Devotional Thoughts for the Kothine Sunday - 10th Feb 2013
Reading: From the Gospel according to St. John 2: 1-11
Dear and Respected Brethren,
After a hard and harsh preparation of about 20-21 days including the days of three days fasting, we are having the final touches of our spiritual preparation to enter the 50 days fasting along with the entire Church. The Holy Church has exhorted us to fast and she only is leading us in the fasting. The first day of the Great Lent is known as Kothine and Pethoortha. Pethoortha literally means the day on which we would have different and large quantities of dishes on our dining table. The first day of the Fasting is regarded as the day of total change in our total life style. All of us are supposed to spend more time for prayer, meditation as well as caring the poor and needy. One who advised us to fast to win the Satan and evil forces is our role model. He fasted for 40 days and we are intended to copy the style taught by our role model, Lord Jesus.
Today’s reading tells us about the marriage at Cana, where our Lord along with His mother as well as disciples were invited. And of course there is no need of an explanation of the further incidents that took place there. Let’s meditate on two verses.
1. “My hour is yet to come” (Verse- 4)
2. “Six water pots of stone after the manner of the purifying of the Jews”
About which our hour our Lord is talking? We all know that this was a part of our Lord’s answer to His mother. Which was the hour to come? St. Mary, mother of God also was aware of the hour mentioned by our Lord and that is why she did not retort to Lord Jesus. She instructed the servants to do what was ordered by her son. She was confident that her son would honor her request and will do something to rescue the hosts of the reception. She was so sure that our Lord would do something positively. For this reason we seek the continuous intercession of St. Mary, mother of God. Our Lord meant the hour of salvation, when and where wine the usual drink of those days, as His life giving blood. At the hour He took up the cup of wine and said “This is my blood, come and partake from this, so that you all would have everlasting life. You will live in me and I in you.” The hour is of salvation or re-instating of mankind in God. Are we serious of the hour of salvation? We partake the Holy mysteries every now and often. Still do we accept them with due seriousness? Let us think.
The second thought is about the six water pots. The water pots were supposed to reserve water for the purification of the Jews. We are so sure that the Jews were so particular about their external purity than their internal purity. They never bothered about their internal or spiritual purity. We are also not indifferent. We got so many traditions and rituals along with our worships and prayers. How many of us really interested about our internal sanctity and purity? Our worship year started with the sanctification. Were we able to sanctify ourselves? Or let us find out what steps were taken by us in regard to our personal purification. After sanctification Sunday we have crossed the Dedication Sunday also. Let us think whether we could dedicate ourselves to God’s full disposal. If our performance was not as desired, it is the time for us to repent and have a nice and genuine purification and dedication before entering the Great Lent.
There were six water pots of stone. The number ‘6’ is also important. The purity we attain and our dedication to God on the first day of the week must last long throughout the week or it must be the same on the remaining six days of the week. The water which was stored in the pots was not good enough to grant the users a genuine and real purification. Our Lord wanted to teach this lesson to one and all and hence He selected the six water pots for His first miracle on earth. Here we are supposed to learn the great lesson that purification is granted by God as and when a human being would repent. Repentance is a great factor of every fasting, whether it is small or big. Our preparations to enter the Great Lent started with the three days fasting where top priority was given to repentance. The repentance of the people of Nineveh was well honored by God Almighty and in the Eastern tradition it is regarded as highly appreciable. The King and the people of Nineveh fasted for 40 days and nights together.
Prayer, fasting and charity are the three weapons to be carried during the Fasting. Our Lord appreciates and honors the prayers, fasting and charity without publicity and public events. Now a days we are trying to give maximum publicity in every possible means. Let us try to fast as shown by our forefathers. Let us adopt their faith, enthusiasm and interest while observing Lent and Fasting. Let us try to fast as much as we could and let us have moderate meals throughout the Lenten season. Let us not forget the fact that our forefathers used to reserve separate pots for the Lenten Season. Though we could not have such and similar strict observation, let us try to copy their style of observation as far as we could.
May God bless us all
Jose Kurian Puliyeril
Kottayam.