Friday, February 22, 2013

The Bishop in Makodiya


Doctor uncle said Theodosius Thirumeni loved to come to Makodiya. Whenever there was a problem in the diocese, some tension with the people, Thirumeni would love to leave everything for a bit and come to Makodiya  and being in Makodiya would give a great sense of peace to Thirumeni.

In Makodiya Thirumeni was like any of the other ordinary person. HG would come out and sleep under the open sky with the others, talk at length with everyone and really enjoy HG's time there.
Thirumeni would go for the village meetings, talk with the villagers, listen to their problems - HG was their Bade Father.

Going around the hallways, I could sense the simplicity of Thirumeni in the walls of the mission house. Walking around the front yard, I could see how Thirumeni loved the place, how HG had built it up with great care. The place had the life of Thirumeni still in its air. This place was Thirumeni's favorite place, the land knew its Bade Father and the Bade Father knew it. It was a relationship of great love.

(Written by Mathew Samuel (Sunil), a visitor to Makodiya in January 2013)
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Our Shepherd

Our Shepherd
HG Dr. Joseph Mar Dionysius, our Shepherd and Diocesian Metropolitan, Director of the Makodia Mission is the guiding light in our ministry

Purpose - provide a glimpse of a gigantic vision

In the past I have often heard of Makodiya and Theodosius Thirumeni's work there, but was unable to find much further details or pictures of what happens there, what Thirumeni's vision was, what is its current state etc.

This blog is a small initiative to provide some information, some visibility to this mission - which needs a lot of support and prayers. Hope this endeavor would help focus attention on this place and work that was so dear to Theodosius Thirumeni who remains one of the pioneers of mission work for the ancient Church of India.

- Mathew Samuel (Sunil)

Set up by a visionary

When Late Lamented HG Stephanos Mar Theodosius Metropolitan arrived in Makodia in the 1980s, there were no roads or civilization. It was the visionary grace of the bishop who saw potential to do Christ's work in these remote areas that brought the Indian Orthodox Church to the region.With great patience and love, the bishop and committed disciples built up the mission among the tribals - far away from Kerala, far away from what the Church considered home for many centuries.The Indian Church has now finally begun to embrace India.

Sharing Christ - not conversion

Christian "Mission" is usually mis-interpretted as "conversion" attempts - this is the result of the aggressive Western gospel works in India without properly understanding the richness of the spirituality in India. The Indian Orthodox Church does not believe in forcible conversions, or even that conversion and baptism are the ultimate goals of Christian missions. The Indian Orthodox Church, which has existed in India since the beginning of Christianity, understands India like none else, and sees mission work in its essence as "sharing Christ" which translates itself to serving the poor, loving unconditionally and working for justice. Working for the upliftment of the poor is doing Christ's work. That is gospel work, that is Christian mission - and that is what is seen in Makodiya.