“During the Weeks of Great Fast, the Mar Toma Nazranees celebrate
the Passion and Death of Iso’-Msiha.”
In this context, we cannot but
meditate on the sin of the first Parents, the consequent inclination for sin
that got strengthened in man, its bitter consequences, the need of repentance
and conversion, God’s love and mercy, and so forth.
The fact that Death is the result of Sin stands out very clear in the creation
story. In this biblical background, the
celebration of all the Departed on the
last Friday of Denha Season is a beautiful introduction to the Season of
Great Fast.
COMMEMORATION OF THE
DEAD
Mar
Toma Nazranees used to keep up
the special memory of the beloved departed all through the Season of Great
Fast, by visiting their tombs and praying specially for them. November devotion, which is fully alien to
the Mar Toma Margam got established
during the latinization period. Hence, Mar Toma Nazranees are bound to restore
this authentic practice of theirs as early as possible.
40-DAY FAST
There are seven weeks for the Great
Fast. The Fourty-day fast of Iso’-Msiha
is considered the basis for this fasting in the church.
Since Sunday is the Lord’s day, the
day for the celebration of Resurrection, nobody can fast on that day. Friday
of Passion (Good Friday) and Great
Saturday are days of special rigorous fasting for Mar Toma Nazranees. When these two days and all the Sundays are
removed from seven weeks, the rest is exactly forty days.
50-DAY FAST
Mar
Toma Nazranees, however, used to
abstain from qualitative food materials, such as meat, also on Sundays during
this fasting. Thus the Great Fast is known among them as 50-Day Fast.
PETHRATHA SUNDAY
The Great Fast begins on Pethratha Sunday. The Syriac term, peturta means “looking back” or “reconciliation”. This liturgical Season is one of looking back
to one’s own life and of real reconciliation.
Special Prayers, extra fasting and
generous almsgiving are indicated as the best means for remission of sins by the
Mar Toma Margam.
“Hence, everyone ought to pray more during the
Great Fast; must forgo some items and activities very dear to him/her and must
positively help at least one person who is in real need.”
ATTITUDE OF
RECONCILIATION
There is great importance for the attitude of Reconciliation in Mar Toma Margam. This attitude, as the Bible points out, is
fundamental to our life of faith.
It is only from a deep awareness of
being sinners, of being separated from God the source of life and of being
redeemed, that believers will be able to raise authentic and sincere praise and
thanksgiving to God the Redeemer. This Salvific Experience is the attitude of Reconciliation.
We express it several times during
the celebration of our Qurbana and other
liturgical acts. But the Season of Great Fast is a special
occasion to proclaim this attitude. The Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession)
is a typical expression of this attitude.
Hence it is very difficult to call one a real Christian, if he/she fails
to celebrate at least once this Sacrament of Reconciliation during the Weeks of Great Fast.
LOVE OF NEIGHBOUR
“If any one says, ‘I love God’ and
hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he
has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this Commandment we have
from him, that he who loves God should love his brother also” (I Jn 4, 20-21).
The Mar Toma Nazranees should follow exactly the above said teaching of
St. John the Apostle.
The emotional stress, which is the
result of sin, and the consequent mistakes are seen in all peoples. Mar
Toma Nazranees ought to face them always in the light of faith. Evils such as quarrel, revenge, enmity,
dissension, and so on, must be amended during the Great Fast. It is, indeed, an occasion for spiritual and
social resurgence.
“We repeat often in our prayer: “forgive us our
debts and sins as we have forgiven those who offended us”.”
BEGINNING OF FASTING
Different individual Churches have
different rites and ceremonies to begin fasting.
The Latin Church has accepted the Old
Testament symbols of sack cloth and ashes
(Jon 3, 6) to proclaim her
attitude of conversion and reconciliation.
The Eastern Churches, however, give
importance to the clear instructions of Iso’-Msiha
in this matter:
“And when you fast, do not look
dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting
may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you,
they have their reward. But when you
fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by
men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret
will reward you” (Mt 6, 16-18).
Each individual Church ought to begin
her fasting according to her own special ecclesial heritage. The Latin Church
thus, begins her fasting on Ash Wednesday
with the rite of ashes.
“Mar Toma Margam has a different heritage in
this case. It begins fasting on Monday
itself. It prescribes special liturgical
prayers, perfect abstinence and generous almsgiving for beginning the Great
Fast.”
LIFE OF PASCHAL
MYSTERY
Typical commemoration of the Passion
and Death of Iso’-Msiha comes during
the last week of this Season, the Passion Week or the Great Week or the Holy
Week, as it is called. During the weeks
before, the stress is on an intense life of the Paschal Mystery.
A hymn from their Liturgy of the Hours will prove this
assertion:
“Holy
fast in the Church is like the tree of life; its fruits are good for food and
its leaves for medicine. By fast, the
mind becomes enriched with spiritual thoughts; by words of praise, the purity
of mind is preserved sacred; the body, however, obtains heavenly oil. Fasting illumines the eyes of the body,
energizing it by the oil of mercy; man becomes a sacred abode to the living
Holy Spirit both in his soul and body”.
OSANA SUNDAY
Last week of Great Fast begins with Osana Sunday celebration. What is celebrated on this day is the
glorious entry of Iso’ into the city
of Jerusalem. The procession with palm leaves in connection with the Divine
Liturgy remains the symbol and commemoration of that unique historical event of
Iso’s life.
PASSION WEEK
Mar
Toma Nazranees celebrate the Passion Week most becomingly. The liturgical celebrations are most solemn
and elaborate in this week. As the liturgical day begins with evening
prayer (Ramsa) in Mar Toma Margam, all the most important
celebrations of this week, i.e., from Monday till Saturday, are arranged in
connection with that Prayer-Hour, namely, Ramsa. As far as possible, the other Prayer-Hours of this week also are
celebrated solemnly in churches.
THURSDAY OF PESHA
According to Mar Toma Margam, Thursday of
Pesha is the feast day of the Holy Mysteries or of the Sacred Body and
Blood of Iso’, or of the Holy Qurbana.
It was during the last Pesha
celebration of Iso’ that the Apostles
were authorized to celebrate the memorial of his Body and Blood until his
second coming at the end of time.
In order to commemorate the feet washing at the Last Supper, the celebrant washes the feet of 12 persons during the
Qurbana in almost all churches of Mar
Thomma Nazranees.
PESHA MEAL
Pesha
Meal is one of the special practices existing among the Mar Toma Nazranees. In their
families, on Thursday of Pesha, a
special type of bread (Kurissappam,
i.e., bread with a cross mark on it) and sweet drink (usually known as “milk”)
are prepared. At night, after supper,
the family members get together and conduct special prayers; thereafter, the
father of the family breaks the bread and gives a piece each to everyone; the
sweet drink is also distributed likewise.
All consume them devoutly.
Everybody knows that this meal is not
to satisfy the hunger: it takes place after the usual supper! In some places the neighbours also are
invited to this Pesha Meal; but never
the non-Christians, even if they were the closet friends. On the first Thursday of Pesha that comes after the death of the father of the
family this special meal is neither prepared nor eaten solemnly; on the other
hand, the members of the family take the bread, brought to them by neighbours
or relatives, without any solemnity.
There is very much similarity between
the Paschal meal of the Jews and the Pesha Meal of the Mar Toma Nazranees; only certain differences resulting out of the
circumstances are visible. This fact
leads us to the conclusion that many among the first Mar Toma Nazranees were Jews themselves. This unique celebration points also to the
historical fact that Iso’-Msiha
instituted the celebration of his Body and Blood, the Qurbana, on the occasion of Jewish Paschal meal.
PASSION FRIDAY
All the celebrations of Passion Friday are centred around the Mar Toma Sliba, which for Mar Toma
Nazranees is the icon of the historical person of Iso’-Msiha.
Before beginning the liturgical
functions, the Mar Toma Sliba on the Bema is dressed with Kottina and
Urara. During the celebration, after the reading of
the Gospel, the principal celebrant removes the vestments of the Sliba and covers it with a pure white
linen.
Then he himself carries it in solemn procession to the sanctuary and
lays it on the altar.
“Bema is Gagulta and altar, the Sepulchre of
our Lord. So what is done, is the
Sacramental commemoration of the Death of Iso’ on mount Calvary and his burial
in the tomb.”
In
between the liturgical functions, there is a washing of the Sliba with water and giving it to the
faithful to be kissed. After kissing the
Sliba, they also taste from the water
used for washing the Sliba, mixing it
with bitter herbal juice.
“Since the Sliba stands for Iso’, its washing
is a preparation for the burial of Iso’s Body; kissing it is the last greeting
accorded to him and the tasting of the bitter water is a personal sharing in
his suffering.”
A
solemn procession around the town or village or the church itself, as it is
customary in the funeral rites of bishops and a farewell procession as is
customary in the funeral of Priests, are common features of Passion
Friday. The same Mar Toma Sliba, which was
washed and kissed is carried solemnly in these processions.
BURIAL
At the end of the solemn liturgical
function, the particular Sliba,
having been covered again with pure white linen, is buried under the altar
itself; if inconvenient, it is laid on the altar and covered with sosepa. “Altar” for Mar Toma Nazranees is the
tomb of our Lord, and the Sosepa, the
tomb-cover.
As tradition shows, the faithful
used to keep vigil and pray at the tomb of the Lord (in the church) throughout
the night of the Passion Friday. On such
occasions, learned priests used to deliver long sermons too.
LIGHT OF RESURRECTION
According to the genius of Mar Toma Margam, Passion Friday is one that glitters in the light of
Resurrection. Unless the Lord was risen,
his suffering and death would not have had any value. May be because of that our fathers were
prompted to picture the crucified one as the all powerful King who rules over
the whole universe from a Chariot that is Sliba.
“Iso’-Msiha suffered willingly and died. That was to enter into glory, conquering
death. It was precisely to give us the
NEW LIFE that will never perish.
It is such FAITH-VISION that urges
the Mar Toma Nazranees to commemorate Passion Friday, focussing it on the Mar
Toma Sliba which is the lofty symbol of Iso’s Death and Resurrection, and that
of the New Life which flows there from.”
A piece of hymn from the Liturgy of the Hours can make it all
clear:
“You
who are subject to death, be comforted and rejoice! because the power of death is destroyed; Iso’-Msiha
by his own power has conquered death and by his Resurrection has offered new
life.”
GREAT SATURDAY
The liturgical celebrations of Great
Saturday are centred on Baptism. Baptism
for a faithful is the sharing in the death and Resurrection of Iso’-Msiha.
Evening Prayer (Ramsa), actual Baptismal rites and Holy Qurbana are the important celebrations of the day. If convenient actual Baptism itself is
included in the celebration; if not, rituals that may evoke a baptismal
liturgical experience are included.
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