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Dear All,
Welcome to OLC (Orthodox Learning Centre), Study wing of SG-OCYM, Kuwait for Patristic and Apologetic Studies. OLC is created under the patronage of Vicar, Fr. Raju Thomas and blessings of Asst. Vicar Fr. Reji C Varghese. The main objective of OLC is to facilitate continued informal education for Orthodox Laity and guide them to lead an Orthodox way of Life.
To introduce the rich tradition of Orthodoxy Dogma, Holy Liturgy and Holy Scripture to all faithful. Protect our faithful from sectarian movements and empower our next generation to be the ambassadors of Orthodoxy. You will receive communications in the coming days on how this will be imparted. As a first step, we have created a forum to raise all queries regarding Orthodox faith, Theology, Tradition, and Holy Scripture.
All queries can be addressed to way2orthodoxy@gmail.com and this will be answered by experts.
Request your earnest prayers and extended support for this initiative. Please share your ideas, feedbacks and comments which will make us improve further.
Shlomo Amogh,
OLC TeamSubjects
Journey to Nicea: “Pax Romana era, Heresy of Judaizing
Journey to Nicea: “Establishment of Church at Antioch AD 34”
Questions raised by a faithful on Orthodoxy
1. What is the difference between pampakkuda and shimmo namaskaram and which one should be followed according to the church?
Pampakuda namaskaram is an abridged form of Wednesday prayers of S’himo namaskaram. It has imprimatur from the patriarch of Antioch for the use of laity in our Church. The imprimatur still holds and therefore that is the one prescribed for the laity. It does not mean that S’himo can not be used by laity. As a matter of fact it was meant for the common use. In our Church in Malankara this became the official prayer book of the clergy.
2. Is there any prescribed dietery protocol/suggested food menu for the lent/fast days? also fasting should be upto 3pm or 6pm? (i understand the basic rules of avoiding meat,milk,egg etc.)
Regarding the meal protocol during lent, the primary one comes from Turkey where they totally avoided meat, fish and dairy products. But in 1930s the patriarch excluded fish from the list. But even now people in Turkey as well as those in India omit all these. According to the Canon of the Church saumo or fasting is till 3 in the afternoon. But here again people of Turkey earlier used to abstain from food till evening.
3 In the Holy Qurbana,during the first benediction ,we are making the sign of cross thrice.For the second and third benediction ,should we make it thrice or one each?
As a matter of fact, people are not supposed to draw the cross on themselves when a person, higher in status, blesses them with the sign of a cross. They are supposed to set their right hand on the chest and bow their heads down. Drawing the sign of the cross is to sanctify. When some one is sanctifying another person, that person is supposed to receive that sanctification humbly. If that person himself/herself draws cross on, then strictly speaking, it will be a disrespect towards the person sanctifying others.
There are strictly only three times a person should draw the cross on self. One, when you see the cross or hear the word cross you draws the cross on self. Two, when the Trinitarian name ‘Father Son and Holy Spirit' is heard or said. Third, when someone wants to bless themselves with a pronouncement of the word cross. We in Malankara, for some reason, never understood these nor have followed strictly the pattern through which we draw the cross on ourselves. Cross has to be drawn on self with three fingers with one finger standing a bit projected than the other two fingers that are folded touches the forehead first, then comes to the belly button region of the body, then to the left shoulder and then to the right shoulder. The person will bow the head during drawing the cross. Most of the people hit the middle of the chest a couple of times and call it drawing the cross.
Shlomo Amogh.
OLC Team.
way2orthodoxy@gmail.com