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Showing posts from March, 2023

40th Friday of The Great Lent & Raising of Lazarus Saturday

    40th Friday of The Great Lent  The Syriac Orthodox Church places great importance on the Fortieth day of Great Lent, 40th Friday. This day is significant in the church's history and traditions. It marks the memory of Jesus Christ's fasting and praying for forty days, Satan's temptation of him, and Jesus' eventual triumph over temptation and gaining dominion over Satan. According to the biblical account, Jesus spent forty days and forty nights in the wilderness, fasting and praying before beginning his public ministry. During this time, Satan appeared to him and tempted him with various offers, attempting to sway Jesus away from his divine purpose. However, Jesus resisted all temptation and emerged victorious, earning dominion over Satan. This day reminds the faithful of the importance of fasting, prayer, and vigilance in the face of temptation and deception. Satan and his followers continue to twist and misinterpret the Word of God, but through fasting and prayer, b

The Feast of the Annunciation (Suboro)

  "So the Holy thing which shall be born of the virgin shall be called Holy & the Son of God." (Luke 1:35) The Feast of the Annunciation (Suboro)  March 25th In the Syriac Orthodox Church calendar, the Feast of the Annunciation to Saint Mary (Suboro) is a significant event, and it commemorates the announcement made by the angel Gabriel to Mary, a Jewish girl in Nazareth, that she would conceive a child who would be the Son of God. During this season of Lent, it is celebrated on March 25th (9 months before Christmas). The Church celebrates this Feast twice a year. The other instance happens before the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord, during which a few Sundays, which starts two weeks after the Qudosh Etho Sunday, are arranged to commemorate all the important events related to the Incarnation of Christ. Among those Sundays, the third Sunday after Qudosh Etho is assigned for the Annunciation to St Mary. The Annunciation event, described in the Gospel of Luke, recounts how

The Mid Lent and The Feast of King Abgar The Black & Mor Habib Sahdo

The Mid Lent of the Syriac Orthodox Church is a time of great devotion, fasting, and prayer. It marks the midpoint of the Holy Great Lent and is a time for believers to deepen their spiritual connection with God. On the 25th day of the great lent, the Holy Cross/Sleebo will be placed in the middle of the church, a central part of the ceremony of the Mid lent service. The history of this practice can be traced back to the Old Testament, where Moses placed a bronze serpent in the middle of the camp to save the people of Israel from the fiery serpents that plagued them. This act foreshadows the crucifixion of Christ and the salvation that comes through his death on the cross. The Holy Sleebo is a visible symbol of this salvation and an invincible weapon against the evil one. During the Mid Lent, the Menartho / Gogultho is placed in the middle of the church, and the living and life-giving Sleebo is raised on it. This is a powerful reminder of the great truth that has come down to lead us t