Hai Friends, 🕺🤚
I attended liturgical reatreat in Epiphany season 2017 at Nasrani Research Center, Nallathanny 😃
In one word, I describe Liturgical retreat as “Liberating”. I have been liberated and set free through the real truth.🤗 I Thank you for the most meaningful liturgical retreat.🙌 Real teachings of church helped me to know the beauty of our church and her Liturgy greatly👍. I arrived there physically and emotionally depleted but I am leaving refreshed and restored👼. I have also greatly enjoyed the beauty of the surroundings
🌱🌲🏵🌳🌿🌷🌿🌾🌵🌾🌹🌵☘🌴💐🌴☘🍁🌳🍀🌳🥀🌴🌱🌿
We were all the way to Nallathanni, a tranquil place situated in the Western Ghats🌱🌲, which is in a chain of hills that is located parallel to the Arabian sea. We lost our way in between, but somehow we could reach there late by the help of the Fathers of the Dayra. When we reach there retreat already started and unfortunately we missed Ramsha😕.
Unlike the modern popular “Monasteries”, we were welcomed with very delicious vegetarian food, which was a fascinating thing for us. We had no idea about how the retreat will be. But the fathers explained it. Next day early morning retreat commenced with “ Khala d’shahra”, a liturgical recites in last hours of night. After a meditation, we participated in Sapra and following Qurbana Qandisha. The Dayra Chappel was made 100% in accordance with the East- Syriac architecture. By the opening hours of retreat itself, we realised the divine beauty and simplicity of the liturgy of Nasrani Church. Kind of spiritual nectar started flowing on us making us float on the sea of ecstasy. The following lituricals, such as liturgy of 9,12, and 3 hours also celebrated. The next liturgical day started with the celebration of Ramsa.
In between the Services, there was sharing of Fathers. We never felt it as usual “popular” retreat speeches, which enslaves man in “spiritual inferiority complex” and fear to the sins, “Satan” and penalties. We were truly feeling the divine immersing in the nature, with the running breezes, chirp of birds , just as Ephrem the Syrian and other Malpans explained. The sharing were about the divine love. We understood how the nature points to the Absolute Reality, just as the scriptures do. We walked through the woods and listened to the sharings of father in the fresh mind.
The second and the third days were passed, although we never felt it. The concluding day, there was the Holy Raza, the most solemn form of liturgical celebration of Holy Qurbana of Nasrani Church. Many among us were almost to outburst with the divine emotions. One among youth was almost to fall on the leg of the Dayraya ( one who lives in Dayara) with tears of joy!😢
Instead of focussing on the daily worldly issues, the retreat was enabling us to face the problems of life with the dependency in the love and care of Aalaha (God). We were actually given by a challenge: to pray as Isho M’shiha and Marth Maryam did – father, let your wish happen, not mine ! 👍
⤵Following are the brief highlights of our divine experience.👇👇👇
⏺A great divine gathering of Marthoma Nasrani priests and laity in Monastic tradition and atmosphere.
⏺ To Understand and respect our own mother Church and other sister Churches.
⏺ Perfect and memorabel Holy Rasa (Most solemn Kurbana)
⏺Holy Qurbana and Liturgy of hours with out any compromise in Mar Thoma Nasrani Church Liturgy.
⏺ To study about our mother church history to be proud on its holy tradition.
⏺Inspirating talks of priests about nature and its spirituality
⏺Real doctrine of church and true gospel
⏺To Practice how to pray based on the Apostolic tradition and the teachings of the Fathers of the Church.
⏺Got an insight to mystic life of eastern church fathers
⏺To explore and exploit the limitless mysterious treasures in East Syriac Church’s great liturgical tradition
⏺ Retreat teaches us that fruitful participation in the liturgy requires that be personally conformed to the mystery being celebrated
⏺ Importance of mystagogical catechesis
⏺Most delicious vegetarian food and relaxation of body and mind
Finally we realized that the relation with almighty Aalaha(God), Nature, other creations and the fellow human beings are complimentary and inter related to each other. The driving force is nothing but Love. Because God itself is Love. The true evangelization is nothing but to love.
❤💜💛💛💚💙💙💙💚💛💜💜💜❤💜💜💛💚💚💚
May our risen Lord Isho Mishiha bless this ministry and keep all the people of nasrani research center very well.👍
Sincerely,
Alvi and friends 🚶🏃