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New York June 20 2005:
Metropolitan Mathews Mar Barnabas encouraged young women of the
American Diocese to make their lives a living example to their
children and to be sincere in their own lives. His Grace urged
to use Pope Shenoda of the Coptic Church as an example in their
lives. Pope Shenoda has said that he never gives a speech or
address and neither volunteers his advice as his motto is “let
people follow what I do.” Mar Barnabas was making his
presidential address at the Annual Conference of the Young Women
Samajam of the American Diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian
Church which took place on Saturday June 18, 2005 at St. George
Orthodox Church, Staten Island. The theme of this year’s
conference was “Parent’s involvement in children’s freedom.”
Metropolitan added: as a parent, your aim should be to mold your
children in the way of Jesus and to bring everyone closer to
God. One also has the right to involve in his or her child’s
life, even if it is forced involvement. His Grace also noted
that while everyone is selfish or self-centered to some extent,
parents should teach their children to be self-forgetting
through love.
The keynote speaker for this conference Fr. M.K.Kuriakose began
his speech with a quote from the introduction of the book
“Freedom by Authority,” by Late H.G. Dr. Paulose Mar Gregorios,
in which Dr. Paulose Gregorios stated that while everyone is in
the quest for freedom, no one is willing to obey each other. In
Genesis, we read that man is created in the image of God, thus,
we must be like God in our lives as we are images of God. He
pointed out that while God has the real freedom because He is
the Creator of the universe, we are also given the same freedom.
The difference is that we abused our freedom in the Garden of
Eden, and became unlike God, but, God never misused His freedom.
it also stated that the only way to give freedom is to bring the
people towards Christ through the Holy Communion. |
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Fr. Kuriakose used the
example of a typical child’s development to convey our search
for freedom in our lives. When a baby is born, its initial
search for freedom begins with its eyes, as it searches around
wildly for familiar objects and faces, and this same baby soon
starts to explore its surroundings through its sense of touch
and finally begins to turn over and crawl. Soon, this baby
starts to take very small steps and until, one day, he or she is
walking and running and is unstoppable in its search of freedom
to explore everything and anything in its sight. Achen gave
another interesting example when he remarked that we wouldn’t
have many of the luxuries we have today if certain people didn’t
defy their critics and follow through with their own search for
their freedom. In the early 1900’s, the Wright Brothers worked
very hard and produced the first airplane, and today, millions
of people around the world take this luxury for granted, as we
all have flown in the jumbo jets of today carrying almost 600
people around the globe. Could we have enjoyed this luxury had
it not been for the exploration of their limits of freedom by
the Wright Brothers? We all have studied about the first man to
climb Everest, or the first man on the moon, etc., but how many
of us are willing to allow our children to explore their inner
dreams if they convey to us that their dream is to climb the
world’s tallest mountain or to fly into space?
Fr. Kuriakose also said that the most important thing is for
parents to know their children well. Parents are the ones who
know a child best because “one who sleeps with you knows your
night fever.” Communication and an open mind are the key methods
to knowing your child better. “Parents must understand their
children by giving them ample freedom to enhance their
personalities,” Parents must impose discipline as well for it
says in Proverbs 23:13, “Withhold not correction from the child:
for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.”
Proverbs 10:13 advises parents that “a rod is for the back of
him that is void of understanding.” Parents must surely restrict
certain things and explain these restrictions to their children.
Fr .Kuriakose also insisted that parents should not sound
hateful in their reprimands as children do not hold grudges. A
parent shouldn’t stop talking to their child, even if it is for
a short time, because of something the child did. Parents must
also make an effort to monitor their children and try to meet
their friends whom they spend their time with outside of the
home.
After the speeches, there was a group discussion session in
which the attendees were split into three groups and were asked
to discuss the topic further and converse about the problems or
hurdles they have faced in their lives concerning the topic at
hand. Everyone agreed that parents must take an extra effort to
give love, affection, time, and appreciation to the children and
be open-minded in their dealing with their children by
understanding that the child is not living in the same country
or time in which the parent lived. Parents must learn to trust
their children, but, also be logical in giving freedom. Limits
should be set, as punishment should be enforced when these
limits are broken and these punishments are carried out. Prayer
life should also be encouraged in their lives through family
prayer at home.
Fr. Ninan T. Easo, Fr. Dr. C. C. Mathews, Fr. John Thomas, and
Cor Episcopos Paulose Adai also attended the Conference. The
meeting was well attended by many young women from the tri-state
area. Following registration and breakfast, the Conference began
with a prayer song by Dr. Bindhu K. Lalu and Bible Reading by
Sherin Mariam Joy. Fr. Philip C. Abraham, the vicar of the host
parish, gave a condolence speech in memory of Mr. K.K. Abraham
the twin-brother of H.G. Mathews Mar Barnabas. A moment of
silence was observed in his memory and in remembrance of Miss
Soby Mathew of Chicago. The Business Meeting was conducted by
Very Rev. Fr. Paulose Adai Cor Episcopa, the Vice President of
the Martha Mariam Samajam. Felicitations were given by Fr. Dr.
C. C. Mathews, Fr. John Thomas, and Liziamma Kuruvilla. A bible
quiz, organized by Tilly Varughese, was conducted and three
winners were awarded trophies at the end of the Conference.
There was also a raffle drawing in which four lucky attendees
were selected to receive prizes. A 50/50 raffle was also
conducted to help the unprivileged women of Kerala, by using the
money from donations from the attendees towards the purchase of
sewing machines. The Conference was blessed with the melodious
songs sung by the choir of the host parish.
The welcome speech was given by Mrs. Shyny Raju, the coordinator
of the Young Women Samajam at St. George, Staten Island, and the
vote of thanks was given by Mrs. Soffy Wilson, the Diocesan
coordinator of the Annual Conference of the Young Women Samajam. |
