March 2003
Dearly
beloved in Christ,
Greetings
in the everlasting name of our Lord.
As
you might be aware, Lent begins on March 1 .Let us try to briefly ponder on the
meaning of Lent in our times. What is at the core of Lent is the ‘paschal
mystery’-the mystery of vicarious suffering. In a
reflection on the significance of Lent, Dr. Samuel Rayan, an Indian
theologian points out that
Lent is a time to remember and honor
the passion of Jesus Christ; to recall it with love and tenderness; to
identify ourselves with it to let ourselves be affected by it
and moved to tears of compassion and penitence; and to be purified in its
flow and its fire; its blood and its pain; to be strengthened by it ;to take its
power into our limbs and sinews of our spirit .
Lent
is also a period of fasting, penance and restoration of broken relationships.
Fasting is not for the satisfaction of our selfish motives but for communion
with the divine and also for empowerment to face the harsh realities of life
with the divine grace from above... Isa.58:6-7 talks about true fasting: “The
kind of fasting I want is this: remove the chains of oppression and yoke of
injustice, and let the oppressed go free. Share your food with the hungry and
open your homes to the homeless poor. Give clothes to those who have nothing to
wear, and do not refuse to help your own relatives.
Rather
than some kind of pathological sentimentality and ritualistic observance of
Lent, what is of great importance during this period is a continuous rediscovery
of the meaning of Cross and resurrection in our life. Let us make an earnest
effort to make this Lent meaningful in our spiritual life by attuning ourselves
to the Divine through fervent prayer and meditational exploration of the Word of God.
Yours
in His ministry,
Abraham
Achen |
Rev. Dr. K. A. Abraham Achen Dr.
K.
A.
Abraham
Achen
is
from
Anicad
and
Annis
Kochamma
is
from
Pullad.
They
have
two
children,
daughter, Roshin,
who
is
20
and
currently
doing
her
BS
in
Psychology
at
Women’s
Christian
College
in
Madras.
Achen
and
Kochammas’
Son Christy
is
18,
and
is
currently
working
towards
an
Engineering
Degree
in
Kerala. email
Achen
at |
Vicars
of
the
Past
Quarter
Century
|
||
Mar Thoma Congregation of Greater New York |
||
Rev. Oommen Koruthu | (Student
Achen
later
elevated
as Bishop Zacharias Mar Theophilus) |
May 1975 — Aug. 1975 |
Rev. K. S. Mathew | (Student Achen) | Sept. 1975 – Sept. 1977 |
Rev. Thomas P. George | (Student Achen) | Sept. 1977 – Aug. 1979 |
(Late) Rev. M. V. Benjamin | Sept. 1979 – May 1981 | |
St. Thomas Mar Thoma Church, New York |
||
(Late)
Rev.
M.
V.
Benjamin |
Co-Chairman Ad-hoc Committee Church in formation | Oct. 1980 - Jan. 1981 |
Vicar | Jan. 1981 - May 1981 | |
(Late) Rev. K. J. Philip | Co-Chairman Ad-hoc Committee Church in formation | Oct. 1980 - Jan. 1981 |
Associate Vicar | Jan. 1981 - Aug. 1981 | |
Rev. N. M. Cherian | Vicar of all Mar Thoma Congregations in New York | May 1981 - June 1983 |
Rev. Dr. T. Jacob Thomas | (Student Achen) | |
Assistant Vicar | July 1981 - May 1983 | |
Vicar | June 1983 - Mar. 1985 | |
Rev. George Varghese | Mar. 1985 - April 1989 | |
Rev. Johnson Varghese | June 1989 - May 1992 | |
Rev. Dr. T. P. Abraham | June 1992 - May 1995 | |
Rev. P. M. Thomas | May 1995 - April 1999 | |
Rev. K. Y. Jacob | May 1999 - June 1999 | |
Rev. Thomas P. Chandy | June 1999 – May 2002 | |
Rev. Dr. K. A. Abraham | May 2002 - Present |