St. Vartan Armenian Church of
Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan,
Pastor
Telephone (905) 549-2711
stvartan@cogeco.ca
(905) 617-7888
Sunday of the Judge
This is the Fifth Sunday of Great Lent, the Sunday of the
Judge. Last Sunday we passed the half-way point of our spiritual journey through
Lent (Meecheenk Medz Bahkee). Today, we
remember Jesus’ parable of the Unrighteous Judge (Tadavoree
Geeragee), found in Luke 18.
The judge was a godless man with great contempt for
everyone. A widow, the most vulnerable
in society, came to him every day and beseeched him for justice against someone
who had harmed her. The judge ignored
her, but finally, fed up of her constant requests, he took on her case in hopes
of getting rid of her. Jesus told this
story to show his disciples they must never give up and must persist in prayer.
Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this evil
judge. Even he rendered a just decision
in the end, so don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen
people who plead with him day and night?
Will he keep putting them off? I
tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when I, the Son of Man, return, how many
will I find who have faith?” Luke 18:6-8
If a godless judge responds to constant pressure, how much
more will a great and loving God respond to us.
If we know He loves us, we can believe He will hear our cries for help.
As we persist in prayer, we grow in character, faith and hope. Do not forget God is always listening to us,
is always with us, wanting the best for us.
Prayer is our tie with God. It is
our time to approach Him with a clean heart and without fear, for a deep
talk.
Our Creator knows our needs, and we must have faith that He
will answer them at the proper time. This is the question for us: do we
trust God, even in our suffering, and believe His promise of justice for the
oppressed? Do we pray and continue to pray, even when His answer does not
come at the moment we would like?
Prayer gives us the power to touch other lives so they feel
God’s love and the power to perform God’s will on earth. For God to do his work
in this world, he needs us to be his mouth, his arms and his legs. Christ’s body is the church, and we are the
church. Together, we can accomplish all
kinds of good works. Remember that love must be at the centre of your Lenten
journey. Work to achieve love and
harmony with your friends and family.
Divine Liturgy @
O Lord, hear my plea
for justice.
Listen to my cry for
help.
Pay attention to my
prayer,
For it comes from an
honest heart.
Declare me innocent,
For you know those who
do right. Psalm 17:1-2
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 (hokehankist) can
be requested for the next church service by calling Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan A requiem may be
requested following the death of a loved one, 40 days after their death (karasoonk), the yearly anniversary, name day, birthday or
Mother’s Day
Requiem services have
been requested by:
† Miss Ani Kerametlian, Dr. Vatche and Doris Kerametlian and
sons Stephan, Raffi and Saro,
Mr. and Mrs. Vahe and Christine Kerametlian
and sons Alexander and Michael, Mr. Vazken Kerametlian and daughter Ani-Araxi,
and Mr. and Mrs. Varouj and Asdghig
Kerametlian and children Ara
and Sarah, for the loving memory of their mother and grandmother Tefon Keuchguerian (40
days). May God bless her soul.
† Mr. John Donelian, (the late) Mr. Raffe Mukhtarian, Mr. and Mrs. Michael and Susan Sarian, Mr. and Mrs. Jason and Lydia Irwin and family, Mr. Gomidas Donelian, and all her
beloved brother, sister, nieces, nephews and their families, for the loving
memory of their wife, mother, sister, grandmother and aunt Lucie Donelian (40 days). May God bless her soul.
† Mr. Levon Kelendjian, Mr. and Mrs. Koko and Ellie Kelendjian, Mr.
and Mrs. Anthon and Marina Rhodriquez, Mr. and Mrs. Koko and Hrip Atamian
and sons Vicken and Shant ,
and the Hovhannessian and Lousararian
families for the loving memory of their wife, mother, sister, grandmother and
aunt Araxie Kelendjian (40
days). May God bless her soul.
† Mr.
and Mrs. Joseph and Sona Chahinian,
Dr. and Mrs. Cyril and Noush Tahtadjian,
and Mr. and Mrs. Raffi and Patil
Demerji for the loving memory of their parents,
brother, sister grandparents, aunt and uncle Garbis Najjarian, Angel Najjarian, Hovsep Najjarian, and Eugene Bedrossian. May God bless their souls.
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 church hall for
refreshments. We’re glad you’re here and we hope to see you again!
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.
Don’t Take Blessings for Granted.
Remember to Give Thanks for all the Good Things in Your Life
Every time we sit down for a meal, instead of taking the food
for granted, we are encouraged to remember God who provided it, and thank him
for its provision. It’s helpful to do
the same thing every time we enter our houses, namely, thank God for providing
shelter from the weather. We should be
thankful every time we adjust the thermostat, bringing either the refreshing
cool air or the comforting warmth from the furnace. Gratitude should cover us every time we put
on a shirt or cover our feet with shoes.
We take most of these things for granted but the discipline of
thankfulness keeps God’s goodness fresh.
We must fight our strong temptation to become merely tolerant of
blessings. This is the clear teaching of
Moses in the book of Deuteronomy:
Be careful that you do
not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands … Otherwise, when
you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when
your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you
have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the
Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
Deuteronomy 8:11-14
Taking blessings for granted may lead to an even greater sin - the sin
of pride.
You may say to
yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for
me.’ But remember the Lord your God, for
it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth. Deuteronomy 8:17-18
Authentic Faith, Gary L. Thomas, p.175.
Church Envelopes
St. Vartan now has offering
envelopes that you can pick up in the church’s entrance foyer, by the
candles. Please help yourself. We thank God for your support and the
blessing of your presence.
Homemade Armenian Easter Cheoreg ($10)
and Coloured
Easter Eggs ($10/doz.)
Last day for ordering is
Orders taken by
anijan2@gmail.com
Heranush Hamblin 905-820-1329
Ani Shalvardjian 905-826-6319
Please leave a message.
Lent gives us the opportunity to:
·
Renew
our commitment to God
·
Reflect
on our lives and let them be directed by God
·
Respond
to Jesus’ call for love and mercy toward all of God’s children.
Another Perspective on this World
We will soon be in eternity, and then we will see how all
the affairs of this world are such little things and how little it matters
whether they turn out or not. At this
time, nevertheless, we apply ourselves to them as if they were great
things. When we were little children, with
what eagerness did we put together little bits of tile, wood, and mud to make
houses and small buildings. And if someone destroyed them, we were very
grieved and tearful at it; but now we know well that it all mattered very
little. One day it will be the same with
us in Heaven, when we will see that our concerns in this world were truly only
child’s play.
Thy Will be Done: Letters to Persons in the World, Francis de
Sales
Schedule for March -
April 2007
DIVINE LITURGY & Evening Activities
Session
2: The Divine Liturgy Explained
Palm
Sunday, Armenian Café
Good
Friday
Easter
Sunday
Results of Annual General Meeting
The following were acclaimed to serve on St. Vartan’s Parish Council:
Julia Dumanian (1-year term)
Vazken Altounian (2-year term)
Berge Shalvardjian (2-year term)
Returning Parish Council Members are:
Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan
Hrach Grigorian
Heranush Hamblin
Melkon Melkon
Katie Shahinian
2007 Auditing Committee:
Vahe Davidkhanian
Arno Ermarkaryan
Diocesan Delegate:
Ani Shalvardjian (3-year term)
2007 Nominating Committee:
Loris Dumanian
Ani Shalvardjian
Please pray that God will bless and guide our church leaders
to always do right, with honesty, courage, kindness, fairness, great love and
an ever-growing faith in God. We must always keep them in our prayers,
that they be united in mind, thought and purpose, with their allegiance to the
unity Christ desires for his church.
BRING SOMEONE WHO NEEDS A RIDE TO
CHURCH
New Team at the Helm of St. Vartan Armenian
Church
Filling church committee and parish council seats took place
without much debate; however, the 2006 Treasurer’s Report did not, and must be
redone, decided the membership of St. Vartan Armenian
Apostolic Church of Mississauga Sunday, March 4, at the church’s 15th annual
general meeting (AGM).
3 Parish Council Seats Filled
Two new members and a returning member were acclaimed to St.
Vartan’s Parish Council. New members Vazken
Altounian and Berge Shalvardjian
hold two-year terms, and outgoing Parish Council chairman Julia Dumanian is back for a one-year term.
Also acclaimed were 2007 Auditing Committee members Vahe Davidkhanian and Arno Ermarkaryan, Nominating
Committee members Loris Dumanian and Ani Shalvardjian, and Diocesan
Delegate Ani Shalvardjian.
Bishop Bagrat Attends
Chaired by Arno Ermarkaryan, the meeting was attended by His Grace Bishop Bagrat Galstanian, Primate of the
Armenian Church of Canada, Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan, Diocesan Council member Hrant
Citak and 23 members. The meeting followed Soorp Badarak celebrated in the afternoon by Bishop Galstanian.
Treasurer Vahram Vahramian’s report was not accepted by the Assembly, nor by the 2006 Auditing Committee members. 2006 Auditing Committee members Yeto Balian and Berge Shalvardjian reported there were many missing items, making
it impossible for them to be able to complete the audit.
Detailed Breakdown Required
Their auditing report recommended that the financial
statements show a detailed breakdown of revenues and expenses per event, and
from candles, plates and donations; a minimum of two weeks’ time be given to
the auditing committee for an audit; all church service donation summaries have
a minimum of two people signing the collection for each Sunday; and that the
treasurer be present with the auditing committee to clarify his report and
answer any questions auditors may have.
Mr. Citak objected to the format
of the treasurer’s report, and said it needs to be prepared in the format
required by the Diocese. He said 2005
data should have been included in the report, as per the diocesan format, to
allow for comparison. Mr. Vahramian said he will prepare the report according to the
format of the diocese. Approval of the
2006 Treasurer’s Report will now be the responsibility of the 2007 Auditing
Committee.
Growth Spurt in Membership, Camp and Building Fund
Highlights of the meeting included the tremendous growth in
membership, significant fund-raising for St. Vartan’s
building fund from church events like the Ice and Crystal Ball ($19,000) and
church committees like Carassauga ($17,000), a 75%
increase in participants (41 campers) at the St. Vartan
Summer Day Camp, and the establishment of a joint seniors and juniors ACYOC
committee.
Membership Doubled
Due to a successful membership drive that more than doubled
St. Vartan’s membership to 70 families, the initial
and lengthily disputed debate early in the evening was over whether there were
enough members present (23) to hold the meeting. Parish Council chairman Mrs. Dumanian referred to the Diocesan bylaw wording which states
that only 1/3 of the parish members are needed to constitute a quorum and the
assembly commenced.
Aware that the Parish Council is seriously seeking a home
for St. Vartan, Srpazan Hayr graciously returned a $5,000 cheque
to St. Vartan’s building fund. The cheque was
presented by Mrs. Dumanian for diocesan dues—a
payment that has not been made by St. Vartan for some
years. Mrs. Dumanian
said an offer had recently been made on a church property in
Returning Parish Council Members
Returning Parish Council members are: Melkon Melkon, Heranush Hamblin, Katie Shahinian, and Hrach Grigoryan. Outgoing
members are Vahe Davidkhanian
and Ani Shalvardjian. Vahram Vahramian resigned two weeks before the AGM,
and Kevork Guerguerian soon
after being appointed in 2006.
Thank you to all who provided Lenten foods and pizza for the
meeting which took place at St. Cuthbert’s Church Hall in
Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
Spend more time with people over 70 and under 6 years old
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.
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.
Our next Soorp Badarak is at