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

(905) 617-7888

 

Holy Evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke and John

(Matthew Mah-tay-os), Mark (Mar-gos), Luke (Ghoo-gahs), John (Hov-hah-ness)

 

The first four books (Gospels) of the New Testament tell about the birth and preparation of Jesus Christ, his message and ministry, his death and his resurrection.  The Gospels were written by men we call Evangelists, or writers of the evangelion. For the Gospel writers, the main reason for believing in Jesus was the way his life fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah.

 

St. Matthew was known as Levi, the Tax Collector. Levi was a shrewd Semite, a very capable official. He was hated by his townspeople, from whom he exacted payment of their taxes. His Gospel, composed in his native Aramaic, begins with Jesus’ paternal genealogy and teaches about the human nature of Christ.  St. Matthew, one of the twelve Apostles, was the son of Alpheus and was called to be an Apostle while sitting in the tax collectors’ place at Capernaum. It is uncertain whether he died a natural death or was martyred.

 

St. Mark, martyred, is one of the youngest followers of Christ. His Gospel is the most vivid and descriptive, informally written in simple language, and probably the first recorded (AD 60-70). The miracles of Jesus must have deeply affected Mark because his Gospel recounts many of them. In order to demonstrate Jesus' divinity to the Romans, Mark skilfully shows Jesus as a worker of miracles, rather than Jesus fulfilling prophecies that would be unknown to his intended readers.

 

St. Luke’s Gospel deals with the sacrificial aspects of Christ’s life. It is believed the martyred Apostle was born a Greek and a Gentile and was educated as a doctor. Luke's inspiration and information for his Gospel and Acts came from his close association with Paul and his companions. Reading Luke's Gospel gives a good idea of his character as one who loved the poor, who wanted the door to God's kingdom opened to all, who respected women, and who saw hope in God's mercy for everyone.

 

St. John, Apostle, was a fisherman like his father and elder brother James. He was among the first to heed the call, and from that day forward, never left Jesus’ side.  An indissoluble spiritual bond was formed between him and his divine Master.  John's absolute devotion kept him by Jesus’ side when the others fled after the betrayal by Judas.

 

Sunday, Oct. 22, 2006

 

Divine Liturgy @ 1 p.m. with Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan. Sunday School  @ 1:30 p.m. The children will be learning about the Holy Evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, with teacher Christine Ermarkaryan. 

 

“Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child.  And since you are his child, everything he has belongs to you.”            Galatians 4:7

 

Welcome to St. Vartan Armenian Church

 

If you are a newcomer to St. Vartan, it is a pleasure to welcome you to our Soorp 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 together today.

 

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

 

This Afternoon, St. Vartan Celebrates Armenian Thanksgiving

 

There’ll be a turkey on every table and lots of other good things to eat. Please join us with your family and friends for Thanksgiving dinner in the Church hall, following Soorp Badarak today.  It is a time for us to remember all our blessings and give thanks for them to our generous and loving God. Dinner tickets are $20 per person ($15 for St. Vartan members) and $10 per child.

 

Something Positive to Ponder:  You Can Choose Sunshine

 

I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration; I can humiliate or humour, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person is humanized or de-humanized.  If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming. --Writer Unknown

 

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 OK time with us comfortable and enjoyable.  Immediately following the service today we have planned a Thanksgiving dinner 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 Sunday, Nov. 5 at 1 p.m., when we will celebrate the Divine Liturgy with Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan.

 

Are You On Our Mailing List?

 

Please fill out the forms you can find on clipboards at the doors of the church today.  The Parish Council needs your help to keep its mailing list up-to-date.  Sign up to receive church news by email.

 

In Switzerland, Hayr Hayrik Meets With General Secretary Of World Council of Churches, Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia

 

During his recent two weeks’ holiday in Switzerland, Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan was able to meet with the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia.

 

Dr. Kobia congratulated Hayr Hayrik on being elected to the Board of Directors of the Canadian Council of Churches earlier this year. They discussed future projects and activities of the two Church councils. Hayr Hayrik conveyed the brotherly prayers of His Grace Bishop Bagrat Galstanyan, the Primate of the Armenian Church of Canada.

     

The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of more than 340 Christian churches and denominations in over 100 countries and territories throughout the world.  They work together toward a common goal of Christian unity.

 

Hayr Hayrik Celebrates Soorp Badarak at Geneva’s St. Hagop

 

Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan was in Switzerland by invitation of Rev. Fr. Dr. Abel Manoukian, pastor of St. Hagop Armenian Apostolic Church in Geneva. While there, he met with representatives of the Armenian community in Switzerland and the beloved parishioners of St. Hagop. Rev. Fr. Dr. Abel used to be pastor at Toronto’s Holy Trinity Armenian Church. 

 

Hayr Hayrik celebrated the Divine Liturgy in St. Hagop Armenian Apostolic Church on Oct. 1, 2006, which was the Sunday of the Feast of the Holy Cross of Varak. Hayr Hayrik’s friends Armen Margaryan of France,  and Levon Soghbatyan of Switzerland, attended the Soorp Badarak.

 

Following the Holy Mass, Hayr Hayrik was pleased to be present at the blessing of Levon and Seda Soghbatyan’s Holy Marriage. 

 

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Let me see others as you do, Lord, with the eyes of the lover who does not judge the past but imagines the future, who does not tally the flaws but treasures the bounty.  Amen.

 

God is love

 

…we all have a tremendous energy within us to love and to be loved. To tell them (our children), that that love is so powerful that it can overlook our flaws and make us approach one another with respect. To share with our kids that, where there is love, there is no inequality, no loneliness and no despair.

 

Rev. Fr. Vazken Movsesian, St. Peter Armenian Church and Youth Ministries’ Center, Published Jan. 29, 2005, Glendale News-Press - Los Angeles Times

 

To Move Forward

 

It remains a fact that the Armenian Church is being challenged to take up her mission with a renewed spirit, and within a broader context.  The church is no longer bound to one geographical territory; its body is partitioned throughout the world.  It continues to pursue its ancestral vision of vitalizing the Christian faith, but must do so as an inseparable part of a wider, ecumenical family.  Nevertheless, when we reflect on our history, we see the stamp of Christianity on virtually every aspect of Armenian life—up to and including martyrdom for the faith. 

 

Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Reflections on the 1700th Anniversary of Christianity in Armenia

 

Space for Rent

 

If you would like to advertise in our Sunday service booklets, please call Ani Shalvardjian (905) 826-6319 or Heranush Hamblin (905) 820-1329 or email us at anijan2@gmail.com .  Advertisers receive a church donation receipt.

 

Did you know?

 

News Stories and Photos Now Available on St. Vartan’s Website:  www.stvartan.ca

And Canadian Diocese of Armenian Apostolic Church’s Website: www.armenianchurch.ca

 

Be there:  Saturday, Nov. 25, 2006

Ice & Crystal Ball Tickets Now Available

 

Mark your calenders for Saturday, Nov. 25, when St. Vartan's annual ball takes place.  The Ice & Crystal Ball will feature Montreal's  Nostalgie, the live band everyone loved last year. It will be an evening of dining and dancing—a good time with good friends that you won't want to miss!  

 

If you buy your tickets early, before Nov. 10, you will be eligible for the early bird draw of a special gift. To make it easier, we now are accepting VISA and MasterCard for payment.

 

As this is St. Vartan's major fundraiser to cover church expenses, we encourage you to attend, and also to be a sponsor. Sponsors willl be recognized in the evening’s booklet.  All sponsors will receive a donation receipt.

 

Tickets bought before Nov. 10 are eligible for Early Bird Draw.  Visa and MasterCard Now Accepted.

 

To book your tickets and for more information on sponsorship, please call Heranush Hamblin 905-820-1329 or Katie Shahinian 905-785-7626 or email us at anijan2@gmail.com.  Please leave a message if no one is home, and we will call you back.

 

Schedule for November 2006

DIVINE LITURGY

Family Fun Night & Youth Get-Together*

 

1 p.m.              Sunday, November  5

1 p.m.              Sunday, November 19

*8 p.m.                        Friday,  November 24

 

Our next Soorp Badarak will be on Sunday, Nov.5, 2006 at 1 p.m. at St. Cuthbert’s Anglican Church.  We hope to see you then.