Greetings to you all in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I congratulate and appreciate all who work for the success of virtual church.
Let me start with Cross and Resurrection. Cross is the wellspring of another Koinonia (Fellowship), another human community where all divisions are risen above and turns into the deciding component of the pertinence of the Christian message. Simultaneously, restoration gets another creation history. Amidst confusion, Cross and Resurrection carry Hope to another human community where enduring and torment are overwhelmed by the intensity of Love and Hope.
The world is experiencing a crucial season of Covid. We consistently experience the truth of isolate, confinement, lockdown, and so forth. The Latin base of the word 'isolate' signifies 'forty'. The Word of God plainly clarifies 40 as a period of change or change.
- During Noah's time, the flood endured 40 days
- For 40 years, Moses lived in exile
- For 40 days Moses remained on Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments
- For 40 years individuals of Israel meandered in the wild
- Prophet Elijah ventured out for 40 days to arrive at Mount Horeb
- Jesus abstained for 40 days.
So it is the hour of setting up an individual, or individuals, to make a basic change.
This is the period where rivers are cleaning up, vegetation is growing, the air is becoming cleaner, there is less theft and murder, healing is happening, and most importantly, people are turning to Christ. The Earth is at rest for the first time in many years and hearts are truly transforming.
Christ Jesus also spent time of solitude and isolation from the crowded places like:
- Time of temptation (Luke. 4:1)
- He withdrew to a deserted place and prayed (Luke. 5:16)
- Before selecting the
twelve He went into the mountain and prayed (Luke. 6:12)
- He was praying alone (Luke. 9:18)
- He
went into the mount of transfiguration as a small group and prayed (Luke. 9:29)
- On the
Cross Jesus cried out, "My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?" (Mathew. 27:46).
However, the risen Lord promised His followers, “I am with you always, to the end of age.” (Mathew. 28:20).
Even in the midst of quarantine or lockdown or in isolation, we are not alone. Through prayer and meditation, one can experience the Divine presence.
So, during this time, enjoy the lockdown with our loved ones and return to the family altar together. Family
prayer is a great blessing where we can find togetherness and fellowship. Through prayer, we
will be able to experience the miracles done by God to us and to our home. Christ promises us that everything
works together for the good to those who love God (Rom. 8:28). Prayer is a powerful weapon that God has handed over to us and present situation demands a lot of prayer. Each one of us should dedicate time for personal and family prayer. We need to find time to be part of various prayer fellowships that are arranged by our church and our sister organisations. During our free time, spent some time in personal meditations and bible study since we have a lot of liturgy available with us. Let us not find excuses by mentioning our busy schedules, as we can reorganize our schedules to find time for everything. We thank you for your earnest participation and leadership in the spiritual gatherings as well as your contributions to the financial needs of the parish.
May this time of isolation and lockdown bring spiritual liberation to our souls, our nation, and
our world!
Praying and waiting for God’s mercy upon the land and people, specially remembering all of you
in our prayers.
With Prayer and Love,
Yours in His Service,