Morning Service
10:00 AM
Holy Badarak
10:30 AM
Celebrant
All Deacons
Ushers
Mrs. Rouzanna Oganissian
Mrs. Rebecca Petrosian
Parish Council Members on Duty
Ms. Sarine Zenian, Dr. Ara Avedisian,
Mr. Mark Krikorian
Choir
Mrs. Edita Kalayjian
Organist
Mrs. Karine Muradyan
Bible Reading
Luke 4:14-30. Isaiah 54:1-13. 1
Timothy 1:1-11. John 2:1-11.
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HOKEHANKIST
REQUIEM SERVICE
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HOKEHANKIST
REQUIEM SERVICE
No Hokehankist this Sunday
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To request a Hokehankist/Requiem Service
please contact the Church Office
by 12:00 Noon on Thursday
202-363-1923 or E-mail
[email protected]
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We thank all of our parishioners and friends for making their
Yughakin, Poinsettias and In Lieu of Christmas Card Donations
On the Occasion of the Feast of Nativity and Theophani of our Lord
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ST. MARY CHURCH RENOVATION
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January 12-13
Pilgrimage to St. Vartan Cathedral and visit to Metropolitan Museum of Art Armenia Exhibit
January 15, 22, 29
February 5, 12 & 19
Bible Study
See Details here
January 19
Badarak and Blessing of the Water Service Baltimore Armenian Community at Saint Philip Neri Catholic Church
January 25
Lecture and Book Signing by Hayko Bagdat
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CALENDAR OF FEASTS & EVENTS
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January 13
Feast of Naming of Our Lord Jesus Christ
January 12 & 13
Pilgrimage to St. Vartan Cathedral and visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art Armenia exhibit
January 15, 22 & 29
Bible Study
January 19
Badarak and Blessing of the Water Service Baltimore Armenian Community at Saint Philip Neri Catholic Church
January 25
Lecture and Book Signing by Hayko Bagdat
February 5, 12 & 19
Bible Study
February 14
Presentation of the Lord to the Temple (Տեառնընդառաջ)
March 2
Women's Guild Paregentan Event
March 3
Great Barekendan
April 7
Annunciation to the Virgin Mary
April 14
Palm Sunday
April 21
Easter Sunday
April 24
Feast of the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide
May 17-19
Spring food festival
May 30
Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ
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FAR Chocolate Bank Project
Ayo! has launched its Chocolate Bank Project for 2018. This amazing initiative collects and then delivers chocolates and other Christmas sweets to children who live in poverty. This year the Ayo! and FAR team plans to visit daycares in 14 villages
- some of which have the coldest conditions in Armenia - to bring gifts of chocolate and other sweets, and to hold a celebration for children in need. Ayo! is also raising money to provide selected daycares with new bedding, including warm blankets and pillows, which will help them through the brutal winter. While the daycares generally have appropriate conditions for the children, they have a vital and urgent need for new bedding. Ayo! will be collecting chocolates, candies and cookies at FAR's Yerevan until December 25th
. Donations online will be collected until January 6th.
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Manifestation, Circumcision and Naming of our Lord Jesus Christ
Eight days after the Holy Nativity of our Lord, we celebrate His Circumcision, one of the Feasts of the Lord, on which - in accordance with Hebrew tradition - He received the name "Jesus": "And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the Child, His name was called Jesus, which was so named of the Angel before He was conceived in the womb" (Luke 2:21).
The name "Jesus" comes from Joshua or Yehoshuah, the Hebrew word for "savior" or "deliverer." Devotion to the Holy Name can be traced back to Paul's Letter to the Philippians, which says God highly exalted Jesus "and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth" (Philippians 2:9-11). The true descendants of the Patriarch Abraham were separated from the other nations by the sign of circumcision (a prefigurement of Baptism: "the circumcision made without hands" [Colossians 2:1]) and thereby became members of the God-ruled community of the Old Testament; that is, through circumcision, they entered among the chosen People of God. Christ was now "made under the law," being conformed to the prescriptions of the Mosaic Law (Galatians 4:4) and "fulfilling" the Law (Matthew 3:15), in order to elevate the Church of the Law into a Church of Grace, into a new "Israel of God" (cf Galatians 6:16), into a Theanthropic organism-into His Body.
The Circumcision of our Lord inspired the Holy Church to institute a beautiful and deeply symbolic custom for the newborn children of Christians to be baptized eight days after the birth.
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Քրիստոսի Անվանակոչության տոն
Ըստ հրեական օրենքի` ծննդյան 8-րդ օրը Հիսուս, ինչպես նորածին ամեն մի արու զավակ, թլփատվեց և անվանակոչվեց: Այդ մասին վկայում է Ղուկաս Ավետարանիչը. «Եվ երբ ութ օրերը լրացան, և նա թլփատվեց, նրա անունը Հիսուս դրվեց, ինչպես հրեշտակի կողմից կոչվել էր, երբ դեռ չէր հղացվել մոր որովայնում» (Ղուկ. 2:21): Հիսուս եբրայերեն բառ է, որ նշանակում է Փրկիչ:
Գաբրիել հրեշտակը, Աստվածամորն ավետելով Աստծո Որդու ծննդյան մասին, Հիսուս անունն է հիշատակել: Այս մասին կրկին վկայում է նույն Ավետարանիչը. «Եվ ահա դու կհղիանաս և կծնես մի որդի և նրա անունը Հիսուս կդնես» (Ղուկ. 1:31): Հիսուս անվանը զուգահեռ Փրկչին տրվում է նաև Քրիստոս անունը: Այն հունարեն բառ է, որ նշանակում է Օծյալ և համապատասխանում է եբրայերենի Մեսիային: Փրկչի անվանակոչության տոնին հայոց բոլոր եկեղեցիներում մատուցվում է Սուրբ Պատարագ, իսկ նախորդ օրը երեկոյան ժամերգության ավարտին կատարվում է նախատոնակի արարողություն:
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This Saturday and Sunday, January 12 and 13, the members of our church community
will be embarking
to a pilgrimage to St. Vartan Cathedral in New York
City and visiting Armenian
Art Exhibit at the Metropolitan
Museum.
Please note that on Sunday, January 13 the Church will be open for prayers and a short service will be conducted by our Deacons at 11:00 am.
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Feast of Nativity and Theophany Celebrated at St. Mary
On January 5 the Jragalouits Badarak began with the Evening Service. After the Badarak, parishioners and friends enjoyed the traditional Home Blessing service in our church hall and a reception sponsored by the Parish Council.
St. Mary Church then celebrated the glorious Feast of the Birth and Baptism of our Lord with the Divine Liturgy and Blessing of the Water Service on January 6. We congratulated Hovsep Seferian, the son of Avedis and Anna Sefferian, who served as the Godfather for the Blessing of the Water. Parishioners participated in the liturgy on both days and greeted one another with the renewing and joyous news of our Lord's Revelation "To you and us good news! Tzez yev mez Medz Avedis! Christ is born and revealed. Kristos tsnav yev haytnetsav. Blessed is the revelation of Christ. Orhnyal e haytnutyunn Kristosi."
A festive luncheon was hosted by the Ararat Avak Society and enjoyed by over 100 parishioners at the Church Hall fallowing the Badarak.
To view photos form Jragalouits Badarak
click here
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Avak Society Nativity Luncheon
After our parishioners celebrated the Feast of the Birth and Baptism of our Lord on January 6 they enjoyed a festive luncheon presented by the Ararat Avak Society. Over 100 people attended a lavish meal of koufta soup, rice pilaf, mushroom chicken, vegetables, green salad, and traditional anoush abour dessert. The parishioners celebrated the holiday in a lovely setting within our church community of friends and family.
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Bible Study on the Gospel of Matthew
St. Mary's new series of Bible Study on the Gospel of Matthew began on Tuesday, January 8. It was well attended and will continue on regular bases every Tuesday until February 19.
Please join us to explore the Gospel of Matthew and take an in-depth journey into the heart of God. Enter into the drama of Christ's family tree, the birth of our Savior, His duel in the desert with Satan, and the life-changing truths of His Sermon on the Mount.
Experience the unfolding of Jesus' ministry through His miracles and parables. Be there as our Lord triumphantly enters into Jerusalem on His way to the cross, tomb, and resurrection.
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Christmas Message of His Holiness Karekin II
In his homily for the Feast of the Theophany on January 6, 2019, His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, remarked that the Nativity story begins with the human family-and leads to a family of all the followers of Christ.
"Through Christ, we are adopted by God," he said. "Through Christ, God the Creator is our Father, who loves us and renews our life through the hopeful and blessed joy of the Holy Nativity. The proclamation of the Savior's birth encompasses our souls, fulfils our spiritual life, and bestows strength and power to pursue God's will."
With the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin undergoing an architectural restoration, His Holiness delivered the message during a Pontifical Divine Liturgy in Yerevan's mammoth St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral. Following the liturgy, Catholicos Karekin II led the "Blessing of Water" ceremony, where the president of AGBU Armenia, Vasken Yacoubian, served as Godfather of the Cross. Armenia's President Armen Sarkissian and its Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, along with officers of the government, attended the service and received the Catholicos' blessing.
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Finding Christ in the Most Unexpected Ways
In his first Armenian Christmas sermon as Diocesan Primate, the Very Rev. Fr. Daniel Findikyan noted how the story of Christ's nativity-though it describes an event of cosmic significance in human history-is told through the experiences of common, everyday people.
"The story's heroine, Mary, is a young Jewish girl," Fr. Findikyan said. "Joseph has no prestigious pedigree; the most we know is that he was a carpenter. The shepherds, gritty with the dirt of their daily work, are the 'star characters' who first greet the newborn savior."
"And the son of God himself comes into this world as a baby, born in an oppressed, occupied land. He's born not in a palace, not even in a bed, but in a manger, with animals surrounding him."
He went on: "God as we know Him-as Armenian Christians know Him-brings the glory of heaven down to the earth, in the most unexpected ways."
Learn more by watching video of the Primate's entire Armenian Christmas homily at St. Vartan Cathedral. Click on the following links to watch in English and in Armenian.
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Home Blessing in the New Year
Throughout history, Armenian Christians have considered the home to be a sacred place: the tranquil sanctuary of the family, where habits of virtue, pious traditions, and life-affirming customs are passed from one generation to another.
Above all, the home is where one's faith in God is first kindled, and where that faith finds some of the most profound occasions for action.
According to the traditions of the Armenian Church, God is asked to bestow His blessing on homes during the period following the Feast of the Nativity and Theophany of our Lord. In this season, clergy visit the homes of parishioners and perform the beautiful "Home Blessing" service.
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An Appetizing Lunchroom for Armenian Schoolkids
For years, the school cafeteria at Tavush elementary school was in terrible condition. For the roughly 100 children who attend the school in Armenia's Berd region, mealtime was a daily ordeal: cold, dirty, and unappetizing.
But the Fund for Armenian Relief, through its Breaking the Cycle of Poverty Program, has changed those dismal circumstances. The students now enjoy a cheery, revamped cafeteria, equipped with new appliances, reliable hot water, and gas. The effort was a collaboration involving FAR, the United Nations World Food Program, and CARD Agrocredit.
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Please Stay Current with Your Membership
St. Mary Church brings us together to worship, educate, and serve, yet we need your help to sustain this mission.
We call upon you to renew, or become a new member, because dues are the largest part of our church income
to help keep our beloved parish doors open.
Your Membership
MAKES A DIFFERENCE
Help us fulfill our mission to sustain and grow our ministries, worship programs and activities
to
strengthen our church family for generations to come.
Thank you for your generosity and support.
To Learn More About Membership
To Become A Member
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READ MORE NEWS FROM DIOCESE
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Գալիլիա հասնելու երրորդ օրը Կանա քաղաքում հարսանիք կար։ Եւ Յիսուսի մայրը այնտեղ էր։ 2 Հարսանիքի հրաւիրուեցին նաեւ Յիսուս եւ իր աշակերտները։ 3 Եւ երբ գինին պակասեց, մայրը Յիսուսին ասաց. «Գինի չունեն»։ 4 Եւ Յիսուս նրան ասաց. «Ի՞նչ ես ուզում ինձնից, ո՛վ կին, իմ ժամանակը դեռ չի հասել»։ 5 Նրա մայրը սպասաւորներին ասաց. «Ինչ որ ձեզ ասի, արէ՛ք»։ 6 Այնտեղ կային քարէ վեց թակոյկներ՝ հրեաների սովորութեան համաձայն մաքրուելու համար. նրանցից իւրաքանչիւրը շուրջ հարիւր լիտր տարողութիւն ունէր։ 7 Յիսուս նրանց ասաց. «Լցրէ՛ք այդ թակոյկները ջրով»։ Եւ լցրին բերնէբերան։ 8 Եւ ասաց նրանց. «Հիմա վերցրէ՛ք եւ տարէ՛ք սեղանապետին»։ Եւ նրանք տարան։ 9 Եւ երբ սեղանապետը ճաշակեց գինի դարձած ջուրը ու չէր իմանում, թէ որտեղից է (բայց սպասաւորները, որոնք ջուր լցրին, գիտէին), 10 խօսեց փեսայի հետ ու ասաց. «Ամէն մարդ նախ ընտիր գինին է մատուցում, եւ երբ հարբած են, այն ժամանակ՝ վատը։ Իսկ դու ընտիր գինին մինչեւ հիմա պահել ես»։ 11 Յիսուս այս առաջին նշանն արեց Գալիլիայի Կանա քաղաքում որպէս սկիզբը նշանների եւ յայտնեց իր փառքը, ու նրա աշակերտները հաւատացին նրան։
Հովհաննես 2:1-11
On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."4 "Woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied. "My hour has not yet come."5 His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.7 Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim.8 Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet."They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
John 2:1-11
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COME VISIT THE ST. MARY GIFT SHOP
Our gift shop is furnished with distinctive and unique items from Armenians all over the world.
Some of the items are Armenian crosses, jewelry, paintings, religious tiles and tapestry icons, children
and adult books, T-shirts, hats, bags, Armenian CDs, Armenian artwork, and much more.
The Gift Shop is open every week after Sunday
Church services and by appointment.
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St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church
Serves the Greater Washington, DC and Baltimore communities. Our mission is to proclaim and grow together
in our Apostolic Faith in Christ Jesus and to sustain our Christian Armenian identity. We celebrate our long and enduring legacy,
the beautiful
traditions of our religious and national heritage, with Christian servitude, and with love and reverence towards our Church.
We invite you and welcome you to be a part of our church,
worship with us, and experience the true love of Christ as we grow together as a community.
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St. Mary Church E-Newsletters and Correspondence.
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St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church
Relies on the generosity of individual donors so that it may continue ensuring service
to God and
fellowship
to the Armenian Community.
Your support is deeply appreciated.
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