© St. Mary’s Malankara Catholic Church, Toronto
."The world and all that is in it belong to the Lord; the earth and all who live on it
are his." (Psalm 24: 1). The place that we call home is one of the many gifts that our
Good Lord has provided for us and so it belongs to God. When we are using something
that is not ours, we try to work extra hard to take good care of it. However, this may not
always be the case for all the things that God has given us; we sometimes tend to take
Him the gifts he's given us for granted. Taking care of the Earth is an obligation we have
as faithful people. . .
The youth of the Toronto Mission tried to do their part by participating in the Toronto
Community Clean Up as part of the Earth Day tradition. On Saturday April 24th from
10:00 to 11:30am, the youth walked along Lake Ontario and cleaned up the shoreline to
help keep Toronto beautiful. Not only was this an opportunity to work as a team, but to
also give back to the community. There was a great sense of accomplishment among the
youth knowing that we did our part as we collected about five bags of garbage on our
short walk. It was also very inspiring to see others besides our youth participating in the
community clean up. Perhaps one of the most memorable moments was when we saw a
five year old girl picking up pieces of garbage alongside her mother. When young ones
show this much dedication and passion there is no hesitation knowing that they are be-
coming aware of their responsibility for the future of our planet. . .
We as the MCYM are striving towards creating a positive impact in our neighbourhood.
With the continued help and support from the rest of the community, our efforts to pre-
serve the beauty of the Earth the way that God had intended it to be will be all the more
successful. - Leo B.
Earth Day Clean Up Initiative
MONTHLY EVENTS MAY 2010 Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 10
May 1
Sunday School Spe-
cial Mass and Ado-
ration for Children
(6:30pm)
May 2
Sunday School Bake
Sale
May 7
Women’s Prayer
Meeting at Babu and
Valsa’s Residence
(6:30pm)
May 22
Prayer Meeting at
Joshy and Ittalia’s
Residence (6:30pm)
May 23
The Feast of
Pentecost
2:00 PM Malayalam
Classes
2:30 PM Sunday School
3:30 PM Song Practice
4.00 PM Prabhatha
Namaskaram ( Prayers be-
fore the Holy Mass)
4:00-4:30 PM Confession
4.30 PM Holy Mass
Contact Information: Fr. John Kuriakose,
222 Ridley Blvd,
Toronto, ON, M5M 3M6
Tel: (416) 485 7781
Sunday Liturgy
Malankara Catholic Church St. Mary’s Mission Toronto
St. Eugene’s Chapel◊13 Regina Avenue◊Toronto, Ontario◊M6A 1R2 [email protected]
www.stmarysmalankaracatholicchurchtoronto.ca
INSIDE THE ISSUE
Holy Week 2
The Feast of Divine
Mercy 3-4
Liturgy of the
Month 4
The Feast
of Pentecost 5
© St. Mary’s Malankara Catholic Church, Toronto
The Malankara liturgical
year is divided into seven
main seasons; namely An-
nunciation (Suboro),
Christmas (Yeldo-Denho),
The Big Fast (Saumo
Rabo), Resurrect ion
(Kyomtho), Pentecost,
Transfiguration, and
Sleebo. Out of these, the
third season, Lent, is the
most blessed time of the
year. During this time pe-
riod, we commemorate the
forty day fast of Jesus, His
public life, and His pas-
sion, and His death on the
cross for us sinners. Ac-
cording to the Malankara
rite, we observe fifty days
of fasting; forty days of
lent is marked on
‘Nalpathaam Velly' (40th
Friday) just before the
Holy Week, however, the
fast continues and com-
pletes on Easter Sunday.
On Palm Sunday, The
Malankara Mission of
Toronto commemorated
the triumphant entrance of
Jesus into Jerusalem
(Matthew 21) with the pro-
cession around the church
c a r r y i n g t h e
‘kuruthola’ ( palm leaves),
followed by Holy Mass. Fr.
John shared with the faith-
ful the importance of
prayer during Holy Week
and suggested that if possi-
ble, nearby families should
gather and do the evening
prayers together during the
week.
The following Wednesday
evening, the faithful gath-
ered at the church to cele-
brate Pesaha (Holy Thurs-
day), by taking part in the
Holy Qurbono. There was
time for confession before
Holy Mass and Fr. John
reminded us about the
importance of a good
con fes s ion befo re
Easter. He said that in
order for an individual
to be fully blessed, he or
she must repent for their
sins from their heart and
that confession is a
blessed sacrament which
would help them to do
so. After the service, the
priest blessed the pesaha
appam the congregation
shared with each other .
The Good Friday service is
the longest service of the
Malankara Liturgy as men-
tioned in the previous
month’s article. This year,
Dhukkavelli services be-
gan at 8 am and finished
by 1:30 pm. There were
many special prayers, as
well as a symbolic repre-
sentation of the burial of
our Saviour. Prior to the
end of the service the
Cross (Sleebo) was
anointed with aromatic
spices, and wrapped in a
clean linen cloth. The
Sleebo (which symbolizes
the Body of Christ) was
then ‘buried’ in the Sac-
risty. The service ended
with the faithful taking a
s p o o n f u l o f
‘kaipumneeru’, a bitter
liquid, to commemorate
the sour wine which was
given to Jesus. Then as a
community, we gathered
at Raju Mamootil’s house
and took part in a blessed
meal.
Easter is the foundation of
our faith. Without Easter,
the cross would not have a
meaning in Christian life.
The black cloth on Gol-
gotha which symbolises
the death of Jesus on
Dhukkavelli is replaced by
a red cloth, once again to
represent our risen Sav-
iour.
Page 2 Malankara Catholic Church
Holy Week and Easter Sunday
We had a procession
around the church, fol-
lowed by blessings of
Sleeba, which is one of the
important services of
Easter. Blessing the four
corners of the globe is very
symbolic; the kingship of
Lord over the earth, word
of God spread among peo-
ple and salvation received
is signified. Jesus was born
through Virgin Mary by the
power of the Holy Spirit to
redeem us from our sins. It
was not a miscalculation of
God’s plan that led to the
death of Jesus, but it was
according to the will and
plan of God that Jesus died
on the cross. Why? Well, to
save me and you—it
was an act with eter-
nal significance! The
resurrection makes it
known to us that we
have to believe
through the eyes of
God. Often, it might
not be in the shape
we expect, or at the
time we want it, but
God has a plan and it
is be beautiful in His
time. Trust in Him.
Trust in His plan and you
will not want. Jesus de-
parted from our sight so
that He could return to our heart. Open the door and let
Him in and He will work
miracles in your life. -Deepthi W.
© St. Mary’s Malankara Catholic Church, Toronto
The Feast of Divine Mercy,
celebrated on the Octave of
Easter (the Sunday after
Easter Sunday), is a rela-
tively new addition to the
Roman Catholic liturgical
calendar. On this Feast, we
are celebrating the Divine
Mercy of Jesus Christ, as
revealed by Christ Himself
to Saint Maria Faustina
Kowalska. This feast was
extended to the entire
Catholic Church by Pope
John Paul II on April 30th,
2000, the day that he canon-
ized Saint Faustina.
On Good Friday, 1937, Je-
sus requested that Blessed
Faustina make a special
novena before the Feast of
Mercy, from Good Friday
through the following Satur-
day. Jesus also asked that a
picture be painted according
to the vision of Himself as
the fountain of mercy. He
gave her a chaplet to be re-
cited and said that it was
appropriate to pray the
chaplet at three o'clock each
afternoon (the Hour of
Great Mercy).
Jesus to Sr. Faustina
"[Let] the greatest sinners
place their trust in My
mercy. They have the right
before others to trust in the
abyss of My mercy. My
daughter, write about My
mercy towards tormented
souls. Souls that make an
appeal to My mercy delight
Me. To such souls I grant
even more graces than they
ask. I cannot punish even
the greatest sinner if he
makes an appeal to My
compassion, but on the
contrary, I justify him in
My unfathomable and in-
scrutable mercy. Write:
before I come as a just
Judge, I first open wide the
door of My mercy. He who
refuses to pass through the
door of My mercy must
pass through the door of
My justice.
From all My wounds, like
from streams, mercy flows
for souls, but the wound in
My Heart is the fountain of
unfathomable mercy. From
this fountain spring all
graces for souls. The
flames of compassion burn
Me. I desire greatly to pour
them out upon souls. Speak
to the whole world about
My mercy." -- Excerpted
from Diary of Sr. M. Faustina Kowalska.
The image of the merciful
Jesus is based on a vision
Saint Faustina had on Feb-
ruary 1931. In it Our Lord
is pictured in the act of
blessing, with two rays,
one red and the other white
(representing blood and
water), shining from his
heart. The words "Jesus, I
trust in you" are placed at
his feet. n
Copies of this image are
today found in many
churches all over the world
-- a sign of the rapid exten-
sion of this devotion.
Concerning the Feast of
Mercy Jesus said:
Whoever approaches the
Fountain of Life on this
day will be granted com-
plete forgiveness of sins
and punishment. (Diary
300)
I want the image solemnly
blessed on the first Sunday
after Easter, and I want it
to be venerated publicly so
that every soul may know
Page 3
The Feast of Divine Mercy
about it. (Diary 341)
This Feast emerged from the
very depths of My mercy,
and it is confirmed in the
vast depths of my tender
mercies. (Diary 420)
On one occasion, I heard
these words: My daughter,
tell the whole world about
My Inconceivable mercy. I
desire that the Feast of
Mercy be a refuge and shel-
ter for all souls, and espe-
cially for poor sinners. On
that day the very depths of
My tender mercy are open. I
pour out a whole ocean of
graces upon those souls who
approach the fount of My
mercy. The soul that will go
to Confession and receive
Holy Communion shall ob-
tain complete forgiveness of
sins and punishment.* [our
emphasis] ... The Feast of
Mercy emerged from My
very depths of tenderness. It
is My desire that it be sol-
emnly celebrated on the first
Sunday after Easter. Man-
kind will not have peace un-
til it turns to the Fount of
My Mercy. (Diary 699)
Yes, the first Sunday after
Easter is the Feast of Mercy,
but there must also be deeds
of mercy, which are to arise
out of love for Me. You are
to show mercy to our
neighbours always and eve-
rywhere. You must not
shrink from this or try to
absolve yourself from it.
(Diary 742)
I want to grant complete
pardon to the souls that will
go to Confession and receive
Holy Communion on the
Feast of My mercy. (Diary
1109) (Cont’d Next Page)
Malankara Catholic Church
© St. Mary’s Malankara Catholic Church, Toronto
Page 4
As you can see the Lord's
desire for the Feast in-
cludes the solemn, pub-
lic veneration of the Image
of Divine Mercy by the
Church, as well as personal
acts of veneration and
mercy. The great promise
for the individual soul is
that a devotional act of
sacramental penance and
Communion will obtain for
that soul the plenitude of
the divine mercy on the
Feast. On the Feast of Di-
vine Mercy, plenary indul-
gence is given.
A plenary indulgence
means that by the merits of
Jesus Christ, the Blessed
Virgin Mary and all the
saints, the full remission of
the temporal punishment
due to sacramentally for-
given sins is obtained. The
person becomes as if just
baptized and would fly
immediately to heaven if
he or she died in that in-
stant.
A partial indulgence means
that a portion of the tempo-
ral punishment due to for-
given sin is remitted. Partial
indulgences are received ei-
ther by doing some act to
which a partial indulgence is
attached (e.g. praying a par-
tially indulgenced prayer), or
by the incomplete fulfillment
of the conditions attached to
a plenary indulgence.
Going to confession is not
the only way we should pre-
pare ourselves for Divine
Mercy Sunday. As Cardinal
F r a n c i s M a c h a r s k i ,
Archbishop of Krakow, Po-
land explains in a 1985 pas-
toral letter, we are not simply
called to ask for God’s mercy
with trust. We are also called
to be merciful:
“Our own merciful attitude is
likewise a preparation. With-
out deeds of mercy our devo-
tion would not be real. For
Christ does not only reveal
the mercy of God, but at the
same time, He places before
people the demand that they
conduct themselves in life
with love and mercy. ...it is
the commandment of love and
the promise: "Blessed are the
To observe the Feast of Mercy, we should: 1. Celebrate the Feast on the Sunday after Easter;
2. Sincerely repent of all our sins;
3. Place our complete trust in Jesus;
4. Go to Confession, preferably before that Sunday;
5. Receive Holy Communion on the day of the Feast;
6. Venerate the Image of The Divine Mercy;
7. Be merciful to others, through our actions, words,
and prayers on their behalf.
Be sure to take advantage of God's Mercy on Divine
Mercy Sunday!
(Note: To venerate a sacred image or statue simply means to perform some act or make some gesture of deep religious respect toward it because of the per-son whom it represents ‑ in this case, our Most Mer-ciful Saviour.)
Observing The Feast of Mercy
merciful, for they shall ob-
tain mercy' (Mt 5:7). Let it
be a mercy that is forgiving
and true, and universal, with
good words, deeds, and
prayer for others!"
Our Lord's words to Saint
Faustina about this require-
ment to be merciful are very
strong and leave no room
for misinterpretation:
"Yes, the first Sunday af-
ter Easter is the Feast of
Mercy, but there must also
be acts of mercy ... I de-
mand from you deeds of
mercy, which are to arise
out of love for Me. You
are to show mercy to your
neighbours always and
everywhere. You must not
shrink from this or try to
excuse or absolve yourself
from it" (742).
-Br. Jobin T.
Liturgy of the Month
Week Gospel Readings Epistles Old Testament Readings/Reader
May 2 Luke 24: 36-39 Jesus Appears to His Disciples
Acts 10 34-43
2 Cor 5:17-21
Ex 34:10-17
Job 42:7-17
Isa 49:8-13
Rajan Powath
May 9 John 16:16-24 Sadness and Gladness
Acts 13:44-52
Col 3:1-11
Deut 16:10-12
Pro 10:1-13
Isa 28:23-29
Reji Mani
May 16 John 16:5-11 The Work of the Holy Spirit
Acts 1:12-14
Eph 1:15-23
Ex 6:1-8
Wis 12:1-11
Isa 44:21-28
Joshua Joseph
May 23 John 14:15-24 The Promise of the Holy Spirit
Acts 2:1-13
1Cor 12:4-11
Ex 19:1-15
Prov 2:1-15
Joel 2:28-32
Rajesh Jacob
May 30 John 6:25-33 Victory over the World
Acts 2:14-21
Rom 8: 1-11
Gen 41:37-45
Josh 5:1-9
Jer 29:4-14
Justin Joy
Malankara Catholic Church
© St. Mary’s Malankara Catholic Church, Toronto
Page 5
Hol y Fa ther ’s Pra yer In tentions
APRIL 2010
Fundamentalism and Extremism
General: That every tendency to
fundamentalism and extremism
may be countered by constant re-
spect, by tolerance and by dia-
logue among all believers.
Persecuted Christians
Missionary: That Christians per-
secuted for the sake of the Gospel
may persevere, sustained by the
Holy Spirit, in faithfully witnessing
to the love of God for the entire
human race.
Congratulations
Sarah Alex celebrated her First
Holy Communion
The Feast of Pentecost
Liturgical Cycle
Ariyippu Kalam Nov 1 – Dec 20
Deneha Kaalam
(Elda kalam)
Dec 21- Feb 21
Valiya Nombu
Kalam
Feb 22 – Apr 11
Kyamtha Kalam Apr 12 – May 30
PentiKosthi
Kalam
May 31 – Aug 5
Tejaskarana
Kalam
Aug 6 – Sept 13
Sleeba Kalam Sept 14 – Oct 31
COFFEE SPONSORS
May 2 Sunday School Bake Sale
May 9 Santhosh & Aswathi
May 16 Leslie & Reni
May 23 Justin & Leena
May 30 Jaison & Jessy
Malankara Catholic Church
Pentecost Sunday, which marks the end of the Easter Season, celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the
Disciples of Christ. It is celebrated seven weeks (50 days) after Easter.
© St. Mary’s Malankara Catholic Church, Toronto
Page 6 Malankara Catholic Church
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