St. Vartan
Armenian Apostolic
Vol. 1 No. 3
For free email subscription or to
send comments: anijan2@gmail.com
Holy Translators Remembered This
Weekend
On Saturday,
Oct. 13, the Armenian Church commemorates the lives and accomplishments of the
Holy Translators, including: Mesrob Mashtots, Yeghishe Badmiche, Moses the Poet, David the Philosopher, St.
Gregory of Narek, St. Nerses
Shnorhali (the Graceful).
The Feast of
the Holy Translators is one of the Armenian Church’s most popular feasts. There
are, in fact, two commemorations: one is
on the Thursday following the fourth Sunday after Pentecost which occurs either
in June or July; and the other on the second Saturday of October. Holy
Translators Day honors the churchmen who cultivated and energized our faith by
means of vigorous leadership, discoveries (the alphabet), histories, prayers
and music.
The October
commemoration focuses on the invention of the Armenian alphabet (406 AD) and on
the lives of the founders of the alphabet: St. Mesrob
Mashtots and Catholicos Sahak. Saints Mesrob and Sahak, together with some of their students, translated the
Holy Bible (Astvadzashounch, Breath of God) from
Greek and Assyrian into Armenian. Schools were opened and the works of
world-renowned scholars were translated into Armenian, thanks to the efforts of
the Holy Translators.
Also honoured on this feast day are the many who
followed in subsequent centuries, men who translated great works of theology,
philosophy and history into Armenian and also wrote original masterpieces.
Brilliant Clergymen
Indeed, the
"Holy Translators" are a diverse group of brilliant writers whose
dates extend as late as the 12th century and include the brilliant clergymen,
St. Gregory of Narek (951-1003) and Catholicos St. Nersess Shnorhali (1102-1173).
St. Gregory of Narek (Kri-kor
Na-re-gah-tzee) was one of the greatest mystic poets
in the history of the Armenian Church. He was called "mystic"
because his poems focused on the wonder and mystery of his relationship with
God.
St. Gregory was
born in the
St. Nersess
Shnorhali
St. Nersess Shnorhali, the
Grace-filled (Shuh-nor-ha-lee) was an outstanding
church leader in
As a Catholicos, he was a dynamic leader, renowned for his
ecumenical efforts as well as his ability to unite and inspire his clergy and
people. His most famous work is "The Book of Lamentations" which
confesses his unworthiness before Almighty God. This collection of poems,
eventually called simply the "Narek" were
considered so full of strength and life that they were placed at the side or
under the pillow of anyone ailing. His book is cherished by all who read it for
the spiritual nourishment and comfort it provides, despite the centuries.
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 feel God’s Spirit among us as we worship together.
Divine Liturgy @
Meet our pastor
Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan
905-549-2711 905-617-7888
stvartan@cogeco.ca
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 Father’s/Mother’s Day.
Requiem
services have been requested for today by:
† The family and friends request a requiem for their aunt and friend the late
Eugenie Kurkdjian (1 year). May God bless her soul.
Fruits of the Holy Spirit
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-Control
Galatians
5:22-23
Indeed, in our
hearts we felt the sentence of death.
But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who
raises the dead. Galatians 2:9
History and the Christian Church
What we have
often done in history, we now come to know as having been an almost
uninterrupted series of action opposing the will of God for the unity of his
church.
What the
careful study of our history reveals to us in the context of this unity of the
church is nothing else than the discovering of our gradual loss of that sense
of our wholeness and oneness. During
long centuries we have been brought up to think of ourselves as being groups
rather than one body—parts whose temptation has been to identify themselves as
being the whole. We have succumbed to
the temptation of considering ourselves more as distinct churches (how many and
how different!) rather than the Church (one and the same).
History alone
can tell us what we have lost and how we have failed in our task of witnessing
to God, in our share in the task of the building up of his kingdom. Have we left aside the truth given to us by
our Lord? Every kingdom divided against itself is laid
waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. Matt
History can be
a teacher but history is the worst thing in the world if it becomes a
dictator. We cannot be dictated by
history but we can be taught by it. We
have to take courage, sustenance, and strength from our living legacy. But not to be bound by it, not to be subdued
by it to such an extent that we can no longer look ahead and breathe fresh.
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
please join us in the church hall for our annual Thanksgiving Dinner. We’re glad you’re here and we hope to see you
again! Our next service is Sunday, Oct.
28 at
Developing the Fruit of the Spirit
How far you go
in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the
aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and the strong;
because, someday in life you will have been all of these.
Love, Prayer, and Hope, Thoughts and
reflections by His Holiness Catholicos Karekin I of all
Armenians,
Praying the Scriptures--Reflective
Lectio divina
(Latin: spiritual reading) is a way of being nourished by scriptures which
comes from the monastic tradition. Its
spirit is expressed in the following quotation:
Read under the eye of God, until your heart is touched, then give
yourself to God.
Here are some
steps to follow:
PREPARE
·
quiet your thoughts
·
prepare yourself to receive
·
foster genuine openness to what
the Lord might say—be expectant
READ
·
read slowly, reflectively. Your
objective is not to cover ground or seek
information but to be transformed.
·
read again and let your mind drink it in.
Hear words that connect. What images do the words evoke?
·
read one more time—repetition allows the mind to become attentive.
REFLECT
·
put aside the Bible now and simply reflect.
·
one word or phrase may continue to come back to you—what might God be saying?
·
how do you feel about what you have read?
·
what are you reminded of?
·
how do these verses speak to your situation?
·
what concerns of your life does the verse/phrase/word address?
RESPOND
·
speak to God about what you have
heard
·
ask God to clarify and confirm
his word to you
·
do you feel a need to confess?
·
do you have someone/something you must now pray for or about?
REST
·
move now from active involvement to quiet resting.
·
let go of thoughts, words or images; simply rest in God and trust God to pray in you.
·
it may be helpful to focus on your breath as you rest.
REVIEW OF PRAYER
It may be
helpful to journal your prayer experience.
Take a moment to review your time with God. What passages did I choose? What were my reactions, thoughts, changes in
my mood? What struck me or stood out for
me? How did I feel about what struck
me? Where was God working?
The people who make a difference in your life are
not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most
awards. They are the ones that care.
BIBLE PUNS
Q. What kind of
man was Boaz before he married Ruth?
A.. Ruthless.
Check It Out
www.stvartan.ca
www.armenianchurch.ca
Look for St. Vartan’s
2007-08 Schedule
If you haven’t
received the purple brochure with St. Vartan’s
2007-08 schedule for Divine Liturgies, please pick one
up at the doors of the church today.
Space for Rent
If you would
like to advertise in our Sunday tertig, please call Ani Shalvardjian at (905)
826-6319 or email anijan2@gmail.com .
Are You On Our Mailing List?
The Parish
Council needs your help to keep its mailing list up-to-date. Sign up to receive church news by email. Clipboards are at the church entrance doors.
The Pomegranate Ball
The live music
of the Hye Rythms will get
everyone moving to the beat at St. Vartan’s annual
ball. Plan to join us for this fun and
magical evening at the Verdi Hospitality Centre in
Explaining the Liturgy
Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan continues
with the final lecture explaining the mystery of the Divine Liturgy in the
Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without
forgetting.
Oct-Nov 2007 Schedule
Next Service
Our next Soorp Badarak will be at
Thanksgiving Dinner
Immediately after Soorp Badarak. please
join us in the church hall for our annual
Thanksgiving Dinner.