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Message From Rev. Fr.
Mathai Varkey Puthukkunnathu
Vicar, St. Ignatius Elias III Syrian Orthodox
Church, Atlanta and
Former Diocesan Secretary, Malankara Arch Diocese.
"He called that place Bethel, [Bethel means House of God] though the city used to be called Luz". Genesis 28:19
It is a great spiritual joy to be informed of the initiation of
a congregation in Cleveland, Ohio for the Syrian Orthodox faithful. Moreover, it
is a blessing that the parish is named after the sacred name of Saint Baselios
Yeldho, the Catholicose of the East, entombed at the Marthoman Cheria Pally,
Kothamangalam. The Syrian Orthodox Faithful living in the vicinity have been
praying and exploring possibilities and scope of a Parish for the past few
months.
Church is called the Body of Christ. As portrayed in Ephesians, 1:23. “And He
put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the
Church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.?br>
Extending the Old Testament idea of the Church as the people f God, this image
fuses the scattered people into one organic unity in Christ, into a single
living organism. St. Paul’s famous metaphor of the Church as the Body of Christ
reveals his strong notion of Christian community. The Church is also called the
Kingdom of God on Earth. Jesus promised Simon Peter, that He would build His
Church on him and entrusted the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to him. “Jesus
answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood
has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to
you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates
of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the
kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and
whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.?Matt: 16: 17 -19.
Through this commission, Simon Peter, who was first among the Apostles became
the leader to the fellow Apostles and truly the master Shepherd to the entire
Christianity. Jesus Christ being the head of the Church controls the entire
functions. It is clearly explained in the book of Ephesians ?-- Christ is the
head of the Church; and He is the Savior of the body.?Ephe: 5:23. Church in the
New Testament is Ecclesia, means literally a calling out, an assembly, a
community, a congregation or a church whether local, or scattered over a wide
area.
The ancient Greeks had civic assemblies called Ecclesia. The old testament root
is cahal or assembly of Israel as God’s people. One tradition sets the birthday
of the Holy Church at the Days of Pentecost (Acts Chapter 2), then again the
Church was believed to have been born from the side of Christ in the water (of
Baptism) and the Blood (of Eucharist) that flowed form the open wound (John
19:34).
Church building is the House of God. There is a perfect example of the House of
God, shown in the book of Genesis Chapter 28. “And he was afraid and said, how
awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the
gate of heaven!?Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that
he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it And
he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz
previously.?This occurred when Jacob was fleeing from his brother Esau.
After receiving paternal blessings from Isaac, Jacob left Beersheba from
Padanaram where his mother’s brother Laban lived. At the sunset, he laid down to
sleep, resting his head on a stone. In a dream, he saw a stairway reaching from
Earth to Heaven with angels going up and coming down on it. After waking up, he
took the stone that he used as the pillow and set it up as a memorial. Then he
poured oil on it and to dedicate it to God, naming the place Bethel, which means
House of the Lord. Formerly the place was called Luz. Jacob, who became named as
Israel later built an altar to God in Bethel in consistent with the commandment
of the Lord. (Gen.35:7). Thus, a worshipping Community and the House of God
becomes a blessing to the entire community, and in a broader sense, to the whole
humanity.
My humble self along with my family and all members of St. Ignatius Elias III
Syrian Orthodox Church in Atlanta, Georgia, join with all of you in wishing you
a blessed onset and steady progress towards a full-fledged Parish that upholds
the honored and time tested Faith and Traditions of our Holy Syrian Orthodox
Church.
Prayerfully, in Christ with the venerable intercession of Virgin Saint Mary,
Mother of God and Saint. Baselios Yeldho, the patron saint of the new
congregation.
Fr. Mathai Varkey Puthukkunnathu.
Vicar, St. Ignatius Elias III Syrian Orthodox Church, Atlanta.
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