a few words from der tateos . . .

I wager to say that you thought the celebration of Christmas was over. Right? HA! First of all, as Christians, we NEVER put Christmas behind us. The celebration is with us always. In fact, each time we gather for Holy Badarak and give and receive the Kiss of Peace, Christ in our midst has been revealed! we are in effect saying to each other, Merry Christmas. So perhaps now at the end of January, we can reflect with serious and deliberate attention as to how the whole series of events began, with the story of the announcement to Mary, the mother of Jesus by the angel Gabriel, that she is to give birth to the Messiah. We sometimes envision this young girl who is often put on a pedestal, as someone thought to be so holy and pure as to be out of reach to us mortals. But though she is a saint and the one chosen to be the Mother-of God, she is also like us as someone who could become "greatly troubled." (See Luke 1.26-56) In fact, Mary was so "greatly troubled" that the angel tells her "Fear not," in an attempt to comfort her. "You really are favored by God!" Then again, it's not every day that one gets a cold call from a divine messenger. But we do get them from time to time, don't we? Those moments in a sermon or conversation, during a quiet walk in the woods or in prayer, when "Someone" taps us on the shoulder and says, "Hey you. Yeah you - favored one!" If we took it serious, it would scare the heebie-jeebies out of us. "Me? Favored? By God? You must have mistaken me for someone holy." But no matter how many times, or in what form, we hear, "Hey, you. Yeah you - favored one!" we have the hardest time believing we are the ones being addressed. For some, it's because their relationship with God is grounded in fear: it's more about obedience to a sovereign, doing what's right, or signing up for afterlife insurance. For others, it's because faith is overshadowed by disappointment: something horrible has happened to them or their loved one, and they find it hard to trust God.

e-Tsayn e-Voice is a publication of

The Diocese of the Armenian Church (Eastern) Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate Department of Mission Parishes Rev. Fr. Tateos R. Abdalian, Director

www.armenianchurch.net Diocesan Office: 212.686.0710 Email: dertateos@armeniandiocese.org !

For still others, it's because the message of unconditional love is just too good to be true: surely God demands something in return! It's hard to believe we're favored ones when we think along these lines. So, when we hear that still, small voice whisper, "Hey, you. Yeah, you - favored one!" we too are often greatly troubled. We simply can't imagine that the Creator of heaven and earth can possibly have time for such a selection. Some strike back, "If I'm so favored, why did you allow that to happen to me?" Still others think, "This can't mean me, the poser disciple, whose prayer life is in shambles and for whom self-control is but a wistful dream." And yet there it is, in all its stark wonder, in all its simplicity, it all its miraculous-ness, God's word to Mary, God's word to us: "Hey you. Yeah you - favored one!" Biblical commentators and novelists have fun speculating why Mary was greeted like this. She is often pictured as a devout young woman, pure in heart, whose righteousness won her the honor of bearing Jesus. But in fact, the Bible shows no interest whatsoever in Mary's life prior to this moment (and relatively little afterward). This announcement to Mary comes completely out of the blue, as if it were an act of sheer grace, indeed, an act of grace to Mary - and to us. Before we could decide for or against God, before we could show him how religious we are, before we could ask forgiveness for our first sin, before we were the apple of our parents' eyes, before the foundation of the world, God favored us. Not because he knew we would blossom into greatness. Not because he saw that we would become good Christians someday. Not even because we were humble enough to know we are not good Christians (which is really a kind of stealth pride!). No, we were favored when God knew well enough that we would fail to live up to our potential, that most days we would be miserable little disciples. Yet, in spite of the fact that we would be sad, fearful, doubting, anxious, and sinful people, he favored us. He has shown his favor in many ways, more than the number of hairs on our head. But every sign of his favor is grounded in the one sign: When he became one of us, one with us, he did so that we might become not only like him, but - and here's the sheer grace of it all - one with him. Jesus is God with us – Immanuel - that we might be men and women with him, sinful creatures drawn mysteriously into the fellowship of the Holy Trinity. Is there any greater favor than to share intimately in the life of God himself? The words of Mary echo in our hearts, "How can this be?" Like many of our questions, God also ignores this one. Instead, he just keeps showing up in Jesus Christ, saying, "Hey you. Yeah you - favored one!" After a while, his gracious greeting just wears us down. Just when we instinctively start to reply, "Me? Favored? By God?" the Holy Spirit reminds us of the gospel, and we wave the white flag and like Mary reply: "Lord, let it be to me according to your word."

In the months to come, our faithful will be presented with information and materials regarding the Diocesan Year of Lay Christian Vocations. Its proper title is Vocations – The Call to Serve: Ministry of the Faithful. This is to overlap with the previous two years regarding Clergy Vocations. The focus is to remind us all that we are constantly being tapped on the shoulder to become part of eventual completion of what it's all about. Here's a hint:

For God has made known to us all in wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. (Ephesians 1.10)

"Hey you. Yeah you - favored one!" Yes or No?

!

The Saints That We Commemorate St. Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria and St. Cyril of Alexandria (Jan 22) St. Vahan of Goghtn (Jan 25). !

St. Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria - one of the most illustrious defenders of the Christian faith, was born at Alexandria about the year 297. At the Council of Nicaea, (325) he appears prominently in connection with the Arian dispute, attending the council, not as one of its members (who were properly only bishops or delegates of bishops), but merely as the attendant of Patriarch Alexander. In this capacity, he was apparently allowed to take part in its discussions arguing earnestly for the apostolic doctrines. Within five months after his return, Alexander died and his friend and archdeacon Athanasius, at 30 years of age, was chosen to succeed him as Bishop of Alexandria.

The first few years of the episcopate of Athanasius were tranquil, but the storms in which the remainder of his life was passed soon began to gather around him. The Council of Nicaea had settled the creed of Christendom, but had by no means settled the divisions in the church that the Arian controversy had provoked. Arius himself still lived, and rapidly regained influence over the Emperor Constantine. The result of this was a demand made by the emperor that Arius should be re-admitted to communion. Athanasius stood firm, and refused to have any communion with the advocates of a "heresy that was fighting against Christ." Emperors and Bishops alike exiled him because of his truth in Orthodoxy, and heretics like Arius and his followers. If imperious in temper and inflexible in dogmatic determination, Athanasius had yet a great heart and intellect, enthusiastic in devotion to Christ, and in work for the good of the church and of mankind. His chief distinction as a theologian was his zealous advocacy of the essential divinity of Christ as co-equal in substance with the Father. This was the doctrine of the Homoousion, proclaimed by the Nicene Creed, and elaborately defended by his life and writings. Whether or not Athanasius first suggested the use of this expression, he was its greatest defender; and the universal doctrine of the Trinity has ever since been more identified with his "immortal" name than with any other in the history of the church and of Christian theology.

St. Cyril of Alexandria - (ca. 378 - 444), Patriarch of Alexandria Cyril was born at Alexandria, Egypt. He received a classical and theological education at Alexandria and was ordained by his uncle Theophilus and accompanied him to Constantinople in 403. He was present at the Synod of the Oak that deposed John Chrysostom, whom he believed guilty of the charges against him.

He succeeded his uncle as patriarch of Alexandria on his death in 412, but only after a riot between Cyril's supporters and the followers of his rival Timotheus. Cyril at once began a series of attacks against the Novatians, whose churches he closed; the Jews, whom he drove from the city; and governor Orestes, with whom he disagreed about some of his actions. In 430 Cyril became embroiled with Nestorius, patriarch of Constantinople, who was preaching that Mary was not the Mother of God since Christ

was Divine and not human, and consequently she should not have the word Theotokos (God-bearer) applied to her.

He persuaded Pope Celestine I to convoke a synod at Rome, which condemned Nestorius, and then did the same at his own synod in Alexandria. In 431, Cyril presided over the third General Council at Ephesus, attended by some two hundred bishops, which condemned all the tenets of Nestorius and his followers. When his opponents found what had been done, they held a council of their own and deposed Cyril. Emperor Theodosius II arrested both Cyril and Nestorius but released Cyril on the arrival of Papal Legates who confirmed the council's actions against Nestorius and declared Cyril innocent of all charges. Two years later, Archbishop John, representing the moderate Antiochene bishops, and Cyril reached an agreement and joined in the condemnation, and Nestorius was forced into exile.

During the rest of his life, Cyril wrote treatises that clarified the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation. He was the most brilliant theologian of the Alexandrian tradition. His writings are characterized by accurate thinking, precise exposition, and great reasoning skills. Among his writings are commentaries on John, Luke, and the Pentateuch, treatises on dogmatic theology, and Apologia against Julian the Apostate, and letters and sermons.

He died on the 9th or the 27th of June, 444, after an episcopate of nearly thirty-two years.

The Above information is From "Orthodox Saints" Vol 1 by Fr George Poulos, Holy Cross Orthodox Press; and The Lives of the Three Great Hierarchs:Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom, Holy Apostles Convent.

St. Vahan of Goghtn (737 AD)

As a young child, Vahan was taken into custody with many other children of Armenian nobility who had been killed. He was moved to Damascus where he received his education and, like the other children, Islamic training. He was well liked by the Arab leaders and attained a high position in the court. While serving in the court, the Arab overlords granted the captured Armenian children, who had grown into adulthood, the right to return home. Vahan promised his overlord he would come back but after returning to Armenia, his overlord died and Vahan felt he was released from his promise. Vahan married and established himself over the lands of his father who was killed prior

to his captivity. The Arab overlords, however, demanded Vahan's return and started to pursue him. He fled from one place to another over a number of years, leaving his family and home. At each place he went, the populace became endangered because of his presence so he finally decided to surrender himself, explain his desire rto remain in Armenia and practice his own religion. The Vostigan governing Armenia had him

immediately thrown into prison and after many different kinds of torture, he was finally beheaded. His life and martyrdom were recorded and according to some traditions, the melody and lyric of the sharagan dedicated to the saint were written by his sister. The information about St. Vahan of Goghtn was taken from Saints and Feasts of the Armenian Church, Patriarch Torkom Koushagian, Abridged and Edited; Trans. The Very Rev. Fr. Haigazoun Melkonian.

St. Nersess Armenian Seminary ! . "#$%&% '()*+*$*(

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! For members of our Mission Parishes the Rite of Home Blessing can be arranged through your Parish Council. Please make arrangements with them so that they can inform your visiting priest who will make the necessary preparations.

Home Blessing The home is not blessed to make it holy since all that God created is good and holy. It is rather for the purpose of dedication or re-dedication, a reminder that the home reflects the Kingdom. Decades ago in Armenian villages, the dzookh - which has come to be the word for “parish” but which literally means “smoke” - was defined by groups of chimneys or homes. In this way two or three village priests would divide the care of the flock in a town. They would bless the homes of families in their jurisdiction. Traditional times of the year for Armenian homes to be blessed are Eastertide (the fifty days following Easter), Christmastide (until February 14, The Feast of the Presentation), and after having moved into a new home. A rich and evocative blessing, the Dnorhnek has practically fallen into disuse along with many other blessing rituals, chiefly because the world is no longer popularly perceived as sacred and in need of repeated prayer and anointing. This perception is indeed perplexing considering that there has arguably never been a time when God’s blessings were more needed. At a home blessing, every member of the dwelling assembles with the priest to sanctify together the life-giving gifts of . . . BREAD: Bread is blessed as a potent symbol of God’s greatest gift offered back to Him in the form of a humble loaf. The staff of life, it is the vital spiritual food of Holy Communion, where it represents the ultimate convergence of the sacred and the profane. “This is the bread which came down from heaven...whoever eats this bread shall live forever.”(John 6:58) WATER: Water, the symbol of chaos out of which God created the world is also essential to life. God drew forth life from the formless waters (Gen 1); we ourselves float in a liquid womb; without water we quickly perish; and in the water of baptism we are “washed clean,” die to sin, and are reborn in Christ. SALT: Salt is an important, universal household staple. Salt seasons and purifies. “You shall present (rams) before the Lord, and the priests shall sprinkle salt upon them and offer them up to the Lord as a burnt offering.” (Ezekiel 43:24) A new-born baby in Biblical times would be rubbed with salt. Christ called His disciples the “salt of the earth.” INCENSE: Incense is an ancient symbol of prayers rising to God as well as of the individual soul burning with the love of God. “May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.” (Psalm 141:2Z NUSHKHAR: It is a custom in some communities for the priest to bring with him a nushkhar, the round flat wafer of blessed

bread stamped with a crucifix or plain cross and designs of grapes and wheat. Traditionally, this is placed in a container where salt, rice, wheat or flour (or other household staple) are stored as a symbol of the presence of God’s blessing. The Armenian home blessing service gathers these gifts and all who live in the home to be cleansed, blessed, and bestowed the protection of the Cross, of the Word (Scripture) and of the Holy Trinity. In this beautiful ritual, “old things pass away; behold, all things become new” (2 Cor. 5:17). The complete service, from which the commentary above was taken, is available from the Diocese, Department of Youth and Education.

Department of Mission Parishes

Pilgrimage to Armenia and Artsakh - 2011

June 22 – July 7, 2011

Open to all the Parishioners and Friends of our Mission Parishes

The Journey begins at the Four Star Congress Hotel in the heart of Yerevan

• Celebrate Divine Liturgy in THE CATHEDRAL OF HOLY ETCHMIADZIN and GANDZASAR CATHEDRAL in Artsakh

• Khor Virab Monastery • Lake Sevan: “The emerald of Armenia” • Dilijan: “A piece of Switzerland in Armenia”. • Oshakan – the last resting place of Mesrop Mashtots • Matenadaran Library and Research Institute of Armenia, • Erebouni museum and Fortress, founded in 782 BC. • “Victory” Park with panoramic view of Yerevan and Mt. Ararat, • Tsitsernakaberd memorial and museum to the 1915 Genocide, • Garni • Geghard • Khor Virab Monastery • Noravank Monastery • The Aerial Tramway of Tatev - spanning 5.7 kilometers across the spectacular Vorotan

River Gorge, offer a spectacular journey with breathtaking views of the river gorge below

• Tatev Monastery • Sardarabard • Other Historic Sites as well

WHILE IN ARTSAKH

• Two Nights in Goris and Two nights in Stepanakert • Amaras Monastery - among the world's oldest Christian monuments • Stepanakert - the capital of the Republic of Mountainous Kharabagh • “Tank” Liberation Monument - dedicated to the capture of the town of Shushi, also

known as "Eagles Nest" surrounded on three sides by deep canyons, and is home to Ghazanchetsots Cathedral

• City tour of Stepanakert • Artsakh State Museum

All this plus the culture, nightlife, and people Armenia offers

!Price includes: Tour Package Flight will leave from JFK Airport in New York

• Airplane Ticket • Full transportation and transfers in Armenia as specified in itinerary • Breakfast and lunch/dinner, as specified in itinerary • Entrance fee to all sightseeing destinations; • Tour guide (Armenian and English) • Hotel accommodation based on double occupancy (Congress Hotel/10 nights) • Hotel accommodation in Kharabagh (2 nights) • Hotel accommodation in Goris (2 night) • Visa for Kharabagh

Price per person in only $2,790

HURRY! REGISTRATION DEADLINE OF FEBRUARY 15, 2011

IS FAST APPROACHING

To download a copy of the Registration form, go to www.SIMATours.com

or call Shake at 610-359-7521

DON'T BE LEFT OUT ON THIS FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY

Tour Leader, Fr. Tateos Abdalian Director, Dept. of Mission Parishes

L E G A C Y !!

! ! ! ! !"#$%&&'()*$+,%-!!!

What can I leave you, what legacy, my son to remind you of me in time to come?

I have no treasure, no fortune, nor prize. My fortune was life’s gift of light in my eyes.

And you, after all, my prize jewel, but still

I want to leave some remembrance unlike any gift another nation’s father can will; something priceless, and something unique, that thing which in our era’s black days

men stole and clouded, and chained its peak.

Our mountain is the gift I bequeath, our mountain, your gift,

and duty to save, to lift out of its darkening haze and bring back to its lawful side. And even if your arms are weak

your justification is strong and wide. When it is home you can dig from my grave

my heart to bury in the snows of Massis so that snow can finally soothe the flame

that the tomb cannot cool nor tame.

.+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Like the pillars of your father’s house,

let it be yours.

Like our language, Ararat is your legacy.

!!!!!!

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88 eTsayn 1.23.11