February 23 mark the memory of the great Saint Vattasheril Mar Dionysius of the Malankara (Indian) Orthodox Church. It also is important as we honor him to take the effort to know him, know what he has done to Holy Orthodoxy and mission of the Church and what is expected for us to realize in our lives in his footsteps as individuals and collectively as Church.
For me my knowledge of Thirumeny was very limited, in fact next to nothing till knowing a great father of the Church in our own times Fr. V.C Samuel of Memory Eternal has written a book about him (Truth Triumphs - http://www.malankaraorthodoxtv.in/saintdionysius/books.htm).
Starting with that book, I could realize that for V.C Samuel Achen and to me that Vattasheril Thirumeny was none other than St. Severus of the Church in India who had to face hardship for defending and upholding his principles and faith of the Church against errors and wrong doings from within and outside the Church. It is my prayer that we will take the effort to read and reflect how his life can strengthen us
The mission of St. Thomas the disciple of Christ in AD 52 that stated from the midst of few families within the Malayalee community in India faced up to Protestantism, Indoctrination by Roman Catholic, merely blindly following without understanding our faith and being subject to the Syrian Church with whom we share communion in reestablishment of the Catholicate of the East in 1912.
The Church is now yet to face its greatest test amidst prosperity, amidst secularism, amidst freedom, amidst the no language barriers that was prevalent in the past, amidst the boasting of the glory of the past, amidst nationalism, amidst the busyness of this life. May the prayers of St. Dionysius be a solace and strength to us. Lord Have mercy upon us, forgive us, lead us and the Church as you have led Vattasheril Thirumeny.
George Varghese
Calgary, Canada
February 23, 2012
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