Feast of the Holy Cross of Varak
The fourth feast dedicated to the Holy Cross, the Feast of the Holy Cross of Varak, is a national feast, uniquely Armenian, and is celebrated only by the Armenian Church. It is observed on the Sunday nearest September 28, falling between September 25 and October 1.
According to a beautiful Armenian tradition, the thirty-seven Hripsimian virgins, fleeing the persecutions of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, left the Monastery of St. Paul and, under the leadership of their abbess, St. Gayane, came to Armenia and settled on Mount Varak.
Among the virgins, St. Hripsime possessed a relic of the True Cross of Christ, which she always wore around her neck. The sacred relic had originally been given by St. James, the Brother of the Lord, to Empress Patronike of Rome. She took the holy relic with her to Rome. After her death, it passed to her Christian heirs and, through inheritance, eventually came into the possession of the virgin Hripsime.
When the virgins were also subjected to persecution in Armenia, through God’s providence they entrusted the relic to two priests living as hermits near Mount Varak so that it would not be lost, and then departed for Vagharshapat. After the deaths of the hermits, however, only a tradition remained that a relic of the True Cross of Christ was hidden somewhere on Mount Varak.
Several centuries passed.
In A.D. 653, a monk named Todik, together with his devout disciple Hovel, went to live an ascetic life on Mount Varak and settled at the place where the holy virgins had once lived. Through continual prayer and fasting, they implored the Lord to make them worthy of finding and venerating the sacred relic.
God, in His love for mankind, who fulfills the desires of those who fear Him, heard their prayer.
One night, a cross-shaped sign of light appeared in the sky. Surrounded by twelve radiant pillars, it entered the church and came to rest upon the Holy Altar. The abbot and his disciple hurried after the light into the church, where they discovered upon the Holy Altar the precious sacred sign—the relic of the True Cross of Christ.
They fell to their knees and worshiped God. Then, taking the relic into their hands, they kissed it with tears and gave thanks to the Lord.
The radiant pillars remained visible for approximately twelve days. Seeing the brilliant light from afar, great numbers of clergy and laypeople hastened to the church. Among them were Catholicos Nerses III of Tayk, known as Nerses the Builder (641–661), and General Vard, son of the Armenian prince Theodoros Rshtuni. Filled with wonder and awe, the multitude blessed and glorified God for the miraculous manifestation of the Holy Cross.
Once the historical authenticity of the sacred relic had been established, a church was built in commemoration of the glorious vision and the discovery of the relic. The church in which the Holy Sign had appeared was also enlarged and renovated.
Mount Varak, upon which the church stands, is located southeast of Van.
In testimony to this miracle, Catholicos Nerses III of Tayk established the Feast of the Holy Cross of Varak and composed the hymn “Nshanav amenahaght Khachivd Ko, Krisdos”—“By Your All-Victorious Sign of the Cross, O Christ.” He also instituted a week-long fast, popularly known as the Fast of Van (Vantsots Bahk).
The sacred relic remained in the Church of the Holy Sign at Varak until 1021, when King Senekerim Artsruni of Vaspurakan took it with him to Sebastia. Following his death in 1026, the relic was returned to Varak.
In 1651, it was plundered by the Turkish pashas Suleiman and Chomar. After their terrible deaths, Ibrahim Bey, fearing a similar fate, returned the relic to the people of Van. Considering the Church of the Holy Mother of God in the city to be a safer location, they placed the sacred relic there. From that time onward, that church also became known as the Church of the Holy Sign.
Later, before the massacres of the Armenian Genocide, Khrimian Hayrik established a school and printing press there and sought to develop Armenian national, spiritual, and cultural life.
SCRIPTURE READINGS
~ Proverbs 3:18-26 ~
She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called happy. The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens; by his knowledge the deeps broke open, and the clouds drop down the dew. My child, do not let these escape from your sight: keep sound wisdom and prudence, and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck. Then you will walk on your way securely and your foot will not stumble. If you sit down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden panic, or of the storm that strikes the wicked; for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.
~ Isaiah 65:22-25 ~
They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord— and their descendants as well. Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox; but the serpent—its food shall be dust! They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the Lord.
~ Galatians 6:14-18 ~
May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything! As for those who will follow this rule—peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. From now on, let no one make trouble for me; for I carry the marks of Jesus branded on my body. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.
~ Holy Gospel of St. Matthew 24:30-36 ~
Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see "the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven' with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. "But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”