The fifth Sunday of Great Lent is called the Sunday of the Judge. The message of the day comes from the parable of the widow and the Judge. This parable is mentioned in the Gospel of St. Luke (18:1-8). The parable tells the story of a widow who repeatedly came to a judge, who neither feared God nor respected man, and plead for her rights. For a long period of time the judge refused to act, but in the end, he fulfilled her request, to put an end to her continuous appeals. Otherwise, he feared that she would continue to return indefinitely. 

The Armenian town of Kessab, in Syria, has been invaded by armed rebels affiliated with international terrorist organizations. The attacks-which began on Friday, March 21-are reported to originate from across the border in Turkey (Kessab lies in Syria's northwestern corner, near the Turkish border).

This feast is the first one among the three commemoration days dedicated to the memory of St. Gregory the Enlightener, the first Catholicos of All Armenians. According to the Armenian Church Calendar, it is celebrated on the eve of the Fifth Sunday during the period of Great Lent. The feast is dedicated to the torments which St. Gregory suffered during his imprisonment.

According to historical sources, St. Gregory the Enlightener was the son of Anak Partev, a knight and nobleman, who killed the Armenian King Khosrov Arshakouni. In retaliation, Anak is executed by the Armenians. His son, Gregory, lived and studied in Caesarea, and was brought up as a pious Christian. Gregory returns to Armenia as an adult and becomes a member of the royal court. King Tiridates (Trdat), the son of King Khosrov and heir to the throne, appoints Gregory as the Chancellor of the Armenian Kingdom. Tiridates, learning that Gregory is a Christian and the son of Anak, subjects him to severe tortures and commits Gregory to death, by imprisoning him in a deep underground pit.

In 301 A.D., after spending 13 years in the pit, St. Gregory the Enlightener is freed from the dungeon and emerges to spread the Light of Christ in Armenia. He thus becomes the first pontiff of the Armenian Church, baptizes the royal family, and evangelizes the whole of the Armenian Nation. Armenia becomes the first nation in the world to officially proclaim Christianity as her state religion. St. Gregory the Enlightener is recognized by all of Christendom as a Saint, and he is commemorated in all traditional Christian Churches.

Coffee hour tables can be simple or complex.  Sometimes when people do a coffee hour table they put out coffee cakes and doughnuts; sometimes they put out some fruits. Others put out entire lunch. We encourage you to sign up for coffee hour a couple of times each year. It can be simple or an entire meal - either is fine. The sign-up sheet is in the church hall.