Reflections

Holy Communion: For the Health of Body and Soul Mark 14: 22-25   Prof. Philip Thomas Diocesan Treasurer Mar Thoma Church of Dallas, FB 22 While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” 23 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. 24 He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.      Holy communion, also called Holy Qurbana  or Eucharist is one of the seven sacraments recognized by the Mar Thoma Church.  Holy Qurbana and  Holy Baptism are referred to as dominical sacraments as they are directly instituted  by  our Lord and Savior,  Jesus Christ.   Before preparing himself for his death on the cross,  Jesus took bread, gave thanks , broke it and gave it to his disciples saying “ This is My Body, which is given for you, do this in remembrance of Me” ( Luke 22 : 19 ).   Jesus  Christ  took t

Holy Communion: Reliving of the Passion 1 Cor. 11:23-30   Rev Mathew Samuel Farmers Branch MTC, Dallas, Texas. 27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup.   Holy Communion is the Sacrament of Sacraments. It is the source and summit of Christian Life. As a believer we have an obligation to know where we stand and the best way to do that is to examine our standing before God and in Christ. Without proper self-assessment, we will lose track of where we really stand in our life of faith. My birth into faith is associated with Christ’s life and death; one’s maturity or completion is identified with Christ's coming to mark the end of the age.      In Paul’s view the Lord's supper is the ideal place where proper self-assessment can take place. So to partake in the Lord's supper “worth

Holy Communion: Foretaste of the Kingdom Luke.22:14-23 Dr. Eapen Daniel Trinity MTC, Houston 19 Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.   The referenced scripture is one of the most prominent depictions of the basis of Christian beliefs and hope . Traditionally all churches believe that the Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of the Lord in which believers eat the bread, signifying Christ’s body given for His people, and drink the cup of the Lord, signifying the New Covenant in Christ’s blood. We do this in remembrance of the Lord, and thus proclaim His death until He comes. Those who eat and drink in a sanctified manner partake of Christ’s body and blood, not physically, but spiritually, in that, by faith they are nou

Holy Communion:  Surrender in Obedience Gen.  22: 1-19 Checha John Staten Island MTC, NY 2  He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.”   This was the most critical encounter Abraham had with God in his entire life. Chapter 22 starts by saying “sometime later God tested Abraham”. In the above verse we see God is giving tremendous emphasis on certain facts for us to learn. Abraham got his son after much waiting and now it seems God is taking back what he has given “Take your son, your only son Isaac to Moriah to sacrifice him there as a burnt offering.” The greatest test that Abraham goes through is whether to obey God or not. Obedience par excel the Burnt offering: The precious offering that Abraham offered was not the ram at the Mount Moriah but the sacrifice he did when he chose to obey God. It was this offering that was acceptable

Sacrament of Holy Qurbana John. 6:55-59 Rev Denny Philip Carmel MTC, Boston 56 .Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.  57 .Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me.    The Holy Qurbana plays an important part in the life of a Christian, whether they take it seriously or not. For some it’s a spiritual experience with a specific meaning. Some others find in it a satisfaction which they don’t bother to describe or verbalize. For still others it is an often repeated ritual. However, on the one hand, it’s an experience beyond description but on the other, the attempts of description enrich the experience. 1.  It’s an experience of communion with Christ. Through the incarnation, God shared his Son with the world. Through his life and death,  Jesus himself opens up an opportunity for the world to experience eternal life by participating in his life- his body and blood. This

Rejoice in and Remember Your Creator While Young   Eccl 11:7-10 Latha Thomas Phoenix MTC, AZ 9 Rejoice, young man, while you are young, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Follow the inclination of your heart and the desire of your eyes, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.     In this passage God is teaching us to enjoy and live life that is pleasing to God. It starts with light from sun which is the central source of light & heat energy. With light we can see and appreciate God’s creation, walk in light without stumbling and enjoy the light from the sun. In spiritual sense, God is light who is the central source of spiritual energy for a Christian life.  The worldly light maybe sweet and lead to a life of comfort and prosperity. But the light of grace flowing from the sun of righteousness provides us a life of comfort and peace even in adverse situations. He is also a light shining in the darkness of

Elderly: Source of Blessing Genesis 48: 8-22 Philips Zachariah Trinity MTC, Houston, TX 19 But his father refused, and said, “I know, my son, I know; he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.”    In eastern cultures and traditions, elders are placed at a higher level of esteem and respect because of their life experiences and roles as principal provider of the household. Younger generations look up to them for moral guidance and wisdom as they are seen closer to God spiritually. In the Old Testament we see that parents or elders are representatives of God on earth, and they should be honored and revered. Here in the passage we see that Jacob (Israel), even though of ill health and poor sight, was able to see clearly and act with resolve when it came to blessing his grandchildren. Even though his son, Joseph, tried to correct him using

In The Faith of  Mothers 2 Timothy 1:3-14 Santhosh George   St. Johns MTC, NY 5.  I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you.   If there was one group of people in the Bible who was underappreciated and unnoticed, it is the mothers.  Throughout the Bible, we see strong faithful men coming to the scene and working hard to give glory to their creator and sometimes even miserably failing in that journey.  It would be foolishness to think that these men were self-made without any influence from the home they came from.  We come across several prophets, kings, priests, etc.  There are even some faithful women who we meet through the Scriptures. But, mothers?  Only a handful!  Keeping that in mind, we can understand the gravity of Paul’s comments regarding Timothy’s mother and grandmother.  Secondly the Book of  Timothy is the most personal of the Pastoral letters, mo

Be Blessed To Be A Blessing. Ephesians 6: 1-4 Sam  Michael Mar Thoma Parish, Dubai, UAE 1.Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—this is the first commandment with a promise:   The story is told of a mother who once went to visit her son in prison. As she walked down the corridor, she wondered how she would encourage and reassure her son. When they came face to face, the son motioned to his mother, wanting to whisper in her ear. As the woman bent her head forward, the son snapped at her ear. Biting her earlobe he said: “If only you had corrected me when I was young, I wouldn’t be here today. You encouraged me for the small misdeeds. That spurred me on. Today I

The Art of Reconciliation Philemon  1:  8 - 22   Dr. Binu Chacko St. John’s MTC, New York   15. Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back forever, 16. no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother—especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.    In this brief letter written by Paul during his Roman imprisonment, he pleads to Philemon for Onesimus, a slave that escaped Philemon’s home and served Paul during his house arrest. We can see how skillfully Paul made