The last Sunday we commemorated the liturgical New Year of Church- the ‘Koodosh Etho’ (‘Sanctification of the Church’) and this Sunday we would be commemorating ‘Hoodosh Etho’ or the dedication of the Church.
The Holy Gospel reading for the Hoodosh Etho Divine Liturgy opens up with “Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch.”(Gospel of St John 10:22,23; NKJV)
This Feast of Dedication as noted in the Gospel commemorated the rededication of the Jerusalem temple to the Lord of Israel, after it was profaned by the pagans for almost three years.
The story goes that in around BC 170, Antiochus Epiphanes invaded Judea. He came upon the Jews with a great army, and took their city by force, and sent out his soldiers to plunder them without mercy. He then forced the Jews to abandon their religion and defiled the Jerusalem Temple by dedicating it to the Olympian god Zeus. The Temple was filled with all sorts of immorality. Forbidden objects were brought into the Temple, and the altar was covered with detestable sacrifices prohibited by the Law.
There was a priest named Matthias in the village called Modin. Matthias had five sons, the eldest one was named Judas. Matthias, his sons and together with many Jewish faithful, fled to the mountains; they armed themselves and started charting out warfare against the army of Antiochus Epiphanes. After Matthias’s death, his eldest son Judas carried on the mission of liberating the country from the clutches of Antiochus Epiphanes. Resorting to guerrilla warfare and invoking the Lord to help them, Judas Maccabees and his small band were to able defeat the might of the Antiochus’s army. Judas then exhorted his brothers to go to Jerusalem to purify the Temple and rededicate it. When they reached there, they were very sorrowful and emotional to see the pitiable condition of the Temple!
Judas Maccabees and some priests then carefully cleansed the Temple, brought in new vessels, the new candlestick, new altar etc. Thus exactly after three years, the new altar was dedicated and hymns were sung to the accompaniment of harps, lutes, and cymbals. Now that the Jews had removed the shame which the Gentiles had brought, they held a great celebration.
For eight days they celebrated the rededication of the altar. It was decreed in Israel that the rededication of the altar should be celebrated with a festival of joy and gladness at the same time each year. [Referenced from a) Flavius Josephus- Antiquities of the Jews – Book XII b) Flavius Josephus- War of the Jews, Book-I c) Book of I and II Maccabees from the Holy Scripture]
Telling about the history of the early Christian Church, the Church historian Eusebius (~3rd century AD) also speaks about the dedication of the Churches after the tyranny of persecutions ended.
“After this was seen the sight which had been desired and prayed for by us all; feasts of dedication in the cities and consecrations of the newly built houses of prayer took place, bishops assembled, foreigners came together from abroad, mutual love was exhibited between people and people, the members of Christ’s body were united in complete harmony.” (Eusebius, Church History; Book 10, Chapter 3)
The Jewish festival of rededication of the Temple was known as the festival of lights. Few days’ back the Hindu brethren in our country celebrated the Hindu ‘festival of lights’- ‘Diwali’. With this history we can consider Hoodosh Eetho our liturgical Diwali wherein we are exhorted to remember the great responsibility that each one of us has been called to- to be the guiding light, through which others can see Christ.
Well, we may be the only Bible that some people ever read!
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven”. (St Mathew 5:16)
In Christ
Rincy John
Well written and good piece of information.