– Tom Varkey
I am a firm believer in whatever God says in His Word including what we read in 1 Cor. 2:25: “The foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” With that being said, I like to offer the following answers to the questions raised by the Garland parishioner in the context of standing up and fighting for the Crucifix. They are not easy answers but who said living a Christian life is easy? But they are the best answers and the correct answers because they come from God.
You can take short cuts and call yourself a Christian by going to church, reciting prayers, etc. etc. but nothing can come even remotely close to becoming a true Christian by becoming a new creation in Christ by embracing His cross, the Crucifix. Now if anyone including your wife, brother, Fr. Joji or your Bishop tries to tell you otherwise, you should not listen to him or her. Jesus tells us that if we love anyone more than Him is not worthy of Him. In Lk. 9:24 He makes it very clear: “Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.” So the question is very clear: “Do you want to follow what others say in which case you may think you are saving your life [but you will be losing it according to Jesus] or you want to stand up against what they are saying [in which case you will be saving it according to Jesus]?” No wonder we read in Dt. 13:6-9: “If your very own brother or your son or daughter or the wife of your love, … entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods that neither you nor your fathers have known), … do not yield to him or listen to him.” If we do listen to such people whoever they may be, we will lose our soul as Jesus says in the above passage.
There are people in Garland and elsewhere who have told me that because of their business connections with those who stand for the Mar Thoma Cross idol, they cannot cross over and join those who stand up for the Crucifix. My answer to them is this. When Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, he thought he was doing the right thing and gaining a lot. But as we read in Mt. 27:3-4 he soon realized that those 30 pieces of silver were nothing in comparison with what he lost – losing Jesus Christ and all He stood for. In the same way, if we betray the Crucifix which will be the same as betraying Jesus Christ himself, we will be losing our salvation, heaven and everything else that matters in our life. No wonder in Mt. 12:30 Jesus says: “He who does not gather with me scatters.” No matter what we achieve by giving up Christ and His Crucifix is no achievement at all. We may not realize it now just as Judas did not realize it at the time he betrayed Jesus and received the 30 pieces of silver from the Jews as the price for selling Jesus. Even if we receive a million dollars for giving up on the Crucifix it will be nothing. We may think it is worth, but a day will come when we will be convinced that it was not.
There are people in Garland and elsewhere who have told me that because of their business connections with those who stand for the Mar Thoma Cross idol, they cannot cross over and join those who stand up for the Crucifix. My answer to them is this. When Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, he thought he was doing the right thing and gaining a lot. But as we read in Mt. 27:3-4 he soon realized that those 30 pieces of silver were nothing in comparison with what he lost – losing Jesus Christ and all He stood for. In the same way, if we betray the Crucifix which will be the same as betraying Jesus Christ himself, we will be losing our salvation, heaven and everything else that matters in our life. No wonder in Mt. 12:30 Jesus says: “He who does not gather with me scatters.” No matter what we achieve by giving up Christ and His Crucifix is no achievement at all. We may not realize it now just as Judas did not realize it at the time he betrayed Jesus and received the 30 pieces of silver from the Jews as the price for selling Jesus. Even if we receive a million dollars for giving up on the Crucifix it will be nothing. We may think it is worth, but a day will come when we will be convinced that it was not.
In conclusion, let me tell you that in many cases the one who stands against you in your stand for the Crucifix may be your wife. In this case, in order to ensure peace and harmony in the family, is it OK to abandon the Crucifix because you don’t want to be at odds with your wife? The answer is a whopping “NO” based on the passage we saw in the beginning. No wonder we read in Eccl. 7:26: “I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare.” I know that it is easier said than done to go against what your wife says when your wife is not supportive of the Crucifix because of all the politics surrounding it and the troubles you have to go through. But the truth is that even if she stands against it, you should not abandon the Crucifix because that is a fatal mistake. If she turns against me because of her indifferent position towards the Crucifix, I am obligated to still love her just as Christ loved the Church and be willing to suffer all the pains and inconveniences and hatred that she may have against me. This is the reason why Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 7:23: “… The time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn, as if they did not; …”
If my wife opposes me because of stand towards the Crucifix, my commitment to Christ is such a priority of the highest order that I should live in such a way that I should not consider that as a factor to pull back from my adoration and commitment to the Crucifix. But I know what you are going to say – “it is easy for you to say that”. Well, brothers, I never said that my answers are going to be easy. But they are the right answers because they are from the lips of God. This is what Jesus means when He says in Lk. 9:25: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” It is not easy, but as we read in Gal. 6:16, if we follow this rule we will enjoy perfect peace in our lives [in spite of all our sufferings] and we will receive mercy and forgiveness or our sins from Jesus Christ and we will get to spend eternity with Him in heaven.
I am sure that is enough incentive for you to stand up for the Crucifix no matter who may be against you [including your wife]. Hope these answers were of help to answer some of the questions that many of you who stand behind me in the battle for the Crucifix both in Garland and elsewhere in the Syro-Malabar Church. The opposition you face may be crushing you; but as Paul tells us, the troubles in this world are nothing in comparison with the glory that is awaiting us in heaven. May God bless each and every one of you who fight for the Crucifix whether in Garland or anywhere else within the Syro-Malabar Church.
9 comments:
ഉപ്പില് ഇടാന് പറഞ്ഞ അച്ചോ , ഇത് വായിച്ചട്ട് ഇനിയും ഉപ്പില് ഇടാന് തന്നെ ആണോ പരിപാടി-------- ------
Catechism of the Catholic Church
766 The Church is born primarily of Christ's total self-giving for our salvation, anticipated in the institution of the Eucharist and fulfilled on the cross. "The origin and growth of the Church are symbolized by the blood and water which flowed from the open side of the crucified Jesus." "For it was from the side of Christ as he slept the sleep of death upon the cross that there came forth the 'wondrous sacrament of the whole Church.'" As Eve was formed from the sleeping Adam's side, so the Church was born from the pierced heart of Christ hanging dead on the cross
Crucifix is a Cross with a statue of Jesus on it.
Who knows what was the likeness of Jesus ? It could be Mani himself !
Is it not appropriate to use the Cross which is the symbol of salvation without any statue on it ?
The official staff of Pope Benedict XVI is a plain cross, not a crucifix!
http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/details/ns_lit_doc_20091117_ferula_en.html
http://www.seiyaku.com/images/port/benedict-xvi-large.jpg
http://catholicism.about.com/od/popebenedicts2008visit/ig/Photos-of-Pope-s-2008-Visit/Pope-Benedict-With-Papal-Staff.htm
അമേരിക്കയിലെ മിക്ക സീറോ മലബാര് പള്ളികളും നിലനില്ക്കുന്നത് തന്നെ പൈസയിലാണ്.
എവിടെയും പൈസ.
അച്ഛന് അമേരിക്കക്ക് വരാന് ബിഷപ്പിന് പൈസ.
ക്ലാവരുകാര്ക്ക് വീട്ടില് കഞ്ഞി വെയ്ക്കാന് പൈസ.
ക്ലാവര് പള്ളി വെയ്ക്കാന് പൈസ.
ക്ലാവര് കുരിശു വെയ്ക്കാന് പൈസ.
പെങ്ങള്ക്ക് പൈസ.
നാട്ടിലെ വീട്ടുകാര്ക്ക് പൈസ.
വീട് വെന്ജരിക്കാന് പൈസ.
മാമ്മോദീസ്സയിക്ക് പൈസ.
കല്യാണത്തിനു പൈസ.
ഒപ്പീസ്സിനു പൈസ.
ചത്താല് പൈസ.
കൊന്ന്നാല് പൈസ.
അച്ഛന് fun asia theatre ല് സിനിമക്ക് പോകാന് പൈസ.
ജീന്സ് മേടിക്കാന് പൈസ.
താറാവ് തിന്നാന് പൈസ.
ധ്യാനം വന്നാല് പൈസ.
ബിഷപ്പ് വന്നാല് പൈസ.
ബില്ടിങ്ങിനു പൈസ.
അല്ലാതെ വിശ്വാസത്തിലോ സ്നേഹത്തിലോ ഒന്നും അല്ല.
Rejoice only in the Lord and Jesus Christ is Alpha and omega.
As always, let us join with our Holy Mother during this mother’s day and pray for the church and then the MAR-THOMA –PEGAN cult will vanish away from the Holy Altar of every church. We only want our Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation and there is none other than Jesus Christ could bring peace and salvation.
Isaiah 7:14: "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."
John 19:25-27: Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother`s sister, Mary the wife of Clophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother Woman, here is your son. The he said to the disciple .Here is your mother. And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.
THE MAR-THOMA CROSS AND DIRTY VIRI MUST GO FROM THE HOLY ALTARS.
Why Jesus’ Sufferings and Death Should Never Be Bottled Up and Put Away – Tom Varkey
This is in response to my friend’s question: “Is it not appropriate to use the Cross which is the symbol of salvation without any statue on it ?” It is also in response to the suggestion of the priest who gave the Easter Sermon in Coppell who stated that Jesus’ life and sufferings anddeath should be bottled up and put away. Let us try to see what the Bible has to say about this. In the Bible there are occasions when God asks us to do certain things verbatim with exact precision , then others where God gives us some leeway in making choices within His guidelines. This is true in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. Let us examine some examples in these two categories.
In the Old Testament for example, in Ex. 12 God stipulated how they should eat the Passover lamb. See the instructions He gives as to how the Passover meal should be eaten. In Ex. 12:8-9 God says: “You shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs; You shall not eat it raw, nor sodden with water, but roast with fire; …” Here God precise instructions as to how the Passover meal should be eaten. But then in Ex. 12:5 God gives the option to choose between a lamb from among goats or a lamb from among the sheep. In this case God gave a choice. But regarding how it should be eaten, God gave exact instructions.
In the same way, God gave strict orders as to how the tabernacle which was symbolic of the Sanctuary in our churches today should be furnished. Thus in Ex. 37:1-29 God gives precise instructions on the measurements of items to be placed on the tabernacle, what material they should be made up of, how many cherubims should there be, where they should be placed, etc. etc. Thus God gave very elaborate instructions on how the tabernacle should be made. Then after giving all these detailed instructions, God even showed Moses how the tabernacle should be made by showing him the actual pattern of the tabernacle in person after calling him in person to the mountain. All these show that God takes worship extremely serious and that is why the type of Cross in the Sanctuary is such an important matter.
Dear Blogger, this is Part 2 of the Article "Why Jesus’ Sufferings and Death Should Never Be Bottled Up ..."
Now let us take a couple of examples from the New Testament. For example in Jn. 9:6-7 Jesus heals a blind man by spitting on the ground, making a paste out of mud and His spittle. Then He asks the blind man to go and wash his eyes in the “Pool of Siloam”. While the blind man was on his way to the “Pool of Siloam”, he was healed of his blindness and got his eyesight back. Here Jesus gave precisely which pool he had to go and wash his eyesight back. We have every reason to believe that the blind man would not have been healed if he had gone to wash his eyes in some other pool other than the “Pool of Siloam”.
Now regarding the Crucifix, In Jn. 3:14 Jesus says to us: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so MUST the Son of man be lifted up.” Here Jesus is both specific regarding certain aspects of the Crucifix and non-specific as to certain other aspects of the Crucifix. Thus regarding the two essential elements of the Crucifix, the wood and the carven image of Jesus that should be mounted on the wooden piece, Jesus does not give us any options. This is the reason why the Mar Thoma Cross is so very wrong. It is wrong because the carven image of Jesus is not there which is a direct violation of Jesus’ instructions on how His Cross should be displayed.
On the other hand, regarding the carven image of the Son of Man to be displayed on the Crucifix, Jesus gives us plenty of options. Thus, Jesus does not say how big the image should be, what color it should be, how long the two beams of wood should be, what material it should be made up of, how heavy it should be, etc. etc. Thus in different churches, we see different types of Crucifixes, white, black, long, short, heavy, etc. This is perfectly OK because, in no way are we violating the instructions of Jesus on how the Crucifix should be. But if we leave out the carven image of Jesus, this is in direct violation of His instructions according to Jn. 3:14. Hope this answers the question that our friend has posed in this connection. This also explains why those of us who fight for the Crucifix within the Syro-Malabar Church are so adamantly stubborn on holding on to the Crucifix the way it is being displayed in 99.7% of the Catholic churches. It is a tradition that is more than 1500 years old and it is based on the authority of the Bible and in accordance with Jesus’ commands. Therefore, anything not in keeping with these instructions of Jesus is idolatry and thus the Mar Thoma Cross is clearly an idol and it should be eradicated from our churches at the earliest possible opportunity for the greater glory of the Savior who hangs on it. Jesus gave us clear instructions both specific and nonspecific on how His sufferings and death should be honored and remembered. Certainly, there is nothing in the Bible that even remotely suggests that His death should be bottled up and put away as one of our priests suggested in Coppell during his Easter Sermon. May God bless all those who continue to fight for the Crucifix to be kept and the images of the Mar Thoma Cross to be removed both from Garland and all other churches in the Syro-Malabar Church to keep idolatry out of our places of worship for the greater glory of God.
Dear Blogger,
Please replace this paragraph in the previous version of the Article "Why Jesus ..." with the revised paragraph below. Tom Varkey
In the same way, God gave strict orders as to how the tabernacle which was symbolic of the Sanctuary in our churches today should be furnished. Thus in Ex. 37:1-29 God gives precise instructions on the measurements of items to be placed on the tabernacle, what material they should be made up of, how many cherubims should there be, where they should be placed, etc. etc. Thus God gave very elaborate instructions on how the tabernacle should be made. In several chapters following Ex. 37, God gives even more details on how the tabernacle should be furnished. Then after giving all these detailed instructions, God even showed Moses how precisely the tabernacle should be made by personally showing him the actual pattern of the tabernacle after calling him in person to the mountain (Heb. 8:5). All these show that God takes worship very very seriously. That is why the type of Cross in the Sanctuary is such an important matter.
“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so MUST the Son of man be lifted up.”.
People with common sense will understand what is the meaning of this. Jesus was telling that it was essential that he should be crucified and lifted up on a cross.This is not an instruction how we decorate our churches.
"Thus regarding the two essential elements of the Crucifix, the wood and the carven image of Jesus that should be mounted on the wooden piece, Jesus does not give us any options"
This is just an imagination of the blogger.
"This is the reason why the Mar Thoma Cross is so very wrong. It is wrong because the carven image of Jesus is not there which is a direct violation of Jesus"
"But if we leave out the carven image of Jesus, this is in direct violation of His instructions according to Jn. 3:14"
These are just absurd utterings of this scaremongering blogger. Jesus has never instructed anyone to carve his image on a cross to celebrate the mystery of salvation. So, this has nothing to do with bible. Bible is not taking anything about crucifix or any statues.
Can you show us clearly, where does Jesus instruct us to use the crucifix in our churches ?
How would you explain the present Pope Benedict XVI use only plain cross on his papal staff ? See the pictures.
You need to go to Vatican and fight against the Pope first to use crucifix on his staff.
The original Saint Thomas Cross is placed by the Portuguese Roman Catholic Missionaries in the main altar of the Church at Saint Thomas Mount, not a crucifix! Are they less catholic than these cross phobiacs ?
Mar Thoma Cross has been endorsed by various Roman Pontiffs from time to time. The miraculos bleeding of Cross at Mailappore has been accepted by the Popes and declared December 18 as the feast of Holy Cross of Saint Thomas Mount. What does it show ?
I think this is a classical example of scaremongering. Ignorant Catholics only can be scared by these activities. Ordinary Catholics obey the Pope and the Roman Church, not these abusers.
Who is this Tom Varkey?
Do not please give me any smart answers.
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