St. Vartan Armenian Church of Mississauga

P.O. Box 53010, 5100 Erin Mills Parkway

Mississauga, Ontario

L5M 5A7

Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan, Pastor

(905) 549-2711

(905) 617-7888

stvartan@cogeco.ca

Jrakaloutz Badarak

Celebrated on Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve, the Jrakaloutz Badarak (the Eucharist of the lighting of the lamps) is celebrated in honour of the manifestation of Jesus as the Son of God. Following this liturgy, the mystery of our Lord's baptism is remembered in the ceremony of the Blessing of the Water; the water symbolizes the River Jordan, where John the Baptist baptised Jesus. During this ceremony, the cross is placed in the water and Holy Muron oil is poured in, symbolic of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus.

In the past, during the one-week fast that precedes these activities, Armenian housewives would clean their homes with care. Then everyone carefully prepared themselves, both physically and spiritually to receive God himself in the Holy Communion. In many parts of Armenia, Christmas was simply referred to as the feast. All the faithful, young and old, fasted, many eating only one light meal a day. Although the week before Christmas was a time for penance, spiritual joy radiated from all faces.

On the evening of Jrakaloutz, church bells pealed. The people would go to church with lit lanterns and candles to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The Divine Liturgy would take place late in the night, just before dawn.

After the solemn Vesper Vigil, the young choristers would begin to read, or chant, the scriptural prophecies of the coming Messiah. Finally, the time for the solemn reading of the prophecy of Daniel arrived. It was considered a great honour to be chosen to read this moving prophecy. Families of the village would compete with one other to insure the selection of one of their own to read this prophecy. One person would read the narrative of the prophecy and three others would chant the song of the three holy children -- Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. This was the votch inch eh bido.

After this, the altar curtain was opened and the Divine Liturgy would begin. Everyone received Holy Communion. At the end of the liturgy, the faithful would return home with candles lit from the sanctuary lamp, so that they could light the lanterns and hearth fire of their homes with "the light of Christmas."

Christmas Eve

Friday, Jan. 5, 2007

Divine Liturgy @ 7:30 p.m. with Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan. There is no Sunday School this evening.

…the wise men went their way. Once again the star appeared to them, guiding them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house where the child and his mother, Mary, were, and they fell down before him and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But when it was time to leave, they went home another way, because God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod. Matthew 2:9-12

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 evening. 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 by calling Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan.

We invite you to join us here tomorrow morning for:

CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICE And Blessing of the Water At 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 6, 2007 with Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan

Why is Armenian Christmas Celebrated on January 6?

Even at the time of the apostles, there was no uniform way to celebrate this holy day in Christian churches around the world. And it wasn’t even celebrated in the very early Church. By the end of the third century, Christmas in Rome was held on Dec. 25 which coincided with a major pagan feast, while in the Eastern churches it was observed on January 6. The Armenian Church has maintained that ancient tradition to this day, whereas the Greek-speaking Christian world switched to the Latin tradition at the end of the fourth century. As good Christians, we must focus on the spirit of the Nativity of the Saviour and not the differences in our traditions.

Schedule for January 2007

DIVINE LITURGY* & Evening Activity

10:30 a.m. Saturday, January 6*

Christmas Day

1 p.m. Sunday, January 21*

& Potluck Dinner

8 p.m. Friday, January 26

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 make your time with us comfortable and enjoyable. Immediately following the service today please join us in the parish hall for refreshments. We’re glad you’re here and we hope to see you again! Our next service is Saturday, Jan. 6 at 10:30 a.m., when we will celebrate Christmas Day 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.

Prayer for the New Year

O God of new beginnings and wonderful surprises,

Thank you for the gift of a new year.

May it be a time of grace for me,

A time to grow in faith and love,

A time to renew my commitment

to following Your Son, Jesus.

May it be a year of blessing for me,

A time to cherish my family and friends,

A time to renew my efforts at work,

A time to embrace my faith more fully.

Walk with me, please,

in every day and every hour of this new year,

that the light of Christ might shine through me,

in spite of my weaknesses and failings.

Above all, may I remember this year

That I am a pilgrim on the sacred path to You.

Create in me a pure heart, O God and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

God is more interested in our availability to co-operate with him than in our ability.

O Lord, May we have wills available to you,

hearts open to you,

To serve you well.

Amen.

Our next Soorp Badarak will be celebrating Christmas Day, on Saturday, Jan. 6, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Cuthbert’s Anglican Church. We hope to see you then.