Shroro

The Syriac Orthodox Christian Digest - November, 2005

Devotional thoughts for November - Hudos Etho

By Jose Kurian Puliyeril

According to the Church Fathers, the calendar of a year’s spiritual activities begins with the sanctification of the Church, followed by the Dedication. The literal meaning of the root word is “to make new” or “renew”. This will initiate dedication. We read (in King James version Bible) in Hebrews 9:18 and 10: 22 consecration of the new and living way, where as in RV Bible we read about dedication of the new and living way. In Hebrews 9:18, there is reference to the first covenant and sanctification by sprinkling the blood of animals and birds. In Hebrews 10:22 we find the reference to the sanctification without the blood of the animals or birds, and only by the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we all have been sanctified. In the light of these facts, we must understand the dedication as an event by which we are sanctified once again and set apart for the entire disposal of God’s will. In the Peshito version also we find the term sanctification instead of dedication. (Kindly compare the above mentioned verses in the usual Malayalam Translation of the Bible society of India and the Peshito version – Holy Book, translation by V.Rev. Kurian Kaniyamparampil Chor Episcopos) 

In St. John 10:22 we read about the Dedication festival in Jerusalem. Originally it was introduced by Judas Maccabaeus in BC 164, when the Jerusalem Temple was polluted by Antiochus Epiphanes. In 2 Maccabaeus chapter 19 (Also in Vishudha Grandham_- Holy Book) we read about the cleansing of the temple and decision to celebrate the festival of the cleansing every year to commemorate the first cleaning. From the time of Judas Maccabaeus the feast is known as the Feast of Dedication. 

In the Holy Bible we read about the dedication of the tabernacle for the first time in Exodus 40, Leviticus 8, Numbers: 7. Again we read about the dedication of the Temple in 1 Kings 8, II Chronicles 5 + 6. Finally we read about the dedication of the renovated wall in Nehemiah: 12. 

From all these it is very clear that we all have to be sanctified and must be separated for God’s disposal. Our Church Fathers were kind enough to separate days of sanctification and dedication for the renewal and strengthening of the spiritual lives of their future generations including all of us. But it is high time to think how many of us are doing justice to the will and desire of our forefathers. Are we making use of the facilities available in the Church for our spiritual revival? We must think seriously. We must find time to analyze the means and ways of our worship. We are not sure of the richness of the prayers and worship orders handed over to us by the Holy Church. We all are like floating objects in the floods. When the water is flowing we are also moving. 

Each and every Christian is supposed to swim against the flow of water. So many revival groups are working hard to kidnap the faithful from the Episcopal Churches. And members of the Orthodox Church usually fall as preys for them because we are not sure of the teachings of the Holy Church and the Church Fathers. First of all we must believe firmly that the prayers and worships in our Church are quite good enough to grand us the right of citizenship in theKingdom of God. Though we all recite the canonical prayers at least twice daily, we don’t think about the meanings of those prayers. We just say the prayers. Try to learn what the meanings of each prayers are. The sectarian groups propagate the prayers to provide impressions for the participants and forget the very fact that the prayers are to be addressed to Lord God and only He has to listen. In all the liturgies and prayers, there are quotes from the Holy Bible. But our members are not sure that our prayers are full of quotes from the Holy Scriptures. So when the Holy Church venerates the dedication, let us take the initiative to sanctify ourselves and keep separate for God’s will and wish. Let us be able to co-operate with God’s plans and schemes as blessed Mother of God, Apostles and the saints did. 

May God bless every one to make use of the facilities available in our Church to realize the greatness of God’s love. May God bless everyone.