“Rise, let us be going,'' said Jesus Christ amidst the Holy Supper. Mar Thoma Evangelistic Association that organises the Maramon Convention, billed as Asia's largest annual Christian meet, has taken this thought-provoking Biblical line as the theme of this year's spiritual retreat.
Addressing the 117th annual meet on Tuesday, Dr Philipose Mar Chrysostum, senior Metropolitan of the Mar Thoma Church, said this Biblical line encapsulates the truth that evil co-exists with whatever we consider as good and vice-versa. Mar Chrysostum said we cannot find a person who did not have anything good in him or a person perfect who does not have even a semblance of evil in him.
According to him, happiness and sorrow have its base in our attitude towards life. The previous Maramon Convention had taken the Biblical line, "Where are you ? Where is your brother ?'' as its theme and the faithful should link it with this year's theme of "Rise, let us be going''. Believers should take it in its right sense or rather in a sociological perspective that they should go and help their fellow beings who are in need of help, says the Metropolitan. Mr Chrysostum has called upon the believers to pray for reducing their sorrows and not to eliminate the sorrows. They have to "rise'' for lending a helping hand to their homeless and suffering "brotheren'' and this is what exactly the message encapsulated in the themes of the two consecutive Maramon Conventions, he said.
He said the believers should "rise'' to do good for the ailing people and society as a whole, firmly upholding the Christian tradition of love, compassion and service to the society. Baselius Cleemis Catholicos, Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, and Archbishop of Thiruvalla, Thomas Mar Coorilos, also spoke. Gregorios Mar Stephanos Episcopa, presided the forenoon session.
Rev Martin Alphons, evangelist from the United States of America, delivered the keynote address at the afternoon session presided by Mathews Mar Makarios Episocpa. Thomas Mar Themotheos Episcopa addressed the convention, later, in the evening. Thomas Mar Thethos Episcopa presided.
Ecumenical meet
The Ecumenical Meet as part of the week-long convention will be held on Wednesday. Dr Joseph Mar Thoma, Metropolitan of Mar Thoma Church, will preside over the meet. Bishop Dharmaraj Rasalam and Enosdas Pradhan of Church of South India will also address the meet.
