Church Fathers’ & Saints Reflections

St Ireaneus 

St Athanasius 

Dated on 17th Jan 2026 

Church Fathers & Saints Reflections 

Jesus is the Word 

We can meditate on how our Church Fathers acknowledge the importance of the Living Word, who is Jesus Christ himself. Our community founding fathers Br Victor and Br Shaji brought the charism of treasuring the Word and living the life grounded in Holy Scriptures. 

St Irenaeus. explain about Jesus the Word of God. ‘No one can know the Father apart from God’s Word, that is, unless the Son reveals him, and no one can know the Son unless the Father so wills. Now the Son fulfils the Father’s good pleasure: the Father sends, the Son is sent, and he comes.’ According to Scriptures for Gospel of Mathew Jesus says: “Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. (Matthew 11:27, NJB)” God the Father has to reveal us about His Son, and the Son fulfill the Father’s will and He choose each one of us to reveal the Father, and this we know God the Father 

‘Knowledge of the Father consists in the self-revelation of the Son, for all is revealed through the Word.’ St Irenaeus

St Athanasius quote, in one of his treatise; Discourse Against Pagan wrote: ‘But if the world is founded on reason, wisdom and science, and is filled with orderly beauty, then it must owe its origin and order to none other than the Word of God.’ 

The Word is different from all created things: he is the unique Word belonging only to the good Father. ‘In the beginning was the Word: * the Word was with God and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things came into being, not one thing came into being except through him.’ (John 1:1–3, NJB) This is the Word that created this whole world and enlightens it by his loving wisdom. He who is the good Word of the good Father produced the order in all creation, joining opposites together, and forming from them one harmonious sound. He is God, one and only-begotten, who proceeds in goodness from the Father as from the fountain of goodness, and gives order, direction and unity to creation.’ St Athanasius 

Mary Mother of God

                                                               

                   

3rd Jan 2025 

The Word of Life

Virgin Mary

Mother of God

1st Jan Feast Day of Mary the Mother of God 

On 1st Jan 2026, I felt so blessed as I was attending a Mass in Chempumukku St Michael's Church in Ernakulam. The youth Choir of the parish sang so beautifully and was exemplarily outstanding. The songs were lifting the souls of the whole congregation. The priest conducted the mass in English, and very devotedly he did the Sacrifice of Holy Mass. I was so moved by his homily about Mother Mary as it was the feast of Mary the Mother of God. 

The priest discussed the significance of the Council of Ephesus, which created new dogma in the Catholic Church and other Apostalic churches and proclaimed Mother Mary to be the Mother of God(Theotokos). 

He was describing the Doctrinal Note released by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Mater Populi Fidelis from the Vatican. Father was describing how important the title of Mary the Mother of God is. The Council decided to install the Dogma. Declares Mary as the Mother of God(Theotokos in Greek) because she bore Jesus, who is truly God and truly man man (the Hypostatic Union)He explained this doctrine of faith by adding that, the Word became flesh in the womb of Virgin Mary, the Word is Jesus, in human nature and Divine nature of God and the Word is from God the Father. So she became the Word bearer, the mother of Jesus the Lord, so she became the Mother of God. Father said quoting St Augustine is, ‘Mary was so humble and pure the Word of God slipped into the womb of Virgin Mary and Word became flesh and she conceived Jesus, the Son of God’ 

He also said, according to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith, issued a major doctrinal note in late 2025 approved by Pope Leo XIV titled Mater Populi Fidelis(Mother of the Faithful People) to use the title Co-Redemptrix. He said the Church considers the devotion to Mother Mary as she is not a mediator and she cannot be called Co-Redemptrix, but we can ask for her intercession by praying Rosary or Novenas. The Church never declared or made any decree or Dogma about this kind of devotion to Mary. He said the Church cannot give equal divinity for  Mother Mary along with Jesus. Jesus is Lord and he is the only Redeemer in the mystery of salvation and no other fourth person in the Trinitarian God. 

I was just thinking about how humble she was going to receive God's message from the Archangel Gabriel: Luke 1:28–38, which states that even though she was a virgin, she would receive God's favour and bear a son who would be known as God's son. Without original sin, she is going to become pregnant by the power of God through the Holy Spirit. Mary believed this message in a very humble way even though the consequences were so harsh and she may get the death penalty. Her submission to her husband Joseph is another illustration of her humility. The Lord's angel appeared to Joseph in Matthew 2:13–14 and instructed him to send Mary and the infant Jesus to Egypt. This was a challenging voyage, but Mary followed Joseph's instructions without questioning him and spent time in Egypt. The angel Lord appeared to Joseph once more in Matthew 2:19–20, instructing him to return to Judaea with Mary and Child Jesus. Mary respectfully followed her husband Joseph's instructions and accompanied him to dwell in Nazareth. Mother Mary's humility is seen in the fact that she always paid attention to Joseph's instructions and followed them. She is the best example of humility and has received God's highest favour by giving birth to Jesus, His only Son.