Qurbana of Christ being made Ineffective by Qurbana Fanatics

1. The Fighting Factions Failing Christ - A Reflection on Gehanta 3,a

In the revised text of the Holy Qurbana of the Zero Christ (courtesy Justice Kurien Joseph's friend) Syro Malabar Church, the third gehanta prayer was mutilated beyond recognition.  When it was introduced in the 1986 text, people like us, familiar with the earlier text felt this was unwarranted, but over the last 3 decades, we got used to it, and relished its profound praxis implication for the celebrants of Qurbana (the ordainied minister and the sacrificing assembly of the people of God).  In its first part, it referred to the two-dimensional kenosis of Jesus; viz., a) that he did not deem it necessary to hold on to the greatest good - divinity/godness and even sacrificed that status and b) subjected himself to the law (though he was above the law, and he himself was the law) of suffering and death (as humans would have to) so as to redeem those who were under the law. 

The two factions of the ritual ridden catholic christianity of Syro Malabar Church, devoid of Christ are negating these two aspects of the sacrifice. And for the convenience of both the parties, now that beautifully challenging section has been cut off from the prayer.  

One party is so adamant that we should stick to the rubrics, to the rules, to the rituals, to the age old traditions.  The other is also equally adamant and suggests that we shouldn't stick on to these very things.  In addition, the second party, is also blatantly violating the Jesus code - of being subject to the law - even if that is doing injustice to you, even if that is enslaving and not liberating. They could have suffered, the mental agony, and could have, in Christ like manner suffered, persisted, argued (not shouted) and again and again appealed to repeal the unchristlike and anti-incarnational rituals - call whatever you may, this has become idolatrous!! We have set aside Christ, and made an idol of the rituals, including the eucharistic liturgy! Woe to us - priests and the hierarchy: 

2. The Blind and Pretentious Hierarchy - Mtt 23 - adapted to Syro Malabar Hierarchy (Bishops-Priests class)

"For we bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but we ourselves will not move them with one of their fingers.  ... We make our phylacteries broad (and red) and enlarge the borders of our garments (usually the select skullcappers, but when it comes to eucharist liturgy, everyone of us).  We love the [b]best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,  greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Father - acha, pithaave, thirumeni.’  And in spite of His warning, 'do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ'; we continuously teach, teach, teach to death, and make ex-cathedra statements befooling the faithful, saying that we are 'infallible'; rather, we have become incorrigible.  

“But woe to us, priests and bishops, hypocrites! For we shut up the kingdom of heaven against poor people, making them fight on non-issues; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.  Woe to you, theologians and liturgicians, hypocrites! For you devour the Church,  and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation, than us regular ones. 

“Woe to us, priests, bishops, theologians, canonists, liturgiologists, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte - North India, Africa, South America, South Pole and when s/he is won, you make her/him twice as much a child of hell as ourselves. “Woe to us, blind guides, who say, 'Christ is not the issue, but liturgical ritual;  whoever vows by Christ, it is nothing; but whoever dares to touch the eucharistic liturgy, s/he is obliged to make amends.’   Fools and blind! For which is greater, Christ and his preaching, or the ritual that is to lead people to Christ? 

For we pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.  24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! 

I hope Christ today says this to us: Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?  

Alas, God is no longer sending prophets to warn us brood of vipers! And, no pretense, by writing all these, I am not becoming any that prophetic, but just venting out my just anger against this 'canonical dhong'!

3. SMC Liturgical Fanatics Making Qurbana Claims Ineffective: Reflection on gehenta 3,b.

The third gehanta, has a second part which makes claims of the effectiveness of the Eucharist of the Lord, His Qurbana: (free translation from Malayalam)

3.1. You accepted our human nature in order to make us participate in your divine life

(The fighting factions have reduced liturgy to a satanic ritual)

3.2. You have redeemed us who were fallen

(The fight over the eucharistic theology has made us all fall into the bottomless pitch of fanaticism and ritualism)

3.3. You have made us alive who were dead

(The factional fight has become deadly - spiritually, intellectually and now, even physically) 

3.4. Sanctified us sinners by forgiving us our sins

(The eucharist has been made a sinful observance by the factional animosity built into it)

3.5. Enlightened our intellects

(It has dulled our intellects, and whetted our basic instincts for brutal fight for territorial hegemony)

3.6. Defeated our enemies

(It has made us enemies of each other and of God; and we have defeated Christ in the process)

3.7. Glorified our weak nature through the abundance of your blessings (grace)

(It has made us a laughing stock before all - Christians and others!!)

This is the second death! Maranatha! 

Lord Jesus Come!

P.S. I suggest the qurbana thozhilalikal better take up spade, till the soil (kilakkukka), and grow millets and eat it.  Healthy 2023 to all - international year of millets.