THE LETTER
Parish Bulletin – St. Mary’s IOC Victoria
ISSUE: IX
Website: www.stmarysioc.org.au
September 2012
Email: [email protected]
“He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together
with him.” 1 Thessalonians 5:10
From the Vicar’s Desk
Beloved Ones!
It’s September!!! Spring is at hand! Spring is the season of flowers. It is considered as the youth of nature. It is
honored as the king of seasons. We leave the chill of winter and await the heated summer. Spring is the interim
season with all the good elements of winter and summer.
God the perfect craftsman organized all these wonders, to make man happy in this world. As the ambitious
bridegroom offers the best to his bride, the eternal Bridegroom offers youthful nature to His bride. That is what
King Solomon portrays in one of his songs:
'For behold, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
'The flowers have already appeared in the land;
The time has arrived for pruning the vines,
And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land.
'The fig tree has ripened its figs,
And the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance.
Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,
And come along!' " Song 2:11-13 (NASB)
The pertinent question here is: are we willing to respond to the call of the Bridegroom? Or are we flirting with
passions of this world, making it vicious by our adultery?
Dearly loved ones! let us give heed to His call. Let us open our eyes to see the marvelous sights that He has set up
for us. May this be the message that the spring conveys to us! Dear Ones, as you all are informed, God Almighty
was gracious enough to enable us to sign an agreement to purchase a plot of land in south Clayton for a place of
worship. Let us humble ourselves before His benevolence and pray for continued blessings.
May the intercession of the Mother of God be a fortress to all of us!!!
Yours in His Service,
+Shinu Achen.
This Month…
September 1
September 9
September 13
September 22
September 23
Diocesan Metropolitan Visit
September 22-26
Badminton tournament organized by SMIOC Youth
Chapel Holy Qurbana @ 6pm
Feast of Holy Cross: Holy Qurbana @ 630pm
Cathedral: Evening Prayer @ 6pm led by H.G. Mar Dioscoros
Cathedral: Holy Qurbana @ 815am led by H.G. Mar Dioscoros, meeting to
commemorate centenary of Catholicate
Chapel: Evening prayer, Devotional Message @ 6pm led by H.G. Mar Dioscoros
Prayer Meetings
September 2 St. Gregorios Prayer Meeting @ residence of Kunju Punnose, 5 Cleveland Dr, Craigieburn
September 16 St. Dionysius Prayer Meeting @ residence of Punnoose Kurian, 22 Elstar Dr, Carrum Downs
September 23 St. Thomas Prayer Meeting @ residence of Samji Chungathu, 3/2 Dart Court, Mt. Waverley
*There will not be Holy Qurbana at Chapel on September 23
How well do you know the Holy Qurbana…
1. “Barekmor” is a Syriac phrase which means ___________________.
2. “Stoumen Kalos” is a Greek phrase which means ___________________.
3. “Kurielaison” is a Greek phrase which means ___________________.
4. Amen is a Hebrew phrase which means ___________________.
5. What do the four chains of the Censer represent?
6. Intercessory Prayers ( Kukilions)
i. Service to the ________________ (Ninnal stuthiyodu…See the royal daughter stand)
ii. Service to the __________ (Nayavan panapole…The righteous shall prosper like palm trees)
iii. Service to the __________ (Charthum neethiye…In righteousness thy priests be clothed)
iv. Service to the__________ (Makaliappan….As doth a father his children love)
v. Service to the Holy __________ (Vellum shrathukale…By Thee strike we all our foes)
Answers next month
Jesus lived His life for you – then He gave His life to you. Now He wants to live his life through you. J. Heasley
Judging Others
E.S. John
Casting aspersion, malicious gossiping of an expression of an open society, frivolous mouth that character
assassinating, loose chatting and chattering, cheap joking and judging others are apparently contagious sicknesses of
individuals and society for making it as a shelter of cover- up of their own self-guilt emanating from self-inflicting
vices, the reason Jesus asked the accusers of adulterous woman to stone at her. Jesus‟ demand, “Let him who is
without sin among you be the first throw a stone at her”, made them to step back one by one silently, leaving the
woman alone standing before Him (St. John 8:1-11). As the same scale God uses that we use to measure others,
Jesus says, “Judge not, that you be not judged” St. Mathew 7:1-5. We cannot judge others because we all are the
created ones of the Creator who only knows the ins and outs of each one of us having different genetic traits and inbuilt personalities. Judging others is a sin by which we are also judged by God and by others. Jesus says that love
towards others is the only remedy for one‟s correction and our own spiritual metamorphosis.
Sin is a rebellion against God. Sin is the disobedience of the Mosaic commandments and church sacraments that
prescribe baptism, Holy Liturgy, ordination, and the like which the Lord and apostles had participated and received.
There are two types of sins, the sin of commission and sin of omission. Violating the commandments of the Most
Holy One is called the sin of commission, and taking a don‟t-care attitude and not practicing them is called the sin of
omission. The hypocrisy of the Pharisees is an example for the sin of commission, and the Sadducees who belong to
the trading and commercial business enterprises don‟t have a faith in a resurrected afterlife, and, therefore, mainly
omitting the imperative faith and lead a life of the flesh. There are spiritual commandments that involving in
religious duties of fasting, praying and a paradigm of sacramental life which invite a daily routine life, whereas
keeping a moral high standard of the application of spiritual values we cultivate in our daily social intercourse
belong to the arena of Christian moral life. Jesus says that what goes inside a person doesn‟t make him impure, but
what comes out of a man defiles a person. What takes place in thought form find its expression through our words
and deeds is the portrayal of the real man. Look at the order and the gravity of sins that can defile a person.
St. Mark 7 says 20And he said, „It is what comes out of a person that defiles. 21For it is from within, from the human
heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, 22adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness,
envy, slander, pride, and folly. 23All these evil things come from within and they defile a person.‟
Jesus apparently gives this list of sins in a sequential way that buds from the onset of adolescence and triggers its
addiction towards our exiting period from this world of betrayals and intrigues. It starts from fornication (sex
corruptions before the sacramental marriage) that leads to theft and murder, because of no income and murder due to
dating rivalry, continues with de facto relationship after the marriage, the reason for greed and wickedness, slander
and pride and so on accelerating in exponential powers. Envy, slander, pride and folly mature together with the
progressive addiction of wealth and position in social or religious arena. Look at the list of sins that St.paul
portrayed. “Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness…envy drunkenness,
carousing, and the like”, Galatians 5:19-21. Here again the licentious life starts from fornication, the mother of all
other sins one after the other. Refer to the list of the Indian mystics: “kamam (sensuality), krodham, (anger), lobham,
moham, madaham and malsariyam,” Nakedness is the outcome of the forbidden fruit, Genesis 3:7, that budded
sensuality and recycled our body system for making suitable for the propagation of the human species, so that the
Son of God to make incarnation and crush the head of the serpent that derailed mankind and its glorious destiny.
Thus the covenant of the holy matrimony made in Eden is a holy one and sacramental.
Worry is the cross which we make for ourselves by over anxiety. Francois Fenelon
The Letter Issue IX/2012
Therefore, sexual relationship is allowed in the sacramental wedlock only. Any other conjugal perpetrations or
relationship is unholy and sinful. As the sexual immorality is the only sin that takes place or affecting the each cell
of the body, the temple of God, 1 Corinthians 6:17-20, it cast a dark shade of genetic maladies and future generations
of personality disorders impacting upon the church and society at large. All these listed sins that make chemical
secretions, the mother of all our diseases and body corruptions, keep behind the residue of toxicity in our body
system. Evil thoughts give birth to sins in our words, which come to fruition in sinful actions make the body as a bed
of thorns.
As fornication is the first major gateway to the mother of all other vices, Jesus taught us that looking at a woman
with lust is the cradle of all our misfortunes that break up our physical homogeneity and inner purity for cultivating
and aspiring for a superlative quality life. The Indian yogis also listed „kama‟ (sensuality or sexuality) as the pioneer
of all our baffling problems, the necessary evils that work as a deterrent for all our future plans in our fallen state of
life. A sound mind in a sound body is the secret of success, hence an innocent youth is a priceless possession that
never rust and corrupt. The body secretions are the ones, which coordinate in synchronizing the body activities in
check and balance for the future life of a person. A yogi or monk is the one who make himself sexless and find
happiness and solace in later life. According to the ascetic conception one should be a „bramachari‟ (celibate) till
one‟s marriage. If a person is incorrupt, he will be a living dynamo that sheds light all around him, thus becoming a
role model who can become a lodestar in this life. Such persons usually won‟t find fault with others and make wrong
judgements, but only sympathize with others who have become the playground of Satan. Revenge, false accusations,
rivalry, even gluttony, and similar other sins also make tense our nervous system by wrong electric currents and
glands and enzhymes make toxic secretions which certainly works against the system that is meant to do a
harmonious work together with other autonomous functions of the body.
Our aim in this topic is to prove that we are not allowed to judge a person, but only God who knows all the ins and
outs of one‟s body, mind and heart is the only authentic judge, hence knowing about God‟s crown creation, man, is
our topic of discussion. Jesus says that looking at a woman with lust, St. Mathew 5:28, is a sin because it stir up the
body for secretions and immoral actions and deposit toxin in the body which invite the next sin of anger, krodham,
and finds its manifestations in many ways like theft, murder, etc. Excess bile and acid secretions can be put under the
category of „pitham‟, colic problems. Untimely and unfulfilled sex impulses make irascibility and anger and despair,
even ending up in elopement and suicides. In order to make a sound body system one‟s body secretions should be
controlled and directed in all scientific and moral order. Jesus didn‟t explain any scientific formulae here, but what
He spoke was the implications of science of the body that control a person in purity and sanity, so that he can
worship God in the purity of thoughts and actions. Body is the groundwork frame, which equips man in all his
private and public subtleties and sublimities of success, 1 Corinthians 6:20; 9:27.
What Jesus spoke here was body chemistry, which does the spadework of managing the body silently in smooth
physical and mental works and conditions. The claiming argument that Science is supreme, the alpha and omega of
Godless people are futile and sterile because they seemingly close their eyes for enjoying the materialistic affluence
and enticements of life in a cheap manner. Give glory and praise to our Creator is the main aim of our life. As we
have sent God into exile and enjoying the cheap pleasures of body chemistry and upset our body functions and make
irreparable body damage which eclipse our religious life by doing crimes of varied types is detrimental to our
existence. A marriage without dating and fornication is the best form that keeps a social and spiritual system in
sanctity and sanity and conditioned reflexes.
(to be continued…)
The Son of God became a man to enable men to become Sons of God. C.S. Lewis
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The Letter Issue IX/2012
SMIOC celebrates Parish Festival
Coburg: SMIOC celebrated its parish festival in conjunction with feast of St. Mary of August 19. Procession
and nercha was conducted after Holy Qurbana by church vicar Rev. Fr. Shinu Thomas. Achen also
inaugurated the e-parish module of the church website. The module allows parishioners secure view of their
subscription details and also allows them to update and view their home address. Women’s day celebration
was also held with a talk organized by Dr. Reena. A class was held by Rev. Fr. Shinu on ‘Theotokos’ for the
youth of the church on August 18.
SMIOC Sunday School elects new Secretary
Coburg: Mr. Mathew Simon has been selected as the new Sunday school secretary. He replaces Mr.
Zachariah Cherian who has been elected as parish trustee.
SMIOC Youth organizes badminton tournament
Altona: The Youth movement conducted a badminton tournament for parishioners on September 1. A total
of 70 players participated in the tournament. A barbecue lunch was provided by the organizers. Winner
medals will be distributed during Thirumeni’s visit later in the month.
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The Letter Issue IX/2012
SMIOC Sunday School to conduct OVBS next month
OVBS 2012 will be conducted on October 4-6. The theme for OVBS is taken from Galatians 3:28 ‘We are one
in Christ’. A talent day will also be conducted for Sunday School students on October 13. The Sunday School
secretary has informed that OVBS registration form will be emailed to all parents and has requested for the
completed form to be returned at the earliest.
SMIOC Youth to conduct dinner cruise next month
The Youth Movement is organizing a dinner cruise on October 27 to raise money for the development
projects of the church. Parishioners will need to register quickly as cruise has capacity for only 220 people.
Seating is strictly on first come first serve basis. For further details, contact Youth movement
representatives.
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The Letter Issue IX/2012
Stop Lying for a healthier Life
Honesty really is the best policy. Researchers have found that people who are
honest tend to be healthier.
In one study, 110 individuals aged 18-71 took a lie detector test for 10 weeks to
assess their health and relationships. The study revealed a "significant" link
between lying less and improved health. "When they went up in their lies, their
health went down. When their lies went down, their health improved," explained
Anita Kelly, a psychology professor at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.
"When you find that you don't lie, you have less stress," said Linda Stroh, a
professor emeritus of organizational behavior who has conducted her own research
on the matter. "Being very conflicted adds an inordinate amount of stress to your
life," she added.
Christ said that He
it follows that lying
in God's footsteps,
more God-like
is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. If Christ is Truth, then
is moving away from Christ. Being honest is about following
for He cannot lie. If the Christian teen's goal is to become
and God-centered, then honesty needs to be a focus.
Being honest is not always easy. As Christians we know how easy it is to fall
into sin. Therefore, you need to work at being truthful, and it is work. The world
does not give us easy situations, and sometimes we need to really work to keep
our eyes on God in order to find the answers. Being honest can sometimes hurt,
but knowing that you are following what God wants for you will make you more
faithful in the end.
Dishonesty may shine for some time. It may earn money, power and men. But
all this is for a short time. Honesty is courageous, dishonesty is a coward.
Honesty is bound to shine after the night of dishonesty. There is no place for
dishonest people. They lose the battle in the end.
Good people are guided by their honesty, but crooks who lie and cheat ruin themselves. Proverbs 11:3
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The Letter Issue IX/2012
H.H. Abune Paulos passes away
Addis Ababa: His Holiness Abune Paulos, Patriarch and Catholicos of the
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, entered eternal rest on August 16 in
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His Holiness was 76 years old. The Patriarch was
seriously ill and was undergoing treatment at the Dejazmach Balcha Hospital
in Addis Ababa.
Late Lamented Patriarch of Ethiopia was laid to rest at the Holy Trinity
Orthodox Cathedral in Addis Ababa on Thursday August 23. More than two
lakh people flocked to the Cathedral compound to bid farewell to their
beloved Patriarch. Delegations from sister Orthodox Churches, non-Orthodox
Churches and different ecumenical bodies took part in the funeral rites.
Source: OCP News Service
H.H. Mathews Mar Barnabas admitted to hospital
Thiruvalla: H.G. Mathews Mar Barnabas, former metropolitan of
the North East American Diocese, has been admitted to the
Pushpagiri hospital in Thiruvalla, Kerala. In accordance to his
wishes, thailabishekam was conducted by H.G. Geevarghese Mar
Iavanios, metropolitan of Kottayam diocese, H.G. Geevarghese Mar
Coorilos, metropolitan of Mumbai diocese, and H.G. Dr. Yuhannon
Mar Christosomos, metropolitan of Niranam Diocese on August 31.
SMIOC prays for his complete recovery.
Source: www.orthodoxherald.net
Congratulations…


Siju Skariah and Jijimole Skariah have a baby boy on August 15
Gejo Simon and Jimi Gejo have a baby girl on August 27
Carry the cross patiently, and with perfect submission; and in the end it shall carry you. Thomas Kempis.
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The Letter Issue IX/2012
Walk among ruins of Solomon's 1st Temple
For the first time in modern history, an archaeological
dig revealing the work of the Bible’s King Solomon has
been opened to the public. “Visitors will actually be able
to walk through First Temple remains, touch the stones,
enjoy and study about yet another period of the
archeology of the city of Jerusalem,” said Jacob Fisch,
executive director of the Friends of the Israel Antiquities
Authority, about the new Ophel City Walls Site in the
Walls Around Jerusalem National Park.
The highlight of the excavations is the complete
exposure of a gate house characteristic of the First
Temple period and believed by the excavator, Dr. Eilat
Mazar of Institute of Archaeology of the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem, to be the “Water Gate” mentioned in the Bible in Nehemiah 3:25-26: “Pedaiah son
of Parosh and the temple servants living on the hill of Ophel made repairs up to a point opposite the Water
Gate toward the east and the projecting tower.”
Over 3,000 years ago, archaeological evidence suggests, stone masons commissioned by King Solomon built
walls to protect the city of Jerusalem. At the new park, visitors will actually be able to touch those walls.
“The reality was that a very highly skilled fortification and sophisticated fortification was built by King
Solomon,” said Mazar at a ceremony opening the site to the public. “We are really lucky to reveal this
fortification, and this is only part of it. It’s very impressive. And you saw these walls, huge stone walls and it
continues.”
“When it becomes tangible, it becomes easier to believe in their ways what’s written in the Bible,” Mazar
explained. “But at the same time, they have no idea that lots of it really can be seen and can be touched and
we find lots of stuff that really go directly into the biblical sources.”
Source: www.wnd.com
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The Letter Issue IX/2012
There still is honesty and goodness in this world
This is a story of a poor yet honest man. We had gone to Darjelling during the summer holidays and booked a
cottage on rent for our stay. Our cook Gopi had come with us because we could not do without home cooked
meals.
Usually all the shopping was done by our house-help, Bharat who had accompanied us to our holiday
destination. However, one early evening, my mother decided to do all the vegetable shopping herself. She
believed that he did not wait to checkout the really fresh items and instead, bought randomly in a hurry. As a
result, the vegetables he brought back were not fresh.
After getting ready, she took her favourite purse with quite an amount of money, thinking she could go to other
shops too after finishing at the vegetable market. My mother asked Bharat to get a rickshaw for her and on
reaching the market, she asked the rickshaw wallah to wait for her. She took a coolie and did her shopping
happily, choosing some of the freshest green vegetables available there. At last her shopping was done. She
returned to the rickshaw and sat on it while the coolie transferred all the purchases of the day onto the rickshaw.
On reaching home, Bharat took all the packets of vegetables inside and my mother quickly paid the rickshaw
wallah and got off, forgetting to collect her purse from the seat of the rickshaw. The rickshaw wallah left soon
after saluting my mother. All of us greeted my mother and asked her about her evening of shopping with much
delight.
It was much later in the evening, almost 9 PM when dinner was about to be announced that my mother realised
her purse was missing. She looked everywhere for it and suddenly remembered that after paying the rickshaw
man, she had kept the purse on the seat before settling her sari and getting off the rickshaw. She had forgotten
to pick up her purse which contained a lot of cash.
When my father came to know about this, he said that it was too late to look for the rickshaw wallah. If my
mother had remembered about her purse on entering the cottage, he could have sent the house-help to look for
him. We all decided that it was best to forget about it. Mom felt sad and guilty while sitting for dinner.
We were just about to begin eating when the door bell rang. Bharat opened the door and called my mother to see
who it was. Wonder of wonders, it was the poor old bedraggled rickshaw wallah standing at our entrance with a
big smile on his weather-beaten face. He had mummy's purse in his hand. He told her he had gone too far before
discovering her purse, which is why he came so late. Could he be forgiven for that?
He knew she must be worried. My mom was taken aback by this poor man's honesty when on opening her
purse; she found all the notes intact. She wanted to reward the old man but he smiled and said, "Memsaab, I'm
poor but not a thief" and went away smiling broadly.
Source: http://www.writershideout.net/inspirational-writing/honesty-best-policy.htm
No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown. William Penn.
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