Soorp Asdvadzadzin Armenian Apostolic Church Annual Meeting Today! See insert for details. SOORP ASDVADZADZIN GREAT LENT BEGINS MONDAY Great Lent (Medz Bahk or Karasnortk) begins this Monday, March 3. Great Lent is ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH the longest of the fasts in the liturgical calendar. It begins on the Monday immediately following Poon Paregentan, and continues for 40 days until the Friday before the commemoration of the raising of Lazarus on the Saturday before Palm Sunday. A new SUNDAY BULLETIN period of fasting begins during Holy Week. Great Lent, a time of penance, abstinence, and devotion, is a very personal spiritual journey that is based on the 40 days Christ March 2, 2014 spent in the wilderness following his baptism. “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was famished” (Matthew 3:1-2). St Vartan the Brave Cover Photo: St. Vartan is considered one of the most famous heroes of the Armenian people. He, along with a brave band of Armenian soldiers, clergy, and companions, resisted the more powerful and larger Persian army and sacrificed their lives in order to defend their Christian faith. The famous battle took place on May 26, 451 A.D. on the plains of Avarayr, in the province of Artaz in Armenia.St. Vartan was well educated, most likely, by his grandfather, Celebrant & Preacher Catholicos Sahag. Instead of entering the priesthood as others in his family had done, he became a soldier. St. Vartan was considered the worthy representative and head of the Mamikonian clan, which in the royal succession of Armenian kings, held the fifth position. He Very Rev. Fr. Sahag Yemishyan was respected by the King of Persia as the commander-in-chief of the Armenian armies. Equally important as St. Vartan's dedication to being a good soldier was St. Vartan's dedication to being a faithful Christian. He believed that one cannot serve one's people without serving Christ at the same time. All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were WHY DID THE BATTLE OF AVARAYR TAKE PLACE? foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. From February 24 to 26 the clergy of Easter Diocese along with Canadian Diocese got Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the together in Troy N.Y. to celebrate and to remember the Ghevontyantz, Levon the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is Elder, who was driving force behind the Battle of Vartanantz. It was the first and the through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even only Battle that took place in order to defend our Christian faith. raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death. Hebrews 11:13-19 On May 26, 451A.D. in the plain of Avarayr, in the shadow of the Biblical Mount Ararat, in defense of their Christian faith and the national homeland the Armenians The order of the Readings for this week is as follows: were battling against the Persian King Hazgert. TODAY: Isaiah 58:1-14; Romans 13:11-14:23; Matthew 6:1-21 Monday: Isaiah 1:16-20 It was the first Christian battle that took place to defend their faith against Tuesday: Ezekiel 18:20-23 Zoroastanism, religion of worshiping fire. Wednesday: Exodus 1:1-2:10; Joel 1:14-20 Thursday: Romans 6:3-14 Friday: Deuteronomy 6:4-7:10; Job 6:13-7:13; Isaiah 40:1-8 Prior to the battle, the whole army prayed and took Communion, at which time Saturday: Wisdom 8:19-9:5; Isaiah 62:6-9; Romans 8:28-39; Matthew 10:16-22 General Vartan the Great gave his speech to his followers. I will let Vartan Mamigonian give today his inspiring message: “I have been in many battles; you too, with me. Sometimes we have bravely vanquished the foe; sometimes they have vanquished us. We have often been conquerors. But on all occasions we thought of worldly purposes only, and we fought merely at the command of the mortal king. …all of us have many wounds and scars upon our bodies, and great must have been our intrepidity to win those marks of honor. But I consider the exploits whereby we have received those marks useless and empty because they have achieved nothing permanent. If, however you have done such deeds of valor in obedience to a mortal ruler, how much more will you do then for our immortal king, the Lord of life and death, who judges everyone according to his works… We Welcome Visitors & Hope You Enjoy Worshipping with Us Please sign the Guest Book in the foyer. If there is anything we can do for you, please let us “Now, therefore, I entreat you, my dear companions – and especially, as many of you, know by filling out the welcome card that is in the pew racks in front of you and leave in the although greater than I in bravery, worth and inherited distinction, have of your own office or foyer. free will and out of your love, elected me as your leader – I beg of you all, high and low, to listen to me in a sympathetic spirit. Fear not the number of heathen, shield not HOW TO FOLLOW THE LITURGY your necks from the sword of mortal man, but act so that the Lord may give the We have Liturgy Books in the pew racks, take one and follow the pages illuminated on the victory into our hands, that we may annihilate their power and lift on high the wall. This way the Liturgy will become more meaningful to you. standard of truth. Should our life’s purpose be completed by a holy death in battle, let ----------------------------------------------- us meet it with a joyful heart….” Morning service starts at 9:30 ~ Badarak (Divine Liturgy) begins at 10:00 The sermon will be delivered at 11:00. Blessed be his memory, Catholicos Karekin the 1st says: Sunday Sermon can be seen on NCTV 11 Friday’s at 10am ------------------------------------------------ "THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE MUST CONTINUE TO GUIDE THE PATH OF OUR SOORP ASDVADZADZIN ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH NEW LIFE. THE PRESENT ARMENIANS MUST NOT LOOK AT CHRISTIANITY AS 315 Church Street, Whitinsville, MA AN OLD LEGACY...IT IS TIME FOR US TO GIVE A NEW BREATH TO OUR Tel: 508-234-3677 - Fax: 508-865-4333 CHRISTIAN FAITH." Pastor Stepanian – office: 508-865-2454; home: 508-865-4004 E-mail – [email protected] ~ www.armenianchurchofwhit.org .