Message from the Metropolitan
Dearly beloved in the Lord,
With hopes and renewed spirits, this month, we are entering into the glorious remembrance of the arrival of the Creator into the history of mankind. The Creator entrusted to man to make it more beautiful through the resources God provided him with. The success of India’s ‘Chandrayan’ is one example of man’s obedience to the Creator’s wish. But it is most shameful and condemnable that there are so many evil forces moving around in India from Kerala to Assam, distorting the glory of God’s creation. Such atrocities will definitely slacken our hopes. But the democratic fervor shown by the people of India by casting their votes in the election for the North Indian State Assemblies, discarding the threats from such evil forces, elevates our hopes and shows clearly that optimistic changes are possible in this distorted world.
The nations of the world remain stunned at today’s financial crisis. It gives us hope that the heads of G–20 nations declared that they should stand united and work hard, forgetting the differences of opinions to overcome this crisis which was caused by the distortion of our acquired culture from time to time.
The vision upheld by the founding fathers of the United States of America has come true through the presidential election held last month. Paying attention to the call for a meaningful change, the American people who had been existing in the ideological divisions of Blue State, Red State, and under the banner of color, tongue, and race have now elected a new president, making the world inspired and hopeful.
In these contexts of the sounding echoes of change in every area, the Church is entering into the devotional period of the Festival of Birth. The dawn which leads us to the wonderful light from total darkness, has visited us. The spud of salvation’s sunrise is the visual of the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in the manger. This visual reminds us of answers to four questions:
(1) Man, who are you? You are like the newborn baby. One who is entrusted to grow up and to perpetuate life.
(2) What are you? One who is unable to execute this mission without external protection? Man needs an experience of wrapped clothes which provide protection, warmth, and energy. Yes, the holy infant that is covered in God’s grace, reminds us of the truth that is also covered in God’s grace. This is a hope giving visual.
(3) Where are you? Not in the house hold which honors human values. On the other hand, the birth takes place in the manger that represents the animal atmosphere. Actually in the present day, we are undergoing such animal experiences.
(4) Where should we have been? We get the answer in the visual of the wise men who visit the infant Jesus in the atmosphere of home. They honored the holy infant who was growing up as the symbol of the new humanity.
This is an occasion of the annual conference of the Clergy. The discussions and studies of the conference must be a source to rethink about our witnessing, mission, and honesty. We must carefully scrutinize whether our paths of serving are being distorted by the cruel clutches of acquired culture.
The Maramon Convention of 2009 is to be held from February 15th to 22nd. This is the preparation phase of the convention. The topic of our thought this year is ‘Renewal of the household of God.’ The talks and messages are centered on this topic. I invoke the parishes, centers, and the dioceses to wait prayerfully in anticipation for the creative studies and gospel proclamations that are to be prepared for the convention. From each lip let the prayer, ‘Oh Lord, by Thy grace transform this world’, rise so that His glory be raised.
The prayers of the members of the Church helped me to experience much comfort during my stay at the Velloor Hospital owing to my sickness. I have to take rest for some more weeks.
We are saying farewell to another year which was eventful with losses and gains. Let us, with attentiveness and hope enter into the New Year. Martin Luther King declared, ‘I have a dream.’ May God help us to enter into the New Year with such a dream filled in our hearts. Let us desire that in the New Year the nations of the world work together for a total change by overcoming the uncertainty that shakes the world’s financial condition and by making an end to the threatening clouds of darkness that terrorism raises.
“…….because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace” (Luke 1:78-79).
Grace be with you all.
Dr. Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan