Word Origins
In icons of this saint, we see letters “MP OY”, an abbrev. of the Greek: “Mater Theos”
Who is Mary – the Mother of God?
When we address the Catholicos as “His Holiness” and the Bishops of our Church as “His Grace”? The “His” in the titles of our bishops refers to.
The “His” in the titles of our bishops are not to direct the respect and honor towards the individual, but rather to remember, honor, and glorify God.
The New Eve is how we refer to this Saint who through free and obedient submission to the will of God, offsets the fatal disobedience and fall of Eve in the Garden of Eden.
Who is The All Holy and Ever-Virgin Mary the Theotokos?
In 1876, another split took place, when Anglican-inspired reformers within the Malankara Church broke away to form this church which is in communion with the Church of England.
What is Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar?
For Orthodox Christians,_______________ was considered to be the first to walk on the path of salvation. Their obedience is a symbol and example of the obedience required by us as we set Christ in our hearts.
Who is St.Mary the Theotokos?
Our Church is known as the “_________” Church after an old name for the region that today is roughly equivalent to the state of Kerala.
What is Malankara?
We are an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church with headquartered in this location in Kerala, India.
Where is Devalokam near Kottayam ?
Which Ecumenical council addressed the discussion of if the all Holy and Ever-Virgin Mary is the Theotokos ("God bearer") , vs “Christokos”, the one who gave birth to Christ.
This was addressed in 431 AD, at the third Ecumenical Council, that met at Ephesus.
A group of around 400 Syrians from Edessa is said to have arrived in 345, led by a merchant known as Thomas of Cana starting from this period our Church established a long relationship with the Syriac Churches of the East.That is why to this day we identify as _________
What is “Suryani Christyanis” (Syrian Christians).
What the syriac term “Yoldath Aloho” mean and who does it represent?
The Syriac term “Yoldath Aloho” and the Malayalam term “Daiva Prasavithri” clearly asserts this as the one who begets or gives birth to God. The Theotokos.
This means study of the Church. It comes from the Greek word for Church -“ekklesia”.
What is Ecclesiology?
In the 5th century one of the major schisms in Christendom started. The divide was regarding the human and divine nature of Christ discussed in this ecumenical council.
What is Council of Chalcedon?
In all icons of St Mary with Jesus, her left hand is always pointed toward this direction
Towards Jesus
After the arrival of Vasco Da Gama to India the influence of this church grew eventually leading to the "Coonan Kurush" rebellion and the eventual departure of 84 churches and their congregations and creation of this faction of the church
What is Roman Catholic and Syro Malabar Church?
The event __________is so significant in the Orthodox Faith that it is celebrated twice during the liturgical calendar: at the beginning of the Church calendar, 3 weeks after Koodhosh Eetho, and then on March 25, exactly 9 months before Christmas.
What is The Annunciation (Suboro: Syriac) to St.Mary ?
The word ________ , is a derivative of a Greek word Theos' -God and the verb 'tiktein' - to bear.
Who is the Theotokos?
The tradition of ___________ succession makes the Oriental Orthodox family remain united to this very day in proclaiming the decisions of the three sacred, holy, and ecumenical councils.
What is Apostolic Succession?
The Incarnation of Jesus Christ is a fulfillment of ____________ as an expression of God's love and Fulfillment of _______________ from the Old Testament.
What is Salvation and Prophecy?
The remaining 32 communities eventually entered into communion with the West Syriac Orthodox Church at the request of the Church in India. His Grace Mar Gregorios Abdul Jaleel of Jerusalem came to India and in 1665 confirmed the episcopal consecration of this bishop as the head of the Orthodox Church in India.
Who is Mar Thoma I the first head of the Orthodox Church in India?
The Feast _______________ of Mary, or Shoonoyo, is dedicated to the Theotokos as we observe a 15-day lent starting August 1st in honor of St. Mary.
What is The Feast of the Dormition to St. Mary?
Paul viewed non-Christians as "logos spermatikos" which means _______________ representing humans in which God had implanted his Truth who simply needed the right kind of cultivation to help those seeds grow.
What is “seeds of the word"?
We can categorize the Christian denominations into these three large groups.
We can categorize the Christian denominations into three large groups: Orthodox,Roman Catholic, and Protestant (with the Orthodox groups further divided into Oriental Orthodox and Eastern (Byzantine) Orthodox).
Our Church confesses and proclaims the supremacy of the Catholicos those who claimed the spiritual and temporal primacy of the Syrian Patriarch of Antioch continued as _______
The Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church or Jacobite Syrian Christian Church
During the British Era the tensions and strains of the relationship between the Syriac Orthodox hierarchy and the clergy in India. In 1771 Bishop Mar Gregorios, against Mar Dionysius' wishes, consecrated a new bishop which led to the creation of this church faction
Malabar Independent Syrian Church.
In this Icon of St Mary, the red veil represents this and her clothing represents this and the 3 stars represent this concept.
The red veil covering Mary is a sign of humility, and that is the tradition that girls and women carry in our Church today. The outside clothing color of red symbolizes divinity while the inside color of her clothes is green and blue to symbolize humanity. The three stars indicate her virginity before, during, and after her pregnancy with Jesus Christ.