Journey with the Holy Bible (Posting 1)

Journey with the Holy Bible.

Verse for reflection: St Mathew 1:1

When the new year arrives most of us do make resolutions-e.g. lose weight, spend less, learn some new skills etc. In few days time we will welcome the liturgical new year ‘Kudosh Etho’ – the theme of Kudosh Etho Sunday being sanctification. Let us try as we usher in the spiritual new year to read the Holy Bible a bit more habitually- may the Lord illumine our hearts and may the prayers of the saints and holy fathers and mothers help us in this journey.

P.S. The postings will be on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Let us begin where the New Testament starts- the Gospel of St Mathew. The gospel begin begins with the genealogy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The story starts with how the Lord became one among us.

We will ponder over two questions-

1) What was the reason for this Gospel to begin with the genealogy and

2) why did the story of salvation have our Lord become human?

Regarding the first question, St. Matthew was writing to the Jews about our Lord Jesus Christ being the Messiah King. The Israelites were waiting for the Messiah who would be a descendant of King David to redeem them (hence for the Jews the genealogy held great importance). Several Old Testament prophecies attests to this:

The Lord spoke to king David through Nathan the prophet-

"And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” (2 Samuel 7: 16; NKJV).

““Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.

In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called:THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”(Jeremiah 23: 5-6 and Jeremiah 33:15; NKJV).

We also see a similar prophecy in the book of Isaiah –

“And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious.”(Isaiah 11:10; NKJV).

St John Chrysostom says that though the genealogy begins with Abraham in verse 2 onwards, the Gospel verse addresses Jesus Christ as Son of David first. It is because the memory of King David was recent in the minds of the people as compared to Abraham.

Another reason to mention the lineage is to answer heretic groups like the agnostics who hated the physical body and thus denied the incarnation of the Lord claiming Christ to be a mirage or shadow. Though this movement was prominent in second century, its roots began at a very early age. So, mentioning the lineage is an assurance of the truthfulness of God’s incarnation. (Ref: Fr Tadros Malaty, commentary on Gospel of Matthew).

In Christ,

Rincy John

18th October- Commemorating St Luke the Evangelist.

The liturgical calendar of the Indian Orthodox Church commemorates St Luke the Evangelist on 18^th October.

St Luke the evangelist was a native of Antioch, a trusted aide of St Paul, a physician, the author of the Gospel (St Luke) and Acts of the Apostles. 

The Church historian Eusebius tells us about St Luke thus:

“But Luke, who was of Antiochian parentage and a physician by profession, and who was especially intimate with Paul and well acquainted with the rest of the apostles, has left us, in two inspired books, proofs of that spiritual healing art which he learned from them. One of these books is the Gospel, …. The other book is the Acts of the Apostles which he composed not from the accounts of others, but from what he had seen himself.”- Eusebius, Church History Book III, Chapter 4, NPNF Series II, Volume I.

St Jerome states:

“Luke a physician of Antioch, as his writings indicate, was not unskilled in the Greek language. An adherent of the apostle Paul, and companion of all his journeying, he wrote a Gospel,.. He also wrote another excellent volume to which he prefixed the title Acts of the Apostles, a history which extends to the second year of Paul's sojourn at Rome, that is to the fourth year of Nero, from which we learn that the book was composed in that same city….. Some suppose that whenever Paul in his epistle says “according to my gospel” he means the book of Luke and that Luke not only was taught the gospel history by the apostle Paul who was not with the Lord in the flesh, but also by other apostles. This he too at the beginning of his work declares, saying “Even as they delivered unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word. “So he wrote the gospel as he had heard it, but composed the Acts of the apostles as he himself had seen. He was buried at Constantinople to which city, in the twentieth year of Constantius, his bones together with the remains of Andrew the apostle were transferred.” – Jerome, On Illustrious Men, Chapter 7, NPNF Series II, Volume III.

St Paul addresses St Luke the evangelist as the ‘beloved physician’ (Colossians 4:14); in the same chapter (verses 7 onwards) wherein the final greetings is given- St Luke’s name is not counted among the ones who are ‘of circumcision’, so it is unlikely that St Luke was of a Jewish ancestry.

The tradition attributes that the other disciple in the road to Emmaus to be St Luke (Gospel of St Luke 24: 13 onwards) and credits St Luke with writing the first icons of St Mary-the Theotokos.St Luke accompanied St Paul on his second missionary journey, and in St Luke, St Paul found a friend who was to be with him, in happiness and troubles alike.

We first encounter St Luke in the Acts chapter 16- St Luke gives the details in the third person (‘they’) and here we see him changing to first person plural (‘we’). “Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi..” (Acts 16:11 onwards). The reference to ‘we’ continues till the group departs from Philippi. Perhaps, St Luke was asked to be in Philippi to carry on the gospel work.

St Luke forsook a promising life to be a fellow worker to St Paul in his ministry. Couple of years back, I happen to study in a Sunday School Teacher’s conference that we often wrongly use the word ‘Enthusiasm’ in our day to day conversations. If we see the etymological root of the word ‘Enthusiasm’, we learn that it focuses on ‘en-theos’ which means ‘divinely inspired’.

When you are divinely inspired to do a work- you do not worry about the ups and downs that come in your way rather you just march ahead. When we see references to St Luke by St Paul in his various letters and of course in the book of Acts of the Apostles- we see a physician, an artist, a fellow worker who is ‘enthusiastic’ about his Christian mission. He provides his unflinching support to St Paul through thick and thin of his ministry, not bothered about the problems he is facing/will face nor interested in getting any due recognition.

Such marvelous was his enthusiasm for his support to St Paul’s ministry throughout his life, that in his farewell epistle, St Paul exclaims ‘Only Luke is with me’ !(2 Timothy 4:11)

May the intercessions of St Luke help us to be faithful to our Lord no matter what the situation is and may by his prayers may we be divinely inspired in all our good works which we render unto our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!

In Christ,
Rincy John

Never be boastful about the offerings to church or charity.

Gems from the desert fathers- ‘Never be boastful about the offerings to church or charity.’

St. Melania the Elder, in a visit she made to the holy solitaries who inhabited the deserts of Egypt, came to Abba Pambo's monastery on mount Nitria. She found the holy abbot sitting at his work, making mats. She gave him three hundred pounds weight of silver, desiring him to accept that part of her store for the necessities of the poor among the brethren.

Abba Pambo, without interrupting his work, or looking at her or her present, said to her that God would reward her charity. Then turning to his disciple, he bade him take the silver, and distribute it among all the brethren in Lybia and the isles who were most needy, but charged him to give nothing to those of Egypt, that country being rich and plentiful.

Melania continued some time standing, and at length said: "Father, do you know that here is three hundred pounds weight of silver?"

The abbot, without casting his eye upon the chest of silver, replied: "Daughter, He to whom you made this offering, very well knows how much it weighs without being told. If you give it to God who did not despise the widow's two mites, and even preferred them to the great presents of the rich, say no more about it."  

(Ref: The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Principal Saints, Rev. Alban Butler, Volume VII, Published by D. & J. Sadlier, New York).

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“And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury,  and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.” (St Luke 21:1-4, NKJV)

14th October- Commemorating St Athanasius of Alexandria

Coptic icon of St Athanasius of Alexandria

The liturgical calendar of the Indian Orthodox Church commemorates the ‘Defender of Orthodoxy’- St Athanasius of Alexandra on October 14th.

There is a beautiful song penned by Guru Rabindranath Tagore in Bengali - “Jodi tor dak shune keu na ashe tobe ekla cholo re” (translated as ‘If no one responds to your call, then go on your way alone’). 

This song exhorts the listener to continue their journey even if they face abandonment or don’t receive any support from near and dear ones.

Today we commemorate a man whose very life echoes this song- St Athanasius of Alexandria. For his steadfastness to the Christian faith, the world described him by the saying: "Athanasius against the world." (‘Athanasius contra mundum’). 
When it seemed that the entire world was siding upto Arian heresy, God prepared one man- to act courageously, to act alone, and hold aloft the banner of Orthodoxy!

The following tradition on the childhood of St Athanasius has a vague resemblance to the life of Prophet Samuel and how in his infancy he lived under the care of priest Eli and later on guided the people of Israel.

The then Pope of Alexandrian Church- Pope Alexandros after being elevated to the Patriarchal throne invited all the clergy to his patriarchal palace. (In fact Arius wanted the patriarchal throne for himself, however through Divine Guidance it was St Alexandros who was chosen for the apostolic throne. Arius, full of vengeance was determined to go to any extent to inflict harm on the Church).

While Pope Alexandros was waiting for the arrival of his guests, he looked out from the windows of his palace which faced the sea, and saw a joyful gathering of children on the beach. Upon closer observation, the Pope noted that the children were seriously imitating the sacrament of Holy Baptism. One child was ‘made the bishop’ who was administering the Sacrament with much devotion. This child was none other than Athanasius!

The Pope was astonished to see how perfect and beautifully were the children ‘performing’ the sacrament. He summoned some clergy and asked them to bring the children to the Patriarchal Palace. With much love and care, Pope Alexandros interacted with the children and inquired them of the Sacrament of Holy Baptism that they were imitating. The ‘bishop’ Athanasius came forward and answered all the questions. The Pope was amazed at the knowledge of Christian Faith that this child possessed. He gave sweets to the little children and asked them to bring their parents to him the next day.

The next day when the parents of the little children came to the Patriarchal palace, the Pope gave an account of what happened the previous day and made them promise that they would give to the Church such sons who had prematurely exercised such holy functions. It is in this way, that Athanasius, who was so eager to serve God, took his place among the clergy, in the same way that the prophet Samuel was brought up in the temple. He lived there during the years of his youth, and he was destined to wear the pontifical crown in his old years.

As the trusted secretary of the Pope of Alexandria (who was advanced in years during the Council of Nicaea), the young deacon Athanasius (now in his twenties) was zealous in upholding the True Christian faith. The magnificence courtroom of Emperor Constantine witnessed the significant Ecumenical Council- The Council of Nicaea attended by 318 venerable fathers. In the midst of these noteworthy individuals, there spoke this young brilliant deacon, defending the Divinity of Lord Christ against the heretic Arius.

St Athanasius endured all the harassment and trials that Arius and his team came up with- false accusations, lies, character assassinations and so on.After the departure of Pope Alexandros, St Athanasius was chosen as the worthy successor to the apostolic throne. Suffering five exiles and various tribulations by Arians, St Athanasius was indeed the caring shepherd who was ready to undergo and face any misery to protect his sheep from the incorrect doctrines and false teachers. 

In one of his exiles, he spent time with the blessed Anthony and other desert monastics. St Antony willed that after he died, St Athanasius be given one of his sheepskins. St Athanasius reminisces that ‘even to look on them (the sheepskin) is as it were to behold Antony’.

The contribution of St Athanasius to the theological world is immense. His work ‘On the Incarnation’ is a classic. He also wrote ‘The Life of St Antony’ and many other treatises.

The faithful shepherd departed in peace after a tenure of 45 years on the apostolic throne.

Below are his final words from the work ‘On the Incarnation’; may we be blessed with the grace to follow this holy father’s advice:

“But for the searching and right understanding of the Scriptures there is need of a good life and a pure soul, and for Christian virtue to guide the mind to grasp, so far as human nature can, the truth concerning God the Word. One cannot possibly understand the teaching of the saints unless one has a pure mind and is trying to imitate their life.”

O holy father St Athanasius, pray for us- particularly the children and youth that their hearts be directed towards the loving call of the Lord and may they grow in zeal and love for the Lord. May the prayers and intercessions of St Athanasius be our refuge.

In Christ,
Rincy John

(Ref: ‘St Alexandros’- Works of late Deacon Youssef Habib Youssef & his brother Meleka Habib Youssef, Pg 11-12; St Athanasius- ‘On the Incarnation’)