Bishop's Message - January 2025

My dearly beloved in Christ, 

God does not give up on us because He loves us with an enduring love that cannot be eroded by passing time, a love that cannot be changed by the fickle circumstances. It is God’s grace sustains us, from moment to moment and from year to year. We are called to experience this grace and recognize it in all circumstances. 

The year 2025 marks the 1700th anniversary of the world’s first Ecumenical Council, the Council of Nicaea of 325. I am sure that in a world marked by division, injustice, and lingering colonial legacies, widening gap between the rich and the poor, the Nicene faith affirmations challenges all church denominations to embody Christ’s incarnational love by pursuing justice for the oppressed, reconciliation among all people, and unity of all Christians. What are the key faith affirmations of the Nicene creed. The Creed affirms the belief in one God, the Creator of all things, and consequently this doctrine did help the church to counter false teachings. This creed affirms the doctrine of the Trinity. Beyond doctrinal affirmations the Creed helps to nurture the lived faith of believers and its role in liturgy and worship.

Let me quote Dr Jerry Pillai on the legacy of the Nicene council. To him, “As we reflect on the legacy of the Council of Nicaea, enduring with us over these years, we see that it offers us more than doctrinal clarity or historical memory. It presents us with profound invitations to shape our collective present and future. Nicaea calls us to live out our faith through actions, to journey together in conciliar fellowship, and to seek visible unity – not least through shared celebrations. But these commitments cannot stand alone. They must be firmly linked with our dedication to justice, and the decolonisation of our theological imaginations.” I am pretty sure that all our members in the diocese will explore the effects of Nicaea on ecclesiastical life and witness over the past 1700 years and up to the present day. There will be a particular focus on how reception of the first Ecumenical Council can shape the church life today in the context of post truth and post human world. 

It was more than 1,700 years ago that the Council of Nicaea convened in the year 325, bringing together bishops from across the Christian world. They met in a council to safeguard the faith of the church as revealed to us through Christ and His Church against the rising tide of false teachings such as Sabellianism, Monarchianism, Arianism, Docetism and so on.  In that moment, the Church declared, with one accord Jesus is truly fully divine and fully human, consubstantial with the Father. “We believe in one God, the Father Almighty... and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God... begotten, not made, of one substance with the Father.” Nicene creed affirms the vital four marks of the one, holy catholic and apostolic church. This faith affirmation was vital to the faith of the church since then and it remains vital for our faith. 

Let us also remember that the Nicene Creed is a call to unity. The Creed transcends denominational lines, bringing us together in our shared faith in the Triune God. In a world that is so often divided, the Nicene Creed stands as a declaration of our common bond in Christ and in His Body. 

To conclude, the context may change but our need for the grace of God, the Gospel of Christ and the faith affirmations remains the same. Something do not change. All prophets foresaw the gloomy future of Israel. But they also saw hope in Yahweh. In his old age apostle John saw the future during the exile at the island of Patmos. The world was changing and the future looked uncertain. Despite of all uncertainties and terror situations, he saw an eternity towards which all history is moving, and the creation of a new earth and a new heaven, where the tragedies of life will come to an end. (Revelation 21)

Let us recommit ourselves to living out the faith we profess in the Bible and the Nicene Creed. Let it be not just words that we recite on Sundays, but the very foundation upon which we build our lives.

Great Lent for this year will begin on March 3. Great Lent is a time of spiritual renewal, a season when the faithful are called to deepen their relationship with God through prayer, fasting, and helping others. It is a period of repentance and reflection, encouraging us to turn away from worldly distractions and embrace the grace of God. As we journey through this Great Lent season, we are reminded of the suffering of Christ and invited to grow in humility, patience, and love, preparing our hearts to fully celebrate the joy of His Resurrection. May I invite you all to practice Great Lent with utmost commitment to the Lord and to His Body—the Church. Ensure meticulous observance of the family prayer in each and every family in our diocese as we observe this year as an “year of family prayer’. May this Lent bring us closer to the eternal light of Christ and deepen our faith in the Triune God. 

With Prayerful regards

Yours’s in Christ’s service

Rt. Rev. PD. Dr. Joseph Mar Ivanios Episcopa

01st March, 2025