The October relief we are waiting for

AD21:- Enkuan aderesachihu.

less than two months left for the week we are waiting for a fundamental relief. AD21 believes that there is plenty of jobs to be done yet. We read statements from different churches and associations. We have learnt that laities are doing their part in reaching the fathers (members of the Holy Synod) with the statements. And today, we read that a group has took the task of drafting an online petition. We are happy for that as it was one of the proposals forwarded by AD21 almost a month ago. But, as we read in the blog, we afraid that the launching of the petition may take some time - which should not be actually. We wish and ask the group to move forward as fast as possible given the short period of time we are left with. So all is going well though not to the satisfaction of AD21. But still there two main bodies we are waiting to hear from: the so calld sidetegnaw synodos and the alem aqef ye meemnan hibret. The fathers who are in the other part of the island should come out and say, we are here to help the mother church if there come a true initiative to cure the house. They should say, the church should get the primary attention and care than the father x or y as both will pass as they come to this world. The once flowered EOTC Laity Council too should wake up.

AD21

"Christ the Savior is transfigured to save us all!"

Come, you faithful, let us welcome the Transfiguration of Christ,

And let us joyfully cry as we celebrate the prefeast:

"The day of holy gladness has come;

The Lord has ascended Mount Tabor

To radiate the beauty of His divinity."

Let us feel the manifestation of the light on the Mount Tabor. That light shone brighter than the sun, it warmed but burned not. May we all ingulfed with the joy and peace of the light and our church be free from the Ninjas soon!!!

AD21

Thank you Again!!!

AD21 is hopeful that its wishes will happen to be true in October. Today AD21 learnt that the much awaited statement about the current crises of our church is released by 'The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church - North America Sunday Schools Union.' We are happy to see that. As the union announced, it will hold its Annual Meeting from September 4-6, 2009 in Seattle. We have two calls here:
1. to re discuss the crises and come up with a stronger statement claiming the change we badly need in a louder way. This is what the union promised to do - 'to preserve the rules, order and faith of our Church and committed to the future by doing as our fathers did for us with full responsibility.' There should not be other agenda to be discussed at this critical time of our Church.
2. the Union has invited all Sunday Schools in NA to attend its Annual Meeting - all Sunday Schools are invited. So, we call upon all Sunday Schools in the states to send their representatives that the Youth - the Future of the Church - can discuss the complicated problems we are languishing and come with a strong resolutions as a body of the one church which should carry the burden of the tomorrow's church.

Bottom Line: AD21 received a couple of emails which answered our yesterday's call to collect the resolutions coming out from different bodies of the church and send them home. We have learnt that there are individuals who are accomplishing this important duty in one or the other way. We appreciate that. But the effort should not be limited to some individuals. We all have the responsibility to publicise the resolutions and make sure that the statements are reaching to the fathers. Please let us move forward before that week come.

AD21

Thank you!

We are astonished by the thoughtful statement dispatched from the Council of the EOTC in Diaspora. The statement will clearly help the laity to understand where the council stands not only on the current crisis but also on its perception of the one church in general. It is astonishing to read about its ongoing effort to mediate the central administration of the church and the fathers abroad. It is breathtaking to get informed that they formed a team which study the church's problem and forward its solution making proposals. It fills hope in the deserted heart of the laity. We know that there are strong parishes titled in the council who can contribute much for the betterment of our mother church. We pray that this initiative won't be halted by what they call 'the enemy' (Matt. 13: 28). The enemy might be money, race, etc. These things do not have place in the one church.

So who is next? Where is the Senbet Timihirt Betoch hibret in NA? Where are the churches in Canada, South America, Europe (we heard from Germany last time), etc.

One proposal:
This blogger afraid that these (1, 2, 3, sympathetic statements from different corners are not reaching at the place where they should reach - the patriarchate, members of the Holy Synod, local media, etc. So apart from the bodies who are dispatching them, we all have the responsibility to fax, mail and email the statements to the mentioned parties. As most of them are coming out with official letter heads, it won't be a problem if any individual can send them.

AD21

Unbelievable ... Stop it!!!

My an unbeaten stand still is the laity should take their church, even when I am shocked by a reckless and ignorant activities of some laities in some parishes. Today, I read an aching rather trash letter from the parish of Kansas Debre Sahil EOTC. I am not a kind of person who is against freedom of speech or discussion. But I am disappointed by the letter because of the following reasons:

1. Wrong time and place: the season we are in [Nehase 1 - 16] has a special place in the minds and bodies of our laities. It is the time when sons and daughters of the church devoted themselves into the veneration of our Perpetual Lady Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. For them, it is an occasion for spiritual renaissance or renewal. It is the spring of their spiritual life. Through fasting, they are fighting for the mastery of their spirit over their body. They (old and young, men and women) take care for this fast in a manner that exceeds description. All these forceful ascetism is in regard of the great love of people for the Virgin. At this high time of spiritual exercise devoted to the Virgin Mary, the mentioned parish come with a point of argument which can obviously destruct the people from its spiritual meditation. And the place the parish selected to out voice its opposition is a secular internet. The parish even invited the people to attend the Archbishop's (Egyptian) sermon on the topic. What a pity? Now apart from our spiritual devotions, we are crying for god to give her his Devine solution from the complicated problem she is.

2. The Procedure: the issue they raise has been exhaustively discussed, argued, and decided. We know the church has already made her stand clear on the issue. Bunch of publications have been released institutionally and individually which carry the teaching of the ancient and Apostolic EOTC regarding the Immaculate Conception. So why they wanted to raise it now in a very unprocedural way? They are foolish even criminals if they are simply inviting the Copt Archbishop to sow what he want to sow. First, they could invite the Ethiopian Archbishops in North America or plenty of church scholars who can explain the issue and the teaching of the church to the laity. Who is the Copt Archbishop here? Okay, let it be. But is there someone from the church who can defend the much analyzed teaching of the church? Are they sure that they are raising this issue out of an innocent interest to know about the Virgin? Are they still sure that they are not serving as agents of the oppositions of the teachings of the church? Is it the right way to address this kind of issue in an open discussion where innocent parish members are participating?

My call!!!

I strongly believe that discussions are important to clear confusions and misunderstandings. But I equally believe that when the topic to be discussed goes with dogmas and canons of the church, serious care should be in place. First, there is no room for these sorts of arguments to be aired at a parish level. It is something to be rediscussed, revisited and refigured (if it is necessary at all) at the highest level of the Church's spiritual administration - the Holy Synod. As to me, I don't see any fault in the Scholars Council and the Patriarchate whom they accused of ignoring their question. It is already discussed and proclaimed in books. As a parish, they could search for the books and read.

Stop it please!!!!!!!!!!!!

AD21

Amen!!!

«yx!T×ùÃ åRèìKS tê?ì b@t KRStEÃN [QÇS] s!ñìS bmÀW _QMT 2002 ›. M s!sbsB lBz# CGéC mFT/@ XNÄ!s_ Y-b”LÝÝ´ mlSµcW xM` ¼v!åx@¼

Amen to your golden conclusion, Amaha. [Pls listen his report at VOA until 'others' post it fully] Your expectation is ours too. We expect it [the Holy Synod] to give solutions to the plenty of problems in the house. But in the aged old tradition [of the house] where voices matters than principles, we are not sure that voices are sufficiently aired to let the fathers feel their responsibility, understand what we are expecting from them in october.

My surprisings regarding yesterday's press conference:

1. Timing: in two ways - we know that public relation is one of the dead activities of the church, a big institution which runs the biggest part of the nation. The laity has long been deprived of its right to hear about the activities of the church. But when the house gets confused and frightened by the scilence of the laity, here it came now to tell us this and that - even budget of the coming fisical year. Where did it sleep for such long? The second funny thing about the timing is the date chosen for the press conference. It is Nehase 1, the beginning of the highly adored fasting season for Ethiopians.

2. Budgeting: history is recorded yesterday, wow. As far as we know, for the first time in the history of the church when the patriarchate announce its annual budget. We will wittness another remarkable history when a professionally done audit report is openly pronounced. BUT from where the house got the mentioned figure (104 mill. Eth. Birr)? The presumption is that it is a clearly cooked figure by the Ninjas. Who did approve the figure? We know that the Holy Synod didn't discuss on budgets in May as always. For which activities is the mentioned budget planned? From which account will it be payed? So, come n' friends, we are taken as puppies.

3. The Committee: we know it is castrated by the house. Of course the said four members contributed for their castration. They left their office for the Ninjas. The Ninjas are successful in that regard. And we heard from the Patriarch that 'it is their responsibility to say this and that about the wrong doings in the house' while he at the same time confirmed that some of them have quitted their jobs. The Patriarch was generous in offering them offices and materials.

What members of the Holy Synod should learn from yesterday's press conference?

1. cooking figure is usual in the house.

2. it is only the Ninjas who discuss and approve budgets.

3. the laity want to hear a deeply discussed and authorized plan by the Holy Synod, not the one by the Ninjas.

4. the laity want to hear a professionally done annual audit report.

5. the laity expect you in October to come with strong decisions and solution making strategies about the overall church's problem.

What the laity should learn fróm the conference?

1. the house is confused

2. loud our voices that the house will be okayed for change

AD21

Rich site http://www.kidistselassie.org/

On Fasting

St. John Chrysostom

Fasting is a medicine. But medicine, as beneficial as it is, becomes useless because of the inexperience of the user. He has to know the appropriate time that the medicine should be taken and the right amount of medicine and the condition of the body which is to take it, the weather conditions and the season of the year and the appropriate diet of the sick and many other things. If any of these things are overlooked, the medicine will do more harm than good. So, if one who is going to heal the body needs so much accuracy, when we care for the soul and are concerned about healing it from bad thoughts, it is necessary to examine and observe everything with every possible detail

Fasting is the change of every part of our life, because the sacrifice of the fast is not the abstinence but the distancing from sins. Therefore, whoever limits the fast to the deprivation of food, he is the one who, in reality, abhors and ridicules the fast. Are you fasting? Show me your fast with your works. Which works? If you see someone who is poor, show him mercy. If you see an enemy, reconcile with him. If you see a friend who is becoming successful, do not be jealous of him! If you see a beautiful woman on the street, pass her by.

In other words, not only should the mouth fast, but the eyes and the legs and the arms and all the other parts of the body should fast as well. Let the hands fast, remaining clean from stealing and greediness. Let the legs fast, avoiding roads which lead to sinful sights. Let the eyes fast by not fixing themselves on beautiful faces and by not observing the beauty of others. You are not eating meat, are you? You should not eat debauchery with your eyes as well. Let your hearing also fast. The fast of hearing is not to accept bad talk against others and sly defamations.

Let the mouth fast from disgraceful and abusive words, because, what gain is there when, on the one hand we avoid eating chicken and fish and, on the other, we chew-up and consume our brothers? He who condemns and blasphemes is as if he has eaten brotherly meat, as if he has bitten into the flesh of his fellow man. It is because of this that Paul frightened us, saying: "If you chew up and consume one another be careful that you do not annihilate yourselves.

You did not thrust your teeth into the flesh (of your neighbor) but you thrusted bad talk in his soul; you wounded it by spreading disfame, causing unestimatable damage both to yourself, to him, and to many others.

If you cannot go without eating all day because of an ailment of the body, beloved one, no logical man will be able to criticize you for that. Besides, we have a Lord who is meek and loving (philanthropic) and who does not ask for anything beyond our power. Because he neither requires the abstinence from foods, neither that the fast take place for the simple sake of fasting, neither is its aim that we remain with empty stomachs, but that we fast to offer our entire selves to the dedication of spiritual things, having distanced ourselves from secular things. If we regulated our life with a sober mind and directed all of our interest toward spiritual things, and if we ate as much as we needed to satisfy our necessary needs and offered our entire lives to good works, we would not have any need of the help rendered by the fast. But because human nature is indifferent and gives itself over mostly to comforts and gratifications, for this reason the philanthropic Lord, like a loving and caring father, devised the therapy of the fast for us, so that our gratifications would be completely stopped and that our worldly cares be transferred to spiritual works. So, if there are some who have gathered here and who are hindered by somatic ailments and cannot remain without food, I advise them to nullify the somatic ailment and not to deprive themselves from this spiritual teaching, but to care for it even more.

For there exist, there really exist, ways which are even more important than abstinence from food which can open the gates which lead to God with boldness. He, therefore, who eats and cannot fast, let him display richer almsgiving, let him pray more, let him have a more intense desire to hear divine words. In this, our somatic illness is not a hindrance. Let him become reconciled with his enemies, let him distance from his soul every resentment. If he wants to accomplish these things, then he has done the true fast, which is what the Lord asks of us more than anything else. It is for this reason that he asks us to abstain from food, in order to place the flesh in subjection to the fulfillment of his commandments, whereby curbing its impetuousness. But if we are not about to offer to ourselves the help rendered by the fast because of bodily illness and at the same time display greater indifference, we will see ourselves in an unusual exaggerated way. For if the fast does not help us when all the aforementioned accomplishments are missing so much is the case when we display greater indifference because we cannot even use the medicine of fasting. Since you have learned these things from us, I pardon you, those who can, fast and you yourselves increase your acuteness and praiseworthy desire as much as possible.

To the brothers, though, who cannot fast because of bodily illness, encourage them not to abandon this spiritual word, teaching them and passing on to them all the things we say here, showing them that he who eats and drinks with moderation is not unworthy to hear these things but he who is indifferent and slack. You should tell them the bold and daring saying that "he who eats for the glory of the Lord eats and he who does not eat for the glory of the Lord does not eat and pleases God." For he who fasts pleases God because he has the strength to endure the fatigue of the fast and he that eats also pleases God because nothing of this sort can harm the salvation of his soul, as long as he does not want it to. Because our philanthropic God showed us so many ways by which we can, if we desire, take part in God's power that it is impossible to mention them all.

We have said enough about those who are missing, being that we want to eliminate them from the excuse of shame. For they should not be ashamed because food does not bring on shame but the act of some wrongdoing. Sin is a great shame. If we commit it not only should we feel ashamed but we should cover ourselves exactly the same way those who are wounded do. Even then we should not forsake ourselves but rush to confession and thanksgiving. We have such a Lord who asks nothing of us but to confess our sins, after the commitment of a sin which was due to our indifference, and to stop at that point and not to fall into the same one again. If we eat with moderation we should never be ashamed, because the Creator gave us such a body which cannot be supported in any other way except by receiving food. Let us only stop excessive food because that attributes a great deal to the health and well-being of the body.

Let us therefore in every way cast off every destructive madness so that we may gain the goods which have been promised to us in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Abridged from St. John Chrysostom homilies "On Fasting"

Help them loose hope NOT!!!

the Ninjas look to be effective in two fronts. The first is to make the fathers who were steel strong to expell them out of the house feel hopless and pesimist about the October Synodal Meeting. Some of them are reported to say that they will boycot the meeting as they did when the so called resolution was drafted. If this will happen, we will stay painful looking at the pains of our mother church. The second one is on persuading those archbishops to line themselves with the other wing. There is an ongoing effort to double the number of the supporters of their evil idea. If this continues, many afraid that the viruses will stay in the house. So it would be helpful to call all the Archbishops and make our points. Let us help them to be optimistic than pesimistic.

AD21

The Bad Gets Worse...may be for Better?

The very objective of launching this blog was not to report happenings in and around the church. I know that is important since the majority of the laities do not know what is up in his or her church. But, as I made my point clear when I launched my blog, this is what I take as my corner where I cry my cries and write 'what I feel is better for my church'. My cry now is towards those who are concerned and wholeheartdly wish to see a shining church in the region of infidels. October is coming fast! Let us intensify our struggle so that our fathers can come with a decision which make us happy. Here is a brief summary of the bad developments in the compound where the Ninjas are lurked.

The Quami Synodos is an administrative body of six members of the Holy Synod (four Archbishops who are nominated by the Holy Synod General Assembly and the Secretary (also an Archbishop) who has a period of four years in office. The team is chaired by the Patriarch. The team which is to leave office and the one to come are not like the former business as usual ones. Their responsibility is high as they assumed office at the high time of the house. The going out team did try its best to execute its responsibilities; but much is expected from the going in which will serve until the much expected October.

• members of the current Quami Synodos are Abunas Lukas, Enbaqom, Sawiros, Markos, Mattewos - they are chaired by the Patriarch. In four days, the term of the team will be over and the already nominated(by the Holy Synod) will come in power.
  
• members of the to be innagurated Quami Synodos (as of Nehase 1) will be Abunas Melke Tsedeq, Yared, Thomas, Endiryas.
  
• the current Hige Bete Kiristyan was ratified in 1991 E.C. when Abune Qerlos was the General Manager of the Patriarchate.
  

The Patriarch is moving on laying 'legal' grounds to make sure that the October Assembly won't be at his pain. It is revealed that he organized a team (passing the objection of the Quami Synodos) which drafts a brand new Hige Bete Kiristiyan which he once called 'an obtuse law which was drafted in the shadow of darkness'. This is not in his command of authoriy as the Hige Bete Kiristiyan itself says, the authority to change or improve the Hig is in the full power of the Holy Synod. Anyway, for our action, the following are the members of the team formed to write the Hig.

Abune Gerima (Chairman), ? Assefa Seyoum(Secretary), Melake Selam(?) Teshome Zerihun, Addis Yeshanew, Mikre Sillassie Gebre Amanuelk, Berhanu Gebre Amanuelk, Seife Sellassie Yohannes, Yishaq Tesfaye, Nebure Ed Elyas Abrha. We hope that these well known people won't write a strange history in the church's history book. Let us call who ever we know in the team. Let us make aware members of the Holy Synod in our areas that this is goin' on.


Other Developments
The Executive Body which was assigned by the Holy Synod has ceased its function. Except the two who differed from the rest (Abunas Estifanos and Gorgorious) the rest made their stand clear that it is impossible to work with the Patriarch and left their office. My view is not positive on that decision. Why? They could move forward and make something until October; or they could tell their decision to the Holy Synod in May.

The Patriarch is trying to ease the tension in between him and Abune Samuel. He is heard that 'he (Abune Samuel) is my son as a son and father, we will settle our differences'. And there are some people who are trying to mediate. But Abune Samuel looks to be very strong and not willing to negotiate.

Why I said all these???? Not to feed information please. It is my effort to kindly ask you (laities) to do what you can do from now to October.

AD21