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THE THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY: Nicodemus Visits Jesus
Nicodemus was seeking Jesus under the cover of darkness because he has much to lose- his security, position and power. But Jesus asks him to be “born from above”; which was far beyond his comprehension. We also find it difficult to understand many divine things as we are just another God’s creation. The plans and purposes of the creator are far beyond our comprehension. Orthodoxy is a way to make sense and connect with the creator God, who is beyond the human intellect and comprehension, through worship. Gospel Reading: John 3: 1-12 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus…
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THE SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY: A personal invitation to “Come and See”
“Come and see” is a personal invitation by Jesus. His disciples also invite others into discipleship saying, “come and see”. This phrase, in short has become a personal invitation to God’s dwelling and into discipleship with him. Can we invite Jesus to come and see where we are dwelling? How about inviting him to our living space, kitchen and bedroom? How about talking to him as we show him around? The imagination goes like this; if Jesus accepts our invitation ask him to sit with us. Show him those aspects of our home, collections, valuables, achievements and our possessions that delight us. But if he asks, “where your sprit…
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THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY
To start his ministry Jesus left Nazareth (symbolic of leaving our old ways of living to start a new!) and began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Repentance is not only turning away from our sinful ways, but it also calls for turning towards God. As St. Paul says, a new creation is what matters! Gospel Reading from St. Mathew 4: 12-22 Jesus Begins His Ministry in Galilee: 12 Now when Jesus[a] heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so…
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Martyrdom day of St. Stephen
January 8th is the Martyrdom day of St. Stephen, the chief of deacons and the first Christian martyr. The word deacon is derived from the Greek word diakonos, which means “servant”. In the Christian Church, a deacon is believed to be a “servant of the church”. In the Malankara Syrian Orthodox faith, deacons assist the priests when they administer the Holy Sacraments. The origination of this office can be traced back to the early church in the Book of Acts when seven men were selected to serve the church. Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of…
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My dearest Ignatious Family, Special thank you to all
Once upon a time two disciples named James and John, they came to Jesus and asked for a favor; grant us that we may sit one on your right hand and the other on your left! Jesus smiled at them and said “guys you don’t know what you are asking for. Can you drink the cup that I drink and be baptized with the baptism that I’m baptized with? They do not understand what it mean by drinking the cup or being baptized; so they just said yes! But Jesus continued, you guys are thinking like ‘gentiles’, like the rulers of ‘gentiles’; asking for the left and right position in…