St. Vartan Armenian Church of Mississauga
P.O. Box 51010, 5100 Erin Mills Parkway, Mississauga, Ontario L5M 2C4
Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan, Pastor
Telephone (905) 549-2711 stvartan@cogeco.ca
Pentecost
Held 50 days after the Jewish Passover, Pentecost was also called the Festival of Harvest. It was one of three major annual festivals celebrated by the Jews (Deut. 16:16); it was a festival of thanksgiving for the harvested crops.
The book of Acts speaks of the first Pentecost after the death and resurrection of Jesus (Acts 2:1-42). In this passage, the apostles and others have convened in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. It was 50 days after the resurrection and 10 days after the ascension of Jesus. There was a sudden sound “like the rush of a mighty wind” (v.2) from heaven, followed by “tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them (v.3). As a result, the apostles began to speak in tongues i.e. in many different languages. Because Jews of many nations gathered in Jerusalem for the annual harvest festival, the descent of the Holy Spirit was before an international audience and resulted in a worldwide harvest of new believers—the first converts to Christianity.
The apostle Peter interpreted the event as a fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel 2:8-32. It was also the promise of Jesus. In Acts 1:8, just prior to his ascension, the risen Jesus had said, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” The events of Pentecost are the fulfillment of this promise. On that day, the Holy Spirit did indeed come upon the apostles and empowered them to witness to Jews about Christ.
This was also the fulfillment of John the Baptist’s words about the Holy Spirit baptizing with fire (Luke 3:16). Why tongues of fire? Tongues symbolize speech and the communication of the good news. Fire symbolizes God’s purifying presence, which burns away the undesirable elements of our life and sets our heart aflame to ignite the lives of others. At Pentecost, fire came down on many believers, symbolizing that God’s presence is available to all who believe in him.
On the day of Pentecost, the spiritually exhilarated disciples were thought to be filled with new wine, in other words, drunk. Peter answered these accusations (Acts 2:15), saying it is much too early in the day (it was 9 a.m.) for that. With confidence from the Holy Spirit, Peter became a powerful and dynamic speaker and told the people the Old Testament prophecies concerning Jesus had been entirely fulfilled in him, that Jesus is the Messiah and the risen Christ could change their lives. About 3,000 people became new believers when Peter preached, and when they returned to their homelands, they spread God’s good news of salvation, preparing the way for Paul and other messengers..
For Christians today, Pentecost commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit and the bestowal of the gift of tongues on the disciples. It is held on the seventh Sunday after Easter.
Pentecost
May 15, 2005
Today’s service features Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan, Preacher and Celebrant @ 1 p.m. Sunday School was held this morning at St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church of Hamilton.
“On the day of Pentecost, seven weeks after Jesus’ resurrection, the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm in the skies above them, and it filled the house where they were meeting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.” Acts 2:1-4
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 by Friday, June 3, 2005.
Popular Children’s Choir to Sing at June 5 Badarak
Our next church service will feature the voices of Armenian boys and girls with St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church Junior Choir of Toronto. The children are from seven to 17 years old and sing the Badarak once a month at St. Mary’s.
Led by Choirmaster Lena Beylerian since its inception in 1999, the Junior Choir is a group of 40 children, including one from Mississauga, Karin Simounian. They rehearse three Saturdays a month and sing the music from the entire Badarak. They will be singing the Badarak soprano-alto, said Mrs. Beylerian., and will be including solos.
Occasionally, the group performs Armenian cultural songs in concert. Last December, they held a one-hour Christmas concert in Toronto, featuring soloists. In May, they sang a pot-pourri of songs, including familiar songs associated with Hampartzoom, the Ascension of Jesus 40 days after His resurrection.
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 time for everyone and we invite you to join us. We’re glad you’re here and we hope to see you again!
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.
Camp Ararat Early Bird Registration Deadline May 31
This is the first year the youth overnight camp will take place August 8 to 13 at Echo Lake, in Ontario. Fresh air and several acres of wooded property, a sandy beach and sports fields make for an ideal summer camp experience. Children from Quebec and Ontario are signing up for a fun six days in August (five nights).
Camp Ararat youth camp is open to children 8 to 14, with a counsellor-in-training (CIT) program for youth 15-17. The Canadian Diocese’s youth camp begins one day earlier, on Saturday, August 7, for the counsellors and counsellors-in-training. The camp’s mission is to provide a Christian environment where Armenian children can explore their religion and heritage and develop skills in fellowship and service to their church and community. For information, contact Sella Kaltakjian at (416) 490-1326.
St. Vartan Summer Day Camp July 11-15
For the third summer in a row, St. Vartan Armenian Church is running a summer day camp for children four to eight years old. Under the guidance of Mississauga’s Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan, the camp will offer five days of activities with an Armenian theme at Fogolar’s Country Club in Oakville. The children will be able to swim every day in the pool, sing songs, learn prayers, do crafts and play games. Youth, 12 and older and parents are invited to volunteer at the camp. For more information or to volunteer, contact Christine Ermarkaryan at (905) 825-5299.
Our last service before we break for the summer is Sunday, June 5, 2005 at St. Cuthbert’s Anglican Church, Oakville. Join us for a faith lift.