SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Romans 7:12-25 ~

So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good. Did what is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, working death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin. I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Matthew 12:15-21 ~

Many crowds followed him, and he cured all of them, and he ordered them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "Here is my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not wrangle or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. He will not break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick until he brings justice to victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope."

Commemoration Day of

Saint Theoditus of Galatia,

the Physician Thalaleus,

and the Seven Virgin Martyrs of Ancyra

Saint Theoditus of Galatia

Among the Greeks and Latins, he is known as Theodotus. Below is an account written by Patriarch Torgom: “In 303 AD, when Emperor Diocletian launched a persecution against Christians, Theoditus was a wine merchant in the city of Ancyra in the province of Galatia. Taking advantage of his profession, which made him less suspicious in the eyes of the persecutors, he helped imprisoned Christians in every possible way: he buried the bodies of martyrs, provided bread and wine for the Holy Mysteries, and turned his home into both a refuge and a church for those being persecuted. When Emperor Theotecnus martyred seven virgins of Ancyra by drowning them—one of whom was Theoditus’s aunt—and had stones tied around their necks so that their bodies would not become objects of veneration among fellow believers, Theoditus, with the help of several other Christians, made every effort to recover their bodies from the lake and buried them near the Church of the Patriarchs. When this became known, all the Christians of the city were subjected to severe persecution. At that time, Theoditus voluntarily presented himself before the court. After enduring terrible tortures and miraculously surviving them, he was finally martyred by beheading.”

His feast is celebrated on the third Thursday after Pentecost.

Thalaleus the Physician

Thalaleus was from Cilicia and was highly skilled in medicine. As a Christian, he was arrested in the city of Anazarbus and brought before the court. When he refused to renounce the Christian faith, holes were pierced through the upper parts of his heels and he was hung up like a sheep.

Two of his executioners, witnessing the steadfastness of his faith, converted to Christianity and were immediately martyred. They are commemorated on the same day as Thalaleus; in the Latin tradition they are remembered as Alexander and Asterius.

After further tortures, Thalaleus was thrown into the sea, but he was miraculously saved and again brought before the authorities. Finally, he was taken to Edessa, where, during the reign of Emperor Numerian, he was beheaded and martyred in 284 AD.

The Seven Virgin Martyrs of Ancyra

These virgins were natives of Ancyra. During the persecutions of Diocletian, they were arrested and subjected to various trials and tortures, from which God miraculously delivered them.

The judge then ordered that stones be tied around their necks and that they be drowned. Their bodies were later recovered from the water by Theoditus of Galatia and a group of Christians so that they could be buried with honor. Because of this act, Theoditus himself was martyred in 303 AD, and his feast is celebrated together with theirs.

Their commemoration is observed on the third Thursday after Pentecost.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Wisdom of Solomon 6:11-21 ~

Therefore set your desire on my words; long for them, and you will be instructed. Wisdom is radiant and unfading, and she is easily discerned by those who love her and is found by those who seek her. She hastens to make herself known to those who desire her. One who rises early to seek her will have no difficulty, for she will be found sitting at the gate. To fix one’s thought on her is perfect understanding, and one who is vigilant on her account will soon be free from care, because she goes about seeking those worthy of her, and she graciously appears to them in their paths and meets them in every thought. The beginning of wisdom is the most sincere desire for instruction, and concern for instruction is love of her, and love of her is the keeping of her laws, and giving heed to her laws is assurance of immortality, and immortality brings one near to God, so the desire for wisdom leads to a kingdom. Therefore if you delight in thrones and scepters, O monarchs over the peoples, honor wisdom, so that you may reign forever.

~ 2 Corinthians 6:1-10 ~

As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says, "At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you." See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! We are putting no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see—we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

~ 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

~ Romans 7:1-11 ~

Do you not know, brothers and sisters —for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only during that person's lifetime? Thus a married woman is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives; but if her husband dies, she is discharged from the law concerning the husband. Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man, she is not an adulteress. In the same way, my friends, you have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God. While we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we are discharged from the law, dead to that which held us captive, so that we are slaves not under the old written code but in the new life of the Spirit. What then should we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet, if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, "You shall not covet." But sin, seizing an opportunity in the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. Apart from the law sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died, and the very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity in the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Matthew 12:9-15 ~

He left that place and entered their synagogue; a man was there with a withered hand, and they asked him, "Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath?" so that they might accuse him. He said to them, "Suppose one of you has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath." Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and it was restored, as sound as the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him. When Jesus became aware of this, he departed.

Commemoration Day of

Emperor Constantine

and His Mother Helena

Emperor Constantine

Perhaps the Christian Church owes more to Emperor Constantine than to almost any other individual. It was he who finally freed the Church from more than 250 years of persecution, which had reached its fiercest intensity by the year of his proclamation as emperor in 306 AD under his immediate predecessors and rivals. He not only liberated the Church from persecution but also became its patron, protector, and supporter, elevating it, unofficially, to an almost state-level status.

Apart from his service to Christianity, Constantine is regarded as one of history's greatest figures. By giving history a new direction, he rescued the Roman Empire from collapse and laid the foundations of the Byzantine Christian Empire, extending its life for more than a thousand years. Having suffered virtually no defeats in war, Constantine ranks among the world's great military commanders. He was also a capable statesman who enacted numerous laws and reforms that improved the lives of his subjects. He fully deserves the title "the Great."

Constantine is believed to have been born around 275 AD in the city of Naissus (modern Niš, Serbia). His father, Constantius, later proclaimed Caesar, was a renowned Roman general. His mother, Helena, though of humble origin, was a woman of exceptional ability.

As a young man, Constantine was sent to the court of Emperor Diocletian in Nicomedia to gain experience in state administration. Later, as a military commander, he was dispatched to subdue barbarian tribes along the Danube frontier. When his father grew old, he summoned Constantine to Britain. There, after his father's death in 306, Constantine was proclaimed emperor by his troops in the city of York.

For a time, he ruled his western territories peacefully and refrained from involvement in the struggles among the eastern emperors. However, when Maxentius declared himself emperor in Rome, Constantine was compelled to confront him. After defeating two armies sent by the tyrant, he advanced toward Rome for the decisive battle.

As he approached Rome, Constantine saw the sign of the Cross in the sky and heard a voice saying: "By this sign you shall conquer."

He immediately ordered the sign of the Cross to be placed on his military standards and marched toward Rome. Near the entrance known as the Milvian Bridge, the two armies met. Despite its numerical superiority, Maxentius's army was defeated, and the tyrant himself perished after falling into the Tiber River.

Constantine became sole ruler of the western half of the empire and abolished the persecution of Christians there. He invited the eastern emperor Licinius, gave him his sister in marriage, and promised support against Maximinus Daia, the last major enemy of Christianity. Maximinus was defeated and died in 313.

Together with Licinius, Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 312–313, bringing an end to the persecution of Christians throughout the Roman Empire. However, Licinius pursued a double policy, plotted against Constantine, revoked the Edict, and resumed persecuting Christians. War became inevitable.

The decisive conflict took place near Adrianople. Licinius fled and fortified himself in Byzantium. Constantine besieged the city from the west and, with a fleet entering through the Dardanelles, crushed Licinius's forces near Scythia and Chalcedon. Licinius eventually surrendered, and Constantine generously pardoned him. When Licinius later resumed his intrigues, the Roman Senate condemned him to death. Thus, in 324, Constantine became both legally and practically the sole ruler of the vast Roman Empire.

After unifying the empire, Constantine turned his attention to preserving the unity of the Church. Around 320, a priest of Alexandria named Arius, a gifted preacher and ascetic originally from Libya, began teaching doctrines concerning Christ that differed from the Church's faith. While acknowledging Christ's pre-existence and supernatural character, Arius denied His true divinity. He taught that Christ was a created being and therefore neither eternal nor equal to the Father.

The Patriarch of Alexandria condemned this teaching. Constantine, desiring unity within his empire, sent Bishop Hosius to mediate, but reconciliation proved impossible. Consequently, in 325, Constantine convened all the bishops at Nicaea and presided over the council himself.

After extensive debate, Arius and his teachings were condemned, and Arius was exiled for refusing to recant.

To clarify the relationship between the Father and the Son, the Council rejected Arius's term "created" and adopted the term "begotten", expressed in the Creed as: "Begotten, not made."

To explain that the Son shares the same divine nature as the Father, the Council adopted the term "consubstantial" (of one essence with the Father).

Constantine became a strong defender of the Council of Nicaea and its decisions. Yet over time, seeing the considerable influence of the Arians, he sought reconciliation and at times favored them, even exiling some of their opponents, including Athanasius.

Despite these developments, Constantine remained throughout his life a protector and benefactor of the Church. Through his support, magnificent churches were built, including the great churches of the Holy Sepulchre, the Ascension, and the Upper Room in Jerusalem, as well as the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem.

By infusing Roman law with Christian principles, he introduced significant reforms. He improved conditions for prisoners, established state support for poor and abandoned children, exempted clergy from taxation, and declared Sunday a day of rest. Alongside political and economic development, he sought to elevate the moral standards of the empire.

Although Constantine lived and acted as a Christian, he postponed his baptism, hoping to be baptized in the Jordan River like Christ. Circumstances prevented this, and he was finally baptized on his deathbed in 337.

His memory is commemorated on the third Tuesday after Pentecost, together with his mother Helena.

Queen Helena

Helena was the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great and his closest collaborator and encourager in all his pious undertakings.

The discovery of Christ's Holy Cross in Jerusalem is traditionally attributed to her. In 326, after receiving a vision, Helena traveled to Jerusalem and undertook the search for the Cross.

On this occasion, she sponsored the construction of numerous chapels and convents for consecrated virgins in and around the Holy City. Despite her royal status, she personally served others with the humility of a servant.

Helena died in 330 AD.

The Church commemorates her together with her son, Emperor Constantine the Great.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Proverbs 16:9-17 ~

The human mind plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps. Inspired decisions are on the lips of a king; his mouth does not sin in judgment. Honest balances and scales are the Lord's; all the weights in the bag are his work. It is an abomination to kings to do evil, for the throne is established by righteousness. Righteous lips are the delight of a king, and he loves those who speak what is right. A king's wrath is a messenger of death, and whoever is wise will appease it. In the light of a king's face there is life, and his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain. How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. The highway of the upright avoids evil; those who guard their way preserve their lives.

~ Baruch 3:31-4:4 ~

No one knows the way to her, nor is anyone concerned with the path to her. However, he who knows all things knows her; by his understanding he has discovered her. He it is who established the earth for all time and filled it with four-footed creatures. He who sends forth the light and it takes flight, summons it and, trembling, it obeys. Before him the stars in their designated places shine and rejoice; he summons them, and they reply, “Here we are,” and shine with delight for the one who made them. This is our God; no other can compare to him. He has discerned the entire path to wisdom and revealed her to Jacob, his servant, and to Israel, whom he loved. After that, she appeared on earth and lived with humankind.

She is the book of God’s commandments, the law that endures forever. All who adhere to her will live, but those who forsake her will die. Return, O Jacob, and lay hold of her; approach the radiance of her light. Do not yield your glory to another or your privileges to a foreign people. Blessed are we, O Israel, for what is pleasing to God has been revealed to us.

~ 1 Timothy 2:1-7 ~

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all —this was attested at the right time. For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Luke 7:1-10 ~

After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy of having you do this for him, for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us." And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, "Go,' and he goes, and to another, "Come,' and he comes, and to my slave, "Do this,' and the slave does it." When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith." When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

Commemoration Day of

Saint Epiphanius of Cyprus,

Patriarch Babylas,

and His Three Disciples

St. Epiphanius of Cyprus

Saint Epiphanius was born in Palestine around 315 AD, probably into a Jewish family. He spent many years in the Holy Land and became one of the prominent figures of the monastic movement. He himself founded a monastery in Eleutheropolis, likely near his birthplace. His reputation as an organizer and conscientious churchman became so widespread that in 367, when a council of bishops was convened in Cyprus to elect a new bishop, Epiphanius was unanimously chosen.

Throughout his life, he was a fervent defender of the Nicene faith and therefore a fierce opponent of the Arians, as well as of all kinds of heretics and schismatics. For this reason, his literary masterpiece is the work “Refutation of All Heresies” (Panarion). In this work, he lists and refutes one by one all the heresies known up to his time that had arisen within the Church.

During the final years of his life, he played an active role in controversies that arose within the orthodox camp itself, particularly the Apollinarian and Meletian disputes. The former, proposed by Apollinaris (310–390), was a Christological heresy claiming that a human being consists of body, soul, and mind; according to Apollinaris, Christ assumed only the body and soul from human nature, while the Divine Logos took the place of the human mind. Thus, although Christ was fully God, He could not be fully human. Epiphanius opposed this teaching.

In 391, while in Rome, Epiphanius met Jerome and joined him in rejecting certain teachings of the great theologian Origen, namely:

1. That souls pre-exist in a manner similar to Plato’s “ideas.”

2. That the bodies we will receive in the resurrection are entirely different from our mortal earthly bodies.

3. That Holy Scripture should be understood and interpreted only allegorically.

From Rome he visited Jerusalem and then traveled to Constantinople to combat heresy. In 403, while returning from Constantinople to his episcopal see in Salamis, Cyprus, he died aboard ship during the journey.

Besides his famous “Refutation of Heresies,” Epiphanius wrote numerous biblical commentaries and homilies, many of which were translated into Armenian. Around 85 Armenian works are attributed to him, though a significant portion is probably not authentic. By temperament, Epiphanius was uncompromising and defended the Nicene faith with near-fanatical zeal, showing little tolerance toward heretical movements.

Patriarch Babylas

Although Western sources state that Babylas was Bishop of Antioch during the reign of Emperor Gordian III (238–244), Greek and Armenian synaxaria place him during the reign of the impious Emperor Numerian (283–284).

When Numerian was in Antioch, he first visited pagan temples and offered sacrifices to idols. Afterwards, he desired to enter the Christian church and disrespect the sacred worship. When the faithful learned that the emperor was coming to their church, they became alarmed and wanted to flee. Babylas calmed them and forbade anyone from leaving the church.

He himself went to the church entrance and blocked the emperor's way, saying: “You are not worthy to enter the church with your impure hands, stained with the blood of sacrifices offered to idols.”

Enraged by these words, the emperor ordered that Babylas's feet and neck be chained, that he be dragged through the city, and then thrown into prison.

While in prison, Babylas was visited by his three young disciples, whom he had been raising in devotion to God. They refused to abandon their teacher. When Numerian heard this, he ordered the children and their mother to be brought before him. He attempted to persuade them through flattery and promises to return to pagan worship. He even promised the mother that he would personally care for the children if they complied.

However, both the mother and the children firmly declared their loyalty to their faith and to their patriarch. The emperor then ordered that each child be flogged according to his age, but even this failed to break their resolve.

Finally, Babylas himself was brought before the emperor. Threatening him with even more terrible tortures and death if necessary, Numerian tried to force him to sacrifice to the idols. Babylas courageously confessed his faith in Christ and denounced the pagan religion as false and empty.

All four were subjected to prolonged torture and were eventually beheaded: Babylas and his three disciples alike.

Their feast is celebrated on the Monday following the Third Sunday after Pentecost.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Wisdom of Solomon 8:7-10 ~

And if anyone loves righteousness, her labors are virtues, for she teaches self-control and prudence, justice and courage; nothing in life is more profitable for mortals than these. And if anyone longs for wide experience, she knows the things of old and infers the things to come; she understands turns of speech and the solutions of riddles; she has foreknowledge of signs and wonders and of the outcome of seasons and times. Therefore I determined to take her to live with me, knowing that she would give me good counsel and encouragement in cares and grief. Because of her I shall have glory among the multitudes and honor in the presence of the elders, though I am young.

~ Nahum 1:7-9 ~

The Lord is good, a stronghold in a day of trouble; he protects those who take refuge in him, even in a rushing flood. He will make a full end of his adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness. Why do you plot against the Lord? He will make an end; no adversary will rise up twice.

~ 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 ~

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Matthew 6:45-52 ~

Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After saying farewell to them, he went up on the mountain to pray. When evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. When he saw that they were straining at the oars against an adverse wind, he came towards them early in the morning, walking on the sea. He intended to pass them by. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." Then he got into the boat with them and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

By the blessing and directive of the Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, His Grace Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan, St. Mary Armenian Church will join parishes throughout the Diocese in offering a special Order of Prayer for the 250th Anniversary of the Independence of the United States of America.

The prayer service will take place at the end of Sunday Badarak on June 14, coinciding with the national observance of Flag Day.

As our country approaches the historic 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we gather in gratitude to God for the blessings America has bestowed upon generations of Armenians, providing refuge, opportunity, and freedom. Through this special service of thanksgiving, we will pray for our country, its leaders, and all its citizens, asking God to continue guiding America in the pursuit of justice, peace, and prosperity.

All faithful are warmly invited to participate in this meaningful observance and join us in offering prayers for our beloved country.

Fr. Voskan Hovhannisyan and the Parish Council of St. Mary Armenian Church

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Isaiah 1:2-15 ~

Hear, O heavens, and listen, O earth; for the Lord has spoken: I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib; but Israel does not know, my people do not understand. Ah, sinful nation, people laden with iniquity, offspring who do evil, children who deal corruptly, who have forsaken the Lord, who have despised the Holy One of Israel, who are utterly estranged! Why do you seek further beatings? Why do you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but bruises and sores and bleeding wounds; they have not been drained, or bound up, or softened with oil. Your country lies desolate, your cities are burned with fire; in your very presence aliens devour your land; it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners. And daughter Zion is left like a booth in a vineyard, like a shelter in a cucumber field, like a besieged city. If the Lord of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we would have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah. Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom! Listen to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah! What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. When you come to appear before me, who asked this from your hand? Trample my courts no more; bringing offerings is futile; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and sabbath and calling of convocation— I cannot endure solemn assemblies with iniquity. Your new moons and your appointed festivals my soul hates; they have become a burden to me, I am weary of bearing them. When you stretch out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.

~ Romans 6:12-23 ~

Therefore, do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. What then? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that you, having once been slaves of sin, have become obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which you were entrusted, and that you, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness for sanctification. When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. So what advantage did you then get from the things of which you now are ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Matthew 12:1-8 ~

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the sabbath; his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. When the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, "Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the sabbath." He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests. Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests in the temple break the sabbath and yet are guiltless? I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. But if you had known what this means, "I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is lord of the sabbath."

Commemoration Day of

St. Nerses the Great,

Catholicos of All Armenia,

and Bishop Khad

St. Nerses the Great, Catholicos of ALL Armenia

Saint Nerses the Great was the grandson of Catholicos Husik and the son of Athanagines, one of Husik's twin sons. These twin brothers never desired to enter the clerical life and instead devoted themselves to a worldly and dissolute existence. According to tradition, both eventually died after being struck by lightning.

Nerses was the only descendant of Saint Gregory the Illuminator who was born in Armenia itself; all the other members of the family line had been born in Caesarea. He received his education in Caesarea, however, and from an early age married a noblewoman named Sandukht of the Mamikonian family. They had one son, who would later become Saint Sahak (Isaac) the Catholicos.

Not long after the birth of their son, Sandukht died in Caesarea. Nerses and his father brought her body to Armenia and buried her in the district of Til, an estate belonging to the family of Saint Gregory, where Catholicos Aristakes had also been laid to rest.

Nerses continued his studies in Caesarea, where he was a contemporary of the great Cappadocian Fathers—Gregory Nazianzen, Basil of Caesarea, and Gregory of Nyssa—who were born around the same years as he was. Upon completing his education, he returned to Armenia and was invited to the royal court by his maternal uncle, King Arshak II, where he rose to a prominent position.

After the death of Catholicos Pharen, who was not a member of the family of Saint Gregory, the Armenian Church sought a new Catholicos. The people strongly desired someone from the Illuminator's lineage, and all eyes turned toward Nerses. Despite his reluctance, and largely through the influence of King Arshak, Nerses was elected Catholicos of Armenia in 353 A.D., when he was only twenty-five years old.

Character and Appearance

The historian Pavstos Buzand gives a striking description of Nerses: "Nerses was a man of imposing stature, tall, broad-shouldered, and handsome, such that no equal could be found in the land. As a military man, his bravery was the envy of all."

His moral character was described in even higher terms: "He possessed the fear of God, kept His commandments, was compassionate, holy, prudent, wise, and impartial. By nature he was peace-loving, humble, gentle, and a lover of the poor. Perfect in the love of God, he loved his neighbor as himself according to the Lord's commandment... From childhood he kept God's commandments. He was righteous, pure, and devoted to service. Zealous for God's glory and tireless in prayer. Filled with the Holy Spirit—in every respect he was perfect."

At the assembly convened to elect the new Catholicos, Nerses stood beside the king in full military splendor, wearing noble garments, a jeweled belt, and carrying a richly ornamented sword. The assembled bishops and nobles cried out: "Let Nerses be our shepherd!"

Nerses resisted, declaring himself unworthy: "You do not keep God's laws and are immersed in sinful deeds. I cannot be your shepherd, for I cannot show partiality, overlook your sins, or tolerate your wickedness. Today you show me affection, but tomorrow you will hate me. Let me live my own life with God's judgment always before my eyes."

King Arshak nevertheless compelled him to accept. His sword was removed, his royal attire exchanged for clerical vestments, his hair cut, and he was immediately ordained a deacon. Soon afterward he was sent with great honor to Caesarea to be consecrated bishop and Catholicos of Armenia.

His Reforming Ministry

Upon returning from Caesarea, Nerses immediately dedicated himself to preaching and pastoral care.

According to Pavstos: "He began the supervision of the flock, providing spiritual nourishment to all and delivering beneficial teachings without fault."

He strengthened the wavering, comforted believers, silenced slanderers, encouraged seekers of justice, and nourished the Armenian people with his teachings.

Nerses soon undertook an ambitious program of social and ecclesiastical reform. He convened a great council at Ashtishat, one of Armenia's principal religious centers, where he outlined plans for widespread charitable institutions:

• Poorhouses for the needy.

• Hospitals for the sick.

• Shelters for lepers and those suffering from contagious diseases.

• Hostels for travelers.

• Endowments of villages and estates to sustain these institutions.

He also sought to organize church life more effectively by:

• Establishing monasteries for celibate clergy.

• Creating hermit communities for ascetics.

• Establishing episcopal residences and administrative centers.

The council enacted numerous reforms, including:

• Prohibiting marriages between close relatives.

• Establishing strict penalties against adultery, immorality, and sexual misconduct.

• Condemning theft, robbery, and exploitation.

• Forbidding pagan mourning rituals and funeral customs.

• Requiring nobles to treat their dependents with justice and compassion and to avoid excessive taxation.

His reforms extended beyond the Church into every aspect of Armenian social life. For this reason, historians regard him as one of Armenia's greatest social reformers.

Education and Learning

Nerses also promoted education. Since the Armenian alphabet had not yet been invented, he established schools where Greek and Syriac were taught.

Students studied the Scriptures and simultaneously translated them orally into Armenian during public readings. These schools gave rise to the offices of interpreters and translators within the Church.

Among the students educated through this system were:

• His son, Saint Sahak the Catholicos.

• His trusted disciple, Mesrop Mashtots.

These two men would later create the Armenian alphabet and become the founders of Armenian literature.

Conflict with Kings

At first, Nerses enjoyed a positive relationship with King Arshak II. Over time, however, Arshak abandoned his earlier virtues and became increasingly unjust and immoral. Nerses repeatedly admonished him but was ignored.

Eventually Nerses withdrew from court affairs and devoted himself entirely to religious work.

Meanwhile, Persian invasions intensified. Although the Armenian army under Vasak Mamikonian initially resisted successfully, King Arshak was eventually deceived by the Persian king Shapur II, imprisoned, and died in captivity.

His son King Pap succeeded him. At first Pap followed Nerses' guidance. Their cooperation contributed greatly to Armenia's celebrated victory over Persia at the Battle of Dzirav, where Nerses stood on nearby Mount Npat with outstretched arms praying for the Armenian army.

After peace was restored, however, Pap gave himself over to luxury and immorality. Nerses repeatedly rebuked him and eventually forbade him from entering the church.

Pap consequently became Nerses' enemy and is traditionally accused of poisoning him.

Patriarch Malachia Ormanian, however, questioned this account. He suggested that Nerses was already suffering from a serious heart and lung disease, exacerbated by years of exhausting labor and grief over Pap's conduct. According to this interpretation, his death may have been due to natural causes rather than poisoning.

Saint Nerses died in 373 A.D., only forty-five years old.

He was buried in Til, beside his wife Sandukht and near Catholicos Aristakes. Because both patriarchs rested there, the monastery eventually became known as "The Monastery of the Two Patriarchs."

Although the church at Til was destroyed in the seventh century, the saint's tomb was rediscovered in 1275. Portions of his relics were later transferred to churches in Erzincan and the surrounding region.

Legacy

Nerses' accomplishments earned him the title "the Great."

His greatest contribution was the moral, ecclesiastical, and social reform of Armenian life. While earlier patriarchs had focused primarily on preaching and spreading the faith, Nerses combined spiritual renewal with practical social action, transforming the daily lives of the people.

For this reason, Armenian tradition honored him as: "The Illuminator of Hearts."

The Armenian Church commemorates Saint Nerses the Great together with Bishop Khad on the Saturday following the Feast of the Holy Cathedral (Catholike Church).

In Western reference works, including Catholic and Oxford dictionaries of saints, his feast day is often listed as November 19.

A hymn dedicated to him in the Armenian Sharakan tradition proclaims:

Today the pastoral staff is renewed once more,
For a mighty shepherd has been granted to the rational flock.
From the root of the Illuminator sprang forth Saint Nerses like a fresh shoot.
Through his intercession, O Lord, strengthen the authority of the Patriarchal Throne.

Bishop Khad

Bishop Khad was the closest associate and lifelong collaborator of Saint Nerses the Great, much as the Syrian Daniel had been a companion of Saint Gregory the Illuminator.

He was from the village of Maraga in the district of Karin and had been raised and educated under Nerses' guidance from childhood. He was intelligent, faithful, and exceptionally devoted both to the Armenian Church and to the poor.

Because of these qualities, Nerses entrusted him with oversight of the Church's charitable institutions.

When Nerses was forced to leave Armenia, he consecrated Khad as bishop over the province of Bagrevand and the district of Arsharunik, appointing him as his deputy. As the historian records: "He left him as his representative in his place."

During Nerses' absence, Khad instructed the entire nation to observe fasting and prayer for the speedy return of their shepherd. Throughout this period he governed the Armenian Church without falling short of Nerses in zeal or dedication.

Defender of Justice

Like Nerses, Khad fearlessly rebuked wrongdoing.

When King Arshak and many nobles abandoned God's commandments and embraced corruption, Khad openly reproved them. The king attempted to win him over with gifts, but Khad distributed all the gifts to the poor in the king's presence and continued his denunciations.

Eventually Arshak ordered him expelled from the royal court.

Afterward, Khad traveled throughout Armenia preaching, teaching, reforming society, and caring for the poor.

His biographer records: "Through his hands many signs, miracles, powers, and healings were performed among the sick."

According to Pavstos, whenever Khad distributed all available food and supplies to the poor, the storehouses would miraculously be found replenished the next day by God's providence.

The historian concludes: "Among the Armenians this man was wonderfully renowned and marvelous."

The Story of the Stolen Oxen

One famous episode from Khad's life remarkably anticipates the famous act of mercy later described in Victor Hugo's Les Misérables.

One day thieves stole the oxen belonging to Khad's church. Immediately afterward they were struck blind. Not understanding what had happened, they drove the oxen back to the church property.

Khad prayed for them, and their sight was restored.

Rather than punishing them, he ordered that they be bathed, prepared a rich feast for them, comforted them, and then sent them away in peace, giving them both his blessing and the oxen themselves.

This extraordinary act of mercy led to the thieves' repentance and conversion.

Final Years and Legacy

Khad was married and had two daughters. One daughter married a man named Astik, who later succeeded him as bishop of Arsharunik.

The historian Movses Khorenatsi wrote of him: "In every way he resembled the great Nerses."

Pavstos Buzand even called him Nerses' "partner on the episcopal throne."

One weakness often mentioned was that he loved fine clothing and fine horses. Those whom he rebuked frequently mocked him for this. In response, Khad renounced his luxurious garments, clothed himself in coarse attire, and thereafter traveled only on a donkey.

At one point, after he sharply condemned King Arshak for acts of violence and murder, the king ordered him dragged away and stoned. Members of the powerful Apahuni family intervened, rescued him from his attackers, and saved his life.

The exact date of Khad's death is unknown, though he is generally believed to have died before Saint Nerses.

Patriarch Ormanian summarized his significance: "The breadth of responsibility entrusted to Khad and the confidence Nerses placed in him constitute his greatest praise. Both in charitable labor and administrative genius, history presents him as a second Nerses."

Just as Khad was inseparable from Nerses in life and ministry, he remains inseparable from him in the Church calendar.

The Armenian Church commemorates Saint Nerses the Great and Bishop Khad together on the Saturday following the Feast of the Holy Cathedral (Catholike Church).

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Wisdom of Solomon 2:23-3:8 ~

For God created us for incorruption, and made us in the image of his own eternity, but through the devil's envy death entered the world, and those who belong to his company experience it.

But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be a disaster, and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace. For though in the sight of others they were punished, their hope is full of immortality. Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of himself; like gold in the furnace he tried them, and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them. In the time of their visitation they will shine forth, and will run like sparks through the stubble. They will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will reign over them forever.

~ Isaiah 57:15-16 ~

For thus says the high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with those who are contrite and humble in spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite. For I will not continually accuse, nor will I always be angry; for then the spirits would grow faint before me, even the souls that I have made.

~ 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. Matthew 10:16-22 ~

"See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Romans 5:12-21 ~

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned— sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man's trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many. And the free gift is not like the effect of the one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification. If, because of the one man's trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Therefore just as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man's act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. For just as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. But law came in, with the result that the trespass multiplied; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, just as sin exercised dominion in death, so grace might also exercise dominion through justification leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Matthew 11:25-30 ~

At that time Jesus said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Commemoration Day of

THE Princes Isaac and Joseph,

and the Martyrs Sarkis and Bagos

Princes Isaac and Joseph

Isaac and Joseph were the sons of an Arab nobleman who had settled in Karin (Erzurum). Their father had married an Armenian Christian woman and allowed her not only to continue practicing her faith but also to have their children baptized and raised according to Christian teachings.

When they came of age, Joseph (Yusuf) married a Christian woman and had children. Feeling insecure under Arab rule in Karin, the two brothers decided to move to the Byzantine Empire, where they could freely profess their faith. Before they could carry out their plan, however, the local Arab governor learned of their Arab ancestry. He summoned the brothers and urged them to return to the religion of their forefathers.

When they refused, they were imprisoned and subjected to torture. Promises of reward, pleas, and threats designed to make them renounce Christ proved useless. Even their broad-minded father advised them to pretend to renounce Christianity, gain their freedom, and then flee to Byzantium where they could openly profess Christ again.

The brothers, however, chose death rather than denial of their faith.

As a result, the governor of Karin ordered them to be beheaded.

All accounts of their martyrdom testify that: "A light descended from heaven upon the bodies of the saints."

Witnessing this miracle, the governor's heart softened, and he permitted them to receive an honorable burial.

The Liakatar ("Complete Synaxarion") records that a beautiful chapel was later built over their graves and that numerous healings occurred through their intercession.

The Armenian historian and churchman Malachia Ormanian, who also served as Primate of Karin, wrote: "In the center of the city there are two tombs venerated by the Muslims, which, according to the testimony of the local Christians, are the tombs of Joseph and Isaac."

They were martyred on October 19, 808 A.D., although Armenian Synaxaria also associate their commemoration with January 22.

Joseph was the elder brother, but because Isaac was martyred first, the liturgical calendar places Isaac's name before Joseph's.

They are commemorated on the Thursday following the Feast of the Holy Cathedral (Catholike Church).

The primary historical sources for their lives are the chronicles of Samuel and Kirakos.

The Martyrs Sarkis and Bagos

Sarkis and Bagos were high-ranking officials in the Roman imperial court during the reign of Emperor Maximian (286–310). Secretly, however, they were Christians.

During one of the regular pagan ceremonies, their absence was noticed. When they were brought before the emperor, they openly confessed their Christian faith.

To humiliate them, the emperor ordered them to be dressed in women's clothing and paraded before the public. Nevertheless, they remained steadfast in their faith.

Eventually they were subjected to a brutal beating. Bagos succumbed to the torture and died, while Sarkis was thrown into prison.

The next day, all traces of Sarkis's wounds had disappeared, and he was completely healed. Every threat and promise used by the emperor to persuade him to abandon Christianity proved futile.

He was forced to wear shoes lined with nails protruding inward and was compelled to walk for hours. Yet Sarkis remained unwavering in his faith.

Finally, in the year 300 A.D., he was taken to Northern Syria and beheaded for Christ.

The city where he suffered martyrdom later became known as Sarkis City (Sergiopolis) and grew into one of the greatest pilgrimage centers of the region.

The Armenian Church commemorates Sarkis and Bagos on the second Thursday after Pentecost.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Proverbs 6:1-5 ~

My child, if you have given your pledge to your neighbor, if you have bound yourself to another, you are snared by the utterance of your lips, caught by the words of your mouth. So do this, my child, and save yourself, for you have come into your neighbor's power: go, hurry, and plead with your neighbor. Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber; save yourself like a gazelle from the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

~ Isaiah 33:5-8 ~

The Lord is exalted, he dwells on high; he filled Zion with justice and righteousness; he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is Zion's treasure. Listen! the valiant cry in the streets; the envoys of peace weep bitterly. The highways are deserted, travelers have quit the road. The treaty is broken, its oaths are despised, its obligation is disregarded.

~ 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. Luke 21:12-19 ~

"But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Romans 4:13-22 ~

For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation. For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations")—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become "the father of many nations," according to what was said, "So numerous shall your descendants be." He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Therefore his faith "was reckoned to him as righteousness."

~ Holy Gospel of St. Matthew 10:34-42 ~

"Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one's foes will be members of one's own household. 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 The Virgins

St. Nune and St. Mane

St. Nune the Virgin

Saint Nune is revered as the Enlightener of Georgia, where her name is commonly known in the form Nino. She is regarded as one of the virgins of Hripsime's company who miraculously escaped during their martyrdom. By divine guidance, she journeyed to Mtskheta, the capital of Georgia, where she continued the pious and ascetic life she had shared with her companions near the Armenian capital of Vagharshapat.

Nune presented herself as a woman belonging to the class of servants or slaves. Through her charitable deeds, she won the affection and respect of those around her.

Her reputation and missionary work began when a woman brought her gravely ill son, suffering from an incurable disease, hoping that Nune might know some remedy to heal him. Nune replied that she knew of no earthly medicine, but that Jesus Christ, the Son of the God whom she worshiped, had healed many such sufferers and would surely heal this child as well. She began to pray, and to the great joy of the mother and all who were gathered there, the boy was instantly cured.

News of this miracle reached Queen Nana of Georgia, who herself was suffering from a serious illness. The queen summoned the woman considered to be a slave, but Nune replied that she could not leave her hermitage to wander through luxurious places. Instead, the queen was brought to Nune, who healed her through prayer.

Filled with gratitude, Queen Nana attempted to reward her with costly gifts, but Nune refused them. Instead, she preached the Gospel, explaining that it was not she who had healed the queen, but Christ. She also proclaimed that Christ was ready to heal the queen's spiritual ailments if she would become a Christian. The queen agreed.

When Queen Nana's husband, King Mirian, returned to the palace, he rejoiced greatly at her recovery and ordered valuable gifts to be sent to the foreign woman. The queen stopped him, saying: "That woman accepts no gifts. We shall truly show our gratitude when both of us worship the God she preaches, by whose power, as she said, I was healed."

At first, the king did not take these words very seriously.

One day, however, while hunting, he and his companions became lost in a dense and terrifying fog. Confused and frightened, they wandered aimlessly. The king called upon his pagan gods, but nothing changed. Suddenly he remembered the God who had healed his queen. He prayed to Him and vowed that if He delivered him from the darkness, he would believe and follow Him.

Immediately, the impenetrable mist dispersed as suddenly as it had appeared, and the king safely returned to the palace.

He recounted the event to the queen, and together they went to Nune. The king asked her to tell him about her God and His Son, Jesus Christ. After hearing her teaching, he too declared his desire to become a Christian.

Returning to the palace, he gathered the nobles of the kingdom. After recounting both the miraculous healing of the queen and his own experience, he began preaching Christ himself. He declared that Christ was the true God and Christianity the true religion. Many of the nobles were convinced and came to believe.

Following Nune's counsel, envoys were sent—according to Georgian sources, to Emperor Constantine, and according to Armenian sources, to Saint Gregory the Illuminator and King Tiridates—to request clergy. Soon priests arrived and baptized the king, the queen, the royal court, and thousands of people in the River Kura, completing the work that Nune had begun.

After these events, Nune continued her mission throughout every corner of the country. Eventually she died peacefully, and a magnificent church was built over her tomb, which remains one of Georgia's great pilgrimage sites.

The Dictionary of Saints records that Nune died in 340 A.D. and commemorates her on December 15. Armenian Synaxaria provide the date October 28, while Georgian tradition celebrates her feast on January 14.

The Armenian Church commemorates her on the Tuesday following the Feast of the Holy Cathedral (Catholike Church) together with Saint Mane the Virgin.

St. Mane the Virgin

The account of Saint Mane's life is brief.

She belonged to the group of Hripsimean virgins who fled Rome. Originally numbering about seventy, some died or remained behind along the journey, and only thirty-seven eventually reached Vagharshapat, where they suffered martyrdom.

Of those who separated from the group, only two names have been preserved in history. One was Nune, who, by God's providence, was led to Georgia and became the apostle of that nation, bringing about its conversion to Christianity.

When the Hripsimean virgins arrived in Armenia, Mane, under divine inspiration, separated from her companions and journeyed to the district of Ekeghiats, whose center was Erznka (Erzincan). There she found a suitable cave on Mount Sepuh and resolved to live an ascetic life there.

According to ancient accounts: "She was enlightened in mind, well acquainted with the spiritual path, and strengthened by the gifts of the Holy Spirit."

Enduring the heat of summer and the cold of winter, she patiently and lovingly lived an angelic life of prayer and self-denial. The divine consolation that filled her heart caused her to forget the hardships imposed by nature. Thus she spent many years in prayer, asceticism, and communion with God.

Many years later, when Saint Gregory the Illuminator desired a life of solitude, he was led to the mountains of Daranaghik. There he noticed the cave on Mount Sepuh where Mane was dwelling. As he approached, the aged virgin called out from a distance: "Do not come near now; return after three days."

When Gregory returned three days later, he found that the saint had already reposed in the Lord.

With psalms and blessings, he buried her in the same cave, just as he had earlier buried her companions in the places of their martyrdom. Gregory then remained in the cave himself and continued his ascetic life there. In later times the cave became known as "Manya Ayr" ("Mane's Cave").

Saint Mane is commemorated together with Saint Nune on the Tuesday following the Feast of the Holy Cathedral (Catholike Church) in the Armenian Church.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Song of Solomon 8:14 ~

Make haste, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag upon the mountains of spices!

~ Isaiah 27:11-13 ~

When its boughs are dry, they are broken; women come and make a fire of them. For this is a people without understanding; therefore he that made them will not have compassion on them, he that formed them will show them no favor. On that day the Lord will thresh from the channel of the Euphrates to the Wadi of Egypt, and you will be gathered one by one, O people of Israel. And on that day a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were lost in the land of Assyria and those who were driven out to the land of Egypt will come and worship the Lord on the holy mountain at Jerusalem.

~ 1 Peter 5:8-11~

Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.

~ Holy Gospel of St. John 12:24-26~

Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.

Commemoration Day of

the Bethlehem Infants,

the Martyr Acacius,

the Priest Movkima,

and the Soldier Kodratius

The Bethlehem Infants

The first innocents who shed their blood for Christ were the infants of Bethlehem. They differ from other martyrs in two ways: first, their martyrdom was not conscious or voluntary; second, they died so that the Son of God might physically live, whereas other martyrs died to preserve the eternal life granted by Christ.

When King Herod of Judea learned from the Magi that the “King of the Jews” had been born, he—and all Jerusalem with him—was greatly troubled.

The suspicious and bloodthirsty tyrant had already decided what he would do. Therefore, he deceitfully told the Magi: “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”

However, having been warned by God, the Magi did not return to Herod. Enraged, Herod ordered the slaughter of all boys two years old and under in Bethlehem and its surrounding region, believing that among them the “King of the Jews” would also be killed.

Only God knows how many young lives were cut short in this massacre. By faith, however, we know that they became the forerunners of the elect who, according to the Book of Revelation, bear the name of the Lamb on their foreheads and sing hymns before the throne of God. They remain forever with the Lamb; they were chosen as firstfruits from among humanity, and they were found blameless and without sin (cf. Revelation 14:1–5).

Acacius the Martyr

In the Latin Church, there is a priest named Acacius who is commemorated; there is also a soldier named Acathius who was martyred in Byzantium, along with several saints bearing similar names. The Greek Church likewise knows many saints named Acacius, making it difficult to determine exactly which one corresponds to the Armenian martyr Acacius.

One Acacius is commemorated together with Kodratius in the Greek tradition, although Greek martyrologies provide no details about him other than that his feast is celebrated on March 4.

According to Armenian tradition, Acacius was a young boy who lived during the reign of Emperor Licinius (307–323). After being severely beaten, he was handed over to the governor Terentius, who first threw him into a cauldron of boiling oil and fat. Miraculously surviving, Acacius was then taken to a pagan temple and forced to sacrifice to idols, which were destroyed through his prayers.

He was thrown before wild beasts, but they did not harm him. Eventually he was taken to the city of Melitene, where he was imprisoned with his feet fastened in stocks. Remaining steadfast in his faith and refusing to renounce Christianity, he was finally beheaded in the year 310.

Movkima the Priest

The Greek form of this name is Mokios, while the Latin form is Mucius.

He was of Byzantine origin and the son of a high-ranking military officer. Having received a strong Christian upbringing, he was ordained and appointed priest of the city of Amphipolis in Macedonia.

Known as a “priest of truth,” he devoted himself to preaching Christianity, especially exposing the folly of pagan idol worship. For this reason, he attracted the attention of the local governor and was brought before him.

When he boldly confessed that he was a Christian, he was subjected to torture and imprisoned. Eventually he was sent to Byzantium for trial, where he was sentenced to death by beheading and thus received the crown of martyrdom.

Later, Emperor Constantine ordered a great church to be built at the site of his burial.

His commemoration is observed on the second Monday after Pentecost.

Kodratius

Kodratius endured such terrible and horrifying tortures that any one of them alone would have been enough to kill an ordinary person.

He was from the city of Nicomedia and suffered during the persecutions of Emperor Decius. Along with several other Christians, he was brought before the judge. When asked their names, Kodratius stepped forward and answered on behalf of all: “Our names are written in heaven; our city is the Heavenly Jerusalem, and we are servants of the Heavenly King.”

He was beaten so severely that his entire body swelled and bled profusely. At this point, some Christians weakened in their faith and offered sacrifices to idols. In response, Kodratius cried out: “What answer will you give on the glorious day of Christ’s coming, O miserable ones?”

Through his exhortations, he brought them back to the true faith. Repenting with tears and lamentation for their weakness, they once again confessed Christ, and Kodratius prayed for them.

They were imprisoned again, and when they remained steadfast, they purified their earlier weakness through suffering. Despite his severe wounds, Kodratius was moved from place to place and subjected to stoning, yet “by God's providence the stones did not strike him.”

At another time, salt mixed with vinegar was poured into his wounds, and his sides were burned with red-hot irons. Whenever he was asked whether he would sacrifice to idols, he replied: “I have been a Christian since childhood. Apart from my Lord Jesus Christ, I have never known and do not know any other god.”

He was laid upon a blazing furnace, yet even then he recited psalms and felt no pain from the flames.

Finally, the judge ordered that he be beheaded.

His commemoration is also observed on the second Monday after Pentecost.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Proverbs 29:2-7 ~

When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people groan. A child who loves wisdom makes a parent glad, but to keep company with prostitutes is to squander one's substance. By justice a king gives stability to the land, but one who makes heavy exactions ruins it. Whoever flatters a neighbor is spreading a net for the neighbor's feet. In the transgression of the evil there is a snare, but the righteous sing and rejoice. The righteous know the rights of the poor; the wicked have no such understanding.

~ Isaiah 18:7 ~

At that time gifts will be brought to the Lord of hosts from a people tall and smooth, from a people feared near and far, a nation mighty and conquering, whose land the rivers divide, to Mount Zion, the place of the name of the Lord of hosts.

~ Hebrews 2:14-18~

Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

~ 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."

Feast of the Cathedral of

HOLY Etchmiadzin

The Armenian Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Mother Cathedral of Etchmiadzin two weeks after Pentecost, on the day following the Feast of the Deliverance of St. Gregory the Illuminator from the Pit (Khor Virap). This feast commemorates the vision that, according to Agathangelos, was seen by the father of our faith, St. Gregory the Illuminator, after his release from imprisonment.

Christ Himself, “lofty and majestic, was proceeding before a radiant host. In His hand He held a great golden hammer, and all followed behind Him. He descended to the very depths of the earth, to the center of the city, struck the broad ground, and mighty thunders resounded from the depths of the abyss.”

Thus St. Gregory the Illuminator began recounting his vision to King Tiridates III, Queen Ashkhen, and all those present: “I saw in the city, near the royal palace, a golden pedestal in the shape of a wheel, as large as a great hill. Upon it stood an exceedingly high fiery column, crowned by a cloud-like capital bearing a radiant cross. I also saw three other pedestals: one at the place where St. Gayane was martyred with her two companions; one where St. Hripsime was martyred with her thirty-two companions; and one near the winepress.”

After recounting the vision, St. Gregory urged the people to begin the work immediately. Accompanied by the king, queen, nobles, and all the people, he went to the place where the fiery column had appeared upon the golden pedestal and ordered it enclosed with a high stone wall.

The Patriarch determined that the site marked by the great cross should become the Mother Church of the Armenian nation. Construction was delayed temporarily because a pagan temple stood at the place struck by the Only-Begotten Son’s hammer and it first had to be sanctified according to Christian rites. The sites of the martyrdoms of the Hripsimian virgins, however, had already been sanctified by their blood. Therefore, three churches were immediately built, and within them St. Gregory placed the relics of the holy virgins.

The enthusiasm was immense. Men and women alike joined the labor—some brought stones, others bricks, and still others timber.

According to tradition, King Tiridates climbed Mount Ararat and brought back massive, rough-hewn stones. The giant king carried these stones on his own shoulders to Vagharshapat for the construction of the chapels.

One church was named after St. Hripsime, another after St. Gayane, and the third after St. Mariane, a sick virgin who had been unable to flee with the others. Later, this church became known as Shoghakat (“Drop of Light”), because in his vision Gregory had stood there watching the rays of heavenly light descend upon the earth.

King Tiridates not only sponsored the construction of the new Christian churches but also, by royal decree in 301 A.D., proclaimed Christianity the state religion. Enlightened in heart and soul, the people abandoned the vain worship of idols and turned to the true worship of the loving God. Fasting, prayer, reverence, and love filled the lives of all.

With the support and initiative of King Tiridates, Queen Ashkhen, Khosrovidukht (the king’s sister), the nobles, and the people, St. Gregory journeyed to Caesarea in Cappadocia—where he had previously received his Christian education—and was consecrated Catholicos of the Armenians.

After his ordination, he returned to Armenia bringing with him relics of St. John the Baptist and other sacred relics.

Under Gregory’s leadership, pagan temples throughout the country were demolished and converted into churches.

In the Aratsani River of Bagrevand Province, the newly ordained Catholicos baptized King Tiridates, Queen Ashkhen, Princess Khosrovidukht, members of the royal court, and soldiers. Thereafter they traveled together to Vagharshapat, the Armenian capital, where construction of the Mother Cathedral began.

First, the pagan shrine standing on the site where, according to Gregory’s vision, the Only-Begotten Son of God had descended and struck the earth with His fiery hammer was demolished.

Then St. Gregory solemnly consecrated the site through a sacred ecclesiastical ceremony. Within seven to eight months, the Mother Cathedral—the Kathoghike Church—was built. The king, queen, nobles, and princes contributed not only through donations but also through their personal labor.

The cathedral was consecrated on August 15, 303, on the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God. Later it was renamed Holy Etchmiadzin, meaning “the Descent of the Only-Begotten,” referring to Jesus Christ.

St. Gregory also ordained hundreds of priests and bishops who were sent to serve throughout Armenia. He established schools for children, youth, and adults alike, recognizing that the mind must be enlightened so that the soul may also be enlightened.

However, the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin did not remain intact for long. In 380 A.D., the apostate Meruzhan Artsruni invaded Armenia with Persian forces and destroyed the Kathoghike Cathedral of Vagharshapat.

Although Holy Etchmiadzin remained the Mother Church, the Patriarchal See frequently changed its location throughout history.

The Armenian historian Lazar Parpetsi, in his “Letter to Vahan Mamikonian,” records that the seat was transferred to Dvin, where a monastic brotherhood was established under the patronage of both church leaders and civil authorities.

One hundred years after the cathedral’s destruction, Vahan Mamikonian, appointed governor by decree of the Persian king in 483 A.D., completely restored the Mother Cathedral. Later, Catholicos Komitas replaced the wooden structure with finely cut stone. From the time of Catholicos Nerses the Builder until modern times, the cathedral was repeatedly damaged, rebuilt, and restored. In 1441, the Patriarchal See was officially returned to its historic foundation at Holy Etchmiadzin, where it remains today.

In 1653, Catholicos Pilipos began constructing the magnificent three-story bell tower adorned with intricate carvings. Following his death, the work was completed by his successor, Catholicos Hakob Jughayetsi.

Holy Etchmiadzin preserves numerous sacred relics and treasures. Among them is the Holy Lance (Geghard), the spear with which a soldier pierced Christ’s side. Also preserved there are the holy right hands of St. Gregory the Illuminator, St. Jacob of Nisibis, and the Apostles St. Thaddeus and St. Bartholomew.

From the beginning of the fourth century, Holy Etchmiadzin became a center of Christianity. It was also here that St. Mesrop Mashtots and St. Sahak Partev carried out their spiritual and scholarly work.

Armenian literature, philosophy, theology, and astronomy flourished in Etchmiadzin. The monastery also preserves Armenian manuscripts of the 13th through 18th centuries, many of which are of immense artistic and historical value.

According to the vision revealed to St. Gregory the Illuminator, the supreme spiritual authority and seat of the Armenian Church were established at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

Holy Etchmiadzin is the cradle of the Armenian faith and the “Holy of Holies” of the Armenian people—sacred in its religious devotion, profound in its historical significance, and invaluable in its national importance as a divine gift bestowed upon the world’s first Christian nation.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Proverbs 9:1-6~

Wisdom has built her house, she has hewn her seven pillars. She has slaughtered her animals, she has mixed her wine, she has also set her table. She has sent out her servant-girls, she calls from the highest places in the town, "You that are simple, turn in here!" To those without sense she says, "Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Lay aside immaturity, and live, and walk in the way of insight."

~Zechariah 3:7-4:9~

"Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my requirements, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here. Now listen, Joshua, high priest, you and your colleagues who sit before you! For they are an omen of things to come: I am going to bring my servant the Branch. For on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven facets, I will engrave its inscription, says the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the guilt of this land in a single day. On that day, says the Lord of hosts, you shall invite each other to come under your vine and fig tree."

The angel who talked with me came again, and wakened me, as one is wakened from sleep. He said to me, "What do you see?" And I said, "I see a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it; there are seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it. And by it there are two olive trees, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left." I said to the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?" Then the angel who talked with me answered me, "Do you not know what these are?" I said, "No, my lord." He said to me, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts. What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain; and he shall bring out the top stone amid shouts of "Grace, grace to it!' " Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.

~ Hebrews 9:1-10 ~

Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary. For a tent was constructed, the first one, in which were the lampstand, the table, and the bread of the Presence; this is called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a tent called the Holy of Holies. In it stood the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which there were a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot speak now in detail. Such preparations having been made, the priests go continually into the first tent to carry out their ritual duties; but only the high priest goes into the second, and he but once a year, and not without taking the blood that he offers for himself and for the sins committed unintentionally by the people. By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the sanctuary has not yet been disclosed as long as the first tent is still standing. This is a symbol of the present time, during which gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, but deal only with food and drink and various baptisms, regulations for the body imposed until the time comes to set things right.

~ Holy Gospel of St. John 10:22-30 ~

At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”

The Deliverance of

St. Gregory the Illuminator

from the Pit

The Armenian Apostolic Holy Church commemorates the memory of the Illuminator of the Armenian nation, Saint Gregory the Illuminator, three times during the year: his imprisonment in Khor Virap, his release from Khor Virap, and the discovery of his relics.

In 301 AD, the Armenian people became the first nation to adopt Christianity as their state religion. The principal figures in this sacred event were Saint Gregory the Illuminator and King Tiridates III.

Armenian historians, particularly Agathangelos and other chroniclers, provide detailed accounts of this remarkable journey—a path marked by suffering, miracles, visions, and triumphs.

The Martyrdom of the Holy Virgins

According to tradition, the establishment of Christianity as Armenia’s state religion is closely connected with the martyrdom of the 37 holy virgins led by Saint Hripsime.

Fleeing the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian in Rome, they found refuge near the capital city of Vagharshapat, in the winepresses outside the city.

The Madness of King Tiridates

King Tiridates became captivated by the beauty of Hripsime and wished to marry her. When she refused, he ordered the torture and execution of all the virgins.

The martyrdom of the “pure and holy Hripsime and her companions” did not pass without consequence. The powerful king fell into “deep sorrow and unbearable anguish.” Hripsime’s radiant beauty haunted his soul, and his troubled conscience overwhelmed his entire being.

One day, while hunting, he began to lose his reason:

“He went mad and, departing from human nature, assumed the appearance of a wild boar and went to dwell among them as one of their kind.” (Agathangelos)

Thus, the king was afflicted with a strange illness traditionally described as boar-like madness.

He abandoned the palace and wandered through the marshes. His condition worsened day by day.

Many of his relatives and servants were also struck by the same affliction, with the exception of his sister, Princess Khosrovidukht.

From Darkness to Light

Some time later, Khosrovidukht received a vision in which God revealed that only Gregory, who had been imprisoned in the deep dungeon of Khor Virap, could heal her brother.

When she told the royal court about the vision, they dismissed it as absurd. They reasoned that after thirteen years in an underground death pit, Gregory could not possibly still be alive.

“The bones of a man who has remained in the pit for thirteen years must surely have turned to dust.”

Yet the same vision appeared to Khosrovidukht five times. Finally, at her insistence, the nobleman Ota was sent to Artashat to bring Gregory out of the pit.

When they lowered long, thick ropes into the dungeon, something astonishing happened. To the amazement of all present, someone grasped the ropes.

They pulled Gregory up and discovered that:

“His body was darkened, black as charcoal.”

They immediately clothed him and joyfully brought him from Artashat to Vagharshapat.

The mockery and laughter of the courtiers turned first into astonishment and then into fear.

Repentance and Forgiveness

When Gregory saw the suffering King Tiridates, he was deeply moved. Falling to his knees, he began to pray fervently.

This scene profoundly affected the king. Tiridates and his nobles also knelt before Gregory with tears in their eyes and pleaded:

“We beg you, forgive us the wrongs we have done against you.”

Gregory replied:

“I am a man just like you. Know your Creator, the Maker of heaven and earth. He alone can heal you.”

In Vagharshapat, Gregory first gathered and buried the remains of the martyred virgins and built three memorial shrines in their honor.

He then established a five-day fast of repentance, which is still observed in the Armenian Church today as the Fast of the Catechumens (Aratchavorats).

For approximately sixty-six days he preached the Christian faith and prayed for the healing of the king.

According to Agathangelos:

“The king stood among the people in the form of a boar. Suddenly he began to tremble, and the boar’s hide, with its hideous tusks and snout, fell away. His face regained its true appearance, and his body became soft and youthful like that of a newborn child. Thus he was completely healed.”

Armenia Becomes Christian

Following this miracle, King Tiridates, the royal court, and the Armenian nation embraced Christianity.

In 301 AD, Christianity was officially proclaimed the state religion of Armenia.

The Newly Consecrated Patriarch

After being consecrated Catholicos of Armenia in Caesarea of Cappadocia, Gregory began the great work of transforming the nation.

Pagan temples and idols were destroyed. Churches were built, schools were established, and hundreds of bishops and priests were ordained.

Gregory’s sole desire was to enlighten a people living in spiritual darkness with the light of the true Gospel and lead them toward spiritual rebirth.

At the River Aratsani, Gregory solemnly baptized King Tiridates, Queen Ashkhen, Princess Khosrovidukht, and countless members of the Armenian people.

Immediately after the baptisms, he celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the open air and administered Holy Communion to all.

For seven days the newly baptized people experienced profound spiritual joy and consolation.

Agathangelos records that as many as four million people were baptized through the ministry of Gregory the Illuminator.

The Vision of Holy Etchmiadzin

Two months after the healing of King Tiridates, Gregory received a heavenly vision.

The Only-Begotten Son of God appeared to him, descending from heaven surrounded by radiant light.

In this divine vision, Gregory was shown the site where the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin was to be built.

The Lord also instructed him to construct memorial shrines at the places where Saint Hripsime and her companions had been martyred.

Feast of the Deliverance from the Pit

The Armenian Church celebrates the Feast of the Deliverance of Saint Gregory the Illuminator from Khor Virap on the Saturday following the feasts of Saint Hripsime and Saint Gayane and preceding the Feast of Holy Etchmiadzin.

On this day, the Divine Liturgy is celebrated in all Armenian churches, commemorating Gregory’s miraculous deliverance from imprisonment and the beginning of Armenia’s conversion to Christianity.

His emergence from the pit symbolizes the triumph of faith over darkness, forgiveness over vengeance, and the light of Christ over the spiritual blindness of an entire nation.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Wisdom of Solomon 5:1-8 ~

Then the righteous man will stand with great confidence before those who afflicted him and those who made light of his labors. When they see him, they will be shaken with terrible fear and will be amazed at the unexpectedness of his salvation. They will speak to one another in repentance, and in anguish of spirit they will groan and say: “This is the man whom we once held in derision and made a byword of reproach. We fools considered his life madness and his end without honor. How has he come to be numbered among the children of God, and how is his lot among the saints? Therefore we have wandered from the way of truth, and the light of righteousness did not shine upon us, nor did the sun of righteousness rise upon us. We took our fill of the paths of lawlessness and destruction; we traveled through trackless deserts, but the way of the Lord we did not know. What profit did our pride bring us? What advantage came from our wealth and boasting?”

~ Isaiah 60:20-61:7 ~

And your days of mourning shall be ended. Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever. They are the shoot that I planted, the work of my hands, so that I might be glorified. The least of them shall become a clan, and the smallest one a mighty nation; I am the Lord; in its time I will accomplish it quickly. 

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who mourn in Zion— to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. 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 13:17-21~

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls and will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with sighing—for that would be harmful to you. Pray for us; we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. I urge you all the more to do this, so that I may be restored to you very soon. Now may the God of peace, who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, make you complete in everything good so that you may do his will, working among us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Matthew 19:27-29 ~

Then Peter said in reply, "Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?" Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Romans 4:1-12 ~

What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness. So also David speaks of the blessedness of those to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works: "Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the one against whom the Lord will not reckon sin." Is this blessedness, then, pronounced only on the circumcised, or also on the uncircumcised? We say, "Faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness." How then was it reckoned to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the ancestor of all who believe without being circumcised and who thus have righteousness reckoned to them, and likewise the ancestor of the circumcised who are not only circumcised but who also follow the example of the faith that our ancestor Abraham had before he was circumcised.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Matthew 9:27-34 ~

As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, crying loudly, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" When he entered the house, the blind men came to him; and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord." Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith let it be done to you." And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus sternly ordered them, "See that no one knows of this." But they went away and spread the news about him throughout that district. After they had gone away, a demoniac who was mute was brought to him. And when the demon had been cast out, the one who had been mute spoke; and the crowds were amazed and said, "Never has anything like this been seen in Israel." But the Pharisees said, "By the ruler of the demons he casts out the demons."

Commemoration Day of

St. John the Baptist

and

Bishop Athenogenes

St. John the Baptist

In the Gospels, after Jesus Christ, John the Baptist is the greatest figure and the central character of the opening chapters of the New Testament. He became the official herald of the “Kingdom of God,” that is, the beginning of the Christian era.

As is well known, John was a child of promise, and his birth took place under miraculous circumstances. His future mission was carefully described by the angel who announced his birth to his father: “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He shall drink neither wine nor strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb. He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:15–17)

John spent his childhood and youth away from people, in solitude, under the presence and grace of God.

He began his public ministry at the age of thirty, “in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar” (Luke 3:1). His place of preaching was the Jordan Valley. In the Gospels, John is identified with the prophecy of Isaiah as “the voice of one crying in the wilderness,” saying: “Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, every mountain and hill shall be brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight, and the rough ways smooth.” (Luke 3:4–5)

John’s preaching was as simple and austere as his clothing, food, spirit, and way of life. It can be summarized in two words: repentance and righteousness.

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand… Bear fruits worthy of repentance… Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matthew 3:2; Luke 3:8–9)

He also taught: “Whoever has two tunics should share with the one who has none, and whoever has food should do likewise.” (Luke 3:11)

Seeing John’s bold preaching and great influence, some wondered whether he might be the Messiah. John answered: “I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who comes after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3:11)

The climax of John’s ministry was the baptism of Jesus and his proclamation that Jesus was the promised Messiah. When he saw Jesus approaching for baptism among the crowds, he recognized Him through his prophetic spirit and tried to prevent Him, saying: “I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” (Matthew 3:14)

After Jesus insisted, John baptized Him and proclaimed: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)

He further testified: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove and remain upon Him… And I have seen and borne witness that this is the Son of God.” (John 1:30–34)

After baptizing Jesus and proclaiming Him as the Messiah, John’s mission was essentially complete. Soon afterward, King Herod imprisoned him because John had rebuked him for taking his brother’s wife. Later, under tragic circumstances, Herod ordered John’s beheading.

Christ Himself held John in the highest regard. On one occasion He described him as: “More than a prophet.”

He identified him with the messenger foretold by the prophet Malachi and declared: “Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist. Yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he… For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who was to come.” (Matthew 11:11–14)

Like the great rabbis and teachers of his time, John had disciples.

The Jewish historian Josephus, who lived during John’s lifetime, also mentions him and confirms that he was executed by Herod.

In the Armenian Church, after the Holy Mother of God, John the Baptist is regarded as the greatest saint. He is closely connected with the history of Armenia and the Armenian Church. When Saint Gregory the Illuminator returned from Caesarea after his consecration during the conversion of Armenia, he brought relics of John the Baptist and placed them near the city of Mush, at one of the earliest known Armenian shrines. Later, the famous Monastery of Saint Karapet was built there, becoming one of the most renowned pilgrimage centers of the Armenian Church.

The Armenian Church has established four annual feasts in his honor:

1. The Feast of his Nativity, eight days after Christmas.

2. The Feast of his Beheading, on the Saturday following Easter.

3. The Feast commemorating the transfer of his relics together with those of Bishop Athenogenes, on the Thursday of the Feast of Holy Etchmiadzin.

4. A feast celebrated together with Job, on the Thursday of the third week after the Feast of the Assumption.

Many hymns and spiritual songs have been composed in his honor, especially the hymns of the Blessing of Water service, in which John the Baptist occupies a central role.

Bishop Athenogenes

The Greek form of his name is Athenogenes. He was born to Christian parents in Sebastia during the reign of Emperor Diocletian.

He was married and had children. Later he was ordained a priest and became the chorepiscopus (rural bishop) of his native city. Saint Gregory the Illuminator, before entering the service of King Tiridates, had married Athenogenes’ sister Mary during his youth.

According to tradition, Athenogenes killed a terrifying dragon through his prayers and pastoral staff. In gratitude, the Metropolitan of Sebastia consecrated him Bishop of the city of Pitakos.

Later, the governor of the region summoned him and his ten disciples before a tribunal. When they refused to offer sacrifices to idols, all were beheaded and received the crown of martyrdom.

Saint Gregory the Illuminator later brought Athenogenes’ relics to Armenia together with those of Saint John the Baptist and placed them in the Monastery of Glak in the district of Taron.

The Armenian Church celebrates his feast twice each year:

1. On the Thursday following the First Sunday after Easter, together with Saint John the Baptist, commemorating the transfer of their relics to Armenia.

2. On the Tuesday following the second Sunday after the Feast of the Transfiguration (Vardavar), together with his ten disciples, corresponding to July 16.

This feast honors both his episcopal ministry and his martyrdom for the Christian faith.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Proverbs 15:21-26 ~

Folly is a joy to one who has no sense, but a person of understanding walks straight ahead. Without counsel, plans go wrong, but with many advisers they succeed. To make an apt answer is a joy to anyone, and a word in season, how good it is! For the wise the path of life leads upward, in order to avoid Sheol below. The Lord tears down the house of the proud, but maintains the widow's boundaries. Evil plans are an abomination to the Lord, but gracious words are pure.

~ Isaiah 22:20-24 ~

On that day I will call my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah, and will clothe him with your robe and bind your sash on him. I will commit your authority to his hand, and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David; he shall open, and no one shall shut; he shall shut, and no one shall open. I will fasten him like a peg in a secure place, and he will become a throne of honor to his ancestral house. And they will hang on him the whole weight of his ancestral house, the offspring and issue, every small vessel, from the cups to all the flagons.

~ 1 Peter 5:1-7~

Now as an elder myself and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory to be revealed, I exhort the elders among you to tend the flock of God that is in your charge, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion but willingly, as God would have you do it —not for sordid gain but eagerly. Do not lord it over those in your charge, but be examples to the flock. And when the chief shepherd appears, you will win the crown of glory that never fades away. In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you must clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Matthew 11:2-14 ~

When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me." As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, "See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John came; and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Romans 3:19-31 ~

Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For "no human being will be justified in his sight" by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Matthew 9:9-15 ~

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew 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 the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" But when he heard this, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners." Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?" And Jesus said to them, "The wedding guests cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.

Commemoration Day of

St. GAYANE the Virgin

and Her Companions

These are a group of 37 martyrs who are commemorated under two separate names in Armenian calendars and synaxaria because they were martyred over the course of two days and in separate groups.

Historical tradition considers them Roman, but because they were martyred in Armenia and shed their pure blood in our land before the adoption of Christianity, Armenians came to regard them as their own and especially beloved by the Armenian Church.

According to the historian Agathangelos, the primary source of their story, the Roman Emperor Diocletian (284–305) wished to marry the most beautiful virgin in his empire. Scouts sent throughout the land discovered, in the noble virgin named Hripsime, the most beautiful bride. She was one of the Christian virgins living in a convent in Rome under the leadership of the abbess Gayane.

When the virgins learned of the emperor’s command, they secretly fled Rome by night. Traveling by ship, they first went to Alexandria in Egypt, then to Jerusalem, and afterward through Edessa to Van, where they settled for a time on the slopes of Mount Varag. Feeling unsafe there as well, they traveled north and finally settled near Vagharshapat, the capital of Armenia at that time, in a place called Hndzan.

The reason they were found in Armenia was again connected to Diocletian, who instructed King Trdat of Armenia to locate the virgins who had taken refuge in his kingdom and send them back to the emperor. Indeed, Trdat’s men quickly found Hripsime and brought her before the king. Trdat, captivated by her beauty, decided to possess her himself. Hripsime rejected and resisted him.

The king summoned Gayane and ordered her to persuade her disciple to accept his proposal. Instead, Gayane encouraged her spiritual daughter to remain steadfast in her refusal and not exchange the joy of heaven for earthly glory and pleasures. Because she disobeyed the king’s command, Gayane was subjected to severe torture and thrown into the royal prison along with two companions.

Hripsime eventually escaped and fled to join her companions. But Trdat, who was described as a giant and powerful man, was ashamed, according to the hymn, that “he had been defeated by a maiden like a child.” Enraged, he sent executioners and ordered Hripsime’s death. They stretched her upon stakes fixed into the ground by her hands and feet and burned her body with torches. Seeing that she was still alive, they gouged out her eyes and dismembered her limb by limb, thus martyring the glorious witness of Christ.

When the other virgins approached to gather and bury her body honorably, 32 of them were slaughtered by the sword.

The executioners then invaded their dwelling and found the only surviving virgin, who had remained behind because of illness, and killed her as well.

The following day, Trdat ordered the execution of the leader and abbess of the group, Gayane, together with her two companions. First, Gayane’s tongue was cut out because she had dared encourage Hripsime to resist the king. Then, like Hripsime, they were stretched upon the ground by their hands and feet, flayed alive, and finally killed by the sword. The martyrdom of Gayane and her companions took place outside the city on the southern side.

At the time of these martyrdoms, Saint Gregory the Illuminator was still imprisoned in Khor Virap. For nine days the relics of the saints remained unburied, yet no wild beast or bird of prey approached them.

As punishment for the murder of the innocent virgins, King Trdat went mad. In order to heal him, Gregory was released from the pit, and his first act was to gather the unburied relics of the holy virgins separately into tombs and bury them at the places of their martyrdom.

He built three shrines:

• one at the place where Hripsime and her 32 companions were martyred,

• another at their dwelling place, where the sick virgin was killed,

• and the third at the site where Saint Gayane and her two companions were martyred.

The tombs containing the bodies of the virgins were sealed with Gregory’s seal.

A century later, the shrines had fallen into ruin and were nearly forgotten. Therefore, Catholicos St. Sahak the Great (387–438) searched for and rediscovered them. He added his own seal beside that of Gregory the Illuminator and rebuilt the shrines with honor.

Two centuries later, during the reign of Catholicos Komitas of Aghdzk (615–628), the chapels again had become neglected. After demolishing the old shrine of Hripsime, he discovered the tombs of the holy virgins, added his seal to them, reburied them, and in 618 built above them a magnificent church described as: “Marvelous, graceful, lovely, and radiant.”

Beneath the altar of this cathedral he built an underground chapel where the saint’s tomb remains to this day. The church itself has also survived almost entirely unchanged except for the bell tower, which was added in later centuries.

Likewise, Catholicos Ezr I of Parajnakert (630–641) replaced the modest chapel of Gayane with a magnificent new church: “Spacious and luminous, built with carved stone and lime.”

This church too has survived almost intact.

The third chapel was later rebuilt by Catholicos Nahabed I (1691–1705) under the name Shoghakat.

The historian Ormanian testifies that beneath the cathedrals of Hripsime and Gayane there are underground chambers built of large stones in which the saints’ bones are preserved. Their existence was reconfirmed in later centuries: the Hripsime chamber during an attempted theft by Latin monks, and the Gayane chamber through investigations prompted by the curiosity of Father Hovhannes, as recorded by the historian Arakel of Tabriz.

In 1978, during restoration work near the northeastern wall of the Church of Saint Hripsime, archaeologists discovered an early Christian basilica-type chapel. Excavations in 1979 uncovered several graves containing decapitated skeletons, believed to be the remains of Hripsime’s 32 companions.

Regarding this discovery, Catholicos Vazgen I and the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin issued an official statement declaring: “This latest discovery is a new material testimony to the historical authenticity of the Christian faith of the Armenian people.”

According to Agathangelos, the virgins were martyred in the year 301, the same year Gregory emerged from the pit. Their martyrdom occurred on the 26th and 27th days of the Armenian month of Hori, corresponding according to Ormanian to November 6 and 7, though Armenian synaxaria later listed them on October 5 and 6.

Today, the Armenian Church commemorates:

• the feast of the Hripsimian Virgins on the first Monday following the Sunday marking the beginning of the Resurrection Sundays,

• and the Gayanian Virgins on the following Tuesday.

The Hripsimian Virgins occupy a central place in Armenian hagiography and are extensively described by Agathangelos and Movses Khorenatsi.

Armenian synaxaria likewise devote nearly ten pages to their story. Each concludes with a hymn of praise dedicated to the saints. One such hymn says: “Bride of Christ, who today through your martyr’s blood were translated into heaven, adorned like a queen seated at the right hand of the Heavenly King, receive us also—your children born from your virginal labor, the faithful of the Armenian Church who celebrate you—into the choir of your heavenly bridal chamber, so that together with you we may glorify the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.”

Another hymn praises Hripsime and Gayane: “Hripsime, who like the sun rose from the West into the Eastern world, together with the radiant stars who were with you… Hripsime, beauty of virgins, glory of martyrs, joy of angels, terror of demons…” and continues: “Gayane, purest wisdom, conqueror of adversaries… Hripsime, brightest ray, fruitful olive tree, sweet-fruited palm…”

The narrative concludes with these words: “It is fitting that we marvel at the boundless love of mankind shown by our Savior and the inscrutable providence of His supreme wisdom, who through the shedding of the blood of the holy virgins and through their intercession granted wondrous enlightenment to the land of Armenia…”

The Armenian people’s devotion to the Holy Hripsimian Virgins became so profound that it produced two enduring masterpieces.

The first is the Saint Hripsime Church, one of the masterpieces of Armenian architecture, distinguished by its restrained grandeur and extraordinary beauty.

The second is the beautiful hymn “Persons Dedicated to the Love of Christ” (“Anzik Nviryal”), composed in honor of the Hripsimian Virgins. Both works are associated with Catholicos Komitas, who before becoming catholicos served as custodian of the sanctuary of Saint Hripsime.

The hymn “Anzik Nviryal” is arranged according to the letters of the Armenian alphabet and therefore consists of 36 stanzas. It became the first and finest example of alphabetically structured Armenian hymns, inspiring many later compositions.

Ormanian described the hymn as: “A masterpiece of Armenian poetic meter, rich in language and style, remarkable in its poetic artistry… an incomparable sacred poem.”

The melody, though simple and monophonic, is deeply moving, graceful, lively, and sweet-flowing, making it one of the most important hymns in Armenian sacred music.

Three verses are traditionally highlighted:

“Souls dedicated to the love of Christ,
Heavenly martyrs and wise virgins,
Through you Mother Zion celebrates with her children in pride.

Gayane, bearer of the desirable great mystery,
Chosen from the earth and numbered among the angels;
You became an example of holiness for virgins,
A teacher for righteous men.

Having reached the summit of glory,
The thirty-seven companions are praised with honor and splendor,
For this is the number of the blessed virgins
Who were crowned with unfading crowns
In everlasting eternity.”

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Proverbs 1:20-22 ~

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?

~ Baruch 4:36-5:4 ~

“Look toward the east, O Jerusalem, and see the joy that comes to you from God. Behold, your children are coming, whom you sent away; they are coming, gathered together from east to west by the word of the Holy One, rejoicing in the glory of God.

O Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and affliction, and put on forever the beauty of the glory from God. Put on the robe of the righteousness of God, and place on your head the crown of the glory of the Eternal One. For God will show your splendor everywhere under heaven. For your name will forever be called by God: ‘Peace of Righteousness’ and ‘Glory of Godliness.’”

~ 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. John 16:1-14 ~

"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.

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Commemoration Day of

St. Hripsime the Virgin

and Her Companions

These are a group of 37 martyrs who are commemorated under two separate names in Armenian calendars and synaxaria because they were martyred over the course of two days and in separate groups.

Historical tradition considers them Roman, but because they were martyred in Armenia and shed their pure blood in our land before the adoption of Christianity, Armenians came to regard them as their own and especially beloved by the Armenian Church.

According to the historian Agathangelos, the primary source of their story, the Roman Emperor Diocletian (284–305) wished to marry the most beautiful virgin in his empire. Scouts sent throughout the land discovered, in the noble virgin named Hripsime, the most beautiful bride. She was one of the Christian virgins living in a convent in Rome under the leadership of the abbess Gayane.

When the virgins learned of the emperor’s command, they secretly fled Rome by night. Traveling by ship, they first went to Alexandria in Egypt, then to Jerusalem, and afterward through Edessa to Van, where they settled for a time on the slopes of Mount Varag. Feeling unsafe there as well, they traveled north and finally settled near Vagharshapat, the capital of Armenia at that time, in a place called Hndzan.

The reason they were found in Armenia was again connected to Diocletian, who instructed King Trdat of Armenia to locate the virgins who had taken refuge in his kingdom and send them back to the emperor. Indeed, Trdat’s men quickly found Hripsime and brought her before the king. Trdat, captivated by her beauty, decided to possess her himself. Hripsime rejected and resisted him.

The king summoned Gayane and ordered her to persuade her disciple to accept his proposal. Instead, Gayane encouraged her spiritual daughter to remain steadfast in her refusal and not exchange the joy of heaven for earthly glory and pleasures. Because she disobeyed the king’s command, Gayane was subjected to severe torture and thrown into the royal prison along with two companions.

Hripsime eventually escaped and fled to join her companions. But Trdat, who was described as a giant and powerful man, was ashamed, according to the hymn, that “he had been defeated by a maiden like a child.” Enraged, he sent executioners and ordered Hripsime’s death. They stretched her upon stakes fixed into the ground by her hands and feet and burned her body with torches. Seeing that she was still alive, they gouged out her eyes and dismembered her limb by limb, thus martyring the glorious witness of Christ.

When the other virgins approached to gather and bury her body honorably, 32 of them were slaughtered by the sword.

The executioners then invaded their dwelling and found the only surviving virgin, who had remained behind because of illness, and killed her as well.

The following day, Trdat ordered the execution of the leader and abbess of the group, Gayane, together with her two companions. First, Gayane’s tongue was cut out because she had dared encourage Hripsime to resist the king. Then, like Hripsime, they were stretched upon the ground by their hands and feet, flayed alive, and finally killed by the sword. The martyrdom of Gayane and her companions took place outside the city on the southern side.

At the time of these martyrdoms, Saint Gregory the Illuminator was still imprisoned in Khor Virap. For nine days the relics of the saints remained unburied, yet no wild beast or bird of prey approached them.

As punishment for the murder of the innocent virgins, King Trdat went mad. In order to heal him, Gregory was released from the pit, and his first act was to gather the unburied relics of the holy virgins separately into tombs and bury them at the places of their martyrdom.

He built three shrines:

• one at the place where Hripsime and her 32 companions were martyred,

• another at their dwelling place, where the sick virgin was killed,

• and the third at the site where Saint Gayane and her two companions were martyred.

The tombs containing the bodies of the virgins were sealed with Gregory’s seal.

A century later, the shrines had fallen into ruin and were nearly forgotten. Therefore, Catholicos St. Sahak the Great (387–438) searched for and rediscovered them. He added his own seal beside that of Gregory the Illuminator and rebuilt the shrines with honor.

Two centuries later, during the reign of Catholicos Komitas of Aghdzk (615–628), the chapels again had become neglected. After demolishing the old shrine of Hripsime, he discovered the tombs of the holy virgins, added his seal to them, reburied them, and in 618 built above them a magnificent church described as: “Marvelous, graceful, lovely, and radiant.”

Beneath the altar of this cathedral he built an underground chapel where the saint’s tomb remains to this day. The church itself has also survived almost entirely unchanged except for the bell tower, which was added in later centuries.

Likewise, Catholicos Ezr I of Parajnakert (630–641) replaced the modest chapel of Gayane with a magnificent new church: “Spacious and luminous, built with carved stone and lime.”

This church too has survived almost intact.

The third chapel was later rebuilt by Catholicos Nahabed I (1691–1705) under the name Shoghakat.

The historian Ormanian testifies that beneath the cathedrals of Hripsime and Gayane there are underground chambers built of large stones in which the saints’ bones are preserved. Their existence was reconfirmed in later centuries: the Hripsime chamber during an attempted theft by Latin monks, and the Gayane chamber through investigations prompted by the curiosity of Father Hovhannes, as recorded by the historian Arakel of Tabriz.

In 1978, during restoration work near the northeastern wall of the Church of Saint Hripsime, archaeologists discovered an early Christian basilica-type chapel. Excavations in 1979 uncovered several graves containing decapitated skeletons, believed to be the remains of Hripsime’s 32 companions.

Regarding this discovery, Catholicos Vazgen I and the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin issued an official statement declaring: “This latest discovery is a new material testimony to the historical authenticity of the Christian faith of the Armenian people.”

According to Agathangelos, the virgins were martyred in the year 301, the same year Gregory emerged from the pit. Their martyrdom occurred on the 26th and 27th days of the Armenian month of Hori, corresponding according to Ormanian to November 6 and 7, though Armenian synaxaria later listed them on October 5 and 6.

Today, the Armenian Church commemorates:

• the feast of the Hripsimian Virgins on the first Monday following the Sunday marking the beginning of the Resurrection Sundays,

• and the Gayanian Virgins on the following Tuesday.

The Hripsimian Virgins occupy a central place in Armenian hagiography and are extensively described by Agathangelos and Movses Khorenatsi.

Armenian synaxaria likewise devote nearly ten pages to their story. Each concludes with a hymn of praise dedicated to the saints. One such hymn says: “Bride of Christ, who today through your martyr’s blood were translated into heaven, adorned like a queen seated at the right hand of the Heavenly King, receive us also—your children born from your virginal labor, the faithful of the Armenian Church who celebrate you—into the choir of your heavenly bridal chamber, so that together with you we may glorify the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.”

Another hymn praises Hripsime and Gayane: “Hripsime, who like the sun rose from the West into the Eastern world, together with the radiant stars who were with you… Hripsime, beauty of virgins, glory of martyrs, joy of angels, terror of demons…” and continues: “Gayane, purest wisdom, conqueror of adversaries… Hripsime, brightest ray, fruitful olive tree, sweet-fruited palm…”

The narrative concludes with these words: “It is fitting that we marvel at the boundless love of mankind shown by our Savior and the inscrutable providence of His supreme wisdom, who through the shedding of the blood of the holy virgins and through their intercession granted wondrous enlightenment to the land of Armenia…”

The Armenian people’s devotion to the Holy Hripsimian Virgins became so profound that it produced two enduring masterpieces.

The first is the Saint Hripsime Church, one of the masterpieces of Armenian architecture, distinguished by its restrained grandeur and extraordinary beauty.

The second is the beautiful hymn “Persons Dedicated to the Love of Christ” (“Anzik Nviryal”), composed in honor of the Hripsimian Virgins. Both works are associated with Catholicos Komitas, who before becoming catholicos served as custodian of the sanctuary of Saint Hripsime.

The hymn “Anzik Nviryal” is arranged according to the letters of the Armenian alphabet and therefore consists of 36 stanzas. It became the first and finest example of alphabetically structured Armenian hymns, inspiring many later compositions.

Ormanian described the hymn as: “A masterpiece of Armenian poetic meter, rich in language and style, remarkable in its poetic artistry… an incomparable sacred poem.”

The melody, though simple and monophonic, is deeply moving, graceful, lively, and sweet-flowing, making it one of the most important hymns in Armenian sacred music.

Three verses are traditionally highlighted:

“Souls dedicated to the love of Christ,
Heavenly martyrs and wise virgins,
Through you Mother Zion celebrates with her children in pride.

Hripsime, bearer of the desirable great mystery,
Chosen from the earth and numbered among the angels;
You became an example of holiness for virgins,
A teacher for righteous men.

Having reached the summit of glory,
The thirty-seven companions are praised with honor and splendor,
For this is the number of the blessed virgins
Who were crowned with unfading crowns
In everlasting eternity.”

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Proverbs 31:29-31 ~

“Many daughters have done virtuously, and many have achieved excellence, but you surpass them all. Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates.”

~ Isaiah 61:10-62:3 ~

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations. 

For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch. The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

~ Romans 15:30-16:2 ~

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. 

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae, so that you may welcome her in the Lord as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as well.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Matthew 10:26-33 ~

"So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. "Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.

Commemoration Day of

the Prophet Elijah

Among the faithful prophets of God who lived in Israel, Saint Elijah stands out among the biblical prophets for his ascetic life in the wilderness, his many miracles, his fiery zeal, and his extraordinary departure from this world. He is one of only two people in the Bible (the other being Enoch) about whom it is written that they were “taken up” into heaven without dying (Genesis 5:18–24).

His story is recorded in the Third and Fourth Books of Kings in the Bible. Scripture tells us that Elijah was a Tishbite from the settlement of Tishbe in Gilead. He lived in the first half of the 9th century BC during the reign of King Ahab. Elijah became the embodiment of God’s righteous anger on earth. He lived far from the corrupting influences of “civilization,” in the midst of nature.

God sent him to King Ahab, who was one of the most wicked kings descended from Solomon and among all the kings before him. Ahab’s wife, the Phoenician Jezebel, was an idol worshiper and had brought idols and around a thousand pagan priests from her homeland in order to spread idolatry in Israel. Jezebel had also massacred many prophets of God. At that time, the land had sunk into idolatry, and the Israelites had forgotten their true God, whom Elijah faithfully and zealously served.

Fiery Elijah, protector of the persecuted and the poor, appeared before King Ahab and fearlessly rebuked and condemned him, declaring that the land of Israel would have no rain or even dew for several years as punishment.

A king’s faithfulness to God is the source of a nation’s prosperity, whereas idolatry and disobedience to God inevitably lead to disaster. The Prophet Elijah reminded the king of God’s commandments.

He tried to keep his people from following idols by showing them who the one true God really is. He urged Israel not to worship Baal, but instead to place their hope and faith in God.

Ahab and Jezebel persecuted Elijah because he sought to bring repentance into people’s hearts. Since Israel had turned away from the Lord and become idolatrous, a great drought struck the land, and for three and a half years no rain fell in Israel.

By God’s command, Elijah withdrew to the brook Cherith, from which he drank water, while ravens brought him bread and meat twice a day. Because of the drought, the brook eventually dried up, and once again by God’s command Elijah traveled north to the city of Zarephath, where a widow welcomed him and gave him shelter. Elijah blessed the woman’s jars of oil and flour so that they would never become empty, and he also raised her dead son back to life.

In the third year of the drought, Elijah again went before Ahab and instructed him to gather his thousand priests on Mount Carmel and summon the people of Israel:

“How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal is god, then follow Baal.

Bring two bulls—one for you and one for me. Let each of us place the sacrifice on the altar, but do not light the fire. Then you will call upon your god, and I will call upon the Lord my God. The God who answers by fire—He is the true God.”

And so it was done. Through a divine miracle, Elijah demonstrated the power of the true God of Israel and exposed the helplessness and deception of the pagan priests. Seeing this, the people, by Elijah’s command, seized the priests and killed them. Elijah then prayed, and rain finally returned.

Queen Jezebel, enraged by the killing of her priests, threatened to have Elijah killed the very next day.

Despite his courage and miraculous powers, Elijah was still “a man subject to passions like us,” as the Apostle James says (James 5:17). Therefore, fearing Jezebel’s threats, he fled southward to Mount Sinai, where he waited in a cave for a new message from God.

God appeared to him in the form of a gentle breeze and commanded him to return and anoint Hazael as king of Syria, Jehu as king of Israel, and Elisha as the prophet who would succeed him.

After glorifying Elijah on earth through many miracles, God took him up to heaven in a fiery chariot and whirlwind. Elijah ascended into heaven before the eyes of Elisha without experiencing ordinary human death. Before this, Elisha had asked Elijah to receive a double portion of his spirit—that is, twice the power given to Elijah—and indeed this came to pass. As Elijah was taken up in the chariot, he threw down his mantle, which Elisha picked up. Thus, although Elijah’s life was filled with miracles, Elisha surpassed him in this regard because he had received a double portion of Elijah’s spirit.

According to the Prophet Malachi, Elijah will return to earth at the end of the world as the forerunner of Christ’s Second Coming, just as John the Baptist became the forerunner of the Lord’s First Coming. This is why John the Baptist is compared to Elijah in the Gospel, and it is said that he came in the spirit of Elijah.

At the Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus on the mountain, Elijah was one of the two holy men who appeared and spoke with Him.

Perhaps it is because Elijah did not experience death and because of the unique honor of becoming the forerunner of the Lord’s Second Coming that the Armenian Church commemorates him on the Sunday following the Feast of Pentecost, even though saints are generally not commemorated on Sundays in the Armenian Church.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ 1 Kings 18:29-46 ~

As midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice, no answer, and no response. Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come closer to me"; and all the people came closer to him. First he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down; Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, "Israel shall be your name"; with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. Then he made a trench around the altar, large enough to contain two measures of seed. Next he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. He said, "Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood." Then he said, "Do it a second time"; and they did it a second time. Again he said, "Do it a third time"; and they did it a third time, so that the water ran all around the altar, and filled the trench also with water. At the time of the offering of the oblation, the prophet Elijah came near and said, "O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your bidding. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back." Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and even licked up the water that was in the trench. When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, "The Lord indeed is God; the Lord indeed is God." Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape." Then they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Wadi Kishon, and killed them there. Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of rushing rain." So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; there he bowed himself down upon the earth and put his face between his knees. He said to his servant, "Go up now, look toward the sea." He went up and looked, and said, "There is nothing." Then he said, "Go again seven times." At the seventh time he said, "Look, a little cloud no bigger than a person's hand is rising out of the sea." Then he said, "Go say to Ahab, "Harness your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.' " In a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind; there was a heavy rain. Ahab rode off and went to Jezreel. But the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; he girded up his loins and ran in front of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

~ 2 Kings 2:1-15 ~

Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here; for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel." But Elisha said, "As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel. The company of prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, "Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?" And he said, "Yes, I know; keep silent." Elijah said to him, "Elisha, stay here; for the Lord has sent me to Jericho." But he said, "As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they came to Jericho. The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, "Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?" And he answered, "Yes, I know; be silent." Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here; for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan." But he said, "As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So the two of them went on. Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground. When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you." Elisha said, "Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit." He responded, "You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not." As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha kept watching and crying out, "Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. He picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. He took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, saying, "Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?" When he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over. When the company of prophets who were at Jericho saw him at a distance, they declared, "The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha." They came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.

~ James 5:16-20 ~

Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest. My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner's soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Luke 4:25-30 ~

But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian." When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ 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

~ Romans 2:25-3:9~

Circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law; but if you break the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. So, if those who are uncircumcised keep the requirements of the law, will not their uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then those who are physically uncircumcised but keep the law will condemn you that have the written code and circumcision but break the law. For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is true circumcision something external and physical. Rather, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and real circumcision is a matter of the heart—it is spiritual and not literal. Such a person receives praise not from others but from God. 

Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much, in every way. For in the first place the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. What if some were unfaithful? Will their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Although everyone is a liar, let God be proved true, as it is written, "So that you may be justified in your words, and prevail in your judging." But if our injustice serves to confirm the justice of God, what should we say? That God is unjust to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) By no means! For then how could God judge the world? But if through my falsehood God's truthfulness abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? And why not say (as some people slander us by saying that we say), "Let us do evil so that good may come"? Their condemnation is deserved! What then? Are we any better off? No, not at all; for we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Matthew 9:1-8 ~

And after getting into a boat he crossed the sea and came to his own town. And just then some people were carrying a paralyzed man lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven." Then some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming." But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, "Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, "Stand up and walk'? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"—he then said to the paralytic—"Stand up, take your bed and go to your home." And he stood up and went to his home. When the crowds saw it, they were filled with awe, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to human beings.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Romans 2:12-24 ~

All who have sinned apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous in God's sight, but the doers of the law who will be justified. When Gentiles, who do not possess the law, do instinctively what the law requires, these, though not having the law, are a law to themselves. They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, to which their own conscience also bears witness; and their conflicting thoughts will accuse or perhaps excuse them on the day when, according to my gospel, God, through Jesus Christ, will judge the secret thoughts of all. But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast of your relation to God and know his will and determine what is best because you are instructed in the law, and if you are sure that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth, you, then, that teach others, will you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You that forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? You that abhor idols, do you rob temples? You that boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? For, as it is written, "The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."

~ Holy Gospel of St. Matthew 8:28-34 ~

When he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs coming out of the tombs met him. They were so fierce that no one could pass that way. Suddenly they shouted, "What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?" Now a large herd of swine was feeding at some distance from them. The demons begged him, "If you cast us out, send us into the herd of swine." And he said to them, "Go!" So they came out and entered the swine; and suddenly, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water. The swineherds ran off, and on going into the town, they told the whole story about what had happened to the demoniacs. Then the whole town came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighborhood.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Romans 2:1-11 ~

Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things. You say, "We know that God's judgment on those who do such things is in accordance with truth." Do you imagine, whoever you are, that when you judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself, you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not realize that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath, when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. For he will repay according to each one's deeds: to those who by patiently doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; while for those who are self-seeking and who obey not the truth but wickedness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be anguish and distress for everyone who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Matthew 8:18-27 ~

Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. A scribe then approached and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." Another of his disciples said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." But Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead." And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him up, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, you of little faith?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. They were amazed, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?"

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Romans 1:18-25 ~

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools; and they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the degrading of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

~ Holy Gospel of St. Matthew 8:5-13 ~

When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, appealing to him and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible distress." And he said to him, "I will come and cure him." The centurion answered, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, "Go,' and he goes, and to another, "Come,' and he comes, and to my slave, "Do this,' and the slave does it." When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him, "Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the heirs of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." And to the centurion Jesus said, "Go; let it be done for you according to your faith." And the servant was healed in that hour.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Romans 1:1-17 ~

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the world. For God, whom I serve with my spirit by announcing the gospel of his Son, is my witness that without ceasing I remember you always in my prayers, asking that by God's will I may somehow at last succeed in coming to you. For I am longing to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— or rather so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as I have among the rest of the Gentiles. I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish —hence my eagerness to proclaim the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, "The one who is righteous will live by faith."

~ Holy Gospel of St. Matthew 7:28-8:4 ~

Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes. 

When Jesus had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed him; and there was a leper who came to him and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean." He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I do choose. Be made clean!" Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Then Jesus said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."

PENTECOST

Fifty days after His glorious Resurrection, on the day of the Jewish feast of Pentecost, Jesus Christ sent upon His apostles the promised Gift — the Holy Spirit. Pentecost was one of the three great feasts of the Old Covenant, commemorating the giving of the Ten Commandments to the people of Israel through the Prophet Moses on Mount Sinai. To celebrate the feast, Jews from many nations journeyed to Jerusalem and offered gifts to God in the Temple.

The miraculous descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples took place in Jerusalem, in the upper room where they had gathered according to the command of the Lord. As they prayed together in one spirit, suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rushing of a mighty wind, filling the entire house. The Holy Spirit did not come secretly or invisibly, but as a powerful heavenly presence that filled them all. Tongues of fire appeared and rested upon each of them. Then all were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:1–4).

At that time Jerusalem was filled with devout Jews from every nation who had come to celebrate Pentecost. The heavenly sound was heard not only by the apostles but by much of the city, drawing a great multitude to the apostolic house. Seeing the gathered crowd, the disciples came forth offering prayers of thanksgiving and glorification to God for the heavenly gift they had received.

The people were astonished. The apostles, simple Galileans without formal learning, began speaking in the languages of many nations. Among the crowd were Greeks, Armenians, Parthians, Arabs, Medes, Assyrians, and others, and each heard the wonders and praises of God proclaimed in his own native tongue. Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” Others mocked them, saying, “They are filled with new wine” (Acts 2:12–13).

On that day, strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Peter preached before the multitude, and about three thousand people were baptized and joined the newly established Church.

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter proclaimed the first Christian sermon: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you… God testified to you through Jesus of Nazareth by miracles, wonders, and signs… According to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, He was delivered into your hands, and you crucified and killed Him by the hands of lawless men. But God raised Him up, freeing Him from the agony of death… Exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured out what you now see and hear. Therefore repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:14–39).

In remembrance of this wondrous event, the feast became known as Pentecost, or Hokekalust — “The Coming of the Holy Spirit.”

According to Saint Augustine, the Feast of the Descent of the Holy Spirit is of apostolic origin, established in the days of the apostles themselves and solemnly celebrated by all churches from the earliest times.

On Pentecost, the Holy Spirit enlightened the disciples with tongues of fire while they were united in love and prayer. Speaking in many languages, they became proclaimers of God’s Word among the nations and united divided peoples through the Cross of Christ. Strengthened and emboldened, they began speaking the languages of the lands where they would preach Christianity. According to St. Nerses Lambronatsi, Peter spoke Latin, Philip Arabic, Thomas Ethiopian, Thaddeus Armenian, and so forth. The apostles carried the renewing and life-giving fire of the Holy Spirit throughout the world.

The Apostle Paul writes: “For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” (2 Corinthians 2:15).

The Holy Spirit — The Third Person of the Holy Trinity

The Holy Spirit is eternal, uncreated, timeless, and perfect. He is not begotten, but proceeds from God the Father. He is consubstantial with the Father and glorified together with the Son.

In the Gospel, the Holy Spirit is revealed as a divine power acting in many ways among humanity. At times He is symbolized as breath or wind, at other times as a dove, tongues of fire, or a cloud. These images describe not His essence, but His divine activity. As perfect God, He is equal to the Father and the Son.

The Creator Holy Spirit, who moved over the waters at creation, opened and closed the heavens and divided the languages at the Tower of Babel. He led Israel out of Egypt into the Promised Land, filled Moses, and rested upon the seventy-two elders. He transformed shepherds into prophets, the unlearned into evangelists, fishermen into preachers, and pagans into teachers of the faith.

The Holy Spirit restores unity among divided peoples and grants spiritual rebirth. Through Him the deaf hear, the mute speak, the foolish gain wisdom, and children are strengthened in faith. Through His grace humanity is continually renewed and cleansed from the weakness of sin. Through Him will come the universal resurrection, and through Him eternal places are prepared for both the righteous and the sinful.

Just as God once guarded Paradise with a flaming sword, so today the Holy Spirit protects and preserves the Holy Church with divine fire, so that Satan may not enter and bring destruction, for the evil one greatly fears the fire of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles seven weeks after the Resurrection of Christ, symbolizing the sevenfold gifts granted to them: wisdom, knowledge, strength, understanding, counsel, godliness, and holy fear.

The Feast of Pentecost in the Armenian Church

The Feast of Pentecost is the fulfillment of the Lord’s feasts. It is a feast of liberation and grace, for through it humanity was freed from the bondage of corruption and restored to its heavenly inheritance — Paradise.

The feast is also called Pentecost, from the Greek word meaning “fiftieth,” because it takes place on the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In the early Church, the celebration lasted three days and was also known as the Feast of the Holy Trinity. In the 12th century, Catholicos St. Nerses Shnorhali established it as a seven-day observance, declaring the entire week a period of fasting. This fast is also known as Elijah’s Fast because on the Sunday following Pentecost the story of the Prophet Elijah is read (4 Kings 1–5). St. Nerses Shnorhali enriched the liturgical celebration with hymns and scriptural readings.

In the Armenian Church, Pentecost is a movable feast observed between May 10 and June 13, depending on the date of Easter.

Through the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Church of Christ was expanded and embraced by nations throughout the world. With this feast, the Easter season in the Armenian Church comes to its completion.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Book of Acts 2:1-21 ~

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power." All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine." But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: "In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'

~ Holy Gospel of St. John 14:25-31 ~

"I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, "I am going away, and I am coming to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me; but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us be on our way.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

~ Book of Acts 28:17-32 ~

Three days later he called together the local leaders of the Jews. When they had assembled, he said to them, "Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, yet I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. When they had examined me, the Romans wanted to release me, because there was no reason for the death penalty in my case. But when the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to the emperor—even though I had no charge to bring against my nation. For this reason therefore I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is for the sake of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain." They replied, "We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken anything evil about you. But we would like to hear from you what you think, for with regard to this sect we know that everywhere it is spoken against." After they had set a day to meet with him, they came to him at his lodgings in great numbers. From morning until evening he explained the matter to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the law of Moses and from the prophets. Some were convinced by what he had said, while others refused to believe. So they disagreed with each other; and as they were leaving, Paul made one further statement: "The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your ancestors through the prophet Isaiah, "Go to this people and say, You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn— and I would heal them.' Let it be known to you then that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen." He lived there two whole years at his own expense and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

~ Jude 1:17-25 ~

But you, beloved, must remember the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; for they said to you, "In the last time there will be scoffers, indulging their own ungodly lusts." It is these worldly people, devoid of the Spirit, who are causing divisions. But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on some who are wavering; save others by snatching them out of the fire; and have mercy on still others with fear, hating even the tunic defiled by their bodies. Now to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to make you stand without blemish in the presence of his glory with rejoicing, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

~ Holy Gospel of St. John 13:31-14:13 ~

When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, "Where I am going, you cannot come.' I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus answered, "Where I am going, you cannot follow me now; but you will follow afterward." Peter said to him, "Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you." Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me? Very truly, I tell you, before the cock crows, you will have denied me three times.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, "Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.