Our final Woman of the Week for 2020 is Sneha Kalayilparampil, nominated for her work as a lobbyist for physicians on the state level in an organization that works closely with the American Medical Association on national issues. We asked her to tell you about herself:
"Like many, I was born into an Orthodox family and have always been a member of the Orthodox Church. However, it wasn’t until high school that I started to better comprehend and appreciate the Church and its rich history. Thanks to our diocese’s youth organization, Mar Gregorios Orthodox Church Student Movement (MGOCSM), and to the first generation of young, American-born clergy and youth leaders, I learned beyond what our standard Sunday School books offered.
"They explained the meaning behind our common prayers, which I simply had memorized and recited without ever slowing down to actually pray the words that were being chanted. The conferences and events hosted by MGOCSM also brought together a majority of like-minded youth and created fellowship and many friendships lasting till this day.
"Although I was baptized into the Orthodox Church as an infant, I believe my family and MGOCSM made me the Orthodox woman that I am today. Learning how to pray to God and asking for prayers through the veneration of our Saints helped guide and navigate me throughout my life to be where I am now. I somehow landed incredible opportunities that shaped my academic and professional pursuits. I am now a healthcare lobbyist--a career I never thought of for myself before 2015 but once I did, it turned out to be a goal of mine to become one. And it did, within a mere three years of working.
"Sometimes I feel like God loves me a little too much--like what did I do to deserve any of these wonderful blessings in my life? Am I just that lucky? Maybe. Maybe not. All I know is that everyday I am reminded of how beyond incredible He is to me and it’s something I try not to take for granted. I remember learning many years ago that the Orthodox Church evangelizes differently when compared to other denominations--we don’t go out and try to convert people by spreading the Word by mouth but rather living the Word and showing others what it means to be an Orthodox Christian through our actions and how we live our lives. My constant hope is to emulate that same love to others through my interactions and prayers for them."
Axia!
Sneha Kalayilparampil, our final Woman of the Week for this year, was nominated for her work as a heathcare lobbyist. We asked her to tell you about how she is planning to navigate a mixed marriage and what she is learning about prayer:
"I have always wanted to remain Orthodox because of how much I love our history and teachings. However, God decided to be funny and led me to the love of my life--who is not an Orthodox Christian! My fiance is a member of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church. Fortunately, it’s not a drastic change and half of his family is Orthodox--so I figured it’s close enough.
"One of the main differences between our Churches is that the Mar Thoma Church does not venerate Saints. My fiance and I have discussed many times throughout the duration of our relationship what our faith and respective Churches mean to us and how we plan to move forward in navigating our marriage and future family. I made it clear to him that I plan to continue venerating Saints and asking them to pray for us as it is my firm belief it was through their prayers that have helped me get to where I am in life today and all of the blessings I’ve been showered with.
"He then expressed that he is willing to learn from me as it is mostly a foreign concept to him. I appreciated his willingness in the beginning but it was only when we started to pray together did I understand he actually meant what he said and wanted to truly pray with me. Now, when we pray together, we will both say the Lord’s Prayer and he will ask me to pray Hail Mary. It made me so happy to see him so open to me continuing my traditions and also joining me in venerating Saint Mary (this is also important to me as my baptism name, Mariam, takes after her).
"Growing up in the Malankara Orthodox Church and my fear of public speaking disabled me from ever praying out loud whenever asked. I always felt like my prayer was more of a list. Whereas my fiance prays more eloquently. The words he uses and how he takes time to pray beyond just saying a name is so beautiful. He now asks and encourages me to pray out loud my personal prayers with him and seeks to help me find that comfort so that he can join in on my prayers too. I never thought I would find someone who is so perfect for me and is not Orthodox! Even though a part of me is upset to formally leave the Orthodox Church, I am excited to join the Mar Thoma Church and learn so much from my fiance and his family and evolve as a Christian through their teachings and combining them with what I have attained from the Orthodox Church."
As always, we asked our Woman of the Week, Sneha Kalayilparampil, to tell you about her morning routine:
"My usual morning routine, pre-pandemic, was to get up, get ready, hop into my car and head to work. I utilized the commute time to say a quick prayer. I always open with the “Jesus Prayer” - Oh Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have Mercy Upon Me a Sinner. I would then proceed with my personal prayer for the day. Coffee, eggs, and buttered toasts further charge me up.
"During the pandemic, I now work from home--which I love! I get to simply wake up and thank God for allowing me to see another sun rise and find some time during the day to pray with my Book of Common Prayers and follow it with my personal prayers."
Thank you, Sneha!