On Tuesday, August 4, at 6:00 pm local time (11:00 am New York time) a huge explosion shook the entire city of Beirut, the shockwaves of which were felt as far away as Cyprus. The blast killed at least 135 people and injured more than 5,000. Words fail to describe the magnitude of this tragedy, which the Armenian community did not escape, with 11 dead and 250 injured at the latest count. The material damage to the city is enormous and unimaginable. The Catholicosate, churches, institutions, stores, residences have been damaged indiscriminately, without taking into account the psychological impact. 

 

The Covid-19 health crisis that followed the social, political and financial crisis had already exhausted the Lebanese people. The scale of the current tragedy has now worsened the uncertainty reigning in the country.

This explosion not only shocked Lebanon, but the entire world. In view of this reality and in accordance with the patriarchal proclamation by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, the Armenian Prelacy of the Eastern United States has organized a fundraiser through the media of the Prelacy and the parishes to mitigate the unquantifiable material and emotional damage suffered by our brethren. We beg our kind faithful and generally the Armenian community to participate generously in this campaign of humanitarian aid.

Even though we are aware that at the local level we also face a financial crisis, we feel compelled to extend a helping hand to our compatriots who are enduring even greater pain than ours, in the certainty that God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Visit www.ArmenianPrelacy.org/HelpLebanon to donate online.

Prelate, Eastern Prelacy of the United States

The restoration of the destroyed or damaged homes is urgent. We have to provide for the health of our community members, who are exposed to the coronavirus pandemic. The support of our educational organizations is imperative. The help of our community, religious, cultural, beneficent and other organizations is vital. We must consider the reconstruction work of our community from a comprehensive perspective.

On Sunday, August 9, Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Prelate, will celebrate the Divine Liturgy and deliver the sermon at Holy Trinity Church in Worcester, Massachusetts. Our faithful may follow the ceremony via live streaming.

On Sunday, August 9, following the Divine Liturgy, every church of the Eastern Prelacy of the United States will offer a Requiem service for the victims of the explosion in Beirut: Alice Balian-Degirmenjian, Jacques Barmakian, Jessica Bezjian, Anahid Berberian, Gaya Foudoulian, Delia Gedigian-Hagopian, Shant Hagopian, Liza Kavoukjian-Gozuboyukian, Nazar Najarian, and Varouj Tossounian. We pray for the peace of their souls and for the consolation of their loved ones.

The modern Republic of Armenia was born out of the ashes of World War I, the seminal conflict of the 20^th century the ripple effects of which are still felt throughout the Middle East. For Armenians, it was also a miraculous instance of rebirth as its emerged as a sovereign state in the aftermath of the Genocide, following six centuries of Ottoman oppression—for, make no mistake, that’s what it was for Armenians, Greeks, and Assyrians, that succumbed to the Turkish conquerors of their homeland. Any rigorous history of the Ottoman Empire exposes the fallacies of the neo-Ottoman discourse promoted by the Turkish state, which portrays it as a big brotherhood of nations overseen by a benevolent, if sometimes strict, big brother.

The imperial nostalgia sweeping Turkish nationalist circles has geopolitical motivations and implications. For we can ignore what Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s autocracy declares at our own risk. Its active involvement in Syria, Libya, and more recently its open support for Azerbaijan’s repeated provocations and aggression against Armenia are a clear reflection of its agenda. Erdoğan is seeking to, yet again, redraw the maps in Turkey’s favor, which can only be at Armenia’s expense.

That is why, more than ever, that the Treaty of Sèvres, the foundational act of the modern Armenian state in the international polity, needs to be evoked and defended. Yes, the tragic turns of a history that was hardly benign for Armenia left it unfulfilled, following the Soviet-Turkish entente that endangered what was left of the Republic of Armenia. Yet that should be no deterrent for those who fight on the right side of history. We should only remember that nobody in the 1980s would have dreamed that the Soviet Union would collapse, leading to the independence of Armenia and the liberation of Artsakh. Turkey is still an empire in all but name. While nobody can predict the course of history, that empires break apart is self-evident to the point of being a truism. Look no further than the history of World War I, and of Armenia.

Armenia further accepts and agrees to embody in a Treaty with the Principal Allied Powers such provisions as these Powers may deem necessary to protect freedom of transit and equitable treatment for the commerce of other nations.

Today the main topic of both our Scriptural readings from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians and the Gospel of St. Matthew is marriage, one of the most essential cornerstones for preserving a healthy society and insuring the continuation of the Divine plan.

I would like to draw my reflection from the Epistle where St. Paul makes an eloquent praise of our bodies. Let’s hear his words: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body”?   

In all religions, the House of Prayer is regarded as a sacred place. By drawing a parallel between the body and the temple, St. Paul gives a powerful message to his audience as well as to believers of all generations. Today I would like to reflect on two interrelated thoughts based on this wonderful statement.

The connotation of the body with the temple solves one of the most discussed issues in society. In general, by virtue of its essence, the body, as matter, versus the soul/spirit, is regarded as a vehicle for evil. There is no doubt that sins, along with all virtues and activities, are committed through one and only instrument: the body. Yet to blame the body as evil is not fair at all. The Scriptures teach us that the Creation, since its origin, has been deemed good, for whatever God created He saw that it was good (Gen 1:4). Within the limits of a sermon it is not possible to cover all aspects of this topic. Suffice it to say that the rationality of human being, the source of our free will, is the main driver of all activities of the body. Hence the body itself is a miraculous medium designed by the All-beneficent Lord to materialize the will of His Maker. Adam, destined to keep its purity, unfortunately led by the Evil One, maltreated it. Our Savior Jesus Christ took upon Him that sinful nature and through His obedience to death to the Father’s will cleansed and restored it in its original purity. This is the main reason that St. Paul, encouraged and inspired by providential care, boldly declares, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you.”

Therefore, hearing the good news that our body is as sacred as a temple, we should revere it and preserve its purity. As any offence or sacrilege against any temple is not tolerable, the same zeal should be practiced toward our body-temple by thoughts, deeds and all behavior. I’m pretty sure that we have all enjoyed the pure air up in the mountains and when we come down and breath the polluted air of the city we are displeased. Likewise, once we have enjoyed through our Baptism the purity of our God-granted nature restored on the Holy Cross, as conscious believers we should be attentive and not tolerate any stain on our body-temple, and in case if we fail, our merciful Father is ready to cleanse us through repentance “and make us as white as snow” as the prophet Isaiah says (Isaiah 1:18). 

My second point of reflection is “glorifying God in our bodies.” We know that we can glorify God with words, songs, praises, etc. yet praising Him in our bodies may sound not logical. Nevertheless, whenever our judgment meets an obstacle and we ask the Holy Spirit to lead us, He is ready to do so gladly. In this regard, the Scripture is full of examples and a masterpiece of this understanding is Psalm 19:1: “The Heavens are telling the glory of God.” It's very unusual to think or to say that a lifeless element can glorify. Yet if we consider that all the elements in heaven and earth are following the providential order harmoniously by Divine ordinance and edifying the Creation, it means that, non-verbally, they are participating in cosmic praise of the Creator. Within this context, every individual is regarded a microcosmos by themselves, and therefore, in each and every sense, our bodies are destined by the Creator to fulfill their role and are used for their right purpose, like the celestial elements; then they also participate in the universal symphony praising the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings. Gregory of Nyssa, a fourth century Church Father, identifying the human body with a musical instrument, uses a beautiful image. He says, “the music of the human instrument is a sort of compound of flute and lyre.” St. Nerses the Gracious, from a pragmatic point of view, makes more simple and clear the participation of each sense in this regard, by saying in 9th stanza of In Faith I Confess: “All-caring Lord, place your holy fear before my eyes as a shield, that they may no longer gaze with lust; before my ears, that they may not enjoy hearing words of evil; before my mouth, that it may utter no falsehood; before my heart, that it may think of no evil; before my hands, that they may do no injustice; before my feet, that they may not walk on the paths of iniquity. But so direct their movements that they may, at all times, be according to your commandments in all things.” Indeed, this is a practical and perfect navigation to follow, which will keep us always in right direction heading to our ultimate goal on earth and heaven.

By following the wisdom of the Psalmist, the Apostle and the Church Fathers’ instruction, not only once a week or once a day, but each and every second by using all our senses in their proper way, instantly we praise and glorify the Lord in our body-temple. Also, we enjoy practicing the request of our Lord’s prayer, “Thy will be done,” not only by paying lip service but in every sense, as Jesus Christ taught and did.   

May the Almighty Lord and our Heavenly Father who out of His unconditional love granted to each and every one of us this unique opportunity of life incorporated within this body-temple, lead us through His Wisdom in Jesus Christ and enable us to fulfill our calling, attaining the heavenly life and glorify in His Eternal Temple. Amen.

Prelate, Eastern Prelacy of the United States

“Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work”. (2 Corinthians 9:7-8)

 

Your support in this initial period of our membership campaign is exceeding by far our best expectations and encourages us to persevere in our commitment to serving our parishes and our faithful as we adjust to life during the pandemic. We at the Prelacy are humbled and overwhelmed with gratitude by the generous response of so many members and friends as we still deal with the unprecedented health emergency. “Thank you for all you do to help us keep the faith and be hopeful for the future,” a donor wrote.

Bible readings for Sunday, August 9, Fourth Sunday of Transfiguration (Eve/Paregentan of the Fast of Assumption), are Isaiah 7:1-9; 1 Corinthians 13:11-14:5; Mark 2:1-12.

 

When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, “Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and take your mat and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic—“I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.” And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

 

***

 

 

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

 

Pursue love and strive for the spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy. For those who speak in a tongue do not speak to other people but to God; for nobody understands them, since they are speaking mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, those who prophesy speak to other people for their up building and encouragement and consolation. Those who speak in a tongue build up themselves, but those who prophesy build up the church. Now I would like all of you to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. One who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up. 

For a listing of the coming week’s Bible readings click here.

This Saturday (August 8) the Armenian Church commemorates the 200 Holy Fathers of the Council of Ephesus (431 AD). Ephesus, the third general ecumenical council, was convened by order of Emperor Theodosius II to settle the Nestorian heresy. A large number of high-ranking church leaders attended, headed by Patriarch Cyril of Alexandria. The principle decision of the Council was the condemnation of Nestorius. The Council excommunicated Nestorius and condemned the heresy, confirmed the Nicene Creed, and approved the title of Theotokos (God-bearer) for the Virgin Mary.

 

The Armenian Church accepted the canons and decisions of the council and designated a day in the liturgical calendar on the Saturday of the Paregentan of the Assumption. The Armenian Church recognizes three ecumenical councils: Nicaea (325), Constantinople (381), and Ephesus (431), with special days in the liturgical calendar for all three.

 

Ephesus is an ancient Greek city that later became the chief city of the Roman province of Asia at the crossroads of the coastal route between Smyrna and Cyzicus. The Temple of Artemis in the city was one of the great wonders of the ancient world. St. Paul took Christianity to Ephesus (Acts 18:18-19). He stayed there for two years during his third missionary journey.

 

Ephesus is one of the seven churches of Asia mentioned in the Book of Revelation. In chapter 2, Jesus praises the people of Ephesus for their perseverance and hard work, but admonishes them for forgetting their first love; their Christianity had become a faithful ritual rather than a relationship of love to the Lord.

 

Ephesus, now located within Turkey in the province of Izmir, is a popular international tourist destination.

This Sunday (August 9) is the Paregentan , or Eve of the Fast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God. This is a five-day period of fasting (Monday to Friday) that precedes the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother which is next Sunday, August 16. Paregentan, which means “good living,” is a day of enjoyment and feasting before the beginning of the fasting period, during which there are no feast days.

 

Today, Thursday, August 6: Sts. Sophia and her three daughters — Pistis, Elpis, and Agapi.

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 children addressed to their actual or potential sponsors. We are pleased to share some of these letters through Crossroads.

 

This week’s letter is from Sona* who is sponsored by Dr. Vartan Gregorian. 

*In order to protect the privacy of the children we use only their first names. 

Dear Sponsor,

 

This is Sona, 8 years old. I live in a village with my mother and brothers. My older brother is disabled from childhood. He is now 18 years old. I love him a lot. My father died six years ago from cancer. I feel his absence very much.

 

Soon I will finish the 3rd grade in school. I am a good student, and I dream of becoming a teacher.

 

I love to dance, to draw pictures, and to read books. In my spare time, I play with my dolls. I also help my mom with the house chores.

 

I was very glad when I learned that you are going to help our family. I hope that one day we will meet and I will personally thank you for it.

 

Love,

Sona

The program of the St. Nerses the Great Organization includes both orphans up to the age of 18 and orphans who become students at a higher education institution upon turning 18. There are children of all ages in the waiting list of the Prelacy’s Sponsorship Program. Now we also have orphans due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Please consider sponsoring a child. For quick and easy online sponsorship of minors up to the age of 18, please click here. Alternatively, for the sponsorship of both minors and university students you may also contact the Prelacy by email (sophie@armenianprelacy.org) or telephone (212-689-7810).

The drawing of the Prelacy’s annual raffle is on September 12, 2020. The top prize is $5,000; second prize is $2,000; and third, fourth, and fifth prizes are $1,000.

 

We always like to point out that in this raffle there are no losers, because all the money raised benefits the Prelacy’s educational and religious programs.

 

Tickets cost $100 each. For information, please contact your local parish or the Prelacy office (email@armenianprelacy.org or 212-689-7810). 

This book focuses on Armenian nurses in the Ottoman Empire, Armenia, the Middle East, and Greece before, during, and after the Armenian genocide. It shows how Armenian women laid the foundations of modern nursing, midwifery, and public health in these regions. Using documents from more than fifteen archives in North America, Europe, Armenia, and the Middle East, as well as texts in English, French, Armenian, Russian, and Turkish, this book attempts to fill a gap about Armenian women pioneers in medicine. Sisters of Mercy also examines the role played by Armenian nurses in the post-armistice period in the survival of their people during a critical period of their history. Their contributions are studied particularly within the framework of the Armenian Red Cross.

 

Painter Sarkis Katchadourian, besides his place in Armenian art, should also be remembered for rediscovering for the Western world the art of Safavid Iran, India and Sri-Lanka.

He was born in Malatia (Western Armenia) on August 8, 1886. After elementary studies in his hometown, he studied at the Sanasarian School of Erzerum. Upon graduation, he pursued his artistic studies in the Academy of Fine Arts of Rome (1908-1911) and the National School of Decorative Arts of Paris (1912-1914).

 

He returned to Erzerum in 1914, but soon World War I would start. The young painter managed to survive the Armenian genocide and find refuge in the Caucasus. He became the “singer of Armenian grief” in his paintings, as Hovhannes Toumanian called him, and entered the Society of Armenian Artists of Tiflis in 1917.

 

Katchadourian moved to Yerevan in 1921, where he designed the first stamps of Soviet Armenia. His works reflected life and nature of Armenia, the refugees, national feasts. However, the painter could not fit into the political environment and soon left. He settled in Vienna (Austria), where he became a member of the Society of Artists of Vienna. After moving to Paris, he was the founding secretary of the Society of Armenian Artists “Ani.” He had exhibitions in France, Italy, Great Britain, Egypt, Turkey, the Netherlands, and the United States.

 

In 1931, Katchadourian was selected by the government of Iran to restore the frescoes of the mosques and churches of the former capital of the Safavid dynasty, Ispahan. In 1934, he founded the museum of Armenian art in New Julfa, the Armenian suburb of Ispahan. He produced copies of his work in Ispahan, which were exhibited in Paris, other cities of Europe, and New York.

 

In 1937, he went to India to study the famous temple caves of Ajanda (fifth-sixth centuries A.D.), and worked for the next five years to copy the frescoes that remained unknown and inaccessible to art scholars both there and in Ceylon (nowadays Sri-Lanka). The exhibition of his work in Paris, New York, and other cities in 1942 opened a new page in the study of ancient Asiatic art.

 

Sarkis Katchadourian passed away in Paris on March 4, 1947, after complications from a hernia surgery. After a cultural agreement between France and Armenia was signed in 1971, a series of 37 Indian and Sri Lankan copies by him, acquired by the Guimet Museum of Paris, was donated to the National Gallery of Armenia and exhibited the same year in Yerevan. Through the efforts of his widow, Vava Sarkis Katchadourian (1895-1984), a painter well-known in Armenian circles of New York, Katchadourian’s ashes were moved to Armenia and reburied in Yerevan on December 28, 1977.

Previous entries in “This Week in Armenian History” are on the Prelacy’s web site (www.armenianprelacy.org). 

Crossroads welcomes your inquiries and comments (English and/or Armenian), as well as parish news, photographs, and calendar items. Remember that the deadline for submitting items is Tuesday evenings. Please write to crossroads@armenianprelacy.org.

August 7 —Third summer class of the Siamanto Academy at 4:00 pm. For further information, please contact ANEC Director Mary Gulumian at anec@armenianprelacy.org or 212-689-7810.

August 9  — Picnic with take-out dinner. Holy Trinity Church (Worcester), 12:00 pm

August 10, 17, 24 —A 3-part Bible Study via Zoom on St. Paul’s Letter to Philemon, Monday evenings from 8:00-9:00 pm (EST), conducted by Archdeacon Shant Kazanjian, Director of Christian Education (Eastern Prelacy). To register, please email your name, email address, and phone number to  shant@armenianprelacy.org .

August 16  — Blessing of the Grapes and church special Picnic with take-out dinners. Sts. Vartanantz Church (Providence), 11:45 am-12:45 pm.

August 16  — Blessing of the Grapes and church picnic. Soorp Asdvadzadzin Church (Whitinsville).

September 12 —National Representative Assembly (NRA) of the Eastern Prelacy to meet by videoconference, hosted by the Prelacy.

 

October 4 —Save the date. St. Stephen's Armenian Apostolic Church of New Britain, CT, 95th Anniversary Banquet.

 

November 28 —Save the date. Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church 80th Anniversary Celebration, under the auspices of Archbishop Anoushavan, Prelate. Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet, Cranston, Rhode Island. 

Visit the Catholicosate webpage at http://www.armenianorthodoxchurch.org/en/