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“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” — Hebrews 12:1-2 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I find this as a great joy to address you all through the website of our church. May the Grace Peace and Fellowship of the Triune God be with you all. Liturgically, we are about the complete the calendar by the end of November and prepare ourselves for the new Liturgical Calendar beginning with the season of Advent from December.  Looking back, we see many reasons to praise and thank God. In November, We are reminded of the beauty of our faith’s continuity across time and eternity. We begin by honouring all saints—those known to history and those known only to God. They inspire us to live fully for Christ, showing us that our lives, too, can shine as lights for future generations. On All Souls’ Day, we lift up in prayer our beloved departed. We trust in God’s mercy and offer our prayers as a sign of our love, remembering that in Christ, death is but a passage to everlasting life. In many countries, there is a practice of observing  Remembrance Day, especially to remember the military personnel who died in service;  we pause to honor those who gave their lives in the pursuit of peace and justice. May their sacrifices inspire us to work for a world where Christ’s peace reigns. As the liturgical year concludes with the Feast of Christ the King, let us renew our commitment to Christ, our King and Lord of all creation. In His kingship, we find the perfect model of humility, love, and grace. Finally, as Advent begins, we are invited to prepare our hearts once more to receive the gift of Christ. Let us enter this season with prayerful anticipation, creating space for His light to fill us. I encourage you all to prepare yourselves for the new liturgical season, which the whole world observes as the birth of the Saviour of the World. Our hope lies in Christ Jesus and we look to him for guidance in life. May this truth instil in us forever and provide us with a solemn heart that speaks in love. May God bless you all. In Christ’s peace, Rev. Jenu John Vicar

Greetings to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ It is purely God’s grace to address you through our website for the first time as the Vicar of Holy Trinity CSI Congregation, Dublin and I thank God for all the benevolent mercies showered upon us. God has been so gracious to us for the last dozen years to be in the land of Ireland and worship with freedom. Let us praise God and thank the presbyters who served formerly as the spiritual guides to our parish. As per the church calendar, we are in the season of Lent and are journeying toward the culmination of the season. The most important days in the Lenten season, commonly called the Passion week begins with Palm Sunday (Hosanna) which marks the triumphal entry of Jesus to Jerusalem. This journey to Jerusalem on a donkey is one of the most exciting and defensive journeys that Jesus did in his earthly life. The journey is exciting because Jesus is making his ride amidst a crucial social circumstance that seeks to extinct Jesus. It is clear from the pages of the gospels that it was not so safe for Jesus to make a public appearance that too in the midst of a crowd at that point in time. In addition, the journey is only for a short distance and Jesus waits for a donkey to be brought to do the ride. Hence it is very clear that Jesus uses the donkey not as a vehicle for travel but as a sign to exhibit what he is for the many unsaved people of that land. The journey is defensive as Jesus was making a statement that the Messiah as the King of the Kingdom of God brings peace, not war by choosing a donkey to ride. Usually, the kings use a donkey to ride around when the state is in peace. Jesus was demonstrating that the way of peace is to be endorsed to listen to the cries of the people and to have a vision that responds to the pleas of the people. The word Hosanna means “Save us now”. When the crowd repeats this word, it denotes an urgency of salvation. It also brings out the fact that they are in search of a new leader, a different one, a distinct one. It requires courage and conviction to be on the side of justice. Palm Sunday, in a way, is an exhortation to stay alone and proclaim peace rather than being with the crowd endorsing injustice. The world has always shown that every triumphal entry is followed by a crucifixion. But spiritually we need to understand that every crucifixion is followed by resurrection. We all have this experience of crucifixions but do not be discouraged, we have a Lord who has won even the death. We need to present ourselves with courage and conviction, and it may not always be a ‘happy ending’, but remember it is not final or fatal, there are still days left to see things getting normal, getting back in place. May the Lord help us and bless us to continue our spiritual journey. With love and prayers Jenu Achen

Dearly beloved in Christ, God has been very good to us in getting us to the second month of this year. January reminded us to appreciate God for the blessings we had received and hope for new gifts, trusting in Him. February, the new month, contains two unique messages for us. It encourages us to purify ourselves and to give up our possessions. Firstly February was named from the Latin word Februum, which means ‘purification’, linked to the Roman purifying festival of Februa or Februatio, on 15 February. Intriguingly, the Latin term for fever is febris, which also suggests purification via sweating, a common side effect of fevers. Thus, February serves as a reminder of purification or sanitization. Secondly, one of the hypotheses regarding why February is the shortest month says that February had 30 days. Julius Caesar took a day away from those 30 days and added it to June. When Augustus became emperor, he wanted the month of August, named after him, to have 31 days. Hence, February was once again sacrificed. In other words, the month of February reminds us of the need to give up one’s rights to help others thrive. A believer’s purification and renunciation nurtured through prayer, penitence, almsgiving, and self-denial are crucial to the Church’s witness, especially as she approaches the Ash Wednesday (2 March 2022) and the Lenten Season. These qualities help us prepare for the annual commemoration of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Therefore, as a secular and spiritual community, this is the perfect moment to understand the necessity for purification and sacrifice. It is an invitation to realign our lives vertically and horizontally, vertically through confession and penitence, and horizontally through almsgiving and self-denial. Prayers and blessings, Yours-in-Christ Vijiachen