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Wednesday Vespers Service: 6:30 pm

Lighting a candle is a way of extending one's prayer and showing solidarity with the person on whose behalf the prayer is offered. The candle symbolizes that prayer. 🕯

On Sundays, and Wednesdays, Rev. Fr. Hrant Kevorkian will lite a candle for every request received. If you would like to submit a request, you can contact Fr. Hrant, call the Church office at (313)336-6200, send us a message on social media, reply to this email, or click the button below.

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.

My point is this: heirs, as long as they are minors, are no better than slaves, though they are the owners of all the property; but they remain under guardians and trustees until the date set by the father. So with us; while we were minors, we were enslaved to the elemental spirits of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.

Այդ օրերուն, Օգոստոս կայսր հրամանագիր հանեց՝ իր կայսրութեան սահմաններուն մէջ գտնուող բոլոր բնակիչներուն մարդահամարը կատարելու: Այս առաջին մարդահամարը տեղի ունեցաւ Սուրիայի կառավարիչ Կիրենիոսի օրերուն: Ամէն մարդ իր ծննդավայր քաղաքը կ’երթար՝ իր անունը արձանագրել տալու համար: Յովսէփ, Դաւիթի ցեղէն եւ ազգատոհմէն ըլլալուն համար, Գալիլեայի Նազարէթ քաղաքէն ելաւ եւ իր անունը արձանագրել տալու համար գնաց Հրէաստանի Բեթլեհէմ քաղաքը, Դաւիթ թագաւորին ծննդավայրը: Իրեն կ’ընկերանար իր նշանածը՝ Մարիամ, որ յղի էր:

Բեթլեհէմի մէջ Մարիամի ծննդաբերութեան ժամանակը հասաւ եւ ծնաւ իր անդրանիկ զաւակը, որ փաթթեց խանձարուրի մէջ եւ դրաւ մսուրի մը մէջ, որովհետեւ պանդոկին մէջ իրենց համար տեղ չկար:

«Արդ ուրեմն, եթէ Քրիստոսի կը պատկանիք, կը նշանակէ թէ դուք Աբրահամի զաւակներ էք եւ պիտի ժառանգէք ինչ որ Աստուած անոր խոստացաւ:

Բայց գիտցէ՛ք նաեւ, թէ ժառանգորդ մը թէպէտ ամբողջ ժառանգութեան իսկական տէրն է, բայց որքան ատեն որ անչափահաս է՝ տարբերութիւն չունի ծառայէ մը, քանի խնամակալներու եւ հոգաբարձուներու ենթակայ է, մինչեւ հասնի իր հօրը որոշած ժամանակակէտը: Նոյնն է մեր ալ պա­րա­գան: Որքան ատեն որ հոգեւորապէս անչափահաս էինք՝ բնութեան ոյժերուն կ’ենթարկուէինք ու կը ծառայէինք: Բայց հիմա յարմար ժամանակը հասած համարելով, Աստուած աշխարհ ղրկեց իր Որդին, որ կնոջմէ մը ծնաւ եւ Օրէն­քին տակ ապրեցաւ, որպէսզի մեզ Օրէնքին գերութենէն փրկէ

եւ Աս­տուծոյ որդիներ դարձնէ: Արդ, որովհետեւ իր որդիներն ենք՝ Աստուած մեր սիրտերուն մէջ ղրկեց իր Որդիին Հոգին, որով զԱստուած «Աբբա», այսինքն «Հայր» կը կոչենք: Ուստի այլեւս ծառայ չէք, այլ՝ որդի. եւ քանի որդի էք՝ Աստուծոյ խոստումը պիտի ժառանգէք»:

This Sunday, August 16, the Armenian Church celebrates the Feast of the Assumption (Verapokhoum) of the Holy Mother of God, the fourth of the five major feast days in our Liturgical Calendar. Verapokhoum in classical Armenian means “transport up.” According to tradition, when the Holy Mother died she was buried by the apostles in the Garden of Gethsemane. Bartholomew who was not present at her funeral wished to visit her grave. When the gravestone was lifted they were surprised to find that her body had disappeared. It was believed that Christ had come and taken his mother to the Heavenly Kingdom. Based on this event, the Church Fathers established the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is one of the five tabernacle feast days in the Armenian Church’s liturgical calendar. The feast is preceded by a week (five days) of fasting and followed by a memorial day.

The Blessing of the Grapes takes place on the Feast of the Assumption, although there is no connection between the two events. This ceremony is rooted in the Biblical tradition as commanded by God to the Israelites, through Moses, to donate the “first bearing of all their fruits, on the Tabernacle in order that with this first offering all fruits would receive Your blessing…” The hymn Park Sourp Khatchet (Glory to Your Sacred Cross) is sung; Biblical passages are recited, followed by a prayer composed by Catholicos Nerses Shnorhali specifically for this occasion. After the prayer, the grapes are blessed three times with the words Orhnestsee Bahbanestsee and then the blessed grapes are distributed to the faithful, many of whom have refrained from eating grapes until after this blessing.

This Saturday, August 15, is the Feast of Shoghakat of Holy Etchmiadzin that is always observed on the Saturday prior to the Feast of the Assumption. Shoghakat refers to the vision of the rays of light seen by St. Gregory when God chose the site for the Mother Cathedral. The feast is celebrated at the time of Assumption because the Cathedral in Etchmiadzin is named in honor of the Holy Mother, although through the years it became known as Etchmiadzin. The name of St. Shoghakat was given to the church, according to tradition, because it was built where "the divine light had shed" (shogh gatadz er) on the Hripsimiants virgins.

Monday, August 17, is Memorial Day (Merelotz). In accordance with the tradition of the Armenian Church, the day after each of the five tabernacle feasts is designated as a Memorial Day, a day of remembrance of the dead. Traditionally, on Merelotz, the Divine Liturgy is celebrated with a requiem service for all souls and for those specifically requested. Following the service the clergy and faithful go to the cemetery where the graves of loved ones are blessed.

Please consider purchasing one or more tickets ($100 each). For information, please contact our office (office@saintsarkis.org or 313-336-6200).

Father Hrant, the Board of Trustees, and all the auxiliary bodies of St. Sarkis Church request special prayers for the good health and safety of the people in Lebanon and all around the world. May these trying days pass in peace.

Jack and Armen Garbooshian and their families wish their beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Mrs. Arpine Garbooshian, a very Happy 100th Birthday. May God bless her and watch over her

All parish news, photographs, and calendar items should be emailed to office@saintsarkis.org. DEADLINE TO SUBMIT IS THURSDAYS AT 1:00PM. Send us your pictures from Sunday School, Special Services and other Church Events. If your event has an external link (ex. facebook event, eventbrite, etc) send that to us so that we can incorporate it with your flyer.

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