Nativity Lent Kalpana from Metropolitan Dr. Thomas Mar Ivanios
No: 72-2022
Blessings to our dearly beloved Cor-Episcopoi, Vicars, Asst. Vicars, Priest of the Locality, Deacons, Kaisthanees, Members of the Managing Committee and the Faithful of all our parishes in the Diocese of South-West America.
Dearly Beloved in Christ,
“…But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that the LORD gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to Him, to keep His commands, to hold fast to Him and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Book of Joshua 22:5)
Trusting in the mercy of God and relying on His grace, as per the personal Encyclical MOSC/CMM/338/2022 and the general Encyclical MOSC/CMM/352/2022 of His Holiness Moran Mar Baselios Marthoma Mathews III, Catholicos of the East and the Malankara Metropolitan of our Holy Church, I have humbly stepped into my role as the Metropolitan of the South-West American Diocese as of November 3, 2022.
I take this time to pay my respects to His Grace Thomas Mar Makarios and His Grace Mathews Mar Barnabas of Blessed Memory for their pastoral efforts in laying a solid foundation for our Diocese. I also offer my sincere gratitude to the ministerial care of His Grace Zachariah Mar Nicholovos, His Grace Alexios Mar Eusebius, and my predecessor His Grace Dr. Zacharias Mar Aprem for their hard work in nurturing and building up this Diocese.
As we enter into the Christmas Fast, I encourage all our faithful to reconnect with the fundamental truths of our Orthodox Faith – Fasting, Prayer, and Almsgiving – to live the commitments we undertook in our Baptism, through a renewed participation in Confession and Communion regularly. Without doubt this period reminds us of the Divine Love, whereby God becomes man and enters physically into our realm of existence so that we might enter by grace into the eternal Kingdom of His love and enjoy His fellowship with us forever.
We have a faith that has been handed down by our fore-fathers, let us follow and practice their example. As your spiritual Shephard, I encourage both the older and younger generation to use all the means available to sustain and nurture our faith. Attend the Sunday and other liturgical celebrations reverently and regularly. Pray our hourly prayers privately or as families, as per the traditions of our Church. Hold fast to our connection with our Church family.
Above all, remember that the Lord Jesus is in our midst, now and always. As He touched lives, healed the sick and ministered with love and merciful compassion throughout the Gospels, know that He will continue to do so for us. I request you to remember this humble servant of the Lord in your earnest and daily prayers so that I may serve you faithfully. Thank you for the warm and cordial welcome I received at the airport and the Urshlem Aramana on Wednesday, November 23. I look forward to seeing you all in person in the days to come. May God bless us all and protect us.
May the prayers and intercessions of the Most-Holy and Ever-Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, Saint Thomas, the Apostle of India, Saint Baselios, Saint Gregorios and Saint Dionysius be with us forever.
Metropolitan Dr. Thomas Mar Ivanios
Urshlem Aramana, Beasley November 26th,2022