Saints Vardan the General and His Companions

On the  Thursday preceding Great Lent, Armenians commemorate an important event in their history; the religious war waged between pagan Persia and Christian Armenian in the year 451 A.D. The hero of this war was St. Vartan the Brave.

St. Vartan is considered one of the most famous heroes of the Armenian people. He, along with a brave band of Armenian soldiers, clergy, and companions, resisted the more powerful and larger Persian army and sacrificed their lives in order to defend their Christian faith. The famous battle took place on May 26, 451 A.D. on the plains of Avarayr, in the province of Artaz in Armenia.

Very few biographical details exist about St. Vartan's early life. However, various sources confirm his noble lineage. He was the grandson of St. Sahag, who, in turn, descended from St. Nerses, and ultimately his lineage is traceable to St. Gregory the Illuminator. His father, Hamazasp, was the sparapet, or commander-in-chief, of Armenia at that time.

St. Vartan was well educated, most likely, by his grandfather, Catholicos Sahag. Instead of entering the priesthood as others in his family had done, he became a soldier. St. Vartan was considered the worthy representative and head of the Mamikonian clan, which in the royal succession of Armenian kings, held the fifth position. He was respected by the King of Persia as the commander-in-chief of the Armenian armies. Equally important as St. Vartan's dedication to being a good soldier was St. Vartan's dedication to being a faithful Christian. He believed that one cannot serve one's people without serving Christ at the same time.

To read more click here or download the Diocese's iBook for an interactive introduction to St. Vartan's historic campaign.

Commemorating the Pogroms of Sumgait and Baku

This month marks the 31th anniversary of the attacks on the Armenian population of Sumgait, Azerbaijan. The February 1988 attacks subsequently spread to other cities in Azerbaijan with sizable Armenian populations.

At St. Mary Armenian Church in Washington, DC a requiem service will be held for victims of Azeri aggression on Sunday, February 24.

Click here to read more about February 24 commemoration

Paregentan Dinner and Dance

St. Mary Armenian Church Women's Guild invites you to a traditional Paregentan Dinner and Dance. The event will take place on March 2, 2019 at 7:00 pm and will feature DJ Bedros.

 

Please RSVP by February 25 by calling Suzanne Harutunian at 443-799-6642. There will be assigned seating, cash bar and a lot of fun. 

Click here for more details

In Memoriam: Louise Manoogian Simone (1933-2019)

The Eastern Diocese was deeply grieved by the passing of Louise Manoogian Simone, the late president of the Armenian General Benevolent Union, and a visionary benefactor in her own right of the Armenian Church, nation, and numerous institutions. She died in the early hours of February 19, 2019, at age 85.

New Choices Video

Science Education for Rural Armenia

Teachers in Armenia's rural districts often have trouble keeping up with the kind of training and resources that can inspire students to pursue the sciences.

But thanks to a Fund for Armenian Relief initiative, six school science labs have been refurbished in Armenia's Berd region. The labs-renovated as part of FAR's Breaking the Cycle of Poverty program-will allow students in the impoverished border region to advance beyond textbook learning to practical, hands-on experimentation.

In addition to providing new equipment for physics, chemistry, and biology classes, FAR also arranged training for local science teachers in the respective disciplines.

Click the link to read more on FAR's blog.

New Let There Be...! Podcast

Armenians have always been known as a verbally expressive people, with a long tradition of witty sayings and wise proverbs suitable to almost any circumstance.

A great number of these Armenian expressions have their roots in the Bible, liturgy, and the Christian faith. Learn some of these common sayings in our latest podcast in the Let There Be...! series: " Let There Be Idioms."

37 On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, 38 and let the one who believes in me drink. As[a] the scripture has said, 'Out of the believer's heart[b]shall flow rivers of living water.'" 39 Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spir-it,[c] because Jesus was not yet glorified.

40 When they heard these words, some in the crowd said, "This is really the prophet." 41 Others said, "This is the Messiah."[d] But some asked, "Surely the Messiah[e] does not come from Gali-lee, does he? 42 Has not the scripture said that the Messiah[f] is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?" 43 So there was a division in the crowd because of him. 44 Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.

45 Then the temple police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why did you not arrest him?" 46 The police answered, "Never has anyone spoken like this!" 47 Then the Pharisees replied, "Surely you have not been deceived too, have you? 48 Has any one of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd, which does not know the law-they are accursed." 50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus[g] before, and who was one of them, asked, 51 "Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?" 52 They replied, "Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee."

John 7.37-52

37 Մեծ տօնի վերջին օրը Յիսուս կանգնած էր եւ աղաղակում էր՝ ասելով. «Եթէ մէկը ծարաւ է, թող ինձ մօտ գայ եւ խմի: 38 Ով ինձ հաւատում է, ինչպէս Գիրքն է ասում, նրա ներսից կենդանի ջրերի գետեր պիտի բխեն»: 39 Նա այս ասում էր Հոգու մասին, որին ընդունելու էին իրեն հաւատացողները. քանի որ Հոգին դեռեւս չկար, որովհետեւ Յիսուս դեռ փառաւորուած չէր: 40 Ժողովրդից ոմանք, երբ լսում էին այս խօսքերը, ասում էին. «Սա է ճշմարիտ մարգարէն». 41 ուրիշներն ասում էին. «Սա է Քրիստոսը». իսկ դեռ ուրիշներ ասում էին. «Մի՞թէ Քրիստոս Գալիլիայից է գալու. 42 չէ՞ որ Գիրքն ասում է, թէ Քրիստոս գալու է Դաւթի սերնդից եւ Բեթղեհէմ գիւղից, որտեղից Դաւիթն էր»: 43 Եւ ժողովրդի մէջ նրա պատճառով պառակտում եղաւ: 44 Եւ նրանցից ոմանք ուզեցին բռնել նրան, բայց ոչ ոք նրա վրայ ձեռք չդրեց: 45 Իսկ սպասաւորները վերադարձան քահանայապետների եւ փարիսեցիների մօտ. եւ սրանք նրանց ասացին. «Ինչո՞ւ նրան այստեղ չբերեցիք»: 46 Սպասաւորները պատասխանեցին ու ասացին. «Ոչ մի մարդ երբեք այնպէս չի խօսել, ինչպէս այն մարդը»: 47 Փարիսեցիներն ասացին. «Մի՞թէ դուք էլ էք մոլորուել: 48 Մի՞թէ իշխանաւորներից կամ փարիսեցիներից որեւէ մէկը հաւատաց նրան, 49 բացի այն խաժամուժ ամբոխից, որ օրէնք չգիտէ եւ նզովեալ է»: 50 Նիկոդեմոսը, որ նախապէս գիշերով եկել էր նրա մօտ եւ նրանցից մէկն էր, նրանց ասաց. 51 «Մի՞թէ մեր օրէնքը դատապարտում է մարդուն, եթէ նախ նրանից լսած եւ կամ իմացած չլինի, թէ ինչ է գործել նա»: 52 Նրան պատասխանեցին ու ասացին. «Մի՞թէ դու էլ Գալիլիայից ես. քննի՛ր ու տե՛ս, որ Գալիլիայից մարգարէ դուրս չի գալիս»:

Հովհաննեսի 7.37-52

Click Here