The treasury V3N2 2017 by The Treasury

I SSN 2471-4704 Volume 3/ Number 2 2017

The Գ Ա Ն Ձ Ա Ր Ա Ն

reasury Blessing Grapes A Celebration of Stewardship

The Vartanants Women Almsgiving and Mercy

Sunday and Sundays

Volume 3 Number 2

The Treasury Features 4

How The Vartanants Women Discovered Their Celestial Zeal Armenian historian Eghishé gives us another remarkable insight into the famous Battle of Avarayr. By Dr. Roberta Ervine

The Ceremony Of Blessing Grapes See how the yearly dedication of a portion of the grape harvest inspires an attitude of thanksgiving and stewardship. By V. Rev. Fr. Daniel Findikyan

Sunday and Sundays Want to understand what worship on the Lord’s Day is all about, and why it is so special? Read on… By Dn. Shant Kazanjian

Almsgiving: the Oil of Mercy Most of us have an idea of what it means to give alms to the poor, but is there something deeper to this foundational spiritual discipline that we miss? Find out what insight the Armenian tradition gives us about almsgiving. By Dn. Eric Vozzy

Do I Really Need to Go to Church? A compelling argument for why regularly attending church is a necessity in the life of a committed Christian. By Dr. André Markarian

A Prayer before Sunday

BADARAK

Armenian spiritual father Mkhitar Gosh guides us in prayer with this pre-Badarak devotion. Translated by V. Rev. Fr. Daniel Findikyan

Perfection or Perfect Love Meet two modern day characters who come to church searching for meaning, but only one ends up finding The Truth. By Yeretsgin Joanna Baghsarian

Departments 2 11

From the Editor’s Desk Another (Greater) Promise

Pastoral Reflections Inheritance By Rev. Fr. Hovnan Demerjian

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE FELLOWSHIP OF ST. VOSKI

The Fellowship

Vo l u m e 3 N u m b e r 2

of St. Voski

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Photo Credits Front Cover Grapes - www.dmagazin.com Front Inside Cover Old Books - www.vstigia.at Page 2: Forgetmenot www.foreverinmyheartpoems.com Page 3: Armenian Holy Martyrs of the 1915 Genocide - by Roupen Petrosian Page 4: Vartanank - by Grigor Khanjian (fragment) Page 7: Armenian Dancers www.reviewjournal.com Page 8: Grapes on the Vine www.tcpermacuiture.com Page 9: Sunshine - www.homeaway.es Page 10: Blessing of the Grapes - Unidentified source Page 11: Holy Etchmiatsin - Unidentified source Page 12: The Ascension , Toros of Taron. Gladzor Gospels, p453 Page 13: Armenian Church www.stjohnarmenianchurch.com Page 14: Mercy - www.aciprensa.com Page 15: Good Samaritan - by Daniel Borrup; www.danielborup.com Page 17: Generations - property of Hasmik Ajamian Page 19: Pomegranate tree – by Seeroon Yeretzian Page 20: Mkhitar Gosh -commons.wikimedia.org Page 22: Statue of Mkhitar Gosh in the churchyard of Goshavank - photo by Hasmik Ajamian Page 23: Prayer - photo by Hasmik Ajamian Page 24/25: Original artwork by Hasmik Ajamian Back Cover Goshavank Monastery- en.wikipedia.org

Publisher: The Fellowship of St. Voski Editor-in-Chief Dr. André Markarian Editorial Board Rev. Fr. Ghevond Ajamian Dr. Roberta Ervine V. Rev. Fr. Daniel Findikyan Dn. Eric Vozzy Text Editor Nicole Whittlesey Publication Designer Hasmik Ajamian All Bible verses are from the 1805 Zohrab Bible (Armenian) or the Revised Standard Version (English, RSV) unless otherwise specified.

Nor Voskiank/Նոր Ոսկեանք is a fellowship of men and women working toward the revival and restoration of Armenian Orthodox theology and life within the Armenian Church at large. The fellowship is named after St. Voski and his companions (the Voskians) who were a group of Christian martyrs and monastics from the first century, many of whom who were students of St. Thaddeus. According to tradition, St. Thaddeus ordained as their leader a priest called Chrysos (Greek for “gold,” Armenian “voski”), and thereafter the group came to be known as the Voskians. In the spirit of the Voskians, Nor Voskiank seeks to support the cultivation of a thriving, united, worldwide Armenian Christian communit y through prayer, fellowship, and the publication of practical educational resources covering the entire breadth of Christian life as lived, interpreted and testified to by the Armenian Church since ancient times. The Treasury/Գանձարան is published quarterly and subscriptions are available by request. To contact us or donate, please visit us at

www.StVoski.org Nor Voskiank is a tax-exempt not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization that depends entirely on your generous support for its ministry. For a one-year subscription to The Treasury, please send a tax-deductible gift of $30 payable to Fellowship of St. Voski, P.O. Box 377, Sutton MA 01590. Bulk subscriptions also available by request. Every issue of The Treasury is available to read free of charge on our website to all interested. You can also visit us on Facebook at Fellowship of St. Voski.

ISSN 2471-4704

Volume 3/ Number 2

From the Editor’s Desk

Another (Greater) Promise R

ecently, the buzz in Armenian communities all around the world has been over the release of the big-screen movie, The Promise. Backed by some big Hollywood names and the financial support of prominent Armenian businessman, investor and philanthropist Kirk Kerkorian, The Promise is essentially a historical drama film set against the backdrop of the Armenian Genocide. The main character, Mikael, prior to leaving his home in Armenia to attend medical school in Constantinople, promises his newly betrothed fiancée that he will return home soon so that they can be married and start their lives together. Mikael keeps his promise to return home, only after courageously escaping from the Turkish labor camp that he is thrown into as the wave of genocide, at the hand of the Ottomans, moves through the Armenian homeland. Needless to say, both the actual historical record and the fictional drama end tragically. Throughout the movie and afterword, echoes of another, greater “promise” seemed to resound more powerfully and deeply than any melancholy emotions evoked by the film’s bitter storyline. During the time of Moses, God made a solemn “promise” to his people through the mouth of the prophet: “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear or be in dread of them: for it is the Lord your God who goes with you; He will never fail you or forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6) This promise to “never fail or forsake you” was fulfilled conclusively when generations later, God sent his only Son Jesus Christ to conquer all forms of evil — and ultimately even death — by himself dying on a cross. After his triumphant Resurrection and prior to his ascension to Heaven, Jesus Christ appeared to his disciples several times to empower them for the mission for TheTreasury Treasury //2017 2017 2 The

which he had prepared them, a vocation that they knew would be dangerous and likely result in suﬀering and early death. Yet he comforted them with this assurance: “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you; and remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Mt 28:18-20)

Let’s face it. Although we live in a modernized world that affords us many pleasures and comforts, it is hard to ignore the fact that evil lurks at every corner and regularly rears its ugly head. No one knows this fact better than the Armenian people. Yet despite all that the Armenian nation has endured through generations past, God has shown his faithfulness and kept his “promise” to never fail or forsake us and be with us always. And despite persistent suffering, alienation, tribulation and all sorts of difficult circumstances, we are assured of continued victory if we remain in Him, as faithful and obedient believers. St. Paul reminds us of this certainty in his letter to the Christians in Rome: “For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38) As several of the articles in this edition of Kantsaran point out, the Living God is a god of forgiveness, of mercy, of extreme love and much, much more. He promises us all these graces, and asks us only to love him in return. Dr. Roberta Ervine reminds us in her article “How the Vartanants Women Discovered Their Celestial Zeal”(p4), that nothing we lose, gain, have or do not have can jeopardize who we really are in Christ — God’s beloved children for all eternity. He has made that pledge to us, sealed it with his blood that was shed for us on the Cross, and reaffirms his commitment to us every time we partake of Holy Communion during Badarak.

And for those that persevere in this world, an eternal inheritance awaits them. Just as Fr. Hovnan Demerjian encourages us in his pastoral reflection (p16), this glorious inheritance is what we long for, our spiritual birthright that the Lord Jesus Christ holds “for us in a trust until spiritually we become of age.” Now that’s the real Promise!

“I am with you always to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20

www.StVoski.org

How the Vartanants Women Discovered Their Celestial Zeal by Roberta Ervine, PhD

his year, the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church in America dedicated its annual Saintly Women’s Day celebration to the Vartanants women. Although the story of the Vartanants War (The History of Vardan and the Armenian War/Վասն Վարդանանց եւ Հայոց Պատերազմին) is primarily a story of the deeds Armenian men performed in defense of their faith and in quest of a martyr’s death, women are included in the story as well. The historian Eghishe mentions that some of them fought alongside their men; others endured the anxieties and deprivations of the home front. Yet Eghishe spends little time on the deeds of the Vartanants women. Bravery per se did not interest him. Instead, he was fascinated by the women’s character. What quality of heart and soul made it possible for them to 4 The Treasury / 2017

withstand the privations and hardships of life both during and after the decisive battle at Avarayr? If someone were to ask you, “What are Armenian women like?” you would no doubt say they are brave, resourceful, devoted, beautiful, intelligent and fierce. There are many wonderful qualities we can attribute to Armenian women. And they are all true! However, there is one quality we might not think of, although it is the very quality that Eghishe says was the defining virtue of the Vartanants women. He characterized the Vartanants women as having erknayin nakhandz/երկնային նախանձ or, in English, celestial zeal. What did Eghishe mean? What is this erknayin nakhandz that Eghishe says was essential to who the Vartanants women were? If their erknayin nakhandz is why we remember

them, how can we have that memorable quality for ourselves today? Erknayin nakhandz is the desire to imitate and if at all possible to surpass the qualities of people whose way of life is natural to heaven, but is not native to this world. To put it another way, erknayin nakhandz is the desire to be like people who have higher values than the ones that society deems important. Before the Vartanants war took their men from them and left their society with a gaping wound, the Vartanants women did not know they had this quality. They did not look at themselves in the mirror in the morning and say, “I am so pleased that I can see in myself erknayin nakhandz! Thank you God, for giving me erknayin nakhandz!” They were more likely to have said, “Thank you, God, that I was born into such a wonderful family, with a beautiful home, a loving husband, healthy children, and servants to take care of all my daily needs, so that I can do more important things. Thank you, God, that I have delicious food prepared for me and people to transport me wherever I want to go, so that my beautiful skin is not exposed to the harsh Armenian sun or my tender feet to the rocky and uneven ground.” No one looking at the Vartanants women prior to the war would have said that their values were celestial, or even that their values were above and beyond what society expected. Quite the contrary. The Vartanants women totally embodied what their society expected of them; they lived its values completely. Their society expected Armenian women to be beautiful. And they were. It expected women to be an accomplished and talented asset to their extended family. And they were. It expected women to willingly give up their sons at the age of three or four so that other people could raise them to be the brave, tough men they needed to be in their noble positions. And they did. Society expected women to expertly manage estates and property. And they did that too. Society expected them to be good, church-going Christians. And they were. But while all of those excellent qualities constituted a good, upright, honest and satisfying, even praiseworthy life, none of them could be called erknayin nakhandz. So how and why did the Vartanants women change? Eghishe says that the Vartanants women, like the

Vartanants men, underwent a complete readjustment of their values when they were brought face to face with the necessity to choose between life as they knew and loved it, and their faith. The Vartanank, male and female alike, found that the choice was clear to them. They knew what mattered most, and they chose their faith over their way of life. The Vartanants women realized absolutely that it is not the way we live, our social conditions, our status in the world, or even our cherished appearance and talents that make us who we most truly are. Even if we must let all of those things go, we will find that our deepest, truest qualities are still intact. In fact, our deepest self does not depend on our external conditions at all. Our fundamental goodness does not derive from advantageous surroundings.

The Vartanants women realized absolutely that it is not the way we live, our social conditions, our status in the world, or even our cherished appearance and talents that make us who we most truly are. What a wonderful realization! The Vartanank knew by experience that nothing we lose, nothing we gain, nothing we have or do not have can jeopardize who we really are. And so the Vartanants women, like their men, chose to focus on what was really important, lasting and fundamental. In so doing, they discovered their erknayin nakhandz. Eghishe describes three elements that make up erknayin nakhandz. These elements are the same for women as for men. They are the same for us today as they were in fifth century Armenia. The first element of erknayin nakhandz is what Eghishe calls anerevuyt zorutiwn husuyn havitenits/աներեւոյթ զօրութիւն www.StVoski.org

յուսոյն յաւիտենից, “the invisible power of hope in what lasts forever.” When the Vartanants women found this invisible power, they stopped looking ahead, longing for their situation to change. Eghishe tells us that in the first years after the war, the Vartanants women survivors scanned the roads before every holiday, hoping that perhaps the Persians had decided to release their imprisoned loved ones in honor of the occasion, and send them home. They celebrated the birthdays of their absent husbands and brothers. They kept their places set at the table. But when they discovered “the invisible power of hope in what lasts forever,” they stopped doing those things any more. They didn’t stop loving their absent dear ones. Eghishe tells us that the women erected memorials to them and treasured their pictures. But the Vartanants women had acquired a longer-range kind of hope; hope that did not leave them hanging in suspense, feeling that something was missing, always in a mental state of lack and loss, postponing their joy for some future time. Instead of the hopes that disappointed them again and again, the Vartanants women found the hope that never fails. Huys havidenits/յոյս յաւիտենից does not depend on what happens or doesn’t happen tomorrow. Instead of focusing on what they wanted and hating reality when it did not conform to their hopes, the Vartanants women trusted that when the future came, it would bring them something eternally valuable. What exactly the future brought did not matter, because eternity is ours now and always, whether our limited hopes come true or not. This realization gave the Vartanants women that invisible power of hope in what is eternal. And it can give us the same. The second element of erknayin nakhandz is leaving the past behind. Eghishe says that just as they stopped hoping for the future to look a certain way, the Vartanants women “did not mention even the name of the luxury they grew up with” (voch hishein amenevin zanun zpapkutean mayreni/ոչ յիշէին ամենեւին զանուն զփափկութեան մայրենի). In other words, the Vartanants women discovered their erknayin nakhandz when they did not dwell on the past. They did not spend their time lamenting for the way of life that was no longer theirs. They gave it up, let it go and moved on. Their beautiful homes were still there. Their servants were still there. Their luxuries were still available. Their beauty was still theirs to maintain. But the Vartanants women knew that those were the values of the past; now 6 The Treasury / 2017

was different. They had more important things to do and be. And so the Vartanants women stopped letting their servants carry them. They stopped thinking they needed only the best and the finest things in their life. They rediscovered the joy of walking in the sun. They no longer felt that a light complexion and smooth skin made them beautiful. Instead, they pursued inner beauty first. They showed their dedication to the Vartanants values by making an earnest effort to educate themselves about their faith. They learned how to pray for real, and they spent time together as a Christian community, supporting one another. Because they refocused their values away from nostalgia for the past and hope for a specific kind of future, Eghishe says, the Vartanants women discovered the third element of erknayin nakhandz. He says, “It was no longer obvious who was the lady, and who was the servant” (voch erever te ov tikinn itse ew kam ov nazhishtn/ոչ երեւէր թէ ով տիկինն իցէ եւ կամ ով նաժիշտն). The Vartanants women discovered that erknayin nakhandz brought equality with it. When they focused on what matters most, social status melted away. Who they were in the eyes of the world turned out to be insignificant in the light of what is eternal. The Vartanants women learned that suffering treats us all equally. It levels us. By the same token, insight and faith elevate us all equally. On the one hand, suffering and difficulty are impartial; rich and poor suffer alike, and difficulty teaches them to pray alike. Bereavement touches us all in the same place; we mourn in the same way, and we move on from our grief best when we move on together. On the other hand, insight is impartial as well. The Vartanants women discovered that old women and young women had the same ability to discern what is most important in life. They had the same fundamental courage, the same capacity to dig deep and find the bedrock of who they were and to stand on that rock. When they were focused on the eternal, all women — servant, working class woman, and great lady — shared the same spirit, manifested the same dedication and endurance, and kept the same faith. Faith too is impartial. It does not care whether it lives within a man or a woman, inhabits a young body or an old one, dwells in luxury or in difficult circumstances. It plants itself deep inside, in the subsoil of the image of God, which we all share and are called to become.

As a result, the Vartanants women pursued erknayin nakhandz individually and together, on an equal footing, without regretting the past or being disappointed by the emerging future. How many of the Vartanants women were there? We

When they were focused on the eternal, all women shared the same spirit, manifested the same dedication and endurance, and kept the same faith.

don’t know. Eghishe tells us that he personally knew five hundred of them “by face and by name”, but he adds that there were many, many more: “I cannot count them, but those whom I do not know are more numerous than those I do know.” If Eghishe knew five hundred, then there were easily more than a thousand women directly affected by the Vartanants events. More than a thousand nameless Armenian women, women whose holiness and devotion were hidden for most of their life, hidden even from themselves. The Vartanants women invite us all to remember that who we really are may not be obvious. We may lose sight of our essential self amid all the other things and issues that make up our daily life, but we can still access and cultivate our truest, best and highest nature. We can still adjust our values, find the invisible power of hope, and shed without regret whatever is not essential to who we are, without mentioning even the name of our past. We do not need to grieve what is lost, or pin our hope on limited things. If Eghishe were alive now, he would say that Armenian women still have this quality of erknayin nakhandz, whether they know it or not. Women today may never experience the extreme stress and grief of the Vartanants women. But without question we will all face loss, bereavement, suffering, and difficulty in our life. When those times come, may all of us not only discover but fully embody our own erknayin nakhandz.

Roberta Ervine, PhD, is Professor of Armenian Christian Studies and Patristics at St. Nersess Armenian Seminary.

www.StVoski.org

The Ceremony of Blessing Grapes A Sacrament of Stewardship by V. Rev. Fr. Daniel Findikyan

t is the age-old tradition of the Armenian Church, at summer’s height, to bring the first harvest of grapes from the vineyards into the church to be blessed. While it has become customary to bless the grapes on the Feast of the Assumption of the Mother of God on the Sunday nearest August 15, historical documents show that the ceremony of the Blessing of the Grapes [Խաղողօրհնէք/ Khaghoghorhnek] was conducted whenever the grapes were ripe and were harvested in the various regions of Armenia. Underlying the service is the cardinal teaching of the Christian faith, that God is the source and author of everything. Christians believe that whatever we receive, achieve or become in this life can only be through the loving grace of God. “I am the vine, you are the branches,” Jesus says in the Gospel according to John, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” Like branches extending from the vine, we are dependent upon God for everything in our 8 The Treasury / 2017

lives. In recognition of this, the Law of Moses required that the people of Israel oﬀer a sacrificial portion of their finest harvest back to the Lord, from whom it came. For Christians this “attitude of gratitude” was even more acute. When God sent Jesus to enter human life and to infuse it with God’s love, God gave us His very best, His only Son. When Christ died on the Cross—quite literally loving us to death—God showed us that his love for us knew no limits. For this reason Christians dedicate not just a portion, but their entire lives to God, who spared nothing for our salvation. When, in the Gospel according to Mark, the widow dropped a few pennies into the collection plate, Jesus considered her gift to be more generous than the wads of money given by the wealthy. The widow gave all that she had. Our ancestors exemplified this spirit by bringing the first-fruits of the grape harvest to church in faith and

gratitude, as Armenian farmers in the homeland, in central valley of California, and elsewhere do to this day. Why grapes? Because they were the most precious crop grown in Armenia, and therefore symbolized the entire harvest. Of course, grapes have a special resonance for Armenians and other Christians who, every Sunday, along with bread, bring wine to the holy altar, the fruit of the vine. We offer these gifts to the Father, who returns them to us as Holy Communion with Him and with one another in Jesus Christ. So the Divine Liturgy is the Church’s bold proclamation and actualization of exactly what Jesus promised: “Abide in me, and I in you.” Like the Badarak itself, blessing grapes means giving thanks for every gift that comes from God, both in this life and in the life to come. By custom, Armenians never eat grapes until they have first been blessed in church; in other words, until we present our very best to God first. The ceremony begins with a hymn that praises God for all of his gifts, especially the gift of salvation granted in Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. A series of Scripture readings follows, which dwell on God’s fidelity to us and our spirit of stewardship. The blessing culminates in the priest offering the great prayer of St. Nersess “the Gracious” Shnorhali (d. 1173) and tracing the sign of the Holy Cross over the grapes three times as the Holy Trinity is invoked. Our ancestors who worked the land knew instinctively that life, like the season’s harvest, resulted from a sacred cooperation of human effort with God’s grace. In America, most Armenians are detached from the soil and from God’s most elemental gifts. We can enjoy fresh, sweet grapes any time of the year thanks to modern technologies and transport. Those same facilities of modern life, however, can lure us falsely into thinking that what we produce or achieve in this life is truly the work of our human abilities alone. The Blessing of Grapes recalls the greatness of God’s providence, the enormity of his love, the immense privilege of our calling to be children of God, and the inestimable joy of committing ourselves, and all that we have, to Christ our God.

Excerpt from the Great Prayer for the Blessing of Grapes by St. Nersess “the Gracious” Shnorhali

Blessed are you, Son and Word of the Father—indescribable, radiant beam of the first Light; form and image of the invisible God. You share His essence and you created with Him, bringing Creation into existence. You spoke a word and it came to be. You commanded and they were created because for you to conceive of something and to desire it is to create it perfectly. In this way you fashioned the weakest of fibrous plants, the vine, into something more powerful than the highest trees in order to support its fruit. And you honored it as a symbol of your supreme Self, when you called Yourself “the Vine,” and those connected to You in love, “the branches,” and your Father, the caretaker and vinedresser. Those who are fruitful in their good works, He prunes like those who are cut off from the Law; and those who bear no fruit, he cuts off as fuel for the eternal fire. Through the prophets you showed that the grape takes away sadness and brings joy. For your Father according to the flesh [David] said that wine makes us glad [Psalm 104:15]. And his Son commands to give wine to those who are sad; the same wine that you offered in the Upper Room, the exhilarating double cups—your redemptive blood and the wisdom of the Spirit. And now, Lord, along with all of your blessings from the beginning, and as the tiny bundle is found in the midst of the cluster [Isaiah 65:8], bless these clusters of grapes that have been presented to the temple of your glorious name. www.StVoski.org

The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to John (15:1-8)

To all who eat of these grapes blessed by you grant the forgiveness of sins, and health of soul and body. And let all who eat these grapes with faith also indulge with the thief in the immortal fruit in the Paradise of Eden. Lord, bless those who have donated the gift of these freshly-harvested fruits and in exchange for this fleeting fruit, let them receive the splendor of immortal life. Lord, bless also the vines and the vineyards from which these blessed grapes have been harvested and consecrated to the holy church. Make them productive and fruitful as in lush and fertile soil. Lord, keep them healthy and unharmed. And protect the vineyards where these gifts of fruit came from against all incidents from above that occur because of our sin: hail, icy frost, parching heat and harmful insects. In this way, enjoying the physical things that you created in this world and gave to us for your pleasure and your glory, may we become worthy to eat and drink with you from your most abundant harvest, O Vine, at the table of your Father’s kingdom, according to the unfailing promise made by you, for the honor and glory of the consubstantial Trinity, the Father and the Son and the allholy Spirit, who are due glory, dominion and honor. Now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Very Rev. Fr. Michael Daniel Findikyan, PhD, is Director of the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center and Professor of Liturgical Studies at St. Nersess Armenian Seminary

10 The Treasury / 2017

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.”

I N H E R I TA N C E

“Those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.” – Hebrews 9:15

By Rev. Fr. Hovnan Demerjian

e use the word inheritance - zharangutyoon/ժառանգութիւն - several times in the course of our worship. It’s an oft repeated word in writings of our church fathers, and it features in the assigned Epistle readings which correspond with the Feast of Holy Etchmiadzin, which takes place 64 days following Easter. Inheritance. You have to wonder what 3rd and 4th century Armenian Christians knew about inheritance. The great majority were poor. Many were much more likely to be inherited by other people and powers-sometimes literally as slaves-than inherit anything themselves. Today, though our society is relatively wealthy, and inheritance more commonplace, for most people the concept remains out of reach; like a day dream of a long lost uncle who left us his fortune. The scripture reading from the Book of Hebrews and seasonal Feast of Holy Etchmiadzin remind us that we mustn’t dream of this type of inheritance, for we already have one. We have a ‘promised eternal inheritance,’ says the Apostle Paul, which is held for us in a trust until, spiritually, we become of age. What is this inheritance? As a people, our inheritance is well defined by the Feast of Holy Etchmiadzin. Etchmiadzin is our Mother See. It is the center of our church and a beautiful cathedral. But Etchmiadzin is more than a building or place. During our tumultuous history, the Mother See has been located in half a dozen buildings and places besides Etchmiadzin. More than a place, Etchmiadzin is at heart a vision and a promise. The vision is that of our Illuminator and patron Saint Gregory, seeing Christ come down with a golden hammer, four pillars rising, and saying, “here you will build my church.” All visions seem easy in retrospect. But recall that this vision of light came during the deep darkness that threatened

the very existence of Armenia and Gregory. In that vision a promise was made: our Lord said, “be my people, have faith in me, follow me, do right by me and your neighbors and I will bless you.” And so we have been blessed with an amazing language & culture, with educated and faithful people who beat the long odds against our geo-political survival. We are inheritors of this amazing cultural heritage. This is your long-lost rich Armenian uncle! Learn our language. Go to our homeland. Study our saints, poets and arts. Don’t ignore your inheritance! Yet even more so, let us remember that we are inheritors of a promise that goes beyond anything of this world. Our Armenian heritage is precious, not because it is ours, but because God has gifted it to us through his Word. Let’s not neglect the Giver of our gift. This is the pearl of great price, the treasure buried in the field, for which we would sell anything; this is our true inheritance to which nothing in this world compares. In the spirit of the Feast of Holy Etchmiadzin, let us indeed recognize and take advantage of our splendid inheritance as Armenians. But first we must acknowledge the Benefactor of our inheritance, who has indeed descended to the Armenians and raised up a church, a culture and a people. Yet his greatest gift remains a personal one, our true inheritance: that it pleases Christ, the only begotten of God, to descend and hammer into each of our hearts saying, “here you will build my church,” now and always and unto the ages of ages, Amen. Rev. Fr. Hovnan Demerjian is the pastor of St. Hagop Armenian Orthodox Church in Pinellas Park, Florida www.StVoski.org

Sunday and Sundays by Dn. Shant Kazanjian

the same vision, in chapters 4 and 5, John paints a majestic picture of worship taking place in Heaven. I want to draw your attention to a few verses: “And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the one who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall before the one who is seated on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, singing, ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.’” (Revelation 4:9-11) In chapter five, worship is oﬀered to the “Lamb standing as if it had been slaughtered”:

unday is our weekly feast, the foundational celebration of the Christian church year. Sunday is the first day of the week, mi-ya-shapat (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1), the day Jesus rose from the dead. It is “the day of the Lord” (deroonee / deroonagan). The word geeragee (Sunday) comes from the Greek Kyriakee, meaning dominical, royal. For us, it is the day of assembly, not a lazy day or a rest day, a day of gathering for the celebration of Soorp Badarak, a day of meeting for corporate worship. But what is this Sunday worship all about? What are we celebrating? And what about all these special Sundays, like Easter, Pentecost, Transfiguration, and other dominical festivals? How is one Sunday, any Sunday, related to other Sundays in our Church year? One of the few places in the Bible where the “Lord’s day” is mentioned in conjunction with worship is in the Book of Revelation. At the very beginning of the book we read, “I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, ‘Write in a book what you see…’” (Revelation 1:10-11). Then, still in 12 The Treasury / 2017

“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slaughtered and by your blood you ransomed for God saints from every tribe and language and people and nation; you have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving our God, and they will reign on earth.” (Revelation 5:9-10)

And, in Revelation 5:12, we read myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands of angels sing: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” Without getting into details, in Revelation 4 and 5, John is depicting worship that is going on now, in heaven, in God’s domain, not something that is going to take place at the end of times. The other thing we should note is that worship—from Old English means to acknowledge the worth of someone—has to do with honoring and praising someone who is worthy. And

the worth of someone (or a group, an institution, or a nation) is measured by who that person is and what that person does or has done. Hence, in honoring or praising someone, we highlight that person’s virtues and accomplishments. This is what we read in Revelation 4 and 5 (see my highlights in the text). In Chapter 4, God is worshipped because He is the creator God, he is the sovereign God. And in chapter 5, Jesus is worshiped, because he is the Messiah, the King, who through his sacrificial death has redeemed us. Christian worship entails celebrating and praising who God is and what he has done for us in and through his Son in the power of the Holy Spirit, and it is something that is happening in God’s domain, and every creature is invited to join in this worship celebration (Revelation 5:13). How do we do that? Well, we do that by telling the story of God through hymns and prayers, long and short, reciting and praising God’s marvelous and mighty deeds, in a thousand diﬀerent ways. This is what we do every Sunday during the Divine Liturgy (Soorp Badarak), which is the central act of worship of the Armenian Church. Although those hymns and prayers are derived from the Bible, however, to do justice to Christian celebratory worship, we recount God’s saving acts directly from the Bible itself, the only book that tells the oﬃcial story of God. So on a given Sunday worship, we read two or three passages —one from the Old Testament, another from the epistles, and the final and the climactic reading is always from one of the Gospels. The story of God, of course, extends from Genesis to Revelation, from creation to new creation. That long biblical story reaches its climax in the person and works of Jesus the Messiah—by his coming into this world, his kingdom of God campaign—his healings and teachings and celebrations, but supremely through his death on the cross and resurrection from the dead, and by his ascension to Heaven, and by the sending of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The story ends when Christ returns to establish the kingdom of God on earth as it is already in heaven. Because of that, the focus of the church’s worship is Jesus the Messiah, our Lord and our Savior—not as he was 2000 years ago, but as he is now, risen and glorified, seated at the right hand of God, worshiped and praised by myriads of myriads of angels. This worship is taking place eternally in God’s dimension, in Heaven, a worship to which we—the church, as members of Christ’s body by virtue of faith and baptism into Christ—are invited and privileged to join in. As

indeed we do join in this heavenly liturgy in and through the celebration of Soorp Badarak. We join the heavenly chorus in singing, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 6:3 and Soorp Badarak). And towards the end of the Badarak we thank Christ for having fed us from his table, distributing his body and blood for the salvation of the world, which is a foretaste of the banquet of the Kingdom of God to come. Those examples can be multiplied. This is what we are celebrating every Sunday, every Lord’s day, throughout the church year. But at diﬀerent times during the year, while keeping the big narrative in perspective, in rehearsing the saving deeds of God through Christ, the spotlight moves and shines on this or that aspect of the life and redemptive work of Jesus. For instance at Christmas, we are not celebrating the baby Jesus, although in telling God’s story we commemorate his coming into this world as the incarnate Lord. Likewise, at Easter we are not merely commemorating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is here that the Sunday Bible readings go hand in hand with the church calendar, where the readings, as integral and necessary part of celebratory worship, highlight and emphasize various facets and events of Jesus Christ. So every Sunday, every Lord’s day, we are celebrating and worshiping the crucified but risen Jesus the Messiah, as he is now on his throne, as the Lord and king of the world. Deacon Shant Kazanjian is Director of Christian Education for the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America. This article first appeared in Crossroads, the e-newsletter of the Eastern Prelacy, on Dec 22, 2016 and is now reprinted here.

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Almsgiving The Oil of Mercy By Dn. Eric Vozzy

he heart of the Sermon on the Mount, found in the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, is where Jesus talks about two basic aspects of spiritual living: fasting and prayer. But very briefly, prior to talking about either of these, Jesus talks about another spiritual activity just as holy as prayer and just as venerable as fasting: almsgiving. When Jesus begins His discourse with the words, “Thus, when you give alms…”, we immediately understand that giving alms is not an option. Perhaps Jesus is referring to the Jewish custom where charity was not a favor to the poor, but something to which they have a right and the donor, an obligation. Regardless, Jesus expects us to give alms.

But what exactly are alms and what does almsgiving look like? Is almsgiving even a word with which we are familiar? Although normally thought of as money, food, or other donations given to the poor and needy, is almsgiving as simple as writing a check to a preferred charity or dropping a coin into a homeless person’s cup? In Armenian, the word we normally translate as almsgiving is voghormootyoon “ողորմութիւն,” which means mercy. It is somewhat misleading to translate voghormootyoon as mercy due to the connotations the word “mercy” has taken on in modern usage. For many people, mercy conjures up images of withholding harm or punishment toward an oﬀender, or pity toward those who are weaker. The Armenian notion of mercy, however, is slightly diﬀerent when compared to t he familiar connotation. Instead, mercy encompasses the idea of charity in the sense of self-giving, or sacrificial love. Therefore, the famous hymn from the Divine Liturgy, Der Voghormya (Lord Have Mercy), is not a request for God to have pity on us. Voghormootyoon has nothing to do with pity. When we pray, “Lord, have mercy,” we are asking God to love us, to be kind to us, to help us, to hear and accept our prayers. We are praying, “Lord, share Yourself with us.” We can say more. Some scholars believe the word voghormootyoon is etymologically related to the word “oil.” Moreover, oil is a traditional symbol of mercy. So when we say, “Der voghormya,” we are not crying out, “Don’t punish me!” We are asking the Lord to pour the chrism of Himself onto us, to warm and soothe us, to make things easier, to smooth things over and fill in the cracks just as a balm or oil would do.

Yet mercy is not only for God to make things easier for us. Mercy is about showing charity, practical care, and serving others with compassion. The gracious one, St. Nerses Shnorhali tells us, “Mercy is a voluntary sadness that comes into being at the troubles of strangers. It is born of love, in the same way that being stingy is born of hatred.” He also writes, “There is nothing among the virtues that makes us more like God than mercy.” Herein lies the importance and meaning of giving alms. For Christian Armenians, as well as other eastern Christian traditions, giving alms is not just a question of who does or does not have money. It’s about those who deserve mercy. And that makes recognizing the poor and needy pretty simple. It’s you. It’s me. It’s everyone around us! We are all beggars. While others are begging from us, we ourselves are begging from God, as St. Augustine, one of the leading theologians of the fourth century aptly tells us. We are all suﬀering, we all carry wounds, and we all yearn for salvation and healing. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” After a lawyer tested Jesus by asking, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus responded not with a definition of neighbor, but explained His radical command by telling a story about a “Good Samaritan” who had compassion on a man who had been beaten, ignored, and left on the side of the road to die. While others passed by the suﬀering man, the Good Samaritan stopped and bound up his wounds, pouring onto them oil and wine. Jesus

asked, “which one of the people who passed that man proved neighbor?” The lawyer said, “the one who showed mercy on him.” Jesus said, “Go and do likewise.” The story of the Good Samaritan is not about someone not having enough money, but about someone deserving mercy, almsgiving. Even if that person is a stranger, or even an enemy. We also see from this parable that almsgiving means attending to the poor and needy, not in the abstract sense of “the poor,” but in the concrete and particular sense, face to face. To see the trials of real individuals, as well as groups of people, and pour onto their wounds the oil of mercy. Well known to many Armenians (some of his works even translated into Armenian since the midtwentieth century), the Lebanese author and poet Kahlil Gibran in his book The Prophet writes, “You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.” Isn’t this the exact work of our Savior? Jesus’ ministry was marked by giving of Himself, meeting people’s needs, touching lepers, eating and drinking with tax collectors, talking to prostitutes, washing the feet of His disciples. If we claim to follow Jesus, then we should follow His example. It’s easy to write a check, put money in a plate, or drop a coin in a homeless person’s cup, and as noble and necessary as these things are, the personal demand isn’t too diﬃcult. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to get uncomfortable, touch those who are in need, those from whom we avert our eyes, and instead wash their feet. Get face to face with the pain and needs of others, get our hands dirty, touch and smell the filth of the world. Minister to our neighbor, bringing healing from our own suﬀering, from our own wounds. Walk with others through their trials, showing mercy toward those who are sick, rejected, inadequate, lonely, suicidal, addicted, and bullied. Then go beyond that: forgive enemies and welcome the stranger. Fill in the cracks of the world, of people’s lives, with the oil of God’s mercy and love. That’s almsgiving. That’s the Gospel. “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends,” Jesus said knowing what lay ahead of Him on the Cross, the foremost symbol of mercy, love, charity, and healing. www.StVoski.org

Citing the parable of the ten virgins, the fifteenthcentury Armenian poet and hymnographer Arakel Baghishetsi warns us of the danger of not showing mercy and tells us its reward. He writes, “But [the foolish virgins] didn’t show charity. The light of their holiness’ lamp went out, the door of the bridal chamber was shut, and they did not see the immortal Groom. The wise, however, who had brought oil, which is a symbol of charity, opened the door of the bridal chamber, and entering, they did see the ineﬀable King.” Living out our faith means we are always preparing our lamps, keeping them filled with the oil of mercy. It’s a requirement to see the King. In other words, there is no Christianity that does not include almsgiving. Showing mercy is intrinsic to faith, belonging to its very essence. So the reward for giving alms and showing mercy — or better yet, the “treasure in heaven” which Jesus talks about at the end of the Gospel of Matthew chapter 6 — is to inherit the Kingdom of God, to enter the bridal chamber and enjoy union with our Creator, sharing in His divinity. In the previous chapter of Matthew, Jesus opens the Sermon on the Mount with the Beatitudes, one of which is, “Blessed are those who are merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” As we demonstrate human mercy to others, God gives us His divine mercy. Once again drawing from St. Augustine, “Out of your fullness, fill an empty person in need, so that your own emptiness may be filled by the fullness of God.” As parish communities, is it enough to meet every Sunday and worship God during Holy Badarak (Divine Liturgy), or does Badarak compel us to go out into our impoverished world and show mercy? St. John Chrysostom, the fourth-century prolific teacher and church father greatly esteemed by Armenian Christians said, “Lift up and stretch out your hands, not to heaven, but to the poor; for if you stretch forth your hands to the poor, you have reached the summit of heaven, but if you lift up your hands in prayer without sharing with the poor, it is worth nothing.” So how can we rediscover the mission and work of the Armenian Church, both locally and globally, and as a result, what should be the most important qualities or priorities of our ministry and stewardship? As individuals, let’s remember that our responsibility to others reaches right into our personal space, even our homes. Does God give us gifts, talents, and material resources for us to hoard, or are they given to us so we can lovingly share or even give them away? A helpful way 16 The Treasury / 2017

to approach almsgiving in the Christian sense is to first recognize that we ourselves are poor and needy. Inevitably, that gives us a platform from which to minister to others, to give of ourselves and share mercy from our own experience and needs. St. Paul talks about this very notion in 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 which reads, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” This, of course, applies to us as individuals, but we always need to remember the context in which St. Paul writes. He is writing on behalf of the Church, which is a community, and so this verse primarily suggests a communal activity. Does all of this imply that almsgiving excludes writing a check, donating to the Church, or placing money in a homeless person’s hand? No, it does not. Does almsgiving mean going downtown and getting face to face with the homeless, asking their name, shaking their hand, hearing their story, and listening for the pain and needs they express, or visiting a prison and sharing time with an inmate or two? Maybe it does. Perhaps it means rediscovering the Armenian ceremony of Madagh (Մատաղ), the ancient Armenian sacrament of charity, the offering of food to neighbors, the poor, and others in need. The point is that the poor are all around us every day, and even include us. Many of our closest neighbors have plenty of money, but are otherwise malnourished, emaciated, and poor. So practice almsgiving, “For almsgiving delivers from death, and it will purge away every sin. Those who perform deeds of charity and of righteousness will have fullness of life.” (Tobit 12:9) And to give alms, to show mercy, is to share in the divinity of Christ, to become like God. So, in the words of our Savior, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36)

Deacon Eric Vozzy holds Masters Degrees in Philosophy and from St. Nersess Armenian Seminary. He works in the Creative Ministries Department of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America.

Do I Really Need To Go To Church? by André Markarian, MD

It is finally Sunday morning and it has been a long week. Getting up every day at the crack of dawn, working late hours, carting the kids around, taking care of the house and yard, and no shortage of errands to run. Finally a day that we can just sleep in and take it easy, right? Maybe catch-up on some of the things that we have been neglecting all week, or go watch one of the kid’s ball games? Wait a minute, doesn’t Badarak start at 10am? What happened to my day of God-ordained rest? And so, attempting to appease our own guilty conscience, we respond to our nagging inner voice: “I’m staying home! I don’t need to go to church to be a Christian.” How often have we heard this statement, whether in our minds early Sunday mornings, or perhaps in a

discussion with someone who claims to be Christian but whom you rarely see at church during Sunday morning worship services? Do I really have to go to church to be a true Christian? Let’s face it, I’m baptized in the Armenian Church, so I’m good, right? I always make sure that I go to church on Christmas and Easter, for a family member’s Hokehankeesd, and on Sundays when I have nothing else going on. Can’t I just read my Bible or say some prayers at home? After all, there are more than enough “church services” on TV to choose from the comfort of my recliner on Sunday mornings. Isn’t that good enough? Well, the fact is, showing up at church Sunday mornings (or any day of the week for that matter) doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to a concert makes you a rock star. Although the church building itself has been consecrated as a meeting place for worshiping God, it has no more ability to get you into Heaven than bathing in a tub of Holy Muron (the holy anointing oil used in the Armenian Orthodox Church). So then what is all the fuss about? The answer to this fundamental question is revealed by examining two key aspects of the life of a Christian: our corporate membership in Christ and our need for continual spiritual nourishment. In the Armenian Orthodox Church, participation in the various forms of liturgical services (Holy Badarak, the daily prayer services, Hokehankeesd, etc) is a communal act. Although we may be present in the church building as individuals, during the liturgy we are one, united, corporate body fulfilling the spiritual reality of being the Body of Christ, which the Bible calls “The Church.” Jesus Christ knows and loves us each individually, but he also desires that we live in Him as one spiritual family. “I am the vine and you are the branches” he says in chapter 15, verse 5 of www.StVoski.org

the Gospel of John. “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me” [v. 4]. Jesus is the source and sustainer of our spiritual lives within the vine. Although as the branches of the vine we exhibit great variety as the family of God, together we form a unified structure that brings us mutual support and brings harmonious glory to Jesus Christ. St. Paul further clarifies this truth in his instruction to the Roman and Corinthian Christian communities: “For as in one body we have many members, and all the members do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another” [Romans 12:4-5, see also 1 Corinthians 12]. Further emphasizing the vital importance of our corporate life and collective activity in Jesus Christ, St. Paul more pointedly directs us in chapter 10 of the Book of Hebrews: “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” [v. 24-25]. It is clearly evident here that the Christian life is to be lived, shared and most fully experienced within the context of the united family of God, and for Armenians this is accomplished under the dome of our local parish churches, which are consecrated for that purpose. The Holy Badarak frequently emphasizes this reality. Right from the very beginning after ascending to the altar, the Celebrant proclaims: “We bless and glorify your holy, wondrous and triumphant resurrection, and together with the heavenly hosts, we oﬀer blessings and glory to you.” Worshiping God during Holy Badarak not only includes those of us who are present in church, but the entire component of Christians from generations past along with the legions of angels in Heaven. Another example is during the Kiss of Peace, where the entire congregation sings “This Church has now become one soul, the kiss is given for a full bond/ Yegeghetsees mee ants yeghev, hampooyrus hot lurman duvav.” It is this holy kiss delivered during Holy Badarak which signifies our spiritual unity as the family of God. One final example of the Badarak’s emphasis on the unity of the family of God is the repeated reminder from the deacons to oﬀer our supplications to God with “միաբան/meeapan” [one accord]. In his eternal wisdom, God knows that no Christian can survive, let alone flourish, as an island. For the temptations and tribulations of this life require a community of fellow believers to help encourage, comfort, teach, reprove, admonish, build up, and pray for one another. Moreover, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a Gospel of 18 The Treasury / 2017

love, which can only be shared in community. Sacrificial love, the kind that Jesus exemplified in his earthly ministry and on the Cross, cannot be completely experienced in isolation. It is most fully realized through surrender to the service of others. In this sense, the church is our premier Christian laboratory. We begin and train for the ministry of bringing reconciliation, peace and unity to the world — for that is our calling as Christians — by learning to forgive one another, to love one another and to serve one another in our local church parish. By not participating in our local parish life, we are abdicating our fundamental responsibility as Christians. It is in our local churches where we are first called to love and serve unconditionally the full component of sinners (of which we are one) as our brothers and sisters. A second major reason we must go to church regularly relates more directly to our participation in the Divine Liturgy (Soorp Badarak). It is during our regular church celebration of Holy Badarak that Jesus Christ becomes most immanently present with us: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them” [Matthew 18:20]. There at the very altar of our Armenian Churches, Jesus Christ meets us as truly as he was present with his disciples during the Last Supper, though of course through a diﬀerent sort of revelation. It is during Holy Badarak that Heaven and Earth suddenly overlap, for where Jesus Christ is, there is the Kingdom of Heaven. Furthermore, it is only during the Holy Badarak that we encounter our living Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in a very special and intimate way: through the partaking of his Body and Blood in Holy Communion. Recall in the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John, soon after the miracle of the feeding of five thousand people, Jesus teaches us that he is the true Bread of Life: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. This is the bread which came down from Heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.” [John 6:52-58]

Considering these words, it is hard to believe that any genuine Christian would ever want to miss out on the weekly opportunity and incredible privilege to be joined so intimately with our Lord Jesus Christ through the sharing of Holy Communion. Moreover, through this sacrament, we are also joined to each other in true fellowship as the Body of Christ, rightfully accompanying the chorus of saints and angels in Heaven during Holy Badarak to praise and glorify the author and sustainer of our faith, the hope for our salvation and eternal life. As was stated earlier, Jesus Christ is the Vine of Life, who feeds, sustains and heals us. Further extending the vineyard imagery, the Armenian Orthodox Church is one of the main limbs of this Eternal Vine, our local church family being one of the secondary branches off this main limb. At the time of our baptism, God promises to cleanse us from sin, indwell us with his Holy Spirit, adopt us into his family and make us members of his Holy Body (the Church), so that we may live according to his will and enjoy everlasting life with him. As individual baptized believers, having “clothed ourselves with Christ” [Galatians 3:27], we become twigs grafted onto the branches of this Divine Vine and collectively receive our spiritual nourishment and strength primarily through the branches we are attached to (our local church), and ultimately from Christ himself, the source of all the spiritual “sap” that feeds us. When we separate ourselves from our branches by cutting ourselves off from the regular sacramental/liturgical life of the Church, we spiritually weaken and quickly wither up because we cut ourselves off from the Source of Life. This is why we must take our participation in the life of the church seriously. Although our individual devotional lives are vital to achieving a vibrant faith, our unity with and commitment to the Body of Christ is imperative. It’s not just about church attendance or standing in the pews meditating. It’s about sinking the roots of our mind and heart into the life of the church, beginning with its liturgical/sacramental activities and moving toward loving and serving each and every member of our local church community. That takes both discipline and effort, but the end result of this type of commitment is a total transformation of oneself and one’s church, unleashing unlimited potential to please and serve God. So, the next time we struggle with Sunday morning fatigue or church attendance motivation, remember that going to church is a privilege, a necessity, and our loving response to God’s vow to us in baptism. It is in church that we gather united as the Body of Christ and celebrate the Holy Badarak, our love song to a God who has surrendered everything — including his very own personal presence

through his Son Jesus the Christ — out of love for us. The Holy Badarak is simultaneously the declaration of God’s love for us, and our collective expression of love for God as the family of believers who have “put on Christ” in baptism. God yearns for us to know his love and to acknowledge it in love, and this is best achieved when the people of God are in full communion. In fact, anything we do or are outside of the Body of Christ and its sacramental life is a mere trifle in God’s eyes. This truth is most evident when we recall Jesus’ powerful prayer toward the end of his earthly ministry: “As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth. I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” [John 17:20-23]

André Markarian, MD, is a practicing Emergency Medicine physician and has a Masters Degree from St. Nersess Armenian Seminary.

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A Prayer to be Oﬀered Before the Celebration of the Holy Badarak by Mkhitar Gosh (c.1140-1213)

ord my God, Jesus Christ, Word and form of the Father, living and life-giving, hope and salvation for all who call to you. Your gracious generosity exceeds our worthiness, and to those who ask, you provide everything we need and require. For you not only created and received us after we had repeatedly gone astray, but through the suﬀering of your Cross you always give yourself as a ransom for the life of all people. This is why even in heaven your mercy is magnified, and your glory is manifested in all the earth. The splendor of your gifts has excelled so much that not only are the human nations amazed, but also the heavenly hosts, those even closer [to you]. Trembling, they sing your glory with unsilenced voices, saying, “Holy, holy, holy Lord of hosts.” Having learned it ourselves, we sing the hymn at the hour of your Sacrifice, O Immortal One, accompanying the blessed, bodiless angels. For seeing the indescribable Mystery with us—the model of true death who has come to be with us—like humans [the angels] sing with us the hymn of praise. For if they do not know the model of adoration, and they only call out his holy name, before whom they cover their faces and feet, then to whom shall we oﬀer blessing and tribute if not to you alone? We shall praise you, trembling in amazement, and we shall faithfully come near you, the invisible One; and to the visible One, silence. We praise the Father, who sent you, Savior. We praise also the Holy Spirit, who completes and sanctifies the model of what is to come. We praise your incomprehensible humility. We praise also your vast, good will.

20 The Treasury / 2017

We praise you because you graced us with your life-giving Body and holy Blood for redemption. We praise you because the fire of your deity does not incinerate our human nature. We praise you because all the heavens cannot contain you; but the concrete, lowly churches contain you. We praise you because you are enthroned among the Cherubim, and are seated at the holy table. We praise you because the highest heavens and the nine choirs of bodiless [angels] cannot hold you; but the fingers of the priests lift you up. We praise you because the Seraphim carried you to the prophet’s mouth with tongs; but here you are distributed to earthly beings with hands, and you are served to those partaking of the meal with fingers. We praise you because you are not disgusted by the filthiness of our sinful bodily instincts; instead you clean them with your holiness. We praise you because you overlook the various wrongs of the people who place their trust in you through faith. We praise you because through your life-giving Body and Blood, you reconcile your Father with us, who have been alienated in sin, and you issue us the infallible decree that those who do not eat and do not drink this do not have life; and that those who do eat and do drink shall abide in you and you in them. For having made your Body and your Blood absolutely holy, you release and free us from the chains of sin. For if we consider all of the saints in their totality—they long for the good things that are yours—then why should I not long for them too, who have fallen from grace and am devoid of any decoration and distinction? And now, if you do not show mercy on the one to whom you have opened the door of indescribable privileges, at what other time will you bestow them? For this is the precise hour to receive from you what we ask, just as the saints do at the time of kindheartedness. For if, when all of heaven and earth intercede together, you do not listen, then at what hour shall I assemble them? For if, while the choirs of bodiless angels stand amazed at the abundance of your gifts as they oﬀer songs of praise, I do not receive them, then when you judge, how will I be received? For if, when the choirs of fiery angels cry out, saying, “Have mercy on your creatures,” a share [of mercy] is not granted to me, then from whom else shall I receive it?

I beg you, Lord, do not turn me away empty from your all-holy face, O Prince of so many gifts. O Great One, since your gifts are as plenteous as rivers from the fullness of the sea, then for me a single drop is enough. For your tiniest droplet exceeds the immeasurable vastness of the depths of the sea. O Sun, at the rising of your light, if I am not illumined, how will I shine at night? O Gracious Physician, if you are near, and you do not administer your medicine of life, where else will I find a physician so that I may be healed? O Life-Giver, if it should happen that I die, who else will raise me? O Enricher, if you do not take away the poverty of my human nature, then to whom else, among the wealthy, shall I appeal? Along with the peace that you grant to this world, grant peace also to me [so that I may find relief] from the multitude of my sinful instincts. Along with the stability of the church, steady also my fickle self. Along with the bishops and priests, the deacons and servers and the entire congregation of the children of the fortress church, defend me too in your stronghold, by your power. Along with the victorious kings and civil authorities, the generals and soldiers, let me, too, triumph over the invisible enemy. Along with the faithful souls at rest, remember me too, Lord, because I have died in sin. Along with those that you rescued from the abyss, rescue me too from the evil one’s prison by means of your life-giving Body and Blood, so that I may worthily give thanks for your mercy. I thank you Lord, who have made me worthy to see your holy Sacrament. I thank you because I shall hear the tremendous and awesome [Sacrament] of praise. I thank you because I have been made worthy to hear your divine speech. I thank you because you filled my soul with hope and my heart with joy. What blessing and what thanksgiving shall I oﬀer you, Jesus my God, because I have been made worthy of the Bread www.StVoski.org

of Life and of the Chalice that makes immortal? I know that it is sinful for me to approach [the altar] sinfully, or to stay away because of doubt; especially since you gave the unfailing command that those who do not eat my Body and drink my Blood will not have life in themselves. Therefore I confess resolutely that I have died and You are the one who raise [the dead]; and that I will glorify you with your all-powerful Father and with the all-holy and true Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen. Almighty, all-provident God, praised in all things, you are in all things and yet you cannot be reached by anyone. Gathering them together, you sustain all creatures, those of the earth and those of heaven, the ethereal and the material. For us mortal ones you are life and the permanence of immortality. Open the door of your mercy, O compassionate One, and shine light on us who are in darkness. Lighten the load of us who are heavy-burdened. Illumine us who have become blackened and soiled by passions. With your divine love, warm us who are frozen over. Remedy us who have been darkened by ghastly blunders. Liberate and free us who have been caught in the hunter’s trap. Rescue and revive us, who have been ripped to pieces by the fangs of the devourer. With your indescribable light, illumine our souls, which have become obscured in sin, and cause us always to gaze at you. Turn back toward you our minds, which have been abducted by the abductor. Free our wills that have been seized by the cheater. Lovingly unite our natural tendencies to yourself. Make the rational part of our soul prudent, the irritable part noble, the lustful part modest, and turn [our soul] back to you. Toughen the three parts [of the soul] for the good. Polish our tarnished mind. Fuse the inner nature of our reason to your Spirit. Tinge this discourse with your grace for the good of its hearers. Let this oﬀering of my mind contemplate you. Fill the perception of our senses with your instinct. Show your mercy to our eyes; let our ears hear your voice; let your words be sweet to our taste; let the fragrance of your life be perfume to our nose, so that I may always beseech, entreat, and worship you, beating my chest, spreading out my hands, my fingers trembling, pleading with my voice, sighing from my heart, groaning in lament, tears in my eyes, divulging my secrets, confessing my sins, and receiving from you forgiveness for my wrongs, pardon for my transgressions, and rest for my conceit. And rejoicing in the vision of my eyes, I shall relish the glory of the three persons [of the Holy Trinity], forever and ever. Amen. 22 The Treasury / 2017

Mkhitar Gosh (c.1140-1213) was one of the most illustrious Christian monks and teachers of Armenia’s “silver age.” The spiritual father of a line of prominent vartabeds, he was renowned for his wisdom, austere monastic lifestyle, and resounding Christian faith. This prayer, which carries the caption, Short Form of a Prayer by the Illustrious and Noble Vardapet Mkhitar Gosh, the Austere Spiritual Athlete and Eloquent Orator said at the Holy Badarak, is printed as an appendix to various editions of St. Gregory of Narek’s Book of Prayers. It may have been composed as a devotion for priests who are about to preside over the Badarak. Yet it is entirely suitable as an uplifting devotion for anyone who wishes to share meaningfully in the mystery of the holy Badarak.

In addition to reading it as your own pre-Badarak devotion on Saturday night or early Sunday morning, Mkhitar’s prayer can be profitably used as the starting point for personal, spiritual and theological enrichment and growth. Here are some ideas:

“Open the door of your

1. Like all medieval Armenian prayers, Mkhitar’s prayer is saturated with specific references to the Bible, as well as more subtle allusions. Identify as many as you can. 2. Much of the prayer echoes passages from the prayers and hymns of the Badarak. Find as many as you can and think about why they inspired Mkhitar. 3. Choose a word, image or phrase from the prayer that resonates with you as particularly meaningful or stirring. Prayerfully meditate on that idea for a few minutes, turning it around in your mind and imagination. 4. Mkhitar’s prayer contains many questions. Choose one of them and take a few minutes to prayerfully unpack and answer the question for yourself. 5. What thought, image or idea from the prayer troubles you? Discuss it with a close friend or priest and seek to come to a deeper understanding. 6. Identify and trace the changing emotions that seem to drive Mkhitar’s prayer as it progresses from beginning to end. 7. Share the prayer with someone you care for.

mercy, O compassionate One, and shine light on us who are in darkness.”

Translated by V. Rev. Fr. Findikyan from Սրբոյ հօրն ﬔրոյ Գրիգորի Նարեկայ Վանից վանականի Մատեան Ողբերգութեան [The Book of Lamentation by Our Holy Father Gregory, Monk of the Narek Monastery], (Jerusalem, 1864) pp. 431-437.

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PERFECTION OR PERFECT LOVE? Seek and you shall find…. by Yn. Joanna Baghsarian

The following modern-day parable is about two men who enter the portals of the Armenian Church every Sunday, noting the comparison of their behaviors and reactions during the Divine Liturgy….

aron Perfectian and Baron Serian attend the same church every Sunday. The two men always sit together in the same pew. When Baron Perfectian enters the church, his tall and slender physique carries him with an air of pompous selfconfidence. His steps are deliberate, perfect and taken with pride in every stride. Impeccably dressed, there is never a wrinkle in his European-made suits. The stiﬀ, high-neck shirt collar seems to hold up his head. His thinning hair is slick and neat. His nose, slightly hooked. Small squinty eyes dart here, there, and everywhere and never miss anything that is going on around him. And…he never smiles, because one should never smile in church. In contrast, Baron Serian enters the sanctuary with a bounce in his step. He wears casual pants. A turtle-necked bulky sweater covers his slightly oversized mid-section. A generous crop of tousled curls are his crowning glory. His enormous brown eyes twinkle and, like the sun, his ever-present radiant smile shines for anyone who needs a smile on a cloudy day. Now, Baron Perfectian is always the first to arrive. God have mercy on the person who arrives before his grand entrance and innocently occupies his seat in the empty sanctuary. The poor chap would feel a chastising tap on his shoulder and hear the loud, reprimanding whisper of Baron Perfectian saying, “You are sitting in my seat!” On this particular Sunday, Baron Perfectian hears the organist miss a note during the prelude to “Soorp, Soorp” and he shrinks back, wincing at the sour note. 24

He sees a young girl in front of him talk while everyone bows in silent prayer and with the same slender, chastising finger, he nudges her to be quiet with a loud “Sussssss!!!” He feels as if the hokapartsoo is watching to see how much he places in the offering plate, and it makes him boil as he angrily places his dollar along with the rest. He catches the Der Hayr making a slip of the tongue five times during the Karoz. When it’s time for Holy Communion, the line down the center aisle reaches as far back as where the two men are seated – the last pew. Baron Perfectian glares at the people and thinks, “Look at all these sinners, Lord! I am so blessed because I am perfect. There’s no need for me to take Communion every Sunday like they do!!! Tsk, tsk, tsk…..” His sensibilities totally offended, he slips out of the sanctuary through the back door during the Hayr Mer muttering to himself, “Ankamuh yevus hos chem kar! I’ll never come here again!” On this particular Sunday, Baron Serian arrives shortly after Baron Perfectian is seated. “Paree Looys,” the proper Baron Perfectian says in a barely audible whisper in perfect Armenian pronunciation. Making no eye contact, he continues to look perfectly straight ahead. “Azdoodzo Paree!” is the loving reply from Baron Serian. His right hand pressed over his heart, he bends slightly in respectful acknowledgment and humbly takes his seat beside his friend. Unlike Baron Perfectian’s wincing at the sour note, when Baron Serian hears the organist play the prelude to “Soorp, Soorp”, he is overwhelmed with the holiness of the beautiful Badarak Hymn. At that very same moment, while everyone bows in silent prayer, he hears the same young girl seated in front of him tell her friend the simple moving message of the difference her faith made in her life. And instead of “susssing” her, Baron Serian quietly thanks God for this emerging generation of young believers. When the hokapartsoo comes with the plate, he is exceedingly glad to see that his church is sharing in a special offering for the children in Armenia and he gives cheerfully and generously.

During the sermon, Baron Serian doesn’t count Der Hayr’s mistakes. Instead, he counts his blessings, because the karoz that Sunday addresses a question that had gone unanswered for a long time. When Baron Serian rises to join the long line of people for Communion, he marvels at how many desire to draw near and partake of the ‘Mystical Banquet’. As Baron Perfectian walks out seething and grumbling under his breath, Baron Serian, with eyes closed during the Hayr Mer, ponders, “How can a man enter this sanctuary and not experience the presence of God?” Both men went to the same church on the same Sunday in search of meaning. While one sought Perfection and found fault, the other sought the Perfect Love and found……. Jesus. “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 29: 13,14)

Yeretsgin Joanna Baghsarian, author of the inspirational book Agapi, is a long-standing Christian educator and former Director of Christian Education of the Eastern Armenian Prelacy. Artwork by Yeretsgin Hasmik Ajamian

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Goshavank is a 12th - 13th-century Armenian monastery located in the village of Gosh in the Tavush Province of Armenia. The Treasury ÂŠ 2017