St. Vartan Armenian Church of
Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan,
Pastor
Telephone (905) 549-2711
stvartan@cogeco.ca
(905) 617-7888
Third Sunday of Great Lent
This is the Third Sunday of Great Lent, the Sunday of the
Prodigal Son. The Sundays of Lent analyze our lives through crises and
difficulties and encourage us to think of the great gift God gave us in the
Resurrection.
If there was a curtain before our altar today, it would be
closed and the Divine Liturgy would take place behind the curtain—this is what
is done in Armenian Apostolic churches during the Lenten period. With the
curtain closed, we know that Soorp Badarak is going
on, but we aren’t able to participate in it. The curtain is symbolic of all
that keeps us from God. It forces us to think about what life would be like
without Christ. It reminds us that sin
is what prevents us from truly enjoying God, from being one with God.
Reflection and Self-Evaluation
Lent is a time for reflection and self-evaluation. The Church guides us through this period by
offering means of self-discipline and instruction, from dietary restrictions to
meditation and prayers.
It is a time to slow down, to realize what choices we are
making, what we consider important in our lives. Ask yourself, what is really
necessary to live? Life is made up of
excesses which clutter our lives and our values.
It is love that must be at the centre of your Lenten
journey, because it is the one ingredient of life that gives meaning and
purpose to life. Love is a necessity of
life that needs to be cultivated and nurtured during Lent, so that it can
become the main purpose of your life afterwards. The goal is to be in love and harmony with
your family, friends and nature.
Take the opportunity to read the Bible and really pray with
your heart, not just reciting words to God, but really communicating with
Him. Take time to meditate and look at
what is happening around you in your life.
When you are able to be at peace with yourself, you will find that God
is not far away, just like when the curtain across the altar is opened, you can
see God on the other side. God is always
with us. We are the ones putting up
barriers to God with the sin in our lives.
Fr. Vazken Movsesian,
St. Peter’s
Each night before you
go to bed, complete the following statements:
I am thankful for___________; today I accomplished _____________.
Divine Liturgy @
So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long distance away,
his father saw him coming. Filled with
love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, “Father, I have sinned
against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your
son.” But his father said to the
servants, “Quick! Bring the finest robe
in the house and put it on him. Get a
ring for his finger, and sandals for his feet.
And kill the calf we have been fattening in the pen. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son
of mine was dead and has now returned to life.
He was lost, but now he is found.”
So the party began. Luke 15:20-24
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.
Requiem services have been requested for today by:
† Mr. and Mrs.
Vahik and Hilda Khalafian,
Mr. and Mrs. Rene and Melineh Khalafian,
and Mr. and Mrs. Raffi and Rashel
Kazandjian for the loving memory of their brother and
uncle Vrej Khalafian
(one year) who passed away in Los Angeles, Calif. May God bless his soul.
Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds
discuss people.
Join us today in the Church Hall
Everyone is welcome to attend St. Vartan’s
Annual General Meeting today immediately after Soorp
Badarak. It’s an opportunity for our
faithful to review the year gone by.
Reports are provided by the church committees, our priest and parish
council chair. Come, listen and make a
positive contribution to what we do and how we do it. Your input helps make St. Vartan
a better church.
Consider serving your church. There are seats to fill on the
Parish Council and church committees.
However, you need to be a current member in order to have the privilege
of voting for and running for office. By paying your 2007 church dues, you are
able to participate in this process. If
you haven’t been a member before, please consider the many benefits of
membership. Membership forms are available at the meeting.
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 our Annual General Meeting and
refreshments. In the adjoining hall
there will be snacks and movies for the children. We’re glad you’re here and we
hope to see you again! Our next service
is at
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.
The “Breath of God”
The Bible is the sacred scripture of the Church – which,
during the early Christian centuries, compiled many books into the form we have
today. In the Armenian Church, it is referred to as the “Breath of God.” It is
understood as a book that offers a glimpse of God’s love for humanity. The
Bible, in its complete form, can give students an opportunity to understand
concepts of care and hope, of faith and courage, of justice and freedom. Most
importantly, it can and should reflect the strength of love in the face of evil
and all adversity.
Father Vazken Movsesian
Schedule for March - April 2007
DIVINE LITURGY & Evening Activities
The
Session 2: The Divine Liturgy Explained
Palm
Sunday, Armenian Café
Good
Friday
Easter
Sunday
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.
When to Request Requiem Prayers–Service for the Repose of Souls
The Church teaches that those who have died enter into a
period of rest while awaiting the Lord’s glorious second coming. But while
separated from the living, the souls that are at rest continued to be counted
among the faithful.
The requiem, or Service for the
Repose of Souls – Hokehankist – is usually offered
following Liturgy, but can be offered at (almost) any time. Prayers for the
deceased embrace the fundamental orthodox belief that upon death, the faithful
“fall asleep in Christ”, as evidence by the use of the Armenian term, nun-che-tzyal (“asleep”) in reference to the state of the soul,
once departed from the body.
The faithful should also be aware that prayers and petitions
for the deceased, especially for those being remembered during the Requiem
Service, are both openly and privately expressed during the celebration of the
Divine Liturgy. For this reason, it is most important for family and friends
requesting a Requiem Service for a loved one to be present for the celebration
of the entire Divine Liturgy.
Requiem Services provide the faithful a wonderful way to
pray with one voice, and with one body for God’s mercy. Donations for altar
flowers and hosting the fellowship hour after Liturgy are other expressions to
remember departed loved ones.
A requiem may be
requested following the death, 40 days after death, the yearly anniversary, as
well as at other times (e.g. name day, birthday, mother’s day, etc) by
contacting Hayr Hayrik or
emailing anijan2@gmail.com .
The Sunday of the Prodigal Son
Each Sunday in Lent, we are encouraged to analyze our lives
through the parables told by Jesus.
Today we remember the story of the Prodigal or Lost Son,
found in Luke 15:11-31. A man had two
sons. The younger son asked his father for his share of the estate now, and the
father agreed. The younger son took his
share and went far away where he wasted all the money on wild living. When his money ran out, he was forced to get
a job feeding pigs on a farm. Starving
and reduced to eating the pig food, he decided to return home to his father and
begged his forgiveness. The older brother was angry that the father welcomed
his brother back with a great feast, when he was obedient and a good son, yet
never shown any attention for his loyalty and hard work.
Younger son selfish and irresponsible
The younger son showed arrogant disregard for his father’s
authority as head of the family in initiating the division of the estate,
something that would have taken place when his father died. Like many who are rebellious and immature,
the younger son left home out of selfishness. He wanted to be free to live as
he pleased, and he had to hit bottom before he came to his senses. It often
takes great sorrow and tragedy to cause people to look to Jesus. Are you trying to live life your own way,
selfishly pushing aside any responsibility or commitment that gets in your
way? Stop and look before you hit
bottom.
The pigs were considered unclean animals and were not eaten
or used for sacrifices in the time of the story. For a Jew to stoop to
feeding pigs was a great humiliation, and for this young man to eat food that
the pigs had touched was to be degraded beyond belief. The younger son
had truly sunk to the depths.
Father loving and patient
The father watched and waited in this story. He was dealing with a human being with a will
of his own, but he was ready to greet his son if he returned. In the same way,
God’s love is constant and patient and welcoming. He will search for us and give us
opportunities to respond, but he will not force us to come to him. Like the father in this story, God waits
patiently for us to come to him. God’s
great love reaches out and finds sinners no matter why or how they got lost.
It was hard for the older brother to accept his younger
brother when he returned. People who repent after leading notoriously sinful
lives are often held in suspicion. The older brother represents the Pharisees
who were angry and resentful that sinners were being welcomed into God’s Kingdom. Instead, we should rejoice like the angels in
heaven when an unbeliever repents and turns to God. Like the father, accept
repentant sinners wholeheartedly and give them the support and encouragement
that they need to grow in Christ.
The father forgave because he was filled with love. The son
refused to forgive because he was bitter about the injustice of it all. His
resentment rendered him just as lost to the father’s love as his younger
brother had been. Don’t let anything
keep you from forgiving others. Make your joy grow: forgive somebody who has hurt you.
Our next Soorp Badarak, will be on
Sunday, March 18, at