St. Vartan
Armenian Apostolic
Vol. 1 No. 8
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St. Sarkis
the Warrior
St. Sarkis is known as the all-powerful warrior and saint
riding on a white charger, who, in the blink of an eye, reaches those calling
to him for help. A devout and faithful Christian, he lived in the fourth
century and was noted for his exceptional military talents. St. Sarkis is venerated by the Armenians due to his courageous
victories for Christianity.
During the
reign of Constantine the Great, St. Sarkis, a Greek,
was recognized for his great military skill as a warrior, and was made a
general in the Roman armies. St. Sarkis' valor,
strength, and bravery earned him the rank of general. As a Christian, he used his position of power
for spiritual growth, going from town-to-town, purging the land of pagan idols,
teaching the Gospel, and building churches where pagan temples once stood.
When Emperor
Constantine died, Christianity throughout the region came under attack from the
new Roman leader, Julian the Apostate. Under his leadership, pagans set about
destroying churches and persecuting Christians.
Seeing this, Sarkis prayed. Jesus appeared to him and said, "It is
time for you to leave your country and your clan, as did Abraham the Patriarch,
and go to a country which I will show you. There, you will receive the crown of
righteousness prepared for you." Sarkis went
with his son, Mardiros, to
King Diran urged Sarkis to seek refuge
among the Persians as Emperor Julian was killing all Christians in his bid to
take over the world.
Some of Sarkis' soldiers told King Shapur
that Sarkis was rebelling against the Persian ruler
by preaching belief in Jesus. Sarkis was called back
to the palace, to attend a feast honoring the pagan gods. Sarkis
refused to offer a sacrifice to the pagan gods, saying he would only worship
the one, true God. The king and his followers were enraged and killed his son, Mardiros, before his eyes. The king then ordered Sarkis executed. Sarkis began to
pray. An angel descended from heaven and told him, "Be strong. Do not fear
the killers of your body; for the gate of the
Sarkis' body was sent it to
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
@
Jan.-Feb. 2008 Schedule
Meet our pastor
Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan
905-916-1886 905-617-7888
stvartan@hotmail.com
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:
† Mrs. Siranush Dumanian,
Mr. and Mrs. Loris and Julia Dumanian and their sons Armen, Vaughan and Sevan, and Avadikian and Sarkisian families for the loving memory of their husband,
father and grandfather Mr. Dikran Dumanian
(40 days). May God bless his soul.
† His Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian
for the repose of the soul of slain journalist and human rights advocate Hrant Dink (1 year) at St. Gregory The Illuminator
Cathedral of Montreal and in parishes across
But mark
this: There will be terrible times in
the last days. People will be lovers of
themselves, lovers of
money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful,
unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal,
not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather
than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. Timothy 3:1-9
Saturday, Jan.
19, the Armenian Church remembered the birth of
During Jesus’
baptism, the Holy Spirit descended upon him in the form of a dove and a voice
from Heaven said “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well
pleased.” The baptism marked the
beginning of Jesus’ ministry and was a confirmation of what John
prophesied.
Seven months
later,
Deep Longing for God and His Love
What so many
sense as their “loneliness” and others as a “deep void” or purposelessness” is,
in actuality, one of the signals God has placed within us. It is his programmed
message that we need him. The designer is telling his creation, “Without me you
will never feel complete. I am the only one who can satisfy your deep-seated
longings. I will be the source of your
peace.”
His plan was to
create mankind so that we would have a relationship with him. This relationship
would be characterized by love: God’s loving us and
our loving him. And through his loving presence, he would protect and provide
for us. This idea was and is unique to Judeo-Christian religious thought … He
knew that out of this intimacy of relationship we could receive his gift to all
who follow him - a deep, lasting, abiding
peace that only he can provide to the human heart.
Charles
Stanley, Finding Peace, p. 12.
In repentance and rest is your salvation,
In quietness and trust is your strength
Isaiah 30:15
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
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.
Thanksgiving
For each new
morning with its light,
For rest and
shelter of the night,
For health and
food,
For love and
friends,
For everything
Thy goodness sends.
Ralph Waldo
Emerson
(1803-1882)
Prayer is…
·
The way you satisfy the longing
of your soul to be close to God.
·
Something God has called you to
do.
·
Something you can do in your
mind, and God will hear your spirit talking to him.
Stormie Omartian
Check It Out
To Overcome Loneliness
Practice Giving
The truth is
that nobody is really alone. God has someone he desires to provide to you as a
friend, mentor, counselor, minister, teacher, spouse, or neighbor. The person
who says, “I’m alone,” is a person who perceives that nobody is giving to him. The
antidote for loneliness is always to start giving to others! When you turn
yourself inside out from being an “I must receive” person to an “I must give”
person, you will find yourself in relationships with people, and you will not
be alone!
Charles
Stanley, Finding Peace, p.78
When Satan is knocking at your door,
simply say,
"GOD, could YOU please get that for
me?"
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.
The Power of Praying for Others
“For this
reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you
and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual
wisdom and understand.” Colossians 1:9
For all the
people we care about—parents, children, a spouse, friends, family, neighbours, co-workers, or people in need around the
world—one of the best things we can do for them is pray. We may not be able to provide them with good
health, financial security, or protection from all harm. But we can pray that God will heal them,
provide for them, and keep them safe.
The promise to
pray for others is one of the finest gifts we can give. Every time we seek the presence of God and
the release of his power on behalf of someone else, great things happen. It is the most effective way we can touch
others and make a difference in their lives.
The most
important thing we can pray about for others is that they will know God better
and that he will help them understand his will, grow in spiritual wisdom, and
live lives that honor him. We can pray
that they will become more like him and bear the fruit of his Spirit.
When we pray
for others, we are asking God to make his presence known in their lives. We are asking him to open their heart so they
can hear from him. That doesn’t mean
there will always be an immediate response.
Sometimes it can take days, weeks, months, or even years. But our prayers are never lost or
meaningless. If we are praying,
something is happening in the lives of those for whom we pray, whether we see
it or not. Everything that needs to
happen in our lives and in the lives of our loved ones cannot happen without
the presence and power of God. Prayer
invites and ignites both.
Stormie Omartian
Holy Communion
Preparing to Receive Christ's
Spiritual Nourishment
By Paulette K. Doudoukjian
"We
participate most fully in the Divine Liturgy when we receive Holy Communion. It
is the greatest Christian privilege, and ideally, baptized members of the
Armenian Church should receive communion whenever the badarak
is celebrated," states the introduction in the Divine Liturgy pew books.
Holy Communion
is indeed the centerpiece of the Divine Liturgy, occurring during the second
half of the Soorp Badarak (the Eucharist).
According to
the Divine Liturgy pew books, communion is a sign of the union between each
member of the church with the other and with God. The unleavened bread is
broken into small pieces and placed into wine. They represent the body and
blood of Jesus Christ, and are distributed to parishioners, thus unifying them
with each other and, more importantly, with the Son of God.
How to Prepare for Communion
Of course,
prior to receiving the body and blood of Jesus Christ, one must strive to
prepare themselves in several ways. The most traditional form of preparation is
through fasting, beginning several hours before Soorp
Badarak is celebrated. This, along with prayer, prepares one to receive the
spiritual nourishment that communion represents.
According to
the Very Rev. Fr. Daniel Findikyan, Dean of St. Nersess Armenian Seminary in
Another part of
preparation comes in the form of confession. Confession, in most Armenian
churches, is commonly completed when four of the nine confession paragraphs are
recited audibly and collectively as a group during Soorp
Badarak, immediately prior to partaking in communion.
Confession
should be done before the start of Soorp Badarak, and
in fact, private confession is the ideal, explains Rev. Fr. Yeprem
Kelegian, pastor of the St. Mesrob
Armenian Church in
Approaching the Altar to Receive the
Sacrament
In either form
of confession, however, certain other procedures of respect should be followed
as one approaches the chalice to receive this sacrament. Dressed appropriately
and humbly, no talking or other socializing should occur, rather reverence
should prevail.
Keeping all
this in mind, it must also be noted that no one should ever refrain from
receiving Holy Communion if they have not properly prepared themselves as
mentioned. After all, the priest prays every Sunday that through God's grace,
"...grant this bread and this cup to be for us, who taste of them, a
remedy of forgiveness for our sins." The more significant factor is that
we approach the altar with a pure heart, clean conscience, and loving spirit to
receive Christ's promise of everlasting life and hope of resurrection.
Seven Sacraments of the Armenian
Apostolic Church
BAPTISM HOLY MATRIMONY
CHRISMATION ANOINTING OF THE SICK
PENANCE ORDINATION
HOLY COMMUNION
Stay for Dinner
Immediately after Soorp
Badarak today, everyone is invited to
the church hall for
A Taste of
Next Service
Our next Soorp Badarak will be at