In Faith I Confess 18th Prayer - English
Read by Lenna Karapetian, student of A.R.S. Marzbed Armenian School
and Sunday school of St. Hagop Armenian Apostolic Church of Racine, WI.
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CATHOLICOS CONGRATULATES PATRIARCH ON ENTHRONEMENT
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His Beatitude, Bishop Sahag Mashalian was installed as the 85th Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople on Saturday, January 11, in a ceremony at the city’s Sourp Asdvadzadzin Armenian Cathedral. His Eminences, Archbishop Kegham Khatcherian, Prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Greece, and Bishop Mesrob Sarkissian, Pontifical Vicar of the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, attended the enthronement of the Patriarch on behalf of the Holy See of Cilicia. The Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople is one of the four hierarchical sees of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Messages of congratulations from His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, and His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, were read during the ceremony.
In his message, Catholicos Aram said:
“Today marks a new page in the history and the mission of the historic Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople. We are sure that, as the newly elected Patriarch knows closely the flock entrusted to him, with its needs and expectations as well as its circumstances, its peculiarities and sensitivities, he will fulfill his spiritual service with wisdom and selflessness.”
His Holiness added: “The children of our nation live in different environments and face challenges and issues related to both our nation and church, as well as proper to any given place. Hence, taking into account the interests of our nation and church, the duty to strengthen internal unity and the local conditions, our church is called to serve the people that are in need of its spiritual caring, becoming the sower of the eternal truths and values that Christ brought to the world.”
Aram I concludes his message by saying, “Today, the expectation of our people and church is for a closer and growing cooperation between the four hierarchical sees, driven by the steadfast principle of belonging to the one and same church. It is with this hope that we hail your election and hope that the fraternal links with our hierarchical sees, which we have inherited from the past, will continue, for the sake of the vitality of the Armenian church and its mission.”
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PRELATE PRAYS WITH HERITAGE CRUISE PASSENGERS
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Every morning, His Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan, Prelate, and Rev. Fr. Vahan Kouyoumdjian, pastor of St. Stephen's Church of New Britain (Connecticut), gather together with passengers of the Armenian Heritage Cruise to conduct a morning service and prayer.
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On January 13, Archbishop Anoushavan held a presentation on the cruise about Christian Armenian identity in the course of history. The Prelate was joined by Rev. Fr. Vahan, who also shared his reflections on this matter with the guests.
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THIRTY YEARS OF THE BAKU POGROM
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January 13
th
marked the 30
th
anniversary of the Azerbaijani state-sponsored pogroms against the Armenian population in Baku, which caused the deportation and death of Armenians that had lived in the city for generations. The Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, led a commemoration ceremony at the Yerablur National Cemetery, accompanied by National Assembly Speaker Ararat Mirzoyan and His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, as well as other government officials. Prime Minister Pashinyan issued a statement, saying “we will not allow new attempts to exterminate or deport Armenians.”
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Bible Readings for Sunday, January 19, First Sunday after Nativity
are: Isaiah 54:1-14; 1 Timothy 1:1-11; John 2:1-11.
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On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
(John 2:1-11)
***
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, To Timothy, my loyal child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
I urge you, as I did when I was on my way to Macedonia, to remain in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not to teach any different doctrine, and not to occupy themselves with myths and endless genealogies that promote speculations rather than the divine training that is known by faith. But the aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith. Some people have deviated from these and turned to meaningless talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make assertions.
Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it legitimately. This means understanding that the law is laid down not for the innocent but for the lawless and disobedient, for the godless and sinful, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their father or mother, for murderers, fornicators, sodomites, slave traders, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to the sound teaching that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.
(1 Timothy 1:1-11)
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For a listing of the coming week’s Bible readings
click here.
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ST. THEODOSIUS THE KING AND THE HOLY CHILDREN OF EPHESUS
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This Monday, January 20, the Armenian Church commemorates Theodosius, the Roman Emperor who put an end to the last of paganism and the Arian heresy in the empire. He was recognized as a “just and mighty Christian emperor,” and was called “the Great.” During his reign he devoted considerable time and energy to the establishment of the universal and orthodox faith. The conventicles of the heretics were not to be called churches. He is also remembered for his pious behavior. When Ambrose, the Bishop of Milan, forbade his entry into the cathedral as punishment for the massacre he had ordered in Thessalonica, the king obeyed and only after repenting for eight months he walked into the church, taking part in the holy liturgy.
The legend of the Seven Children of Ephesus dates back to the 3
rd
century A.D. during the rule of Emperor Decius, who persecuted Christians. Seven youths, all children of notable men, secretly got baptized and were named Maximian, Marcian, Jamblichus, Dionysius, Constantine, Antonius, and John. When they were exposed as Christians, they fled Ephesus in 250 and hid in a cave outside the city walls and fell asleep for a century and a half. An earthquake opened the cave and awakened them in 389 during the reign of Theodosius. When people became aware of that divine miracle, the king and the residents of Ephesus met the persecuted Christians with great respect and honor. The seven young men returned to the cave, where they passed away and were entombed, with the site becoming a shrine.
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Also commemorated this week:
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Tuesday, January 21: St. Giragos and his mother Julita.
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THE MIRACLE AT THE WEDDING OF CANA
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In this week's Prelacy Reflection, Very Rev. Fr. Ghevont Pentezian visits the Gospel of John 2:1-11, taking an interesting look at the account of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ turning water into wine at the wedding of Cana.
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SIAMANTO STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT
ARMENIAN CERAMICS IN JERUSALEM
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The Blessing of the Home at the Prelacy on Christmas Day was made special by the presence of Mrs. Hourig Sahagian-Papazian, founder and longtime principal of the Siamanto Academy.
It was an auspicious beginning for the first class of 2020 on Saturday, January 11th, with a special presentation by Sato Moughalian, artistic director of Perspectives Ensemble. The ensemble, which she founded in 1993, presents thematic concerts as well as programs on subjects that bridge the visual, musical, and literary arts.
More recently, Moughalian published “Feast of Ashes: The Life and Art of David Ohannessian.” In this acclaimed volume, she follows in the footsteps of her grandfather on a journey that began 10 years ago and took her to Turkey, Britain, Israel, Palestine and France.
Along the way, she uncovers the origins of the art of Armenian pottery in Jerusalem, which Ohannesian brought with him from Gudina (Kütahya) and changed the face of the Holy City. These glazed tiles are to be found everywhere in the cobbled streets of Jerusalem, from the walls and doors of buildings to interiors and even the city’s Rockefeller Museum.
After surviving the ordeals of deportation during the Armenian Genocide, Ohannessian reaches Aleppo where he met Sir Mark Sykes, an influential British politician and officer. Thanks to Sir Mark, Ohannessian settled in Jerusalem (under British mandate at the time), where he founded a new ceramics tradition.
Moughalian reconstructed the life of a grandfather she never saw, digging up new findings in the Turkish archives, unearthing new findings. Siamanto students were captivated by the presentation, which shed new light on the Genocide from a different perspective. The second part of the class was devoted to a workshop, during which the students painted tiles that Moughalian had brought along.
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BLESSING OF THE WATER AT ST. HAGOP
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Archpriest Fr. Daron Stepanian performs the Blessing of Water Ceremony at St. Hagop Church, Racine, WI on Sunday, January 12th.
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You may now reserve your tickets for the 2020 Musical Armenia Concert, scheduled for Sunday, March 15, 2020, at 2:00 pm at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. This is the 37
th
edition of the much-loved series that began in 1982. Our 2020 event showcases three outstanding artists: pianist Tatev Amiryan, vocalist Anna Hayrapetyan, and cellist Laura Navasardian.
Musical Armenia, established by Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian and the Prelacy Ladies Guild, is dedicated to promoting young Armenian artists and the performance of music by Armenian composers. Over the past 38 years, many participating musicians have established solid professional careers. The Prelacy thanks Musical Armenia’s devoted supporters for their contributions to the artists’ development.
As in the past, Musical Armenia’s sponsors and supporters can make a key contribution to the development of these artists. Prospective sponsors may join any of these categories: diamond ($1,000 donation), platinum ($500), gold ($300), or silver ($200). Diamond, platinum, and gold sponsors will receive two complimentary tickets.
Tickets for the concert cost $25. For further information or to purchase tickets, please contact the Prelacy at 212-689-7810 or via e-mail at sophie@armenianprelacy.org.
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BENEFIT CONCERT BY MUSICAL ARMENIA ALUM
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Eastern Prelacy's Musical Armenia Alum, violinist Nune Melik, will be co-hosting and performing a benefit concert with all proceeds going towards the victims of the Australian Bushfires. The concert, “Strads for Fire,” will take place on Sunday, January 19
th
, at the Tenri Cultural Institute in New York (See the Calendar of Events for more details).
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The Prelacy’s Orphan Sponsorship program was established in 1993 and continues to be the central mission of the Prelacy’s projects in Armenia and Artsakh. As part of the program, letters are received regularly from sponsored children addressed to their sponsors. We are pleased to share some of these letters through
Crossroads
.
This week’s letter is from Narek* who is sponsored by James Fantazian. (The letter has been written by Narek’s mother).
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Dear Sponsor,
This is Narek’s mother, Lucine. I am writing to you with enormous gratitude and enthusiasm. I think each mother would feel enthusiasm telling about her child. Narek already speaks pretty clearly, so it is now easy to understand him, and it makes me very happy. I told you in my previous letter that he has speech problems.
True, it is not easy for him to express his thoughts yet, but his mimics and his energy make up for lots of it. He has wonderful human qualities: kindness, friendliness, willingness and hospitality. As a mother, I do my best to make his life happy and colorful and comfortable, and you, dearest sponsor, have a good part in it as well. Our family has its share of difficulties and problems, but we don’t give up —we embrace life with love and appreciate all its little wonders.
I can’t find enough words to show my gratitude for your kind support. May God give you tenfold.
* In order to protect the privacy of the children we use only their first names.
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PLEASE CONSIDER SPONSORSHIP:
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Currently there are children on the waiting list for the Prelacy’s Sponsorship Program. If you would like to sponsor a child please
click here
for quick and easy online sponsorship. You may also contact the Prelacy by email (
sophie@armenianprelacy.org
) or telephone (212-689-7810), ask for Sophie.
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A CHANCE TO SPONSOR A STUDENT IN ARMENIA
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The St. Nerses the Great Charitable and Social Organization (Medsn
Nerses) is now supporting
its beneficiaries who pursue college education: now the young who reach the age limit of 18 will receive aid that may be vital for their careers.
The College Sponsorship Program is being implemented in 2020. An annual stipend of $250 will help defray some of the costs for the young men and women who have enrolled in an institution of higher education.
This marks the latest evolution of a program that then-Prelate Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian, of blessed memory, urgently put together right after the 1988 catastrophic earthquake. Back then, the priority was to provide immediate help for earthquake survivors. Soon thereafter, the Orphan Sponsorship Program emerged as a priority benefitting thousands of children.
The programs have grown and blossomed greatly, and currently also include aid to orphanages, schools, students, the elderly, disabled servicemen, and a summer camp. Now, former members of the Orphan Sponsorship Program have become college students and will be needing new sponsors. With the highest standards observed since its inception, the St. Nerses the Great Charitable Organization will continue to track down potential candidates and bringing them to your attention.
Sponsors who have generously ensured a stipend for children may continue to do so as they mature into young professionals.
If you would like to sponsor a young student in the College Sponsorship Program օr a young child in the Orphans Sponsorship Program, you may contact the Prelacy by email (sophie@armenianprelacy.org) or telephone (212-689-7810).
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100 Years, 100 Stories
Bedros Hadjian (translated by Aris G. Sevag)
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The purpose of this book is to put at the reader’s disposal a concise collection of the main events in Armenian life during the twentieth century. It is intended for readers who wish to get a rough idea about important, sometimes critical episodes. The sequence of events follows a chronological order but a chapter is not always thematically connected to the next one. The author has avoided cluttering the accounts with minute data or other historical information, in an attempt to present a general overview of each episode.
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Death of Ross Bagdasarian (January 16, 1972)
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“Alvin and the Chipmunks”? In Armenian history, really? That was a cartoon first, and then a series of films. But the creator of the characters was Ross Bagdasarian Sr., first cousin of William Saroyan, the celebrated Armenian American writer.
He was born Rostom Sipan Bagdasarian in Fresno, California, on January 27, 1919. As many Armenians in the San Joaquin Valley, his father was a grape farmer. Bagdasarian debuted in Broadway in 1939 playing the role of newsboy in Saroyan’s famous play, “The Time of Your Life.” He was a staff sergeant in the U.S. Air Force during World War II and was stationed in Seville (Spain) in 1941-1945. This was the source for his stage name David Seville.
He tried his hand at songwriting. His adaptation of an Armenian folk song, together with Saroyan, became “Come On-a My House,” which after the original recording by Kay Armen (1950), became a million-selling hit in 1951 by Rosemary Clooney (George Clooney’s mother), which launched her career and sold 750,000 records in a month, reaching number one on Billboard charts.
While playing minor roles in various films from 1952-1956, such as “Viva Zapata!,” Bagdasarian launched his own career as singer. He raised to prominence with the song “Witch Doctor,” released in 1958 under David Seville’s name, which became a Billboard number-one single, selling 1.5 million copies. The song was a duet between his real voice and an accelerated version, which he created after experimenting with the speed control of a tape recorder.
On the same year, Bagdasarian created his trio of Chipmunks, which debuted with “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)” in November 1958 and became a number one hit by New Year, selling 4 million records in the first few months, topping Billboard charts for four weeks before and after New Year’s Day, and winning three Grammy Awards. The Chipmunks continued releasing several hit songs from 1959 to 1964, including “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer” in 1962 and the album “The Chipmunks Sing the Beatles Hits” in 1964. Bagdasarian produced “The Alvin Show,” a TV cartoon on CBS, in 1961-1962.
Ross Bagdasarian died of a heart attack at his home in Beverly Hills on January 16, 1972, and was cremated in Los Angeles. He bequeathed the Chipmunks franchise to his wife and children. His elder son, Ross Jr., resumed activities of the franchise in the late 1970s with his wife Janice Karman and became the sole owner after buying the rights from his brother and sister in the mid-1990s. After the movie “The Chipmunk Adventure” in 1987, seven more feature-length films were released between 1999 and 2011.
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How Feet and Footprint Find Their Way
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Quite frequently, you see on certain streets the sign “Ped Xing.” This legend, which sounds like Chinese, actually tells you that you are near a ped(estrian) (cross)ing (“X” is, of course, the sign of the cross).
Who is a pedestrian? Any motorist with knowledge of the English language will tell you at once: a walker, someone who goes on foot. You may guess, even if you do not know anything about etymologies, that “foot” should have some relation with the root
ped
of “pedestrian.”
If you throw into the mix the word “biped,” which means “having two feet” (= a human being), your guess is accurate: Latin
pes
means “foot,” and its genitive form is
pedis
. There is also the Latin word
peda
(“footprint”).
The example of Latin shows that the words for “foot” and “footprint” in some Indo-European languages, such as Sanskrit
pad
(“foot”),
padas
(“footprint”), Avestan (the language of the Zoroastrian sacred book, the Avesta)
pad
(“foot”),
padem
(“footprint”), Farsi
pai
(“foot”),
pay
(“footprint”), should have the same source: Proto-Indo-European (PIE)
*ped
- “foot,” and its derivation
*pod-
. This is also the source of Proto-Germanic *
fots
, from which Old English
fot
“foot” was derived, reaching us through
foot
.
The same PIE root
*ped-/*pod
“foot” is the source for the Armenian words for “foot” and “footprint.” As in other cases, there are certain linguistic laws—which are quite complicated to explain here—that ensure that the initial
p
got lost in transition and in the end, we were left with the following
words in Classical Armenian:
ոտ(ն) – vodun
“foot” (
n
is a suffix)
հետ – հետ
“footprint”
The Classical Armenian word vodun has ensured for more than seventeen centuries that the ceremony of every Maundy Thursday, the Washing of the Feet that symbolizes Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet during the Last Supper, is called
Ոտնլուայ
(
Vodunluva
, “washing of the foot”). In Modern Armenian, the root vod has become
ոտք
(
vodk
), with the addition of the plural
-ք
(
k
), but remaining as a singular word (like “news” in English);
vodk
is “foot” and
vodker
is “feet.”
The Classical Armenian word hed has remained as a root in various modern words, such as
անհետ
(
anhed
“without trace”) or
հետապնդել
(
hedabuntel
“to chase”), and with the addition of the same -
k
, is used in Modern Armenian as
hedk
. This is the name of an Armenia-based news website, spelled
Hetq
in the Latin alphabet.
Going back to the beginning: how do you say “pedestrian” in Armenian? The word is
հետիոտն
(
hediodun
), which is the combination of
hed
+
vodun
(it is a word coming from Classical Armenian, hence its composition). In modern Yerevan, pedestrian crossings are called
հետիոտնային անցում
(hediodnayin antsoom).
Language may differ, but the same transit rules apply. Be careful at the crossings!
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AN ARMENIAN ODYSSEY: THE COLOR OF POMEGRANATES
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PostClassical Ensemble premieres a multimedia performance of Armenian music, culture and history on Wednesday, March 4
th
, at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. (see the Calendar of Events for more details). The show, jointly produced with the Embassy of Armenia in the U.S., features renowned duduk virtuoso Jivan Gasparyan, as well as cellist Narek Hakhnazarian, composer Vache Sharafyan and painter Kevork Mourad, who creates artwork in real time in response to live music. The PostClassical Ensemble is conducted by Angel Gil-Ordóñez.
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“GOD’S EXISTENCE,” AN ARTICLE BY FR. SHETILIAN
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“There is no one who can avoid this issue; there is no one who can be indifferent to this issue.” Thus begins the article written by Rev. Fr. Bedros Shetilian, pastor of St. Gregory Church in Indian Orchard, Massachusetts, entitled “God’s Existence,” published in Today’s American Catholic. “God is a metaphysical reality; we can only feel and live God’s existence,” Fr. Sheitlian says. You can read the article
here.
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ANY COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS FOR CROSSROADS?
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Please send your inquiries and comments (English and/or Armenian) to
crossroads@armenianprelacy.org
. Please remember that the deadline for submitting items for
Crossroads
is on Wednesdays at noon.
Comments received may be shared from time to time. We are looking forward to yours.
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
(
Calendar items may be edited to conform to space and style
)
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January 19, 2020
—“Strads for Fire,” Benefit Concert for the victims of Australian Bushfires, at 6:00 pm at the Tenri Cultural Institute, 43A W 13
th
Street, New York City.
February 8, 2020
—The next Siamanto Academy class at the Prelacy office on Saturday, from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM. For more information, contact Mary Gulumian, director of the Armenian National Education Committee by email (anec@armenianprelacy.org) or phone (212-689-7231).
March 4, 2020
—The Embassy of Armenia in the U.S. and PostClassical Ensemble present “An Armenian Odyssey: The Color of Pomegranates,” a multimedia performance of Armenian music, culture and history, featuring Jivan Gasparyan and others, at 7:30 pm at Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Washington, DC.
March 15, 2020
—Save the date and watch for details for the Eastern Prelacy’s 37
th
annual Musical Armenia concert, 2:00 pm at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, West 57
th
Street at Seventh Avenue, New York City.
March 28, 2020
—“Faith Building Women 2020 Symposium,” a daylong conference to heighten awareness of women in the Bible, organized by the Adult Christian Education department of St. Peter Armenian Church. The Symposium will take place at Holy Trinity Armenian Church, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Keynote speakers are Dr. Roberta Ervine and Arpi Nakashian.
May 13-16, 2020
—National Representative Assembly (NRA) of the Eastern Prelacy hosted by St. Gregory the Illuminator Church of Philadelphia. The Clergy Conference will begin on Wednesday, May 13; the full Assembly will convene on Thursday, May 14 and conclude on Saturday, May 16.
May 31, 2020
—Save the Date. St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York, 30
th
Anniversary Banquet.
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Tel: 212-689-7810 ♦ Fax: 212-689-7168 ♦ Email: email@armenianprelacy.org
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