SEP 2012 - St. Thomas Philadelphia

ST THOMAS INDIAN ORTHODOX CHURCHNEWSLETTERSeptember 2012 Volume XVI Issue 91009 UNRUH AVEPHILADELPHIA, PA 19111Contact Info:stthomasunruh@gmail.comPhone: 215.342.1500Fax: 215.342.2700Feast of the Cross 2012On September 14th we willbe remembering the Crossof our Lord once again. Itwill be observed on Sundaythe 16th in our parish.The event of discoveringthe holy cross of our Lordby Empress Helene motherof Emperor Constantine inthe 4th century had becomea turning point in the life ofthe Empress. The cross ofthe Lord was recognizedby the miraculous healingof a person sick unto deathby touching it. The othertwo crosses discovered atthe same were identified asthose on which the tworobbers were hanged. Thestrategic place of the Crossas the Christian symbol,now accepted all over theworld, had begun then.Today everyone who wearsthe cross will be consideredas a Christian.Strangely, many modernstrange videos of hooligansand gangsters seem to bewearing the cross aroundtheir neck. Sometime Iwondered what it meant forthose people. Regardlessof its importance, cross hasVicar’s Messagebeen used in all churchbuildings, and Christianproducts. It is available inall kinds of costly materials,such as costly wood,metals or other syntheticmaterials. Its universality isnot in question. However,the only question remainswith us is what does itmean to us today?Jesus and the Cross:Cross was made famousonly because Jesus died onit. Cross was a symbol ofshame and suffering whenRoman emperors used it tohang the criminals. WhenJesus died on the cross, theshame of the cross wastaken away and it was convertedto a positive power.With that a new messagewas given to the world thatCross is the true way theworld can get peace, joyand consolation. How isthat possible? By takingthe cross unto himself Jesusproved to the worldthat suffering is not a burdenbut an act of glory.Jesus said, "If anyonewishes to come after Me,he must deny himself, andtake up his cross and followMe” (Luke 9:23). Jesusnever expected a lifethat is other than the cross.When St. Peter dissuadedJesus from the suffering,Jesus called him, “Satan”because anything that isnot connected with sufferingis Satan’s job. Satancompels us to go for comfortand avoid all kinds ofsuffering. That is why wecannot find true Christianstoday. Even the incessantpreachers and spiritualleaders seek comfort. Sufferingand cross are alien tothem. But let us see howthe apostles reacted to it?Apostles and the Cross:The apostles took the paththat the Lord suggested.The well-known story ofSt. Peter’s escape fromRome through the AppianWay is a famous one. Atthe time of severe persecutionof Emperor Nero, St.Peter could not take thesuffering anymore. He ranaway. But he met Jesuscoming into Rome with across on his shoulder. Peterasked the question, “quovardis?” which means“where are you going?”Jesus replied, “I am goingto Rome to die for youonce more”. St. Peter couldnot bear that pain andshame. He took the cross fromthe Lord and went to Rome tobe hanged from the cross upsidedown. St. Paul alwaysfound pride in the cross. InGalatians 6:14 St. Paul said,“But may it never be that Iwould boast, except in thecross of our Lord Jesus Christ,through which the world hasbeen crucified to me, and I tothe world. What an experience!St. Paul finds pride in hissuffering.Why Cross is the ONLY Answer?Christians in the Early Churchproved that cross is the onlyway to success and glory. Theyall faced suffering with joy.They made the difference intheir community. Peace, loveand joy persisted in the community.There was no enmity,no partiality, no hatred, norany disparity among the people.A total reconciliation inChrist was part of their experience.St. Paul’s statement fromEphesians 2:16 says, “by abolishingin His flesh the enmity,which is the Law of commandmentscontained in ordinances,so that in Himself He mightContinued on page 2SEPTEMBER 2012 1 NEWSLETTER

Temple Entry:Elna Mariam Thomas, daughter of Sajan and DivyaThomas. Grand-parents: Thomas T Varghese and KunjammaThomas.Dyslin, daughter of Denny and Soumya. Grand-parents:Thomas Oommen and Suja Thomas.Guest Priests:Very Rev. A. J. Samuel Ramban (08/12/2012)Rev. Fr. P. M. Cherian (08/26/2012)Obituary:Mr. Chacko Varghese, father of Mr. Abraham K. Varghese,passed away.Sheela Mohanan, niece of Mr. N. V. Thomas passedaway. Our condolences to the bereaved families.Wedding Announcement:Parish NewsJinu John Daniel and Blessy Mary Thomas, daughter ofMr. Thomas Daniel and Mrs. Achamma Thomas.Congratulations from the parish family!Vicar’s Message (continued from page 1)make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace,and might reconcile them both in one body to God throughthe cross, by it having put to death the enmity”.Cross is Foolishness to the World:St. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:18, “For the Word of thecross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to uswho are being saved it is the power of God. This is thetruth today. No one today finds the meaning of the cross.People would simply say, “it is stupid to be resilient, tolerant,humble, peace-making, loving and caring”. Each personwants to obey his/her own natural instincts which is theanimal instinct. True human being is truly divine becausehe/she is created in God’s image. Even though humans arecreated with the wisdom to understand the divine nature,humans always take that as foolishness. In spite of the Creatorbecoming humans showing the right way, many stillcould not understand Him. His way was the cross and thatwas foolishness to the world. Thus the world has become amess with violence and hatred. It is surprising that Christianswho received the enlightenment from God directlycould not set that example in our times. Unless we comeback to the cross we will not make any sense to the worldtoday and we have no witness to the world. Jesus said, “Iam the way, the truth and the life”.On the Feast of the Cross, let us turn back to the cross andcarry it in our life holding fast our mission to the worldaround us, “love thy neighbor like thyself”.Lovingly,Fr. M. K. Kuriakose, VicarParish CalendarDate Event LocationSeptember 9MOSC Centenary CelebrationsChief Guest: H. H. Baselius Marthoma Paulose IINYOctober 6 Harvest Festival ChurchOctober 20 MMS Annual Diocesan Meeting Contact Omana Varghese for detailsSEPTEMBER 2012 2 NEWSLETTER

September BirthdaysSusmitha Thomas 02-SepVivek K Paulose 02-SepCarolyn Miriam Cherian03-SepJacob Kuruvilla 03-SepPanickal Y Mathaikutty 03-SepElizabeth Thomas 04-SepJacob Chacko 04-SepJoshua J Mathew 04-SepLiya Sara Aji 05-SepAlex T Raju 05-SepRaji Rajan07-SepAnoop George 08-SepSamkutty John 08-SepAkhil Thomas Jacob 08-SepVarghese P Abraham 08-SepHanah M. mathew 09-SepNivedh Philip 11-SepPriya M Saji 11-SepBrown Varghese 13-SepShibu Varghese 14-SepSosamma Chacko 15-SepKunjamma Thomas 16-SepAnnamma Geevarghese 17-SepSaramma Varghese 17-SepJeff George17-SepSuja Mary Mathew 18-SepSneha Jose19-SepJoy Panicker Jr. 20-SepJacob Zachariah 20-SepSaramma George 20-SepJensil Varghese 20-SepThomas C Thomas 21-SepRuth Hana Philipose 21-SepEben P Mathai 22-SepAjin John Abraham 22-SepSmitha Jacob 23-SepAlissa Jose23-SepSarah M Samuel 23-SepDinu Cherian 24-SepJomy George 25-SepNicole Samuel 26-SepVarghese Panicker 26-SepLinda Elsa Aji 28-SepShaji Thomas 28-SepSmitha J Mathew 28-SepJibin Vaidian 29-SepJulie P Saji29-SepAlexander Korathu 30-SepWe wish you all aHappy Birthday!September Wedding AnniversariesMr. & Mrs Thankachan K Mathai 10-SepMr. & Mrs Cherian Philipose 12-SepMr. & Mrs Joy Jacob13-SepMr. & Mrs Abhilash John13-SepMr. & Mrs Thomaskutty Varghese 13-SepMr. & Mrs Jacob K. Thekekkuttu 14-SepMr. & Mrs Saju Paul14-SepMr. & Mrs Mathew Varghese 15-SepMr. & Mrs Jiju George16-SepMr. & Mrs Anoop John20-SepMr. & Mrs Geevarghese M Panicker 21-SepMr. & Mrs George Varghese 27-SepMr. & Mrs Yohannan Mathew 30-SepWe wish you all a Happy Anniversary!AnnouncementsPlease send news, articles and informationfor October 2012 Newsletter by Sunday,Sept 23 to the parish secretary or newslettereditor. samrealtor@verizon.net,jerinjuby@gmail.com.Please contact the parish office for anyupdates in contact information, addition inthe family etc. to be added to the database.Please update your telephone numbers forMessage Broadcast.Prayer Meetings: Please contact PrayerMeeting Coordinator, Mrs. SusanMathew, to schedule a prayer meeting atyour residence.Wednesday Prayer LinePrayer-Line dial-in # 213-342-3000. AccessCode: 4044200. Please emailMr. Mathew Samuel,msamue2000@yahoo.com, to add youremail address for Prayer Line updates.Playback Dial-in Number:1-213-342-30038-22-12 Dr. C.C. JohnPlayback Access Code: 6110948-29-12 Speaker: Fr. Jose DanielPlayback Access Code: 6593739-05-12 Speaker: Mrs. Minu JerinPlayback Access Code: 468879DivyabodhanamNext class date will be announced at church. Pleasecontact course coordinator Mrs. Elsa Koshy for furtherdetails.SEPTEMBER 2012 3 NEWSLETTER

HG Dr. Yakob Mar Irenaios BlessesSunday School ChildrenOn opening day of the Sunday School on September 2,2012, HG Dr. Yakob Mar Irenaios Metropolitan blessedthe Sunday School children, and thanked the Teachers fortheir involvement to improve the lives of the children. HGis the current President of the Orthodox Syrian SundaySchool Association of the East (OSSAE).Sunday School ClassesClasses for all Grades (Lower Pre-K through Grade 12)started on Sept 2 nd . Kindergarten, Grades4 and 8 have twodivisions each. Please check the parish web site for the listof teachers assigned to each Grade.http://stthomasphiladelphia.org/spiritual-initiatives/sundayschool/Textbooks have been distributed to each student at nocharge. Those who did not get it may collect it from theclass teachers.Enrollment of New StudentsMinimum age requirements (Age as of August 31, 2012):Lower Pre-KUpper Pre-KKGGrade 1 : 6 years: 3 years: 4 years: 5 yearsPlease contact Jacob Kuruvilla or Cijo Joseph to enroll newstudents.Talent Competitions(Date: Sept. 15, 2012, Time: 9 am -1 pm)Preparations are underway for our parish-level TalentCompetitions, scheduled for Saturday, September 15 th . Allstudents are encouraged to register today and participate.Detailed information on competition items, topics, guidelinesand judging criteria are posted on the parish bulletinboard. Please contact Mrs. Susan Mathews (Reena), theCoordinator of Talent Competitions for more information.Talent Competition Special AwardPlease be reminded that one of our parish members havevolunteered to award a ‘significant prize’ to each winner inthe Group that earns the most points at the Area level competition.For example, out of the 7 groups, if Group 3earns the highest number of points at the Area level, eachwinning student in Group 3 from our parish will receive aprize.Sunday School NewsSubmitted by Oommen Kappil, Principal(Tel.: 267.902.8500, email: kappil1@yahoo.com)First Alphabet-WritingOn Sunday, Sept 16, 2012, a special ceremony will be heldfor all young children starting school this year or those whoare getting ready to start pre-school this year. As per ourKerala tradition, special prayers will be said on behalf ofthe children, and our Achens will lead the students in formalfirst alphabet writing. Parents along with the interestedstudents may assemble in the Library immediately afterthe Holy Qurbana on Sept. 16 th .Centralized Examination ResultsThe NE American Diocese has published the results of thecentralized Exam:Grade Name Comments5 Merlin Rajan 2 nd Rank5 Leona Thomas 4 th Rank8 Paul Jacob 3 rd rank10 Meenu Mathews 3 rd rankTTC Sheena Jose PassedTTC Justina Pothen PassedTTC Jensina Pothen PassedWe congratulate the students and teachers on their achievement.I AM WHO I AM (Exod. 3:14)SEPTEMBER 2012 4 NEWSLETTER

News from Spiritual OrganizationsMartha Mariam Samajam (MMS)MMS meets alternate Sundays at the church auditorium after Holy Communion for prayer, Bible Study, learning songsand more. For more details of their activities please contact Secretary Mrs. Omana Varghese(omanavarghese52@gmail.com).Women’s FellowshipWomen’s Fellowship meets on a regular basis for prayer and meditation. Contact Mrs. Bessie Mathew(bessie334@yahoo.com) for more details.MGOCSMMGOCSM for the past two months has been progressing. Our young men and women who are in high schooland college have been engaged in Apostolic Bible Teaching, thought-provoking discussions and relevant group projects.The goal of this ministry is to expound on scriptural truths through the relevant real-life experiences of ourAmerican youth. The office bears of the MGOCSM have done an incredible job this year. Our parents much gratitudefor their support and prayers. For more information, contact Secretary Ms. Christina Thomas(tina_thomas1131@yahoo.com) for more details.Discipleship MinistryOver the past month and a half a select group of young men have been fully engaged in learning the essentialof becoming a disciple for Christ. We have so far examined Christ as God, as Savior, as King. These cardinal doctrinesof the Church, as seen in the Scriptures and the writings of the Holy Fathers, must be learned if one is to be a discipleof Christ and the Orthodox Church. I am proud of the young men who have dedicated their time for this ministry.Young Adults and Couples FellowshipThis fairly new ministry in our parish has been explained in detail in the previous edition of this newsletter, that is, it'sformation and structure. More of our men must contribute their time for this ministry. Please contact Mrs. SnehaReynold (snehareynold@gmail.com) for the weekly schedule.OCYMDuring the past month OCYM has been examining the Malankara Orthodox church and its apostolic roots. This hasled this ministry to research the historical evidence of St Thomas' arrival and evangelical work in India and particularlyon the Malabar Coast. Please contact Secretary Mr. Jobin Abraham (jobin.abraham@yahoo.com) for more information.Men’s ForumMen’s Forum fellowship is going very strongly in our Church. The format of this session includes prayer, songs, biblereading, teaching followed by discussions. For more information please contact Mr. N. V. Thomas.FOCUSFOCUS, Fellowship of Orthodox Christians in the United States is an organization intended for young adults, marriedand single, post-graduate students and professionals, from the ages of 23 and up. Contact Mr. Steve Kurian(stevekurian@yahoo.com) for more details.SEPTEMBER 2012 5 NEWSLETTER