I will explain myself: I didn’t like posting on this board because of how I felt about this issue of OO and it won’t change my opinion. My opinion on OO churches is little similar but I sincerely want the Malankara and OO to be reunited and commune with EO. If that is possible when that day comes I would be fully satisfied with the spiritual differences in each OO church. I wont accept these OO churches after reunification because of the way their tradition for 1500 years is far different with EO churches. But hear me out: I can respect the liturgies, the communion within OO and it’s tradition and they are powerful, refreshing and stimulating but it wont be apart of Eastern orthodoxy. This will never happen within our lifetime. My guess would be 200 years in the making of dialogue, many jurisdictions will have their own forumla of worship, but still no TRUE unity. Both spiritual communities don’t see an agreement on how the formula of worship is done on Sundays.
That is the "meat and potatoes" of my spirituality.If I am going off topic I simply state the difference between these churches in worship
Such as calendar feast days, the Malankara have feast days on the Western calendar that is not similar to many of the New calendarists. Far different! This Sunday there wont be a Public and a Pharisees service but I believe the IOC has something with the Third Sunday of lent for the fifty days (a friend of mine told me about this). Lent already started for Indians but Great Lent for Julian calendar hasn't started yet. The Jacobite churches have a Greogorian type calendar that is not equal to the EO. That’s one example. The other is Easter it should be celebrated on the Sunday when spring starts after the vernal equinox. They don’t have a Vernal equinox. But all Christians last year celebrated Pascha or “Easter” on the same day, which was Sunday. Another thing that is different are the veneration of Icons; I don’t view them as Frescos or amazing depictions of Christ but real living images that aren't suppose to be pretty but rather mawksih, I also adore the Coptic Icon of Saint Nicholas. But Icons are what Christ’s Resurrection and his Second Coming will be of the real image that we were intentionally suppose to see no different from Coptic Icons, but I’m not aware if they have an Iconstasis to uphold the images in full liturgical service. I do know that Malankara parishes don’t have Icons and never bothered to create canons for Icons. Even though this in the Seventh Ecumenical Council and OO only accept 3 of them. The church was a split group at the time of the seventh council and the OO should have continued to stress the theology of Icons, which if the divine grace and the Holy Spirit was with them then it would've been realized. But Malankara churches have Western Paintings of the Theotokos holding the Infant Jesus and the patron saint but they never taught the Icon in full use and how icons are spiritually within us. "We are the Living Icons". And I understand that Iconodules Controversy was within the West and the East but in the turn of the 21st century it is still not fully acknowledged. I know that the feasts of Mary is celebrated in India but they do not have Akathist Hymns like the Greek tradition or when Salutations happen during Great Lent of every Friday everyone recognizes the Theotokos at the splendor and beauty, their is none like it in the IOC.
Saints are not appreciated in the each other churches. I believe that no amount of talking could realise how angry EO would feel if Gregorious of Paramala or Severus of Antioch in the church would be recogized. I do have a respect for Gregorious of Paramala because he lived a pious life.I'm going to end it there
The Hymns of the Malankara are far different and dont have an approachable touch to being apart of the people from the West who want to partake in this liturgy. I went to the Russian church on Thomas Sunday and the chior had nice beautiful voices and the chanting had made me excited to continue to be in this parish. The role on REPETITION helped as I recoginize the Kontakion
Thomas touched Your life
giving side with an
eager hand O Christ Our God
when you came to your
apostles through closed doors.
He cried out with all
You are My Lord and My God
( I will always remember this chant and I feel it is preface to where I want to go in my life. Perhaps to go to in India to help in Humanitarian Aid
But here a few examples of differences any others.
