St. Vartan Armenian Apostolic
Vol. 1 No. 1
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Today we are celebrating the Barekendan
of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The word Barekendan
means happiness, and joy. Since the Church is preparing for a fasting period to
begin on Monday, this Sunday has been marked by our Church Fathers as a day of
joy, happiness and getting-together, in other words, a day of celebration.
September and October feature three commemorations of the
Holy Cross. Even from the time of the Apostles, the Holy Cross was recognized
as the symbol of salvation for all Christians. The cross is the place where
God, who became human to redeem human suffering and death, was crucified and
died. It is also the place where he vanquished death through his
resurrection, thereby rendering the cross a powerful symbol of eternal
life. The Armenian cross is symbolic of life in these ways:
·
the
crossbars intersect at a midpoint that signifies the four corners of the world
meeting at life's center
·
the
"empty" Armenian cross (as opposed to the Catholic crucifix bearing
the body of Jesus) emphasizes Jesus' victory over death
·
the appearance of vines, grapes, and wheat as decorative motifs in the
Armenian cross symbolizes the life generated from the cross which was otherwise
an instrument of death.
Every autumn, the Armenian Church celebrates the Exaltation
of the Holy Cross—the most important of the four feasts of the Holy
Cross.
The Exaltation, known as Khachverats
in Armenian, refers to the "raising up" or glorification of the
cross. An early tradition identifies St. James, the brother of the
Lord—one of Jesus' 12 Apostles—as the first to exalt a cross. Taking in
hand a likeness (or perhaps an actual piece) of the original cross of the
Crucifixion, St. James elevated it before the people, and venerated it as a
symbol of "the power of God," praying: "We prostrate ourselves
before your cross, O Christ." Those
very words in Armenian, Khachi ko, Krisdos, yergirbakanemk, are still repeated in our church services.
We see in the cross the instrument on which our Lord
sacrificed himself in order to cleanse mankind of its sins. The cross is the
instrument of life: a divine sign that shows the power of life over death.
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.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him
endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the
throne of God.. Consider him who endured
such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose
heart. Hebrews 12:2-3
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:
† Dr. Berdj and Mano
Artinian, Mr and Mrs. Kevork and Anahid Doghramadjian (
Welcome Back
We hope you enjoyed your summer. Please join us for a Lahmadjoon
Luncheon today after the church service.
Register Your Children for St. Vartan’s Sunday
School
Today, please register your children for St. Vartan’s Sunday School. Sunday School teachers are Taline Paroyan, Katrin Yaldizciyan, Ani Tarzi, Najda Zada,
Ani Altounian and Christine
Ermarkaryan. Sunday School
is for children three to 12 years old.
It takes place during Soorp Badarak, beginning
at
Older youth are welcome to help out the younger ones at
Sunday School, and thereby earn high school community
service credits. We gratefully acknowledge the hard work and Christian
commitment of our Sunday School teachers who
faithfully take the time to organize, and plan our Sunday School program each
year. Your children will have a wonderful church experience in their care,
learning about our loving God.
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 we have planned a light luncheon 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, Sept. 30 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.
Check It Out:
www.stvartan.ca
Parable of the Four Wives
Once upon a time there was a rich King who had four wives.
He loved the fourth wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated
her to the finest of delicacies. He gave her nothing but the best.
He also loved the third wife very much and was always
showing her off to neighbouring kingdoms. However, he
feared that one day she would leave him for another.
He also loved his second wife. She was his confidante and
was always kind, considerate and patient with him. Whenever the King faced a problem, he could
confide in her, and she would help him get through the difficult times.
The King's first wife was a very loyal partner and had made
great contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom. However, he did not
love the first wife. Although she loved
him deeply, he hardly took notice of her!
One day, the King fell ill and he knew his time was short.
He thought of his luxurious life and pondered, “I now have four wives with me,
but when I die, I'll be all alone."
Thus, he asked the fourth wife, "I loved you the most,
endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that
I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?"
"No way!" replied the fourth wife and she walked
away. Her answer cut like a sharp knife right into his heart.
The sad King then asked the third wife, "I loved you
all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me
company?"
"No!" replied the third wife. "Life is too
good. When you die, I'm going to remarry!"
His heart sank and turned cold.
He then called for the second wife. "I have always
turned to you for help and you've always been there for me. When I die, will
you follow me and keep me company?" he asked her.
"I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!"
replied the second wife. "At the very most, I can only walk with you to your
grave." Her answer struck him like a bolt of lightning, and the King was
devastated.
Then a voice called out: "I'll go with you. I'll follow
you no matter where you go." The
King looked up, and there was his first wife. She was very skinny as she suffered
from malnutrition and neglect. Greatly aggrieved, the King said, "I should
have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!"
In truth, we all have the four wives in our lives. Our
fourth wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making
it look good, it will leave us when we die. Our third wife is our possessions,
status and wealth. When we die, these
will all go to others. Our second wife is our family and friends. No matter how
much they have been there for us, the furthest they can go with us is up to the
grave. Our first wife is our soul—often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power
and the pleasures of the world. However,
our soul is the only thing that will follow us wherever we go. Cultivate,
strengthen and cherish it now, for it is the only part of us that will follow
us to the throne of God and continue with us throughout eternity.
THE CHURCH CHOIR.....MADE UP OF VIEWERS LIKE YOU WHO SING
A Prayer Upon Leaving the Church
Dear Lord, Preserve thy Church unshaken, and keep the
worshippers of thy name in peace. Amen.
A Prayer
O God, our loving Father, we come to you this afternoon with
our hearts full of gratitude for all the blessings you provide.
We ask you to forgive us for our shortcomings and to strengthen
us as we endeavour to walk with you on our path
through life.
We pray for all who are gathered here and those who are
unable to be with us today.
Also, we pray for:
·
a
continual sense of your abiding presence in our daily lives;
·
for
grace to live in the light of your divine love, that loving you above all, we
may give to others the sunshine of love that has its source in you alone;
·
for
a steadfast heart to meet with constant cheerfulness the anxieties and trials
of our lives;
·
for grace to refrain from the unkind word and from the unkind silence.
We lift our hearts to you in joyful praise, and in the name
of Jesus, our Lord, we make this prayer.
BRING SOMEONE WHO NEEDS A RIDE TO CHURCH.
Check It Out
www.armenianchurch.ca
St. Vartan’s 2007-08 Schedule is Out
If you haven’t received the 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 her at anijan2@gmail.com.
Remember to Turn Off Your Cell Phone
Please turn off your cell phone when you are at church, out
of courtesy for your fellow faithful and respect for the holiness of the Soorp Badarak.
Join us Today for a Light Luncheon of Lahmadjoon
The Parish Council has organized a Lahmadjoon
Luncheon to welcome everyone back. The
luncheon takes place in the church hall immediately following the Divine
Liturgy today. Please join us.
Thanksgiving Dinner
Oct. 14
Book Your Table
St. Vartan’s Parish Council is
once again hosting a Thanksgiving dinner for our faithful. The family dinner will be held in the
church hall at St. Cuthbert’s immediately after Soorp
Badarak. We invite you to reserve your
dinner tickets for
Church Choir and Sunday School Welcome New
Faces
Our church community can grow with your love and willing
hands. Consider helping in the Sunday School or
joining the Church Choir.
Youth, 13-and-older, are invited to assist with the younger
children at Sunday School and at St. Vartan’s events throughout the year. It's a fun way
to collect community hours. Please contact Christine Ermarkaryan
at 905-825-5299.
St. Vartan's Church Choir is led
by Sarkis Hamboyan. Our choirmaster is always looking for more
voices to enrich the spiritual experience provided by the music. For more
information, call 905-337-1045.
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.
Did you know?
St. Vartan members receive
discounts and other benefits (as determined by the parish council)?
Be a smart consumer.
Members’ discounts for baptisms, weddings and funerals and other
benefits at church events add up—and could ultimately cover the cost of your
membership! SIGN UP NOW!
Mark it Down
Saturday, Nov. 10
That’s the day we party! St. Vartan’s
annual ball is being held at the Verdi Hospitality Centre in
Q. Why, in some
pictures of the crucified Jesus, is a skull depicted
under the cross? What does the skull symbolize?
The skull symbolizes Adam. Because of Adam’s sin, people
inherited death; whereas Christ saved mankind from death by means of his
Crucifixion.
Q. After burning
incense should the remains be thrown in the garbage bin?
When incense is burnt, smoke--like prayer--rises upward. We may
say that incense bears the sacrament of prayer. Incense has a disinfecting and
evil-repelling effect. Therefore, the presence of evil is repelled in such
places where incense is burnt. Remains of burnt incense shouldn’t be thrown
into the garbage, but onto the earth--under trees or into flower beds.
Answers prepared by Fr. Shmavon Ghevondian.
The Divine Liturgy Explained
Learn the meaning and mystery of the Divine Liturgy as
celebrated by the
The free 30-minute lecture begins at
Our
The Christian Church has a clear mission—to continue
spreading the message of love and hope.
Fr. Vazken Movsessian
Armenian Church, In His Shoes
He is With Us
God has been amazing--to challenge and move me out of
comfort zones, yet hold me like a child when I am shaking and feel like I
cannot go on because it is overwhelming.
And that’s been beautiful.”
Rob Shearer,
The Anglican September 2007
Schedule for Sept.-Oct. 2007
DIVINE LITURGY & Evening Activities
Next Service
Our next Soorp Badarak will be at