St. Vartan Armenian Church of Mississauga

P.O. Box 53010, 5100 Erin Mills Parkway, Mississauga, Ontario L5M 5A7

Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan, Pastor

Telephone (905) 549-2711 stvartan@cogeco.ca

St. James of Nisibis

Who is St. James of Nisibis? He is among the most beloved saints of the Armenian people. He lived in the 4th century and was consecrated Bishop of the See of Nisibis of Mesopotamia by Melidos, the Archbishop of Antioch. Historically within Armenian boundaries, Nisibis is now called Nisibin and is located in present day Turkey, near the border with Syria.

While serving in Nisibis, St. James led his Armenian flock during times of crisis. When the Persian Monarch Shapur II sent his army to surround the city, it failed after a 70-day siege to break through, due to the wise leadership of St. James. Based on this historical event, St. Nersess Shnorhali composed a moving hymn dedicated to St. James that begins with the words “victorious and hallowed patriarch.”

Most importantly, St. James was one of the 318 participants in the first ecumenical council in Nicea in 325 A.D. It was at this gathering of Christian leaders that the Nicean Creed was created. The Creed is the official declaration of the principal doctrines of the Church, which we chant at every Divine Liturgy.

St. James was famous for living a virtuous and pious life of asceticism and won popularity for his miracles, for which he is often called skanchelakordz, which means “wonderworker” in Armenian.

There is a legend that he climbed Mount Ararat in search of Noah’s Ark, despite his old age. On the climb, he stopped to rest and fell asleep. In his sleep, an angel approached him and told him that he was too old and that it would be humanly impossible for him to climb all the way to the top, but to satisfy his devout desire and deep faith, the angel gave him a piece of Noah’s Ark, saying to him, “Take this and satisfy your desire.” St. James, being content with this piece from Noah’s Ark, returned home, and brought this sacred relic to the Armenian people. According to tradition, this relic is in our Holy See of Etchmiadzin.

St. James was related to St. Gregory the Enlightener, from his Armenian mother’s side. The Feast of St. James of Nisibis is the name day for churches named after him and also a day of celebration for those named Hagop, Jacob and James.

December 18, 2005

Today’s service features Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan @ 1 p.m. Sunday School @ 1:30 p.m. with teacher Christine Ermarkaryan. The children will be learning about advent.

One day Jesus said to his disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but how terrible it will be for the person who does the tempting. It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around the neck than to face the punishment in store for harming one of these little ones. I am warning you! If another believer sins, rebuke him; then if he repents, forgive him. Even if he wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, forgive him.” Luke 17:1-7

Welcome to St. Vartan Armenian Church. If you are a newcomer to St. Vartan, it is a pleasure to welcome you to our Badarak this afternoon. Thank you for making time in your busy schedule to be with us. We believe that you will sense God’s Spirit among us as we worship today.

Requiem services can be requested for the next church service by calling Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan.

Try our Sundays. They’re better than Dairy Queen’s!

Orthodox Christmas Schedule

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE At 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006. With Rev. Archpriest Sarkis Gulian.

CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICE At 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 6, 2006. With Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan

Are You New to St. Vartan Armenian Church?

At St. Vartan, we understand how being a newcomer can be a bit intimidating. It is our goal to do all we can to make your time with us comfortable and enjoyable. Immediately following the service today we have planned a coffee hour and we invite you to join us in the parish hall. We’re glad you’re here and we hope to see you again. Our next service is Thursday, Jan. 5 at 6:30 p.m.

Mailing List Being Updated. Make Sure You’re On It

Please fill out the mailing list forms you can find on clipboards at the doors of the church today. The Parish Council needs to update its mailing list and doesn’t want to miss anyone in future mailings. If you would like to receive church news by email, please let us know.

Advent

November 17th - January 5th

The fifty days which precede Theophany - Asdvadzahaydnootiun - Christmas. Formerly, as in the period of Great Lent, they constituted a time of total fasting. At present, there are the usual Wednesday and Friday fast days, as well as three week-long fasts: the first week, the week before the Feast of St. James, and the final week leading to Christmas.

Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of the Lord - the Nativity of Christ. The Gospel readings during the Sundays of Advent help prepare the faithful to approach in humility and love the great Manifestation of God.

First Sunday - Luke 12:13-31

Teaches about losing one's faith in exchange for riches.

Second Sunday - Luke 13:1-9

Teaches that through tolerance and caring, one might be saved.

Third Sunday - Luke 14:12-24        

Teaches that hope of salvation is open to all who respond to Christ’s invitation.

Fourth Sunday - Luke 17:1-10

Teaches about the need to forgive others, and to do what is expected.  

Fifth Sunday - Luke 18:9-14    

Teaches that the humble will be exalted.

Sixth Sunday - Luke 19:12-28    

Teaches that those who fearlessly demonstrate their faith will be given more.

Armenian Alphabet Strengthens the Church

After 387 A.D. when most of Greater Armenia was under the control of Persia, Zoroastrianism posed a serious threat to the Armenian Church. Unless people could understand the liturgy, the Scriptures and the teachings of the Church, they could easily convert to Zoroastrianism, since Armenia had a close cultural affinity with Iran. The invention of the Armenian alphabet, the translation of the Bible and the emergence of a literary tradition pulled Armenians away from assimilation, and forged the Armenian identity.

Mesrob Mashdots invented the Armenian alphabet in 405 A.D. The original alphabet of Mashdots consisted of 36 letters. In the 13th century, it became necessary to borrow the letters “f” and “o” from Latin and Greek, bringing the number of letters to 38. Soon, after the new alphabet was officially put to use, St. Mashdots translated the Bible with the help of his pupils, presumably from an old Syriac version. St. Sahag, the chief bishop of Armenia, and a descendant of St. Gregory the Illuminator, revised this first draft, and edited it in 434 A.D., using a Greek Septuagint (translation attributed to 70 or more Jewish scholars of the Old Testament into Greek) version. It is referred to as Asdvadzashunch Keerk (God-inspired books).

Meet St. Vartan’s Leaders

This is the fifth in a series of articles introducing you to our church leaders. This week, we introduce you to St. Vartan’s Sunday School Teacher Christine Ermarkaryan.

When did you start attending St. Vartan Armenian Church?

Since its inception.

How long have you been a Sunday School teacher?

Sunday school assistant since its inception. Sunday school teacher for the last three years.

Why did you choose to be a Sunday School teacher?

To help children, including my own, better participate in the Sunday Badaraks.

What are your goals this year as a Sunday School teacher?

To advance the children’s Armenian religious knowledge in a creative way and facilitate their participation in the Badarak.

What do you like most about St. Vartan?

The proximity and motivation of the St.Vartan community of people.

Tell us about the work you do outside of the Church.

I am a chemical engineer with a growing home-based R&D consulting business which allows me to balance my home life and career.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Play baseball, travel, enjoy my family and friends and find neat ways to keep Armenian culture alive in children.

Tell us about your family.

Dedicated and loving husband of 13 years, Arno, and two wonderful girls, Ania, 7, and Alisa, 5.

Anything else you want to share?

Always open to new volunteers and ideas to improve on the quality of the children’s Sunday School at St.Vartan. Live, Love and Laugh !

Our next Badarak will be Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Cuthbert’s Anglican Church. We hope to see you then.