NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER

Today is National Day of Prayer, an annual observance inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress, and signed into law by President Harry Truman. In 1988, the law was amended and signed by President Ronald Reagan, permanently setting the day as the first Thursday of every May.  

Because of the strong faith of many of the U.S. founding fathers, public prayer and national days of prayer have a long-standing and significant history in American tradition. When this national day of prayer was first proposed and established it was hoped that it would become a popular national observance. Unfortunately, it has been relegated largely to its remembrance on Hallmark calendars and diaries.  

Of course, every day is a day for prayer. On this day we offer the following prayer from the Armenian Book of Hours:  

With your peace, O Holy Spirit true God, which surpasses all understanding and thought, comfort your servants, by receiving our prayers. Through your beneficence, put away from us the wrath and the punishment of our sins; forgive us and hear us, expiate and remit our sins, and make us worthy to thankfully glorify you together with the Father and with the only begotten Son, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.

NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY WILL CONVENE

The Eastern Prelacy’s National Representative Assembly (NRA) will convene in Illinois beginning on Thursday, May 18 to Saturday, May 20. The Clergy conference will begin on Wednesday, May 17. This year’s assembly is being hosted by All Saints Armenian Church of Glenview, Illinois.  

This year’s NRA will concentrate on the theme of Renewal, following the call of Catholicos Aram I, who declared the entire year of 2017 as the “Year of Renewal.” Presentations on Parish renewal will be given by Joseph Kormos, from the Orthodox Church of America, and Rev. Fr. Nareg Terterian, pastor of St. Sarkis Church in Douglaston, New York. Following the presentations the Assembly will break into three separate groups to examine the imperative of renewal in a more intimate setting, before a joint report is presented to the full Assembly. Two other panels scheduled will focus on By-Laws and Budget issues.  

Concurrent with the Assembly, the annual conference of the National Association of Ladies Guilds (NALG) will take place. The National Representative Assembly is the highest ecclesiastical and administrative body of the Prelacy. It is composed of a ratio of one-seventh clergy and six-sevenths lay delegates. The clergy delegates are elected by the Clergy Conference and the lay delegates by their respective parishes. The number of delegates from the parishes depends on the number of parish members. The minimum number of delegates for a parish is two and the maximum is seven.

YOUTH MINISTRY COORDINATOR SHARES VISION

It has been just over a month that the newly-appointed Youth Ministry Coordinator, Annie Ovanessian, has started her new position, but already the fruits of her labor can be seen. Meeting today with Archbishop Oshagan, Rev. Fr. Nareg Terterian, Religious Council member, and Greg Dosttur, the Prelacy’s Communications Officer, Mrs. Ovanessian presented her vision of the scope and nature of her work that she considers to be a special mission. Archbishop Oshagan and Der Nareg provided her further advanced guidance to facilitate her work with the Prelacy parishes, and Mr. Dosttur was on hand to offer the support of the Communications Department in all aspects and especially his specialty in creating meaningful and effective short videos directed at the youth, as well as his work on social media networks on behalf of the Prelacy.  

Archbishop Oshagan emphasized that this effort is a long-term endeavor in service to the Christian education of our youth. As he travels from parish to parish, His Eminence said he sees that young people are becoming increasingly engaged in the life of the church. “We need to build on this growing foundation. What we do today and in the near future will determine the future strength and vigor of the Armenian Church and its mission of salvation.”

PILLARS RECEPTION IN RHODE ISLAND

Archbishop Oshagan will attend a reception and dinner for the Pillars of the Prelacy in Rhode Island this Saturday, May 6. The event is hosted by Christopher and Manoushak Krikorian at their home in Cranston, Rhode Island. The event is an expression of thanks and appreciation for Pillars from the area, as well as to attract new Pillars to the Prelacy’s growing roster of sustained supporters.  

The Pillars of the Prelacy was established by the Prelate and Executive Council in 2003 as an annual giving program to provide a sustained source of income to meet the Prelacy’s budgetary needs for its multi-faceted programs. The Pillars make a commitment of an annual donation of $1,000 and up specifically for the Pillars fund. The sustaining support of the Pillars helps the Prelacy maintain and expand its services to our growing and evolving community of parishes.  

“Our objective in establishing the Pillars is to sustain and expand the services provided by the Prelacy,” said Archbishop Oshagan. “We are proud of the programs we have, but we know that what we are doing is not enough for our growing, changing, sophisticated community. A case in point is our most recent initiative of establishing a Youth Ministry department with a coordinator who will work with our parishes to establish youth ministers within each community.”

UNITED COMMEMORATION IN CONNECTICUT

The 102nd commemoration of the Armenian Genocide took place in Hartford, Connecticut at the State Capitol, with the keynote address given by the former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John Marshall Evans, on Saturday, April 22. Ambassador Evans had the courage to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide during his tenure in Yerevan which resulted in his recall. On Friday evening, the Armenian Genocide Commemoration Committee of Connecticut hosted a reception with the former U.S. Ambassador in attendance. Clergy participating on Friday and Saturday included: Rev. Fr. Kapriel Mouradjian, Armenian Church of the Holy Resurrection; Archpriest Fr. Untzag Nalbandian, Armenian Church of the Holy Ascension; Archpriest Fr. Aram Stepanian, St. Stephen’s Armenian Church; and Rev. Fr. Gomidas Zohrabian, St. George Armenian Church.

50th ANNIVERSARY MARKED BY HAMAZKAYIN NEW YORK CHAPTER

The 50th anniversary celebration by the New York chapter of Hamazkayin is being marked this week, May 4, 5, 6, and 7 with a number of exciting events, under the auspices of His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan. The events include an art exhibit, presentations and panel discussions, and culminating on Sunday with a cultural and musical program, the world premiere of “Khrimian Hayrig,” and an anniversary champagne reception. See the Calendar of Events below for more details about the events.

ARMENIAN EMBASSY HONORS TYLER PRIZE WINNER

The Embassy of the Republic of Armenia to the United States hosted a reception in honor of  Professor José Sarukhan, the winner of the 2017 Tyler Prize that many refer to as the Nobel Prize for environmental studies. Archbishop Oshagan was one of the church and community leaders and academics invited to attend the reception to mark Professor Sarukhan’s remarkable recognition by the international Tyler Prize Executive Committee.

Dr. Sarukhan is a founding father of ecological research in Mexico and among the best-known ecologists and conservation scientists in the world. In addition to many awards and titles, Dr. Sarukhan is Doctoris Honoris Causa of Yerevan State University.

BIBLE READINGS

A Note about the Readings:  Beginning Monday (April 24) and continuing until Pentecost (June 4) each day the four Gospels are read in the following order: 1) Morning—Luke; 2) Midday—John; 3) Evening—Matthew; 4) Evening dismissal—Mark. By Pentecost the four gospels are read up to the passion narratives.

Bible readings for Sunday, May 7, Red Sunday, are: (1) Luke 9:18-36 ; (2) Acts 13:16-43; 1 (Peter 5:1-14; John 5:23-19:30; (3) Matthew 11:25-30; (4) Mark 4:26-24.

So Paul stood up and with a gesture began to speak:

“You Israelites, and others who fear God, listen. The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. For about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. After he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance for about four hundred fifty years. After that he gave them judges until the time of the prophet Samuel. Then they asked for a king; and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, who reigned for forty years. When he had removed him, he made David their king. In his testimony about him he said, “I have found David, son of Jesse, to be a man after my heart, who will carry out all my wishes. Of this man’s posterity God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised; before his coming John had already proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John was finishing his work, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but one is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of the sandals on his feet.’

“My brothers, you descendants of Abraham’s family, and others who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent. Because the residents of Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize him or understand the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath, they fulfilled those words by condemning him. Even though they found no cause for a sentence of death, they asked Pilate to have him killed. When they had carried out everything that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead; and for many days he appeared to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and they are now his witnesses to the people. And we bring you the good news that what God promised to our ancestors he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm. ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you.’ As to his raising him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way, ‘I will give you the holy promises made to David.’ Therefore he has also said in another psalm, ‘You will not let your Holy One experience corruption.’ For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, died, was laid beside his ancestors, and experienced corruption; but he whom God raised up experienced no corruption. Let it be known to you therefore, my brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you; by this Jesus everyone who believes is set free from all those sins from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. Beware, therefore, that what the prophets said does not happen to you: ‘Look, you scoffers! Be amazed and perish, for in you days I am doing a work, a work that you will never believe, even if someone tells you.’”

As Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people urged them to speak about these things again the next Sabbath. When the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. (Acts 12:16-43)

RED SUNDAY

This Sunday (May 7) is the fourth Sunday of Eastertide, known as Red Sunday (Garmir Giragi). The name does not have an ecclesiastical origin. Red is the color of blood and this may be an appropriate time to honor the memory of the early Christian martyrs. The name Red Sunday is also believed to refer to the burst of color that comes forth from the land after a barren winter. Similar to last week’s Green Sunday, it is a celebration of nature and life, symbolizing rebirth after the Resurrection of our Lord.

PLEASE SAVE THE DATE: NOVEMBER 19, 2017

The 50th anniversary of the ordination to the priesthood of His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan will be celebrated on Sunday, November 19, 2017. Please save the date and watch for the exciting details of this inspiring milestone.

“LET’S CHAT 2”: HOT OFF THE PRESS

“The positive reception enjoyed by ‘Let’s Chat’ encouraged the preparation of this follow-up,” Dr. Vartan Matiossian, ANEC Director, observed. “We have worked along the linguistic and visual parameters established for the first booklet. Like its predecessor, ‘Let’s Chat 2’ may be used both in classrooms and as a self-teaching instrument. We have made sure that the material is both accurate and attractive.”

“Let’s Chat 2” has been published thanks to a generous donation from Dr. Aram and Mrs. Seta Semerdjian. Copies of “Let’s Chat” and “Let’s Chat 2” may be ordered by contacting the Prelacy Bookstore by phone (212-689-7810) or by email (books@armenianprelacy.org). The price is $10 plus shipping and handling.

REGISTER FOR DATEV SUMMER PROGRAM

The 31st annual St. Gregory of Datev Institute summer program for youth ages 13-18 is scheduled to be held at the St. Mary of Providence Center in Elverson, Pennsylvania, from July 2-9, 2017. Sponsored by the Prelacy’s Armenian Religious Education Council (AREC), the summer program offers a unique weeklong Christian educational program for youth. It aims to instill and nurture the Armenian Christian faith and identity in our youth through a variety of educational activities, coupled with daily church services and communal recreational activities. For information and registration, please visit the Prelacy’s website or contact the AREC office by email (arec@armenianprelacy.org) or telephone (212-689-7810). 

Watch the Datev Teaser below!

Martiros Sarian, one of the two names of Soviet Armenian culture who earned the title of Varbed (Վարպետ “Master”), was the founder of a modern Armenian national school of painting. 

He was born into an Armenian family in Nakhichevan-on-Don (now part of Rostov-on-Don, Russia) on February 28, 1880. In 1895, aged 15, he completed the Nakhichevan school. He received training in painting at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture (1897–1903) and then worked in the studios of the noted painters Konstantin Korovin and Valentin Serov. Soon Sarian became a member of a group of Moscow symbolist artists, and he began exhibiting his brightly colored paintings. He had works shown at the Blue Rose Exhibit in Moscow.

He first traveled to Armenia in 1901, visiting the regions of Lori and Shirak, the convents of Etchmiadzin, Haghpat, and Sanahin, Yerevan, and Lake Sevan. His first landscapes depicting Armenia (1902-1903) were highly praised in the Moscow press.

In 1904-1907 Sarian created the watercolor series "Fairy Tales and Dreams." Some pieces of this cycle were exhibited first at the Crimson Rose exposition in 1904 in Saratov and later at the sensational Blue Rose exposition in 1907 in Moscow. Starting from 1908, Sarian completely replaced watercolor with tempera. During this period, he took an active part in the exhibitions organized by the magazine Zolotoye Runo. 

From 1910 to 1914 he traveled extensively in Turkey, Egypt, northwestern Armenia, and Persia. These trips inspired a series of large, fresco-like works in which he attempted to communicate the sensuousness of the Middle Eastern landscapes. He also incorporated into a number of his paintings the Persian motifs he had seen in the Middle East. Like many Russian artists of the early decades of the 20th century, Sarian was greatly influenced by impressionism. He was also interested in the paintings of Henri Matisse and Paul Gauguin, as can be seen in his use of areas of flat, simplified color.

In 1915 he went to Etchmiadzin to help refugees who had fled from the Armenian Genocide. In 1916 he settled in Tiflis (now Tbilisi) where he founded the Society of Armenian Artists with fellow painters Yeghishe Tateosian, Vardges Sureniants, and Panos Terlemezian. 

He married Lusik Aghayan, daughter of writer Ghazaros Aghayan, in 1917. The newly married couple moved to Nor Nakhichevan, where Sarian continued painting. In 1920 he became director of the museum of Armenian Folklore in Rostov. In 1921 he moved to Yerevan with his wife and two children, Sarkis (future literary scholar) and Ghazar (future composer). He organized and became director of the museum of archaeology, ethnography, and fine arts (now the National Gallery of Armenia). He also participated in the establishment of the Yerevan Art College and the Artists Union of Armenia. In 1922 Sarian designed the coat-of-arms and the flag of Soviet Armenia, as well as the curtain of the First Drama Theater in Yerevan. In 1924 his works participated in the 14th Bienale of Venice. He was awarded the title of People’s Artist of Armenia in 1925.

 From 1926–1928 he lived and worked in Paris, but 40 paintings, most of his work from this period, were destroyed in a fire on board the boat on which he returned to Armenia, where he lived until his death. He spent most of his career painting scenes, especially landscapes of the homeland, often employing the impressionist technique of vivid, dappled color to capture the effects of light. He also painted many floral still lifes, as well as portraits.

In the difficult years of the 1930s, he was criticized as a formalist, since his work did not fit the state-sponsored artistic ideology of socialist realism. Sarian’s creative work was removed from the context of world modern art. A dozen of his portraits, which represented figures who were victims of the Stalinist purges, were destroyed in 1937. His famous portrait of Yeghishe Charents, however, survived. Nevertheless, he managed to continue his work and come out of this period unscathed. In 1941 he won the State Prize for his design of Alexander Spendiarian’s opera, Almast.

His work was subjected to new official criticism after World War II. Nevertheless, artistic freedom was more or less regained after the death of Stalin (1953), and Sarian returned to his traditional themes. His series of landscapes “My Homeland” won the State Prize in 1961. His 85th birthday was widely marked, and a documentary on his life and work was released in 1966, when he also obtained the State Prize of Armenia for the third time. The Martiros Sarian house-museum was opened in 1967, when his memoirs were also published. He was also elected as a deputy to the USSR Supreme Soviet several times and awarded the Order of Lenin three times, as well as other awards and medals. He was a member of the USSR Art Academy (1974) and the Armenian Academy of Sciences (1956).

Sarian continued his creative work almost until the end of his days. He passed away in Yerevan on May 5, 1972. He was buried at the Gomidas Pantheon, next to Gomidas Vartabed. 

WEEKLY REFLECTIONS

Last Sunday’s Reflection was offered by Deacon Stephen Sherokey of Holy Cross Church (Troy) and St. Gregory Church (Indian Orchard). 

Click Here to watch.

Many readers most probably are regular users of trousers or pants. As it happens with other words in the English language, the word “pants” is one of those shortened terms whose origin has been forgotten over time. First used in 1840, it was associated with a silly old man in Italian comedy, Pantaloun, whose name was derived from Italian Pantalone. (The Spanish word for “trousers” is, coincidentally, pantalón or pantalones.).

You may assume that panties is also related to “pants.” Indeed, it is its diminutive. It was a derogatory term used for men’s underpants in the nineteenth century, and took its current meaning of underwear for women or children in the early twentieth century.

Despite their distance, languages sometimes have curious analogies. The case for pants and panties in Armenian is not very far from English. The word վարտիք (vardik), meaning “pants,” was borrowed in Classical Armenian from Pahlawi (the language used by the Parthian dynasty of the Arsacids in Persia, from the third century B.C. to the third century A.D.), where varti meant “pants” and composed the form andarvarti (“outside pants”), which became անդրավարտիք (andravartik, pronounced antravardik in Western Armenian). The ք (k) was, of course, the Classical Armenian plural form (like pant-s). The word was used in both forms antravardik and vardik, and there was also the form անվարտի (anvardi), meaning “pant-less.”

What happened in Modern Armenian? The word antravardik has kept its meaning “pants” in Eastern Armenian until today. However, Western Armenian left it aside and adopted a term of unknown origin, տաբատ (dapad), scantily used in Classical Armenian, meaning “pants.” On the other hand, vardik (without the prefix antr) became “underwear” in both Western and Eastern Armenian, which means that, like in English, pants became the origin for panties. 

SIAMANTO ACADEMY—Meets every second Saturday of the month at the Hovnanian School, 817 River Road, New Milford, New Jersey. For information: anec@armenianprelacy.org or 212-689-7810.

May 4 to 7—Fiftieth anniversary Festival of Hamazkayin New York Chapter, under auspices of Archbishop Oshagan, will be commemorated with the following events: May 4 to 7: Art Exhibit with original paintings by contemporary Armenian artists, provided by Gallery Z of Providence, Rhode Island. Opening reception May 4 at 8 pm, St. Illuminator Cathedral, 221 East 27th Street, New York City. Paintings are priced for every budget. Remarks by Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian. Free admission. May 5: 8 pm at St. Illuminator Cathedral. Welcoming remarks by Arevig Caprielian. “Saving the Wounded Soldiers of Artsakh,” Power point presentation by Razmig Arzoumanian, co-founder of the Wounded Heroes of Artsakh. Remarks by Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the United Nations and Robert Avetisyan, representative of Artsakh. May 6: 7 pm at St. Illuminator Cathedral. Panel discussion, “Responsibility, Commitment, and Action.” Participants: Veh Bezdikian, Rupen Janbazian, Natalie Gabrelian, Anahid Ugurlaian, Lucine Kasparian, Mardig Tcholakian. Armen Caprielian, moderator. Remarks by Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian. Free admission. May 7: 4 pm at The Armenian Center, Woodside, New York. Cultural Program. Part I, 50 the Path Taken; Part II, Kaleidoscope of Armenian songs and music with participation of Hooyser Musical Ensemble, Jerry Bezdikian, Narek Boudakian, and Zulal Trio. Part III, “A Monologue,” world premiere of “Khrimian Hayrig,” written and performed by Herand Markarian. Anniversary cake and champagne reception. Admission $25. Space is limited; reservations for the Cultural Program highly recommended.  

May 7—Ladies Guild Fun Day, organized by the Ladies Guild of St. Gregory Church of Granite City, Illinois.

May 17-20—National Representative Assembly of the Eastern Prelacy hosted by All Saints Church, Glenview, Illinois.

May 21—St. Gregory Church of Merrimack Valley, North Andover, Massachusetts, 47th anniversary celebration and year-end hantes of church schools. Archbishop Oshagan will celebrate the Divine Liturgy and preside over the dedication of the Tom M. Vartabedian Library and anniversary/hantes.

November 19—SAVE THE DATE. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the ordination of His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan.

December 5-8—World General Assembly of the Great House of Cilicia, at the Catholicosate in Antelias, Lebanon.