Commemoration DAY of

the DISCOVERING of the Girdle of

the Holy Mother of God

In addition to the two garments of the Holy Mother of God, which according to her final wishes were given to the two women who lived with her, there also existed a sacred girdle.

According to tradition, the Virgin Mary gave this girdle to the Apostle Thomas, and it was thereafter passed down from one believer to another. The faithful preserved this holy relic with great reverence, handing it down from generation to generation, and through it many miracles were performed.

Later, in the fifth century, during the reign of Emperor Arcadius (A.D. 395–408), the Holy Virgin's girdle was discovered in Jerusalem and was solemnly and honorably transferred to Constantinople. Through the efforts of Emperor Arcadius and his daughter, the girdle was placed in a precious reliquary and enshrined in a church dedicated to the Mother of God.

As a result of public calamities and the passage of time, the Holy Virgin's girdle was later taken from Constantinople to Cappadocia. During the reign of Emperor Justinian, however, it was returned once again to Constantinople.

The miracles performed through the healing power of the Mother of God's girdle are beyond counting. The Greek Empress Zoe suffered from a severe illness for a long time. During her suffering she was told in a dream that she would be healed only if the Virgin's girdle were placed upon her. This was done: the girdle was removed from its reliquary and laid upon the empress, who was immediately healed.

After her healing, the girdle was ceremonially returned to its reliquary.

In later centuries, portions of the Holy Mother of God's girdle were distributed among various churches.

When the daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Romanos Argyros married the Georgian King Bagrat, she brought with her a portion of the girdle. That relic is now preserved in Georgia in a church built by Emperor Alexander. Another portion is kept in a church in Athens. The Holy Virgin's girdle had been adorned by the emperor with pearls and emeralds.

The Feast of the Finding of the Girdle of the Mother of God was added to the liturgical calendar of the Armenian Church only in 1774, following the liturgical reforms of Catholicos Simeon.

The Armenian Apostolic Church commemorates this feast on the second Sunday after the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God. Because it is a movable feast, it falls each year between August 26 and September 1.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Isaiah 19:8-19 ~

Those who fish will mourn; all who cast hooks in the Nile will lament, and those who spread nets on the water will languish. The workers in flax will be in despair, and the carders and those at the loom will grow pale. Its weavers will be dismayed, and all who work for wages will be grieved. The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish; the wise counselors of Pharaoh give stupid counsel. How can you say to Pharaoh, "I am one of the sages, a descendant of ancient kings"? Where now are your sages? Let them tell you and make known what the Lord of hosts has planned against Egypt. The princes of Zoan have become fools, and the princes of Memphis are deluded; those who are the cornerstones of its tribes have led Egypt astray. The Lord has poured into them a spirit of confusion; and they have made Egypt stagger in all its doings as a drunkard staggers around in vomit. Neither head nor tail, palm branch or reed, will be able to do anything for Egypt. On that day the Egyptians will be like women, and tremble with fear before the hand that the Lord of hosts raises against them. And the land of Judah will become a terror to the Egyptians; everyone to whom it is mentioned will fear because of the plan that the Lord of hosts is planning against them. On that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord of hosts. One of these will be called the City of the Sun. On that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the center of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border.

~ 2 Corinthians 1:1-11 ~

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God that is in Corinth, including all the saints throughout Achaia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ. If we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation; if we are being consoled, it is for your consolation, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we are also suffering. Our hope for you is unshaken; for we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our consolation. We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of the affliction we experienced in Asia; for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on him we have set our hope that he will rescue us again, as you also join in helping us by your prayers, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Mark 4:35-41 ~

Do you not say, "Four months more, then comes the harvest'? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, "One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor." Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I have ever done." So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word.

Commemoration DAY of

the Holy Apostles Thomas,

James, and Simon

St. Thomas the Apostle

Saint Thomas is best known for his initial doubt. When the other Apostles told him that they had seen the risen Lord, Thomas insisted that unless he saw Jesus with his own eyes and placed his hand into His wounded side, he would not believe.

Indeed, the following week, when the Apostles were again gathered in the Upper Room, Jesus appeared among them. Turning to Thomas, He said:

"Put your finger here and see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing."

At that moment Thomas fell to his knees and exclaimed:

"My Lord and my God!"

Jesus concluded by saying:

"Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
(John 20:24–29)

Despite this apparent skepticism—which is better understood as a desire for certainty than unbelief—Thomas proved himself to be a courageous and faithful Apostle.

When Jesus' friend Lazarus died, Jesus was beyond the Jordan. Upon hearing of Lazarus' death, He resolved to return and raise him from the dead. The Apostles hesitated because only days earlier the Jews had nearly stoned Jesus in Jerusalem.

At that moment Thomas stepped forward and said:

"Let us also go, that we may die with Him."
(John 11:16)

Especially in the Gospel of John, Thomas is known by the title "the Twin" (Didymus). According to tradition, he was considered the twin brother either of the Apostle Thaddeus or of another disciple.

Thomas was also one of the Apostles who interrupted Jesus with questions during the Last Supper. When Jesus said,

"You know where I am going, and you know the way,"

Thomas replied:

"Lord, we do not know where You are going. How can we know the way?"

Jesus answered with one of His most celebrated declarations:

"I am the way, the truth, and the life."
(John 14:4–6)

According to ancient tradition, Thomas traveled to the farthest reaches of the known world—to Parthia and eventually India. There, from apostolic times, a Christian community has existed whose members believe that their ancestors were converted through the preaching of Saint Thomas. For this reason they call themselves "the Christians of Saint Thomas" (or Saint Thomas Christians).

His traditional tomb is still venerated near the city of Madras (Chennai), India.

According to tradition, Thomas was martyred by being pierced with spears (or lances).

The Armenian Apostolic Church commemorates Saint Thomas together with the Apostles James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot on the Saturday preceding the Third Sunday after the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God.

St. James (James son of Alphaeus)

James is known as James the son of Alphaeus, distinguishing him from James the son of Zebedee. For the same reason he is sometimes called James the Less.

The Latin Church identifies him with James, the Brother of the Lord, but the Eastern Churches, including the Armenian Church, do not accept this identification.

According to tradition, James preached the Gospel along the southern coast of Palestine and later in Egypt, where he is believed to have suffered martyrdom.

St. Simon the Zealot

Simon—known in Greek as Simon—is identified in the Gospels by the title "the Cananaean", meaning "the Zealot."

The Zealots were a Jewish movement devoted to freeing Israel from foreign rule by whatever means necessary. They also sought to eliminate from among their people those whom they regarded as traitors or collaborators with foreign powers.

According to tradition, Simon preached the Gospel in Persia, where he suffered martyrdom.

The Armenian Apostolic Church commemorates him together with the Apostle Thomas on the same feast day.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Wisdom 9:13-10:3 ~

For who can learn the counsel of God? Or who can discern what the Lord wills? For the reasoning of mortals is worthless, and our designs are likely to fail, for a perishable body weighs down the soul, and this earthy tent burdens the thoughtful mind. We can hardly guess at what is on earth, and what is at hand we find with labor, but who has traced out what is in the heavens? Who has learned your counsel unless you have given wisdom and sent your holy spirit from on high? And thus the paths of those on earth were set right, and people were taught what pleases you and were saved by wisdom.

Wisdom protected the first-formed father of the world, when he alone had been created; she delivered him from his transgression and gave him strength to rule all things. But when an unrighteous man departed from her in his anger, he perished because in rage he killed his brother.

~ Micah 7:18-20 ~

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of your possession? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in showing clemency. He will again have compassion upon us; he will tread our iniquities under foot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. You will show faithfulness to Jacob and unswerving loyalty to Abraham, as you have sworn to our ancestors from the days of old.

~ 1 Corinthians 12:28:13:3 ~

And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

~ Holy Gospel of St. John 20:24-31 ~

But Thomas (who was called the Twin ), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ 1 Corinthians 16:12-24 ~

Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but he was not at all willing to come now. He will come when he has the opportunity. Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. Now, brothers and sisters, you know that members of the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints; I urge you to put yourselves at the service of such people, and of everyone who works and toils with them. I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence; for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. So give recognition to such persons. The churches of Asia send greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, greet you warmly in the Lord. All the brothers and sisters send greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Let anyone be accursed who has no love for the Lord. Our Lord, come! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with all of you in Christ Jesus.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Mark 4:26-34 ~

He also said, "The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come." He also said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade." With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.

Commemoration DAY of

ST. JEREMIAH the Prophet

The Prophet Jeremiah is one of the greatest figures in the Bible. Few biblical personalities are known to us in such depth—especially regarding their inner life and emotional struggles—as Jeremiah, whose own writings reveal his heart with remarkable honesty.

Jeremiah was born around 650 B.C. in the village of Anathoth, not far from Jerusalem. Although he came from a priestly family, he never served as a priest. Instead, he criticized the conduct of the priests and often found himself in conflict with them. Until the fall of Jerusalem, his prophetic ministry was centered in the holy city.

According to Jeremiah's own testimony, his calling came under the following circumstances:

"The word of the Lord came to me, saying:

'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.'

Then I said,
'Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.'

But the Lord said to me,
'Do not say, "I am only a youth," for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you.'

Then the Lord stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and said to me,
'Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms, to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.'"
(Jeremiah 1:4–10)

The divine voice added:

"Kings, princes, priests, and the people will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you to rescue you."

Indeed, Jeremiah's entire life became the literal fulfillment of these words.

Few people have suffered as deeply as Jeremiah—both spiritually and physically. Few have been compelled to proclaim messages so unpopular and so contrary to their own heartfelt desires.

Though called while still very young, he willingly renounced marriage and the ordinary joys of life, devoting himself completely and faithfully to his prophetic vocation.

When his people had fallen irreversibly into idolatry and social injustice, Jeremiah prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. Because of these warnings, he was thrown into a cistern. Though it no longer contained water, its bottom was filled with mud, and Jeremiah sank into it. After several days, he was rescued through the intervention of one of the king's officials.

By this time, Babylon had become the dominant power, conquering the surrounding nations, including Judah. Its armies laid siege to Jerusalem.

Foreseeing that the city's destruction was inevitable, Jeremiah advised the people to surrender peacefully and to seek accommodation with Babylon rather than relying on Egypt. The king not only ignored his counsel but also imprisoned and mistreated him.

When King Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem in 586 B.C., Jeremiah was still in prison. Learning of the prophet's political counsel, Nebuchadnezzar ordered his release and offered him honorable passage to Babylon. Jeremiah chose instead to remain with the poor remnant of his own people.

Later, after rebels assassinated the Babylonian-appointed governor, they fled to Egypt to escape Babylonian retaliation. They forcibly took the aged Jeremiah with them. According to tradition, while continuing to denounce his people's sins—as he believed God had commanded him—Jeremiah was eventually stoned to death by his own countrymen in Egypt.

Like all the prophets—and perhaps even more than most—Jeremiah was a fearless champion of social justice and true worship of God. He continually proclaimed:

"Amend your ways and your deeds. Deal justly with one another. Do not oppress the foreigner, the orphan, or the widow. Do not shed innocent blood. Do not follow other gods to your own destruction."
(cf. Jeremiah 7:1–6)

Living during one of the darkest periods of Israel's history, Jeremiah was often required to proclaim messages that ran directly against patriotic sentiment. A deeply sensitive man, he rebuked his people's sins while at the same time constantly interceding for them before God.

Eventually, however, the people's wickedness reached such depths that God forbade Jeremiah even to pray on their behalf:

"Do not pray for this people, nor plead for mercy on their behalf, nor intercede for them, for I will not listen to you. Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?"

Idolatry had spread everywhere.

And the Lord continued:

"Do they provoke Me? No—they bring shame upon themselves and disgrace their own faces."
(cf. Jeremiah 7:16–20)

Seeing that his people had become hopelessly lost and foreseeing the disasters that would befall them, Jeremiah often gave himself over to tears and lamentation.

His book contains many heartfelt laments, and the biblical book of Lamentations has traditionally been attributed to him. There are striking similarities between Jeremiah and Job. Jeremiah 20:14–18 recalls Job's curse upon the day of his birth, while the preceding verses resemble Job's profound complaints.

Yet throughout all his suffering, Jeremiah remained deeply united with God.

His prophecy of Jerusalem's destruction, his tears over the city, his unceasing sorrow for his people, and finally his rejection, stoning, and death all make him a powerful foreshadowing of Christ.

The Armenian Apostolic Holy Church commemorates the Prophet Jeremiah on the second Thursday following the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Jeremiah 1:1-10, 38:1-13 ~

The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of King Josiah son of Amon of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. It came also in the days of King Jehoiakim son of Josiah of Judah, and until the end of the eleventh year of King Zedekiah son of Josiah of Judah, until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month. Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." Then I said, "Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy." But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, "I am only a boy'; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord." Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me, "Now I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant."

Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah was saying to all the people, Thus says the Lord, Those who stay in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but those who go out to the Chaldeans shall live; they shall have their lives as a prize of war, and live. Thus says the Lord, This city shall surely be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon and be taken. Then the officials said to the king, "This man ought to be put to death, because he is discouraging the soldiers who are left in this city, and all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man is not seeking the welfare of this people, but their harm." King Zedekiah said, "Here he is; he is in your hands; for the king is powerless against you." So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king's son, which was in the court of the guard, letting Jeremiah down by ropes. Now there was no water in the cistern, but only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud. Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, a eunuch in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. The king happened to be sitting at the Benjamin Gate, So Ebed-melech left the king's house and spoke to the king, "My lord king, these men have acted wickedly in all they did to the prophet Jeremiah by throwing him into the cistern to die there of hunger, for there is no bread left in the city." Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, "Take three men with you from here, and pull the prophet Jeremiah up from the cistern before he dies." So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to the house of the king, to a wardrobe of the storehouse, and took from there old rags and worn-out clothes, which he let down to Jeremiah in the cistern by ropes. Then Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, "Just put the rags and clothes between your armpits and the ropes." Jeremiah did so. Then they drew Jeremiah up by the ropes and pulled him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.

~ 2 Peter 2:9-22 ~

Then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment —especially those who indulge their flesh in depraved lust, and who despise authority. Bold and willful, they are not afraid to slander the glorious ones, whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not bring against them a slanderous judgment from the Lord. These people, however, are like irrational animals, mere creatures of instinct, born to be caught and killed. They slander what they do not understand, and when those creatures are destroyed, they also will be destroyed, suffering the penalty for doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their dissipation while they feast with you. They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! They have left the straight road and have gone astray, following the road of Balaam son of Bosor, who loved the wages of doing wrong, but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet's madness. These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm; for them the deepest darkness has been reserved. For they speak bombastic nonsense, and with licentious desires of the flesh they entice people who have just escaped from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption; for people are slaves to whatever masters them. For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overpowered, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment that was passed on to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb, "The dog turns back to its own vomit," and, "The sow is washed only to wallow in the mud."

~ Holy Gospel of St. Matthew 2:16-18 ~

When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: "A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more."

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ 1 Corinthians 15:58-16:11 ~

Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. Now concerning the collection for the saints: you should follow the directions I gave to the churches of Galatia. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put aside and save whatever extra you earn, so that collections need not be taken when I come. And when I arrive, I will send any whom you approve with letters to take your gift to Jerusalem. If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me. I will visit you after passing through Macedonia—for I intend to pass through Macedonia— and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may send me on my way, wherever I go. I do not want to see you now just in passing, for I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. If Timothy comes, see that he has nothing to fear among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord just as I am; therefore let no one despise him. Send him on his way in peace, so that he may come to me; for I am expecting him with the brothers.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Mark 4:10-20 ~

When he was alone, those who were around him along with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables; in order that "they may indeed look, but not perceive, and may indeed listen, but not understand; so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.' " And he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. But they have no root, and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold."

Commemoration DAY of

the Holy Parents of the Mother-of-God

StS. Joachim and Anne

and the OIL-Bearing Women

Sts. Joachim and Anne

The line of New Testament saints begins with these two righteous souls, husband and wife, whose faith and spirit closely resemble those of Abraham and Sarah, or Elkanah and Hannah, the parents of the Prophet Samuel. In all three cases, the husbands were righteous, upright, and God-fearing men. In all three, the wives were devout but childless. And in each case, God promised them a child.

Joachim and Anne are honored among the saints of the New Testament primarily because they were, according to tradition, the maternal grandparents of Christ. They are not mentioned by name in the New Testament.

Most of what we know about them comes from the Protoevangelium of James (also called the Book of James), an early Christian writing that, although not included in the biblical canon, was widely read and cherished by early Christians. It contains many charming stories about the childhood of Jesus. While many of these accounts are imaginative and embellished, suggesting legendary development, the work may also preserve authentic elements of early Christian tradition.

Tradition attributes the book to James, the Brother of the Lord, though scholars generally date it to around A.D. 150, written by a Jewish Christian. According to this text, Joachim, a descendant of King David, was a devout and wealthy man, while Anne, from a priestly family, was humble and God-fearing.

One day, as Joachim brought his offering to the Temple along with the other worshippers, the officiating priest told him that he must present his gift last because he had no children. Deeply hurt, Joachim left the Temple and went into the mountains with his shepherds. He resolved not to return home or eat or drink until God visited him. Prayer became his food, and tears his drink.

When Anne learned that her husband had departed, she clothed herself in mourning garments and devoted herself to repentance and prayer. One day, while praying in her garden, she looked up and saw birds feeding their young. Her heart broke, and weeping she cried out to God:

"Alas for me! I have become lower than the birds, for they have their young, while I have not even the blessing of one child."

She continued praying with tears until an angel of the Lord appeared and told her that her prayers had been heard. God would grant her a child whose name would become known throughout the world. Anne vowed that whether the child were a son or a daughter, she would dedicate the child to God.

The same vision and joyful message were also given to Joachim. Filled with thanksgiving, he selected the finest of his cattle and sheep as offerings for the Temple, made generous sacrifices for the poor, and returned home.

Anne conceived and gave birth to a blessed daughter, radiant as light—the one through whom "all nations would be blessed." They named her Mary, a name understood here to mean "the enlightened one."

When Mary was weaned, her parents presented her to the Temple, fulfilling Anne's vow.

According to tradition, Joachim did not live to see his grandson, Jesus. Anne, however, did behold Him, rejoiced greatly, and soon afterward departed this life in peace.

The Armenian Apostolic Church commemorates Saints Joachim and Anne together with the Myrrh-Bearing Women on the Tuesday following the nine-day Feast of the Transfiguration.

Tradition identifies their house as still standing in Jerusalem, though it has since become a church. Others claim their home was in Bethlehem or Nazareth.

The Armenian Church has composed beautiful hymns in honor of Joachim and Anne, affirming that the blessing God bestowed upon these "God-blessed husband and wife" was perfectly fulfilled in them.

The hymns also recall that through Joachim and Anne the royal line and the priestly line of the Old Covenant were united, their sole and blessed fruit being the Holy Virgin.

One hymn concludes:

From the once-barren earth today has sprung for us
the fruitful and blessed plant,
the lily of the valleys, the flower of the fields;
Mary, the Ever-Virgin Mother,
the root of the Tree of Immortality.
Through their prayers, have mercy upon us.

The OIL-Bearing Women

Mary Magdalene, Mary the wife of Clopas,

Salome, Joanna, and others

During Christ's public ministry, not only the Apostles and disciples followed Him, but also a number of devoted women. Their principal service was to provide material support for Jesus and His followers. As the Gospel says, "they ministered to Him out of their means."

These women were generally respectable, generous, and grateful individuals, many of whom had been healed by Jesus of diseases or delivered from evil spirits.

Most of them accompanied Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem on His final journey. There they witnessed the events of Holy Week, especially His crucifixion and burial. They later became the first heralds of His glorious Resurrection.

The Church collectively calls them the Myrrh-Bearing Women because, early on Sunday morning, they hurried to Christ's tomb carrying fragrant oils and spices to anoint His body.

Mary Magdalene

The most prominent among them was Mary Magdalene, from the town of Magdala on the Sea of Galilee. Before meeting Christ, she had been possessed by seven demons, all of which Jesus cast out.

She is regarded as the leader and the most devoted member of the group. Her faithful love was rewarded, for she became the first person to see the risen Savior and the first to announce His Resurrection to the Apostles.

Mary, the Wife of Clopas

The second Mary is known as Mary the mother of James and Joses, or Mary the wife of Clopas.

James and Joses are identified as the young men called the "brothers of the Lord." Clopas was Mary's husband. This clearly indicates that these "brothers of the Lord," contrary to the view that they were biological sons of Mary and Joseph, had different parents.

The title "brothers of the Lord" therefore implies close family relationship rather than literal siblinghood. The Gospels do not explain the exact relationship.

The most widely accepted ancient tradition holds that Joseph and Clopas were brothers, making these "brothers of the Lord" Jesus' cousins. In the culture of the ancient Near East, the children of two brothers were commonly regarded as brothers because they belonged to the same extended family, often lived under one roof, and shared the same household identity.

Salome

The third well-known Myrrh-Bearer is Salome, the wife of Zebedee and the mother of the Apostles James and John.

In John's Gospel she is also referred to as "His mother's sister." This should not necessarily be understood as a literal biological relationship but rather as one of deep spiritual kinship.

Since Jesus entrusted His mother Mary to the care of John at the Crucifixion, Salome and the Virgin Mary lived together afterward. Thus they truly became like sisters in faith and were recognized as such by the Christian community.

Some traditions nevertheless suggest that there may also have been a family relationship between Salome and the Virgin Mary.

Joanna

Only Luke's Gospel also names Joanna among the Myrrh-Bearing Women.

She was the wife of Chuza, a steward in the service of Herod. Chuza is often identified with the royal official whose dying son Jesus healed (John 4:46–54), after which he and his entire household believed in Christ.

Out of gratitude, Joanna generously supported Jesus and His disciples with her own resources and accompanied them to Jerusalem.

The New Testament tells us nothing about the later lives or deaths of these women, and later traditions concerning them are neither numerous nor entirely reliable.

These noble women, who were perhaps more deeply wounded than anyone by the crucifixion and death of their beloved Teacher, also became the happiest of witnesses, for they were the first to behold their Divine Lord risen from the dead.

They were also present in the Upper Room before Pentecost, forming part of the gathering of 120 believers who became the nucleus of the Christian Church and together received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.

The Armenian Church commemorates them collectively as the Myrrh-Bearing Women, together with Saints Joachim and Anne, on the tenth day after the Feast of the Transfiguration.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Ezekiel 3:16-19 ~

At the end of seven days, the word of the Lord came to me: Mortal, I have made you a sentinel for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, "You shall surely die," and you give them no warning, or speak to warn the wicked from their wicked way, in order to save their life, those wicked persons shall die for their iniquity; but their blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and they do not turn from their wickedness, or from their wicked way, they shall die for their iniquity; but you will have saved your life.

~ 2 Timothy 1:6-14 ~

For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher, and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him. Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Luke 10:16-20 ~

"Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me." The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!" He said to them, "I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Song of Solomon 6:3-8 ~

I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine; he pastures his flock among the lilies. You are beautiful as Tirzah, my love, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners. Turn away your eyes from me, for they overwhelm me! Your hair is like a flock of goats, moving down the slopes of Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of ewes, that have come up from the washing; all of them bear twins, and not one among them is bereaved. Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate behind your veil. There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, and maidens without number.

~ Malachi 3:1-2 ~

See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?

~ Galatians 3:24-29 ~

Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Luke 2:1-7 ~

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Proverbs 11:30-12:4 ~

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, but violence takes lives away. If the righteous are repaid on earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner! Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but those who hate to be rebuked are stupid. The good obtain favor from the Lord, but those who devise evil he condemns. No one finds security by wickedness, but the root of the righteous will never be moved. A good wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.

~ Zechariah 2:10-13 ~

Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! For lo, I will come and dwell in your midst, says the Lord. Many nations shall join themselves to the Lord on that day, and shall be my people; and I will dwell in your midst. And you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. The Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem. Be silent, all people, before the Lord; for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.

~ 2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1 ~

What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will live in them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore come out from them, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch nothing unclean; then I will welcome you, and I will be your father, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and of spirit, making holiness perfect in the fear of God.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Luke 1:39-56 ~

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord." And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever." And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Song of Solomon 4:9-15 ~

You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride, you have ravished my heart with a glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. How sweet is your love, my sister, my bride! how much better is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your oils than any spice! Your lips distill nectar, my bride; honey and milk are under your tongue; the scent of your garments is like the scent of Lebanon. A garden locked is my sister, my bride, a garden locked, a fountain sealed. Your channel is an orchard of pomegranates with all choicest fruits, henna with nard, nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes, with all chief spices— a garden fountain, a well of living water, and flowing streams from Lebanon.

~ Isaiah 7:10-16 ~

Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. Then Isaiah said: "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.

~ Galatians 3:29-4:7 ~

And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise. My point is this: heirs, as long as they are minors, are no better than slaves, though they are the owners of all the property; but they remain under guardians and trustees until the date set by the father. So with us; while we were minors, we were enslaved to the elemental spirits of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Luke 2:1-7 ~

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Song of Solomon 6:3-8 ~

I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine; he pastures his flock among the lilies. You are beautiful as Tirzah, my love, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners. Turn away your eyes from me, for they overwhelm me! Your hair is like a flock of goats, moving down the slopes of Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of ewes, that have come up from the washing; all of them bear twins, and not one among them is bereaved. Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate behind your veil. There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, and maidens without number.

~ Malachi 3:1-2 ~

See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?

~ Galatians 3:24-29 ~

Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Luke 2:1-7 ~

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Proverbs 11:30-12:4 ~

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, but violence takes lives away. If the righteous are repaid on earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner! Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but those who hate to be rebuked are stupid. The good obtain favor from the Lord, but those who devise evil he condemns. No one finds security by wickedness, but the root of the righteous will never be moved. A good wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.

~ Zechariah 2:10-13 ~

Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! For lo, I will come and dwell in your midst, says the Lord. Many nations shall join themselves to the Lord on that day, and shall be my people; and I will dwell in your midst. And you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. The Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem. Be silent, all people, before the Lord; for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.

~ 2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1 ~

What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will live in them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore come out from them, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch nothing unclean; then I will welcome you, and I will be your father, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and of spirit, making holiness perfect in the fear of God.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Luke 1:39-56 ~

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord." And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever." And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Song of Solomon 4:9-15 ~

You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride, you have ravished my heart with a glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. How sweet is your love, my sister, my bride! how much better is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your oils than any spice! Your lips distill nectar, my bride; honey and milk are under your tongue; the scent of your garments is like the scent of Lebanon. A garden locked is my sister, my bride, a garden locked, a fountain sealed. Your channel is an orchard of pomegranates with all choicest fruits, henna with nard, nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes, with all chief spices— a garden fountain, a well of living water, and flowing streams from Lebanon.

~ Isaiah 7:10-16 ~

Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. Then Isaiah said: "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.

~ Galatians 3:29-4:7 ~

And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise. My point is this: heirs, as long as they are minors, are no better than slaves, though they are the owners of all the property; but they remain under guardians and trustees until the date set by the father. So with us; while we were minors, we were enslaved to the elemental spirits of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Luke 2:1-7 ~

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Song of Solomon 6:3-8 ~

I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine; he pastures his flock among the lilies. You are beautiful as Tirzah, my love, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners. Turn away your eyes from me, for they overwhelm me! Your hair is like a flock of goats, moving down the slopes of Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of ewes, that have come up from the washing; all of them bear twins, and not one among them is bereaved. Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate behind your veil. There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, and maidens without number.

~ Malachi 3:1-2 ~

See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?

~ Galatians 3:24-29 ~

Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Luke 2:1-7 ~

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Proverbs 11:30-12:4 ~

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, but violence takes lives away. If the righteous are repaid on earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner! Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but those who hate to be rebuked are stupid. The good obtain favor from the Lord, but those who devise evil he condemns. No one finds security by wickedness, but the root of the righteous will never be moved. A good wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.

~ Zechariah 2:10-13 ~

Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! For lo, I will come and dwell in your midst, says the Lord. Many nations shall join themselves to the Lord on that day, and shall be my people; and I will dwell in your midst. And you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. The Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem. Be silent, all people, before the Lord; for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.

~ 2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1 ~

What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will live in them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore come out from them, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch nothing unclean; then I will welcome you, and I will be your father, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and of spirit, making holiness perfect in the fear of God.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Luke 1:39-56 ~

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord." And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever." And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

Feast of the Assumption

of the Holy Mother of God

The Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God is one of the five major feast days of the Armenian Church. It is celebrated on the Sunday nearest to August 15, that is, on the Sunday falling between August 12 and 18. This feast dates back to the earliest centuries of Christianity and was officially established in 582 A.D. by Emperor Maurice.

The life of the Blessed Virgin Mary after the Ascension of her Divine Son is known only through Holy Tradition. According to tradition, after the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, in obedience to her Son's command (John 19:26–27), lived for about fifteen years under the care of the Apostle John the Theologian. She devoted her days and nights to fasting and prayer. She frequently visited the Lord's empty tomb, where she knelt in prayer, and she was surrounded by the love and care of the disciples. The Holy Virgin passed away peacefully.

During one of her visits to Golgotha, the Archangel Gabriel appeared before her holding a palm branch, the symbol of peace, and said:

"O Mother of Holiness and Harbor of Blessedness, Temple of Joy and City of the Kingdom, pathway of the human race to Christ, the time has come for you to depart from this world to God. Your Lord, the Only-Begotten Son, who chose you from among all people to be His Mother and the salvation of the whole world, now desires to translate you with glory from this world into His incomprehensible glory."

Returning home, Mary told John and later the other Apostles what had happened, showing them the palm branch brought by the Archangel Gabriel, from which heavenly light radiated. The Apostle John celebrated the Divine Liturgy so that the Virgin might receive Holy Communion one last time.

Preparing for her departure to the heavenly realm, the Mother of God instructed that her room be adorned and candles lit. She gave her two garments and other belongings to the widows and virgins who lived with her and expressed her wish to be buried in the Valley of Gethsemane beside her righteous parents and Joseph.

Finally, the hour came for her translation from earth to heaven.

Many candles were burning. The Apostles surrounded the beautifully adorned bier upon which the Mother of God rested. Her peaceful and pure face shone with heavenly radiance, and a marvelous fragrance emanated from her body. Stretching out her hands toward the east, she gave thanks to and blessed God.

Suddenly, an indescribable light shone forth. Those present were filled with awe as Jesus Christ appeared above the room, surrounded by angels and saints.

Moving her lips gently, the Holy Virgin prayed to the Lord for the salvation of the entire world. She rose lightly from her bed, bowed before Christ, and peacefully surrendered her soul into the hands of her Only-Begotten Son, as though falling asleep. Her soul ascended and joined the heavenly hosts, while her body remained incorrupt, exuding the fragrance of sweet incense rather than the odor of death.

As the solemn funeral procession, accompanied by the blessed Apostles and other faithful Christians carrying torches and candles while singing psalms and hymns, made its way toward Gethsemane, a great radiant cloud suddenly appeared directly above them and accompanied the procession. The city echoed with their sacred hymns.

An angry crowd attacked the Apostles in an attempt to scatter the procession. At that moment, the cloud descended and surrounded the funeral cortege like a protective wall. Many of the attackers were struck blind.

Tradition recounts another miracle that occurred that day. A Jewish priest named Sophonia struck the holy bier, intending to overturn it. Instantly, his hands were severed at the elbows and remained attached to the bier. Falling to the ground in terror, he sincerely repented of his actions. Seeing his genuine repentance, the Apostle Peter healed his hands. Sophonia then joined the Christians and became a follower of Christ. That day many who had lived in spiritual darkness came to faith, and numerous Jews and Gentiles were baptized.

Upon reaching Gethsemane, the Apostles placed the blessed body in a tomb and sealed its entrance with a great stone. For three days they, together with the faithful, prayed continuously at the tomb. Throughout this time they heard the sweet singing and praises of the angels.

On the fourth morning, the hosts of angels, led by Jesus Christ Himself, descended from heaven and carried the body of the Mother of God into heaven.

The Apostle Bartholomew was absent during the burial. When he returned to Jerusalem, he was deeply saddened that he had been unable to bid farewell to the Holy Mother of God. He asked the Apostles to open her tomb so that he too might see her one last time. The Apostles prayed and agreed. When they opened the tomb, they found only the burial cloths—the body of the Holy Virgin was no longer there. They glorified God, realizing that the Mother of God had been assumed into heaven.

For this reason, the earthly end of the Virgin Mary's life is traditionally described as her Dormition ("falling asleep") rather than her death, emphasizing that she was taken into heaven.

Based on this ancient tradition, the Fathers of the Church later established the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God.

Tradition also preserves the memory of the first icon of the Mother of God. When Mary was called to be with her Only-Begotten Son, the Apostle John took a piece of cypress wood—the same kind from which the Life-Giving Cross had been made—and painted an image of the Virgin upon it. Together with the other Apostles, he asked her to place the wooden panel upon her face, bless it, and intercede before the Lord on behalf of the world, which at that time was suffering greatly from an outbreak of leprosy, especially in Jerusalem.

A radiant arch of light appeared over the Holy Virgin, and a cross-shaped beam of heavenly light descended upon the icon. She pressed the image to her face and moistened it with the abundant tears she shed before the Lord. The Apostle Peter then received the icon from her hands, and all the Apostles venerated the Mother of God and joyfully received her life-giving blessing.

The Apostles entrusted this icon to Bartholomew so that it might comfort him and accompany him on his missionary journeys. Armenian sources relate that Bartholomew brought it to Armenia, where many sick people were healed through it. He placed it at a site called Darbnots Kar in the district of Andzevats, where a church dedicated to the Mother of God was built in honor of the icon. A convent, later known as the Monastery of Hogyats, was subsequently established there. Following this ancient example, the sanctuaries of Armenian churches are dedicated to the Mother of God and adorned with her image.

The present location of the icon brought by the Apostle Bartholomew is unknown. Tradition says only that it was hidden within a wall to protect it from invading forces.

Many literary treasures have been dedicated to the Mother of God, including hymns and canticles attributed to Movses Kertogh (Moses the Poet), as well as numerous beautiful devotional songs and melodies.

On the Feast of the Assumption of the Mother of God, immediately after the Divine Liturgy, the Armenian Church celebrates the Blessing of the Grapes (Khaghogh Orhnek), one of its most beloved annual traditions.

Blessing of the Grapes

In our national and church life great importance is given to the Divine traditions which originate from the Holy Scriptures. They became the best way to express the unique image of our nation and church. Thus, these traditions were valued and adopted as sacred services, improving throughout the centuries.

One of the holy celebrations of the Armenian Church is the Blessing of the Grapes which is offered following the celebration of Divine Liturgy on the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God. It is also one of the Holy Traditions of the Universal Church.

During pre-Christian times "the feast of Roots and Fruit" constituted part and parcel of the religious rituals of almost all nations. On this day a special ceremony was conducted by the servants of the temple, during which the first fruit of the year was offered to the corresponding God embodying fertility; as a sign of obedience, gratitude and fruitfulness for the coming year.

Although the above-mentioned ceremony of offering the first fruit was also found in Armenian traditions, it was not distinguished as "the feast of Roots and Fruit". It was considered to be one of the feasts devoted to the Goddess Anahit as she embodied fertility and fruitfulness.

After Armenia’s adoption of Christianity as the state religion in 301 AD, St. Gregory the Illuminator implemented new directions in the Armenian Church concerning traditions. The first Armenian Patriarch changed the essentials of the services, but included parts of some customs and rites of the old Armenian religion into the new Christian Church traditions. One of them was the offering of the first fruit from the harvest. After reviewing and modifying this tradition, St. Gregory the Illuminator Christianized the service and introduced it into the Armenian Church traditions correlating it with the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God. Upon the direction of St. Gregory the "offering" of the fruit was changed to be a Holy blessing of the harvest conducted by a priest.

The order of offering the first fruit to God was established by the Prophet Moses: 1 "When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it, 2 you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. 3 You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time, and say to him, "Today I declare to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.

[…] 10 "So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me. You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God." (Deuteronomy 26:11- 3; 10 )

During the services, the following harvests were offered: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, honey. Among these offerings, the grapes were of special significance for the Romans, for two reasons. Firstly wine, which was considered to be the best remedy for removing sadness and was associated with happiness and well-being was made of grapes. Secondly the grape was the national symbol of Israel and at the same time a symbol of peace and well-being.

According to this God-founded cannon every year Israelis offered the first fruit of their gardens to God’s temple. They clearly understood and frankly believed that all the fruit they enjoyed was granted to them by God in Heaven. Thus, in gratitude, they had to offer the first fruits of their harvest and their just earnings to the Merciful God.

In the Armenian Church grapes are given preference over other fruits to be blessed as the first fruit of the harvest. This is conditioned by a number of historical and religious circumstances. After the devastating flood, our ancestor Noah planted a vineyard in the valley on the slopes of Mt. Ararat and grew grapes. 9:20 Noah, a man of the soil, was the first to plant a vineyard. (Genesis 9:20)

The fruit of the vineyard became the decoration of the Araratian valley; it was considered to be the noblest fruit and was called the KING OF THE FRUIT. Jesus Christ repeatedly assimilated himself with the vine 15:1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower." (John 15:1). According to the explanation given by our Church Fathers the Holy Mother of God is the selected branch that presented humanity with a pure and life-giving vine - Jesus Christ. The blessing of the fruit conducted on the feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God coincides with the end of summer when the grape ripens.

According to the generalized tradition the choice of grapes over other fruits is usually explained by the convenience of the season, however some consider that it is not exactly so. As it has been mentioned, our Lord described himself as the vine and when we read in the Gospel (John 15 1:8) we see that His words reveal the symbolic mission of the grape vines in the life of the Church. Thus, the hypothesis that only suitable weather conditions were a factor in the choice is questioned. Because these factors, the Armenian Church has given preference to the grape, which every year on the feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God is blessed after the Divine Liturgy and given to the faithful in attendance.

Although St. Gregory the Illuminator didn’t establish a specific service for offering the first fruit of the harvest, his followers kept this tradition and handed it down through generations. St. Sahag of Partev canonized it "as a rule" and St. Nerses the Graceful turned this tradition into a formal service establishing readings from the gospel of the prophets and the apostles as well as a special prayer of blessing for the consecration.

Thus, the blessing of grapes became a devout ceremony attached to the feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God.

Today it is traditional for faithful Armenians who have grape vines or vineyards to offer the first fruit of their harvest during the blessing of the grapes so that the original meaning of the ceremony established by St. Gregory the Illuminator would be continued and the divine and heavenly blessing would abundantly inundate their fields.

The canons of the Armenian Church do not prohibit eating grapes before the Blessing of the Grapes, and the tradition of abstaining from eating grapes before the ceremony is rooted in the people, and has become a national custom. As the grape was given preference for blessing over all other fruits, then waiting with obedience and abstinence until the blessing of the grapes follows in the tradition established by St. Gregory.

Source: ArmenianChurch.org

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Song of Solomon 4:9-15 ~

You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride, you have ravished my heart with a glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. How sweet is your love, my sister, my bride! how much better is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your oils than any spice! Your lips distill nectar, my bride; honey and milk are under your tongue; the scent of your garments is like the scent of Lebanon. A garden locked is my sister, my bride, a garden locked, a fountain sealed. Your channel is an orchard of pomegranates with all choicest fruits, henna with nard, nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes, with all chief spices— a garden fountain, a well of living water, and flowing streams from Lebanon.

~ Isaiah 7:10-16 ~

Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. Then Isaiah said: "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.

~ Galatians 3:29-4:7 ~

And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise. My point is this: heirs, as long as they are minors, are no better than slaves, though they are the owners of all the property; but they remain under guardians and trustees until the date set by the father. So with us; while we were minors, we were enslaved to the elemental spirits of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Luke 2:1-7 ~

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

The Feast of Shoghakat

of Holy Etchmiadzin,

According to the Vision of

St. Gregory the Illuminator

The Armenian Church celebrates the Feast of Shoghakat on the Saturday preceding the Sunday of the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God. It commemorates the consecration of the Illuminator-built Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin. This feast is observed on the eve of the feast of the Blessed Virgin because the Mother Cathedral was originally dedicated to the Holy Mother of God, and its anointing and consecration took place on the eve of the Feast of the Assumption. The title "Shoghakat" ("the pouring down of a ray of light") is connected with the vision of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, just as the name Etchmiadzin is connected with the descent of the Only-Begotten.

According to Saint Gregory the Illuminator's vision, "the light flowed from above downward until it reached the earth," and within this all-encompassing light, "a radiant pillar of light appeared," outlining the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin as well as the three martyr shrines that were to be built in honor of the martyred virgins: one at the site of the martyrdom of Saint Hripsime and her companions, another at the site of Saint Gayane and her companions, and the third at the winepress where the sick virgin had been martyred. Afterwards, the Patriarch reverently enshrined the relics of the holy virgins in these churches, where they remain to this day, and through them many miracles and healings have taken place throughout history.

The name Shoghakat was given to one of the shrines built by Saint Gregory, from which he first saw the initial appearance of the divine light before beholding the radiant structure marking the site of the Mother Cathedral itself. Since the tomb of Saint Mariane, the sick virgin martyred at the winepress among Saint Hripsime's companions, was located at this holy site, the name "Shoghakat" gradually became associated with her and came into use among Armenians as a feminine given name.

The Monastery of Saint Shoghakat was built in the 18th century during the patriarchate of Catholicos Nahapet I of Edessa.

For centuries, the churches of Saint Gayane, Saint Hripsime, and Saint Shoghakat have been sacred pilgrimage destinations for the Armenian people, while Holy Etchmiadzin, the Mother See, is the cradle of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church and the holiest sanctuary of the Armenian faith.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Proverbs 19:19-26 ~

The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens; by his knowledge the deeps broke open, and the clouds drop down the dew. My child, do not let these escape from your sight: keep sound wisdom and prudence, and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck. Then you will walk on your way securely and your foot will not stumble. If you sit down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden panic, or of the storm that strikes the wicked; for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.

~ Ezekiel 40:3-10 ~

When he brought me there, a man was there, whose appearance shone like bronze, with a linen cord and a measuring reed in his hand; and he was standing in the gateway. The man said to me, "Mortal, look closely and listen attentively, and set your mind upon all that I shall show you, for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you; declare all that you see to the house of Israel." Now there was a wall all around the outside of the temple area. The length of the measuring reed in the man's hand was six long cubits, each being a cubit and a handbreadth in length; so he measured the thickness of the wall, one reed; and the height, one reed. Then he went into the gateway facing east, going up its steps, and measured the threshold of the gate, one reed deep. There were recesses, and each recess was one reed wide and one reed deep; and the space between the recesses, five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the vestibule of the gate at the inner end was one reed deep. Then he measured the inner vestibule of the gateway, one cubit. Then he measured the vestibule of the gateway, eight cubits; and its pilasters, two cubits; and the vestibule of the gate was at the inner end. There were three recesses on either side of the east gate; the three were of the same size; and the pilasters on either side were of the same size.

~ 1 Peter 2:1-10 ~

Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture: "See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner," and "A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Matthew 16:3-19 ~

And in the morning, "It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah." Then he left them and went away. When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. Jesus said to them, "Watch out, and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." They said to one another, "It is because we have brought no bread." And becoming aware of it, Jesus said, "You of little faith, why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? How could you fail to perceive that I was not speaking about bread? Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!" Then they understood that he had not told them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ 1 Corinthians 15:50-57 ~

What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Mark 3:31-4:8 ~

Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you." And he replied, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" And looking at those who sat around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."

Again he began to teach beside the sea. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the sea and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold."

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ 1 Corinthians 15:34-49 ~

Come to a sober and right mind, and sin no more; for some people have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. But someone will ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?" Fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And as for what you sow, you do not sow the body that is to be, but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. Not all flesh is alike, but there is one flesh for human beings, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. There are both heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one thing, and that of the earthly is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; indeed, star differs from star in glory. So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, "The first man, Adam, became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Mark 3:20-30 ~

Then he went home; and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, "He has gone out of his mind." And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons." And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered. "Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin"— for they had said, "He has an unclean spirit."

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ 1 Corinthians 15:20-33 ~

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For "God has put all things in subjection under his feet." But when it says, "All things are put in subjection," it is plain that this does not include the one who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who put all things in subjection under him, so that God may be all in all. Otherwise, what will those people do who receive baptism on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? And why are we putting ourselves in danger every hour? I die every day! That is as certain, brothers and sisters, as my boasting of you—a boast that I make in Christ Jesus our Lord. If with merely human hopes I fought with wild animals at Ephesus, what would I have gained by it? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." Do not be deceived: "Bad company ruins good morals."

~ Holy Gospel of St. Mark 3:6-12 ~

The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him. Jesus departed with his disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed him; hearing all that he was doing, they came to him in great numbers from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and the region around Tyre and Sidon. He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him; for he had cured many, so that all who had diseases pressed upon him to touch him. Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and shouted, "You are the Son of God!" But he sternly ordered them not to make him known.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ 1 Corinthians 14:26-40 ~

What should be done then, my friends? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn; and let one interpret. But if there is no one to interpret, let them be silent in church and speak to themselves and to God. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. If a revelation is made to someone else sitting nearby, let the first person be silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged. And the spirits of prophets are subject to the prophets, for God is a God not of disorder but of peace. (As in all the churches of the saints, women should be silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be subordinate, as the law also says. If there is anything they desire to know, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. Or did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only ones it has reached?) Anyone who claims to be a prophet, or to have spiritual powers, must acknowledge that what I am writing to you is a command of the Lord. Anyone who does not recognize this is not to be recognized. So, my friends, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues; but all things should be done decently and in order.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Mark 2:23-3:5 ~

Jesus went out again beside the sea; the whole crowd gathered around him, and he taught them. As he was walking along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in Levi's house, many tax collectors and sinners were also sitting with Jesus and his disciples—for there were many who followed him. When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" When Jesus heard this, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners." Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to him, "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" Jesus said to them, "The wedding guests cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day.

Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man who had the withered hand, "Come forward." Then he said to them, "Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?" But they were silent. He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ 1 Corinthians 14:18-25 ~

I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you; nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind, in order to instruct others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue. Brothers and sisters, do not be children in your thinking; rather, be infants in evil, but in thinking be adults. In the law it is written, "By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people; yet even then they will not listen to me," says the Lord. Tongues, then, are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is not for unbelievers but for believers. If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your mind? But if all prophesy, an unbeliever or outsider who enters is reproved by all and called to account by all. After the secrets of the unbeliever's heart are disclosed, that person will bow down before God and worship him, declaring, "God is really among you."

~ Holy Gospel of St. Mark 2:13-20 ~

Jesus went out again beside the sea; the whole crowd gathered around him, and he taught them. As he was walking along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in Levi's house, many tax collectors and sinners were also sitting with Jesus and his disciples—for there were many who followed him. When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" When Jesus heard this, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners." Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to him, "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" Jesus said to them, "The wedding guests cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Isaiah 7:1-9 ~

In the days of Ahaz son of Jotham son of Uzziah, king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel went up to attack Jerusalem, but could not mount an attack against it. When the house of David heard that Aram had allied itself with Ephraim, the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. Then the Lord said to Isaiah, Go out to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Fuller's Field, and say to him, Take heed, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah. Because Aram—with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah—has plotted evil against you, saying, Let us go up against Judah and cut off Jerusalem and conquer it for ourselves and make the son of Tabeel king in it; therefore thus says the Lord God: It shall not stand, and it shall not come to pass. For the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. (Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be shattered, no longer a people.) The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you do not stand firm in faith, you shall not stand at all.

~ 1 Corinthians 13:11-14:5 ~

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

Pursue love and strive for the spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy. For those who speak in a tongue do not speak to other people but to God; for nobody understands them, since they are speaking mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, those who prophesy speak to other people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. Those who speak in a tongue build up themselves, but those who prophesy build up the church. Now I would like all of you to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. One who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Mark 2:1-12 ~

When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, "Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, "Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, "Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, "Stand up and take your mat and walk'? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"—he said to the paralytic— "I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home." And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"

COMMEMORATION DAY OF

the 200 Fathers of

the Holy Council of Ephesus

Among the councils of the Church, the Ecumenical Councils hold a place of unique importance. They are called Ecumenical because representatives of the universal (catholic) Church from throughout the Christian world participated in them. The Armenian Apostolic Church recognizes only the first three Ecumenical Councils—the Council of Nicaea (325), the First Council of Constantinople (381), and the Council of Ephesus (431)—and professes only their doctrinal decisions and theological formulations.

In the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, the Feast of the Third Ecumenical Council of Ephesus is commemorated on the Saturday preceding the Fast of the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God.

The Ecumenical Council of Ephesus was convened in 431 A.D. during the reign of Emperor Theodosius II (Theodosius the Younger). Approximately 200 bishops participated in the council, which was called to examine and refute the teachings of Nestorius, the Patriarch of Constantinople.

Nestorius taught that the divine and human natures of Christ existed as two separate and independent realities. He argued that Jesus was born as a mere man and that the divine Logos became united with Him afterward. Consequently, Nestorius rejected the title Theotokos ("God-bearer" or "Mother of God") for the Blessed Virgin Mary, maintaining that she was only the mother of the human Jesus.

The Council of Ephesus condemned the teachings of Nestorius as contrary to the faith of the Church and affirmed the Christological doctrine articulated by St. Cyril of Alexandria. The council proclaimed that in the one Person of Jesus Christ, the divine and human natures are united inseparably and without confusion, division, or change. Christ is one Lord, one Son, and one Person, fully God and fully man.

Accordingly, the council affirmed that the Blessed Virgin Mary is rightly called Theotokos (Mother of God), because the One whom she bore in the flesh is the eternal Son of God incarnate. The Christological formula associated with St. Cyril of Alexandria—"One incarnate nature of God the Word" (Mia Physis tou Theou Logou Sesarkōmenē)—became a foundational expression of the Church's faith.

Although the Armenian Apostolic Church was unable to participate in the Council of Ephesus due to the political circumstances of the time, it subsequently accepted the council's doctrinal decisions and recognized its ecumenical authority, together with that of the First and Second Ecumenical Councils held at Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381). The teachings of the Council of Ephesus continue to hold a central place in the Christological doctrine of the Armenian Church.

The Armenian Church formally condemned Nestorianism at the First Council of Dvin (506) and again at the Second Council of Dvin (554).

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Ezekiel 3:16-19 ~

At the end of seven days, the word of the Lord came to me: Mortal, I have made you a sentinel for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, "You shall surely die," and you give them no warning, or speak to warn the wicked from their wicked way, in order to save their life, those wicked persons shall die for their iniquity; but their blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and they do not turn from their wickedness, or from their wicked way, they shall die for their iniquity; but you will have saved your life.

~ 2 Timothy 1:6-14 ~

For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher, and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him. Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Luke 10:16-20 ~

"Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me." The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!" He said to them, "I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ 2 Timothy 3:1-7 ~

You must understand this, that in the last days distressing times will come. For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, brutes, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the outward form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid them! For among them are those who make their way into households and captivate silly women, overwhelmed by their sins and swayed by all kinds of desires, who are always being instructed and can never arrive at a knowledge of the truth.

~ Holy Gospel of St. John 6:63-71 ~

It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But among you there are some who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father." Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So Jesus asked the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?" Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve? Yet one of you is a devil." He was speaking of Judas son of Simon Iscariot, for he, though one of the twelve, was going to betray him.

COMMEMORATION DAY OF

St. Adrian and His Wife Anatolia,

and of the Martyrs Theodore

and Eleutherius

St. Adrian the Martyr

Saint Adrian was a high-ranking officer in the Roman army during the reign of Emperor Maximinus. At first he was a pagan and actively took part in the persecution of Christians.

However, after witnessing the courage and steadfastness of the Christians under torture—and, most likely, through the prayers and influence of his Christian wife Anatolia—he eventually embraced the Christian faith.

Because of his conversion, Adrian was imprisoned and subjected to severe tortures. In the end, his legs were broken, and he died as a glorious martyr in AD 310.

St. Anatolia (Natalia), Wife of Adrian

In the Greek and Latin traditions she is better known as Saint Natalia.

She was the wife of the celebrated martyr Adrian, whose conversion to Christianity is attributed largely to her prayers and encouragement.

When Adrian was arrested during the persecutions under Diocletian, Anatolia tirelessly strengthened him and the other imprisoned Christians so that they would not weaken in faith but would courageously receive the crown of martyrdom.

She devoted herself so completely to serving imprisoned Christians that she came to be known as "the sister of the martyrs."

Because women were forbidden to witness the torture and execution of Christians, she disguised herself as a man in order to be present at her husband's martyrdom.

After Adrian's death, she went to Byzantium, where she lived a life of virtue and ended her days in peace.

St. Theodore Stratelates (Theodore the General)

Saint Theodore Stratelates was born in Heraclea of Pontus. During the reign of Emperor Licinius, he served as a general in the Roman army.

Although Licinius had initially joined Constantine the Great in issuing the Edict of Milan, which granted Christians freedom to practice their faith, he later reversed his policy and renewed the persecution of Christians.

When Licinius learned that Theodore was not only a Christian himself but was also converting many others to Christianity, he ordered him to renounce Christ and return to the pagan religion.

Strengthened by divine grace, Theodore declared that he was ready to endure every form of torture rather than deny Christ.

He was brutally scourged with iron hooks, then bound by his hands and suspended on a cross-like frame. Theodore endured every torment with unwavering faith.

Finally, in AD 319, he was beheaded and received the crown of martyrdom.

St. Eleutherius (Eleftherios)

The Armenian Church calendar commemorates Eleutherius as a martyr. However, no martyr by that exact name could be identified in either the Armenian Synaxaria or the Greek and Latin martyrologies.

Patriarch Torgom suggests that the name should more accurately be Thyrsus (Thyrsus).

Indeed, a martyr by that name appears in the Armenian Synaxarion published by Marzvantsi, as well as in the Greek and Latin traditions. According to these sources, Thyrsus was a native of Bithynia who suffered martyrdom in the middle of the third century, during the persecution under Emperor Decius, after enduring severe tortures.

He was martyred together with Luke, a venerable priest, and Callinicus, a pagan priest who was converted to Christianity after witnessing the miracles that occurred during Thyrsus's sufferings.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Lamentation 3:22-56 ~

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him." The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for one to bear the yoke in youth, to sit alone in silence when the Lord has imposed it, to put one's mouth to the dust (there may yet be hope), to give one's cheek to the smiter, and be filled with insults. For the Lord will not reject forever. Although he causes grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not willingly afflict or grieve anyone. When all the prisoners of the land are crushed under foot, when human rights are perverted in the presence of the Most High, when one's case is subverted —does the Lord not see it? Who can command and have it done, if the Lord has not ordained it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come? Why should any who draw breath complain about the punishment of their sins? Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord. Let us lift up our hearts as well as our hands to God in heaven. We have transgressed and rebelled, and you have not forgiven. You have wrapped yourself with anger and pursued us, killing without pity; you have wrapped yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through. You have made us filth and rubbish among the peoples. All our enemies have opened their mouths against us; panic and pitfall have come upon us, devastation and destruction. My eyes flow with rivers of tears because of the destruction of my people. My eyes will flow without ceasing, without respite, until the Lord from heaven looks down and sees. My eyes cause me grief at the fate of all the young women in my city. Those who were my enemies without cause have hunted me like a bird; they flung me alive into a pit and hurled stones on me; water closed over my head; I said, "I am lost." I called on your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit; you heard my plea, "Do not close your ear to my cry for help, but give me relief!"

~ Romans 8:18-27 ~

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

~ Holy Gospel of St. John 16:1-4 ~

"I have said these things to you to keep you from stumbling. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God. And they will do this because they have not known the Father or me. But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them. "I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.”

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ 2 Timothy 2:20-26 ~

In a large house there are utensils not only of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for special use, some for ordinary. All who cleanse themselves of the things I have mentioned will become special utensils, dedicated and useful to the owner of the house, ready for every good work. Shun youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with stupid and senseless controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, patient, correcting opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant that they will repent and come to know the truth, and that they may escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

~ Holy Gospel of St. John 6:48-55 ~

I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" So Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.

COMMEMORATION DAY OF

St. Andrew the General and His Army,

and of the Martyrs Callinicus and Domitius

St. Andrew the General and His Army

Saint Andrew (Andreas) was a native of Cilicia. During the reign of Emperor Diocletian, he served as a high-ranking officer in the imperial army stationed in Syria while secretly remaining a Christian.

During one of the battles against the Persians, Andrew's force of about 600 soldiers was on the verge of retreat. At that critical moment, he encouraged his men in the name of Jesus Christ, urging them to stand their ground. Inspired by his words, they turned back into battle and won a decisive victory.

As a result of this miracle, the entire army embraced Christianity.

When Andrew's commanding general learned of their conversion, he sent troops after them. As Andrew and his soldiers were passing through the Taurus Mountain pass, they were all put to death for their faith in AD 300, receiving the crown of martyrdom together.

Saint Callinicus the Martyr

Callinicus was a Christian from Galatia who earned his living by selling olive oil. Because his work required him to travel from place to place, he used every opportunity to spread the light of Christianity.

He was eventually arrested and ordered to renounce his faith. When he refused, he was subjected to severe tortures. Finally, his persecutors forced him to wear sandals studded with nails and made him run all the way to the city of Gangra. There he was thrown into a fire and was martyred.

The Armenian Church commemorates Saint Callinicus on the fifth Tuesday after the Feast of the Holy Cross of Varag, or on the tenth Monday after the Feast of the Holy Cross.

St. Domitius (Diometes) the Martyr

Domitius (Diometes) was a Christian from Tarsus who lived during the reign of Emperor Diocletian. Born into a noble family, he was a physician by profession.

He traveled widely, healing the sick among the poor—not only through his medical skill but, even more, through the power of his faith.

During his journeys he came to Nicaea, where he especially encouraged Christians who were suffering persecution.

He was arrested and taken to Nicomedia to stand trial. Although he ardently desired to suffer martyrdom, Divine Providence spared him from torture. Nevertheless, he received the glory and crown of a martyr in another way.

While being led away in chains to be tortured, he paused briefly to pray. As he stood there in prayer, he peacefully surrendered his pure and God-loving soul in AD 303.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Proverbs 4:10-27 ~

Hear, my child, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. When you walk, your step will not be hampered; and if you run, you will not stumble. Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life. Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evildoers. Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on. For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble. For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what they stumble over. My child, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Keep straight the path of your feet, and all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.

~ Isaiah 48:17-22 ~

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you for your own good, who leads you in the way you should go. O that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your prosperity would have been like a river, and your success like the waves of the sea; your offspring would have been like the sand, and your descendants like its grains; their name would never be cut off or destroyed from before me. Go out from Babylon, flee from Chaldea, declare this with a shout of joy, proclaim it, send it forth to the end of the earth; say, "The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob!" They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he made water flow for them from the rock; he split open the rock and the water gushed out. "There is no peace," says the Lord, "for the wicked."

~ 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 ~

Indeed, we live as human beings, but we do not wage war according to human standards; for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. We are ready to punish every disobedience when your obedience is complete.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Matthew 12:37-42 ~

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward."

COMMEMORATION DAY OF

St. Eugenia the Virgin,

Her Father Philip, Her Mother Claudia,

Her Two Brothers Sergius and Apiton,

the Two Eunuchs, and the Holy Martyrs

Eugenius, Macarius, Valerius,

Canditus, and Aquila

St. Eugenia the Virgin and Claudia

These two—a daughter and her mother—belong to a family whose every member was martyred during the persecutions of Christians. For this reason, they are all included in the Church calendar of saints.

The father of the family, Philip, was a Roman nobleman who was appointed governor of Egypt. He moved to Alexandria, then the capital of Egypt, together with his wife Claudia, their daughter Eugenia, and their two sons. Since Alexandria was one of the greatest centers of learning in the ancient world, Philip ensured that Eugenia received an excellent education.

During her studies, she happened to obtain a collection of the Epistles of Saint Paul. Reading them with great interest, she became convinced of the truth of the Christian faith and resolved to become a Christian. She also persuaded the family's two eunuch servants to accept Christianity, and together they were baptized.

Unwilling to return home afterward, Eugenia disguised herself as a man and, accompanied by the two eunuchs, entered a monastery. Having always loved reading, she studied the entire Holy Scriptures and became remarkably knowledgeable. Her profound understanding of Scripture won the admiration of everyone around her.

After the abbot died, Eugenia—known in the monastery as Eugenios—was chosen as the new abbot because of her wisdom and spiritual maturity.

Some time later, a woman became passionately infatuated with the new abbot. When Eugenia rejected her immoral advances, the woman sought revenge by accusing "him" of attempting to rape her. She brought the accusation before the governor of Alexandria, who happened to be Eugenia's own father, Philip.

Philip had long since given up hope of finding his "lost" daughter and had become increasingly hostile toward Christians, blaming them for her disappearance. Determined to disgrace and severely punish this supposedly immoral monk, he convened a public trial.

When Eugenia was brought before the court in monastic clothing, both she and the Christian faith were publicly insulted. At last, she was forced to reveal her true identity. Her revelation exposed the false accuser and silenced the enemies of the faith, while filling her family with overwhelming joy.

After hearing his daughter's entire story, Philip was deeply moved by her faith and wisdom. He and his whole family converted to Christianity and thereafter became protectors of the Christians in Alexandria.

When the emperor learned of Philip's conversion, he removed him from office and ordered his successor to have him killed.

After Philip's martyrdom, the family returned to Rome, where they too were arrested as Christians. The two eunuchs were martyred first, followed by the Virgin Eugenia. According to the Latin martyrologies, these events occurred around the early third century (c. AD 200); the Greek tradition dates them to around AD 180, while Armenian synaxaria place them in the 80s AD.

Philip the Governor and His Two Sons

Philip and his wife Claudia were the parents of the renowned Virgin Eugenia and of the brothers Sergius and Apiton, who are commemorated together with their two servants, Prostus and Hyacinthus. Because their stories are so closely intertwined, they are difficult to separate. Here the focus is on Philip and his sons.

Philip was a Roman nobleman who lived in the second century. The emperor appointed him governor of Egypt, and he traveled there with his entire family.

While in Alexandria, his daughter Eugenia became a Christian, and through a series of events the entire family was eventually converted. The pagan leaders of Alexandria informed the emperor of Philip's conversion.

The emperor ordered Philip's dismissal. Philip gladly resigned his office, sold his possessions, distributed the proceeds to the poor, and withdrew with his family into the Christian quarter of the city.

Because he was a wise and virtuous man, gifted in teaching and leadership, the local Christians elected him bishop. Thus he exchanged high secular office for spiritual leadership. He served his people faithfully and was even credited with healing the sick and casting out demons.

The emperor then appointed a new governor, instructing him to eliminate Philip quietly, without causing public unrest. Agents pretending to be Christians gained Philip's confidence and, when the opportunity arose, mortally wounded him. Three days later, Philip surrendered his soul, receiving the crown of martyrdom.

Philip's sons, Sergius and Apiton, who lived lives of great piety, are likewise commemorated in the Armenian Church calendar.

Prostus and Hyacinthus

(The Greek and Latin form of the first name is Prostus.)

These two were the eunuch servants of Saint Eugenia. They accepted Christianity together with her in Egypt and entered the monastery alongside her.

After Philip's martyrdom, they accompanied Eugenia back to Rome.

During the reign of Emperor Gallienus, they were arrested as Christians. Refusing to sacrifice to idols, they were first brutally scourged and then beheaded in AD 262.

Their tombs, complete with their original gravestones, were discovered intact in Rome in 1845. Charred bones believed to belong to Hyacinthus were found in his grave, while the tomb of Prostus was empty.

Eugenius, Valerius, Canditus, and Aquila

These fellow martyrs came from Trebizond (modern Trabzon). During the persecutions under Diocletian and Maximinus, they took refuge in the nearby mountains.

Eventually they were captured and brought before the authorities. Refusing to renounce Christianity, they were imprisoned and subjected to hunger and thirst, followed by beatings and many other tortures. God's servants endured all these sufferings with patience and joy.

The four were first tested by fire and then beheaded, receiving the unfading crown of martyrdom.

The Priests Macarius and Eugenius

The Armenian Patriarch Torgom's book Saints and Feasts commemorates two priests named Macarius and Eugenius, apparently on December 24 and October 19, respectively. However, no corresponding joint commemoration can be clearly identified in the Armenian liturgical calendar.

Although there are other saints named Macarius and Eugenius commemorated separately in Armenian tradition, none is explicitly identified as a priest, making their exact identity difficult to determine. The Greek and Latin calendars contain numerous saints with these names, adding further uncertainty.

The Greek calendar commemorates one Macarius with Eudoxius on September 6, while another Macarius is commemorated with Zeno on April 10. Similar pairings appear in Armenian tradition but do not conclusively identify the saints in question.

Nevertheless, both the Greek and Latin calendars do commemorate a pair of priests named Macarius and Eugenius, who are always celebrated together. Patriarch Torgom identifies these with the separately commemorated Armenian saints of the same names, although Armenian sources do not explicitly describe them as priests.

The Armenian Synaxaria likewise commemorate them together: in the edition published by Peshdimaljian on December 19, and in the edition by Marzvantsi on December 24.

According to the Latin martyrologies, these two priests lived during the reign of Emperor Julian the Apostate. Because they openly rebuked the emperor, they endured severe tortures and were later exiled to Arabia—a destination that appears more plausible if Antioch was their center of activity than the Mauritania mentioned in some Armenian sources. There they continued preaching the Gospel.

The Armenian tradition states that they died peacefully in exile, whereas the Latin tradition records that they were beheaded in AD 362, thereby receiving the crown of martyrdom.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Proverbs 1:20-25 ~

Wisdom cries out in the street; in the squares she raises her voice. At the busiest corner she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: "How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? Give heed to my reproof; I will pour out my thoughts to you; I will make my words known to you. Because I have called and you refused, have stretched out my hand and no one heeded, and because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof.

~ Isaiah 55:10-13 ~

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

~ Romans 15:30-33 ~

I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in earnest prayer to God on my behalf, that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my ministry to Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. The God of peace be with all of you. Amen.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Luke 12:32-40 ~

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. "Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. "But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour."

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Isaiah 58:13-59:7 ~

If you refrain from trampling the sabbath, from pursuing your own interests on my holy day; if you call the sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, serving your own interests, or pursuing your own affairs; then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Jacob, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

See, the Lord's hand is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. Rather, your iniquities have been barriers between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue mutters wickedness. No one brings suit justly, no one goes to law honestly; they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies, conceiving mischief and begetting iniquity. They hatch adders' eggs, and weave the spider's web; whoever eats their eggs dies, and the crushed egg hatches out a viper. Their webs cannot serve as clothing; they cannot cover themselves with what they make. Their works are works of iniquity, and deeds of violence are in their hands. Their feet run to evil, and they rush to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity, desolation and destruction are in their highways.

~ 1 Timothy 4:12-5:10 ~

Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I arrive, give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhorting, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders. Put these things into practice, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Do not speak harshly to an older man, but speak to him as to a father, to younger men as brothers, to older women as mothers, to younger women as sisters—with absolute purity. Honor widows who are really widows. If a widow has children or grandchildren, they should first learn their religious duty to their own family and make some repayment to their parents; for this is pleasing in God's sight. The real widow, left alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day; but the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. Give these commands as well, so that they may be above reproach. And whoever does not provide for relatives, and especially for family members, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. Let a widow be put on the list if she is not less than sixty years old and has been married only once; she must be well attested for her good works, as one who has brought up children, shown hospitality, washed the saints' feet, helped the afflicted, and devoted herself to doing good in every way.

~ Holy Gospel of St. John 3:13-21 ~

No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God."

COMMEMORATION DAY OF

THE Holy Patriarchs St. Athanasius,

St. Cyril, and St. Gregory the Theologian

St. Athanasius the Patriarch

St. Athanasius is one of the greatest figures in the history of the Christian Church. He was born in 296 AD in Alexandria. He received his theological education in the renowned theological schools of his native city. He was ordained a deacon by Patriarch Alexander of Alexandria and served as his personal secretary. In this capacity, he attended the First Council of Nicaea (325 AD).

In 328 AD, at only 33 years of age, he succeeded Alexander as Patriarch of Alexandria. Nearly his entire life was devoted to combating Arianism, a heresy that had spread through most of the churches of his region, especially in Byzantium, Asia Minor, Syria, and Egypt.

Because of his unwavering defense of Nicene Christianity, Athanasius was repeatedly exiled by pro-Arian emperors. His first exile came in 336 AD under Emperor Constantine the Great. After Constantine's death he returned, but in 339 AD, driven by powerful Arian opponents, he fled to Rome. There he established close ties with the Church of Rome, which became his strongest ally in the struggle against Arianism, at a time when much of the Eastern Church had fallen under the influence of the Semi-Arians, who relentlessly persecuted him.

In 346 AD, he was restored to his patriarchal office, which had been seized by others. In 356 AD, he was again forced into exile, this time hiding near Alexandria until the death of the emperor who had persecuted him. His successor, Emperor Julian the Apostate, exiled him once more in 362 AD. After Julian's death, Athanasius returned again. His fifth and final exile occurred briefly in 365 AD. Upon his return, he spent the last seven to eight years of his life rebuilding the Christian Church and strengthening those faithful to the Nicene Creed.

His extraordinary efforts bore fruit shortly after his death. At the First Council of Constantinople (381 AD), the Nicene Creed triumphed definitively, and Arianism, after disturbing the peace of the Eastern Church for more than half a century, was finally condemned and faded into history.

Athanasius remained steadfast throughout every hardship. He never yielded, even slightly, to the pressures and persecutions of the Semi-Arians. At one point, among the clergy of the entire Christian Church, only Athanasius and a handful of companions remained faithful to the Nicene faith.

He wrote continuously in defense of the Nicene Creed and against Arianism, exposing the danger posed by bishops who, whether through good intentions or error, supported Semi-Arian theology. Between 360 and 373 AD, he devoted himself tirelessly to instructing, persuading, and reconciling bishops inclined toward Arianism.

He also defended the divinity of the Holy Spirit against Macedonius, Patriarch of Constantinople, and opposed the teaching of his friend Apollinaris, who claimed that Christ possessed a human body and soul but not a human rational mind, which was supposedly replaced by the Divine Logos. Athanasius insisted on Christ's complete humanity.

Athanasius also greatly encouraged monasticism and wrote the famous Life of St. Anthony, helping introduce the monastic ideal to the Western Church, where it would flourish in numerous religious orders.

His immense energy matched his strong and resolute character. Nearly all of his surviving writings are theological, apologetic, and polemical. Beginning in the Armenian Golden Age, more than forty of his works were translated into Armenian. His writings remain among the greatest treasures of Christian literature.

He died peacefully in 373 AD.

The Armenian Church commemorates St. Athanasius on the fourth Saturday after the Feast of the Transfiguration (Vardavar) and again with the Twelve Holy Doctors (Yergotasan Vardapetk) in late October.

St. Cyril of Alexandria

St. Cyril of Alexandria is regarded as the last Ecumenical Father of the Church to be included among the universally venerated saints. He was one of Christianity's most influential and energetic church leaders.

He was born in Alexandria around 380 AD and was the nephew of Patriarch Theophilus of Alexandria. As a young man, he is believed to have participated in the Synod of the Oak (403 AD), which deposed St. John Chrysostom.

In 412 AD, Cyril succeeded his uncle as Patriarch of Alexandria. Among his first actions was a vigorous campaign against the Novatian schismatics, closing their churches. He also confronted the Jewish community in Alexandria after violent conflicts with Christians, expelling many Jews from the city. At the same time, he came into conflict with the city's Roman governor, Orestes, who defended the Jewish population and resented Cyril's growing influence.

Cyril's name is especially associated with the defense of the Virgin Mary's title Theotokos ("God-bearer" or "Mother of God"). Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople, rejected this title and proposed instead Christotokos ("Mother of Christ"), arguing that Mary gave birth only to Christ's humanity.

The long-standing rivalry between the patriarchates of Alexandria and Constantinople, theological differences between the Alexandrian and Antiochene schools (Nestorius had studied in Antioch), and Cyril's determined personality all contributed to the controversy.

In 429 AD, Cyril defended the title Theotokos in his annual Paschal Letter. He convened a synod in Alexandria that condemned Nestorius and urged Pope Celestine I to do the same in 430 AD. After both synods had condemned Nestorius, Cyril sent him a letter accompanied by Twelve Anathemas, demanding that he accept and sign them. He also informed John, Patriarch of Antioch, who was a friend of Nestorius.

Nestorius rejected Cyril's demands and publicly denounced him, although he eventually agreed to use the increasingly popular title Theotokos. John of Antioch, however, preferred Nestorius' explanation over Cyril's anathemas.

To resolve the growing dispute, Emperor Theodosius II convened the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD. When Nestorius arrived, he found the churches of Ephesus closed to him because the bishop of the city supported Cyril. Cyril himself arrived with fifty bishops and enjoyed the support of bishops from Palestine, Asia Minor, and Greece.

John of Antioch was delayed. Despite requests from sixty-eight bishops to postpone the council until the Antiochene delegation arrived, Cyril opened the council on June 22, 431, even though the pope's representatives had not yet arrived. As the highest-ranking bishop present, he presided over the proceedings.

Nestorius refused repeated summonses to appear before the council. Consequently, the council condemned and deposed him as a heretic. Cyril's doctrinal letter to Nestorius, explaining his understanding of the Incarnation, was officially adopted by the council.

When John of Antioch finally arrived a week later, he held a rival council with forty-three bishops that, in turn, condemned and deposed Cyril. Ultimately, however, Emperor Theodosius II confirmed the decisions of Cyril's council, as did the papal delegation upon its arrival about a month later.

Despite his forceful temperament, Cyril remains one of Christianity's greatest theologians. He is the foremost representative of the Alexandrian theological tradition. While strongly emphasizing Christ's divinity, he never denied or diminished His humanity.

Building upon the teachings of Athanasius and the Cappadocian Fathers, Cyril systematized the doctrines of the Holy Trinity, the Incarnation, and Christ's nature.

His famous formula, "One incarnate nature of God the Word" (Mia Physis tou Theou Logou Sesarkomene), became the cornerstone of the Armenian Church's Christology. It emphasizes the unity of Christ's divine and human natures in opposition to Nestorian teaching, which divided them into two separate realities.

In the Christian East, Cyril became known as the "Seal of the Fathers." His doctrinal formulations were accepted by the Third Ecumenical Council, and many continue to be recognized by both Chalcedonian and Oriental Orthodox Churches.

He left behind numerous sermons, biblical commentaries, and theological works, many of which were translated into Armenian in the eighth century by Stepanos Syunetsi.

He died in 444 AD.

The Armenian Church commemorates St. Cyril on the fourth Saturday after Vardavar and again in late October together with the Twelve Holy Fathers.

St. Gregory of Nazianzus ("Gregory the Theologian")

St. Gregory of Nazianzus was born in 329 AD, the son of the bishop of Nazianzus. Together with St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory of Nyssa, he belonged to the famous Cappadocian Fathers and studied alongside them.

Like his close friends, Gregory devoted himself to the ascetic life in his youth, which suited his contemplative, prayerful, and retiring nature. However, contrary to his wishes, his father summoned him home, ordained him a celibate priest in 362 AD, and made him his assistant.

About ten years later, Gregory was consecrated bishop of the small town of Sasima, but he never had the opportunity to take up the post because the responsibilities of caring for his aging father demanded his full attention.

After his father's death in 374 AD, Gregory again withdrew into a life of contemplation, this time in Cilicia.

In 379 AD, he was invited to Constantinople, where his eloquent preaching won widespread admiration and contributed greatly to the triumph of the Nicene faith.

In 381 AD, he was elected Patriarch of Constantinople. Following the death of Patriarch Meletius of Antioch, Gregory presided over the First Council of Constantinople.

Administrative responsibilities, however, conflicted with his deeply contemplative temperament. Finding ecclesiastical politics burdensome, he resigned after only one year and returned to his family estate near Nazianzus. There he devoted the remainder of his life to prayer, theological reflection, and writing until his death in 389 AD.

Gregory left an extraordinary literary legacy, earning him the title "The Theologian." He was also one of the Church's greatest preachers and poets, leaving behind numerous sermons and spiritual poems that have become enduring treasures of Christian literature.

Like the writings of Basil and Gregory of Nyssa, more than forty of his works were translated into Armenian.

The Armenian Church commemorates St. Gregory twice each year: first, on the Saturday following the fourth Sunday after Vardavar, together with St. Athanasius and St. Cyril, and again on the Saturday near the end of October, during the feast of the Twelve Holy Doctors of the Church (Yergotasan Vardapetk).

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Proverbs 11:2-11 ~

When pride comes, then comes disgrace; but wisdom is with the humble. The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. The righteousness of the blameless keeps their ways straight, but the wicked fall by their own wickedness. The righteousness of the upright saves them, but the treacherous are taken captive by their schemes. When the wicked die, their hope perishes, and the expectation of the godless comes to nothing. The righteous are delivered from trouble, and the wicked get into it instead. With their mouths the godless would destroy their neighbors, but by knowledge the righteous are delivered. When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices; and when the wicked perish, there is jubilation. By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

~ Isaiah 61:3-7 ~

They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory. They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, foreigners shall till your land and dress your vines; but you shall be called priests of the Lord, you shall be named ministers of our God; you shall enjoy the wealth of the nations, and in their riches you shall glory. Because their shame was double, and dishonor was proclaimed as their lot, therefore they shall possess a double portion; everlasting joy shall be theirs.

~ Hebrews 13:7-9 ~

Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings; for it is well for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by regulations about food, which have not benefited those who observe them.

~ Holy Gospel of St. John 16:33-17:8 ~

I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world! After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. "I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.