Apostolic Visit to Bahrain (December 11 – 16)



H.H Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, Patriarch of Antioch

and All The East, and his delegation will visit

Kingdome of Bahrain on 11 December 2004 to attend

the Silver Jubilee Celebration of St. Peter's

Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church , Bahrain.

( Tel: +973-245432 / 251476)



Tentative program Schedules as follows.



11 December 2003

18: 20 Arrival at Bahrain Air Port

19:00 Reception at Airport

19:15 Reception & Luthiniya at St. Peter's Church



12 December 2003

07:30 Arrival at Indian School Auditorium

08:30 HOLY QURBONO - Indian School Auditorium

16:00 Meeting with Vicar & committee members of the Bahrain Church

17:00 Meeting with SAMAJAM delegates

18:00 Silver Jubilee Celebration & reception - Indian School Auditorium



13 December 2003

09:00 Audience with the King of Bahrain

15:00 Press meeting - HILTON Hotel

16:00 Meeting with various Christian associations delegates from Bahrain

17:30 Banquette to invited Gust – CARLTON Hotel



14 December 2003

09:00 Audience with Bahrain Royal Family members

11:00 Distribution of Charity donations

19:30 HOLY QURBONO at St. Peter's  Church



15 December 2003

09:00 Audience with Bahrain Government Delegation

16:00 Distributing Silver Jubilee Gold Coins to Church members

20:00 Delivering a speech at Baith Al Quran (organized under

the auspicious of H.E Te Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of

Islamic Affairs)



16 December 2003

09:00 Extending National Day Greeting to King & Ruling Family

         at New Palace

11:00 Farewell meeting and Luthiniya at St. Peter's Church



Vice President

SAMAJAM-Central Unit

Dear Members,



During our Good Friday service there are parts

in which we sing for curse & bad fortune upon

the people that crucified Jesus Christ. What

would be the intention of including this in

the service as Christ Himself asked for

forgiveness for these people?



Binu Aramath

St. Ignatious Church Dallas

I have some question regarding the name of our  God.

Here is what I know.



According to catholic  bibile name of our  God is

YAWH. (Exodus 3:14).  The usage "Jhehova" is a

mis-usage for the lack of knowledge of  Hebrew

language.  But later the  translators used the

word  LORD ( notice all in block letters) to

represent the proper name of our God, because

they were afraid to even write the proper name

of our God.



But the usage by  George  M  Lamasa's  Peshitta

tranlation uses this way . I  belive  Peshitta

translation by  Our Rev. Dr. Curian Kaniyamparambil

achan also uses the same way.



"And God said to  Moses, I am  AHIAH ASHAR  HIGH

( that is  THE LIVING  GOD); and he said, thus

you shall say to the children of  Israel  AHIAH

has sent me to you"



Note here the name of God is  AHIAH ASHAR  HIGH .



But in  King  James  "And  God  said unto  Moses I

AM  THAT  I AM; and he said, thus shalt thou say

unto the children of  Israel  I  AM  hath sent

me unto you"



Naturaly there is some comfusion here. three names

are used.  But only one could be correct.  There

is a name which our God told Moses. That is a

proper name and one should not translate it. What

was it? and how come this versions?



With the same  way, why or who did English translation

of  "Yesu" to Jesus and like  altered the names of our

Lord, Mother of  God, Marium ( not Mary) and names

of all apostles.



Is this correct?

Paul Reji

St Ignatius Church

Dallas

"His followers said, 'Show us the place

where you are, for we must seek it.' He

said to them, 'Whoever has ears should

hear. There is Light within a Person of

Light, and it shines on the whole world.

If it does not shine, it is dark!'"

-Gospel of Thomas, Saying 24



Thomas Daniel (Reji)

St. George Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church

Cheppaud, Alleppy Dist, Kerala, Inida

From the Desk of Moderators:



As per the information received from Malankara,

"Suon-dro-niso" Koodoso of Mor Kuriakose Theophilos

(Resident bishop of the Seminary) will be conducted

at Puthankurizu Seminary Cathedral on Sunday 14

December 2003.



This Koodoso will officially accept the consecration

of the Metropolitan by the Catholicose by the church.



All the Bishops, priests and thousands of faithful

of Malankara church will be attending this ceremony.



BIOGRAPHY of Mor Kuriakose Theophilos

http://syriacchristianity.org/bio/MalankaraPrelates/MalankaraBishops.htm

Is there any restriction on the food that we can eat.

The Old Testament  bans some foods like pork  etc.



Is this applicable to our chruch? Some of the priests

are of the opinion is that  Jesus Christ annuled this

rule. But my father used to tell me that it is not.



Paul Philipose

St. Ignatious church

Dallas TX



St. Marys  Chruch

S.Marady , Muvattupuzha

Dear Thomas Daniel,



I am aware that W. Baum & D. W. Winkler published

Die Apostolische Kirche des Ostens. Geschichte der

sogenannten "Nestorianer" (Klagenfurt, 2000)

(Einführungen in das orientalische Christentum 1).



Even though the titles are not 100% the same, it

could nevertheless well be that your version is

the English translation or simply a sort of

revised version written in English this time.

Don't worry about the reliability of the writers.

They are acknowledged scholars in Germany,

specialists in Syriac-Aramaic studies.



Fush ba-shlomo,

Johnny Messo

Mor Yuhanon, Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch

Hengelo, The Netherlands

"Such, my brethren, are the wonders of God. And God

reveals His hidden saints so that some may emulate

them and others have no excuse for not doing so.

Provided they live a worthy life, both those who

choose to dwell in the midst of noise and hubbub

and those who dwell in monasteries, mountains and

caves can achieve salvation. Solely because of their

faith in Him God bestows great blessings on them.

Hence those who because of their laziness have

failed to attain salvation will have no excuse to

offer on the day of judgment. For He Who promised

to grant us salvation simply on account of our faith

in Him is not a liar."



St. Symeon the New Theologian.

----------------------------------------------------

"The wicked is ensnared by the transgression of his

lips, But the righteous will come through trouble."

Proverbs 12:13

Dear Reji,



Both Dr. Wilhelm Baum and Prof. Dr. Dietmar Winkler

are known figures among the syriac scholars in

Europe. I know both of them personally. Both have

written a lot of scholarly authentic works in the

field. But as any other western scholars, they may

also be taking a postion supporting the East

Syrians( the so called Nestorians). But it doesnot

necesorily mean that they will be untrue to our

church. Unfortunately i have not yet read their

new book on Eastern Church.



With Love and Prayers

Fr.Dr.BIJI CHIRATHILATTU MARKOSE;

Vicar, St.Mary's SO congregation,Vienna,

Austria

Dear Aji Thomas,



Thanks for exposing Fake Identities of some members.



Like you know, creating an identity in the web world

is the easiest thing. After that you can go on

confusing people in a forum like ours. But at some

stage the cat jumps out.



At least for the past 4 months many "identities" have

been hyper active. With each identity taking a

slightly different stand but in the end all confirming

to the IOC stand. Like one identity being an extremist

IOC fellow, another being a moderate and yet another

being a "pious" person who is "sincerely" craving for

peace( but that peace means succumbing to IOC

catholicos). There was yet another identity who

claimed to be belonging to the Jacobite Church, but

ended up denouncing whatever this church stands for.



When you cannot show your face in public, what else

you can do??



There was yet another deception by an "identity" in

some of the other forums like IOC forum, Orthodox

Herald etc some time back.( probably the moderators of

this forum had also received that posting)



That posting was about a "miracle" that is said to

have happened in the tomb of vattaserri.



Now the person who had sent that posting is one mr

"elias eldho" ( do you smell something). He lives in a

place called "kothamangalam" (again that smell is

coming) The auther claims at least ten times in that

posting that he and his family belong to the

"Yacobites" ( definitly that smell is there).



And he have descrided a "miracle" for the consumption

of the readers.



Another member of the IOC forum requested this

particular "elias eldho" to publish his full details

so that there would not be any doubts on the claims.



Past almost a month our dear old "elias eldho" is

silent.



Reading that posting we can understand that the person

"elias eldho" lives in kerala. But my cousin told me

that this particular posting have originated from a

place which is in a time zone atleast 5 hrs distant

from India. ( there is some way of finding out the

approximate place of origin of an e mail. Iam not sure

of it, but atleast some of the members of this forum

will be knowing it)



So what was the idea behind that posting??



Usually all the Apostolic Churches declare a Person as

a Saint after confirming the miracles that have

happened because of that Person.



But when somebody is declared a saint just to satisfy

the ego of a section of the church and to poke the

other section, what you can do.



If "miracles" doesnt happen, you "invent" it. And when

you "invent" those miracles make sure that the other

section can digest it.



rgds



Baby Gleeson Zachariah

St George Jacobite Syrian Church

Arakunnam

Devotional thoughts for Sunday 7th December 2003.

Sunday of the birth of St. John the Baptist.



Reading : Gospel According to St. Luke 1: 57-80.



Dear and Respected Brethren,



When the birth of St. John the Baptist, the

fore-runner of our Lord, took place he was named

as John against all the traditions and practices

that prevailed among them till then. When Zechariahs

spoke after a long gap of about nine months, he

praised God. He had nothing else to do. The modern

man will run for a press conference immediately

without knowing the deepness of God’s care and

intention behind each blessing that he/she might

enjoy. From verses 66, we could learn the attitude

of those who heard this wonderful news. “And all

they that heard them laid them up in their hearts,

saying, what manner of child shall this be”. Suppose

we were there. If so what would have been our

response? Just think.



We could listen a prophecy about our Lord Jesus Christ

from verses 68 till 75, from the mouth of Zechariahs,

who was filled with the Holy Spirit. In verse 72, we

read, “to perform the mercy promised to our fathers,

and to remember his holy covenant.” What is the mercy

promised to our fathers? We read in Leviticus 26:42

“Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and

also my covenant with Isaac and also my covenant with

Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land”.

This is the promise to our fathers. Again in Exodus 2:24,

we read, “and God heard their groaning, and God

remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and

with Jacob. In Psalms 106:45 we read, “and he remembered

for them his covenant, and repented according to the

multitude of his mercies”.



In verse 73, we read about an oath, which he swore to

our father Abraham. What is the oath? Let us go back

to Genesis 12:3. There we could see the oath swore to

Abraham. We read, ”And I will bless them that bless thee,

and curse him that curses you, and in you shall all

families of the earth be blessed. Again in Hebrews 6:13,

we read, “For when God made promise to Abraham, because

he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself.” The

verses 76 to 80, though meant to say about the new born

baby (St. John the Baptist), the statements are linked

and connected with the life of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Zechariahs names St. John as the fore-runner of our Lord.

(see vs. 76) We must give special emphasize to vs.79.

Zechariahs declares that the one who is to come would

provide light to those who sit in the darkness and in

the shadow of death. He will guide our feet in to the

way of peace. Let us take this promise in the face value

itself. Let us wait for his peace and guidance through

His peace.

May God bless us all.



Jose Kurian Puliyeril.

St. George Orthodox Church

Abu Dhabi

Full Name: Korooyoo Zayd Sabha Abdul Noor

Country of Residence: Bagdad, Iraq

Denomination: Syrian Orthodox Church

Parish:St.Peter's and St.Paul's

Syrian Orthodox Church, Bagdad,Iraq.

-----------------------------------------------

Full Name: Calude Guérillot, 74

(University professor retired)

Country of Residence: Montfermeil, France

My Priest: Father Yacup Aydin.

Parish:Sainte Marie Mère de Dieu

I stay very far from my parish and I am too

old to travell. So I am alone...

This is why I am interested in joining

SOCM-Forum.

May the Christ, our God, keep all of us in

His holy guard

Dear moderators



According to www.deepika.com dated 06-12-03, both Catholicose

of Malankara Church attend a function and share the same

platform.



IOC Catholicose inaugurated the function and Our Catholicose

blessed the function. Cardinal Varky Vithayathil presided

the meeting. It was a function held at P.O.C Palarivattom,

Ernakulam.



Could you arranged to get the photographs of the same event?



Anyhow it is a good start.



In Christ

Issac K Joseph

Marthoman Church

Mulanthuruthy

Dhukorno of Mor Ignatius Noorno will be celebrated at

Mor Ignatius Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church,Vazhamuttam

East, Pathanamthitta on 6, 7, 8 & 9 December.



Dn. Eby Stephen & Dn. Binoy Thattankunnel will lead the

Music Ministry and Gospel Preaching at 6.00 & 7.00 P.M

daily.



On 8 December at 5.30 PM, grand reception will be

given to H.B Catholicose Basalious Thomas I, Mor

Markose Koorilose, Mor Mathews Evanious, Mor

Geeverghese Diavanious, Mor Yhoohanon Milithose &

Mor Kuriakose Theopilose. Rev. Dr. T.C Abraham

Chorepiscopo will preside the public meeting and

Honorable Minister T.M Jacob will inaugurate the

meeting.



At 7.00 P.M Rasa & on 9 December morning at 8.30 AM,

Holy Anichinmel Qurbana by H.B Catholicose and H. Graces



Rajan Mathews

Mor Ignatius Jacobite Syrian Orthodox

Church Vazhamuttam (E) P.O. Mallaseri

Pathanamthitta

"Smoke from wood kindling a fire troubles the eyes;

but then the fire gives them light and gladdens them.

Similarly, unceasing attentiveness is irksome; but

when, invoked in prayer, Jesus draws near, He

illumines the heart; for remembrance of Him confers

on us spiritual enlightenment and the highest of

all blessings."



St. Philotheos of Sinai.

---------------------------------------------------

"He who believes in the Son has everlasting life;

and he who does not believe the Son shall not see

life, but the wrath of God abides on him." John 3:36

Dear Moderaotors/Isaac Joseph

Ref: Both Catholicose share the same platform



This is a step forward in the spiritual life

of orthodox church (IOC and JOC). I wish all

45 bishops(IOC and JOC)  meet in Kerala during

Xmas to show everyone that we are one in spirit.

During Passion week in April let them meet and

wash their feet one another. Put an end to the

conflict for ever before the second coming of

Jesus.



Regards

Philip

St.Kuriakose Orthodox Church

Puramattom

Dear all members.



I am glad to inform every body that, as per yesterdays

court order, Our people got full power in St Mary's

church vadavucode. Today  HG Joseph Mar Gregorious

(metropolitan of the church) did the holy qurbana.



After a long time today a metropolitan entered the

church and all parishners are extremely happy in

this incident. While understanding the history of

this church, we can see that this parishners suffered

much  for establishing faith here.



Any way we should congartulate them, including the

church vicar, father paulose keerikattil also.



in the name our lord jesus



Sinoj Abraham

St. Mary’s Jacobite Church Vadavucode

Dear All,



Seeing the mail in other forum..I just understood

what it mean by "creating HISTORY"...!!!!



Someone among them  along with Kottayam Catholica

cries that its not two different churches but one

and few others can re-write HISTORY or rather I

would like to call it HIS-STORY..As far as I am

concerned,it is good.Let them publish it..make more

and more web sites..and make it a lulllaby for

future..I will also put sincere effort to sell it

out as IOC-HISTORY...rather,I am compiling all

postings of those sort from their forum to make it

available for my friends who dont even know of our

split..All that will ultimately make it clear for

generations to be born that these two are indeed

TWO DIFFERENT CHURCHES..Go ahead..and all the

very best



Regards

Jojo

St George JSO Chapel, Kavumbhagom, Thiruvalla

St Mary's JSO Church, Queen's Road, Bangalore

"Pride is denial of God, and invention of the devil,

the despising of men, the mother of condemnation,

the offspring of praise, a sign of sterility,

flight from Divine assistance, the precursor of

madness, the cause of falls, a foothold for satanic

possession, a source of anger, a door of hypocrisy,

the support of demons, the guardian of sins, the

patron of pitilessness, the rejection of compassion,

a bitter inquisitor, and inhuman judge, an opponent

of God, a root of blasphemy."



St. John Climacus.

-----------------------------------------------------

"Blessings are on the head of the righteous, But

violence covers the mouth of the wicked." Proverbs 10:6

The body of abune Yacob II Patriarch of the Eritrean

Orthodox Church was laid to rest.

http://www.tewahdo.com/bishYacobRequim.htm



The body of His Holiness Abune Yacob II Patriarch

of the Eritrean Orthodox Church, was laid to rest

on Saturday December 6, 2003 at St. Mary Church in

Asmara, Eritrea, in the presence of thousands of

people including, Egyptian Orthodox Church bishops,

Isaias Afewerki, President of the state of Eritrea,

government officials, diplomats, and dignitaries.



The requiem mass was conducted by bishops and

metropolitans of the Eritrean and Egyptian Orthodox

Churches. Many people attended the funeral ceremony,

including Isaias Afewerki, President of the state

of Eritrea, and government officials.



The Eritrean Catholic Church, the Eritrean Evangelical

Church and others sent messages of condolences to the

Church on the late, His Holiness Abune Yacob II.



His Holiness Abune Yacob II passed away of natural

death on December 2, 2003. He was 77.



His holiness Abuna Yacob II Patriarch served the

Church for many years, first as a deacon, monk,

and a bishop. On December 4, 2002, two months after

the death of the first patriarch Abune Filipos,

abuneYacob II was anointed by the holy synod of

the Eritrean Orthodox Church as its second patriarch.



May the Lord rest his soul at the feast with Abraham,

Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

Hi Brothers in Jesus Christ

It was really interesting that both Catholicos

on the same stage.



I also wish the same thing like one of our

yahoo group members that on the coming christmas

all the Bishops come together on a stage and

show their unity and love in the name of Jesus

Christ. On the coming passion week all of them

come together again and wash their feet each

other like Jesus did.



In that way we could end this calamities to an end.



Shaji Peter

St George syrian orthodox church

Spring Valley, New york.

Dear members & respected Priests



During the Qawmo (Trisagion) in Morning Prayers

(Sleebo Namaskaram) of Advent fast period, are

we allowed to Kneeling (Kumbideel).



Especially if Holy Qurbono is not celebrated after

the Prayers.



If not, why?



In Our Lords Love

Thomas Daniel (Reji)

St. George Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church

Cheppaud, Alleppy Dist, Kerala, India

"It is one thing to be content with shabby

clothes and have no desire for magnificent

array, but a different matter to put on the

light of God. They are two different things.

Caught up in a myriad of desires, some have

easily been negligent, but only they [put

on the light] who constantly search for it

through all kinds of penitence; those who

become children of light and of the day

through the fulfillment of the commandments."



St. Symeon the New Theologian.

---------------------------------------------

"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today,

and forever." Hebrews 13:8

We are expected to do the genuflexion in prayers

except on Sundays and festival days and the day

after receiving Holy Qurbono during all seasons

other than Easter to Pentacost.



Lovingly,

Moolelachen.

St.George Malankara S.O. Church,

Chicago.



> Subject: Kneeling during Qawmo

>

> Dear members & respected Priests

>

> During the Qawmo (Trisagion) in Morning Prayers

> (Sleebo Namaskaram) of Advent fast period, are

> we allowed to Kneeling (Kumbideel).

>

> Especially if Holy Qurbono is not celebrated after

> the Prayers.

>

> If not, why?

>

> In Our Lords Love

> Thomas Daniel (Reji)

> St. George Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church

> Cheppaud, Alleppy Dist, Kerala, India

The news of a favorable court order on St. Mary’s

Jacobite Church Vadavucode is cooling our hearts.



We take this opportunity to Congratulate all the

Jacobites in Malankara, Our most beloved Bawa

(I personally believe that his tearful prayers

are behind this - It is written that "the watchful

prayers of a justful man is always aswered")

Diocision Bishop, Parish Vicar Rev Fr Paulose

Keerikattil and all the Parish Members on this

happy occasion.



May we pray that this result will be the success

of Rightousness over evil and be the first one

in a series of orders to come out.



Stay Blessed in our Lord Jesus Christ



Yours lovingly

BABU MARACHERIL -

KOTHAMANGALAM MARTHAMARIYAM VALIA PALLY

KUWAIT ST:GEORGE UNIVERSAL SYRIAN ORTHODOX PALLY

KOCHI: In an unprecedented move, the Church is planning

to issue a written statement to all parish priests and

clergy instructing them to accord a decent burial to

people dying of AIDS-related diseases.



The circular will be sent to all the 320 parishes in the

Ernakulam-Angamaly diocese.



The move comes on the heels of an incident at the Elavoor

parish, near Angamaly, a few days ago where an HIV-infected

person was denied burial in the church cemetery and was

buried in a separate section.



Syro-Malabar Church spokesperson Fr Paul Thelekat told this

website's newspaper that Archbishop Varkey Cardinal Vithayathil

will soon issue a circular stating categorically that an

HIV/AIDS-infected person is not a sinner and should, therefore,

be treated with respect even in death.



The circular will also state that HIV/AIDS does not spread

from a dead person, provided adequate precautions are taken.

``It is said that the HIV virus becomes inactive after seven

hours of a person's death. So there is little risk of

contracting the infection through a dead person,'' he said.



``We will, however, take the advice of medical practitioners

on the subject and enlist the precautions to be taken while

burying an HIV/AIDS victim,'' he said.



Thelakat said there were still several misconceptions regarding

HIV/AIDS. While the stigma of `sin' continues to persist, there

are also greater fears of contracting the infection through

the dead because of which some victims have been ostracised

even after death. ``All this is wrong. An HIV/AIDS victim is

not a sinner and deserves a decent burial,'' Thelekat said.



The death of an HIV-infected youth on December 1 has spurred

the Church to take this step. The youth died at the Divine

Retreat Centre, Muringoor, Angamaly, near St Antony's Church.



The priests there reportedly denied him church burial. He was

buried in a separate section and the formal burial rites were

not performed on him. The matter came to the notice of the

Cardinal through some parishioners who wrote to him. ``It is

sad that something like this happened in our archdiocese,''

said the spokesperson.



source: http://www.newindpress.com 06-12-03



Issac K Joseph

Marthoman Chruch

Mulanthuruthy

70 kilometres  east the capital of the Czech Republic,

Prague, lies a small town called  Sedlec.



It might have been an ordinary enough town, if not for

its extraordinary church. The inside of this church is

decorated with artworks made of human  bones.



The story begins in 1218, when a certain abbot Henry

made a pilgrimage to the holy land and brought back a

jar full of soil, which he spread over the  Church's

cemetery. As a result the cemetery came to be regarded

as sacred  and turned into a popular burial spot.



By 1318, more than 30,000 bodies were buried there and

by 1511, it had become necessary to remove the older

bones to make place for the new ones.



These later became the material for the macabre creations.



In 1870 a local woodcarver was hired by the Duke of

Shwartzenberg to decorate the inside of the church with

the human remains(approximately 40,000 sets of bones).



Regards

Jojo



St. George JSO Chapel, Kavumbhagom, Thiruvalla

St. Mary's JSO Church, Queens Road, Bangalore

Dear brothers & Sisters



Is December 25 really the day Jesus was born?



In Christ



Susan Jose

St. Mary's Jacobite Church

Nadama, Tripunithura

http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=38



The true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas,

who was born during the third century in Patara, a

village in what is now Turkey. His wealthy parents,

who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an

epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying

Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money

to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to

assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He

dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop

of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became

known throughout the land for his generosity to the

those in need, his love for children, and his concern

for sailors and ships.



Under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who ruthlessly

persecuted Christians, Bishop Nicholas suffered for

his faith, was exiled and imprisoned. The prisons

were so full of bishops, priests, and deacons, there

was no room for the real criminals—murderers, thieves

and robbers. After his release, Nicholas attended the

Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. He died December 6, 343

AD in Myra and was buried in his cathedral church,

where a unique relic,called manna, formed in his grave.

This liquid substance was said to have healing powers

which fostered the growth of devotion to Nicholas. The

anniversary of his death became a day of celebration,

St. Nicholas Day.



Through the centuries many stories and legends have

been told of St. Nicholas' life and deeds. These

accounts help us understand his extraordinary

character and why he is so beloved and revered as

protector and helper of those in need.



One story tells of a poor man with three daughters.

In those days a young woman's father had to offer

prospective husbands something of value—a dowry.

The larger the dowry, the better the chance that a

young woman would find a good husband. Without a

dowry, a woman was unlikely to marry. This poor

man's daughters, without dowries, were therefore

destined to be sold into slavery. Mysteriously, on

three different occasions, a bag of gold appeared

in their home-providing the needed dowries. The bags

of gold, tossed through an open window, are said to

have landed in stockings or shoes left before the

fire to dry. This led to the custom of children

hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly

awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas. Sometimes the

story is told with gold balls instead of bags of

gold. That is why three gold balls, sometimes

represented as oranges, are one of the symbols for

St. Nicholas. And so St. Nicholas is a gift- giver.



One of the oldest stories tells of the townspeople

of Myra celebrating the good saint on the eve of

St. Nicholas' feast day. A band of Arab pirates

from Crete had come into the district. They stole

treasures from the Church of Saint Nicholas to take

away as booty. As they were leaving town, they

snatched a young boy, Basilios, to make into a slave.

The emir, or ruler, selected Basilios to be his

personal cupbearer, as not knowing the language,

Basilios would not understand what the king said to

those around him. So, for the next year Basilios

waited on the king, bringing his wine in a beautiful

golden cup. For Basilios' parents, devastated at the

loss of their only child, the year passed slowly,

filled with grief. As the next St. Nicholas' feast

day approached, Basilios' mother would not join in

the festivity, as it was now a day of tragedy. However,

she was persuaded to have a simple observance at

home-with quiet prayers for Basilios' safekeeping.

Meanwhile, as Basilios was fulfilling his tasks serving

the emir, he was suddenly whisked up and away.

St. Nicholas appeared to the terrified boy, blessed

him, and set him down at his home back in Myra.

Imagine the joy and wonderment when Basilios amazingly

appeared before his parents, still holding the king's

golden cup. This is the first story told of St. Nicholas

protecting children—which became his primary role in

the West.



Another story tells of three theological students,

traveling on their way to study in Athens. A wicked

innkeeper robbed and murdered them, hiding their remains

in a large pickling tub. It so happened that Bishop

Nicholas, traveling along the same route, stopped at

this very inn. In the night he dreamed of the crime,

got up, and summoned the innkeeper. As Nicholas prayed

earnestly to God the three boys were restored to life and

wholeness. In France the story is told of three small

children, wandering in their play until lost, lured, and

captured by an evil butcher. St. Nicholas appears and

appeals to God to return them to life and to their families.

And so St. Nicholas is the patron and protector of children.



Several stories tell of Nicholas and the sea. When he was

young, Nicholas sought the holy by making a pilgrimage to

the Holy Land. There as he walked where Jesus walked, he

sought to more deeply experience Jesus' life, passion, and

resurrection. Returning by sea, a mighty storm threatened

to wreck the ship. Nicholas calmly prayed. The terrified

sailors were amazed when the wind and waves suddenly calmed,

sparing them all. And so St. Nicholas is the patron of

sailors and voyagers.



Other stories tell of Nicholas saving his people from famine,

sparing the lives of those innocently accused, and much more.

He did many kind and generous deeds in secret, expecting

nothing in return. Within a century of his death he was

celebrated as a saint. Today he is venerated in the East

as wonder, or miracle worker and in the West as patron of a

great variety of persons-children, mariners, bankers,

pawn-brokers, scholars, orphans,laborers, travelers, merchants,

judges, paupers, marriageable maidens, students, children,

sailors, victims of judicial mistakes, captives, perfumers,

even thieves and murderers! He is known as the friend and

protector of all in trouble or need (see list).



Sailors, claiming St. Nicholas as patron, carried stories

of his favor and protection far and wide. St. Nicholas

chapels were built in many seaports. As his popularity spread

during the Middle Ages, he became the patron saint of Apulia

(Italy), Sicily, Greece, and Lorraine (France), and many cities

in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Russia, Belgium, and

the Netherlands (See list). Following his baptism in

Constantinople, Vladimir I of Russia brought St. Nicholas'

stories and devotion to St. Nicholas to his homeland where

Nicholas became the most beloved saint. Nicholas was so

widely revered that more than 2,000 churches were named for

him, including three hundred in Belgium, thirty-four in Rome,

twenty-three in the Netherlands and more than four hundred

in England.



Nicholas' tomb in Myra became a popular place of pilgrimage.

Because of the many wars and attacks in the region, some

Christians were concerned that access to the tomb might

become difficult. For both the religious and commercial

advantages of a major pilgrimage site, the Italian cities

of Venice and Bari vied to get the Nicholas relics. In the

spring of 1087, sailors from Bari succeeded in spiriting

away the bones, bringing them to Bari, a seaport on the

southeast coast of Italy. An impressive church was built

over St. Nicholas' crypt and many faithful journeyed to honor

the saint who had rescued children, prisoners, sailors,

famine victims, and many others through his compassion,

generosity, and the countless miracles attributed to his

intercession. The Nicholas shrine in Bari was one of medieval

Europe's great pilgrimage centers and Nicholas became known

as "Saint in Bari." To this day pilgrims and tourists visit

Bari's great Basilica di San Nicola.



Through the centuries St. Nicholas has continued to be

venerated by Catholics and Orthodox and honored by Protestants.

By his example of generosity to those in need, especially

children, St. Nicholas continues to be a model for the

compassionate life.



Widely celebrated in Europe, St. Nicholas' feast day, December

6th, kept alive the stories of his goodness and generosity. In

Germany and Poland, boys dressed as bishops begged alms for

the poor—and sometimes for themselves! In the Netherlands

and Belgium, St. Nicholas arrived on a steamship from Spain

to ride a white horse on his gift-giving rounds. December 6th

is still the main day for gift giving and merrymaking in much

of Europe. For example, in the Netherlands St. Nicholas' Day

is celebrated with the sharing of candies (thrown in the door),

chocolate initial letters, small gifts, and riddles. Dutch

children leave carrots and hay in their shoes for the horse,

hoping St. Nicholas will exchange them for small gifts. Simple

gift-giving in early Advent helps preserve a Christmas Day

focus on the Christ Child.



Mathew G M

St.Johns Church, Ayyampalli

"The evil spirits make us zealous for works which we are not able to perform,

and cause us to faint in tasks on which we are engaged, and which are profitable

for us. Therefore, they make us laugh when it is time for weeping, and weep when

it is time for laughter, and simply turn us aside at every time from the right

way. And there are many other deceits whereby they make us their slaves, but

there is no time now to describe all this. But when they fill our heart with

these deceits, and we feed on them and they become our food, then God is patient

with us and He visits us, to bring us back again from this heavy body, that we

may leave it."



St. Anthony the Great.



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"Resist him (the devil), steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same

sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world." 1 Peter 5:9



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Prayer Requests:



Please pray for the peace of the world.



"casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7