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HOLY SERVICES, PRAYERS & MEETINGS Fridays : 06.45 am - 07.25 am Night Prayer, Morning Prayer : 08.30 am - 10.30 am Holy Qurbana Fridays : 07.00 pm - 07.30 pm Evening Prayer : 07.30 pm - 09.00 pm Holy Qurbana Sundays : 07.30 pm - 08.00 pm Evening Prayer : 08.00 pm - 09.30 pm Holy QurbanaTuesdays : 05.30 am - 07.00 am Holy Qurbana Wednesdays : 07.30 pm - 08.30 pm Evening Prayer & Intercessory Prayer for St. MarySaturday, Monday, Tuesday : 07.00 pm - 07.30 pm Evening Prayer Thursdays : 07.00 pm - 09.15 pm Holy Confession, Evening Prayer Intercessory prayer to St. Thomas Church Prayer Meeting & Choir PracticeSunday School : 10.45 am - 12.10 pm All FridaysMarth Mariam Samajam : 11.00 am - 12.20 pm All FridaysM.G.O.C.S.M : 11.00 am - 12.20 pm All FridaysYouth Movement : 11.00 am - 12.20 pm All Fridays

P.O. Box : 2563, Dubai - UAE Tel : 04-337 1122, Fax : 04-335 2252 Email : stthomas@emirates.net.ae www.stthomascathedraldubai.org

MGOCSMOFFICE BEARERS - 2014 PRESIDENT REV. FR. T.J. JOHNSON 050-2108180JASON MATHEWS SECRETARY 056-1743511SANGEETH GEORGE TREASURER 050-8490874ANISH VARGHESE JT. SECRETARY 050-8870890Regular Meeting (10.45 am to 12.00 pm)

Vol. 02

Issue No. 1

JANUARY 2014Vol. 02

Issue No. 1

JANUARY 2014

JANUARY 2014

ST. THOMAS ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL - DUBAI

Jan 01 - Circumcision of our God

Jan 03 - Commemoration of H H Beselios Mar Geevarghese II

Jan 06 - Epiphany

Jan 07 - Beheading of St. John the Baptist

Jan 08 - Martyrdom of St. Stephen

SPECIAL DAYS & EVENTS

Jan 15 - Feast of St. Mary

Jan 18 - Feast of St. Samuel, St. Simon & St. Antonios

Jan 21 - Commemoration of H G Philipose Mar Eusebius

Jan 26 - Commemoration of H H Baselios Marthoma Mathews II and

H G Paulose Mar Athanasios

SUNDAY SCHOOLSunday School Regular classes will continue from 10.00 AM to 12.30 PM on every Friday.

Rev. Fr. T. J. Johnson Vicar & President 050 2108180 frtjjohnson@gmail.com

Rev. Fr. Lany Chacko Asst. Vicar 050 8379905 frlanychacko@gmail.com

Sunil C. Baby Trustee 050 6588970 sunilcbaby@gmail.com

Thomas K. Monichan Secretary 050 6742773 thomas.monichen@alfuttaim.ae

Mathai Chacko Jt. Trustee 050 6542260 mathaiem@eim.ae

Kurian Philip Jt. Secretary 050 5259310 kurianphilipdxb@gmail.com

AREA PRAYER MEETING SCHEDULE FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY - 2014DAY & DATE WEEK AREA 1 AREA2

04-01-2014 FIRST AL SHAB SATURDAY Mr. Baby Thayyil (B 079) Flat No. 51/B 6, Al Shab Colony Near Al Shab S/Market

06-01-204 FIRST PORT ZAYED / HOR AL ANZ MONDAY Mr. Thomas P.J. (T 129) Flat No. 206, Bldg. 65 Sh. Ahammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Bldg. Opp. Khaleej Palace Hotel

07-01-2014 FIRST QUSAIS AL KARAMA TUESDAY Mr. Mintoo Jacob Raj (M 316) Mr. Sunil C Baby (S 257) Flat No. 406, Block 02 Flat No. 619 Dubai Residencial Oasis Zomorrodah Bldg. Qusais, Dubai Near Karama Post Office

11-01-2014 SECOND BUR DUBAI AL QUOZ / JEBEL ALI SATURDAY Mr. Issac P. Thomas (I 19) Mr. Raju Paul (R 080) Flat No. 703, Al Baker Bldg. Bldg. 1-22, Appart No. 310 Near Golden Sand 1 Phase No. 2, Al Khail Gate Bur Dubai Al Quoz, Dubai

13-01-2014 THIRD QUSAIS / AL NAHDA MONDAY Mr. Philip George (P 120) Flat No. 906, Al Awqam Bldg. Near Zulekha Hospital Al Nahada - 2

18-01-2014 THIRD DEIRA, Y.B. ROAD SATURDAY Mr. Sunil David (S 110) Al-Baraha Bldg., 1st Floor - 102 Opp. Eid Ghah, Al-Baraha

20-01-14MONDAY FOURTH RASHIDIYA/LULU VILLAGE Mr. George Varghese (G 155) Flat No. 107, Oasis Norah Bldg. B Block, Opp. UP Town High School Muhaisna

21-01-2014TUESDAY FOURTH QUSAIS KARAMA Mr. Raju K. (R 057) Reji Mathew (R 055) Flat No. 105, Al Mansoori Bldg. No. 1 Flat No. 215 Near Talal S/Market, (New) United Office Furniture Al Nahda, Dubai Opp. Islamic College, Karama

25-01-2014SATURDAY FOURTH SATWA SHARJAH/AL NAHDA Mr. Jacob K.M. (J 319) Mr. Benson George (B 45) Flat No. 102, Al Reef 2 Building Karachi Darbar Bldg., Flat No. 807, Sharjah Al Nahda Near Satwa B/Station Near Safeer Mall

27-01-2014MONDAY FIFTH MUHAISNA/LULU VILLAGE Mr. Binu Thomas (B 159) Flat No. 112, K Building Dubai Silicon Oasis Near Green Belt S/Market

SONAPUR PRAYER MEETING - EVERY FRIDAY EVENING AT EVERHOT CAMP@17 : 00 - 19 : 00 HRS

ST. THOMAS ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN YOUTH MOVEMENTOFFICE BEARERS - 2014

PRESIDENT REV. FR. T.J. JOHNSON 050-2108180VICE PRESIDENT MR. BIJU THANKACHAN 050-7387846 B-226SECRETARY MR. ANTO ABRAHAM 055-5468982 A-300JOINT SECRETARY MR. SHIJU THANKACHAN 055-4023691 S-448TREASURER MR. GINU GEORGE 050-3526127 G-244EX. OFFICIO MRS. JISHI BINNY 050-7052459 B-87Regular Meeting (10.45 am to 12.00 pm)Divyabodhanam Class - Every Monday 8 pm to 9.30 pm (To increase general awareness of the Bible, Church History & Basic Believes of the Malankara Orthodox Sabha.)

OCYM Job Cell - Highly active Job Cell that matches job seekers with employers from a wide range of sectors. (More Informations Contact Co-ordinator, Mr. Johnkutty Idicula : 055 4434847)

Email : ocymdubai@gmail.com Website: www.stthomasocymdubai.orgJob Cell : jobcellocymdubai@gmail.comMore Informations Contact: Secretary Mr. Anto Abraham : 055 5468982

MOMS OFFICE BEARERS - 2014PRESIDENT REV. FR. T.J. JOHNSON 050-2108180VICE PRESIDENT REV.FR.LANY CHACKO 050-8379905 SECRETARY MRS.LEENA SABU VARGHESE 050-5189329JOINT SECRETARY MRS. MOLLY JOSEPH 050-2550851TREASURER MRS. SHERINE P. KORAH 050-5387783EX. OFFICIO MRS. SHERLY GEORGE 050-9454758 Regular Meeting (10.45 am to 12.00 pm)

\½psS DÄ¡®pIÄ sIm ≠v ssZhs¯ I≠v ssZh¯n¦te¡p t\m¡p¶nSt¯mfw Imew Hcp tZmjhpw \t½mSv ASp¡pIbnÃ. kIe tZmj¯nÂ\n¶pw Ah³ \s½ Im¯psImÅpw. \ap¡v B]¯p≠mbmepw, tcmKw D≠mbmepw, ZmcnZyw D≠mbmepw, \½psS I®p ssZh¯n \n¶p ]dn¡msX Pohn¡p¶nSt¯mfw Imew \ap¡p bmsXmcp tZmjs¯bpw `b¶n«p ImcyanÃ.

]cn. h«tÈcn KohÀ¤okv amÀ Znh¶mkntbmkv

CHURCH OFFICE BEARERS - 2014

The prospect of yet another New Year brings to mind that God, in His abundant mercies and blessings, has sheltered us under the shadow of His wings through the past year so that He could lead us to the celebration of this event. The New Year therefore becomes the occasion to basically recall the providence and immense blessings of God that has kept and guided through the various situations in our lives during the past year. While the New Year is indeed an artificial segregation of time, it becomes affords us a moment to think about how we have utilised the time gifted to us by God in the past year and how we can become better stewards of God’s blessings on us, whether it is in terms of time, energy or assets.

We are called to be good servants of God’s creation in our personal, family, parish and societal lives (Mt 25:14-30). Whatever has been given to therefore is to be creatively and judiciously utilised so that we can render a good accounting before God when He calls us. Of course, in this accounting, it is how we have profitably utilised our personal life that God calls into accounting (I Cor 3:13-17). The gift of time that God has made to each one of us becomes an opportunity for self-development, for growth under the direction of the Holy Spirit and of service to others. If we prove destructive of our lives, which should become the temple of God, then that very experience will become our judgement at the end of time.

Families are the great gifts that God has given to us to share in the life and love of the Holy Trinity. Responsibility to care for in love of the person whom God has given us as a life-partner becomes an important concern in this context. As the concluding directions of the Service of Matrimony both the husband and the wife are enjoined to love and serve each other, just as Christ loved and sacrificed Himself for the Church, so as to transform it into a reality that glows with the God’s glory. Such a loving environment should become the context into which children are born, once again gifts of God to the couple. Parents should not forget that on the occasions of the baptisms of their children they make a solemn promise before God to raise their offspring to become good believers in God and the Church, who grow up to become a source of blessing and happiness to their parents, to the church and to society.

Both the church and society are the contexts in which a human person enjoys the diversity of God’s image in humankind, one a religious society and other a cultural body. And both are significant for persons because it through them that a person understands God and relates this experience in his/her relationships with others. In fact, in the Orthodox understanding an experience of God becomes real through cultural forms, such as language, images, worshipful acts and artefacts. It is in such a development of a personality that one’s life is transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ, thus redounding to the glory of God.

The New Year thus becomes a critical moment to reflect on how we have been responsible stewards of these gifts and assets of God. We have been endowed with all that we have so that we can share what we have with those who do not have. In this way we become imitators of Jesus who took our human form so that we could share in the riches of His divine nature (II Pet 1:4) that we lost through the fall of Adam and Eve. If we have not been responsible stewards, then God in His graciousness provides us with yet another opportunity to correct our shortcomings so that we do indeed become good servants. The reward is that such good stewards are called to share in His greater blessings.

Met. Dr. Youhanon Mar Demetrios

amÀt¯m½m Çolmbm Øm]nXambGgc¸ÅnIfn H¶mb

XncphnXmwtImSv tZhmebw

This is in Kanyakumari district of Tamilnadu. The name Arapally (half

church) came from the word ‘Arajan’ which means –‘the king’. It is said that that the people in this area who were converted to Christians were ill treated by the local people of other castes. When Venadu king came to know about this he gave orders to build a church. This church was known as the ‘Arajan pally’ meaning the king’s church and later as ‘Ara’ pally. The church has a cave like structure and is made up of rocks and stones. At present the Niranam and Thiruvithamkode churches belong to the Orthodox Syrian church. Rest of the churches belong to the Catholic Church except Nilackal which belongs to the Ecumenical group of Kerala (Here all sects of churches worshipunder different timings.)

Fr. T.J. Johnson Vicar & President

Z\lms]cp¶mÄ

H. H. Baselios Geevarghese IIThe Third Catholicos

June 16,1874 - Jan 3, 1964

H. H. Baselios Marthoma Mathews IIThe Sixth Catholicos

Jan 30,1915 - Jan 26th, 2006

H.G. Dr. Youhanon Mar Demetrios

Diocesan Metropolitan

k`bn Cu amkw HmÀ½s¸cp¶mÄ sIm ≠mSp¶ ]nXm¡³amÀH H Beselios Mar Geevarghese II, H H Baselios Marthoma Mathews II ,

H G Paulose Mar Athanasios, H G Philipose Mar Eusebius

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d-h-bmbn Xocpw.' (tbm-l. 4:14). "AXp-sIm≠v \n߃ kt¥m-j-tØmsS c£-bpsS Dd-h-I-fn¬\n∂p IpSn-°pw.' (sb-i. 12:3), "Fs‚Dd-h-Iƒ Hs°bpw \n∂n-em-Ip-∂p.' (k-¶o. 37:7). "F∂n¬ hniz-kn-°p-∂-hs‚ D≈n¬\n∂p Poh-P-e-\Zn HgpIpw' (tbm-l. 7:35) Ibv]mbPesØ tami apJm-¥ncw btlmh cpNn-I-c-am°n Xo¿Øp. (]pd.15:23-˛25). Zpjn® Pew D∏n-\m¬ Geo-im Zo¿LZ¿in apJm-¥cwcpNn-I-c-am°n Xo¿Øp. (2. cmPm. 2:19-˛22-). ssZI-ev]-\-bm¬ ]md-bn¬\n∂v tami bnkm-tb¬ P\-Øn\v Pew \evIn-b-Xn-s\bpw(]p-d. 17) Cu ipiq-j-bn¬ ]cm-a¿in-®n-cn-°p-∂p.

Z\-lm-bpsS ipiqj sh≈w hmgvhns‚ ipiq-j-bm-Wv. A∂phmgvØn hnip-≤o-I-cn-°p∂ Pew A\p-K-l-Øns‚ Dd-h-bm-bn- mWv]nXm-°-∑m¿ hn`m-h\w sNøp-∂-Xv. CXn¬\n∂p ]m\w sNøp-Itbm, CXp Xfn-°p-Itbm GsX-¶nepw hn[-Øn¬ `‡n-tbmsSCXv D]-tbm-Kn-°p-Itbm sNøp-∂-h¿°v AXp A\p-K-l-Øn\p\nZm-\-amIpw. sh≈w ip≤o-I-cn-®p-sIm-≠p≈ ]m¿∞-\-bn¬ CXp\evIp∂ A\p-Klw Fs¥m-s°-bm-bn-cn°pw F∂p kqNn-∏n-°p∂p. CXv sshZy-Øns‚ Dd-h-bm-Wv. tcmK-im-¥n°v D]-I-cn-°p∂p.]cn-ip-≤m-fl-Zm\w \evIp-∂p. Cu Pew kt¥mjw \¬Ip∂p. h‘y-XysØ ]cn-l-cn-°p-∂p. ss]im-NnI ]h¿Ø-\sØ \njvIm-k\wsNøp-∂p, kky-ßsf kwc-£n-°p-∂p, Bfl-i-co-c-ß-fpsS kzÿ-Xbv°pw, hnIm-c- \n¿Ω-eo-I-c-W-Øn-\pw, h-\- ip-≤n-°pw, D]-Z-h-ß-fn¬\n-∂p≈ hnSp-X-en\pw Imc-W-am-°p-∂p. hnip-≤- Ip¿∫m-\-bn¬ A∂p kw_-‘n-°p-∂-h¿ `‡n-tbmsS AXn¬\n∂p IpSn-°p-∂p. ASpØ Z\-lm-s]-cp-∂mƒ hsc Cu sh≈w tXmtWm-kn-t∑¬ kq£n-°p-∂p. hnizm-kn-Iƒ Bh-iy-s∏-Sp-tºm-sg√mwCXn¬\n∂p ]I¿∂p sImSp-°p-∂p.

Z\-lm-s]-cp-∂m-fn¬ sh≈w hmgvØp∂Xv \memw \q‰m≠p apX-ep≈ ]mc-º-cy-am-Wv. krjvSn-bpsS hnip-≤o-I-c-Whpw Bcm-[-\-bpsS e£y-ambn Hm¿Ø-tUmIvkv k`-Iƒ hniz-kn-°p-∂p. AXp-sIm-≠mWv Z\-lm-s∏-cp-∂m-fn¬ ]m[m-\y-tØmsS sh≈whmgvhns‚ ipiqj \S-Øp-∂-Xv.

Saint Stephen (Stephanos) is the first martyr (Protomartyr) of

Christianity and is venerated as a Martyr Saint (‘Sahada’) by the Oriental Orthodox Churches world over, of which Indian Orthodox Church is a part. According to the Acts of the Apostles, during the early time frame of the Christian church in Jerusalem, Stephen ,one of the 72 disciples chosen by Christ earlier, became one among the first seven men, chosen after Lord’s Ascension, to attend to the distribution of aid to elderly widows within the church community. (This role came to be

known as ‘Deacon’.) Stephen was also recognized for his gifts as an evangelist, preaching the teachings of Jesus to the people of Jerusalem, including members of the synagogues.Scriptures tell us that “full of grace and fortitude, Stephanos did great wonders and signs among the people.” Many adversaries rose up to dispute him, but “they were not able to withstand the wisdom and the spirit brought before the Sanhedrin. Saint Stephen’s face was observed to have ‘looked like that of an Angel’. Saint Stephen was falsely charged with blasphemy against Moses and against God. Saint Stephen was filled with the Holy Ghost and looking up to heaven, he cried out, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God”.(Acts 7:56) His theophany was unique in that he saw both the Father and the Son.On hearing him, an infuriated mob in demonic fury rushed upon him, dragged him outside the city, and stoned him to death. encouraged by Saul of Tarsus, who later became Saint Paul. It is written:”And Saul entirely approved of putting him to death” (8:1). [2]. Stephen’s final speech is presented as making an accusation against the Jews of continuing to persecute the prophets who spoke out against their sins: ‘”Which one of the Prophets did your fathers not persecute, and they killed the ones who prophesied the coming

of the Just One, of whom now, too, you have become betrayers and murderers.” (7:52)Saint Stephen’s name is simply derived from the Greek Stephanos, meaning “crown”, which translated into Aramaic as Kelil. Saint Stephen is traditionally invested with a crown of martyrdom for Christianity and is often depicted in art with three stones and the martyrs’ palm. In Eastern Christian iconography he is shown as a young beardless man with a tonsure, wearing a deacon’s vestments, and often holding a miniature church building and a censer on December 415 A.D. a priest called Lucian discovered the relics of Saint Stephen, together with those of Gamaliel,Nicodemus and Abibo,at Kafr Gamala in Palestine. According to a narrative attributed to Lucian, this discovery was made in consequence of dreams and visions. God was pleased to glorify His name by miracles brought through the intercession of His First Martyr. Saint Augustine said of him, “Let us so desire to obtain temporal blessings by his intercession that we may by imitating him, and deserve those, which are eternal.” May the intercessions of our Patron Saint be upon us forever. “The Feast of Saint Stephen,Saint Stephen’s Day, is celebrated on January 8th in our Church.

Saint Stephen