei-veth Shudders at cru-cifi-xion	10. Look at Him Thou – exto-lleth See those lashe-s on Hi-s back Thou glorify-eth Him – but Who will take you – at Th-y word
11. From damnation – He se-t free Adam; by His – crown of thorns Messiah re – moved a-ll thorns None but the Lo-rd could do – that	12. At His word the – Cruci – fied May take you to – Para – dise Can He lead you – to E – den Which you have not eve-r seen
13. Hell is losing – by thi-s death Rule over dea-th for e-ver Thither He go-es to cru-sh hell By the thunder – of hi-s call	14. He was perse-cuted mo-st Sour drink and sta-bbing for Him He who gets con-demned thi-s long How can I say is a – king !
15. Lend thine ear no-w to tha-t sound Of rocks hard bre-aking a-part Saints of old come – back to – life Believeth not, eve-n now ?	16. Elements and cre-atures shu-dder See those rocks fa-lling a-part Unmoved are you ? – leave fal-sehood Confess and ge-t new li-fe, friend !
17. His glory you – may con-front If only you seek for tha-t Creatures all wit-ness fo-r Him His Passion do-es distu-rb all	18. King, He was ca-lled, by Pilate Through His writing – on the –cross Since they call ou-t as wit-ness Tell me not th-at He i-s king
19. Stands His Cross be-tween u-s two Abyss this you – canno-t pass Go and get thy – rightful-l place Right hand side i-s always-s thine	20. Hell was open – by the Cro-ss Sun was darken-ed, earth trem-bled Temple curtain – torn a-part All bear witne-ss to the – Lord
21. Earth and dese-rt and crea-tures Listen! Shouti-ng and cry-ing! Alarmed by tha-t clamou-r great Earth is shaking - to the - core	22. Harken to tha-t shouting – friend Of those dead co-ming from – hell Look at Jesus - whom I – trust He only gives – life fo-r all
23. That Adam ma-y recei-ve life He died; the dea-d wait fo-r Him He gives freedom – for A-dam And takes me to – Para-dise	24. How come you sla-nder Je-sus Who died out o-f His o-wn will Lock thy mouth from – evil – talk Glorious Cross m-y so-le refuge
25. Eden, Thy word – grante-d to That thief who con-fessed Thee – Lord Remember us – Lord th-at Day When you come, we – confe-ss Thee

Holy Thursday

2009-04-08T14:00:00.008-04:00

Gospel Reading: Luke 22:14-30

Qaumo of Passover and the hymn Lokh Mor Teshbuhto w-labookh eeyqoro:

Similar to other Orthodox denominations, the Indian Orthodox Church observes a "day" from sundown to sundown. Therefore, many Churches celebrate Holy Thursday service on Wednesday night (as Thursday night would be for Good Friday prayers in the observance of the Church). Also, unlike the regular Liturgy (Qurbana), a apecial hymn is sung on Holy (or Maundy) Thursday in place of the Trisagion.

Christ who by Thy Pasch freed the Pa-schal Lamb
Gladden, All of us blessed by, this Thy Pasch.

Praise to Thee, O Lord, Praise to Thy Father
Glory and honor to Thy Holy Ghost.
Grace and mercy be upon us, sinners
May this pray’r ascend, Lord un-to Thy Throne
Inside portals of Jeru-salem high
Praise to - Thee, Messi-ah, Praise - unto Thee
Lord our – refuge for- ever, BAREKMOR

This Kauma (Qaumo) of Passover is again used for the blessing of the censer, and may replace the kuklion for prayers of incense. The Kauma of Passover can also be sung during the procession of the Holy Mysteries as well.

Palm Sunday

2009-04-04T11:13:00.020-04:00

Gospel Readings: John 12:12-19, Mark 11:1-11

Procession Song:

Who did raise me up the mount
Jeru-salem, the holy hill.
Hosanna – Hosanna!
Hosanna – Son of David!

Son of God, to the city ride
Mounted on a colt I see.

Prophets’ holy band I see
Walking all ahead of Him

Sacred band of Apostles
Follow Him closely behind

Olive branches holding high
Little children sing and praise

Earth and Heaven Hosanna!
Hosanna, Son of David!

He who came and is to come,
Blessed Lord, praise unto Thee!

[Download .wav File]

Saints in the Orthodox Church

2009-04-03T10:11:00.002-04:00

Another wise and informative post by Mr Suraj Iype! One of these days he'll start his own blog!

P.S. Yes .. I will start blogging again soon. Thanks to those who sent messages noticing my absence :)

--- In IndianOrthodox@yahoogroups.com, Suraj Iype wrote:
>
> Dear Sajy,
>
> The Orthodox traditionally have not had a set process like the one followed by Rome, in the early days the procedure followed by the Church can be characterized by the dictum " Vox pouli, Vox Dei" ( The voice of the people, is the voice of God). The people here being the people of God (both lay and clergy).
>
> Martyrs and holy men and women were venerated and remembered in the areas where they lived, the people of God in that area over a period had a consciousness that such and such person was a saint. Usually at some point, when the veneration of such person had become sufficiently popular it was introduced into the liturgical calendar, hymns proper to the Dukhrono were composed and so on. Many like the Saints of the Fifth Tubden were so popular that their memory was celebrated by Churches all over. Thus we can find saints who remembered by the Local church and some who are universally recognized everywhere.
>
> Thus the Church never declared a person a saint and thus thrust him upon the people, but merely confirmed and recognized what the people already believed.
>
> Rome systematized this process, while there is no harm in having a set system for this, the Roman system contradicts Orthodox ecclessiology because the declaration of Sainthood comes only from Rome, ideally each local church should have the ability to recognize its Saints.
> In the Orthodox view the Church does not "declare" one a saint,the Synod just confirms and proclaims what God has done in the life of a particular person.
>
> Some Orthodox Churches like the Russian and ours have some systems where in the life of a Saint is carefully studied before a proclamation is made. Most Orthodox Churches however have a much more informal system which follows the ancient practice more closely.
>
> Suraj Iype
> Sivasagar.
>

St. Basil at Synod of Constantinople

2009-03-21T10:05:00.002-04:00

Re-posting this message from Mr. Suraj Iype, a man with incredible knowledge and insight but who unfortunately doesn't blog! Learning more of early Church and the men and women who struggled to preserve the Truth is just fascinating.

--- In IndianOrthodox@yahoogroups.com, Suraj Iype, Sivasagar. Assam wrote:
>
> Dear Sunil,
>
> St Basil is said to have been baptized around the year 356 and then traveled all over Syria, Palestine and Egypt gaining first hand knowledge of monasticism. By 358, the Saint had established a monastic house and started work on the Philokalia. So when he attended the Council of Constantinople, he was technically not a layman but a lay-monk. This council is different from the Ecumenical council of Constantinople in 381.
>
> St Athanasius did attend the Nicean Ecumenical Council. Ecumenical councils differed from local synods in the sense that they discussed controversial issues which could not be resolved at the local level and threatened the unity of the Church.
> Thus they were not synods which discussed day to day issues. In such councils, Bishops from all over the empire and beyond came with their advisers and legates (thus deacons and priests known for their faith often accompanied their bishops).
> The Emperor would have been present as convoker. The Pope of Rome who did not attend generally, was represented by his legates and vicar's
> (usually Bishops, but technically could be even a Archdeacon) .
> Thus although it was a gathering of Bishops as successors of the Apostles( just as the Apostles gathered in Jerusalem), others like priests, deacons etc could attend and played some part.
> For ex St Athanasius though then only a deacon attended Nicea as a member of the entourage of St Alexander of Alexandria.
> St Athanasius had flung a Gospel book to strike Arius at a local council in Alexandria, so the saint must have been fairly well known even as a deacon.
>
> Thus although many took part, the decisions were made by the Bishops in their role as successors to the Apostles.
>
> The Episcopal Synod we see in Orthodox churches today, is the gathering of Bishops of one local church to discuss administrative issues. Since we are a comparatively small church, all bishops are members of the Synod. This is not true of all Orthodox Churches. In larger Churches, such as the Greek, Coptic and Russian. There are permanent Synods comprising of some fixed members(usually Metropolitan s/Archbishops) and some rotating members from the unrepresented dioceses. Tibeloyo (General) Bishops and Bishops without their own diocese (like Patriarchal Vicars / Auxiliary Bishops) are not given a vote but can only be observers.
> Each church thus can evolve some systems according to its requirement.
> But in all Orthodox and Catholic Churches, the final authority regarding faith, discipline and canonical order is an 'Episcopal' Synod.
> It is interesting to note that St Vattasseril thirumeni, in his draft constitution published in 1932-33 had explicitly said that the Malankara Church was Episcopal in nature. Had it been accepted into the 1934 constitution, the mess we have in the courts today regarding the rights of parish churches could have been avoided.
>
> Lay participation takes place at other levels which deal with temporal administration. In the Russian Church , the Anglican Church etc bodies like the Malankara Association are called the General Synod or the Local Council.
> We in characteristic fashion, prefer to call the Malankara Association a "Parliament", without realizing that it is a general Synod of Bishops, clerics and laity.
> Thus we cannot say that laymen are not participating in a synod, we are. But then we must look beyond our love of secular/political terminology to a Christian one.
>
> We often love to quote that the Final Authority is the Episcopal Synod of Malankara but the 1934 Constitution in Chapter 7 : Clause 108 , expressly admits that the Aakamana Sunahdos( Ecumenical Council) is the final court of appeal in matters of faith.
>
> Suraj Iype
> Sivasagar. Assam.
>

St. John Chrysostom on ...

2009-03-06T01:04:00.001-05:00

On the lack of attention paid when listening to the reading of Scriptures in Church:

"They think that when they enter in here [the church], that they enter into our presence [the clergy], they think that they hear from us. They do not lay to heart, they do not consider that they are entering the presence of God, that it is He who addresses them.

For when the Reader standing up says "Thus says the Lord", and the Deacon stands and imposes silence on all, he does not say this as doing honor to the Reader but to honor Him who speaks to all through him [the Reader].

If they knew that it was God who through His prophet speaks these things, they would cast away all their pride. For if rulers are addressing them, they do not allow their minds to wander, much else would they when God is speaking. We are ministers, beloved. We speak not our own things, but the things of God. Letters coming from heaven are read every day.… These letters are sent from God; therefore let us enter with becoming reverence into the churches and let us hearken with fear to the things here said."

(Hom. IX On Thessalonians.)

Refections on 2008

2008-12-31T23:43:00.001-05:00

Similar to the end of last year, I really don't know how 2008 went by so quickly! Our family was blessed beyond words and we had a happy year. My two boys grow stronger, healthier and most importantly much more aware of Christ and our Faith than I was at their age.

From a personal spiritual perspective, I continue to learn and my love for Orthodoxy grows .. through the lens of the Church, the teachings of Christ is truly mind-blowing. The frequency of blog entries has gone down not because I've lost enthusiasm for Christ and the Church, but only because I realize there is so much I need to learn ... and I am happy as that shows the truth and infinite depths of my Christian faith.

I am most grateful to my online friends scattered both within familiar places in the US and Kerala, but also Northern India and Malaysia. We live in an amazing time where global communications literally has been made simple, fast and free and as our Church grows this thing called the Internet will be one of the most effective tools for spreading the teachings of Christ in the years ahead.

However, the state of the living Church continues to weigh heavy in my heart. We are struggling for an identity in the western world, when in fact the saints have given us one. We continue struggling to do what is right, especially when those who "run the church" need to be confronted.

Priests and parishes such as those found in St. Mary’s Orthodox Syrian Church in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia are sadly very difficult to find. From this Church came the story that was one of the highlights of '08, where Fr. Philip lovingly and patiently helped welcome a blessing into our Church family, and this blog entry truly is a reminder of not just the potential, but the DUTY of every parish in Indian Orthodox denomination.

But, as summarized in the 2008 movie Slumdog Millionaire, the India we know and loved has changed. In the movie, the obsession for money and power in Mumbai has caused generations of Indians to act positively in-human and the hero's love for a woman was so strong it overcame all obstacles. On our summer trip to Kerala we experienced several sad and troublesome situations that clearly was the affect of greed and selfishness blinding Malayalees to do what is decent. Money, social status and other evils also blind many within our Church to the true calling of Christ, and the teachings of our Church fathers through theosis to be perfect as God was perfect.

But there is no question that we have hope for the future ... even the tragedy in an Orthodox church in Clifton, NJ gave us a story of courage and life in the form of Dennis John who not only died trying to save a fellow Church member, but his donated organs gave new life to others.

How we choose to make 2009 is in our hands, and praying that many of us get the courage to do what is right especially to help the living Church continue preaching the doctrine that we were taught by the Apostles. To this end, another thing that still has not changed is the support our American seminarians need.

If any of the seminarians have touched your lives as they did mine, please know our Church needs help to financially support and encourage their ministry. Even if it's as little as $10, please send your tax-deductible contributions with the memo of 'Seminary Fund' to the American Diocese office, and they will get distributed properly.

Address is below!

The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Inc.,
80-34 Commonwealth Blvd.,
Bellerose, NY 11426

Article: What's behind the curtain?

2008-12-05T02:45:00.004-05:00

This blog is a re-hash of an earlier post with some additions. Apologies for the recent silence as been trying to put into words a flood of thoughts and understandings influenced by Mathew Gallatin's Ancient Faith podcast titled 'Sola Scriptura and Philosophical Christianity

Fr. John Behr once elaborated, “each person has to be responsible for themselves coming to Church and being a member of the Church. Why are you coming to this Church is what we should ask people ... just because my parents did and my parents before that did? Or is it because I believe that here I encounter the Lord of all Creation of this history, the one sitting at the right hand of the Father, tangibly… perceptibly .. and become His Body.

In the Indian Orthodox Church, too often we begin discussions and clarifications by thinking only of our culture, the traditions or the Apostolic roots through St Thomas. While these are important as it shapes our identity, they by no means should be the reason why we are members of the Church.

As an example, we are sometimes asked about the closed curtain that separates the altar from the rest of the Church. Other Oriental Orthodox churches also use a curtain, and in the Eastern Orthodox churches an iconostasis (usually a wooden wall or screen) serves the same purpose of demarcation.

Often the reply is that the curtain has been part of worship and Liturgy by the “true” Church for thousands of years, thereby using an argument that because the Church is ancient it is by some mathematical formula automatically “truth”. Or, the question itself is just dismissed, often with an explanation that these are simply rituals and old “traditions” of the Church that are of lesser importance. Worse, an admonishment (often tinged with anger) is directed at the person asking the question, along with unsolicited commentary on the poor job the parents did raising that person.

Mostly, the dictionary explanation is shared that the curtain is the symbol of the sky separating heaven and earth, with the Madbaha signifying the heaving and the unveiling of the curtain denoting the opening of heaven.

The manner in which we answer these questions are very important, as it reflects our own understanding of our Faith. More so, by not taking our answers seriously we also inadvertently perpetuate the misunderstandings and misconceptions on our pre-denominational Christian Church. It is a sad reality that rather than being identified as members of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church that preserved the fullness of the Holy Trinity by the blood of martyrs and struggles of the Saints, our Church is rather associated with stagnation - a Church that is more obsessed with tradition, rituals and ethnicity rather than the “Authentic Jesus”.

We must remember that as Orthodox Christians we are constantly challenged by the true teachings of the Church to “think about our Faith actively” in order to become effective witnesses for Christ. The Truth is not hidden from us but rather in plain sight and close reach i.e., through the Qurbana and the Sacraments.

However Sunday attendance alone will never be sufficient to fully understand, and often the first step to move our personal relationship closer to the One True God may be as simple as picking up the Bible. St John Chrysostom (remembered in the fifth Thubden as Mar Ivanios) clearly stated that the cause of all evils in the Church comes from not knowing the Scriptures. More recently, Dr. Geevarghese Mar Ostathios Metropolitan also emphasized that the sacred traditions of the Church will never contradict Scripture, and that in fact “we must always explain the Scriptural truth in the context of the sacred traditions of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church and not establish any dogma on the basis of the traditions alone”.

So, given all this, the question comes back - how do we answer the question on the curtain?

Dr Bradley Nassif advises that we should always start with Christ – “we need to show how he relates to everything in the Church. Talk about Christ first and foremost, and from Him then we go out to the Icons and the Priest’s vestments and other things”.

So, why the curtain?

It’s important to remember that the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ did not change God (Malachi 3:6, Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29; Isaiah 46:9-11; Ezekiel 24:14, James 1:17), but rather changed mankind. In Matthew 5:17, Christ clearly says as much i.e., "do not think I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill”. The God of the Old Testament is and always will be the same loving God that Jesus Christ revealed to His followers.

We were taught by Christ Himself to be perfect like the Father in Heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:48), and it is because of our shortcomings we cry out in His Presence “Kurielieson” asking our Lord Jesus Christ to have mercy on us, for as hard as we try there is no doubt all of us will require the Grace of our Lord to forgive our shortcomings.

A true understanding of this makes it easier to explain that the curtain is not a symbol the Church uses to divide people into “holy” and “regular”. Rather as believers in Christ when we look at the curtain we remember what’s behind the curtain. The Madbaha is the most sacred place in our Church because of the altar on which the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are worshiped and glorified, and on this altar mere bread and wine is made through the Holy Mystery into the real body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ (John 6).

As Christians, we are called to challenge our understandings and relate to the Scriptures, and always “think about our Faith actively” and calling ourselves Orthodox does not excuse us from this duty. We should all have confidence that the Orthodox Faith does keep the Gospel central in everything we do in the Church, and more discussions within the Church should be encouraged to trigger in each of us the humility and understanding that will then lead to the revelations that unlock the beauty of Christ’s teachings.

"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Mathew 18:3-4)

Kottayam Mahasammelanam & need for peace

2008-11-26T09:07:00.007-05:00

There are several articles that summarize the recent 'Mahasammelanam' (big meeting? big rally? not sure of the direct translation) in Kottayam, organized by the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church in response to the kalpana (letter) of HH Baselios Marthoma Didymos I

I've intentionally stayed away from this topic on this blog, as honestly all this never made sense to me even as a little kid. It's very clear in the Gospels that real-estate or wealth does not bring the faithful closer to Christ. More to the point, from Mathew 5:23-24,

"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift."

Can't be any clearer than that! Of course, even during the days of the Apostles there were disputes and quarrels, and the egos and pride of man inevitably will be a constant distraction in our Christian world.

So, typically I avoid these topics .. however, this morning read on ICON a wonderful summary of the dispute written by Mr. Suraj Iype.

I copied the entire post below for those of you who are not members of ICON, and made bold font of the most eloquent and insightful question from the post that I pray the leaders of both sides of the faction asks God for wisdom and guidance as no-one is benefiting from this quarrel.

Re: Supreme Court Judgment

Dear Johnachen,

Seeking your blessings.

I have to put on record the time and effort put in by Rev Fr KK John to help me understand the complexities of the current dispute. Without achen's kind help and affection, I would still be doubtful about where I stand. With achen's permission, I would like to pen some of my thoughts in response, Barekmor.

Father has raised a good point about the implementation of the Supreme Court verdicts in full. I would suggest that everybody spend some time to read the majority and minority verdicts of the Supreme Court. It is important to be informed before judging.

In my reading, the Cochin Award, the Seminary case, the Vattipanam Case, the Samudayam case, the suits for MD schools and Bethany parishes, the verdicts of 1995 and 2002 have all followed in logical conclusion to each other providing clarity regarding the administrative foundations of our Church.

The last final and binding verdict of the court cannot be said to be a 100% victory for the Malankara Orthodox Church (ex rights of the EAE and Simhasana churches were protected by the court), however it is true that overwhelmingly the stand of MOSC was vindicated, the position of Malankara Metropolitan recognised and the 1934 constitution accepted. The verdict clearly laid down the road map for union to take place, provided people were ready for it. The unilateral withdrawal of one party from the process of reconciliation is undoubtedly the cause of the present muddle; why
that hapenned is also known to all of us.

What role did affection for the Patriarchal Throne play in the failure of negotiations after 1995 and 2002?

The answer to the above question clearly shows where the roots of the present dispute lie. Was not affection and loyalty to the Petrine Throne used ex post facto to justify the failure of negotiations?

The Court's acceptance of the role of the Patriarch vis a vis the Malankara Church, the position of the Catholicos, and the validation of the 1934 constitution has meant that we have a definite base and foundation for accepting the Patriarch. This removes the need for us to rely on contradicted histories and emotions, and there was a chance to make a new start.

However, when we have a situation where a forged copy of the Holy Canons of the Church as codified by Catholicos Gregorios al Faraj (the Hudoyo) is printed and passed off as genuine in contrast to the authentic translation by Konatt Abraham Malpan, and legal loopholes are used to avoid accepting the 1934 constitution by the same people who have submitted sworn affidavits in court accepting the same constitution to protect their positions as Metropolitans, there is very little scope for real progress. There is perhaps no other Orthodox Church which has so blatantly gone back on the granting of autocephaly as has been done by the Syrian Church. The Patriarch arrived in India and enthroned Moran Baselius Augen as Catholicos, then excommunicated the Catholicos on flimsy and heretical grounds and then raised a new Maphrianate (though whether the privelages of the same were given to the new Indian Maphrian are extremely doubtful).

From the liturgical point of view,in my limited understanding, there is no need to remove the name of the Patriarch from the diptychs as a sign of our independence. Strictly speaking is it not unnecessary for any local church to commemorate any hierarch except the Diocesan Episcopa?

The Diocesan Bishop in his person represents the fullness of the Apostolic Charism, just as each local church represents the fullness of the Catholic and Orthodox Church.
It is through the person of the Bishop that communion with rest of the Church is established. However, in almost all Churches it is now a practice to remember in the diptychs diocesan, national and other prelates in communion.

In the West Syrian Church in the middle east, Pope Mar Shenouda of the Coptic Church is also remembered in the Tubden. That does not mean that the West Syrian Church of Antioch is in anyway subordinate to the Alexandrine See. (What it represents is that Moran Ignatius and Moran Shenouda are patriarchs of the same Church, although each governs the flock in that geographical location that each has been assigned by Christ).

So the diptychs in themselves just represent the bonds of communion that tie each local Orthodox church with other local churches which together represent the One Orthodox Church. We are in communion with other local Orthodox churches(The Armenian Church, The Coptic Church, the Ethiopian and Eritrean Churches), although the Syrian Patriarchate has excommunicated some of our Fathers, though we have not issued any
counter excommunication against them. When both the Syrian and the Indian Churches remain in communion with the other Orthodox Churches and thus share in the same Chalice (disregarding the instances of concelebration like the one between Mar Severios Zaka and Mar Paulos Gregorios), how can the bonds of communion be then said to have been completely broken? We are indeed now in a state of estrangement and impaired communion, but can we say that communion is broken definitively and eternally?

For e.g., there were long periods when the Chalcedonians of Constantinople failed to remember the Chalcedonian Pope of Rome even while remaining in communion and vice versa.

So remembering Moran Ignatius in the diptych is not necessarily a liturgical anomaly. If the Church decides to reflect on the current realities by removing the Patriarch of Antioch's name from the diptych and include the name of other hierarchs we are in communion with, there is nothing wrong with that either. But that does not prevent the re-inclusion of Mor Ignatius into the diptych as and when communion is re-established in its fullness.

In my personal opinion, remembering Mor Ignatius in the diptych acts first as a reminder to all of us about the need to re-establish reconciliation and peace in the Malankara Church. It helps the Church remember its priorities. There is no canonical justification for the existence of two Orthodox Churches in Kerala, and what could be more unfortunate than for us to come to see this anomaly as normal.

We all want to put this unfortunate and difficult situation behind and move ahead. That is a normal human response, but is that the Orthodox response? Is not all this similar to King Solomon and the unfortunate baby? What lessons should we draw from that?

As a member of the MOSC, I do not believe that we have done anything new or radical, our position from the time of the Vattipanam case has really not changed. Had our position and arguments changed, the verdict of 1995 and 2002 would not have been in our favour; so there cannot be a question of us doing what the Marthomites did: leaving our heritage behind and starting afresh. It is in fact my opinion that using the Patriarch of Antioch, it is the Patriarchal faction that chose to try and begin afresh at Puthencruz.

What the Marthomites did reflects their understanding of ecclessiology and what it means for them to constitute a church. Same cannot be said to apply for us.

As an aside, I think all of us should reflect on what we really desire. Do we desire unity in Malankara or do we merely desire to win this dispute? If we desire unity, then we should obviously understand that merely having parishes and hierarchs submit to the constitution will not bring unity. That is why the unity of 1958 eventually proved so fragile. People and their emotions have to be handled too, the failings of the MOSC are not with regards to facts and figures,
it is in our inability to reach out to the common man on the other side. As we reach the milestone of 50 years after 1958, should we not think also about what we lack and work on it?

C Suraj Iype, Sivasagar, Assam.

On an aside, it sure would be wonderful if Mr Suraj one day begins to blog :)

‘Turning Around’ An Orthodox Parish

2008-11-15T01:35:00.006-05:00

Kevin Allen had yet another thought-provoking interview on his Illumined Heart podcast series, this time with Fr Luke Veronis of Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Webster, Massachusetts (http://schwebster.org).

This Church in the Greek Orthodox community has been witnessing a healthy growth in membership & financial stability for the past several years, and there are many similarities between the Greek and Indian Orthodox churches in America.

The full podcast is available at http://audio.ancientfaith.com/illuminedheart/ih_2008-11-07_pc.mp3

FR. VERONIS' OBSERVATIONS ON THE CHURCH WHEN JOINING:

The Church was old, but carried a history of divisiveness, infighting and pettiness of individuals and church politics that played a role in chasing many people (especially those under 40) away

The church was extremely parochial (i.e., confined or restricted as if within the borders of the parish).

Personalities in the Church that were strong willed and felt a need to do everything, but to the extent that they often discouraged others from doing anything.

Other symptoms of the parish included the inevitable departure from the Church of members who marry non-Orthodox spouses (either to the non-Orthodox spouse's Church or just fall way from Church all together).

SOME POSITIVE STEPS:
In the podcast, Fr Veronis cautioned that there was no single magical solution, and advised that it was important not to compare one Church with another as growth can happen in different ways in different Churches.

His approach started with Bible Study, that resulted in the formation of a core group that met weekly. This created a forum where he was able to emphasize the principles of what it meant to be a Church and then show the passages that support from the Scripture.
Fr Veronis then focused on two key aspects, which in his words:

"First and foremost focus on the people and relationships, not programs and other activities"

"Secondly, giving a clear vision of what it means to be the Church"

Regarding the latter, Fr Veronis explained his opinion that he observed that not many people truly understood what it meant to for a Church to be the body of Christ, even when the Church was in existence for a long time. In the case of Sts Constantine and Helen, people were attending because their parents were part of the Church and it had eventually turned more into a social and ethnic club. However, Fr Veronis emphasized this was not the calling of the Church, and the need to define a new vision.

As an example, one of the first things Fr Veronis changed how money was collected from the members, changing it from a subscription or "due" system to a system of good stewardship, i.e., giving whatever you can give to the Church rather than fixing a membership fee.

Many people resisted, but Fr Veronis defended by explaining there are plenty of people who are willing to give more, but the Church never challenged them to give more. And, although there was resistance from many within the Church, the core group that had formed with the Bible Study group became the ambassadors to the people who resisted, and more importantly understood what the Priest was trying to achieve as they had discussed within the Bible Study group and had understood the calling from Christ to His people. These and other changes shifted the focus of the Church to one that looked at life with an eternal perspective.

END EFFECT
Collections went up from $24,000 to $60,000 in the first year, and continued growing. More over, membership grew from 90 families to over the next 3 years of 160 families and average attendance from 45 to 120 worshipers every Sunday.

CHURCH MISSION STATEMENT
Fr. Veronis included five key aspects in the Church Mission statement, namely WORSHIP, FELLOWSHIP, EDUCATION/SPIRITUAL GROWTH, WITNESS and SERVICE.

Worship:
What does it mean to worship? How do we worship? Teaching Liturgies were conducted, and it benefited everyone (not just youth!). Fr Veronis shared that some who were with the Church for 70 years thanked the Priest for the perspective. Since then, Fr Veronis learned not to make any assumptions on people's understanding of Worship regardless of age, parents or background. What's most important was that all who worship understood their Faith

Fellowship:
The Church is the Family of God, with the emphasis on Family. People had never viewed the Church as a family because of fighting and politics, and the priest worked really hard to make the community that had loving Christian fellowship and a warm place when people walk into the door. For those who left, make them feel missed, loved and welcome when they come back.

Witness:
Fr Veronis shared that as Christians we are called to be the light to those around us, and this includes reaching out to Orthodox Christians who have fallen away. Fr Veronis makes it a point to go to every parishioner's home and bless the house each year, which also gives an opportunity to inquire on the member adn if needed welcome them back without bringing up the past. Fr Veronis also stated that the Church needs to be a presence in the local community. Missionaries were welcomed to the Church to talk about their work in the name of Christ.

Education/Spiritual Growth:
This was not simply passing on knowledge, but providing to members the needed support to help and inspire them to transform their lives. This includes a healthy Sunday school program, youth ministers, and inspiring sermons to help them regularly. Other Orthodox speakers such as Fr Peter Gilquest were invited and included as part of retreats and other Church activities.

Service:
This was the reminder that as Christians we are called to serve one another and also outside of ourselves. It's not what is the Chruch giving me, but what can I do for the glory of God

To close with the Mission Statement from the Church's website:

The Mission of Saints Constantine and Helen Church is to proclaim the Good News of Salvation through the Orthodox Christian Faith for the glory of our Triune God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We are a loving community of believers who journey towards our Lord Jesus Christ and one another through our WORSHIP, FELLOWSHIP, EDUCATION/SPIRITUAL GROWTH, WITNESS, and SERVICE.

We invite all people to join us on this journey towards the Kingdom of Heaven.

[More Christian podcasts available at Ancient Faith Radio]

Convert chosen to lead Orthodox Church in America

2008-11-13T08:10:00.004-05:00

In the spirit of change, the Orthodox Church of America also broke their own cultural barrier by electing Auxiliary Bishop Jonah of Dallas to be Metropolitan Jonah of All America and Canada.

What's wonderful about the election is that Bishop Jonah was not born into the Orthodox faith, and will undoubtedly bring a new perspective to the Church. Full story available at http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08318/927528-85.stm.

The Russian Orthodox Church had granted the OCA “autocephaly" in 1970, and interestingly the list of original churches listed on the OCA's site where also clustered around the NY/NJ area (similar to the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church here in America). The OCA has shown an incredible level of respect to the American Diocese of our Church, and a number of students study at St Tikhon's and St Vladimir's.

This provides a glimpse of the future of our Church in America if we stay focused on the Faith and spiritual growth of the members of the Church.

Second Naivete

2008-11-12T02:00:00.004-05:00

In a comment to an earlier post, my friend Eric enlightened me on "second naivete", a concept that I can relate to in my life but had not realized there was a term. I also found a nice explanation on this by Ravi Zacharias.

To quote, "In this stage of second naiveté, the Bible can be engaged with awareness and imagination, and a greater sense of devotion, because we have come once again to see the God to whom it points". Further, at this stage "we rediscover the one at the center, and it isn't ourselves".

Sunday, November 2nd marked the beginning of a new Liturgical cycle in the Indian Orthodox Church, and the Gospel reading from St. Matthew 16:13-23 tells the story of Christ asking His disciples, "Who do you say I am?".

I remember listening to this story as a child and hardly spending any brain-cycles reflecting on the meaning ... I quickly understood that Jesus is God, God is good and St Peter got the right answer. Check.

But, growing older and entering the "stage of critical awareness", I recall feeling troubled by this passage especially when it was used to defend teachings of the primacy of St Peter. Sadly, every Indian Orthodox Church I've attended in my lifetime also never made it a priority to explain the Church teachings in a manner my teenage mind could accept.

Therefore, despite the incredible wisdom of the early Church fathers to select this passage to begin the Liturgical calendar, inevitably my teenage and young adult life was lived with a platonic and intellectual response to the question, "Who do you say I Am?".

I believed Christ was God, and God was good, but did I know God? I was religious but lost and although in a state of contentment and ease with the modern world, was unable to explain to my wife or children why I was a Christian (let alone an Orthodox Christian).

The phase of second naivete begins with something C.S. Lewis eloquently stated - "I want God, not my idea of God". In my case, an event rekindled the urge to discover and seek the Truth again and re-evaluate the response to this question that every disciple of Christ should be prepared to answer, "Who do you say I Am?".

To quote Ravi Zacharias, "In this stage of second naiveté, the Bible can be engaged with awareness and imagination, and a greater sense of devotion, because we have come once again to see the God to whom it points. God's Word tells the story that brings us to the Storyteller.".

But, this also brings a state of vulnerability and we must be cautious especially at this state to make sure we learn the fullness of the Word. Misunderstandings or pre-judgments on the teachings of the Church results in a separation of Christ and Church, resulting in the "naive" being at risk to walk down wrong paths.

St Paul admonishes the early Church of this in Galatians 1:5-9 using words only a Saint can say and not sound like a hypocrite, "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all."

The Church is absolutely crucial at this stage, and sadly this is where the Indian Orthodox Church in particular continues to drop the ball. But, as we read in John 6:60, the fact that the teachings of Christ (Son of the Living God) are difficult makes it all the more important to understand "the Storyteller" and listen using the perspective of the Faith to transform ourselves into one worthy to be called an image of God.

indian-orthodox.net

2008-11-03T16:18:00.011-05:00

Copy of message sent to the FOCUS Chicago mailing list:

On Mon, Nov 3, 2008 at 12:44 PM, FOCUS Chicago wrote:

> This past Sunday (November 2) was an important day in our Church, not only
> because of the Feast Day of St Gregorios of Parumala but also because this
> day marked Koodhosh Eetho (i.e., Sanctification of Church) and the beginning
> of the Church calendar.
>
> As we start a new year, let's all dedicate ourselves to the question Jesus
> asked His disciples in Sunday's Gospel reading (Matthew 16:13-23), i.e.,
> "Who do you say I am?"
>
> As His disciples, we must take this question seriously especially as we grow
> older, get married and have children of our own. Seeking the answer to this
> question will lead to a better understanding of the teachings of the Church
> and appreciate the centrality of the Gospel in our Faith and beliefs.
>
> With this in mind, we'd like to take this opportunity to announce the
> "re-launch" of the website
> http://www.indian-orthodox.net.
>
> This site was created earlier in the year to help with the intimidating and
> perhaps confusing task of understanding our Orthodox Faith. The most recent
> video addition is Mr Jake Kurian's presentation on 'The Holy Trinity', which
> was recorded in June 2008 for the Houston Faith Series. Due to the efforts
> of our brothers and sisters from across the country, we are in the process
> of editing and uploading more videos from past MGOCSM events, as well as
> Faith Seminars from New York and Houston.
>
> The front page will also be used to share Church news, articles on the Faith
> and Orthodox podcasts as well as updated every Tuesday with the Scripture
> readings for the coming Sunday.
>
> In Christ,
>
> P.S. On a related note, we encourage everyone to listen to Kevin Allen's
> "Illumined Heart" program from October 31st i.e.,
> http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/illuminedheart. Kevin interviews St
> Vladimir's Theological Seminary professor Fr John Erickson on the division
> between the Oriental Orthodox (Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, Indian) and
> Eastern Orthodox churches (Greek, Russian, OCA, etc) over the differences of
> the 4th Council of Chalcedon. The interview is not only a sign of
> encouragement of possible re-unification, but demonstrates the positive
> influence we in America have on the Church at large as there is no question
> that the interactions of our American Diocese (e.g.,
> http://www.svots.edu/news/recent/2008-0118-metbarnabas) as well as the
> seminarians who attended St Vlad's the past several years have helped to
> spread knowledge and understanding of our Faith.
>
> --
> +++ FOCUS Chicago
>

Religion and Politics ...

2008-10-30T22:15:00.005-05:00

I am a Christian who is neither a Democrat or a Republican, and many know I am voting for Barack Obama this Tuesday. There are a number of reasons, and it is true that I jumped early on the Obama bandwagon because I was exposed to his message being from Chicago, and of course the historical significance of racial barriers being broken.

However, the point I wanted to throw out in this post was that it's not because I am a Christian that my vote is going to any single person or political party.

The Gospel is quite clear that Christ was not a politician (Matthew 22:15-22, John 18:36, etc). In Christ's own words, "My kingdom is not of this world".

I have enjoyed reading the endorsements from religious leaders who voice their opinions in a very thought-out and informative manner. For example, Dr. Clark Carlton is an Orthodox author and speaker I have learned from tremendously, and in this open letter to Orthodox Christians he gave an endorsement for Ron Paul.

But, before going into the reasons for his endorsement, Dr Carlton gave a very important disclaimer, i.e.,

First of all, reasonable people – and certainly the reason-endowed sheep of Christ’s flock – can disagree about political philosophies and the relative virtues and vices of particular candidates. I do not believe that there is one "Orthodox" answer to some of the questions that I will raise below. In other words, I will question neither the purity of your faith nor the sincerity of your commitment to Christ if you disagree with my thoughts.

But, even here there's a dilemma e.g., what if someone just read Ron Paul's Political newsletter that reflects intolerable hatred, and then saw the "Ron Paul for President" bumper sticker next to the symbol of Christ?

Another example is found in a great, thought-provoking response to a Catholic who supported Barack Obama but in his endorsement he lashed out against the Catholic Bishops. Sister Mary Ann Walsh nicely responded that explained the position of Catholic Church in the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship" statement.

But, the fact remains that for many Catholics (as well as those in cloth) any election boils down to a one-issue vote that centers on the stance on abortion, and as seen in the Kerry/Bush elections many Catholic bishops publicly stated they would not give the Holy Eucharist to John Kerry.

I don't get it.

Four years later and despite Republican leadership, there are still women who elect for abortion for a number of reasons. Who are we to judge? Is there always a black and white, or maybe the counsel of a religious leader and close family is crucial. Does pro-choice really mean pro-abortion? And when did that loss of a life become more important than the loss of human life in Iraq due to an invasion?

Another recent tragic story from South Carolina where a crazy man shot a Halloween Trick or Treater. Being a father who saw the joy my kids had yesterday during Halloween, this one really tears at my heart. What logical explanation is there for a man living in the United States to own an AK-47 at home?? The tragedies at Virginia Tech and Columbine are still fresh in my mind as well. But, if I vote against the NRA and their support for guns, am I morally imbalanced because of the issue of abortion?

The above is just to emphasize there is no black and white, no easy dividing line that can state that one man or party follows Christ, and one does not. My Christian beliefs define me as a person, and in turn impacts my perception, thoughts and opinions on who should be in political leadership positions.

But, to equate this to "What Would Jesus Do?" discussions or imply damnation because of a vote is ludicrous. We are citizens of this country, and we have a social obligation to vote. But, study the issues and vote for the person you feel will represent the greater good of the country.

In a commentary on Carlton's endorsement, Glen Chancy wrote a couple lines that I hope everyone considers while going to cast their vote, i.e.,

We need to analyze our founding precepts, our core beliefs, and begin to seriously consider what it means to be both American and Orthodox in terms of our relationship to governing authority.

American Orthodox Christians will always disagree over many individual policies and candidates. But at least by focusing on enduring principals rather than transitory personalities or policy prescriptions, we can hopefully find some common ground on which we can all stand together.

What's behind the curtain?

2008-10-06T02:08:00.002-04:00

During the Holy Qurbana this past Sunday, my 8-year old turned to me a few minutes after the curtain was closed prior to the procession of the Eucharist and asked me, "What happens behind the curtain?".

For those not familiar, the Indian Orthodox Church along with other Oriental Orthodox churches use a curtain rather than an iconostasis to separate the altar and Holy of Holies from the rest of the Church.

While silently thanking God not only because my son was asking questions but that I actually knew the answer, I watched with much humility how easily he accepted my answer.

This reminded me of Mathew 18, when Jesus says,

"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

For many of us and for many who are unfamiliar with our Church and our Faith, it's difficult to accept several points of the doctrine such as Living Presence that don't make sense when using the standards of this world.

Hence, one of the highest priorities for all of us is to seek answers to all our own doubts and questions, thereby removing the obstacles for us to completely believe. Blessed are those who believe without questions, but definitely all the right answers exist within the Orthodox Faith for those who seek the Truth with humility and open hearts.

Kevin Allen interviewed the Dean of St Vladimir's Seminary Fr John Behr in an Illumined Heart podcast on Apostolic Succession (on which I'll post more thoughts soon).

Not surprisingly, Fr Behr gives a much better explanation of this towards the end of the podcast, i.e.,

Each person has to be responsible for themselves coming to Church and being a member of the Church. Why are you coming to this Church is what we should ask people ... just because my parents did and my parents before that did? Or is it because I believe that here I encounter the Lord of all Creation of this history, the one sitting at the right hand of the Father, tangibly .. perceptibly .. and become His Body.

And, if that's your answer, well, say that! But, if its not your answer, well then we need a further discussion.

When prompted by Kevin Allen about how to respond to Charismatic or Pentecostal believers who would argue that they "feel" the Holy Spirit during their worship, Fr Behr answered quite simply,

Well, I would ask them which Holy Spirit .. there are many gods out there, but for us there is One God the Father, One Lord Jesus Christ, the one that we know was crucified and was saved according to Scripture, whom we know through the inspiration of the Spirit by whom alone we can call upon Jesus as Lord ... all of that, with the breaking of bread that he also received and handed down to us .. this is what we know. What Christ are you talking about, and what Spirit are you talking about?

As Fr Behr said, if we don't completely believe and understand, then we need a "further discussion", and in my opinion the living Church should prioritize ensuring that all members can find both the audience as well as resources to help them find their answers.

Fr Behr summarized that this will not be easy, but he expressed hope that everyone will be challenged to "think about their Faith actively". When we strengthen our own personal Faith (for which Christ Himself advised that we "humbles himself like this child"), we in turn strengthen the living Church.

Why is Orthodox Worship important?

2008-09-30T01:16:00.003-04:00

This past Sunday was the 2nd after the Festival of the Holy Cross, and the readings from the Holy Bible were Acts 5:17-32, I Corinthians 2:14-3:9 and Matthew 16: 5-12.

Listening to the readings, I was reminded how I had struggled for a long time on why Orthodox worship was important ... like many I talk to in Chicago who are apathetic or left the Church, I believed that as long as we love Christ and follow His teachings it wasn't important to come to Church, participate in the Qurbana and appreciate the Sacraments. To those of us who think we are intellectually sophisticated and have no need of history and tradition, what's wrong with the thought of "Love Jesus, hate Church"?

The book Orthodox Worship: A Living Continuity With the Temple, the Synagogue was one of many resources that helped me understand, and actually referenced this passage in Acts as one example of how early Christian worship was "a Christ-centered continuity of order and cycle which continued and preserved the traditional structure of synagogue worship and the meaning of temple worship that the Lord had established in Israel". The Apostles continued going to the Synagogue, which was central to their spiritual life.

The book goes on to discuss how the basic structure of worshiping God as described in the Jewish Bible and the Old Testament was maintained in Orthodox worship. To quote, "going from Old Covenant to New Covenant, then, did not mean going from liturgy to no liturgy. It meant going from a good sacrifice to a better one, within the same basic structure of worship".

Both the Gospel reading from Matthew and Paul's letter to the Corinthians warn against the dangers of false teachings and doctrines. As mentioned, before I really began understanding Orthodoxy, I confess that I always read these passages out of context and had concluded that the Pharisees were symbolic of the "old" and "traditional" churches such as the Orthodox and Catholic. A Google search shows that articles from Evangelicals also use these passages to support their claims.

But, when one seeks to understand why the first Christians who walked with Christ incorporated elements of Jewish worship to form the base of the original Christian Liturgy, it's clear that they understood that Jesus was the Savior who fulfilled all the prophecies in what was Scripture at the time i.e., the Hebrew Bible. These early Christians initially maintained their Jewish traditions and obeyed the Sabbath and worshiped Christ the day after Sabbath (i.e., Sunday).

Later when Christianity was no longer outlawed and was becoming more widely accepted, it's easy to comprehend that our Church fathers would create a liturgy that combines aspects of Christian and Jewish worship. The incorporation of the "old" worship was important as the Scriptures revealed to Israel how to worship the Father in both manner as well as other aspects such as frequency of prayer, sacrifice, fasting, etc.

Any teaching that diminished this worship of the Father, as well as the importance of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ (the ultimate sacrificial lamb for our sins) truly does go against the doctrine that was established by those that walked with our Lord.

When absorbing all this, one truly gains completely new appreciation to Christ's words in Matthew 5:17, i.e., "Do not think I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill”.

We need to understand our Faith, and gain the wisdom to continue preserving the teachings of the Church while evangelizing to everyone the completeness of the Truth.

Ancient Faith Radio is awesome

2008-09-30T00:17:00.004-04:00

I've become addicted to the Ancient Faith Radio podcasts, and sent a small donation to support this incredible resource for all Orthodox Christians. Was pleasantly surprised to receive in the mail today the book "Seasons of Grace" by Donna Farley so just wanted to say THANKS!

And, if you can, please do support Ancient Faith Radio and their wonderful, definitely under-appreciated ministry.

Trying to come home to the Church ...

2008-09-14T01:28:00.008-04:00

Kevin Basil is a convert to Orthodoxy, and explains in his story,

In reality, my decision to become Eastern Orthodox had nothing to do with rationally accepting Orthodox dogma, or denying the authority of the Pope. It was because I had developed a relationship with Christ the Life-giver (Orthodox Church)

This relationship with a living Church is evident in every convert's story that I've come across, and is a big factor even for those where the conversion involves people leaving the Orthodox Church and establishing a stronger relationship with the non-Orthodox Church.

This is also evident in the inverse, where people are curious about the Orthodox faith but seem to only go so far without a Church reciprocating and strengthening the relationship.

So, when taking a step back, what can be said about the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church? The fact is that we as Orthodox Christians and members of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic faith we have been blessed with a Doctrine that more than any other Christian denomination can be "proven" through historical data, can be supported through Scripture and continues to pass the common-sense test it seems illogical that people will leave the Church.

However, what has become clear in my own journey is that people will just not see and appreciate this Truth until a personal relationship can be established with the Living Church i.e., the group of like-minded Christians that worship as Orthodox Christians (on a side note, this is arguably true both in love and politics as well).

This Truth will also not be seen by the apathetic and lukewarm believers within the Orthodox Church who attend out of convenience or family obligation ... much like I was for most of my adult life. I could not see the beauty of my own Church until the support of seminarians, priests and other fellow believers I've known through the Internet made me pause and re-look at what I've known all my life.

On the flip-side, where a strong personal relationship with a Church exists it's almost impossible to try to convince on points that the Church has taught the person is truth. This observation is also made in Kevin's story, i.e.,

"Catholics don't believe what the Church teaches simply because it just happens to jive with what they already hold privately. They believe it because the Church teaches it."

Ask most Catholics about the infallibility of the Pope, the Immaculate Conception or the miracles at Lourdes and most self-professed Catholic believers will quickly dismiss the thought that these concepts could be latter additions to early Church teaching since they take refuge that the large Catholic Church in which they trust have given a stamp of approval for these beliefs.

I've posted earlier on my views of the purpose of the Indian Orthodox Church in America, and these emotions are always triggered when I read stories such as those of Kevin Basil.

There is no doubt that the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church has been given a duty by Christ Himself to teach the Faith and to also create personal relationships with everyone, not just those born of Orthodox families or married into the Faith. This is why arguments such as parents alone are responsible to teach children wear thin, and in all honesty the Church needs to do a better job teaching the Faith to the people who are still currently in the chairs of most Churches and later become parents ... i.e., who teaches the teacher?

This is one of many explanations on why we continue to lose people. And it's just not the crazy youth in America .. also happening to entire families in Kerala every day, and often the exodus is to denominations that have very serious doctrinal issues.

The Christian Faith is difficult, as emphasized by Jesus Christ Himself in John 6:50-66, and the teaching of this Faith to all should be the highest priority and all other things will follow.

And as we all know, good teaching is never limited to the classroom alone ...

Will all be saved? - Orthodox View

2008-09-07T23:53:00.001-04:00

A topic that seems to challenge and arguably make it impossible for any re-unification of the numerous Christian denominations is our disagreements on the assurance of Salvation.

Orthodox and Catholic churches hold the belief that when we die here on earth we do so "In sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ". This is different than the common Protestant belief that each person who publicaly proclaims that Christ as personal Savior is born again of the Holy Spirit and thereby becomes eternally secure as a child of God.

I posted previously on my struggles with the emphatic "born again" alone takes you to Heaven, and Dr. Clark Carlton discussed this on his recent Ancient Faith podcast.

An excerpt from the podcast:

"So let's try and sum everything up.

First of all, the Church dogmatically asserts the free will of man. Universalism has been condemned by the Church ultimately because it denies free will to us.

Second, our liturgical hymns as well as the majority (rapport?) of the saints affirm that the last judgment will be final. There will be indeed be those who will be damned for all eternity with no hope of future redemption.

But, third, we also believe dogmatically that the Love of God is stronger than death and Hades itself. Firmly planted in this belief, we (command?) ourselves and our loved ones to the Love of God praying that this Love will be for them light and joy, not judgment and condemnation.

Perhaps then the best advice is prepare for the worst and hope for the best. That is, to attend to ourselves with a view toward the last judgment knowing that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

At the same time however we cast ourselves and those around us wholly upon the mercy and love of God praying for the salvation of all.

As Metropolitan Kallistos Ware put it once, can we affirm definitively that all men will be saved? Certainly not! But we can certainly hope and pray that all will be saved. We can hardly be children of our Heavenly Father and do otherwise. For it is written that God himself does not will that any should perish, but that all should come unto eternal life."

Dr Carlton mentioned the Liturgy, and with the help of Daniel (Dennis) Mathai Semassen I got some directed to some of the parts of the Liturgy of the Indian Orthodox Church that are consistent with this teaching:

After the Thubden reading, the priest says:

Remember, O Lord, all those whom we have mentioned and those whom we have not mentioned and receive their sacrifices onto the expanses of Your heaven. Bestow on them the joy of salvation and make them worthy of Your help. Strengthen them with Your power and arm them with Your might for You are merciful, and to You we raise glory and praise and to Your Only-begotten Son and to Your Holy Spirit, all holy, good, adorable and life-giving, Who is of one substance with You, now, always and forever.

Deacon: That there may be full recovery to the sick, rest to the afflicted, release to the prisoners, a return to those who afar, preservation for those who are near, gathering together to those who are scattered, concord and love to those who are at discord, provision and plenty to the hungry, full forgiveness to the sinners, exaltation to the priesthood, virtue to the deacons, peace among the kingdoms of the earth, cessation of wars, rest to the departed and to us forgiveness of transgressions and sins.

O Lord our God Jesus Christ, Who are worshiped and holy, bless and absolve the priests, Your stewards, the servants of Your Mysteries and all the faithful who have partaken of this sacrifice. Look after the orphans, provide for the widows, feed the poor, satisfy the hungry and preserve, without sin, all those who call upon Your Holy Name everywhere, so that from all, by all and for the sake of all Your Name be glorified and that of Your Father and Your Holy Spirit, now, always and forever.

Grant, O Lord, Your people and the whole world prosperous times that are filled with riches of pleasantness. Bless the rotation of the years with rain, dew and a variety of good things, and with all kinds, varieties and types of profitable things because You are He Who always helps His creation.

There were more examples from the Liturgy, but this should provide the state of mind all Orthodox Christians should have towards salvation. As mentioned in today's Gospel reading, it is our duty to try and be perfect as God is perfect (Matthew 5:48) and be humble (Mathew 18:4), and with humility pray that the Lord also be as merciful to not only ourselves but all mankind.

Regarding our own salvation, to quote from a Catholic Answers Forum article on how to respond when questioned on our belief of salvation,

"Are you saved?" asks the Fundamentalist. The Catholic should reply: "As the Bible says, I am already saved (Rom. 8:24, Eph. 2:5–8), but I’m also being saved (1 Cor. 1:8, 2 Cor. 2:15, Phil. 2:12), and I have the hope that I will be saved (Rom. 5:9–10, 1 Cor. 3:12–15). Like the apostle Paul I am working out my salvation in fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12), with hopeful confidence in the promises of Christ (Rom. 5:2, 2 Tim. 2:11–13)."

This Catholic article didn't mention purgatory or St Peter's key, so all's good :)

Orthodukso Viswasam

2008-09-03T10:31:00.003-04:00

'Orthodukso Viswasam' is a song used in our Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church after the Gospel reading on Sundays where we are to remember the fathers and teachers of the Church. I've been going to the Orthodox church all my life, but to be honest I've never heard it :( This video in particular has such a beautiful, peaceful effect (once you tune out the crowd noise), especially when the female voice harmonizes with those of Diju Skariah, Sanish Jacob Thomas and Tenny Thomas.

The Saints mentioned in the song (pg 366 in the Living Sacrifice book, 6th edition) are St Ignatious, St Thevodosios, St Cyril, St Ivanios, St Baselios, St Gregorios, St Discoros, St Clemis, St Philexinos and St Severios.

Role of the Saints

2008-08-22T12:44:00.003-04:00

This past summer, Abey George (3rd year Seminarian at St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania) had given a wonderful talk on the Role of the Saints in the Orthodox Faith. This is one of the most difficult teachings of the Church for many to accept, and Abey did a phenomenal job explaining ... personally a "must see" for all Orthodox Christians.

The videos can be found
at this site.

An important point that was made was that the Church teaching is that we are not to worship the Saints, but rather to honor and that this is clear in the Scriptures as well. The Greek word 'Proskynesis' means veneration, honor and reverence and this is used when the Church refers to the saints. However, the Greek word 'Lateria' which means worship and adoration is used only in reference to God.

So why is it important to give 'Proskynesis'? Abey gives several examples from the Scriptures as well his own insight to make the case.

There are several references to saints during our Liturgy, so will try and explore in subsequent posts the lives of the Saints mentioned and why we need to venerate, honor and revere these leaders. My hope is that others can also comment and help better understand our Faith, as this is the way to strengthen the Church

Why does the Church ignore it's responsibilities??

2008-08-20T23:07:00.006-04:00

I'm not sure how the Holy Liturgy is in other cities and countries, but in Chicago the sermon is never after the Gospel reading.

Mathews Mar Barnabas Metropolitan wrote about this in his book "A Devotional Study of the Holy Qurbana", i.e., "The sermon is to be given following the Gospel reading, explaining the Old Testament and New Testament readings and preparing the people for the main part of the Holy Qurbana"

Barnabas Thirumeni speculates in a footnote that the delayed sermon (usually after the Thubdens and the prayers to St Mary) is because people come late to Church. To be honest, I'm not sure about this point as I've been to many services where there is no sermon at all ... and sometimes no Old Testament reading either!

When I bring this up to many, they dismiss this as a minor issue. However, I can't help but feel this is one of many examples of how significant the gap is for change to occur in order to bring our living Church back to the centrality of the Gospel.

The lowered priority on teaching and bringing people closer to God, and worse lack of any urgency to correct these issues reflects how deeply we're stuck in routines, rituals and traditions and fail in the most basic aspects of Christianity. Even the Metropolitan of the American Diocese is powerless to influence change!

This is heavy on my mind as this past weekend got into a debate with someone I greatly admire, who's response to many of my questions was that it's not the Church's responsibility but rather the parent's to teach the Faith.

With such a drastic difference of opinion on the role of the Church, how will things ever change in an established Church?

The personal dilemma is that after discovering the genuine truth of the Faith and the completeness of the Apostolic teaching in understanding Christ, the only thing that comes to mind when faced with these frustrations is the words of St Peter in John 6:68, i.e., "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life".

And, so ... go to yet another Indian Orthodox Qurbana where I don't feel what C.S. Lewis describes as the perfect Liturgy, i.e.,

"The perfect church service would be one we were almost unaware of; our attention would have been on God."

Welcome Greg!

2008-08-07T10:19:00.001-04:00

I wanted to share this awesome blog from Greg, who is in Malaysia and with the help of the local priest is learning more about the Indian Orthodox Church.

One post in particular is a reminder of the potential of our Church, if we only focus on the message of Christ rather than the politics that always seem to drag our living Church down.

Please do visit Greg's blog, and if possible offer help and prayers.

There are some who can't handle the Truth ...

2008-07-30T23:18:00.002-04:00

An earlier post referenced a thought-provoking blog entry titled, "Do Orthodox know the Gospel?", which was written by an evangelical father who had discovered Orthodoxy and was getting more and more drawn to the Faith.

Sadly, I realized that soon after the author posted that insightful post, he decided to not pursue any further reading. From his last blog entry,

I must confess that as I’ve embraced Orthodoxy, my spiritual life in general has suffered as, outside of the blog world, it has been a solitary journey that has resulted in my being spiritually isolated from my other Christian friends and, most importantly, my family.

Hope anyone reading will pause and pray for him and others like him. Discovering Orthodoxy later in life can get difficult as the person has to explain to others why it's necessary to change the status-quo ... loved ones may understand, but more often there's tension especially with very few living Orthodox Churches where Christ is clearly evident to outsiders as well as the mis-representation of Christianity by tele-evangelists and other more vocal people.

The Spirit of the Liturgy: Form of Christian Prayer

2008-07-12T02:12:00.001-04:00

I've been learning a lot while reading Pope Benedict's "The Spirit of the Liturgy". The Pope a.k.a. Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger had written many books on theology and was the Prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith ... an fancy title that also underscores the terrible shape our Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church is in terms of catechism and teaching :(

Much to comment on in future posts, as the Pope uses references to the Early Church and Eastern Church practices often to make a point, and a couple times refers in name to Syro-Malabar Church and the "Monophysite and Nestorian Churches of the Near East" (which I assume is Indian Orthodox).

In general, the Pope seems nostalgic of pre-Vatican II worship, which definitely resembles Orthodox worship much more than what is seen in Catholic Churches today. The chapters on Church building and Liturgical Prayer truly have many golden nuggets that I'll comment on later.

What spurred me to post in the chapter titled, "The Altar and Direction of the Liturgical Prayer" the Pope writes about what he calls the original form of Christian prayer, and offers the following opinion:

"When the altar (is) very remote from the faithful, it (is) right to move it back to the people. In cathedrals this made it possible to recover the tradition of having the altar at the crossing, the meeting point of the nave and the presbyterium. It (is) also important clearly to distinguish the place for the Liturgy of the Word from the place for the properly Eucharistic liturgy. For the Liturgy of the Word is about speaking and responding, and so a face-to-face exchange between proclaimer and hearer does make sense. On the other hand, a common turning to the east during the Eucharistic Prayer remains essential. This is not a case of something accidental, but of what is essential. Looking at the priest has no importance. What matters is looking together at the Lord. It is not now a question of dialogue but of common worship, of setting off toward the One who is to come. What corresponds with the reality of what is happening is not the closed circle (when priest faces congregation) but the common movement forward, expressed in a common direction for prayer"

I had always wondered why we insisted on facing East, and the common explanation of Jesus coming from the East never quite made sense as the Earth is round. The Pope's explanation in the chapter, and the thoughts and opinions expressed really were quite thought-provoking.

indian-orthodox.net

2008-07-01T01:35:00.005-04:00

Although still needing more content and videos, as well as technical glitches that still need working out, the announcement for the website that will (hopefully) be a good source of video, audio and documents on the Faith of our Indian Orthodox Church was sent out.

The website will have accomplished it's goal if even one person takes pause and tries to learn more about the Faith before dismissing our Church based on the numerous negatives that are so easily seen.

All suggestions, ideas and help appreciated! The power of the Internet is amazing .. since the site has gone live, it's been visited 169 times and the map of the visitors is almost from every continent.

Amazing, and really an underutilized tool by our Church leaders. Our new Sabha website is a start, but truly understanding the reach of this medium and effectively using it to accomplish the vision and goals of the Church is still a long ways away.

Announcement notice below (with thoughts borrowed from earlier posts!)

----------------------

On Mon, Jun 30, 2008 at 1:56 AM, FOCUS Chicago wrote:

Although the site is still undergoing work and may have the occasional glitch, several of the recent Faith Seminars from the 2008 Chicago series have been uploaded to http://www.indian-orthodox.net. We are eagerly awaiting recordings of Faith Seminars from other cities as well as some former Leadership Camp materials.

If you have any materials (video, audio, presentations, articles, etc) that you believe will help others with their personal journey as they continue growing with Christ, please contact Joe Varghese (vargh3se-at-gmail-dot-com).

The intent and vision of this website can be best summarized by making reference to the amazing book by C.S. Lewis titled 'Mere Christianity'.

In his book, Lewis compared Christianity as a great hall, from which doors open into several different rooms. As Christians, it is our duty first and foremost to bring everyone into the hall. Lewis advises that when talking with those who are not in the hall to never attempt to bring them into the Faith by arguing "high points of theology", as the risk is that we may drive the individual further away from Christ through our disagreements and theological divisions.

But, once in the hall, Lewis explains that it is in the rooms and not the halls where there are fires, chairs and a meal. The hall is a place to wait, a place to pray and ask which door is the true one. While in the hall, we must obey the rules which are common to the whole house, but always continue to seek where to settle down i.e., which door to go through.

The website (http://www.indian-orthodox.net) is a humble attempt to begin collecting information on the Faith of Our Church for those in the hall, and help everyone with questions find the resources and help within the Church to get answers.

The answer to the question, "Why are you Orthodox?" may be different for different people, and there are no wrong answers. However, the answers should be backed with the conviction, comfort and belief that the doctrines of the Church are true and their is indeed holiness and truth.

Lewis concludes the metaphor with sound advice for all of us to heed -

"When you have reached your own room, be kind to those who have chosen different doors and to those who are still in the hall. If they are wrong, they need your prayers all the more; and if they are your enemies, then you are under orders to pray for them. That is one of the rules that is common to the whole house"

May the Lord continue giving all of us the strength and wisdom to do His work on this earth.

In Christ,

--
+++ FOCUS Chicago

2008 OVBS Junior Book

2008-06-30T16:03:00.004-04:00

We were asked to write the Junior book for this year's Orthodox Vacation Bible School, and this was the version of the Junior book we sent prior to the formatting and all.

This is for the American Diocese of the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church, and if someone had told me a year ago we would be doing this for our Diocese I would have laughed in their face ... such a blessing to see the transformation in our lives when we took the first step forward.

Comments welcome!

"Compassion-less Love"

2008-06-29T14:21:00.003-04:00

Rev. Fr. O. Thomas (Sunday School Director and Professor at Kottayam Orthodox Theological Seminary) is a renowned speaker and gave the sermon last Sunday at St Thomas Orthodox Church in Chicago.

The Gospel reading was from Mathew 15:32-39, and Achen shared that this was similar to the other miracle of multiplying the loaves and fish which is the only one reported by all four of the canonical Gospels of the Christian religion (Matthew 14:13–21, Mark 6:31-44, Luke 9:10-17 and John 6:5-15)

Achen emphasized that the reporting of this miracle by all four Gospel writers was not a coincidence, as it explained to the Church the essence of Christ's teaching. Through this miracle, Jesus was teaching the disciples to always remember those who are hungry and tired. At the end of the day, 5,000 men were fed and when the number of women and children are also considered it's not a stretch to believe that 10,000 people left with a good meal.

What Jesus taught in Mathew 22:36-40, the Sermon on the Mount and John 6:35 are demonstrated in this miracle. The awesome act is actually not the physical miracle itself but that this great Man, for whom thousands had come out to listen and clearly had all the earthly attention and power that many people dream and desire, reminded his disciples at all times that compassion and love for the ordinary person was why we are here on this world and what God demands of us.

Achen went on to talk about how in the Orthodox church we often have a "compassion-less" love for others - one in which we forget those around us who are not like us. Many times we believe we are the "chosen" ones and often turn away the very same people we are called upon to bring towards the Church.

The following story was also shared by O. Thomas Achen, and truly has a message that still is moving and hopefully touched others who have heard:

In South Africa during the days of apartheid, a large, expensive church was being built and many non-white workers spent countless hours and effort to build the building. One pious colored man in particular enjoyed working on the church, and not only worked hard but with love as he wanted God's home to be special and beautiful.

When the church was complete, it indeed was beautiful, big and amazing to the eye. However, when the colored man approached the priest to request permission to worship God inside the building, the priest regretfully explained how those who paid for the building did not want black people inside. The priest was sincere and apologetic, but at the end the answer was 'no'.

Troubled by this, the man prayed to God and pleaded to the Lord to change the hearts of the priest and the people so that he could worship God inside the beautiful. To this, God replied - "Why do you want to worship Me inside that building? Even I am not welcome there"

Who is my Jesus?

2008-06-12T01:19:00.002-04:00

A "song" by Christian singer Todd Agnew includes a lyric that's been on my mind for awhile, i.e., "my Jesus would never be accepted in my church"

This echoed an astute observation made in a comment to an earlier post to explain why people are continuing to leave our Church, i.e., "to find a Jesus who fits the Jesus they have in mind".

It's been very difficult to not be frustrated at the continuing exodus in our Orthodox Church towards what they perceive is "better" Christianity ... the attitude of my Jesus is better than your Jesus. As the living Church is a family of people who together do as our Lord commanded both in worship and action, each loss of a Christian brother or sister without question weakens the living Church.

Even though it's been interesting to see a renewal of interest in the early Church teachings, as long as people like Joel Olsteen tops the list of 50 most influential Christians and is easily more associated as being a "Christian" than any saint from the early Church it doesn't seem as if Orthodoxy has much of a chance.

So, with all these thoughts and emotions in mind, the guidance found in the introduction of the wonderful book 'Mere Christianity' was quite profound.

C.S. Lewis uses an analogy of a large hall with a number of doors, and on opening each door one finds a room with chairs, fires and a meal i.e., a place to settle and get comfortable. Lewis explains that the hall is a place to wait, a place to meditate and decide which door is the true one.

He further cautions that this should be an informed, careful decision ... i.e., "the question should never be: 'Do I like that kind of service?' but 'Are these doctrines true: Is holiness here? Does my conscience move me towards this? Is my reluctance to knock at this door due to my pride, or my mere taste, or my personal dislike of this particular door-keeper?'"

This is actually a great insight into human behavior that many in our Orthodox Church overlook. We do believe that Baptism and other Holy Sacraments are undoubtedly true, but each person will be a different levels of understanding of who is Jesus and why our Faith is true. Through Baptism we do enter the Hall, but we must continue to learn and understand why we need to go through that door with the label of 'Orthodox'.

And, much as our parents want to believe, its not because we have to :P

Powerful imagery and advice ... and very well applicable to what's going on in today's world. Our job as Christians is to make sure that first everyone gets into the Hall, but then our job as Orthodox Christians is to make sure we understand that the faith must be defended and protected from heresies, and teach why the door - although definitely not the one with the shiny bright colors and neon signs - is indeed truth. And truth is what defines God the father, His only begotten Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

And if we fail? Lewis has that covered as well.

Lewis concludes by saying once a person reaches a room, its our duty to be kind to those who have chosen different doors and to those who are still in the hall. He writes, "If they are wrong, they need your prayers all the more; and if they are your enemies, then you are under orders to pray for them as this is one of the rules common to the whole house."

Importance of History

2008-06-05T18:42:00.002-04:00

A famous poem is centered on 6 wise blind men, and while each touches a different part of an elephant they make an eloquent argument that he knows how the elephant looks. But, we (the reader) knows the argument is wrong as we see the whole elephant.

The poem ends with the profound observation i.e.,

And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!

This comes to mind whenever someone quickly and blindly discounts the importance of history, or an appreciation of the ancient Church. Strong arguments are made by many Christians on who is Jesus and which Church is real ... but without at least an understanding on how history unfolded from the days of the Apostles to today's modern world, we run the danger of being like the men of Indostan who eloquently argue who's right and who's wrong, without realizing the danger of distorting the truth that was Jesus Christ.

So, what do we do as Orthodox Christians? What is our responsibility?

A post by the Techie Layman explains this dilemma that many of us feel. What do we do when we hear brothers and sisters who are from other non-Orthodox Church argue on concepts such as the Rapture and Immaculate Conception ... both of these are good examples of beliefs that undoubtedly originated more than a thousand years beyond the days of the Apostles and early Church leaders.

And yet, in our modern world these are beliefs that are held by the overwhelming majority of those who call themselves Christians. Does popular belief imply that the Truth has changed? Clearly not, as Christ himself clearly stated in the Gospel (i.e., Mathew 24:5) and reiterated multiple times by St Paul and other early Church leaders.

So, as Orthodox Christians we indeed have an evangelical responsibility, and need to correct with patience, love and humility. Which is often easier said than done, as such a discussion quickly degenerates into an argument.

This is among many reasons of the true sense of urgency of establishing Indian Orthodox churches for our community that are able to educate and be living examples of those apostolic teachings ... every person who leaves our Church or are "lukewarm" Christians not only weakens our community, but also adds to our failure as Orthodox Christians.

This is the importance of history - not because that automatically makes our Church teachings correct, but more importantly so we can understand what a blessing it is to be members of a Church that (among others) are part of the One, True, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, and also learn from the challenges and sacrafices made by those early Church fathers and mothers and apply it to our modern world. The blood of the martyrs and the sacrifices of all those who participated in the creation of the Church needs to be taught, explained and acted upon even with the absence of mega-churches, TV channels and wealth. May we all meditate and truly understand the words of Christ as we contemplate what it means to be Orthodox,

By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

"A Deeper Relevance"

2008-05-18T23:16:00.000-04:00

An interesting article from Christianity Today on the attraction to Liturgy by some evangelical Christians. Will post more thoughts on this in the coming days, but wanted to share the article:

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/may/36.38.html

The acknowledgment of a common root of the early Church is nice, i.e.,

"If you examine the full service of each of these traditions, you'll find a surprisingly common worship order, and prayers and responses that are identical in many places. The shape of this liturgy has its origin in the early church, and has been molded by the history of the church up to the present."

Re: Why we lose younger generations from our church

2008-05-01T00:39:00.003-04:00

[a post from ICON, copied here as I'm too lazy to write this again]

There have been books written that may give some insight (e.g. "Dear
Church: Letters from a Disillusioned Generation", by Sarah Cunningham).

From talking to those who have left the Church both in America and India, the reasons differ in each Diocese, each Church and often times in each family. Some leave for religious reasons, some because it's not "fun" while others are disgusted with the politics of the living Church.

Underlying everything is simply a lack of understanding of the Faith.

A very smart man left a comment on a blog that applies perfectly to those who left -

"... they left to find a Jesus who fits the Jesus they have in mind".

This not only eloquently explains the most significant reason why people are leaving our Church, but also why an even larger majority who remain in the Church are classic examples of "lukewarm" Christians that God described in Revelations.

It is the failing of all of us who make up the living Church. We did not properly teach those who left, nor are we teaching the many more who stay members but are completely apathetic or ignorant. Adult catechism is rare, and our thought is by pushing the children to 45 minutes of Sunday School per week they will embrace our Faith. The 1934 Constitution does not define our Indian Orthodox Faith, but rather it's the teachings of the Apostles as taught to them by the One True Jesus Christ.

When *we* (not the parents, the entire Church!) fail to teach who Jesus was through our Church doctrine while the individual is forming their thoughts and opinions, it's not surprising their roots are not deep and they easily get drawn away. And, once a person's mind is made up, it's very difficult to teach them even if it is unquestionably the truth.

Faith, then Reason and finally Revelation.

Fr. George Pulikkottil had taught the importance of these words in that order. Without Faith, there's very little chance of finding the right path, and one cannot find Faith after thinking they have had a revelation.

That's my 2 cents on why we lose people of all generations from our Church ... a very large majority (including myself, who often feel like an infant despite being 35 years old!) don't understand our Faith.

The solution is to make sure that those who truly teach and minister are placed and supported wherever they are needed throughout the Diocese - this should be our top priority if we are sincere about the preservation of the Faith that St Thomas brought to our homeland.

Joe Varghese
St Gregorios, Oak Park

First Qurbana in Chicago

2008-04-23T07:37:00.002-04:00

The first Qurbana in Chicago happened sometime in the early '70s at St. Peter's Episcopal Church. The Liturgy was led by Fr. Dr. Kurian Thottupuram (now Very Rev. Chor-Episcopos Dr. Kuriakos Thottupuram), with about 10 families.

My dad shared that the group originally thought this was the first Qurbana in America, but later found that the first Qurbana was in New York (I believe by the late Very Rev. Thomas P. Mundukuzhy Cor-Episcopos at Lampman Chapel?)

What's sad is there is very little readily available information - photos, articles, etc. Perhaps a goal we can set as we revamp the website of the American Diocese.

Science and Religion

2008-04-16T22:08:00.002-04:00

Christ has Risen!

And yet, some of my agnostic/atheist friends scoff at this idea, and at times even laugh at the more fundamental doctrine that there exists a Supreme God. In my younger days, I would taken the time to debate ... but, nowadays we just agree to disagree.

But, will never be able to suppress the exasperation with these same people who on one hand reject Christian belief outright, but on the other accept without hesitation some of the wacky thoughts in the name of Science.

For example, a quote from the following article on the formation of Venus:

The probability that two protoplanets collided to form Venus is not at all implausible

So, if probability that something not implausible is sufficient for some to accept as scientific explanation, why do many of the same people turn around and completely reject any probability that Christian doctrine could be true?

Kneeling during Holy Qurbana

2008-04-13T22:31:00.002-04:00

During Indian Orthodox Liturgy, there is no kneeling while celebrating the Holy Qurbana (Mass). At first I thought this was just something that evolved in India over the ages due to environment, but learned there are theological reasons.

One explanation that was echoed by our Parish Priest was that as each Mass is a celebration of Christ's resurrection, it is a joyous occasion and hence we don't kneel. Another theory seems to be that the early Christians viewed Jesus as God and man, and stood during worship services to show reverence and equality. The person quoted further explains that Catholics around the 7th century put more emphasis on Christ’s divinity and introduced kneeling as the only appropriate posture at points in the Mass when God was believed to be present.

Taking a step back and analyzing it from the eyes of 2008 ... I think one can make a strong argument that introducing kneeling at specific points in our Indian Orthodox Qurbana would go far in bringing back the holiness into the Service.

For example, right before the Thubdens, the priest invokes the Holy Spirit to change the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. I love this point in the Qurbana, as the priest cries out loud three time prior to this - "Answer me, Oh Lord", and then the consecration begins with the sounds of bells and the shaking of the Marvahso.

Sadly, though - in many churches we see this moment as a signal for people to sit down (i.e., get a head-start during the Thubden readings), or worse, many men begin their escape to the basements to talk ... all sad testimony to the general lack of understanding of the Liturgy.

Kneeling at this moment and praying along with the priest would bring everyone so much closer to God. Despite the "Western" influence, it would bring back the reverence and significance. Interesting, it seems other Orthodox Churches do allow kneeling, with the following exception:

the exceptions with regard to Sundays and the days between Pascha and Pentecost apply generally to everyone. According to ancient tradition and a clear church law, kneeling must not be performed on these days ... for ever since Jesus Christ, "blotting out the handwriting of the ordinances that was against us, ... nailing it to His Cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it" (Col. 2:14-15)—ever since then "there is, therefore, no condemnation to them who are in Jesus Christ" (Rom. 8:1). For this reason, the practice was observed in the Church from the earliest times, beyond a doubt handed down by the apostles, whereby on all these days, in that they are consecrated to the commemoration of the glorious victory of Jesus Christ over sin and death, it was required to perform the public divine service brightly and with solemnity, and in particular without kneeling, which is a sign of repentant grief for one's sins.

I could live with that :) This would also bring awareness to the various seasons of the Church.

*Sigh* another dream that in all likelihood will never happen.

Reading Scripture in "Liturgical Way"

2008-04-04T23:52:00.002-04:00

I do not have the authority or wisdom to argue with anyone using Scripture ... it's difficult just to remember the chapter number I read the previous night! Perhaps with time I will get more guidance, maturity and wisdom.

I had read the entire Bible when I was in my teens ... and retained less than half, at the very most. What strikes me now as I re-read the Bible is that I am definitely interpreting and understanding through the Church teachings.

The warnings of St Paul in his letters seem to cry out to not forget the early Church teachings of the Apostles. The stories and parables of Jesus seem to strongly illustrate the easier and fun path may not always be correct, and that noone can be guaranteed salvation.

More to point, how can the following not be a direct and emphatic illustration of the holiness of the Eucharist?

John 6:53-60:

Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, you must eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood. Otherwise, you won't have real life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day. My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood live in me, and I live in them. The living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father. So whoever eats me will live because of me. I am not like the bread your ancestors ate. They ate that bread and still died. I am the bread that came down from heaven, and whoever eats this bread will live forever." Jesus said all these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. When the followers of Jesus heard this, many of them said, "This teaching is hard. Who can accept it?"

Another takeaway about Liturgical worship is the emphasis that Jesus wants us to worship and adore God the Father. When the people ask Jesus to teach them how to pray (Matthew 6:9-13), he taught the people the prayer of the 'Our Father'. When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, his explanation to John (Matthew 3:15) was simply

"We should do all things that are God's will"

March 30th Letter on ICON

2008-03-30T22:13:00.001-04:00

Re: Why we lost younger generations from our church

"Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a
candlestick; and it giveth light unto ALL that are in the house." -
Mathew 5:15

Sunil Kurian's post cuts to the point, i.e., "eventually succeed in
reaching them with the true treasure of the Church, which is all that
really matters: the meaningful nature of a transcendent faith."

In the United States, we have incredibly successful Family
Conferences, MGOCSM, parish-level Christmas and Easter celebrations
... it's truly amazing to step back and reflect on all the obstacles
our parents, Priests and Bishops had to overcome in every city/region
to get to where we are in 2008. The Church is not dying or decaying,
but rather there is growth, happiness and love. There are so many who
know and understand the Faith and the beauty of our Church.

But, there continues to be a group of people who are indeed locked out
from drawing closer to Christ through the Indian Orthodox Church.

Most parishes have members in one of the following categories

- Spouses who are not Orthodox and/or Indian
- Children who's parents are (intentionally or unintentionally) not
good Christian role-models
- Parishioners who have been unjustly hurt by other Church and at
times Committee members
- Members who don't read or speak Malayalam
- Members who are in need of counseling, but are ashamed to ask for help

Many may look at the above categories of people, and laugh out loud -
why should the Indian Orthodox Church concern itself with such a group
of sinners, fools, weak and invisible people? How can the Indian
Orthodox Church benefit from catering to the needs of such people?

This is the continuous struggle and is not a young/old or language
issue. Sadly, we as a Church just don't seem to have due priority
given and many are forced elsewhere or remain apathetic as there is no
hope.

In another post, Sunil from Milwaukee points to the potential our
Church has to embrace everyone, and the handful of Mission Churches in
America are also evidence that the Church can truly fulfill the
calling to be the body of Christ in this world. It's quite difficult
to find any other church with our resource and potential, and yet we
continue to wrongly ignore our calling by repeating over and over that
"change will be slow".

May we use the 40th day of the demise of HG Mar Makarios, as well as
the 1st death anniversary of Mundukuzhy Achen to remind us of our calling as
Christians and continue to pray for Him to give all of us both courage and
wisdom.

Joe Varghese
St. Gregorios/Oak Park

Importance of History -

2008-03-28T21:16:00.001-04:00

We can learn from history how past generations thought and acted, how they responded to the demands of their time and how they solved their problems. We can learn by analogy, not by example, for our circumstances will always be different than theirs were. The main thing history can teach us is that human actions have consequences and that certain choices, once made, cannot be undone. They foreclose the possibility of making other choices and thus they determine future events.

- Gerda Lerner

The quote is so applicable to our Church. When the Apostolic tradition and history is mentioned to most, it's usually met with a roll of the eyes and sarcasm.

But, without an appreciation of history it's impossible to truly appreciate the sacrifice of the martyrs of the Church died for the Faith, or why the Apostles cautioned against false teaching.

This appreciation of history also brings the truly humbling awareness of the huge responsibility that is on all of us who claim to be Orthodox Christians. The misunderstanding and misconceptions of the Faith are corrected by all our actions, words and deeds.

Kinda missing the point ...

2008-03-25T20:42:00.001-04:00

ugh. just one question - why??

St Stephens Orthodox Cathedral, Kudassanad

The YouTube comment that summarizes it perfectly - "wow a casino church haha"

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T22:51:00.005-04:00

Christ is Risen!

From 1 Corinthians 15:14, "And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is worth nothing, and your faith is worth nothing."

A song from the Easter Sunday procession of the Indian Orthodox Church:

Truly am I the Gardener, O Mary!
I only planted Paradise, Great One!
O Mary, am I life of all living things.
I am the Resur-rection and new life.

I am Who was killed.
I was in the tomb.
Touch Me, not for I
Have not gone to my Father.

With glory have I ascended from the tomb
Good news this, thou pass to my disciples.

7 Last "Words" of Jesus Christ

2008-03-21T23:58:00.005-04:00

On the Catholic Channel today, they broadcasted a service where the 7 last words of Christ on the cross was recited as meditation (I think this is part of a service known as 'Tenebrae').

Repeated below are those 7 last words of our Savior Jesus Christ on the cross -

"Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." Luke 23:34

"This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise." Luke 23:43

"Woman, behold thy son." John 19: 26-7

"My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Mark 15: 34 (Mt. 27: 46)

"I thirst."John 19: 28

"It is finished."John 19: 30

"Into thine hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit." Luke 23:46

Good Friday Songs

2008-03-21T22:35:00.001-04:00

Procession 1:

Cross He carried on shoulders
As He came out from the fort
Hebrew women assembled
Weeping and wailing for Him
Holy Mother stood afar
With her kin waiting for Him
Overcome with grief and pain.
Like a dove she moaned and cried,
“Where, where are they taking you
My Son, my beloved one?
O, why Thou did Thyself give
Unto these unrighteous ones?
My Son, my beloved One
O, what has befallen Thee?
Blessed is Thy lowliness
And passion all - for – our – sake.”

Procession 2:

Joseph, hailing from, land of A-rimathea
He was one righteous, and venera-ble.
Beseeching He came, unto Pi-late’s Court
Pleading for Jesus’, Body Di-vine
Body of Savior
Most Holy – Treasure
Grant Thou me, Ru-ler
I may bu - ry Him – my – self
Crucified was He, on a Cross by Jews
Give it unto me, for my de-light

Veneration of the Cross:

We – bow – be-fore Your Cross
That brought us salva-tion
And with the – thief we cry out
Christ remem-ber us when- You come

More songs:

Morning Kauma 3rd Hour Kauma
6th Hour Kauma
9th Hour Kauma

Happy St Patrick's Day

2008-03-18T00:21:00.004-04:00

I was shaking my head last week when I heard that Guinness Beer is holding an online petition to make St. Patrick's Day an official holiday. Obviously a marketing gimmick, and someone must have given themselves a raise after coming up with the awfully clever "Proposition 317".

What's sad is that St. Patrick would undoubtedly be cringing each year on this day that "honors" his memory. I never thought too much about it until I recently heard a little snippet on the Catholic Channel (Sirius radio) about Saint Patrick, and how prayerful and holy the man was, and how he was blessed with the knowledge of Scripture and the Faith of the Trinity.

A quick read of the history of St. Patrick's Day in the US makes it easy to understand how people in the US forgot the Christian roots, and it became a day of drinking and leprechauns. The story of the 3-leaf clover representing the Trinity gets forgotten for wearing green.

The biggest irony of the online petition is that it fell during Holy Week, and very little discussion on how Good Friday is not a National Holiday despite America being a Christian country. In India and many other countries around the world Good Friday is a holiday ... but not in America :(

But, heck - we may get St Paddy's Day off. The luck of the Irish, I guess.

Palm Sunday hymn

2008-03-16T23:40:00.000-04:00

Song from Palm Sunday service:

Who did raise me up the mount
Jeru-salem, the holy hill.

Hosanna – Hosanna!
Hosanna – Son of David!

Son of God, to the city ride
Mounted on a colt I see.

Prophets’ holy band I see
Walking all ahead of Him

Sacred band of Apostles
Follow Him closely behind

Olive branches holding high
Little children sing and praise

Earth and Heaven Hosanna!
Hosanna, Son of David!

He who came and is to come,
Blessed Lord, praise unto Thee!

"Love Jesus, Hate Church"

2008-03-11T19:37:00.001-05:00

"Love Jesus, Hate Church" was the title of a book I picked up from the library by Steve McCranie. The title caught my eye more than anything else, and may post some more on the book later ... in general, the book had some good points, but don't recommend as it is essentially an infomercial for his Churchbusters organization. Unless you enjoy infomercials, of course.

The central theme of McCranie's argument is that there cannot possibly be a way to "love Jesus" and also be loyal to the Church. Some of the examples were both extreme and annoying. But, while reading, what struck me was how much the author just missed the point of the fundamental question i.e., what is the Church?

Underlying seems to also be a "rebellion" against the "old" structured form of worship. We listen to K-Love almost all day, and rather naively I was initially surprised that for some Christian sects this is the primary form of worship.

The OCA has a write-up on "Contemporary Worship vs. Orthodox Worship".

But, what should be most striking to us is the pointed question - why does it seem that the more traditional form of worship seems to bring out the worst in people? On paper the Orthodox form of worship (prayers, fasting, humility, community, etc) should result in more discipline and higher enlightenment?

The OCA article also commented on this, and to repeat what the author had said, i.e.,

one of the biggest mistakes we Orthodox Christians make is thinking that by taking a non-Orthodox individual to a Liturgy, he or she will be convinced instantaneously of the fullness of Orthodoxy. Ultimately, those with no understanding of the faith ... are not in a position to fully understand the Liturgy, even though they may "enjoy" the experience.

Faith, Reason, Revelation.

All three aspects have to come together, and as a Church this is where we fail. In my life, I've lost track of the number of priests and elders who have said it's not important to understand Orthodox service. Rather than teaching, most just force into the Qurbana thinking by osmosis they will believe. This continues to be one of many reasons for the continuing exodus from our Church ...

Do We Orthodox Know Orthodoxy?

2008-03-05T00:20:00.001-05:00

A comment from a previous post had provided a link to an interesting blog entry, with the title 'Do Orthodox "Know The Gospel"?'

One paragraph was particularly thought-provoking, i.e.,

These people were hearing the Gospel as loud and clear as it can be proclaimed, and to a depth that they would never hear it in an evangelical church. Plus, there were all the catechumen classes and Bible studies. So why weren’t they being spiritually nourished?

More and more Christians continue to leave the Indian Orthodox Church, and when questioned the response is a combination of one or more of the following - lack of understanding of the Faith, priests that can minister to those who grew up in the US, lack of leaders in the Church who are Christian role models, not being one of the 'connected' families in the Church, ...

One could argue that all of these contribute to someone feeling a spiritual thirst.

But what's frustrating and discouraging is that the failing is not in the Church leadership or any single issue. More so, is it not the Church members i.e., us?

A Church is a body of people, and although clearly priests and spiritual leaders are needed the environment, attitude and life of the Church is the people.

From the same article,

The bottom line is that what they either didn’t understand, or were unwilling to shoulder, was the tremendous responsibility that comes with being Orthodox. To be an Orthodox Christian is to be immersed in a loving relationship with Christ. It’s a love that makes great demands on all parties. In short, it’s a lot of work. Sooner or later, you have to get down to business.

To "get down to business" might actually be quite simple - a priest who can be a shepherd and a father, a handful of families and place to worship. The Qurbana is the way to bring people together.

St. John Chrysostom on Fasting

2008-02-25T10:59:00.003-05:00

Over and over, the teachings of our early Church leaders clearly explain why we do the things we do in the Church today. On fasting, St. John Chrysostom clarifies in his teachings, and what most struck me was the following:

what gain is there when, on the one hand we avoid eating chicken and fish and, on the other, we chew-up and consume our brothers? He who condemns and blasphemes is as if he has eaten brotherly meat, as if he has bitten into the flesh of his fellow man.

The act of fasting is not the act of staying away from a particular food-group, but rather the sacrifice and humility before not only God but fellow being.

Apostolic heritage of our Church

2008-02-21T23:36:00.001-05:00

From http://www.street-theologian.com/2008/02/popular-piety-vs-real-piety.html:

"When we lose sight of the real core of our Apostolic heritage as the Church, we end up desperately searching for a way to stem the tide of people choosing other faiths. I can not blame someone for leaving the Orthodox Church because they have never felt ministered to nor that their identity in the Church is central to their being. If Sundays are taken over by performance and not sincere worship, than hearts truly searching for Christ will wander. I am truly convinced that the Orthodox Church is complete and has everything to offer anyone who will receive it, but that message of completeness and continuity has no real weight unless it’s genuinely and clearly conveyed on a Sunday to Sunday, parish to parish basis."

No punches pulled ... just the plain truth.

Our Church leaders must analyze and pray over the simple question, "What does it mean to be an Indian Orthodox Christian?"

Is it really just the language of the Liturgy? Or that we are Malayalees and must always remain a Malayalee Church? Or perhaps blind adherence to a Constitution passed in India in the 1930s? Or the endless lawsuits and bickering over the Throne of St Thomas?

Or is it the Faith that Christ taught his Apostles, and that we are privileged to have handed down to us so we can continue the fellowship of Christians worshiping the Lord?

Once the understanding of what it means to be an Indian Orthodox Christian can be articulated, then the purpose of the Church and how the Church lives on a weekly basis becomes simple.

Thought of the Day

2008-02-14T14:37:00.004-05:00

I found the following on facebook:

Evening Prayer, St. Aphrem's Chapel.

"When you stand at prayer, re-collect your mind with passion and put a bridle on your thoughts and keep them in your heart ... Great is your glory, Lord of all, beyond the praise of those who praise you, for you have greatly loved our nature; glory to you for our redemption."

- B'outho of Mar Ephrem, from Soutoro, Monday.

Words of Wisdom ... from movies!

2008-02-13T23:38:00.003-05:00

I guess smarter men would find words of wisdom from ancient philosophical books or the like ... I seem to find them in movies.

Following from Batman Begins:

People need extreme situations in order to shake them from apathy

Culture, Tradtion and Custom

2008-02-07T23:41:00.000-05:00

Is maintaining the customs, traditions and culture of India important, or is it inevitable that 50 years from now it will be impossible to differentiate between an "American born Indian" and an "American" in the US. The thought being resistence is futile and we will all be assimilated.

Obviously, I disagree ... there is much from the homeland that we should never forget and let go, even with the growing number of Indian families who essentially have no roots back in India.

For example, we have friends who I know I can pick up the phone at any time of day or night and ask for help despite years having passed without a conversation. The unspoken nod or smile when you see another Indian in the street. The genuine love and concern for children and family, that as many soon-to-be couples will find out will transform itself into the endless questions by relatives on when they will pop out babies. Respect for elders. Happiness and joy on hearing news of another brother or sister from India has done well. The list goes on ...

The skeptical will say this is an India that is make-believe, and with the numerous examples of Indian people behaving badly it is difficult to argue. Others would also argue that this has nothing to do with being "Indian", but rather just a good human being.

Which I guess is all true ... but, it's still our culture and heritage. There are a set of values, behaviors and beliefs that define us, and while this has been handed to us by our parents, it is we in turn who are responsible to impart to the next generation.

While thinking about this came across the following quote on a friend's facebook profile:

our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are...but we are responsible for who we become

So, how does this apply to our Church? Here also the skeptical will say that the Church is nothing more than a social event, that when one gets in trouble the last place to go is the Church as the people will gossip and talk bad. The Church will never change.

If this is true and we accept it, then our Church indeed is lost. :(

There should be no debate that the purpose of a Church is to do what Christ demands, and an Indian Orthodox Church should be a place of fellowship where everything comes together - being Christian and being Indian. Through our Orthodox faith we are taught how to worship God as the Apostles and early Church had defined.

The Church should generate and mold Christian role-models for the children. The Church should be a place of solace and refuge in the midst of a chaotic and confusing world.

For some of us, the Indian Orthodox Church was our background and circumstance, for better or for worse. So it is our responsibility to take and define what it will be for our future generations.

Things are complicated at the moment as the Church in India appears to be more and more engaged in politics and other things that clearly are not of Christian values. And for reasons that boggle the mind, the Church in America seems to continue to think of itself only as an extension or far suburb of the Church in India.

So where do we go from here?

As a father I appreciate those customs and traditions from Church that tie back to older Indian custom (often Hindu), but has been adapted for Christian belief. The minh in the wedding with a cross, having to practice how to properly tie that string made of 7 silk threads. The manthrakodi which is also important in an Orthodox wedding. Many customs with children, such as this one where Thirumeni guided my son to spell Jesus and make the cross in a plate of rice during the summer before he went to pre-school.

All this strengthens the tie back to our heritage and culture, and will help shape and define future generations of Indians in America.

We are responsible for what the Indian Orthodox Church becomes as we are the Church. Our generation should not walk away from this responsibility, or attend and remain apathetic. It's essential that we continue to support the priests and seminarians that understand that Christ is always the focus, and make sure there is never a misunderstanding that these customs and traditions are superior to Christ's message. The focus of any true Church is always on Christ, and the customs and traditions are there only to relate Christ with our culture.

Bobby Jindal conversion to Christianity

2008-02-06T18:06:00.000-05:00

Interesting article on Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal's conversion from Hinduism to Catholicism.

One comment in the article, i.e.,

"His infrequent visits to India as a child gave him little chance to acquire a deep appreciation for Hindu culture"

The same can probably be said about Indian culture in general ... longer post on that later!

What is Orthodoxy? pt 2

2008-02-02T10:54:00.000-05:00

Continuing an earlier post, came across a nice article titled, "Why I'm Not Orthodox" by a Protestant professor who taught in Russia. Very well written, and what I appreciated most was that it was not a "I'm right, you are wrong" type article that is found by authors on both sides of the discussion.

The focus is mainly on the Russian Orthodox Church and Eastern Orthodoxy, and there are some points of difference between this and the Oriental Orthodox. But, I liked the way the author divided the points of discussion:

The Church: Orthodoxy makes a "bold and unapologetic theological claim as the one true church of Christ on earth, which alone has guarded right belief and true worship in absolute identity and unbroken succession with the apostolic church". The central point of disagreement to this issue is clearly who constitutes the "Church" and how one enters the church (i.e., through the Sacrament of Baptism, etc).

The Sacraments: I found it odd that the author seemed a bit surprised that the Sacraments of the Catholic and Orthodox faith were similar, as a quick read of the historical evolution of Christianity all began with a common starting point. The author also explains here that "Evangelicals urge the necessity of personal conversion through the faith and repentance of the individual believer, as opposed to the Orthodox idea of regeneration by the sacraments". The author emphasizes that these were concepts central to evangelism, almost implying that Orthodox Christians disagreed. To really engage in this argument, a deep knowledge of theology is required ... but, my little brain doesn't quite understand how both "substitutionary atonement" and "justification by faith" disagrees with the beliefs of the early Church. Coming back to the Sacraments, though ... it seems to be the misunderstanding that Sacraments are a substitution for true Christian practice. True Church doctrine is not teaching that receiving Eucharist at mass on Sunday does not mean you have a 'Get out of jail free' card to behave unlike Christ on Monday.

Icons: This is one point where I will never understand those who take the extreme points on this argument (i.e., some Orthodox Christians vehemently argue that only icons can be used, and having nothing better to do point to the Catholic use of statues as blasphemous). Although the use of icons in the Indian Orthodox Church is not as emphasized as the Eastern Orthodox Church, there are many articles and books that correctly emphasize that worship is always towards God, period. Any argument, action or belief other than this is not according to the Catholic or Orthodox Church. This is one of many good articles that elaborate on this topic, "Orthodox Christians venerate or show honor and respect for icons, they understand that they are merely expressing those feelings for the people and events depicted, and not for the icons themselves. To make this clear to the laity, worship of icons was forbidden by the same council that defended their veneration, the Second Council of Nicea."

Scripture and Tradition: This is "Sola Scriptura", or as articulated by Martin Luther, "What else do I contend for but to bring everyone to an understanding of the difference between the divine Scripture and human teaching or custom?". Ironically, many Orthodox scholars agree on the point that influence of human teaching or custom at times confuses or misleads on issues, e.g., Bishop Kallistos Ware wrote, "Many traditions which the past has handed down are human and accidental — pious opinions (or worse), but not a true part of the one Tradition, the essential Christian message". Martin Luther was primarily challenging the Catholic Church who unfortunately had several very misguided popes at in the middle ages of Europe. The irony here is that even with the belief Sola Scriptura, there are points of the Bible that do require an authority to help clarify, and the primary objection seems to be that the authority to interpret is anyone but the Catholic or Orthodox Church.

To summarize, many of the theological arguments and who is right and wrong are honestly are above me - Yeah, I'm no street theologian!. :) For me when struggling to understand and explain all of this, I relate much more to points such as when in the article, the author mentioned that when he asked an Orthodox priest whether he as a Protestant theologian might be considered a true Christian, the priest responded "I don't know". Although I think the author was using this as a point to show that the Orthodox priests themselves were ignorant, I actually believe the answer was both correct and wise, similar to one of the stories from the desert fathers.

The article also concluded with a thought i.e., what is at stake? If I could bring this all to a personal level, what continues to be at stake is how the Indian Orthodox Church in America will be defined. Is it possible to uphold and love the beliefs and traditions of this historic Church, and also embrace the truly Christian acts and practices of the modern-day Church? That is the challenge ahead.

Much to think and write about later ... hopefully this post will generate some feedback!

HG Mathews Mar Barnabas Visits St. Vladimir's Seminary

2008-02-01T00:31:00.000-05:00

St. Vladimir's and St. Tikhon's are two of the seminaries of the Orthodox Church of America, both educating a group of the 2nd-generation seminarians with the blessing of our Diocese.

What's so encouraging is that both St. Vlads and St Tikhons reach out to our Church in friendship and unity, and recently Barnabas Thirumeni was honored at St. Valdamir's. A real positive and encouraging sign for the Indian Orthodox Church in America!

Metropolitan Mar Barnabas of the American Diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church spent Friday, January 18, 2008 with St Vladimir's seminarians and faculty as our "Hierarch in Residence." Each semester, one bishop is invited to the seminary to spend a day with the students and faculty. Hierarchs in Residence pass on the lessons of their experience, interact socially with the students and expose them to different traditions. Since 1993, Metropolitan Mar Barnabas has been the spiritual guide and shepherd for over 10,000 Indian Orthodox Christians in the United States, including many SVS students.

http://www.svots.edu/news/recent/2008-0118-metbarnabas/

What is Orthodoxy?

2008-01-27T22:58:00.000-05:00

There is often a negative reaction to the word "Orthodox", which is understandable when Orthodoxy continues to be defined by those who decry that the Faith has been "infected by ecumenism". Or, by what is often seen at our church basements on Sundays. Or the many incidents of silly church politics back home in Kerala that noone can argue will please Christ.

Should these be the examples that define our Indian Orthodox Faith, and more specifically the Indian Orthodox Church in America?

I love the following phrase, that I first saw in the signature used by one of my favorite seminarians Dennis Mathai i.e.,

It isn't non-denominational - it is pre-denominational. It has believed, taught, preserved, defended and died for the Faith of the Apostles since the Day of Pentecost 2000 years ago.

It is true that through the ages and actions of the misguided, there has been much added or distorted in the name of the Church. But, as Bishop Kallistos Ware explains in his book Orthodox Way

"many traditions which the past has handed down are human and accidental — pious opinions (or worse), but not a true part of the one Tradition, the essential Christian message."

The core and essence remains unchanged and is elegantly summarized above i.e., the Faith of the Apostles. The Original Church.

I have not found a better word that captures all of these specific thoughts and emotions. There is no differentiation between true Orthodoxy and the "essential Christian message". To quote more from Bishop Ware,

True Orthodox fidelity to the past must always be a creative fidelity; for true Orthodoxy can never rest satisfied with a barren ‘theology of repetition,’ which, parrot-like, repeats accepted formulae without striving to understand what lies behind them.

These are all the thoughts that come to mind when I use the word "Orthodox". And the Orthodox Church? To borrow from one of my favorite articles,

The church is God’s “body” – we are His hands, mouth, and feet in this world. We are to be doing the things that Jesus Christ would do if He were here physically on the earth. The church is to be “Christian” – “Christ-like” and Christ-following.

Again ... there should be no difference between this belief and Orthodoxy. This is the challenge that lies ahead for all members of the Indian Orthodox Church.

E-mail spam with a powerful message

2008-01-24T19:54:00.000-05:00

As I'm sure is the case with many others, I literally get 100s of e-mail spams a day. For some reason I read the following in a chain-mail:

A young lady named Sarah, relates an experience she had in a seminary class, given by her teacher, Dr. Smith. She says that Dr. Smith was known for his elaborate object lessons.

One particular day, Sarah walked into the seminary and knew they were in for a fun day.

On the wall was a big target and on a nearby table were many darts. Dr. Smith told the students to draw a picture of someone that they disliked or someone who had made them angry, and he would allow them to throw darts at the person's picture.

Sarah's friend drew a picture of someone who had stolen her boyfriend. Another friend drew a picture of his little brother. Sarah drew a picture of a former friend, putting a great deal of detail into her drawing, even drawing pimples on the face. Sarah was pleased with the overall effect she had achieved.

The class lined up and began throwing darts. Some of the students threw their darts with such force that their targets were ripping apart. Sarah looked forward to her turn, and was filled with disappointment when Dr. Smith, because of time limits, asked the students to return to their seats. As Sarah sat thinking about how angry she was because she didn't have a chance to throw any darts at her target. Dr. Smith began removing the target from the wall.

Underneath the target was a picture of Jesus. A hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled picture of Jesus; holes and jagged marks covered His face and His eyes were pierced.

Dr. Smith said only these words.... 'In as much as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me.'

Matthew 25:40.

No other words were necessary; the tears filled eyes of the students focused only on the picture of Christ.

Wow. I didn't forward the chain-mail, but the story was so powerful that wanted to share.

The result of a Church Plant

2008-01-22T12:30:00.001-05:00

I'm often criticized for being too harsh and critical of the Evangelist church, and just wanted to clarify for the record that in fact it's just the opposite - there is so much to admire and appreciate with both the structure in the church as well as the genuine Christian spirit that prevails.

The success of these Churches actually make me feel more passionate about the Orthodox Church. As an example, the church that I'm most familiar with is Harvest Bible Chapel in Naperville, that now worships in a very nice building right across from the exit I take to work.

An amazing story, and everyone I have met from the Church is so welcoming and enthusiastic ... literally a daily reminder of what a church with a vision can achieve. I also had the chance to visit during the renovation, and even then was amazing to see the joy and "one-ness" of everyone volunteering to get their home ready for the Grand Opening.

This Church along with many other Evangelist churches started with a "church plant", a concept that is so foreign to our Orthodox Church.

The sad irony is there's nothing "un-Orthodox" about this and many of the other concepts used to grow and expand the Church. The same formula would help so much with the divisions occurring due to different needs and expectations of a Church. This indeed is the calling of Christ, whether you are Orthodox, Protestant or Catholic!

The criticisms of the Church that are often expressed (e.g., from this article by Sam George - “I do not get anything out of it”, “Church is a club”, “Church is full of hypocrites” & “Church is more interested in my money than in me", etc) have nothing to do with Orthodoxy.

"True Orthodox fidelity to the past must always be a creative fidelity; for true Orthodoxy can never rest satisfied with a barren ‘theology of repetition,’ which, parrot-like, repeats accepted formulae without striving to understand what lies behind them."

- Excerpt from “The Orthodox Way”, by Bishop Kallistos Ware

To try and summarize, my frustration is never with these Christian churches and their people who clearly have committed entirely to their belief of Christ teachings. It is more so with those who argue that Christian thoughts like these go against Orthodoxy, and choose to do nothing.

When will we have the courage to step up and correct? It will happen in some city in the USA ... led by a priest who does understand that this is not against the Faith of the early Church leaders. It's just fixing processes that are long overdue for a re-haul.

"Get all of us together and we ain’t got a gang, we got an army. And all you need’s a spark, right? Just one spark, something to wake us all up."

Quote from the movie "Gangs of New York" ... although not directly discussing the Church, I think it is applicable as it seems our generation needs a spark to wake us up ...

Young Adults quitting Church

2008-01-18T22:49:00.000-05:00

I still hold the belief and hope that the Indian Orthodox Church is for everybody, not just for our parents or those who natively speak Malayalam. But, this very often seems an uphill and at times impossible battle to get to that point where everyone feels "home" at our Church.

There was an interesting article quoted in a December post on Sam George's 'Coconut Generation' blog.

Solutions that rely on splitting a single church by age or generation seem destined for failure - mainly because people grow up. As an example, a ministry in the Willow Creek Church titled 'Axis' announced that it was closing, with the explanation that a "shift to an intergenerational church" was the current direction.

In India, a similar initiative started in the Indian Orthodox Church titled Oxygen. Although quite encouraging to see our Church elders in India recognize the issues that lead to the exodus from the Church, I wonder what'll happen to Oxygen when the "Young Generation" gets older?

At the end, there must be a common understanding and belief that brings together everyone in the Church ... otherwise, seems impossible to get that open dialog and trust that result in the feeling that the Church is for everybody. Education seems a critical ingredient, but to those who all ready have formed opinions the education will fall on deaf ears.

The simple message of Christ ... when did it get so complicated?