Today, the second Sunday after the Assumption, is the Feast of the Discovery of the Belt of the Theotokos. Because there are no relics of the Holy Mother's earthly body (She was assumed into Heaven), Her personal belongings became articles of devotion. Her belt was the first item to be discovered in Jerusalem in the fifth century, an event that was later honored in the Armenian Church with a feast day. There are eight feast days dedicated to the Holy Mother of God: Her Nativity, Her Presentation to the Temple, the Annunciation, the Conception of Mary, the Purification, the Assumption, the Discovery of Her Belt and the Discovery of Her Jewel Box.

This council is the First Ecumenical Council in the history of the Church, which was convened upon the order of the King Costandianos the Great in the town Nicaea near Constantinople, in 327 A. D. 318 prominent pontiffs representing the Universal Church participated in the Council. The reason for convening the council was priest Arios of Alexandria, who preached that Christ was not without beginning, that he was created upon the Will of God before times and centuries, in order the creation of God to be realized by means of Christ. The only one not having birth, the only one eternal and without beginning is God the father. Son has been created not from the essence of the Father, but from nothing. There was a time when the Son did not exist. Although the Son has received all the virtues of the Father and is adopted, he is not pure as the Father is, he is changeable, as all human beings.

Because of such viewpoints of Arios the Divinity of Christ was denied and the entire Christian doctrine was endangered. Archbishop Alexander of Alexandria opposed to Arianism. In his sermons he stressed that God is eternal, and Son is eternal, Father and Son are of the same time. Father does not precede the Son even for a moment, Father has always existed and Son has always existed. The false teaching of Arios is condemned during the first Ecumenical Council and it is declared to be heresy.

Aristakes, son of St. Gregory the Illuminator, also participates in the first Ecumenical Council. The doctrinal formulation adopted by the Council, which is known as Nicene Creed, is brought to Armenia by Aristakes and is presented to St. Gregory the Illuminator.  The latter added to it the following passage: "As for us, we shall glorify him who was before the ages, worshiping the Holy Trinity and the one Godhead, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always and unto ages of ages. Amen.".

The Nicene Creed, adopted in Nicaea, and the passage added by St. Gregory the Illuminator, are up to date used in the rites of the Armenian Apostolic Church without any change. Aristakes brings to Armenia also 20 canons adopted by the Council of Nicaea, which are also ratified by St. Gregory the Illuminator.

Finnish monk, Professor of Theology Serafim Sepp�l� has for years been studying the Armenian culture and history and has a number of publications on this topic, among them a 500-page book on Armenian art and culture; he is currently working on another book on the topic of the Armenian Genocide. In the interview with Panorama.am Father Serafim speaks about his works and his unique personal experience with Armenia, which he says is the last corner of the Middle Eastern cultures where the old Christian tradition is still preserved and which he calls the home of his soul.  

- Father Serafim, you have been engaged in Armenian studies for years and you have a number of books written on cultural and religious issues related to Armenia. How did you as a Finnish Orthodox Monk first get interested in Armenia? What topics have you studied in particular?

- I was interested in Armenia before I became Orthodox, but it is a long story. As a young student in the 90's, I wanted to become a Christian but I did not know what kind of Christian I should be. There were dozens of different denominations in Helsinki and I visited all of them. The Orthodox church was the last one on my list! Before that I already visited an Armenian church in Istanbul.

I was studying Oriental studies and Semitic languages in Helsinki, also reading a lot of books on the history of Christianity. I became convinced that Christianity by its spirit is an eastern religion, and the Oriental Churches are the closest to the original. Then I went to Jerusalem for a year and experienced them all: the Syrian Orthodox, Copts, Ethiopians and Armenians. I lived in the Armenian quarter, in a tiny hut on the roof of an Armenian house.

So it was for me a personal and academic pursuit. I translated spiritual literature from Syriac (Aramaic) into Finnish, but I never had a chance to study Armenian. Then I became Orthodox, and some years after that I went to a monastery. The monastic years were very busy. Each day 14 hours of church and work, and in the nights I was preparing a PhD.

Then by surprise, I got a job from the University and the Church blessed me to go. Only then I was able to fulfill my dream and go deeper with Armenia.

Click here to read the full interview.

September 31 - Feast of the Discovery of the Belt of the Theotokos 

September 1 - Commemoration of Sts. Stepanos of Ulnia, Martyrs Goharine, Tsamides, Tyoukikos and Ratikos

September 2 - Commemoration of the Prophets Ezekiel, Ezra and Zechariah - St. John the Baptist's Father

September 4 - Commemoration of Sts. John the Baptist and Job the Righteous

September 6 - Commemoration of 318 Pontiffs participating in the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea

St. James Armenian Church (Evanston)

ANNUAL PICNIC

Saturday, September 20, 2014

12:00 noon -5:00 PM 

RAIN OR SHINE

Flick Park

Glenview, IL 60025

Adults: $15; Children: 5-12 $10, under 5: FREE

Donation covers rental fee, lunch, non-alcoholic beverages,

& clown for children

Catering by Siunik Armenian Restaurant

NO Alcohol PLEASE

FALL FOOD BAZAAR:

The cuisine of Georgian Armenians

SATURDAY OCTOBER 25, 2014

12:00 noon to 8:00 PM