St. Vartan Armenian Apostolic Church of Mississauga, Canada

P.O.Box 53010, 5100 Erin Mills Pkwy, Mississauga L5M 5A7

Vol. 1 No. 19 June 15, 2008

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Feast of the Discovery of St. Mary’s Box

The Armenian Church celebrates eight feasts of the Holy Mother of God (Asdvadzadzin). One of them is the Feast of the Discovery of St. Mary’s Box, celebrated on the fifth Sunday after Pentecost. This feast day is also sometimes referred to as the Discovery of the Veil.

According to tradition, in the fifth century, during the reign of Emperor Argadeos, two Greek princes make a vow to go to the Holy Land. While on their pilgrimage to Jerusalem, they come to a village in Galilee, likely Nazareth, where they see a large crowd gathered in front of a Jewish woman’s house. They inquire and find that the sick are being healed due to the inexplicable power of a small box that once belonged to St. Mary, in which it is believed she kept her veil. Many miraculous cures are attributed to the wooden chest.

Through cunning, the two aristocratic brothers are able to have another box made like the one they saw, and they switch it with the box of the Holy Mother. The princes bring the real box to the imperial capital, Constantinople, and present it to their Patriarch, who places it in the Cathedral dedicated to the Holy Mother. The box was venerated as a precious relic of the Mother of God. The Patriarch then establishes the Feast of the Discovery of St. Mary’s Box.

This celebration was placed on the Armenian liturgical calendar in the18th century, during the revisions to the Directory of Feasts (Donatzouytz), made by Catholicos Simeon Yerevantzi (Catholicos 1763-1780) who accepted this feast day from the Greek Orthodox Church. Prior to Catholicos Simeon’s revision, this was listed as a voluntary celebration and most likely was celebrated only in Constantinople. Later, in Western Armenia, not only were these commemorations celebrated but also others connected to the Holy Mother’s personal items deemed relics. Catholicos Simeon Yerevantsi included also the Feast of the Discovery of Mary’s Belt, when he reformed the feasts of the Armenian liturgical year. This takes place on the third Sunday after the Assumption of the Mother of God (on Aug 31 this year).

To this day, in Jerusalem, Soorp Badarak is celebrated on the fifth Sunday following Pentecost in the Garden of Gethsemane at the Church of the Mother of God. This church is under the protection of the Armenian and Greek Churches. The discovery of the Box is also commemorated by the Greeks.

Today these minor feasts of Mary are all but overlooked in Armenian Church parish life. Their importance is really not in the details of these objects or whether or not they actually belonged to Mary. Instead, they are a testimony of the great love and devotion which Christians, and especially Armenians, have had for the Mother of God. It is only by virtue of Mary's extraordinary faith and willingness to do the Lord's will at whatever cost, and to become the Mother of God, that Jesus could come into our human life to unite sinful humanity with God. As our Armenian sharagans never tire of proclaiming, Mary is the beginning of our salvation.

Very Rev. Fr. Daniel Findikyan, St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, New Rochelle, NY.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, is of utmost importance in our faith because she is the one who listened to God’s will and was the bearer of God…Although we remember events of Mary, we remember them as part of the larger story of Christ. More than specific details, we remember Mary’s important role in our salvation and how she continually points us to Christ.

Megan A. Jendian, Associate Coordinator, Christian Education, Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church, New York, NY.

Welcome to St. Vartan Armenian Church

Welcome to our Soorp Badarak this afternoon. Thank you for taking the time to pray and worship with us. We believe that you will feel God’s Spirit and his renewing love among us today, as we come together as a community to give him glory.

Divine Liturgy @ 1 p.m. with Celebrant Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan. Sunday School @ 1:30 p.m. The children will be learning about St. Mary’s Box, making a Father’s Day craft, and having their year-end party.

Summer 2008 Schedule:

1 p.m. Sunday, June 15

Soorp Badarak

Blessing of the Graduates Father’s Day Celebration

11 a.m. Sunday, July 20

Annual Church Picnic

Fogoler’s Country Club

2026 Lower Base Line

Oakville

1 p.m. Sunday, July 27

Soorp Badarak

1 p.m. Sunday, August 24 Soorp Badarak

1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14

Soorp Badarak

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.

You have abandoned your people, the house of Jacob. They are full of superstitions from the East; they practice divination like the Philistines and clasp hands with pagans. Their land is full of silver and gold; there is no end to their treasures. Their land is full of horses; there is no end to their chariots. Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made. So man will be brought low and mankind humbled—do not forgive them. Go into the rocks, hide in the ground from dread of the Lord and the splendor of his majesty! The eyes of the arrogant man will be humbled and the pride of men brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. Isaiah 2:6-11

Meet our pastor

Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan

905-916-1886

stvartan@hotmail.com

“The highest form of prayer is one is which we don’t beg for ourselves,” said Stuart, “but seek to know what we can do for God. This delights God immensely! As you seek to know what you can do for the other, you will surely receive your own inexpressible delight.”

A Common Life, The Wedding Story, Jan Karon. 2001. p. 67.

Christian heroes have demonstrated strong faith and have been the visible love of the invisible God in the world. In this issue and coming issues, we will look at some of the saints of the Armenian Church who overcame obstacles and served God, often sacrificing their lives.

St. Bartholomew (1st century) The second of Jesus’ apostles to travel to Armenia to preach and evangelize, in the mid-to-first century. He and Thaddeus are referred to as “the First Enlighteners of Armenia.” He is also known as Nathanael and has a memorable conversation with Jesus as recorded in John 1:43051. Upon his return to Jerusalem, Bartholomew visited Mary’s tomb (she had died while he was away) and discovered it empty, believing that her body had been taken up to heaven. This was later referred to as her “Assumption” and became one of the five major feast days of the Armenian Church. Bartholomew was martyred and a monastery was built over his tomb in historical Armenia, now southeastern Turkey.

The Armenian Church remembers Apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew (who brought Christianity to Armenia) during Advent (late November, early December).

Outstanding qualities: Profound faith, honesty, steadfastness, piety

We prevent God from giving us the great spiritual gifts he has in store for us, because we do not give thanks for daily gifts. We think we dare not be satisfied with the small measure of spiritual know-ledge, experience, and love that has been given to us, and that we must constantly be looking forward eagerly for the highest good. Then we deplore the fact that we lack the deep certainty, the strong faith, and the rich experience that God has given to others, and we consider this lament to be pious. Only he who gives thanks for little things receives the big things. Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Prayer for Cleansing

Spirit of God, true God, who descendedst in the river Jordan and in the Upper Chamber, and didst illumine me by the baptism of the holy Font; I have sinned against heaven and in Thy sight, cleanse me again with Thy divine fire, as Thou didst purify with fiery tongues the holy Apostles; have mercy upon Thy creatures and upon me a great sinner.

St. Nerses Shnorhali

Websites to Visit

News Stories and Photos on

St. Vartan’s Website

www.stvartan.ca

Canadian Diocese Website

www.armenianchurch.ca

Are You On Our Mailing List?

Have you moved or are you planning a move? 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.

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.

Dear Heavenly Father, please give us grateful hearts. Amen.

Don’t feel totally, personally, irrevocably responsible for everything. That’s my job.

God

Does God Think about Me Much?

One afternoon, Nathanael was resting under a fig tree, Nathanael’s friend Philip came hurrying down the road. When he saw Nathanael, he came over to him. Philip was excited and started talking right away.

“We have found the One that Moses wrote about,” he said. “His name is Jesus! Come and see.” So Nathanael got up and followed Philip.

When Jesus saw Nathanael coming, he said, “He is a true Israelite. There is nothing false in him.”

“How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.

Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree.”

Nathanael was excited! He knew Jesus had been thinking about him as he sat under that tree!

God thinks about YOU too. He keeps his eye on you all day and all night long. He sees when you laugh, or when tears fall from your eyes. When you think about him, he is already thinking about you.

And every time you say a prayer to God, he will always say, “How good to hear your voice! I’m so glad you thought about me, because I was just thinking about you.”

Who Made God? Larry Libby, 2002.

Worship in the Armenian Church:

· There are seven major sacraments administered and celebrated by the clergy.

· Baptism by immersion into water constitutes one’s entry into the Church.

· The Holy Eucharist/Soorp Badarak/Divine Liturgy is the central sacrament and is offered to the faithful at Holy Communion in the form of unleavened bread and wine which becomes truly the Body and Blood of Christ.

· Salvation is achieved through faith and works and is a life-long process.

Doctrine of our Church

· The faith, doctrine and dogma of the Armenian Church are based upon the Apostolic teachings, Holy Tradition and the written Word of God.

· The Nicene Creed is the main statement of faith, professing the doctrine of the Holy Trinity - father, Son and Holy Spirit.

· Only the first three church councils are accepted as fully ecumenical: Nicea in 325, Constantinople in 381 and Ephesus in 431.

Jesus said, “...Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.” John 12:31

Sunday, July 20 - St. Vartan’s Summertime Picnic

Join in the annual FUN FOR ALL AGES! Everyone is welcome. Bring your family. Bring your friends. Games and crafts and face painting for children. Soccer and Tavloo. Eat delicious homemade Armenian food. A BBQ! Swim and splash in the pool. Sit in the shade, feet up. Relax and visit with friends. Make new friends. See you at 11 a.m., at Fogoler’s Country Club, 2026 Lower Base Line (between Bronte Rd. and Fourth Line), Oakville! PICNIC !

The Law of the Garbage Truck

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean he was really friendly.

So I asked, “Why did you just do that? That guy could have ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!” That is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, The Law of the Garbage Truck.

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks.They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it person-ally.Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home or on the streets.

The bottom line is that happy people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So...love the people who treat you right. Ignore the ones who don't. Life is 10 % what you make it, and 90% how you take it!

Love God by Serving Others

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

When God calls us to himself, he calls us to his church, to a purpose bigger than ourselves. Biblically, living for God means living for his church. If we sacrifice, serve, and tirelessly work to build the kingdom of God in this world, we will find, as did Paul and the ancients, that the selfless life, though not an easy life, though filled with much pain, anguish, and heartache, is the most meaningful life that can be lived. When you know you’re doing something solely out of love for God, and a desire to see his kingdom prosper on this earth, there’s an unrivalled inner satisfaction that fills your soul…when God’s spirit transforms us and recreates us, he does so with a view to making us less selfish and more inclined to serve others—that is, to make us good. He doesn’t just save us, but intends to change us...When we learn to truly delight in the welfare of others and rejoice in what God is doing in their lives, the potential for increased joy skyrockets.

Authentic Faith, Gary L. Thomas, pp. 11, 24, 28.

Let Us Spread Your Love, Lord

Father, we bless you and thank you for the abundant love you give us. May we treat it with gratitude and devotion, sharing it with our brothers and sisters. May it be a river of living water to bring joy, hope and encouragement to others, Lord. Protect us, give us courage for whatever lies ahead and whatever is required to love you well and faithfully, all the days of our lives. Amen.

OUR GRADUATES

Congratulations!

We are proud of each one of you!

Robert Arzoomanian

Arin Haghverdian

Garen Hamblin

Karin Simonian

Melissa Stepanians

May God bless you and your family.

Just Who IS Satan?

Satan is not the “opposite” of God, nor God’s mirror image. Satan is not the source of all evil, for Satan does not possess comprehensive knowledge or power. Evil choices are made by human beings, without those choices always being traceable to (and thus blamable upon) Satan. Nor does Satan have his own private headquarters in hell, as is so often pictured in cartoons both modern and medieval. Most traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam assert that Satan in fact is destined for hell, the place of radical separation from God, and this is the only respect in which Satan is identified with hell. Instead of being the prince of hell, Satan temporarily enjoys the status of the “prince of this world,” according to the New Testament. This term signifies a grim recognition that Satan has considerable influence over individuals, corporations, and structures throughout the world in this era. This influence causes much harm, but it will also end by God’s direct intervention in history in the Last Judgment.

Can God Be Trusted? John G. Stackhouse Jr., p. 39.

BRING SOMEONE WHO NEEDS A RIDE TO CHURCH

Every day, find time to be alone.

TODAY:

Blessing of our Graduates and Father’s Day Lunch

Celebrant Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhan-nisyan will bless our graduates today after our Soorp Badarak.

Then, join us for a Father’s Day Lunch in the Church Hall. Tickets at the doors.