Are you prepared for Christmas?

As Christmas 2012 approaches we find ourselves readying for the festivities ahead by taking part in our great cultural traditions of baking kileche, making sure we have bought all the Christmas presents on our lists and have our outfits ready for the Christmas Church service and the family gatherings that follow. Many of us also have the dilemma of deciding where we will have Christmas lunch and dinner that we must also prepare for; where we can again, joyously catch up with family and friends at the end of the year before we start discussing plans for the New Year… Then, sure enough, within a blink of an eye it feels like it’s Christmas again and the traditional cycle continues.

All these traditions are great and are a lovely, joyful reminder of the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. But as Christmas arrives this year, let us invest some of our time to reflect upon our lives in the year that has passed and look beyond the kileche, presents, Christmas cooking, heavy duty cleaning and preparation and delve into the true meaning of Christmas… What does Christmas mean to Christians? And what are the true preparations we should be making before the long awaited feast day arrives?

The feast of the Holy Nativity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is celebrated in our Church on the 25^th of December every year. It is a day that we are called to remember that God took on the humility of mankind’s flesh and emptied Himself of the glory He deserves, so that we, His beloved creation could become full (Philippians 2:5-8). The day stands as a humble reminder to us all that Christ offered His ALL for us, leaving us a great example of offering our ALL to Him in thanks.

Saint Ephrem the Syrian beautifully illustrates the greatness of the gift that has been offered to us through the birth of our Lord, and also challenges us to respond to this priceless, everlasting gift in one of his many hymns on the nativity:

Serene is the night on which shines forth the Serene One Who came to give us serenity.

Do not allow anything that might disturb it to enter upon our watch.

Let the path of the ear be cleared; let the sight of the eye be chastened;

Let the contemplation of the heart be sanctified; let the speech of the mouth be purified.

Mary today has hidden in us the leaven from the house of Abraham;

Let us therefore, love the poor as Abraham [loved] the needy.

Today she has cast rennet into us from the house of David, the compassionate one;

Let man have mercy on his persecutor as the son of Jesse on Saul.

The sweet salt of the prophets today is scattered among the peoples;

Let us acquire by it a new taste by which the former people would lose its flavor.

On this day of redemption let us speak a speech of interpretation;

Let us not speak superfluous words, lest we be superfluous to [the day].

This is the night of reconciliation; let us be neither wrathful nor gloomy on it.

On this all-peaceful night let us be neither menacing nor boisterous.

This is the night of the Sweet One; let us be neither proud nor haughty.

On this day of forgiveness let us not avenge offenses.

On this day of rejoicings let us not share sorrows.

On this sweet day let us not be vehement.

On this calm day let us not be quick-tempered.

On this day on which God came into the presence of sinners,

Let not the just man exalt himself in his mind over the sinner.

On this day on which the Lord of all came among servants,

Let the lords also bow down to their servants lovingly.

On this day when the Rich One was made poor for our sake,

Let the rich man also make the poor man a sharer at his table.

On this day a gift came out to us without our asking for it;

Let us then give alms to those who cry out and beg from us.

This is the day when the high gate opened to us for our prayers;

Let us also open the gates to the seekers who have stayed but sought [forgiveness].

This Lord of nature’s today was transformed contrary to His nature;

It is not too difficult for us also to overthrow our evil will.

Bound is the body by its nature for it cannot grow larger or smaller;

But powerful is the will for it may grow to all sizes.

Today the Deity imprinted itself on humanity,

So that humanity might also be cut into the seal of Deity.

Christ the hope of our nature, and the giver of all good things was born into this world in the flesh to give us the gift of new life though we did not deserve it (Romans 3:23-24). His glorious birth into this world brought our lifeless, sinful bodies new birth and a chance at a new beginning.

As we enter our Churches this Christmas let us remember the stable in Bethlehem (house of bread) where Christ’s light first shined in this dark world. And as we gaze at His Body and Blood being offered on the alter, stand in humility and reverence and truly thank God the Father for the gracious gift of Christ that was given to us over 2000 years ago and is being offered for us on Christmas day and every day that we have the privilege to look upon the Son as redeemed children.

This Christmas, let us heed the edifying words of our Holy Father Saint Ephrem and allow his instruction to influence our words, actions and thoughts starting from this day, while challenging ourselves to continue on this path in the New Year.

Are you truly prepared for Christmas this year? Have you accepted the gift that Christ has offered you? If you have accepted His gift, what gift will you offer Him in return? (Romans 12:1)

May the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ bring blessings to you and your family as you share the love of Christ and celebrate the newness of life He brings at every gathering.

Please keep our beloved brothers and sisters of our homeland in prayer at this time when persecution is much more prevalent for them.

Christmas Song: By Bethlehem (Assyrian Church of the East Hymn) – Linda George

Excerpt from: Ephrem the Syrian: Hymns, By Saint Ephrem (Syrus), Kathleen E. McVey.

Hymn 1 – Hymns on the nativity.

St. Elijah the Tishbite (Commemoration 19 October)

St. Elijah (Mar Eliyah) of Tishbe is a mighty prophet of God who represents the prophets of old. We witnessed this representation in his appearance in the transfiguration of our Lord (Luke 9:28-33) alongside Moses who represents the Law. (See past article on the Transfiguration). But what is so significant about Elijah’s works that sets him apart as a faithful prophet? And what learning can we gain as we look to the example of this man of God?

Firstly, Elijah is introduced to us or first mentioned in 1 Kings 17:1 at the time of the reign of King Ahab, the king of Israel who was married to Jezebel. Both the king and his wife were worshippers of Baal (the pagan god of many other gods) and had influenced a large majority of Israel to follow in the same pagan worship.

In order to glorify His name and turn the hearts of Israel back to the truth, God instrumentally calls upon His faithful servant Elijah who demonstrates his great faith through the many miracles he performs in the name of the Lord, such as:

Raising the dead

The first mention of the miracle of raising the dead in the Bible is performed by Elijah when he calls on the name of the Lord God to raise a dead boy to life:

“Then Elijah cried out to the Lord and said, “Woe is me, O Lord! The witness of the widow with whom I lodge, you have embittered her by killing her son.” Then he stretched himself out on the child three times, and called on the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, let the soul of this child come back to him.” So it happened, and the child cried out. (1 Kings 17:20-22)

We see a meaningful significance in the way Elijah is lead to stretch himself over the dead boy three times; for the number three is a sacred number that points to the blessed Holy Trinity.

Feeding the poor

Elijah again gives glory to God by quoting to the poor widow the Godly words that were spoken to him; “For thus says the Lord;

‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, and the jar of oil shall not run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.’

The bin of flour was not used up, and the jar of oil did not run dry, according to the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah (1 Kings 17:16).

Through these works in the name of the Lord the widow who witnessed these, acknowledged Elijah as a true man of God and the words spoken to her from his mouth were true [as if from God Himself] (1 Kings 17:24).

Proving there is only one true God

A well-known miracle that Elijah is characterized by is the infamous calling down of fire from the heavens. In order to prove to the king and the prophets of Baal that their faith in these idols was in vain, the prophet calls on the name of the Lord again to prove the worthlessness of the idols and display the mighty strength of the one true God (1 Kings 18:20-40).

Elijah cried out to heaven and said, “O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, answer me, O Lord, answer me this day with fire, and let this people know You are the God of Israel, and I am Your servant; and for Your sake I do all these works.”(1 Kings 18:36)

In witnessing the might of God as performed through the word of Elijah, the people fell on their faces and they said, “Truly, the Lord is God; He is God.” (1 Kings 18:39) And again, Elijah proved true to his mission in serving the Lord through glorifying His name.

Separating the waters

When Elijah and Elisha stood at the bank of the Jordan River, Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water. The water was divided in two streams and allowed both men to walk across.(2 Kings 2:8) Afterwards, when Elisha was left with Elijah’s mantle, he tried to divide the waters in the same way, but it was not until Elisha called on the name of the Lord that the waters were divided (2 Kings 2:13-14).

God rewards Elijah for the faithful acts performed in His name by:

Providing for his needs

When the Lord commissioned Elijah to start his journey at the commencement of the drought, He provided ravens to bring Elijah bread and meat to eat, and a brook to draw water from (1 Kings 17:3-6).

The Lord lead Elijah to the poor widow who provided him with water to drink and bread to eat before Elijah showed her God’s providence through the miracles performed in her house. (1 Kings 17:8-9)

When Elijah fled from Jezebel and entered the wilderness, the angel of the Lord continually provided him with cakes of wheat and water to sustain him for forty days and forty nights. (1 Kings 19:4-9)

When God found Elijah afraid and alone after fleeing from the pagan worshippers, He comforted the faithful and zealous prophet by providing him with His holy presence and revealed Himself to the prophet in the sound of a gentle breeze (1 Kings 19:11-13).

Finally, we see Elijah, who was favoured by God unlike any other prophet, was spared the physical death and was taken up into heaven by a chariot of fire (2 Kings2:10-11).

Today, as faithful Christians of the Church and lovers of Christ, we too should look not only to the example of the prophets like Elijah and faithful forefathers before us, but to the glorious example of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. He came into the world to glorify the Father by leading people to know Him through His words and deeds and commands us, His followers to do the same;

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

St. John Chrysostom expounds on Elijah’s works and draws a great parallel for us to observe:

“For Elijah left a sheepskin (mantle) to his disciple, but the Son of God ascending left to us His own flesh! Elijah indeed, cast off his mantle, before he went up; but Christ left it behind for our sakes; and yet retained it when He ascended. Let us not lament, nor fear the difficulty of the times, for He who did not refuse to pour out His blood for all, and has suffered us to partake in His flesh and of His blood again, what will He refuse to do for our safety?”

Let us remember, that just as the prophet Elijah left his mantle (sheepskin) for Elisha to continue in the faithful works for the Lord, so too we have been entrusted with the duty that has been handed down to us through the apostles; to work for the Lord by making His name known to the world. We have the assurance in knowing that He has provided for our needs through His grace dispensed to us through the sacraments, and we trust that He will continue to provide for us in the same way he provided for the prophet Elijah when we call upon His mighty name.

“Your Name” – Paul Baloche and Glenn Packiam

Mar Shimun Bar Sabbai - The persecuted Patriarch of great faith

The commemoration of our late Patriarch Mar Shimun Bar Sabbai was celebrated in our Church calendar last Friday. As we look to this great historical leader, let us take a moment to reflect upon the great faith he upheld in his Lord as a leader and shepherd of the persecuted flock of the Assyrian Church of the East during the Persian reign of King Sapor II (339-379 A.D).

When the Persian emperor began a war with the recently converted Christian Roman empire, Sapor was influenced by the native Zoroastrian priests of his nation to persecute the Christians of Persia; namely, the members of the Church of the East.

Christians were ordered to pay a double tax as a contribution to the cost of war and Mar Shimun Bar Sabbai, the Catholicos Patriarch was ordered to collect this tax from his people. Mar Shimun refused to collect the tax on the grounds that his people were poor, and he was not a tax collector.

Mar Shimun was immediately arrested and the destruction of our churches and church property immediately followed. Mar Shimun was offered freedom for himself and his people if he would worship the sun, the Emperor’s God only once.

Mar Shimun’s response that led him to his timely destiny will forever be remembered in history: “The sun went into mourning when its Lord and Creator died”.

The Emperor begged the Patriarch in the name of their personal friendship to yield; but the Catholicos Patriarch remained firm, and on the morning of Good Friday along with five bishops and a hundred clergy, he sealed his testimony with his blood in the year 339 A.D.

Mar Shimun Bar Sabbai suffered for two noble causes, his faith in Christ and his duty to his people. Let us make the persecutions that our forefathers endured for their faith stand as a constant reminder for us to not take our faith in Christ, and our freedom to worship Him for granted.

In the moments when we are tempted to turn away from our God even just once through the many distractions we face in the 21^st century, let us be encouraged by the strong, unswerving faith of Mar Shimun Bar Sabbai, who wilfully accepted martyrdom instead of denying His God  for even just one moment.

The Commemoration of the Blessed Virgin Mary

As we approach the end of the fast for The Commemoration of the passing of the Blessed Virgin Mary this Wednesday 15^th August, let us be encouraged by the Blessed Mother’s awe inspiring faith, strength, love and humility as we learn from her life and see why the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ is honoured above all saints in the Church.

The Blessed Virgin Mary was a native to Palestine of the day. The daughter of Younakhan and Khanna who were descendants of King David. Church history teaches that Saint Mary was a very beautiful girl who loved the LORD God and was devoted to the temple in Jerusalem as a girl by her parents to be faithfully brought up in the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures. When she had reached the age of betrothal, she was betrothed to Joseph, a faithful man also from the linage of King David. An account in Church history tells of how both Mary and Joseph had both agreed to devote themselves to the LORD in chastity and though they were betrothed, they would dedicate their lives to serving the LORD.

As the gospel of Luke quotes: 

“²⁶ Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.” ²⁹ But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. ³⁰ The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favour with God. ³¹ And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; ³³ and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” ³⁴ Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” ³⁵ The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. ³⁶ And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. ³⁷ For nothing will be impossible with God.” ³⁸ And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.” Luke 1:26-38

From the moment that the Virgin Mary had conceived of the Holy Spirit upon the greeting of the Archangel Gabriel, we witness her faith, humility and acceptance of God’s work and will in her life. As a young virgin, she was naturally perplexed in her understanding as to how she could conceive without knowing a husband and enquired further as to how this would prevail. Her faithful and humble response to the Lord’s calling (verse 38) is magnified when she accepts and believes the seemingly impossible and wondrous prophesied miracle which will be fulfilled through her as God’s chosen vessel. This is a great testament to her faith as the first person to believe in Jesus the Messiah (Isho Msheekha).

The Church teaches that Mary remained with Christ throughout His life and remained a virgin. The first miracle that our Lord performed was at a wedding feast in Cana and it was done at the request of His mother (John 2:1-12). We also see how the Lord entrusts His mother to the care of the disciple John before He completed His earthly mission on the Cross, knowing that the Holy Virgin had dedicated her life to serving the Lord and was without husband and children to care for her.

“But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He *said to His mother, “ Woman, behold, your son!” ²⁷ Then He *said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.” John 19:25-27

Of the many non-apostolic churches which have grown over the centuries and wrongly interpreted or maligned the word of God through one reformed teaching which opened the door to another - apart from the Apostles teachings, we see many debating the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Virgin and consequently taking away the honour and respect that should be worthily bestowed to our Lord’s mother. These misunderstandings however, can be easily clarified by looking to the word of God through the teaching of the Apostles and Church Fathers.

One particular verse in the Bible that is magnified in this argument is Matthew 1:25 – “but he (Joseph) did not know her until she gave birth to a son” (N.B. when I looked this verse up today, the current NIV version has changed this verse yet again to give another misinterpreted message from the previous NIV Bible I have that was printed in 1995. The word’s “did not know her”, were replaced by “did not have union with her” and the latest translation states “did not consummate their marriage until” This truly shows how in need we are to adhere and hold on to our treasured Orthodox teachings).

St John Chrysostom beautifully expounds on this verse and explains the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Mother through various examples from scripture:

“And when he had taken her, “he knew her not, till she had brought forth her first-born Son.” He hath here used the word “till,” not that thou shouldest suspect that afterwards he did know her, but to inform thee that before the birth the Virgin was wholly untouched by man. But why then, it may be said, hath he used the word, “till”? Because it is usual in Scripture often to do this, and to use this expression without reference to limited times. For so with respect to the ark likewise, it is said, “The raven returned not till the earth was dried up.” And yet it did not return even after that time. And when discoursing also of God, the Scripture saith, “From age until age Thou art,” not as fixing limits in this case. And again when it is preaching the Gospel beforehand, and saying, “In his days shall righteousness flourish, and abundance of peace, till the moon be taken away,”it doth not set a limit to this fair part of creation.

So then here likewise, it uses the word “till,” to make certain what was before the birth, but as to what follows, it leaves thee to make the inference. Thus, what it was necessary for thee to learn of Him, this He Himself hath said; that the Virgin was untouched by man until the birth; but that which both was seen to be a consequence of the former statement, and was acknowledged, this in its turn he leaves for thee to perceive; namely, that not even after this, she having so become a mother, and having been counted worthy of a new sort of travail, and a child-bearing so strange, could that righteous man ever have endured to know her. For if he had known her, and had kept her in the place of a wife, how is it that our Lord commits her, as unprotected, and having no one, to His disciple (John), and commands him to take her to his own home?” (Chrysostom, Homily V)

Again, we read in the Prophecy of Ezekiel:

“Then He brought me back by the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces the east; and it was shut. ² The Lord said to me, “This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it, for the Lord God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut.” (Ezekiel 44:1-2)

This has always been interpreted by the Fathers of the Church to be a typological reference to the Virgin Mary and the Incarnation. When we consider that God took flesh from the Virgin's womb, it is not difficult to imagine that this womb would remain virgin and no one would ever enter through the womb or vessel of the LORD. The bottom line is this has been the consistent and universal view of the Church from the time of the Apostles until today.

There are varied historical accounts describing the passing of the Blessed Virgin Mary that are too lengthy to mention for this short article. What we should always remember about her passing is that until her last moment on this earth she was highly esteemed, respected and honoured by the Lord’s Apostles and all followers of Christ as the mother of our Lord and a faithful, humble, God-fearing servant of the Most High. This very same honour and respect should be given to the Blessed Virgin Mary by all of us today.

As women in the Church today, we should look to the Blessed Mother and aim to emulate her faith in the Lord, her acceptance of His ever-changing will for her life and acceptance of the great struggles she endured and the subsequent eternal blessings that followed. Let us give her the honour and respect that is due to her and be encouraged that as a sympathizing woman and mother, she will beseech the Lord with prayers of supplication on our behalf when we faithfully ask her to.

May the fast of the Blessed Virgin Mary bring you strength, increased faith and love and may the prayers of the Blessed Virgin beseech the Lord on your behalf.

The Prayer of St Mary (as said in the Assyrian Church of the East):

(Phonetic Modern Syriac translation):

Shlamalakh Maryam mleeta shapaqat,

Maran minakh

M’boorikhtehwat gaw bakhtateh

O’mboorkhe’le pira d’kasakh Isho.

Mart Maryam Yima d’Mshishka,

Saleh min geban akhnan khatayeh

Adia w’op b’saat d’motan

Amen

(English translation):

Peace be with you Mary full of grace

Our Lord is with you

Blessed are you amoung all women

Blessed is the fruit of your womb – Jesus

Saint Mary, Mother of Christ

Pray on behalf of us sinners

Now and until the time of our death

Amen

This week’s song: Qalet Mariam (the voice of Mary) – Linda George

The Transfiguration of our Lord

"And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.  And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him." Matthew 17:2-3

 As the Church commemorates the feast of the Lord’s Transfiguration this Monday 6^th August, let us look to the deep significance this event holds to our faith and understand why the Church sets this important feast day in her Calendar.

There are several elements we can learn from the Transfiguration of the Lord that are important to understand and are central to our faith as Christians:

1.      Jesus is God

When Jesus was up on the mountain, His body was transfigured before His disciples. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light (Matthew 17:2). This light is one of the many ways in which Christ shows His divinity. God is light (1 John 1:5).

2.     Christ is the fulfilment of the Law and the Prophets

Moses represents the Law and all who have died, while Elijah represents the Prophets and all those who are alive as he did not die but was taken out of this world (2 Kings 2:11-12). Their presence on the mountain communing with Christ shows us that the law and the prophets of the Old Testament are fulfilled in Christ -  in His life, death and resurrection (Matthew5:17) and that “the dead will be raised by His voice, and the living who are left are renewed to immortality.” ¹(Mar Isho Dad of Merv)

Mar Isho’Dad explains further: “Again, He chose one from the Dead, and another from the Living, to teach that the Living and the Dead are brought to Him as to the judge of the quick and the dead.” ²

Throughout the Old Testament, we see the Prophet’s God inspired words clearly pointing forward to Christ as the Messiah and the fulfiller of the Law. And we see these culminate in Christ throughout the pages of the New Testament. Mar Aphrahat elaborates: “Again it is proper for us to argue that this Jesus was early promised from ancient times by means of the prophets and was called the Son of God. David has said, “You are my son, today I have begotten you” (Ps. 2:7). Again he has said, “In the glories of holiness from the womb I have begotten you (as) a child from of old” (Ps. 110:3). And Isaiah has said, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given and his government will be upon his shoulder. His name shall be called wonder and counselor, the mighty God of ages and the prince of peace. And to the increase of his government and to his peace here is no end” (Isa. 9:5-6).”³

Clearly, our Lord Jesus Christ’s mission on earth was to fulfil in Himself what the Law could not. Christ states in the gospel of Matthew, “I did not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfil them” (Matthew 5:17). “He was first baptized to form a pattern to us, as He did also in all His acts. Again, He calls Baptism the end and fulfilment of all legal righteousness, which was completed by the mediation of servants; and by this He shewed humility, which is the foundation and door of all virtues, because I have fulfilled all the laws of Nature and of Scripture as no other man has…”  (Mar Isho’Dad of Merv) ⁴

3.     The saints are alive and in communion with us

The fact that Moses and Elijah were visible and recognizable to Christ of course, but especially to His disciples, confirms to us that the saints are indeed alive and are in communion with Christ and available to us (Hebrews 12:1). This is important for us to understand that when we pray to the saints, we are calling to them to beseech the Lord on our behalf. (Revelation 8:3-4).

4.     The Holy Trinity is manifested

We see Christ the Son is transfigured, (Matthew 17:2), God the Father speaks from heaven testifying that Jesus is His divine Son and makes His presence known through the cloud; just as God’s presence was made known to the Israelites through the cloud that lead them out of Egypt (Exodus 13:21-22) and lastly we see the Holy Spirit is present in the form of the awesome, glorious light that is surrounding Christ’s physical body which is shining on the mountain for all who are present to see. Saint Peter recalls his eye-witness account of Christ’s majestic glory before him on the mountain (2 Peter 1:16-18).

5.     Christ calls us to transfigure ourselves to His likeness for God’s glory

We should look to Christ’s physical transfiguration as he shone the magnificent glory of God as a great example of how we are to live our lives in light of understanding who Christ is,  what divine purpose He came to fulfil and how He fulfilled them and respond to these faithfully and thankfully (Romans 13:11-14).

We ourselves have also been transfigured into the image and likeness of Christ through baptism. We are buried into His death and brought to new life (Romans 6:4) with the promise of resurrection from the dead where our nature is seated in the heavenly places with Christ (Ephesians 2:4-6).  He commands this re-birth from all who believe in Him (John 3:5), who believe in His mission to save us through His atoning death for our sins, who believe in His glorious resurrection from the dead and in His purpose to reconcile us to God the Father (Ephesians 1:7).

In Christ, we have redemption and renewal. Therefore we are taught to also renew our hearts and minds so that we no longer conform to the ways and pattern of this world, but as renewed Children of God, offer our bodies as living sacrifices in thanksgiving to Him (Romans 12:1-2).

Today, it is becoming increasingly challenging to consistently live our lives in accordance to the example that Christ and His faithful saints demonstrated to us. This is the very reason that the Church has been instated by Christ through His Apostles to administer the Holy Sacraments which sanctify and renew us to abide in God’s grace and to continue to live in Him when we faithfully partake in them.

Let us look to Christ’s mighty transfiguration, thank Him that He is God almighty who came to save and renew us and work to transfigure our lives daily to shine God’s light in this dark world for His glory.

This week’s song: Majesty – Michael Janz

1.       Commentaries of Isho'Dad of Merv, by Margaret Dunlop Gibson, pp 68. Cambridge at the University Press, 1911.

2.      Commentaries of Isho'Dad of Merv, by Margaret Dunlop Gibson, pp 68. Cambridge at the University Press, 1911.

3.      Demonstration XVII on the Messiah, by Mar Aphrahat

4.      Commentaries of Isho'Dad of Merv, by Margaret Dunlop Gibson, pp 26. Cambridge at the University Press, 1911.

Mar Mari - A window into the world of Apostolic succession

To the average member of the Assyrian Church of the East, the mention of Mar Mari would more than likely make us think about Mar Addai – one of Christ’s seventy two disciples. This is because together, Mar Addai and Mar Mari are infamously known and will always be remembered for composing The Church of the East liturgy in the Syriac language for the first Church they founded in Edessa. This liturgy has been translated to various languages through the years; such as English, vernacular Syriac and Arabic and is used to this day in our universal Church.

But there is more to Mar Mari than the simple reputation he has earned as being Mar Addai’s disciple and associate worker in the Edessan Church. When we delve into the history of Mar Mari as we read from the Acts of Mar Mari the Apostle, we start to truly unveil the magnitude of this holy man’s character and personality  as portrayed through his mighty faith and humble works in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Our Lord Jesus had instructed the Apostle Thomas to ensure one was sent to heal King Abgar of Edessa of his illness as He had promised him by letter when the King had faithfully requested healing from the Lord. After Christ's ascension, Saint Thomas commissioned Mar Addai, one of the seventy-two of Christ’s disciples to go to Edessa to heal King Abgar in the name of the Lord Jesus.  After King Abgar’s miraculous healing at the hand of Mar Addai, and the subsequent healings and miracles he performed in the name of the Lord, the whole city of Edessa and its suburbs were converted to Christianity.

After he had built the church in Edessa, equipped it with whatever it deserved, and appointed priests and deacons in the city and in its suburbs, Addai the Apostle left this world in peace on Thursday, the fourteenth of the month of Iyyar (May), ending his lovely contests with the trophy of victory. ¹

Before the blessed Addai died, he selected one of his disciples named Mari who was living in the love of God and was adorned with virtuous manners. He placed his right hand on Mari as conferred to him by our Lord Jesus Christ  (Syameeda/Ordination), and sent him to the eastern region, to the land of Babylonia, ordering him to go and preach there the word of our Lord. The blessed Mar Mari left Edessa to begin preaching until he reached the city of Nisibis. After the blessed one converted the city of Nisibis, planted in it the truth of the true faith, overthrew its idols, and shattered its statues, he built in it churches and monasteries and set teachers and a school.

From there, he moved to the land of Arzen, with Anasimos the priest who came with him from Edessa, along with Philippus, Malkiso, and Adda — his disciples — as well as with many other people. He dispatched one of the latter—Philippus by name—to Qardu. ²

Mar Mari was held in honour by the King of the city of Arzen in particular, because of his gentleness, humbleness, and joyful countenance—for Mar Mari was very meek and very kind toward everyone, and in him jealousy and anger had no place whatsoever.

Mar Mari and his companions travelled throughout the cities of Mesopotamia performing miracles in the name of the Lord Jesus and gaining the faith of all the pagan inhabitants he had preached to by performing miracles of healing to many of the cities kings and nobles while also exposing the worthless pagan gods they worshipped through the power and light of the One true God.

One of the many great miracles that Mar Mari performed was immediately after he had healed the king of Erbil from leprosy by anointing him with oil and water which he had blessed in the sign of the living Cross. The military commander of the king witnessed the miracle and begged Mar Mari to heal his son who had been tormented by a spirit in such a way that he had to restrain him with two chains. The name of that child who was very handsome, was Daway.

The Apostle Mar Mari said to him: “Go and bring your child here, so that you may realize the love of my Lord Christ for him.” When the child came in, he screamed loudly and foamed at the mouth, and the demon threw him down as if he were dead.

Then the Apostle Mar Mari drew near to him, and said to that devil: “I order you, accursed demon, in the name of Jesus Christ who overthrew your power and who is now destroying You, get out of this creature of God, without harming him in any way!”  The accursed demon shouted, saying: “Where do you order me to go?” The blessed one said to him: “Go with all your company to Lower Tartarus (Hades)!” Then that accursed demon came out, turned as it were into a dark whirlwind, and was never found again. Then the child stood up, praised God, and fell at the feet of the blessed Mar Mari the Apostle and kept kissing them.

On the same day, the king and all the members of his family, the military commander and his son Qardway and all their relatives, the eunuchs of the king, and all his nobles were baptized. Realizing the signs and the miracles that were performed, one high priest of the king and the members of his family believed in our Lord. They threw down the idols, which they used to worship, and smashed them, throwing their dust into the Greater Zab. Mar Mari won the entire region of Athor and Nineveh to the true and glorious faith. ³  

The miracles that Mar Mari had performed in the region of the (two) Zab (rivers) are many. The mouth is indeed not able to relate them, nor can books contain the signs, miracles, and wonders that our Lord performed through his hands.  Let us not be surprised, my beloved ones, and say that he was the last among the apostles, for Paul was chosen after all the other apostles. Though in terms of selection he was the last of (all) the apostles, the region, which became his lot, testifies about his greatness, for he is numbered with Simon Kepha. For Paul converted the first among all other cities, Rome. He too converted the most important among the lands within the (four) regions of the whole world, bringing them to the faith in Christ.

The natives of Seleucia proved to be the most challenging and obstinate of Pagans for Mar Mari to convert. But after a whole year of perseverance and patience, he converted the king and natives of the city of Seleucia and through performing further miracles also converted the city of Ctesiphon across the river. He had the pagan temples demolished and Churches built in their place. The famous temple of the pagan goddess Ishtar that sat on the banks of the Tigris River was demolished and the famous Patriarchal Church of Kokhe was built in that area.

The blessed one circulated through the territories of the East for many years, consecrating churches and harmonizing them. He also appointed a person who would be a leader of the Church of Kokhe and who would stand at the head of the bishops of the East, for in terms of spiritual instruction, she is the oldest. After many years during which he was engaged in instruction and absorbed by virtuous deeds with the fear of God, he left the cities of Seleucia and Ctesiphon in which he lived during that time and arrived at the church that was built in Dura-d-Qunni for him. He called upon his disciple Papa before the entire church and appointed him leader in his stead. While people, young and old, were assembled around the blessed Mar Mari he spoke and said to them:

“As you saw with your own eyes, as I instructed you, and as I conducted myself with you, you too must conduct yourselves among each other accordingly. And as my colleagues the apostles conducted themselves according to the rites and rules that were set for the disciples in Jerusalem, you too must conduct yourselves according to them. Do not turn away from them, neither to the right nor to the left. Take care to practice unity among yourselves, and may you watch over it with fear and awe. May you keep up the time of prayer continuously. Do not be friends of the crucifiers, lest you be answerable along with them for the blood for our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Papa and his colleagues answered and said to him: “Christ who sent you to us is witness: you have taught us the true faith in which we live, and as we heard from you thus we will do!” After these events the blessed Mar Mari left this world, departing to the eternal life. His holy body was deposited and buried in the church, which he himself built and completed in Dur-Qunni, before the sanctuary, and inside which his commemoration is perpetuated to the end, following the order of Papa, the heir of his see who also continued the faithful work of the honourable and distinguished Mar Mari established priests and leaders in the whole land of the East. ⁴

Let us faithful of the Assyrian Church of the East in the 21^st Century also take heed of the blessed Mar Mari’s words and be encouraged by his unmoving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The faithful works of this saint should be esteemed, remembered and praised for converting so many pagans to the Christian faith through the strength and aide of the Lord. Let us look to Mar Mari’s  disease-healing, demon-exorcizing, fire-extinguishing faith and aim to live with the same zealous and passionate trust in the Lord to conquer our everyday obstacles as we continuously grow in our faith for the glory of God.

This week’s song: Hymn before the gospel – Assyrian Church of the East

1.       Harrak, Amir. "The Acts of Mar Mari the Apostle/ translated from Syriac ." In The Acts of Mar Mari the Apostle, pp 11. Society of Biblical Literature, 2005.

2.       Harrak, Amir. "The Acts of Mar Mari the Apostle/ translated from Syriac ." In The Acts of Mar Mari the Apostle, pp 14-15. Society of Biblical Literature, 2005.

3.       Harrak, Amir. "The Acts of Mar Mari the Apostle/ translated from Syriac ." In The Acts of Mar Mari the Apostle, pp 22. Society of Biblical Literature, 2005.

4.       Harrak, Amir. "The Acts of Mar Mari the Apostle/ translated from Syriac ." In The Acts of Mar Mari the Apostle, pp 77. Society of Biblical Literature, 2005.