Thursday, November 22, 2018

A Prayer by St. John of Kronstadt

A Prayer by St. John of Kronstadt 

The human soul is a free power, for it can become either a power for good, or evil, according to the direction which you yourself give it. 

Lord, Almighty Power! strengthen mine infirm soul in every virtue! Establish my heart, weak for everything good, upon the immovable rock of Thy commandments! 

Lord, I daily recognise, through experience, that without Thee I myself am nothing, that without Thee I can do no good; without Thee evil in its various forms is alone within me; without Thee I am the son of perdition. 

O unspeakably Good one, fill my heart with all Thy goodness! But above all, I pray Thee, grant that I may love Thee with all my heart and my neighbour as myself. 

Grant that I may be neither malicious, proud, presumptuous, nor disobedient, but grant that I may be gentle humble, tenderly respectful, and obedient. Amen

From " Life in Christ" - Page 213
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What a wonderful prayer to recollect who we are and pray Lord lead me and others as He will to it!

November 22, 2018
Calgary, Canada

Saturday, November 17, 2018

Orthodox Understanding of Sin

Orthodox understanding of Sin  

Fundamental understanding of Sin - Missing the mark and not being centered on God and His will. When we Sin and yet remain unrepentant, we begin to experience God’s love as fear and wrath. This is because we have changed our relation to, and therefore our experience of God, as God does not change His love for us. The scriptures and the Church understand that it is not the absence or exclusion of God that makes hell, but rather His Very Presence to those who choose not to obey.

 We do not believe in the teaching of Original Sin, which explains that because of the disobedience to God, we were marked with sin by an angry God and only a sacrifice could appease or pay off some debt. God gave us the warning not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil out of love for Adam as Adam was like an infant. If Adam had been obedient, the fruits of knowledge and life would have been given when man was ready. St. Gregory the Theologian states that the Fall of man points out how loving is our father. He provides a benefit - death which cuts off sin so that evil may not be everlasting. Thus, it becomes an act of mercy. Adam prepared death for himself through his withdrawal from God. God did not create death, but we brought it upon ourselves by our wicked purpose. God’s plan for His children was always to be in communion with Him, and our fall from paradise initially resulted in death which separated us from the source of all life.

After the fall, we are predisposed to self-centered choices directed by passions rather than
choices based on agape (sacrificial love). These passions turn us away from God to focus on
what we want. Theosis can only happen if we heal the passions of our soul. Sin is an illness or infirmity. Pride makes us forget our sins but the remembrance of them leads to humility. While Sin removes from communion with God, but salvation can be ours to accept the Love of God.

St. John Chrysostom, “Do you commit sin?  Enter the Church and repent for your sin; for here is the physician, not the judge; here one is not investigated, one receives remission of sins”

The Church is often compared to a hospital, and Christ as the physician to show how the Church understands the effect of sin needs healing. Healing takes place in Holy Baptism, Holy Confession, Holy Unction, and by receiving Holy Communion. With healing we are restored to our former condition, to be what we were created for. Theosis not only means being enlivened with the fire of God’s warmth and light but being in communion with one another.

In summary, Orthodox Christian teaches that sin is a matter of the will and not the nature of man. It is a choice of that which is not God, for that which is not-life and light and being, however much it might appear desirable. Adam was created naturally mortal and corruptible but given at his creation a gift of divine life, the indwelling Holy Spirit which would have preserved him in immortality and incorruptibility. When he sinned he lost this gift and divine life, which remained as a spark, and he found himself immediately mortal, separated from God, and without any moral or spiritual constancy or strength. We inherit this state of mortality and separation from God, but we are not born sinful in any sense, or guilty of any sin. Indeed, an infant is not able to sin, since sin is a matter of reason and will. Nevertheless, all of us need the mercy and grace of God, because even if we never sin, we are still in this state of death. But Orthodoxy is convinced that God is love, and in love he has acted to restore the intimate relationship which Adam once enjoyed and which he call us all to participate in.

Reference


Grade IX Chapter 4 –Sunday School Text book and summary notes from South West Diocese in North America of Malankara Orthodox Church

Potential reflection points:
1.     If missing the mark is Sin, then we must certainly be conscious and look with all seriousness on mark that mankind missed out in Adam. For, God created and saw all as good and made Man unique created in the image and likeness as His overseer, His presence over all Creation. (Genesis 1)
2.     Man disobeyed and the consequence of Sin is death leaving each of us without any help, if not for the eternal love of God. If we are serious in our faith, we are obliged to make the attempt to know the Church’s teaching on Christ’s Incarnation, avail of the potential resources within it and live it out ourselves like those Orthodox Christians before us within it and not lead astray and look outside it.
3.     It is our faith that the Holy Spirit in its fullness dwells in the Church and the Church continues the restoration of Creation with each of us. We can notice this if we pay attention. Example: Koodosh Etho and Hoodosh Etho (Sanctification and Dedication) Sunday Scripture Readings and Liturgical Hymns, Holy Qurbana first hymn by St. Severus drawing of veil proclaiming the Incarnation of Christ trampling down Death by Death
4.      We need to humble ourselves that each of us with the tendency to lose the way and recollect on the mercy of God
 “The Christian life is union with God in the heart by the indwelling Holy Spirit. It is the beginning of our experience of Paradise and the Resurrection already. It requires that we seek union with God above all things, and this union is found by choosing God, choosing life and light, seeking the fullness of the Holy Spirit at all times.”


November 10, 2018 Church School Lesson

Friday, November 16, 2018

Church School - 2018 /2019 A Study Initiative



Church School – 2018 / 2019 A study initiative

It is expected that the Grade 12 students of the Church school in the South West Diocese of the Malankara (Indian) Orthodox Church have enough mature understanding of the Orthodox Christian faith ,  be able to clearly express in word and demonstrate writing about it at the Diploma exam.

Truth be told, while this is the ideal there must be others too like me who teach in Grade 12 with our short comings to grasp the concepts fully, struggle to integrate this Orthodox Christian faith in our lives and fear if we are like those whom our Lord points to be transgressing the commands of God as the Blind leading the Blind from the Gospel of St. Mathew 15.  

But never the less, we have our help in the Lord, in the Church which responded to each situation with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in its fullness, to which we are born again, with the opportunity to grow in stature from the wisdom, teaching and lives of those before us in the Orthodox Christian faith. 

I intend to use my lesson plans, reflections shared and discussed with the students using the Grade 12 curriculum through this media. Please keep this initiative in prayers this be in accordance to His will and look forward to being corrected, guided by others in this journey.

November 16, 2018
Calgary, Canada

Thursday, February 8, 2018

Comemorations determined by the Moronoyo Feast of Resurrection (Qyomto).


Commemorations determined by the Moronoyo feast of Resurrection (Qyomto).
The Church in India adopted the Liturgy of the West Syrians (Syrian Orthodox) with each Sunday and days of the Holy Lent associated to the theme /primary character or event and thereafter on to Feast of Pentecost.  As we enter and journey through the Holy Lent, it is fitting that we have this reference
The date of  Feast of Resurrection (Qyomto). is determined according to the rule laid down by the Synod of Nicaea (AD 325). According to the Synod, Easter should be commemorated on the Sunday following the full moon after the spring equinox, though never on the day of the full moon itself. Since the date of Easter is tied to a lunar calendar, its date is not fixed on the Julian or Gregorian calendars.
The great fast of our Lord precedes the feast of Resurrection commencing on the Monday seven weeks prior.
The three day fast of the Ninevites (sawmo d-ninwoyé) begins on the Monday three weeks prior to the commencement of the Great Lent.
The first Sunday following the fast of the Ninevites commemorates all departed clergy of the Church (kohné) and the Sunday following commemorates all faithful departed (`aneedé ).
The Church, on this very afternoon of the ‘Day of Forgiveness,’ has set her journey into penitence. And so, kneeling and prostrating, her people look ahead to Kymtho, the great feast of the Light. The service of reconciliation is conducted on Monday, the first day if the Great Lent, at the end of third hour. The Service of Reconciliation or shubqono, stands at the ‘threshold of Great Lent
The Sunday that marks the beginning of the Great Lent commemorates the Wedding Feast of Cana (qotné da-gleeylo) which marked the beginning of the public ministry of our Lord. On subsequent Sundays, events from our Lord's healing ministry are remembered :
 
Healing of the Leper (garbono) on the second Sunday of the Great Fast, Paralytic (msharyo) on the third, Canaanite woman (kna`nayto) on the fourth, Good Samaritan (shamryoto) or the hunch-back woman (kfifto) on the fifth,Blind man (samyo) on the sixth, leading to Palm Sunday (oosha`né) and the week of Passion (hasho).
 
The Wednesday of the fourth week of the fast marks the middle of the Lent (phelgo d-sawmo) and the Feast of the Holy Cross.
The Annunciation to the Mother of God (sooboro) falls on the 25th of March and is of such significance that the liturgy of the Eucharist is required to be offered even if it falls on the Friday of Passion.
The fortieth day of Lent falls on the Friday before the Passion Week.
The raising of Lazarus (noohomeh d-lo`ozor) is commemorated the following day on Saturday.
The Passion week (hasho) begins with the Sunday of Hosanna (oosha`né).
The order of entrance into heaven, commemorating the parable of the ten virgins (naheeré) is celebrated in the evening of Palm Sunday.
The Thursday of Mysteries (hamsho d-rozé) or Passover (phesaho) is commemorated on the Thursday of Passion Week.
On Thursday evening is the commemoration of the washing of the feet of the disciples by our Lord.
Friday of Passion Week is the Great Friday of Crucifixion (`rubto rabto dazqeephootho).
The Saturday is the Saturday of Good Tidings when our Lord descended into Sheol to preach the Good News to the departed.
On Sunday, the resurrection of our Saviour (qyomto phorooqoyto) is celebrated.
The following Sunday is called New Sunday or Whit Sunday (had b-shabo hadto) and days in between are called the heworé (White [days]).
The Ascension of our Lord to heaven (suloqo) is commemorated on the sixth Thursday after the resurrection.
The Pentecost (phentiqostee) falls on the Sunday, ten days after the Feast of Ascension.
February 8, 2018
(Source: Complied from Internet)