Shroro:

Blessings from Archbishop H.E. Mor Titus Yeldho Pathickal

by His Eminence Mor Tithos (Titus) of North America

No.72/04

December 24, 2004 Blessings in our Lord to all the readers of Shroro.

It is indeed a matter of pleasure to see that our SOCM Forum moderators came up with an idea of having an e-magazine of our Church. I hope and pray that this e-magazine will be a resource for thousands of our Syrian Orthodox children all over the world and to many others who are searching for the Apostolic Faith and Tradition. We congratulate all the servants of Lord who are working behind this noble venture. I wish them all success and pray God to bless them.

With the Christmas season upon us, we have to concentrate more on the spiritual meaning of the season. We tend to get caught up in so many things during this beautiful season -- so much to the point that we often miss out on the beauty of the season, not to mention the true reason for the season.

The Incarnation of our Lord is a great mystery. As St. Gregory told, “God became man; so that man can become godlike”. He did not come to destroy the evil-doers and to protect the righteous. Instead, He came in search of the sinners and the lost in order to save them. When you look at your Christmas tree, with all of the lights and the glitter, remember that it was upon a tree that Jesus died for you. Let your Christmas tree be a gentle reminder of the great love that Jesus had for you, while you were yet a sinner. Let the lights be a reminder of how He wants His light to shine through you to a lost and dying world, and even to your own family. Let the red ribbons and bows be a symbol of the blood He shed to bring about healing and wholeness to your life.

May this Christmas season be the start of a new way to view the Christian holidays. May God bless each one of you and your family. Wishing you, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,

Your Theethose Thirumeni
Archbishop/ Patriarchal Vicar of the Malankara
Archdiocese of the S.O.C. in U.S.A & Canada.