March 2017 | Lent Volume XV | Issue 3 | Rs.150 Per Annum CSI DIOCESE OF VELLORE RETREAT CENTRE DOUBLE BED ROOM@ Rs.750/- PER DAY DORMITORY @ Rs.150/- PER HEAD, PER DAY CONFERENCE HALL @ Rs.2500/- PER DAY FOOD – PER DAY, PER PERSON @ Rs.300/- NON VEG. @ Rs.275/- VEG. Rt. Rev. Dr. A. Rajavelu Bishop in Vellore Rev. H. Sharma NithiyanandhamRev. P. Suresh Anandhakumar Hon. Secretary Interim Treasurer Mr. Stephenraj Jayakumar Administrator – Retreat Centre Mr. J. Alpious Sunny Manager – CSI Diocesan Office KOTAIYUR ROAD, YELLAGIRI, VELLORE DISTRICT Contact Nos. 9442453845, 9994337355, 9443037638, 9443965966, 9487232536 0416-2232160 – CSI Diocesan Office, Vellore 04179-245355 – Retreat Centre, Yellagiri 2 EDITOR’S DESK Forgiveness – towards practicing dharma God has given us grace to enter into the assemblies with iniquity. Your new But then, in their condemnation of the season of Lent - a season for retrospection, moons and your appointed festivals my ritualistic religion, the prophets proclaim introspection, prospection, a time to walk soul hates; they have become a burden to the promise of forgiveness: “though your steadfastly towards the cross, to me, I am weary of bearing them. When sins are like scarlet, they shall be like experience forgiveness and to become a you stretch out your hands, I will hide my snow; though they are red like crimson, forgiving community. Forgiveness is a eyes from you; even though you make they shall become like wool” (Isa.1:18). process wherein the gift of forgiveness is many prayers, I will not listen” (Isa.1:12- Forgiveness is a gift of God, a process experienced, appropriated and embodied. 15). The Lenten time is a reminder that which empowers people of God to learn the faithful communities rise above the to do good, to seek justice, to rescue the Forgiveness is empowerment to do ritualistic expressions of religion and oppressed, to defend the orphan and to 'dharma' - justice. During the Lenten wash themselves and make themselves plead for the widow (cf.Isa.1:17). God's season, the faithful tend to become more clean, by removing all wrong doings, forgiveness will restore wise judges as at ritualistic, giving importance to fasting, iniquities and injustice from their midst. the first and prudent counsellors as at the prayer, abstinence etc. The prophets beginning and the community shall be inform us that when dharma becomes a Religious rituals and practices should called the community of justice and a ritual, it loses its essence. When the become instruments of driving away the faithful community (cf.Isa.1:26). people of God perceived that bringing evil, correcting the injustice and sacrifices and offerings, indulging in cleansing the evil doers. The religious Forgiveness is God cleansing his people festivities and celebrating appointed rituals should not become a place of from their iniquities and wrong doings festivals was dharma, the prophets hiding for those who do evil, practice and enabling them to fully involve and reminded them that what God required injustice and propagate violence. When participate in the listening and doing of of them was not a ritualistic practice of dharma becomes ritualistic, it loses its God's Word, and empowering them to religion, but doing and practicing justice. significance of being an instrument of do dharma, to do good and seek justice. The prophet Isaiah in his chapter 1 calls grace and witness, and the religious the rituals that masked the evil doings of communities lose the sensitivity to Forgiveness is empowerment to walk in the community and the injustice that identify, recognize and drive away evil the light of truth. The Johannine prevailed in their relationships as sin. and injustice from their midst. In such community that we encounter in the first “When you come to appear before me, ritualistic religious communities, the letter of John thought that it was in the who asked this from your hand? Trample leaders become the companions of right path, and there was no sin in the my courts no more; bringing offerings is thieves and run after gifts and love bribes; community. It could not comprehend the futile; incense is an abomination to me. there is no defending of the orphan and compromises it had entered into. John New moon and Sabbath and calling of the widow's cause does not come before exhorts the community to regain and re- convocation - I cannot endure solemn them (cf. Isa 1:23). affirm its commitment. It is reflected in v.8: “If we say that we have no sin, we www.csisynod.com |March2017 03 deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in become the atoning sacrifice. We see on with their agenda. If Jesus would begin a us” (1Jn.1:8). John also cautions the the cross a confrontation between movement of forgiveness, they feared for community that if it says that it has not darkness and light, falsehood and truth, their own space. They fell back on a very sinned, it, in fact, makes God a liar. injustice and justice. Only in Jesus's self- symptomatic allegation of blasphemy. (cf.1Jn.1:10) Mistaking darkness for light, offering and self-emptying sacrifice on But the desire and determination of the falsehood for truth and unrighteousness the cross; in that betrayal, pain, suffering few in the liberating presence of Jesus did for righteousness is sin. When this and abandonment; the truth, light, not allow the paralytic to continue in the happens, the community reaches a point righteousness and justice are revealed. state of helplessness and despair. Jesus of blindness, wherein it cannot Forgiveness therefore is an empowerment to commanded him to “stand up, take his differentiate between darkness and light, experience truth, light and righteousness in mat and go home” (Mk.2:11). The one who falsehood and truth, injustice and justice. the midst of our struggles, pain and is helpless and in despair was able to get up; The clarity is lost to an extent that the suffering; in other words, to encounter and the weak and the rejected was infused with community tends to accept the falsehood experience Jesus the crucified, in our day- vigour, energy and new life leading to an and injustice and arrogantly asserts it as to-day life. experience of transformation, not only of the truth. John, through his epistle, body, but also of getting a new perspective, invites the Johannine community for a Forgiveness is empowerment to get up a new identity. It was an empowerment clear analysis, informing them that the and walk. Those who know and practice to become a parable of liberation. Those analysis should not intimidate, but rather dharma, those who are empowered to who witnessed the paralytic getting be a helpful tool to begin a process of self- walk in light, truth and justice are healed “were amazed and glorified God, discovery. And therefore, he implores the enabled to identify the needy and the saying that they had never seen anything community to embark on a process of weak. They are enabled to bring those like this” (v.12). Every act and experience forgiveness, promising them that “if we who are marginalised and helpless to of liberation enables people to see God's confess our sins, God who is faithful and Jesus' presence. The story of four people glory. Forgiveness is an experience of just, will forgive us our sins, and cleanse carrying a paralytic to Jesus is a story of liberation and an amazing walk in the us from all unrighteousness” (1Jn.1:9). spiritual activism and practise of dharma. radiating light of God's glory. Forgiveness is a process where God They had a deep faith that Jesus' presence meets his people and empowers them will bring healing and wholeness. They May this Lent help us to experience with his grace to comprehend the light, to might have asked for people to make way, God's forgiveness. As we struggle against encounter the truth and to enable them to but the crowd did not allow them. Their the forces of evil, injustice and falsehood, practice justice. Knowing and discerning determination to practice dharma and may we be empowered by the power of the difference between darkness and their desire to obtain justice for the the cross to discern that which is good, light, falsehood and truth, injustice and paralytic could overcome all barriers. that which is true, that which is just, and justice is forgiveness. Knowing, When Jesus sees the act of faith of the practice dharma. understanding, embracing and living in four in lowering him from the roof top, the light, truth and justice is forgiveness. Jesus says “Son, your sins are forgiven” Rev. Dr. D. Rathnakara Sadananda (Mk.2:5). It was an assurance and a General Secretary, CSI For John, Jesus the righteous One, is our promise, as forgiveness filled the advocate. He is the One who will make us paralytic with life. understand what light, truth and justice are because he is the light, the truth and If we read the narrative of Jesus healing the righteous. Therefore, he is the the paralytic, it is a narration of a few atoning sacrifice for our sins; he teaches people attempting to do dharma and us what light, truth, and justice are; and practice justice, attempting to walk in he enables the community to once again light, truth and righteousness, and experience koinonia, the fellowship and becoming a movement of forgiveness. sets, our relationships right with one Rightly, the leaders of the community another and with God. It is a process of object; the scribes who were sitting there awakening and enlightenment, wherein listening to the Word questioned in their the community confesses the state of its hearts, “Why does this fellow speak in being before God and re-envisions what this way?” It is blasphemy! Who can it ought to be.