“Seven Weeks beginning
from the feast of Pentecost are called the Weeks of Apostles. This is a period when the actions of the Holy
Spirit in salvation history are emphasised in celebration.”
PENTECOST
Pentecost
is one of the most important feasts of Christianity and one that has passed
through various steps of redemptive history.
This was first celebrated by the Israelites in connection with their
harvest. In the beginning it denoted the
end of grain harvest and the starting of fruit harvest. Gradually it turned out to be a feast that
was closely linked with the origin of Israel as God’s chosen people. Israel was sealed as God’s people on Mount
Sinai through the giving of the Commandments (Ex 24. 1ff). Thus in the Old
Testament the Feast of Pentecost is the commemoration of Israel becoming God’s
Covenant-People.
NATIVITY OF A NEW
PEOPLE
Today, the Feast of Pentecost is the
commemoration of the Nativity of the New People of God of the New
Testament. The Church, the New People of
God, was announced on that day. And this
New People is built upon the corner Stone of love. It was realized by the Descent of the Ruha da-Qudsa who is Love itself or
personification of Love.
“The New People is
also a People of the Covenant; their commandments are engraved not on stone
tablets, but on the walls of their own hearts.
If the OT covenant were sealed with the blood of oxen (Ex 24, 8), the NT
covenant is sealed with the blood of Iso’-Msiha, the Son of God.”
Apostles
are those who went to the different parts of the world with the spirit of the
New Covenant and who laid the foundation for ecclesial communities. It is to the community of these Apostles that
the believers are called and grafted to.
PENTECOSTOS
The Greek term pentecostos means fiftieth. In OT, it was the feast celebrated on the fiftieth day (Num l6, 9f.; Lev 23, 15f)
after the harvest has started. After the
Covenant on Mount Sinai, the commemoration of that salvific event was also
connected to it.
In the NT, during this Feast, we
celebrate the Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts
2, 1f.) on the Apostles. It is also
considered to be a conclusion of Easter Season, which is celebrated as an
extended Easter. There was no fasting
and abstinence during Easter Season; and there was no kneeling during
prayer-hours. Pentecost was the day on
which all those practices were resumed.
KNEELING RITE
In the Mar Toma Margam, on the day of Pentecost, there is a special rite
in the Holy Qurbana immediately
before the communion. Special prayers,
incensing and a solemn kneeling are the constituent parts of this special rite,
known as KNEELING RITE. It has all the
characteristics of a public rite of
Reconciliation. Such a rite is seen in
several Oriental Churches, namely, the Byzantine, Antiochene and so on. In the Mar
Toma Margam it remains today a rite to be restored.
SLIHA - FASTING
Many documents testify to the fact
that the Mar Toma Naranees observed
the whole Season of Apostles as a fasting period. This observance might have been in order to
identify themselves with the Apostles who had to encounter so many afflictions
and difficulties in sharing their Christ experience. The Kneeling
Rite could be considered as the beginning of this Sliha Fasting. A hymn from
the Kneeling Rite is given below.
“The
Church saw Iso’-Msiha who suffered
for her and is now in inexplicable glory.
When she understood that it was for her, he suffered pain on the Cross
and insult at Gagulta she ran to him, bowed and adored him, stood up, embraced
and kissed him, and forgetting her own fathers began to burn with the love of Iso’.
She raised her voice and proclaimed before angels and men thus: ‘I am
sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities nor things
present, nor things to come, nor Powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything
else in all creation, will be able to separate me from the love of God in Iso’-Msiha’
(Rom 8, 38-39); for I confess his
Cross; let there be praise to him”
FRIDAY OF GOLD
On the first Friday of the Season of Apostles, almost all Eastern Churches
commemorate the first miracle performed
by Peter after receiving the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. In relation to this episode, we read in the
Acts of the Apostles.
“I have no silver and gold, but I give you
what I have; in the name of Iso’-Msiha of Nazareth walk” (Acts 3, 6).
It appears that these words of St.
Peter gave this feast its name, Friday of
Gold. This miracle had, in fact,
opened the public ministry of the Apostles.
SEVENTY DISCIPLES
On the last Friday of Apostles, we commemorate the 70 Disciples of our
Lord. In some documents it is said to be
72 Disciples. That is because of the difference in this
number seen in different versions of the Bible.
In the liturgical prayers of the day, Seventy plus Twelve are also mentioned. It is fitting that the Season of Apostles
comes to an end celebrating the Disciples
who were next to the Apostles in witnessing to Iso’-Msiha.
TWO FEASTS
The feasts of the Precious Body and Blood of our Lord and
the Sacred Heart are feasts that
started in the Latin Church in particular circumstances. During the post sixteenth century Latin
Bishops’ rule, the Mar Toma Nazranees also
began to celebrate these feasts. According to the genius of Mar Toma Margam, the celebration of the Precious Body and Blood of our Lord
comes on the Thursday of Pesha and
the Sacred Heart on Passion
Friday. Hence, there is no relevance
for setting apart two other days in the Season of Apostles for these
feasts. What we confess on these feast
days is Iso’s love for men and their
love for Iso’-Msiha. A rethinking on the
relevance of these feasts appears to be necessary.
According to the present Calendar,
these feasts are officially recognized in the Mar Toma Margam: The
Feast of the Body and Blood of our Lord
is celebrated on the Second Thursday and
of the Sacred Heart on Third Friday of the Season of Apostles.
BLESSED MARIYAM
THRESIA
Blessed
Mariyam Thresia was called to eternal glory on June 8, 1926. So Mar
Toma Nazranees should celebrate her feast on that day.
DUKRANA OF MAR TOMA
SLIHA
“The commemoration of
the Martyrdom of St. Thomas the Apostle on July 3 is one of the most important
celebrations of the Mar Toma Margam.
Usually it comes in the Season of Apostles. Down through the centuries to the present
day, the Mar Toma Nazranees had always celebrated it most becomingly. Since the celebration of Qurbana is the most
sublime expression of Christian faith, all Mar Toma Nazranees, wherever they be
try their best to celebrate it as solemn as possible on this day of the Martyrdom
of their Father in Faith.”
So also in connection with the feast of Dukrana the Mar Toma Nazranees used
to distribute edibles, rice etc. among
the poor and the needy. Such charitable
activities are relevant even today in remembrance of their Father in faith.
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