december 2012

© St. Mary’s Malankara Catholic Church, Toronto

The Editoria l

MONTHLY EVENTS DECEMBER 2012 Newsletter Volume 4, Issue 6

Dec 1, 8

Christmas Carolling

Dec 24

Christmas Liturgy

(8:00 pm)

Dec 30

Parish Night (6:00 pm)

Dec 31

New Year Thanksgiving

Adoration & Liturgy

(8:30 pm)

Contact Information

Fr. John Kuriakose,

222 Ridley Blvd,

Toronto, ON, M5M 3M6

Tel: (416) 485 7781

[email protected]

Malankara Catholic Church St. Mary’s Mission Toronto

St. Eugene’s Chapel◊13 Regina Avenue◊Toronto, Ontario◊M6A 1R2 [email protected]

www.stmarysmalankaracatholicchurchtoronto.ca

makes an all out effort every year to make it a successful event. This annual event showcases the best musical talents of the region who come together under a unified umbrella of love, brotherhood and joy for the Christmas Season. Also gracing our Bulletin this month is an excellent article by Mr. Francis Thazhamon on the Consistory of His Beatitude Baselios Cleemis Catholicos at the Vatican on November 24th, 2012; a unique and unprecedented event in the History of Malankara Church. Last but not the least, in our section “Snippets from Science – Glimpses of God’s Beautiful Mind”, we have the article “Deep Time” where Amit Mathews describes Time Travel and how some cosmic rules God described keep us all rooted very well in the present and precludes us all from spiraling away into the past/future. We also get a smattering of some unique paradoxes Time travel creates and hilarious situations as imagined and made popular throughout popular culture. From all of us here on the Editorial Board for this News-bulletin, here’s wishing everybody a most wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year 2013.

- The Editors

November 2012 was filled with

several blessed events. As Christmas and the Parish Night feast is coming along, our community is filled with joy and excitement and not to mention the amount of preparations and efforts that are taking place to organize the events for the season. Every year our community grows bigger and stronger. Christmas caroling, one of the most actively anticipated activity of the year, has shown how large our community has grown. This year the Christmas caroling group had grown so large and unwieldy that it had to be split into two groups: the East and the West groups, covering the East and West GTA areas respectively. To start things off, we have an article written by Sebin Alexander called “Birth of Christ: New Beginning for the human being” which shows the importance of the birth of Christ and how this has changed human nature. Furthermore, we have our featured "Saint of the month" article that features John the Baptist by Stephina Alexander followed by another article by Divya M a m o o t i l c a l l e d “ A n n u a l Ecumenical Choir-fest and Parish Caroling” which was held on November 17th. Our community continues to demonstrate tremendous talents and

Holy Father’s Intentions for the Month

DECEMBER 2012 ….

General Intention: That migrants throughout the world may be welcomed with generosity and authentic love, especially by Christian communities. .. Missionary Intention: That Christ may reveal himself to all humanity with the

light that shines forth from Bethlehem and is reflected in the face of his Church.

Sunday Liturgy

2:30 PM Sunday School

3:30 PM Song Practice

4.00 PM Namaskaram &

Confession

4.30 PM Holy Mass

INSIDE THE ISSUE

Birth of Christ 2

Consistory of His Beatitude Baselios Cleemis Catholicos

3-4

Rev, Dr. Gigi’s Visit to Toronto!

5

Snippets from Science

6-7

Saint of the Month: John the Baptist

8

Christmas Clothing and Food Drive

9

Annual Ecumenical Choirfest and Parish

Caroling 10

Kids Korner 11

mailto:[email protected]


Malankara Catholic Church

Coffee Sponsors Dec 2 Aju & Alpha

Dec 09 Santosh & Aswathi

Dec 16 Simon & Laly

Dec 23 Saji & Laly

Dec 30 Roji & Ambily

Birth of Christ marks a special moment for human beings in history. We learn something so spectacular through Jesus, that makes us more than human – a divine being – co heir with the son of God. How can we perceive this ‘spectacular knowledge’ in the event of his birth? For all we know, he was born in a manger and bunch of low cast shepherds came to visit along with three magi. I believe Jesus’ mission started on the manger itself. He showed the expectation of God from each one of us there itself. The shepherds came to visit Jesus because the angels appeared to them with the good news. The magi looked at the glowing star and understood that a new king is born. Both with high and heavenly expectations came to see the baby only in a manger, wrapped with regular cloth with animals around him. This event flipped the perception of glory, and power.

Many Saints are great example of it, of which I am reminded about St. Francis of Assisi, who took the infant Jesus very seriously. His humility and simplicity shows the nature of God – which he wanted to teach us through Jesus. As children of God, we must prepare for this amazing event in the history, not just for what it is but also for what it teaches us. Eastern rite announces the season of Christmas as a necessary time to fast and pray to prepare for the birth of Jesus in each one of our hearts.

May this season of preparation, teach us to be a bit more close to Jesus in heart. It is only then will we understand the necessity of his birth in a manger. Only then will we begin to fathom his mission, death and resurrection. Yes indeed, this resurrection is offered for those who say “yes” to the chalice of His Body and Blood. Let us take up our cross and follow the one who showed the real meaning of glory. And let us too like St. John the Baptist, announce the joy to the whole world!

- Sebin Alexander

Birth of Christ: New Beginning for the Human Being



A Unique and Unprecedented Event in the

History of Catholic Church

Consistory of His Beatitude Baselios Cleemis

Catholicos of the Syrian Malankara Catholic

Church becomes a unique and unprecedented

event in the history of Catholic Church. The

solemn and prayerful Consistory took place on

Nov. 24, 2012 at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican

in which His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI

elevated six new Cardinals including His

Beatitude Baselios Cleemis Catholicos.

Consistory of His Beatitude Baselios Cleemis

Catholicos becomes unique and unparalleled in

the following respects:

1. His Beatitude Baselios Cleemis Catholicos is

the first ever Cardinal of the Syro-Malankara

Catholic Church with the rich and ancient Antiochian liturgical tradition.

2. Unique birette, cassock and vestments.

Eastern / Oriental Catholic Cardinals

continue to wear their customary vestments

including birette, cassock, sleeba (cross)

appropriate to their liturgical tradition. Since

this is the first time an individual is elevated

to Cardinal from the Syro-Malankara

Catholic Church, the birette, cassock and

vestments of His Beatitude is unique!

Cons istory of His Beatitude Baselios Cleemis Catholicos



3. Social, Political and Religious diversity in the

delegation attended the Consistory. I

believe in the first time in the history of the

Catholic Church, a totally diverse group of

delegates including social leaders, ministers

of different political parties and most

importantly representatives of multi-

religious group including Hindu and Islamic

attend a Consistory! In addition, non-

Catholic Christian leaders representing

Indian Orthodox Church, Jacobite Church,

Mar Thoma Church, CSI Church, Knanaya

Orthodox Church attended the Consistory of

His Beatitude Baselios Cleemis Catholicos.

4. Mandate of His Beatitude Baselios Cleemis

Catholicos as the Cardinal is also unique. As

he himself aptly stated, as the head of the

Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, the

"fastest-growing church" as described by

Pope John Paul II, and as a very patriotic

son of India with multi-religious values and

religious tolerance ethnicity, His Beatitude

Baselios Cleemis Catholicos believe his role

is to contribute to strengthen inter-church

and inter-religious harmony in the world as

leader in the Universal (Catholic) Church.

His Eminence Baselios Cardinal Cleemis

Catholicose, beautifully incorporate in him the

well-known prophetic virtues of our founder and

father, Servant of God Mar Ivanios, the social

outlook of late Archbishop Benedict Mar

Gregorios and the ecclesial vision of late Cyril

Mar Baselios Catholicos. In addition he is a

profound advocate of inter-religious and inter-

church relationship reflective of the adorable

values of Indian secularism and religious

tolerance. After all he believes the solutions to

all the problem that exist in today’s world is

lack of love and the solution is to love

everyone! (Snehamanaghilasaramoozhiyil) I am

positive that with all these blessings he will

emerge as a shining star among the College of

Cardinals to lead the Catholic Church in Her

evangelization endeavours especially among the

non-Christians and non-Catholics.

-Francis Thazhamon

Cons istory of His Beatitude Baselios Cleemis Catholicos (Con’t)



After 8 years, St. Mary’s is grateful to see again their beloved former Vicar, who once was titled Rev. Fr. and now can officially be called, Rev. Dr. Gigi Philip. He was assigned to the Toronto Mission in 1997, after the leadership of Rev. Dr. Antony Chethipuzha.

Fr. Gigi led the Mission in continuing progress at St. Margaret of Scotland Church, by establishing weekly Holy Mass, Sunday School Catechism classes, and MCYM, which are all thriving today. With love, care and joy, he gave the community many fond memories and great accomplishments.

At the end of his term with the Toronto Mission in 2004, he began on a personal mission; to attain his doctorate. Fr. Gigi travelled to Rome, Italy to study and write his paper in the field of dogmatic

theology. His thesis delved into complexities of hope and salvation in Christianity. All of his intense studies and work had all come to fruition on the day of his defence, in which his paper had been approved and he had received his doctorate. With prayers and congratulations, the Toronto community was glad to hear the news and even happier when they came to know of his visit to Toronto! Fr. Gigi arrived early November, and on his first days “back home” he joined in a youth, catching up on old times and sharing of new stories. Fr. Gigi joined the monthly youth prayer and celebrated Mass for the congregation. Spending time with the former Vicar was much enjoyed and appreciated! Currently, he is back in Rome on the great occasion, for the whole Malankara

Catholic Church, of the creation of our Bava as Cardinal! From our Fathers to the Head of our Church, let us thank God for all the blessings He continues to shower!

-Neil Thazhamon

Rev, Dr. Gigi’s Vis it to Toronto!

Liturgical Cycle Ariyippu Kalam Nov 1 – Dec 20

Deneha Kaalam (Elda kalam) Dec 21- Feb 21

Valiya Nombu Kalam Feb 22 – Apr 11

Kyamtha Kalam Apr 12 – May 30

PentiKosthi Kalam May 31 – Aug 5

Tejaskarana Kalam Aug 6 – Sept 13

Sleeba Kalam

Sept 14 – Oct 31


DEEP TIME

That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which it may be said, “See, this is new”? It has already been done in ancient times before us – Ecclesiastes 1: 9-10

And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be give into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time – Daniel 7:25

Back to the Present

Let’s begin with some questions. Is there really a difference between the past and the future? Could a space traveller return to his point of origin, to the time before he left? If space-time is curved and we travelled around the Universe, would we come back to where we started? Will we ever be able to travel backward and forward in time? These questions, especially the last one last have captivated just about everyone at one time or another, whether or not they know anything about spatiotemporal events on a microscopic level. Writers of science fiction have, of course, fed our imaginations quite well. H.G. Wells gave us some insight into what it might be like to journey out of the present in his book The Time Machine. Some of the bothersome questions that he raised and perhaps answered have baffled scientists, theologians and philosophers alike for centuries. If you could go back to a time before you were born, what would happen to your memories? Would they be of the future? If you are always hostage to your own present, how can you travel to your own future, to the not yet? It’s all enough to make one appreciate that our memories are the easiest and safest means of time travel, and that gazing deep in space is the best look

we’ll probably ever get of the past. The farther out we look the farther back in time we see. From the Earth, we can look back to almost 11 to 13 billion light years, back to the presumed age of the Universe. Light from the moon takes just over 1 second to reach us, while light from the sun takes about 8 minutes. In contrast, light from the galaxy M87 takes 50 million light years to reach us meaning that the way we see it now is how it looked 50 million years ago. This really is a window to the past, a weird form of Time travel. If M87 were to vaporize and vanish this moment, we would know only 50 million years from now. Our questions may seem illogical and fanciful, but these are questions all of us have wondered about at some point in our lives. We are curious by nature and we tend to keep pushing the boundaries of what we can do. There are limits to what we can do though and how much we can push things around. Time raised the issue of its direction in the first place, with its arrows of the mind and of thermodynamics and its maddening quantum reversals. And so instead of automatically ruling out time travel as preposterous, the uncertainties stimulate theorizing and several physicists and mathematicians have begun to take the matter very seriously. Their conclusion is that in principle at least, the laws of physics might not forbid sojourns through time after all. But how do we do it?

Grinding to a halt

First of all, we can forget about a “machine” like the one in Back to the Future, the 1985 movie which catapulted the concept of Time travel into the popular culture stratosphere (A funny quote from the movie sums it up, when Marty McFly, the protagonist goes, “Wait a minute, Doc. Are you telling me that you built a Time Machine… out of a DeLorean?”). A spaceship might do the trick (the universe is a huge place and there is a


Snippets from Science – Glimpses of God’s Beautiful Mind

lot of time in all that space), but for its passengers to get to the future in a reasonable amount of time, the ship has to be able to travel close to the speed of light. Relativity theory dictates that at that speed, time would slow down markedly for the traveler relative to time on earth. It would then be a matter of practicing incredulity: a round trip to the center of our galaxy and back to earth, a distance of some 60,000 light years, could be completed in little more than 40 years of shipboard time. When the space travellers returned to Earth, they’d be 40 years older, but 60,000 years would have passed on earth. Even if such an inconceivable speed could be achieved, there is another formidable obstacle: finding a propulsion system. Relativity says that the mass of a moving object increases with its velocity and that as the velocity approaches the speed of light, the mass approaches infinity. Whoa! This would mean that infinite force would be required to accelerate an abject flying near the speed of light and therein lies your biggest problem. Putting this in terms of current technology, a journey to the nearest star beyond the sun would burn far more fuel than the entire weight of the known Universe – and it would still take nearly a thousand years to get there. Burning fuel to achieve thrust is therefore supremely inefficient. How about a nuclear energy powered rocket? A nuclear fission rocket would need about a billion super tankers of propellant and a nuclear fusion rocket would need about a thousand super tankers. Slightly better but is it feasible? Far from it. So, for a determined Time traveller, is there a way out? There may be if we consider such oddities like Star Trek style time warps, wormholes in space to zoom through and ships that operate under strange time-reversal qualities of subatomic particles and are powered by antimatter. In reality, such avenues


to the future or the past may be inaccessibly remote and more appropriate to science fiction, but several scientists feel they are worth examining. Now that we have discussed physical limitations that keep us from Time travelling, let’s now consider something no less daunting. Time travel also creates eerie paradoxes that make it quite perplexing and keep it off the wall. Could you travel to someone else’s past and prevent an event, which would have global repercussions like the bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. Wouldn’t it be exciting to time travel to Jesus’ times, meet Jesus and volunteer to become his disciple? What if you could intercept the betrayal of Judas somehow and thwart the capture of Jesus? Wouldn’t you have interrupted God’s grand plan? Could you go back in time and prevent the Kennedy assassination? Time travel is so mind boggling on so many levels that it’s almost disturbing with all the paradoxes it presents. These paradoxes could be what keep Time Travel on the outer fringes of what is possible. The delicate fabric of Space-Time is one of God’s fantastic creations and God has set strict limits to what can be done or achieved. Although God has allowed free will and we can dream all we want but to actually rip the fabric of space-time, travel through Time and spiral through a paradox could be something that God absolutely prohibits.

Time Travel in Popular Culture

Time Travel is an amazing concept. To achieve it means to bend most rules of physics and metaphysics. We’ve already bent a few rules in the last two hundred years but the possibility of time travel actually materializing is remote indeed. On the other hand, the concept is wildly popular in movies to the extent of being hilarious. In the 1991 blockbuster Terminator 2: Judgment Day, terminators from the future (2029) are sent back to the present (1991) to battle it out for John

Connor, future leader of the human resistance in the war against Machines. The premise is that if you take out Connor in 1991, he would not exist and will not lead the human resistance in 2029. However, not all movies present a grim picture for our future. I recently revisited the Back to the Future trilogy, a childhood favourite. In Back to the Future II (1989), Marty McFly steps into the future (into 2015) and we see a ridiculously funny world with flying cars and highways in the sky. A movie theatre is playing Jaws 19 and instead of skateboards, kids are commuting on jet-powered hover-boards. I thought to myself, “Wait a minute; in 1989 did we really think that we will be flying around in hover-cars and kids would be zooming about on hover-boards by 2015?” Well… it’s almost 2013 and it’s obvious we are not even close. And how many times did we think we would want to see a shark gone berserk attack people? 19 sequels for a film like Jaws would be pure madness by today’s standards of popular moviemaking. Agreed there is an element of theatricality in question but that was the world of tomorrow for you back in 1989. Today, a movie


production house is lucky to get away with sequels lasting 5 episodes, because usually by the fourth episode everybody is too bored and all possible commercial interest/value has been tapped. Stars Wars lasted 6 episodes and Disney® might hit the reset button on the whole franchise, now that it has bought out Lucasfilm®. This really got me thinking about how we perceived our future to be 25-30 years ago. Did we really achieve what we set out for back then? Here’s a list of what we wanted in 1985 and what we really got (till 2012). Some things like hover-cars still look really far out and outlandish, especially when we’re still battling everyday gas prices . See the list below.

From the list, it’s obvious that future does not really turn out to be quite as we foresee it. Some elements would obviously be there, but the grand picture can be dramatically different. Time travel may be bizarre, but I guess we all agree that very few things could possibly be more exciting. The rules of Time travel are strict, cosmic and magnificent and only God can hit the button if He has designed one.

-Amit Mathews

What We Wanted

(in 1985)

What We Got (by 2012)

Weather Control Weather Out of Control (El Nina, Hurricane

Katrina and now Sandy)

The End of Infectious

Diseases

Novel Infectious Diseases (SARS, Chikungunya

etc.)

Hover Cars and Jet

Packs

SUVs and skyrocketing gas prices

Contact with Alien

Civilizations

Radio Silence

Teleportation (Star Trek

style)

The agony of Air Travel (and lost baggage)

Humanoid Robots Roomba® - the robotic vacuum cleaner

Endless Clean Power Fossil Fuels (unbelievably, our biggest source of

energy remains unchanged in the last 100 years)

Cloning Hi-tech plastic surgery

A Theory of Everything

in Physics. Grand

Unification.

An Understanding of Nothing (Higgs boson is

discovered though). Gravity is still not tied to the

Standard Model. No Grand Unification in sight.

String Theory is your best bet yet.



Saint of the Month: John the Baptist

Altar Servers Schedule—Dec 2012 Date Candle 1 Candle 2 Marbahasa

1

Marbahasa 2

Bell Readings Thurible

DEC 02 Jerome Aaron Sarath Anugrah Samson Deepak Lynn

DEC 09 Isaac Cyrus Alvin Alexi Neil Sebin Daniel

DEC 16 Anugrah Sarath Aaron Jerome Deepak Christopher Lynn

DEC 23 Alvin Alexi Cyrus Issac Samson Neil Sebin

DEC 25 Sarath Aaron Jerome Anugrah Christopher Sebin/ Manoj Daniel

DEC 30 Issac Alvin Alexi Cyrus Neil Deepak Lynn

New Year Anugrah Jerome Aaron Sarath Samson Christopher Sebin

BIBLE QUIZBIBLE QUIZBIBLE QUIZ

UNSCRAMBLEUNSCRAMBLE Unscramble the letters in orange

coloured boxes above to figure out

the clue below:

A Character in the Bible (6 Letters):

1. Which angel appeared to Mary? (7 Letters)

2. I can do everything through him who gives me ________. -Philippians 4:13

(8 Letters)

3. Who was commanded by God to offer his son up as a sacrifice in the land of

Moriah? (7 Letters)

4. In Matthew, the Parable of the Ten _______ ends with ‘Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on

what day your Lord will come’. (7 Letters)

Last Month’s Answers:

1. Calvary 2. Righteous 3. Heaven 4. John

UNSCRAMBLE Answer:

Nathanael

In the case of most Malayalees, we have heard of the famous song “Daiva Puthranu veedhi orukuvan Snapaka Yohannan vannu” about John the Baptist. The song describes in detail the life of John the Baptist and his purpose in life. Apart from Mother Mary, John the Baptist is another person who happily accepted and dedicated their life to the will of God. His very birth was a miracle and blessing from the Lord Almighty. Being born to barren Elizabeth and Zachariah, he was their promised son whom Zachariah named John meaning, “God is gracious.”

John the Baptist had a very specific role in his life; to be the forerunner of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. St. Luke mentions specifically in the Gospel of Luke 1:17 that St. John’s role was “to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; and to

make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” John knew his vocation from a very early stage in his life. Soon after realizing his vocation, John began to preach on the banks of River Jordan and baptized men “for the Kingdom of Heaven is close at hand.”

As Jesus approached John the Baptist to be baptized, John recognized Jesus as the Messiah right away and declared this as he baptized him, “It is I who need baptism from you.” After the baptism, Jesus had left to preach in Galilee but John continued on with his mission in life: preparing the way of the Lord. Fearing John’s power, Herod had him arrested and imprisoned at a fortress on the Dead Sea. It is while he was here that Salome had requested for John to be beheaded.

John the Baptist inspired many in his life, including few of Jesus’ disciples. In this season of Advent as we receive our Lord Jesus Christ in to our hearts, let us remember the mission of John the Baptist, to repent and to prepare ourselves and others for the Kingdom of Heaven of close at hand.

-Stephina Alexander



Annual Ecumenical Choirfest and Parish Caroling

Liturgy of the Month Week Gospel Readings Epistles Old Testament Readings & Reader

Dec 2 Lk 1:39-56

Mary Visits Elizabeth

1Pet 2:1-10

1Tim 2:8-15

Gen 18:1-15

1Sam 2:1-11

Is 29:17-24

Rajesh Jacob

Dec 9 Lk 1:57-66

The Birth of John the Baptist

Acts 13:16-25

2 Cor 3:1-11

Ex 2:1-10

1Sam 1:1-18

Is 40:1-5 Wilson John

Dec 16 Mt 1:18-25

Joseph Accepts Jesus and his Son

Acts 10:9-23

Rom 2:1-11

Gen 37:5-11

Sir 7:1-17

Is 56:1-8 John Thomas

Dec 23 Lk 2:1-5

The Birth of Jesus

1Jn 5:6-12

Heb 7:11-19

Gen 46:8-27

Ruth 1:6-22;

Is 11:1-9

Simon

Plamthottam

Dec 30 Lk 2:39-52

The Boy Jesus in the Temple

1Pt 5:5-11

Heb 3: 1-6

Gen 21:8-14

Judg 13:24-14:4

Zech 8:3-12

Francis

Thazhamon

This year, St. Mary’s Malankara Catholic Church participated in the annual Christmas Ecumenical Choirfest on November 17 at John Cabot Catholic Secondary School in Mississauga. The Kerala Christian Ecumenical Fellowship consisting of 13 parish communities came together for a wonderful evening of songs and praise ending with dinner. Each church had the opportunity to reflect the joy of the birth of Christ through song. Our parish members sang the songs ‘Annoru Naal Bethlehemil’ and ‘Paadam Ee Ravil’. Overall, it was a rewarding experience to spend time with members of the other churches here in Toronto, praising our Lord.

In addition to the Ecumenical, we officially began our annual Christmas carols this year. With God’s grace, we have been able to host three weeks of Christmas carols in many different parts of Toronto. We will be singing traditional carols as well as new ones across many different cities here including: Stratford, Hamilton, Mississauga, Brampton, Richmond Hill, Markham, Vaughn, Pickering, and Scarborough. It is a blessing to be able to gather together as one community with all our elders, the youth and children singing together to proclaim the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. To see the joy on children’s faces as Santa Claus comes into their homes is truly priceless. May this joyful experience stay in our hearts as Christmas draws near. -Divya Mamootil

december 2012

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