PRELATE ASKS
FOR PRAYERS, DONATIONS
FOR VICTIMS OF FIRES IN GREECE
Archbishop Oshagan has directed all of the parishes within the Eastern Prelacy
to offer prayers for the victims of the fires that have been ravaging parts
of Greece. His Eminence asked that on the next two Sundays, September 2
and 9, special plate offering be made to aid the victims of the disastrous
fires. More than 60 people have died in the fires, scores are hospitalized
with serious injuries, and thousands of families are homeless. Donations
may also be made directly to the Armenian Prelacy and mailed to 138 E. 39th
Street, New York, NY 10016. Please indicate “Greek Relief” in
the memo area of your check.
DIVINE LITURGY DURING OLYMPICS WEEKEND
The 74th annual Olympics of the Armenian Youth Federation is taking place
this weekend in New Jersey with the host Arsen chapter overseeing the
plans for this popular event. This Sunday, September 2, Badarak
will be celebrated at 10 a.m. in the Derby Room at the Sheraton Meadowlands
in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the headquarters of the Olympics. The
Prelate, Archbishop Oshagan, will preside and the Vicar, Bishop Anoushavan,
will officiate. All are invited to attend. Choir members are encouraged
to join the ad hoc choir. Please note that regular Sunday services
will also take place at Sts. Vartanantz Church in Ridgefield, New Jersey.
At noon time Archbishop Oshagan will deliver the opening prayer at the
official Olympic Opening Ceremonies at the track and field events, which
will take place at Overpeck Park, Palisades Park, New Jersey.
For information about the weekend events and directions go to www.ayfolympics.org
PRELATE AND VICAR WILL ATTEND BANQUET
FOR LEBANESE CONSUL GENERAL
Tomorrow evening, August 31, Archbishop Oshagan and Bishop Anoushavan
will attend a banquet honoring the Consul General of Lebanon, Antoine
Azzam, in New York City.
PRELATE AND VICAR WILL VISIT POPE SHENOUDA
On Saturday, September 1, Archbishop Oshagan and Bishop Anoushavan will
visit His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, at the headquarters of the Coptic
Orthodox Church in Cedar Grove, New Jersey.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATORS
A conference for Sunday school teachers will take place October 26-28
at the Holy Virgin Mary Spiritual Vineyard, a Coptic Orthodox Retreat
Center in Charlton, Massachusetts. The theme of the conference is “Prayer—Personal
and Communal,” and will feature presentations by Bishop Anoushavan
Tanielian, Rev. Fr. Paul Tarazi, Ph.D., Dn. Shant Kazanjian, and Dr. Mary
Olson. A modest fee of $60 covers all expenses including lodging for two
nights, five meals and refreshments.
BIBLE STUDY AT THE PRELACY
A new five-part series of Bible studies will take place at the Prelacy
beginning on October 16 and continuing on the first and third Tuesday
of the month, from 7:15 to 8:45 pm. Dn. Shant Kazanjian, director of the
Armenian Religious Education Council (AREC) will conduct the Bible studies.
For information and registration, send email to arec@armenianprelacy.org
or telephone 212-689-7810.
IN CELEBRATION OF THE YEAR OF THE ARMENIAN LANGUAGE…
To read the message of His Holiness in Armenian click
here.
To read the message of His Holiness in English click
here.
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, has
designated 2007 as the Year of the Armenian Language. In celebration of
this year-long tribute, each week we will offer an interesting tidbit
about the Armenian language and literature:
Mesrop Mashtots, the inventor of the Armenian alphabet, is buried in the
village of Oshakan in the Aragatsotn region of Armenia. His tomb is under
the high altar of the St. Mesrop Mashtots Church of Oshakan. Built originally
in 443, the church was rebuilt in the mid 1600s, and in 1875 Catholicos
Gevorg IV built a totally new church structure. The church is a popular
field trip destination for school children in Armenia. During the pontificate
of Catholicos Karekin I, of blessed memory, a conference center was built
to attract scholars and writers.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Bible readings for today, August 30, are: Proverbs 20:6-22; Job 42:12-16;
Lamentations 3:22-56; Acts 13:25-33; James 5:7-11; Matthew 14:1-12.
And as John was finishing his work, he said, “What do
you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but one is coming after me; I
am not worthy to untie the thong of the sandals on his feet.” My
brothers, you descendants of Abraham’s family, and others who fear
God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent. Because the residents
of Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize him or understand the
words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath, they fulfilled those
words by condemning him. Even though they found no cause for a sentence
of death, they asked Pilate to have him killed. When they had carried
out everything that was written about him, they took him down from the
tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead; and for
many days he appeared to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem,
and they are now his witnesses to the people. And we bring you the good
news that what God promised to our ancestors he has fulfilled for us,
their children, by raising Jesus; as also it is written in the second
psalm, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.”
(Acts 13:25-33)
For listing of the entire week’s Bible readings click
here.
ST. JOHN THE FORERUNNER AND JOB THE RIGHTEOUS
Today, August 30, the Armenian Church remembers St. John the Forerunner
and Job the Righteous. St. John the Forerunner, also known as John the
Baptist (Hovhaness Mkrtich) , is an important figure in the four
New Testament Gospels. He is understood to be the “forerunner”
(Karapet) to the Messiah. He lived as a hermit in the desert
of Judea. At the age of 30 he began to preach against the evils of the
times and called for penance and baptism “for the kingdom of heaven
is close at hand.”
The Book of Job is one of the five books, along with Psalms, Proverbs,
Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon, classified as the “poetical”
books of the Bible. Many theologians and writers consider it to be one
of the most remarkable books in the Bible. The principle of the Book is
the mystery of suffering. Job is a good and righteous person who experiences
and endures catastrophe after catastrophe. The phrase “the patience
of Job” has entered the English lexicon as a popular cliché.
Biblical scholars agree that rather than “patience” a more
accurate translation would be “persistence” or “endurance.”
Ultimately Job is rewarded because “the Lord blessed the latter
days of Job more than his beginning,” and “After this Job
lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children, and his children’s
children, four generations. And Job died, old and full of days.”
(Job, Chapter 42).
THE 318 FATHERS OF THE HOLY COUNCIL OF NICAEA
This Saturday, September 1, the Armenian Church celebrates the First Ecumenical
Council held in Nicaea in Asia Minor in the year 325 and the 318 Church
Fathers who attended. The Council was called by Emperor Constantine. The
Armenian Church participated in this Council and contributed toward the
victory of Orthodoxy. Aristakes, son of Gregory the Illuminator, represented
the Armenian Church. The Council is mentioned in the writings of Moses
of Khoren and Agathangelos. In later centuries and in all their doctrinal
writings, the Fathers of the Armenian Church referred to the Council of
Nicaea with veneration and the Nicene Creed (Havatamk) was incorporated
into the Armenian Liturgy. The Council condemned Arianism (which denied
the full divinity of Christ) and proclaimed that the orthodox position
is the belief in “one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten
of God the Father, Only-Begotten, of the substance of the Father. God
from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten and not made.”
(from the Nicene Creed).
MONDAY IS LABOR DAY
This Monday, September 3, is Labor Day, celebrated in the United States
and Canada. Always the first Monday in September, Labor Day was created
by the labor movement more than a century ago. It is dedicated to the
social and economic achievements of workers. Through the years it has
become known as the unofficial end of summer, just as Memorial Day has
become the unofficial start of summer.
Labor Day also means that schools will be reopening soon beginning a new
school year. We remind you that many of our Sunday and Saturday schools
will be having their registrations. Check with your local parish for the
exact date.
AND, we always remember the birthday of William Saroyan.
Tomorrow, August 31, would have been the 99th birthday of the great Armenian
American writer. When he learned that he had cancer he refused any treatment.
In one of his final pieces of writing he wrote: “I know that everyone
has to die, but I thought God would make an exception for me.”
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| CALENDAR
OF EVENTS
September
9—Annual picnic of St. Gregory
Church of Merrimack Valley at American Legion Grounds in Haverhill, Massachusetts.
September
9—St. Stephen Church, New Britain, Connecticut, annual
picnic at Quartette Club grounds, New Britain.
September
9—St. Sarkis Church, 38-65 234th Street, Douglaston, New
York. Annual picnic on the church grounds following church services. For
information 718-224-2275.
September
15—Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey, “The
Moon*The Stars*and All that Jazz.” An evening of music and mezze
under the stars, presented by the Ladies Guild. For information 845-735-8713
or 201-445-6867.
September
25—Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church, Worcester, Massachusetts,
4th annual golf outing at Juniper Hill Golf Course, Northboro, Massachusetts.
Registration at 8 am. Tee off at 9 am. $125 includes golf cart, dinner
and prizes. For information 508-852-2414.
September
27—Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey, 5th
Annual Golf Outing at River Vale Country Club, River Vale, New Jersey.
Registration begins at 11 a.m. and tee time at 1 p.m. For information,
201-943-2950.
September
29—Soorp Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, Massachusetts,
50th anniversary banquet at Pleasant Valley. For information www.armenianchurchofwhit.org
or 508-234-3677.
October
7—St. Stephen Church, New Britain, Connecticut, 82nd Anniversary
banquet, Marriott Hotel, Rocky Hill, Connecticut.
October
7—Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey, “Hello
Ellis Island,” the latest production of The Way We Were Troupe,
hosted by the Ladies Guild, 1 pm. Lunch served. For information 201-943-2950.
October
16 to December 18—“From Jesus’ meals with sinners
to the Lord’s Supper,” a five part Bible study at the Armenian
Prelacy will begin on October 16 and continue on the first and third Tuesday
of the month, from 7:15 to 8:45 pm. Conducted by Dn. Shant Kazanjian,
director of the Armenian Religious Education Council (AREC). For information
and registration, please send e-mail to arec@armenianprelacy.org or call
212-689-4481.
October
18, 19, 20, 21—Soorp Khatch Church, Bethesda, Maryland,
Annual Food Festival and Bazaar.
October
21—St. Gregory the Illuminator Church, Philadelphia, celebrating
the 20th anniversary of the ordination of Rev. Fr. Nerses Manoogian, under
the auspices of the Prelate, Archbishop Oshagan. For information www.saintgregory-philly.org
or 215-482-9200.
October
26-28—National Conference for Christian Educators, a conference
for Sunday School teachers at the Holy Virgin Mary Spiritual Vineyard,
a Coptic Orthodox Retreat Center, in Charlton, Massachusetts. Theme: “Prayer—Personal
and Communal.” Presentations by Rev. Fr. Paul Tarazi, Bishop Anoushavan
Tanielian, Dn. Shant Kazanjian, and Dr. Mary Olson.
November
11—37th anniversary of St. Gregory Church of Merrimack
Valley and ordination of Nishan Dagley to the office of acolyte and stole
bearer. Presided over by His Grace Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Vicar
General of the Prelacy.
November
10-11—Sts. Vartanantz Church, Providence, Rhode Island,
annual “Armenian Fest,” at Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet, Cranston,
Rhode Island. For information 401-831-6399.
November
17—Soorp Khatch Church, Bethesda, Maryland, 43rd Anniversary
Banquet.
December
1—Soorp Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, Massachusetts,
annual church bazaar. For information www.armenianchurchofwhit.org or
508-234-3677.
December
9—St. Stephen’s Church, Watertown, Massachusetts,
50th anniversary celebration. For information, (617) 924-7562. |
