june 2014 newsletter

Malankara Catholic Church St. Mary’s Mission Toronto

St. Eugene’s Chapel ◊ 13 Regina Avenue ◊ Toronto, Ontario ◊ M6A 1R2

www.stmarysmalankaracatholicchurchtoronto.ca

June 2014 Newsletter Volume 5 Issue I2

Contact Information:

Fr. John Kuriakose,

222 Ridley Blvd,

Toronto, ON, M5M 3M6

Tel: (416) 485 7781

Inside the Issue

How many languages... 2

MCYM Spring Retreat 4

The Gem of Life 7

Saint of the Month 9

3:00 PM Adoration of the

Blessed Sacrament

3:00 - 4:00 PM Catechism

4:00 PM Namaskaram &

Confession

4:30 PM Holy Mass

MONTHLY EVENTS

JUNE 07 Altar Servers Workshop @ St. Eugene’s 10AM—3PM Ladies Prayer Meeting @ Shajee & Biji residence 6:30PM JUNE 08 The Feast of Pentecost JUNE 28 Vocation Discernment Day for MCYM members @ St. Eugene’s 9:30AM—2:30PM Monthly Prayer Meeting @ Babu & Valsa residence 6:30PM JUNE 29 Sunday School Annual Examination

Sunday Liturgy

© St. Mary’s Malankara Catholic Church, Toronto

Dear Readers, As we patiently await for the decent of the Holy Spirit in the

season of Pentecost, let us strive to pray more and grow a step clos-

er to God. To start of this month’s edition of the bulletin, we have a

wonderful article by Rajesh Jacob titled “How many languages do

you speak?” which makes us ponder about the different ways God

communicates with us and the steps that we must take in this Pente-

cost season to surrender ourselves completely and to listen to the

voice of God. Next up we have a detailed article by Neil Tha-

zhamon which helps us to recap the MCYM Toronto spring retreat

held at Jericho House near Niagara Falls from May 2nd to May 4th.

A handful of our youth gathered together to grow spiritually and in

communion with each other through fellowship, prayer and games.

The primary focus of the retreat was on healthy relationships. The

youth were able to reflect on themselves, their relationship with oth-

ers as well as with God. In this edition of the bulletin, we learn more

about St. Joan of Arc who is the patron saint of soldiers and of

France through an article written by Issac Mathew. Furthermore, a

beautiful reflection article by Richu and Ansu Roy makes us under-

stand the importance of our parents and to appreciate them every

day of our lives and not just on Mother’s day or Father’s day. That

being said, in light of Father’s day which is celebrated this month,

the youth would like to take this time to wish all our fathers in our

parish a very Happy Father’s day. Although we often take you for

granted, we love you all from the bottom of our hearts for every-

thing you have done for us and for taking care of us. God Bless!

The Editorial Team


Malankara Catholic Church

How many languages do you speak?

As an immigrant to a land populated by

other immigrants from around the world, it has

often been interesting to observe around me dif-

ferent cultures, traditions, heritages, and lan-

guages. Some are official languages from other

parts of the world, some are just dialects, but

however each of us have at least one language in

which we are most comfortable in communi-

cating with. Sometimes I pause to think – What

language does God use to communicate!!! – In

what language do I respond to God!!!

As we approach the Feast of Pentecost, it

may be worthwhile to ponder on how God uses

the Holy Spirit to inspire us, to communicate

with us, after all the Holy Spirit is the advocate.

The scripture says in Acts 2:4 “And they were

all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to

speak in different tongues as the Spirit enabled

them to proclaim.” Here we see the Holy Spirit,

an advocate, a helper who empowers the

believers with a new language, a new tongue, a

new expression, but above all, the ultimate con-

viction to proclaim and bear witness. Today in

the 21st century if we are to proclaim our faith,

what language or what tongue should we ask the

Holy Spirit to enable us with?

If one has the ability to speak more than 30

languages, will that suffice? Will that be an ade-

quate tool to bear witness to our faith in Jesus

Christ? Is it our vocabulary that matters, or does

our oratory skills serve justice to the needs of

today’s evangelism? A reminder regarding St.

Paul’s admonition is worthwhile here. St. Paul

writes in 1 Corinthians 13:1-2 “If I speak in hu-

man and angelic tongues, but do not have love, I

am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.

And if I have the gift of prophecy, and compre-

hend all mysteries and all knowledge, if I have

all faith so as to move mountains but do not

have love, I am nothing.”

Continued on next page...



Continued...

Amidst all our prayers and along with all of

our attempts to lead a virtuous life, we have to be

cognitive of the fact that there are people who are

observing us. If what we say does not bear wit-

ness to our actions, we are casting a shame on

our faith and on Jesus. During this Pentecost sea-

son may I suggest that we plead the Holy Spirit

to teach us the language of Love.

Love, that forgives

Love, which is patient

Love, that perseveres

Love that is genuine

Love that gives courage

Love that affirms our conviction and Faith

Love that proclaims not just by words but by

deeds

Love that bears Witness

Love that hopes for

Most of all --Love that unites us with our creator.

O Holy Spirit as we approach this Holy

Feast of Pentecost, even though we may be

skilled in many languages, we ask that you may

enable us with the language of Love. – AMEN

- Rajesh Jacob

OLD TESTAMENT READINGS

Date Reader 1 Reader 2

June 01, 2014 Roy Mathew Pattayani

(Exodus 6: 1-8, Wisdom 12: 1-11)

Leah Joseph

(Isaiah 44: 21-28)

June 08, 2014 Christopher Thomas

(Exodus 19: 1-15, Proverbs 2: 1-15)

Anna Shajee

(Joel 2: 28-32)

June 15, 2014 Lini Jose

(Genesis 41: 37-45, Joshua 5: 1-9)

Christine Jaison

(Jeremiah 29: 4-14)

June 22, 2014 Joshua Joseph

(Number 16: 1-11, 1 Samuel 2: 27-36)

Sara Shajee

(Isaiah 49: 1-7)

June 29, 2014 Elsamma Alexander

(Genesis 42: 1-17, Jeremiah 3: 6-13)

Sara Alex

(Daniel 6: 1- 10)



MCYM Toronto Spring Retreat: Healthy Relationships

Easter season happens to coincide with

the gap between school and the renewal of

spring. What could be a better opportunity for

us to remove ourselves from our daily lives and

spend some time with God? By retreating from

the mundane to the out-of-the-ordinary, the

youth were able to reflect on themselves, others

in their lives, God, and the relationship between

each other.

Our retreat for the MCYM took place on

the evening of Friday, May 2nd until noon of

Sunday, May 4th at Jericho House in Wainfleet

(beside Lake Eerie and half an hour from

Niagara Falls). Everyone from age 13 and

above was invited to attend. The House and the

acres of nature conservation area surrounding

the retreat centre provided an environment of

serenity for the senses, with its quietness, vast

woods and wildlife. With the beauty of God’s

creation around us, the youth reflected on the

beauty of God’s plan for us, His love, and our

relationships with ourselves, with Him and with

others. The purpose of the retreat was to devel-

op a clearer understanding of what healthy rela-

tionships are versus unhealthy relationships in

various aspects of OUR lives...

Continued on page 5



Continued

...as well as a better knowledge of how to foster

healthier relationships. Along with the pres-

ence of our parish Vicar Fr. John Kuriakose, we

were blessed with talks led by Fr. Hansoo Park

(Vocations Director of the Archdiocese of To-

ronto), Fr. Ephrem Nariculam (Professor of

Pastoral Theology at St. Augustine’s Seminary)

and Fr. Saji Mukkoot (Vocations Director of

the Exarchate). Additionally, Prayers of the Of-

fice, an hour of Adoration of the Blessed Sacra-

ment and Holy Mass, were important pieces of

the overall retreat experience.

On Friday night, Fr. Hansoo focused on

self-understanding, and explaining the theologi-

cal concepts of heaven, love and purpose, and

started the discussion of how God intended

things to be from the beginning. Fr. Saji fur-

thered the topic of self-understanding by focus-

ing on the Theology of the Body for all of Sat-

urday, and tried to expand our knowledge of

vocations. Fr. Ephrem took a unique and deep

approach of understanding the history and cul-

ture of human love, and how it is pivotal in the

building and maintaining of the ecclesial com-

munity.

Continued on page 6



Continued…

Although this event was focused on these

talks of love, community and relationship, there

was ample opportunity to try to put into practice

what we learned and attempt to strengthen the

bonds within MCYM. Containing praise and

worship, gender specific discussions on topics

both serious and light, challenging and amusing

activities and games, the schedule was well

rounded and effective. Even with unfortunate

weather during the scheduled time for outdoor

activities like walks and a camp fire, this was a

successful first spring retreat to hopefully be

followed by many others.

With the wonderful moments of bonding

between the younger youth and the senior

youth, and the wealth of information gleaned

over a weekend, a new possible annual event

has formed.

- Neil Thazhamon



The Gems of Life

“God could not be everywhere at once, so he

gave each child a mother.”

Definition of a mother is a female par-

ent, but a mother is more than just a parent. She

is her children’s best friend. A mother is some-

one who loves you unconditionally and more

than life itself. Mothers are angels in disguise

sent from God to watch and help us through our

troublesome times. We hardly stop to think of

how they feel and if they need help, we abuse

them in a sense by not appreciating them

enough. The definition for love is a great liking

or affection, but love is something stronger.

Love doesn’t give up, doesn’t have a swelled

head and doesn’t force itself on others. Love is-

n’t jealous, is always forgiving and without

love, we are nothing.

A mother’s love is a bond that connects us

together, even before birth. It is stronger than

any feeling of hate or fury. Love takes on every-

thing, even if it can’t carry it all. Mothers may

seem just like ordinary people, but they are real-

ly super heroes in disguise! They show their

love in a million different ways every day and

every second of a child’s life.

“One father is more than a hundred

schoolmasters."

Perhaps some say that fathers cannot really

love like mothers do. Oh, yes they most defi-

nitely can. Sadly, however, many men have

been fooled into believing that the love they

should have for their families is somewhat of a

diminutive resemblance to a mother’s love.

There is another side to the story. Men get a lot

of mixed messages concerning fatherhood. On

one hand, society wants them to be committed

first and foremost to their career. Co-workers

and even bosses might think it's great that a man

has children and a loving family. It might even

be seen as a source of strength and stability. But

he is not expected to put his children and wife

above his job. The job comes first, and whatever

is left over, he is free to do as he wishes. It usu-

ally is a stereotype that fathers are abusive when

in reality they might not even remotely be as

such. No wonder many fathers go home late

from work, oftentimes while their children are

asleep. Additionally, when we read the national

and international magazines and books, they of-

ten paint the picture of parenting from the moth-

er’s point of view. Men do not receive a great

deal of encouragement to delve deeply into fa-

therhood.

Continued on page 8



Continued...

“My son, obey your father's commands, and

don't neglect your mother's teaching."

Proverbs 6:20

Even though it is God's love that is ultimately

most important in anyone's life, a parent's love

or lack thereof, is perceived and felt first. Paren-

tal love is the first love a child experiences and

the first love he or she understands. In fact, pa-

rental love is often the means by which children

actually open themselves to God's love and

come to understand it early in life. That's why

from the time our children are born, we should

pray, "God help me to really love my child the

way you want me to and teach me how to show

it in a way he or she can understand." If, howev-

er, your child is now older and you realize for

one reason or another that he or she doesn't feel

loved, you can begin right now asking God to

penetrate his or her heart with His love and open

it to receive your love and the love of others.

- Richu & Ansu Roy

ALTAR SERVERS SCHEDULE—JUNE 2014

DATE CANDLE 1 CANDLE 2 MARUVASA 1

MARUVASA 2

BELL EPISTLE READINGS THURIBLE

June 1 Abin Joel Alexi Sarath Cyrus 1st: Sarath 2nd: Abin

Jerome Christopher

June 8 Matthew Alan Aaron Samson Christopher 1st: Anugrah 2nd:

Matthew

Lynn Br. Jobin

June 15 Alan Abin Jerome Joel Aaron 1st: Jerome 2nd: Alan

Samson Lynn

June 22 Aliston Alister Anugrah Sarath Jerome 1st: Alvin 2nd: Aliston

Richu Samson

June 29 Joel Matthew Alvin Alexi Neil 1st: Aaron 2nd: Joel

Deepak Sebin



Saint of the Month — St. Joan of Arc

St. Joan of Arc is the patroness of soldiers and of France. On January 6,

1412, Joan of Arc was born to pious parents of the French peasant class, at

the obscure village of Domremy near the province of Lorraine. At a very

early age, she heard voices: those of St. Michael, St. Catherine and St. Mar-

garet. At first the messages were personal and general. Then at last came the

crowning order. In May, 1428, her voices "of St. Michael, St. Catherine, and

St. Margaret" told Joan to go to the King of France and help him reconquer

his kingdom. For at that time the English king was after the throne of

France, and the Duke of Burgundy, the chief rival of the French king, was

siding with him and gobbling up evermore French territory.

After overcoming opposition from churchmen and courtiers, the seven-

teen year old girl was given a small army with which she raised the siege of

Orleans on May 8, 1429. She then enjoyed a series of spectacular military

successes, during which the King was able to enter Rheims and be crowned

with her at his side. In May 1430, as she was attempting to relieve Com-

piegne, she was captured by the Burgundians and sold to the English when

Charles and the French did nothing to save her. After months of imprisonment, she was tried at Rouen by

a tribunal presided over by the infamous Peter Cauchon, Bishop of Beauvais, who hoped that the English

would help him to become archbishop.

Through her unfamiliarity with the technicalities of theology, Joan was trapped into making a few

damaging statements. When she refused to retract the assertion that it was the saints of God who had

commanded her to do what she had done, she was condemned to death as a heretic, sorceress, and adul-

teress, and burned at the stake on May 30, 1431. She was nineteen years old. Thirty years later, she was

exonerated of all guilt and was canonized in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV. The feast day for St. Joan of

Arc is celebrated on May 30.

- Issac Mathew

“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” Joshua 24:15

SYRO MALANKARA CATHOLIC EXARCHATE

MIDWEST REGIONAL FAMILY CONFERENCEMIDWEST REGIONAL FAMILY CONFERENCE

JULY 26-27, 2014 Saturday 9:00 AM—Sunday 1:30 PM

Don Bosco Catholic Secondary School

2 St. Andrews Blvd., Toronto, ON, M9R 1V8

This is an excellent opportunity for Malankara families and youth from across the Midwest Region

to gather, pray and learn together to build our Church .

Separate and simultaneous sessions for Adults, Youth and Children Theme (Adults): Witnessing Christ by Catholic Families in North America:

Our Call & Role, Challenges and Solutions

Theme (Youth): Witnessing Christ by Catholic Youth in North America: Relevance & Role, Unique Opportunity, Challenge and Solutions

Profound speakers including H.E. Most Rev. Dr. Thomas Mor Eusebius

Conference Fees:

Adults: $75 Children (5-15): $50 Under 5: FREE

Free accommodation will be arranged with our families

For more information, please contact:

Rev. Fr. Saji Mukkoot (917) 673-5318 (Mobile) [email protected]

Rev. Fr. John Kuriakose (647) 230-0574 (Mobile) [email protected]

George Thomas (Babukutty) (416) 287-1887 (Home) [email protected]

Joshua Joseph (905) 773—0931 (Home) [email protected]

june 2014 newsletter

Documents

pm adoration

pm catechism

voice of god

happy fathers day

light of fathers day

toronto page

pm monthly prayer meeting

mcym toronto spring