{"id":46383,"date":"2016-08-06T05:34:32","date_gmt":"2016-08-06T05:34:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/malankaraorthodox.tv\/?p=46383"},"modified":"2016-08-06T05:35:09","modified_gmt":"2016-08-06T05:35:09","slug":"mar-yulios-observe-soonoyo-fast-by-meditating-and-honouring-holy-theotokos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/malankaraorthodox.tv\/?p=46383","title":{"rendered":"Mar Yulios: Observe Soonoyo fast by meditating and honouring \u2018Holy Theotokos\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"hg_pulikkottil\"<\/a><\/p>\n

AHMEDABAD:\u00a0Orthodox Diocese of Ahmedabad Metropolitan HG Pulikottil Dr Geevarghese Mar\u00a0Yulios\u00a0has called upon the faithful to invoke\u00a0Soonoyo fast with all seriousness.
\nIn an elaborative message to the faithful of the Diocese, the Metropolitan says that by partaking in the Feast of Dormition of Holy Theotokos, \u2018we learn with her blessings to calm the storms of death that may devastate our soul.\u2019
\nSharing his thoughts on the auspicious occasion on \u2018Btsulto Mariam – Virgin Mary\u2019, he says the feast has got significant and mystic reflections. Stating that each year, month of August invokes us the Dormition Feast of Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with fasting and special prayers.
\nHis Grace explains that Mary has been given many attributes, but, poetically none of them complete the portrait of such a holy figure! But with a more wider theological perspective, the attribute \u2018Theotokos\u2019 draws a near perfect sketch of Virgin Mary; the Holy Triune God being the only perfect.
\nThe canonical-liturgical year calendar proscribes a 14-day fast from August 1 with celebration of the feast on August 15.
\nPointing out that the 15 day fasting is duly observed among all Oriental group of Orthodox Churches and\u00a0\u00a0few other sister churches, the feast has obtained a significant and mystic reflections with the Dormition (or falling asleep) or departure of the Theotokos being a broader concept of study in Mariology.
\nFasting before this\u00a0\u00a0important feast on August 15 helps the individual to revalidate his or her devotion and loyalty towards the Lord, His Grace points out.
\nReminding the faithful who are burdened and fail to quench divine possessions, Mar Yulios calls upon to pause and observe the fast, by meditating and honouring the \u2018Holy Theotokos\u2019. This will enable our lives to get prepared with a repenting heart, which according to the psalmist is the apt sacrifice in God\u2019s sight.
\n\u201cIn this swing of materialism, when we pause to observe the fast, by meditating and honoring the \u2018Holy Theotokos\u2019, our lives get prepared with a repenting heart, which according to the psalmist is the apt sacrifice in God\u2019s sight.\u201d
\nMar Yulios points that the falling asleep of Theotokos is a mystical episode. \u201cThe Dormition reflects that the Mother of life cannot taste death! The one who was chosen to yield the \u2018Life Giver\u2019 to this world stays calm at her final hour!
\nHis Grace further mentions that the life of St Mary from childhood till falling asleep or Dormition sets a divine paradigm for contemplation. His message also quotes from St Ephraim the Syrian and Pope Saint Pius X to illustrate the Virgin Most Powerful \u2018who with virginal foot did crush the head of the serpent\u2019.
\nFinally by taking the Feast of Dormition of Holy Theotokos, \u201cwe can learn with her blessings to calm the storms of death that may devastate our soul. Death may not be the one referring to return to the soil but also the moment which kills the drive within to do God\u2019s wishes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Metropolitan Mar Yulios mentions that the role of Holy Theotokos in bringing forth the salvation is knowledgeably made aware to us through the divine studies and writings of the holy Church Fathers or teachers. The Old and New Testament makes various metaphoric mention of Mary namely like the burning bush, fleece of wool and as the thicket bringing Her into the light.
\nMar Yulios calls upon all and enjoins with God to observe the fast and feast of Dormition of Holy Theotokos with due preparations and faith. \u201cPray for us and for the betterment of the church and remembering all in our humble prayers. May the prayers and blessings of the Holy Theotokos be a strong refuge for all,\u201d His Grace concludes.
\nThe message was issued from St Thomas Bishop’s House, Ahmedabad, dated July 27, 2016.<\/p>\n

Liju Cherian<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kalpana<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

AHMEDABAD:\u00a0Orthodox Diocese of Ahmedabad Metropolitan HG Pulikottil Dr Geevarghese Mar\u00a0Yulios\u00a0has called upon the faithful to invoke\u00a0Soonoyo fast with all seriousness. In an elaborative message to the faithful of the Diocese, … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31330,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diocesan-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/malankaraorthodox.tv\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46383","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/malankaraorthodox.tv\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/malankaraorthodox.tv\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/malankaraorthodox.tv\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/malankaraorthodox.tv\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=46383"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/malankaraorthodox.tv\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46383\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46386,"href":"http:\/\/malankaraorthodox.tv\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46383\/revisions\/46386"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/malankaraorthodox.tv\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/31330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/malankaraorthodox.tv\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=46383"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/malankaraorthodox.tv\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=46383"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/malankaraorthodox.tv\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=46383"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}