a few words from der tateos . . .

The month of October has been designated as Armenian Cultural Month. This observance began in 1942 when Archbishop Karekin Hovsepian, then Primate of our Diocese, declared through an encyclical that the month of October shall be celebrated and promulgated as Armenian Cultural month. October was selected due to the commemoration of the Feast of the Holy Translators, observed the Saturday before the Fifth Sunday after the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. When we speak of Armenian Culture, we usually speak of Sts. Sahag and Mesrob, the invention of the Armenian Alphabet, as well as the written words created utilizing those letters. Thus, the fifth century of Armenian history has been spoken of as the Golden Age of Armenian literature, and rightfully so. Beginning with the translation of the Holy Bible, Armenian literature proliferated throughout the centuries. But also below are offered works by two notable contemporary Armenian writers, Vahan Tekeyan and Payrour Sevag. Through their words and imagery, these two writers have captured the pure inner spirit of the Armenian people that has sustained and nourished us throughout our history. The sad reality however is that too few of our people have ever heard of either of them let alone have read their works. Of course there are many other writers that can be mentioned. But the mentioning of names does not necessarily provoke one to read their writings. During the summer of 2010, I was again privileged to lead the A.C.Y.O.A. ASP trip to Armenia. Everywhere we went, I made it a point to the young adult participants that everything they saw, heard, and experienced was their legacy, handed down to them, beginning with the early inhabitants of the citadel of Erepouni. What they and their contemporaries are to do with it is yet to be seen. Why is it important for today's generation of Armenians who occupy their time with texting, twittering and filling their face-book pages to take the chance of being inspired by one of our writers? Perhaps through experiencing such an inspiring moment one will discover him/herself becoming the next Dianna Der Hovhanessian, Vahan Tekeyan, William Saroyan, Hovhaness Toumanian, Gomidas Vartabed, St. Nersess Shnorhali, . . . Perhaps.

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 !

The Saints Whom We Honor and Commemorate

Saint Mesrop Mashtots (also Mesrob, Mashtotz, Armenian: !"#$%& !'()%*; 361 or 362 - February 17, 440) was an Armenian monk, theologian and linguist. He is best known for having invented the Armenian alphabet, which was a fundamental step in strengthening the Armenian Church, the government of the Armenian Kingdom, and ultimately the bond between the Armenian Kingdom and Armenians living in the Byzantine Empire and the Persian Empire. Mesrop Mashtots was born in Taron and died in Vagharshapat. Koryun, his pupil and biographer, tells us that Mesrop received a liberal education, and was versed in the Greek and Persian languages. On account of his piety and learning Mesrop was appointed secretary to King Khosroes III. His duty was to write in Greek and Persian characters the decrees and edicts of the sovereign. But Mesrop felt called to a more perfect life. Leaving the court for the service

of God, he took holy orders, and withdrew to a monastery with a few chosen companions. There, says Koryun, he practiced great austerities, enduring hunger and thirst, cold and poverty. He lived on vegetables, wore a hair shirt, slept upon the ground, and often spent whole nights in prayer and the study of the Holy Scriptures. This life he continued for a few years, preparing himself for the great work to which Providence was soon to call him. Indeed both Church and State needed his services. Armenia, so long the battle-ground of Romans and Persians, lost its independence in 387, and was divided between the Byzantine Empire and Persia, about four-fifths being given to the latter. Western Armenia was governed by Byzantine generals, while an Armenian king ruled, but only as feudatory, over Persian Armenia. The Church was naturally influenced by these violent political changes, although the loss of civil independence and the partition of the land could not destroy its organization or subdue its spirit. Persecution only quickened it into greater activity, and had the effect of bringing the clergy, the nobles, and the common people closer together. The principal events of this period are the invention of the Armenian alphabet, the revision of the liturgy, the creation of an ecclesiastical and national literature, and the readjustment of hierarchical relations. Three men are prominently associated with this stupendous work: Mesrop, "#$!%&"#'()*'+!,&#&-.!and King Vramshapuh, who succeeded his brother Khosroes III in 394. Mesrop, as noted, had spent some time in a monastery preparing for a missionary life. With the support of Prince Shampith, he preached the Gospel in the district of Golthn near the river Araxes, converting many heretics and pagans. However, he experienced great difficulty in instructing the people, for the Armenians had no alphabet of their own, but used the Greek, Persian, and Syriac scripts, none of which were well suited for representing the many complex sounds of their native tongue. Again, the Holy Scriptures and the liturgy, being written in Syriac, were, to a large extent, unintelligible to the faithful. Hence the constant need of translators and interpreters to explain the Word of God to the people. Mesrop, desirous to remedy this state of things, resolved to invent a national alphabet, in which undertaking Isaac and King Vramshapuh promised to assist him. It is hard to determine exactly what part Mesrop had in the fixing of the new alphabet. According to his Armenian biographers, he consulted Daniel, a bishop of Mesopotamia, and Rufinus, a monk of Samosata, on the matter. With their help and that of Isaac and the king, he was able to give a definite form to the alphabet, which he probably adapted from the Greek. Others, like Lenormant, think it derived from the Avestan. Mesrop's alphabet consisted of thirty-six letters; two more (long O and F) were added in the twelfth century.

The first sentence in Armenian written down by St. Mesrop after he invented the letters is said to be the opening line of Solomon’s Book of Proverbs:

+','-". /01'#)%2302, "2 /4$'), 01','. /&',# 5',6'$%7:

«To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding.» Prov 1.2 The invention of the alphabet (406) was the beginning of Armenian literature, and proved a powerful factor in the upbuilding of the national spirit. The result of the work of Sahag and Mesrop, says St. Martinwas to separate for ever the Armenians from the other peoples of the East, to make of them a distinct nation, and to strengthen them in the Christian Faith by forbidding or rendering profane all the foreign alphabetic scripts which were employed for transcribing the books of the heathens and of the followers of Zoroaster. To Mesrop we owe the preservation of the language and literature of Armenia; but for his work, the people would have been absorbed by the Persians and Syrians, and would have disappeared like so many nations of the East. Anxious that others should profit by his discovery, and encouraged by the patriarch and the king, Mesrop founded numerous schools in different parts of the country, in which the youth were taught the new alphabet. But his activity was not confined to Eastern Armenia. Provided with letters from Sahag he went to Constantinople and obtained from the Emperor Theodosius the Younger permission to preach and teach in his Armenian possessions. Having returned to Eastern Armenia to report on his missions to the patriarch, his first thought was to provide a religious literature for his countrymen. Having gathered around him numerous disciples, he sent some to Edessa, Constantinople, Athens, Antioch, Alexandria, and other centers of learning, to study the Greek language and bring back the masterpieces of Greek literature. The most famous of his pupils were John of Egheghiatz, Joseph of Baghin, Yeznik, Koryun, Moses of Khorene, and Hovhannes Mandakuni. The first monument of this Armenian literature is the version of the Holy Scriptures. Sahag, says Moses of Khorene, made a translation of the Bible from the Syriac text about 411. This work must have been considered imperfect, for soon afterwards John of Egheghiatz and Joseph of Baghin were sent to Edessa to translate the Scriptures. They journeyed as far as Constantinople, and brought back with them authentic copies of the Greek text. With the help of other copies obtained from Alexandria the Bible was translated again from the Greek according to the text of the Septuagint and Origen's Hexapla. This version, now in use in the Armenian Church, was completed about 434. The decrees of the first three councils — Nicæa, Constantinople, and Ephesus — and the national liturgy (so far written in Syriac) were also translated into Armenian, the latter being revised on the liturgy of St. Basil, though retaining characteristics of its own. Many works of the Greek Fathers also passed into Armenian. The loss of the Greek originals has given some of these versions a special importance; thus, the second part of Eusebius's Chronicle, of which only a few fragments exist in the Greek, has been preserved entire in Armenian. In the midst of his literary labours Mesrop did not neglect the spiritual needs of the people. He revisited the districts he had evangelized in his earlier years, and, after the death of Isaac in 440, looked after the spiritual administration of the patriarchate. He survived his friend and master only six months. He is buried in Oshakan, a village 8 km southwest from Ashtarak. Nerses of Lambron Saint Nerses of Lambron (Armenian: !"#$"$ %&'(#)*&+,, Nerses Lambronatsi) (1153–1198) was the Archbishop of Tarsus in the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia who is remembered as one of the most significant figures in Armenian literature and ecclesiastical history. Nerses was the son of the Hethumid lord of Lambron, Oshin II, and the nephew of the Catholicos (1166-1173) Nerses IV. His mother Shahandukht was a descendant of St. Gregory the Illuminator. Nerses was well versed in

sacred and profane sciences and had an excellent knowledge of Greek, Latin, Syriac, and probably Coptic. His early education was at Skevravank (Skevra monastery) which was continued at Hromkla under the supervision of his uncle Nerses and Grigor Tgha (Gregory IV the Young, Catholicos from 1173 to 1193). Ordained in 1169 at the age of 16 by his uncle, he was elevated to episcopacy and consecrated Archbishop of Tarsus in 1176. Nerses became a zealous advocate of the union of the Greek and Armenian Churches. In 1179 he attended the Council of Hromkla, in which the terms of the union were discussed; his address at this council is considered a masterpiece of eloquence and style. The union was decided upon but never consummated owing to the death of Emperor Manuel Comnenus in 1180. Manuel's successors abandoned the negotiations and persecuted the Armenians, who dissatisfied with the Byzantines now turned to the Latins. Leo II, Prince of Cilicia, desirous to secure for himself the title of King of Armenia, sought the support of Pope Celestine III and of Emperor Henry VI. The pope received his request favorably, but made the granting of it dependent upon the union of Cilicia to the Church of Rome. He sent Conrad, Archbishop of Mainz, to Tarsus, and the terms of union having been signed by Leo and twelve of the bishops, among whom was Nerses, Leo was crowned King of Armenia, 6 January 1198. Nerses died six months afterwards, on 17 July. Nerses is justly regarded as one of the greatest writers in Armenian literature. He deserves fame as poet, prose writer, and translator. He wrote an elegy on the death of his uncle, Nerses IV, and many hymns. His prose works include his oration at the Council of Hromcla; Commentaries on the Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Wisdom, and the Minor Prophets; an explanation of the liturgy; a letter to Leo II and another to Uskan, a monk of Antioch; and two homilies. He translated into Armenian the Rule of St. Benedict; the "Dialogues" of Gregory the Great; a life of this saint; and the letters of Lucius III and Clement III to the patriarch, Gregory. From the Syriac he translated the "Homilies" of Jacob of Serugh and, probably from the Coptic, the "Life of the Fathers of the Desert". Some writers ascribe to him an Armenian version of a commentary of Andreas of Caesarea on the Apocalypse. Nerses in his original writings frequently refers to the primacy and infallibility of the pope.Nerses III the Builder Nerses III the Builder (Armenian: !"#$"$ - .,*)/) was the Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church between 641 and 661. He was originally from the village of Ishkhan in Tayk. He ruled at a troubled time during which Armenia had to choose between their neighbors Byzantines and Persians along with their new conquerors the Arabs. Nerses maintained friendly relations with the Byzantines and in 648 called the Council of Dvin which accepted the Council of Chalcedon, bringing it back into communion with the Orthodox Church, though based on the Monothelite compromise. The Byzantine Emperor Constans II had entered Armenia the previous year and claimed Armenia for himself, staying at Nerses's residence at Dvin for a time. Catholicos Nerses III received the title of the Builder due to the grand construction works he undertook during his reign. The most important ones were the construction of a chapel over the pit of imprisonment of St. Gregory the Illuminator at Khor Virap (which was replaced a thousand years later by the current church) and the magnificent cathedral of Zvartnots. One tradition says he might have been buried on the northern side of the church. Gregory of Narek Grigor Narekatsi (or Krikor, Grigor Naregatsi, -#,0)# !&#"1&+,) (951–1003) is a canonized saint. He was an Armenian monk, poet, mystical philosopher and theologian, born into a family of writers. His father, Khosrov, was an archbishop. He lost his mother very early, so he was educated by his cousin, Anania of Narek, who was the founder of the monastery and school of the village. Almost all of his life he lived in the monasteries of Narek (in Greater Armenia, now Turkey) where he taught at the monastic school. He is the author of mystical interpretation on the Song of Songs (977) and numerous poetic writings. Narekatsi's poetry is deeply biblical and is penetrated with images, themes and realities of sacred history, distinguished with

intimate, personal character. The mystical poem "Book of Lamentations" (published in 1673 in Marseille) has been translated into many languages and has played a significant role in the development of the Armenian literary language.

For Narekatsi, peoples' absolute goal in life should be to reach to God, and to reach wherever human nature would unite with godly nature, thus erasing the differences between God and men. As a result, the difficulties of earthly life would disappear. According to him, mankind's assimilation with God is possible not by logic, but by feelings. Numerous miracles and traditions have been attributed to the saint and perhaps that is why he is referred to as "the watchful angel in human form". The monastery of Narek was utterly destroyed in the 20th century after the Armenian Genocide. Born circa 950 to a family of scholarly churchmen, St. Gregory entered Narek Monastery on the south-east shore of Lake Van at a young age. Shortly before the first millennium of Christianity, Narek Monastery was a thriving center of learning.

These were the relatively quiet, creative times before the Turkic and Mongol invasions that changed Armenian life forever. Armenia was experiencing a renaissance in literature, painting, architecture and theology, of which St. Gregory was a leading figure. The Prayer Book is the work of his mature years. He called it his last testament: "its letters like my body, its message like my soul." St. Gregory left this world in 1003, but his voice continues to speak to us. Written shortly before the first millennium of Christianity, the prayers of St. Gregory of Narek have long been recognized as gems of Christian literature. St. Gregory called his book an “encyclopedia of prayer for all nations.” It was his hope that it would serve as a guide to prayer by people of all stations around the world. A leader of the well-developed school of Armenian mysticism at Narek Monastery, at the request of his brethren he set out to find an answer to an imponderable question: what can one offer to God, our creator, who already has everything and knows everything better than we could ever express it? To this question, posed by the prophets, psalmist, apostles and saints, he gives a humble answer – the sighs of the heart – expressed in his Book of Prayer, also called the Book of Lamentations. In 95 grace-filled prayers St. Gregory draws on the exquisite potential of the Classical Armenian language to translate the pure sighs of the broken and contrite heart into an offering of words pleasing to God. The result is an edifice of faith for the ages, unique in Christian literature for its rich imagery, its subtle theology, its Biblical erudition, and the sincere immediacy of its communication with God.

Movses Khorenatsi, also Moses of Khoren or Moses of Khorene (Armenian: !"#$%$&'"(%)*+, , Armenian pronunciation: scholars have argued for either fifth century (ca. 410 – 490s AD), or a 7th to 9th century date) was an Armenian historian, and author of the History of Armenia. He is credited with the earliest known historiographical work on the history of Armenia, but was also a poet, or hymn writer, and a grammarian. The History of Armenia was written at the behest of Prince Sahak Bagratuni and has had an enormous impact on Armenian historiography and was used and quoted extensively by later medieval Armenian authors. Although other Armenians, such as Agat'angeghos, had previously written histories on Armenia, Movses' work holds particular significance because it contains unique material on the

old oral traditions in Armenia before its conversion to Christianity and, more important, traces Armenian history from Movses' day to its origins. He is considered to be the "father of Armenian history" (patmahayr), and is sometimes referred to as the "Armenian Herodotus." Movses identified himself as a young disciple of Saint Mesrop and is recognized by the Armenian Apostolic Church as one of the Holy Translators, although many scholars, especially after the highly-influential 1978 publication of the English translation and commentary of his work,[3] believe that he composed his work much later. Movses' biographical details are given at the very end of the History of Armenia but additional information provided by later medieval Armenian historians have allowed modern scholars to piece together additional information on him. Movses was believed to have been born in the village of Khorni (also spelled as Khoron and Khoronk) in the Armenian province of Taron sometime in 410.[4] However, some scholars contend that if he was born here, he would have then been known as Movses of Khorneh or Khoron.[5] They instead move the location of his birth from Taron to the Armenian province of Syunik, in the village of Khorena in the region of Harband. He received his education in Syunik and was later sent to be taught under the auspices of Mesrop Mashtots, the creator of the Armenian alphabet, and Catholicos Sahak Partev. In having considerable difficulty translating the Bible from Greek to Armenian, Mesrop and Sahak felt the need to send Movses and several of their other students to Alexandria, Egypt, at that time the center of education and learning, so that they themselves learn the Greek and Syriac languages, as well as to learn grammar, oratory, theology and philosophy. The students left Armenia sometime between 432 to 435. After studying in Alexandria for five to six years, Movses and his fellow classmates returned to Armenia, only to find that Mesrop and Sahak had died. Movses expressed his grief in a lamentation at the end of History of Armenia: While they [Mesrop and Sahak] awaited our return to celebrate their student’s accomplishments [i.e., Movses’], we hastened from Byzantium, expecting that we would be dancing and singing at a wedding...and instead, I found myself grieving at the foot of our teachers' graves...I did not even arrive in time to see their eyes close nor hear them speak their final words. To further complicate their problems, the atmosphere in Persian Armenia that Movses and the other students had returned to was one that was extremely hostile and they were viewed at with contempt by the native population. While later Armenian historians blamed this on an ignorant populace, Persian ideology and policy also lay at fault, since its rulers "could not tolerate highly educated young scholars fresh from Greek centers of learning." Given this atmosphere and persecution by the Persians, Movses went into hiding in a village near Vagharshapat and lived in relative seclusion for several decades. The Catholicos of Armenia Gyut (461-471) one day met Movses while traveling through the area and, unaware of his true identity, invited him to supper with several of his students. Movses was initially silent, but after Gyut's students encouraged him to speak, Movses made a marvelous speech at the dinner table. One of the Catholicos' students was able to identify Movses as a person Gyut had been searching for; it was soon understood that Gyut was one of Movses' former classmates and friends. Gyut embraced Movses and, being either a Chalcedonian Christian or at least tolerant of them (since Movses was also Chalcedonian), brought his friend back from seclusion and appointed him to be a bishop in Bagrevan. Serving as a bishop, Movses was approached by Prince Sahak Bagratuni (d. 482), who, having heard of Movses' reputation, asked him to write a history of the Armenians, especially the biographies of Armenian kings and the origins of the Armenian nakharar families. Movses agreed to do so and he finished his book sometime in 482. However, Artashes Matevosyan, an expert on medieval Armenian manuscripts, basing his conclusions on new

details revealed in his research on the Chronicle by the sixth century Armenian historian Atanas Taronatsi, placed Movses' completion of History to the year 474. One of his primary reasons for taking up Sahak Bagratuni's request is given in the first part of Patmutyun Hayots, or History of Armenia: "For even though we are small and very limited in numbers and have been conquered many times by foreign kingdoms, yet too, many acts of bravery have been performed in our land, worthy of being written and remembered, but of which no one has bothered to write down." Movses' history also gives a rich description of the oral traditions that were popular among the Armenians of the time, such as the romance story of Artashes and Satenik and the birth of the god Vahagn. Movses lived for several more years, and he died sometime in the late 490s. Yeghishe Vardapet (Armenian: -.,/%, Armenian pronunciation: , AD 410 – 475; Eliseus, spelled alternatively Yeghisheh, Yeghishé, Eghishe, or E!i"#) was a prominent Armenian historian. He was the author of a history documenting the successful revolt of the Armenians in the 5th century against the rule and religion of the Sassanid Persians. According to ancient and medieval sources that have trickled down to historians, Yeghishe was one of the younger pupils of Sahak Partev and Mesrop Mashtots, the inventor of the Armenian Alphabet. In 434, he, along with several other students, were sent to Alexandria to study Greek, Syriac and the liberal arts. He returned to Armenia in 441 and entered into military service, serving as a soldier or secretary to the Sparapet Vardan Mamikonian. He took part in the war of religious independence (449-451) against the Persian King, Yazdegerd II. Following their defeat at the battle of Avarayr, he renounced military life, became a hermit and retired to the mountains south of Lake Van (Rshtunik'). In 464-465, he was asked to write the history of the events leading up to and after the battle of Avarayr by a priest named David Mamikonian. Following his death, his remains were removed and taken to the Surb Astvatsatsin Monastery, located along Lake Van's shoreline.[1] All ancient authorities speak of Yeghishe as a vardapet (church doctor). Yeghishe’s most famous work is the History of Vardan and the Armenian War [written] at the request of David Mamikonian, which he calls a "Hishatakaran" ("0,/*1*2*!*)", a"Memorial" or "Recollection", rather than a standard history). In this he recounts the struggle of the Armenians, in union with the Iberians and the Caucasian Albanians, for their common faith, against the Persians (449-451). Both sides saw religion as a badge of national identity; the Armenians were determined to retain Christianity, while the Persians attempted to force a reintroduction of Zoroastrianism. In his own words, Yeghishe wrote the work "in order to reprove his sins, so that everyone hears and knows they may cast curses on him and not lust after his deeds."[5] The work is considered one of the masterpieces of classical Armenian literature and is almost entirely free from Greek words and expressions. A number of other works also exist. There is an Exhortation to the monks; On the transfiguration, a Homily on the Passion of the Lord. The "Questions and Answers on Genesis" is probably not genuine. The original text of Yeghishe's work, like all others written during this period, does not exist (all currently extant Armenian manuscripts date to the tenth century or later). The oldest surviving manuscript of his History of Vardan dates to 1174.

Adapted from various websites and sources

THE ARMENIAN CHURCH

by Vahan Tekeyan

The Armenian Church is the birthplace of my soul, Like a vast grotto it is simple and profound, dark and light - With its hospitable court, ample tribune, and hushed altar Standing in the distance, as though it were a ship afloat . . .

The Armenian Church I see with my eyes closed, I breathe and hear it through the clouds of incense Which rise towards the feet of the Infant Jesus, And through the fervent prayers vibrating its walls . . . The Armenian Church is the mighty fortress of my forefathers' faith Raised by them from the earth stone by stone, And brought down by them from heaven, one dewdrop and one cloud at a time, And in which they unfold themselves peacefully and humbly . . . The Armenian Church is a great embroidered tapestry, Behind which the Lord descends into the chalice, and Before which all my people stand with bowed heads, To commune with the past through the life giving bread and wine . . . The Armenian Church is a peaceful haven across the turbulent seas, It is fire and light in the cold of the night; It is a shady forest in the scorching midday sun Where lilies bloom by the River of Hymns . . .

The Armenian Church beneath every stone in its floor Holds a secret passage leading up to Heaven . . . The Armenian Church is the shining armor of the Armenians' soul and body, In it her crosses are as a dagger; Her bell rings forth and her song is always Victory . . .

!

We Are few; But We Are Armenians

by Bayrour Sevak !!We are few, but they say of us we are Armenians. We do not think ourselves superior to anyone. Clearly we shall to accept That we, and only we, have an Ararat, And that it here rises a Lake Sevan The sky mirrors its true image. Clearly David has fought here. Clearly Narek has been written here. Clearly we know how to sculpt an abbey from a rock, To fashion a fish from stone, and a man from clay, To teach and be pupils of The Beautiful, The Kind, The Majestic, The Good…. We are few, but they say of us we are Armenians. We do not think ourselves superior to anyone. Clearly our fate has been a different one, Clearly much blood has flowed from us, Clearly throughout our life of ages When we have been many

And stood up straight, We did not in turn destroy another race, Not a soul has suffered from the blow of our arm. Centuries have come and centuries gone, And we have not dictated to anyone. If any have been enslaved It is only through our books, If any have been ruled It is only by our talents…. Clearly we were beloved of death, Though we did not willingly give ourselves to it. And when disheartened we abandoned our soil, Wherever we reached, wherever we were, We tried our best for the sake of all… Built bridges, Fashioned arches, Plowed lands everywhere, Raised crops, Gave to all thought, sayings, songs, Protected them from spiritual cold, Left everywhere the gleam of our eyes, Relics from our souls, And from our hearts a wafer… We are few, yes, but we are called Armenians. We know how to cry out over wounds not yet healed, But also how to rejoice with a new gaiety and take delight, We know how to trust into the enemy’s side And how to become an ally to a friend, To shed the burden of a kindness By returning it tenfold … For the sake of sun and justice We know also how to cast our lives … But should they want to burn us by force

We know how to smother and put out fires, And if the darkness is to be dispelled We know how to burn down like a bright candle, And we know also how to love passionately, But always ever respecting others …

IS GOD CALLING ME?

To help discern the answer call Fr. Daniel Findikyan at

St. Nersess Armenian Seminary 914-636-2003

or write to him at

info@stnersess.edu

One of those feel good stories we all need to hear. A seminary professor was vacationing with his wife in Gatlinburg, TN. One morning, they were eating breakfast at a little restaurant, hoping to enjoy a quiet, family meal. While they were waiting for their food, they

noticed a distinguished looking, white-haired man moving from table to table, visiting with the guests. The professor leaned over and whispered to his wife, 'I hope he doesn't come over here.' But sure enough, the man did come over to their table. 'Where are you folks from?' he asked in a friendly voice. ' Oklahoma ,' they answered. 'Great to have you here in Tennessee ,' the stranger said. 'What do you do for a living?' 'I teach at a seminary,' he replied. 'Oh, so you teach preachers how to preach, do you? Well, I've got a really great story for you.' And with that, the gentleman pulled up a chair and sat down at the table with the couple. The professor groaned and thought to himself, 'Great .. Just what I need ...another preacher story!' The man started, 'See that mountain over there? (pointing out the restaurant window). Not far from the base of that mountain, there was a boy born to an unwed mother. He had a hard time growing up, because every place he went, he was always asked the same question, 'Hey boy, Who's your daddy?' Whether he was at school, in the grocery store or drug store, people would ask the same question, 'Who's your daddy?' He would hide at recess and lunchtime from other students. He would avoid going into stores because that question hurt him so bad. 'When he was about 12 years old, a new preacher came to his church. He would always go in late and slip out early to avoid hearing the question, 'Who's your daddy?' But one day, the new preacher said the benediction so fast that he got caught and had to walk out with the crowd. Just about the time he got to the back door, the new preacher, not knowing anything about him, put his hand on his shoulder and asked him, 'Son, who's your daddy?' The whole church got deathly quiet. He could feel every eye in the church looking at him. Now everyone would finally know the answer to the question, 'Who's your daddy?' 'This new preacher, though, sensed the situation around him and using discernment that only the Holy Spirit could give, said the following to that scared little boy: 'Wait a minute! I know who you are! I see the family resemblance now. You are a child of God.' With that he patted the boy on his shoulder and said, 'Boy, you've got a great inheritance. Go and claim it.' 'With that, the boy smiled for the first time in a long time and walked out the door a changed person. He was never the same again. Whenever anybody asked him, 'Who's your Daddy?' he'd just tell them, 'I'm a Child of God.'' The distinguished gentleman got up from the table and said, 'Isn't that a great story?' The professor responded that it really was a great story! As the man turned to leave, he said, 'You know, if that new preacher hadn't told me that I was one of God's children, I probably never would have amounted to anything!' And he walked away.

The seminary professor and his wife were stunned. He called the waitress over and asked her, 'Do you know who that man was -- the one who just left that was sitting at our table?' The waitress grinned and said, 'Of course. Everybody here knows him. That's Ben Hooper. He's the former governor of Tennessee!' Someone in your life today needs a reminder that they're one of God's children! 'The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of God stands forever.' ~~Isaiah

YOU'RE ONE OF GOD'S CHILDREN!!! HAVE A GREAT DAY!