Episode 66: Sit down with Father G

In the name of the glorious Trinity, Father and Son and Holy

Spirit forever. Amen.

Glory be to the everlasting mercies which sent you to us, O

Christ, the Light of the world and the life of all.

Give us wisdom by your law and enlighten our impulses by your

knowledge. Sanctify our souls by your truth

and grant that we may be obedient to your words and may

fulfill your commandments at every hour, O you.

Who enlightens the rational with the knowledge of your greatness?

Do enlight, O my Lord, our thoughts that we may meditate

upon your holy and divine scriptures at all times, O Lord

of all. Father and Son and Holy Spirit

forever. Amen.

Psalm 119 verse nine reads. How does a young man purify his

way? And he gives us the answer to

keep your commandments. It is an honor for me to have a

special, very special guest very dear to the heart.

My brother core Bishop give Arges Rashu, known as Father G

from the Saint Mary's Assyrian Church of the East Parish in Los

Angeles and also the. The President of the National

Executive Committee, NEC. I will refer to him as Rabi

Rabi, means teacher. This is how we refer to our

spiritual fathers, the priests. Our Reverend Fathers, Rabi Rabi,

welcome, great great to have you on with us.

Thank you, dear brother. I am humbly honored.

Honestly, I'm humbly honored to be part of this wonderful

program which I have heard so much about.

Thank you for the opportunity. Thank you for your service, dear

brother Vice Jinard. Thank you for what you do, and I

pray that the Lord will guide us through this talk through His

interview, that we may glorify Him and all that we say.

I mean at all times. We are recording at the National

Youth Conference, the North American National, No, it's a

North America Youth conference, the 35th Youth Conference.

We are in Sacramento. So this program or this episode

was recorded when we were at the National Executive, the National

Youth Conference. Robbie, please just enlighten

the listeners a little about the National Executive Committee.

The National Executive Committee consists of 16 members.

It is a committee representing all four diocese in United

States and Canada, which we're calling North America, And the

executive branch of it, which is the president and vice president

and secretary and treasurer, are appointed.

In this way, the bishops choose the president and the president.

Chooses his vice president, his cabinet, his vice president, his

secretary and his treasurer with the approval of the bishops, and

then each diocese, each Bishop appoints 3 representatives from

the respectable diocese. And that's how the 12 and the

four can combine together the 16 members of the national or the

executive committee of. The Youth for North America.

We know that the the, the, the, the foundation of the Youth

Association was founded by the late His Holiness, smarter than

her, of blessed memory. When did NEC actually come into

fruition or who found it and how it did it, How was it

established? The way the way the NEC started,

it was a a fruit or a branch or a product of the youth

conference itself, the youth. Conference started 37 years ago,

even though it's the 35th, because we had missed a couple

years 37 years ago by some youth members who had.

We had, as you say, the late patriarch had established the

youth association within parishes and as these youth

parishes were growing, some of the youth leaders within these

parishes decided. To get together by back then

called calling it a convention, a youth convention.

And their aim was their goal was just to connect with other youth

of other PR issues. So it started small.

Of course it started small. It was a weekend thing.

It was a Saturday, Sunday kind of thing.

It started small with I remember the first one being part of it.

It was 80 participants and then. It grew into a national

conference and a few years ago into the North America

Conference, which consists of Canada, United States parishes.

Few years back during still the time of his whole, the late,

his, the late, his onlyness, Martha the Patriarch, Martha the

4th. It was during his time when a an

official committee was established, and as you remember

it was. His Holiness, now His Grace.

Then Marawa became the 1st president.

You and I were both part of that committee.

And then for seven years, he led as president until right before

his election as patriarch. Then the 2nd president came into

office, and that's how it formed itself, I believe.

It's still building itself, forming itself as we experience.

New paths. So.

But then, glory be to God, it's it's in a good place right now,

heading in the right. Direction I began with some 119

verse 9. How does a youth or a young man

purify his way? But, and the answer is to keep

your commandments. What are the steps and what are

the strives that the National Executive Committee has engaged

itself into? On a on a diocese level and on a

Northern America level, what are some of the programs or what are

some of the the endeavors that the the NEC has engaged in to

bring this verse into fruition in the lives of the youth?

The NEC plays the role of the older brother, for example, Big

Brother, Big Brother. Encouraging, strengthening,

guiding. Walking along the younger

brother. So in many ways we look at the

local level parish youth parishes within the parishes,

the youth on the local levels. We look at them as the younger

brother and and the older brother's duty is to guide,

protect, strengthen, talk, to establish relationship with the

younger brother. And that's how I feel the NEC

has been. To the local level youth

committees and and and in that sense having a conference where

it's looked upon as a reward for the local parishes, for the

members looked upon as a reward for them.

To if you are part of us, you are rewarded with something big,

something nice. You belong to a a larger group.

You belong to a larger family. And we've seen that success

throughout the years at this conferences.

I'm sure there's been a lot of struggles and trials and

challenges, of course. Can you name a few?

And what the NEC is doing to overcome?

Just like any journey, it's a journey of life and as we live

through the journey, we experience difficulties,

challenges because we live. In a fallen world, there are

temptations. It's a war.

And so, just like in our normal life, we face these challenges,

we face them also as a group, as a family.

And some of these challenges, for example, is losing our young

to to the world. For example, theme of this

conference is not of this world. Why did we talk about it?

Why are we establishing these lectures and the themes?

And because we we want to arise that that fate, that that love

towards Christ which is our true life.

And we have to be able to show these young people the

difference between the world. The fallen world that we live in

and the world God created us for.

And so of course it's a great challenge because it's much

easier the the road is wide and and it's easy for people to walk

and it you know the the one of the fallen world and so to come

to a young 141516 year old and persuade them or show them the

truth. It takes a lot of work, you

know, it's not easy, but that's what parents do all the time,

right? Is steer their kids in the right

direction. And that's what the youth, the

NAC's job is to be that older brother and to overcome those

challenges and to to speak their language.

Because some of the challenges are are the culture shock, for

example, our parents, our culture, our church, our

liturgies. We're done in different times,

in different play, in different place of the world through it

was formed in a different culture and now our children are

in a totally different place, different language, different

culture, different challenges, different world.

It just seems night and day and to.

Bring them to something that that dates back 1000 years.

It's not easy, so you have to find a tool of today to help

them see why why A prayer was created in the 7th century this

way, for example. So you'd have to be able to

paint that picture for them and make it easy for them to accept.

And I that's one of the challenges I see in the work

that we. Do I mean and and and the themes

of the the conferences themselves.

Correct me if I'm wrong, Robbie. They are presented in in a

different perspective within the Church.

I believe the Church Fathers, the liturgy, the the sacraments.

Is that helping the youth when they you know the theme is not

of this world and we have a presenter that's presenting.

This theme from the perspective of the liturgy or the

sacraments, is there a Does it? Does it affect their thinking

and understanding and enlighten them?

I believe because the presenters, which you know with

with due respect are doing a great job, the presenter is

bringing for example say that from the great Okay, 3rd, 4th

century, 1600 years ago. Okay.

One of the great fathers. Renowned.

Very. Quite renowned throughout the

whole church now. Many young people hearing the

name St. Ephraim wouldn't relate to they

wouldn't know what it is. But when when explained in their

language, Okay in today's terms, you know, one of the presenters

explained St. Ephraim in such a simple way.

Where they were at, ah, they were at ah, they we didn't know

that so you know. That simplest simplicity in the

terms simplicity in the way it's presented like application, so

it really is helping you know, Paul said.

You know when you're young this is the kind of food you do and

when you're older this is the kind of food you take.

So that's it's really based on that publical.

Thought. Apart from our young man meeting

our young sisters and some receiving the holy matrimony,

you know, some people approached me, said I'll be, you know,

let's call a spade a sabe. There are a few young men here

who actually are looking to find someone to, you know to get

acquainted with and maybe one day God will impend Allah to be

married. Apart from those success

stories, which we have a few. In this conference, we have the

children of a couple that met at one of the conferences.

What are some of the other success stories from the

National Executive Committee? I believe our #1 mission and

goal has been throughout the years, especially in the later

years where we understood more. Our mission has been to bring

these young people to Christ, and I believe we're working much

harder at it now than before. In the beginning, I remember 37

years ago, we didn't understand that concept much.

We were all young. But now that those who were

young have become fathers, and grandfathers have learned

throughout the experiences the need of what the mission should

be and how it should be steered. And so bringing them to Christ

has been our number of mission, and I believe.

I I see success. I personally success and I hear

from parents, from you themselves testimonies of how

life are changing. You know, they're coming up to

me and saying, you know, so and so presenter said this three

years ago. It impacted my life.

It made, it changed my decision. So that's the greatest thing

that you know we see the change in people's life, the how

they're being touched and how. They're changing paths and

choosing right and also many of the clergy that we have today,

our product of the youth. I mean His Holiness.

His Holiness the Patriarch of the Church, well, I remember,

you know, at one time before he became President of the youth,

he was a member of the youth. He was a young member of the

youth and became part of the youth and chose.

You know, I'm sure it was God's choosing, but chose to serve the

Lord. And now you know.

Look how blessed the Church is to have such a patriarch.

And many of the Dikas you see today, serving as you know, our

product of the youth. And presenting very well to you.

And I are product of the youth. I am Zaman, yeah.

We're. Not youth anymore, but we're

prodigating. Speak with yourself, right?

You mentioned something very important, that it sometimes

takes a hymn, a verse. It brought to mind John, chapter

John 4:18

4, verse 18. The lady at the well Christ

engaged in the conversation with her, but when he said to her you

have 5 husbands and the one you whom I'm now is not your

husband, touch the heart. It was a rebuke.

And she went and converted a whole city back to Christ and

and and that is so evident in in you know you don't.

I always say you'll never have 100% success rate.

But what God wants and permits his will there will be a success

rate. I know that there is another

ministry currently under the the auspices of the NEC.

But eventually it will be a new ministry, salt and light, and I

know you have been quite engaged in establishing it.

Just tell us a little bit about that.

The salt and light is a product of a need.

What we saw as as servants in the youth ministry, what we saw

that when our young were reaching the ages of 2526.

They were not engaging in our programs as youth anymore

because they felt they're older, they're getting married, they're

having children. And so the need was to establish

a ministry that they can belong to, that they can be part of.

And speaking, you know, discussing these issues at our

NEC, what should we do? These are, you know, these are

our members still and part of us, and now they're not and so

this. The discussion brought about

this thought of having establishing a new ministry and

it's called the salt and light, the association of salt and

light of the syringes of the East.

And the reason it's called that, you know, because of what the

Lord called us to be the salt and light.

And so upon this verse this ministry is established and the

mission of the this ministry is to to.

Have these young people between the ages of 25 to 40 become the

salt and light that the Lord has caused to be.

And so now we have committees established in Los Angeles, in

Phoenix or Arizona area, Phoenix, Gilbert, Chandler.

Those areas we have one established for the Chicago

area. Chicago and the suburbs, of

course. And we are in process of

establishing with your help dear brother, the one in California

or we might have to depending on the decision of the diocese and

the need. And then I was just speaking to

the Bishop of Canada. I believe in October if I'm not

mistaken we'll be heading to Canada and establishing the one

for Canada and the but the main goal of that ministry will be.

On the word of God. Establishing the Word of God in

their life, in their mind, in their deeds and in their

thoughts, and so built because they're new parents, they are

professionals, they are leaders, and we want them to live

according to the word of God and become that light and soul.

The Word of God being the food to the soul and the light to the

path. Thank you, Robbie.

I know you're busy. And again, I will remind that

this session was recorded during the conference and we're running

around like headless chucks do They say no, not the youth are

doing an amazing job, an amazing job.

And I want to, I want to take this opportunity to thank you,

Robbie, for your hard work, not just for this conference, but

throughout the years. You've been a dear brother,

you've been a a true servant and you're.

You have no idea how many lives you've impacted as a priest.

Honestly, many young people come to me and tell me of of the

influence you've had on their life.

And thank you for serving. Thank you for your love.

Thank you for your dedication. The church needs you.

The church needs people like you.

Yeah, you you have. Honestly, you are the light and

the salt that the Lord calls you to be in our church and.

The York committee has done an outstanding job for this

particular conference. These young people, these

volunteers, the hours they put in the the sleepless nights they

go through these days, This is the love that Christ called us

to have for one another. This is how they're showing

their love to their peers, to their brothers and sisters.

You can see in their service carrying these water.

Cases driving here and there, spending not only money from

their pocket, not only their time, not only their effort, but

their gifts. Many of them are professionals.

They bring their gifts and use them to manage and run these

conferences. And they're doing a remarkable

job. Many of them might hire somebody

to do many things that they're doing now, so.

We're grateful and thankful for all of you.

God bless you. God be with you.

We will pray with our feeble mind, with our feeble soul, for

your success and and for the Lord.

To be glorified, always to be glorified, but for the Lord to

reward you, because no matter you know what we say, it's

limited. It's.

Perishable this. World.

Yeah, exactly what this. But the Lord will He will reward

you and glory be tasteful. Thank you.

I mean likewise with yourself. We met in the 2006 was my first

conference at that dance. It was at Los Angeles, I

remember when I got off the bus. You came and we embraced each

other as though we knew we sometimes we don't see eye to

eye because we're human beings but the love we have for one

another and the zeal that you have.

Robbie by the way, I forgot to mention 5 minutes with it's not

5 minutes usually 10 to 15 minutes. 5 minutes with Father G

is the Facebook live session Robbie presents.

It's all from the scriptures and I've heard the you know many

many great feedback and. At the end of the day, Ravi, we

always say we are unworthy servants.

We truly are unworthy servants of Jesus Christ.

And he uses truly he uses the weak and the fool to put to

shame. That's what amazes.

Me. Yeah.

God shows me, yeah. Wow.

Who? Me.

Me, that's what. Who wasn't what?

Moses said that, didn't he? Who is me?

I'm not like I have a stutter. Unbelievable.

Honestly, unbelievable. Thank you, Robbie.

Thank you so much. And may the Lord's blessings and

guidance and protection be upon your you and your flock.

The amazing job that you were doing.

And all those brother fathers, reverend fathers that maybe are

listening to these that are he, you know they're participating

in the in the conference. May God be glorified in all that

we do. And then what we say so that

he's and I always say this so that.

We can hear those amazing words from the lips of our Lord and

Savior Jesus Christ, well done, good and faithful servant, and

to the Kingdom of your Heavenly Father.

Praise and glory be to His holy name now, under all times, and

forever and ever. Amen.

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