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Home , Eastertide, Lent

The Season of /Hinoonk/|INOUNQ The liturgical season of prepared us for the Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord. The fathers of the have designated the 50 days following for the celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord. Thus, from Easter until , the liturgical services of the Church are indeed celebrations of the Risen Christ. The is arranged such that every day a passage is read from the Book of Acts of the Apostles to impress upon us the effect of the Resurrection of Christ on his disciples and the formation and the development of the Christian cummunity, Church. And a passage from each is read everyday from the beginning until the Passion naratives: Luke at , John at the Divine , Matthew at the beginning and Mark at the end of Vespers. And the Blessing of the Fields (The Four Corners of the World/ Antasdan/Andastan Service is offered every as it was on Easter Sunday. And we continue to greet one another with the good news that: Christ is Risen from the Dead QRISTOS |AR:AU I M:%:LOZ Krisdos Haryav ee Merelots. The Sundays following Easter have each a special designation symbolized by colors — white, green, red (the late Patricarch of Constantinople Abp. Shnork Kalustian calls them “Colorful Sundays”). Since we are still urged to stay at home, and the and other and are offered behind locked doors, without the physical participation of the faithful, we shall continue to pray at home. As sad as it is to close our churches under these circumstances, here is a more positive perspective: with our home we are opening thousands more churches as our ascestors of faith did in the early decades and centuries after the resurrection of our Lord. The following is a brief home service derived from our liturgical tradition. The basic structure will remain unchanged for the next few weeks, but every Sunday the scripture reading and the will change to bring another sample from our rich tradition. Gather around a table or an appropriate room in the house, place a cross and a candle in the center of the table, invite everyone to take a moment to center in mind and heart. Begin with the . In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the . Amen. Recite the Lord’s Prayer: In English or in Armenian Psalm 84 (85): 1,1-7 , alleluia: Show us Your mercy, Lord, and grant us Your salvation. Lord, You have been favorable to Your land; You have brought back the captivity of Jacob. You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin. You have taken away all Your wrath; You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger. Restore us, O God of our salvation, and cause Your anger toward us to cease. Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations? Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, Lord, and grant us Your salvation. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; Now and always and forever and ever. Amen. Vamamout Christ is risen from the dead. He trampled down Qristos \ar;au i m;5;loz1 mafouamb xmaf death by death, and through his resurrection he granted ko.;az4 ;u \arouj;ambn iurow m;x xk;ans us life. To him be glory forever. Amen. parg;u;az1 nma 0a5q \auit;an1 amhn!

The for New Sunday: Tone IV - DK &rfnoujiun

Alleluia, alleluia: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Psalm 22 (23):1)

A READING FROM THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES (5:34-42) Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while. And he said to them: “Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed. And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.” And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of , and let them go. So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. A READING FROM THE LETTER OF THE APOSTLE JAMES TO ALL CHRISTIANS (3-1-12) My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.

THE HOLY GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING TO JOHN (1-1-17) From the Father of Light In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’” And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through , but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Petition of Intercession Glory to your miraculous resurrection, Lord; we praise and glorify your blessed and glorified, wondrous and victorious holy resurrection. Lord who loves mankind, through the intercession of your holy, immaculate, and virgin mother, and for the sake of your holy and precious cross hear our prayers and save us. Prayer/ With angelic voices we sing your praise always, O Lord, Father eternal, before all beginning, and the Only-begotten uncreated Word, You are the source and eternal light, and glorious eminent name , Lord and king of the eternal powers and the awesome armies of heaven, Infinite and unseen by all forms of created powers, by the will of the Father, your unborn birth-giver, and eternally sharing the glory of the Holy Spirit, Though most powerful, you humbled yourself to descend from the heights in your mercy for us, the children of Adam, You sent the Archangel Gabriel to Mary, the daughter of Joachim, that a son will be born of the lineage of David and the tree of the blessed Jesse, Entered the virginal womb and quickened for nine months, you fulfilled the Father’s will as foreseen by the prophets, On the feast of your glorious resurrection, we praise the Son co-existent with the Father, receive our prayers now and give life to us who are saved by your blood. We pray.

The above prayer/litany is found in a 14th century manuscript of . It consists of six verses. The first letters of each verse spell SARKSI (Armenian for “By Sarkis”), the name of the author. All translations from the Armenian texts are by Fr. Arshen Aivazian.

The grace of our risen Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the of the Holy Spirit be with us. Amen.

Everyone share the good news - in person, over the phone, via text message or any media of choice: Christ is Risen from the Dead! Blessed is the Resurrection of Christ! QRISTOS |AR:AU I M:%:LOZ &RFN:AL H |AROUJIUNN QRISTOSI Krisdos Haryav ee Merelots Orhnyal e Haroutyonun Krisdosee