The Sunday which follows Easter Sunday is called New Sunday because it is the first Sunday after the Resurrection [Easter]. Aside from the Resurrection of Christ, this day also reflects calling of and conversion of the pagans to Christianity; and, the growth and expansion of Christ's Church. Hence, it falls into Church's listing of holy days.

ANALOGICALLY, New Sunday or Nor Giragi also reflects the new relationship of God's People. The Christian Church had replaced the tribe of Judah as the new "Israel". Israel means "people of the covenant". The word Israel is not a geographical location, but rather the name or reference to a people in a special covenant or relationship with God. With their denial of Christ the Israel of the Old Testament [old covenant] relinquished their role as the "Israel" of God's covenant. The "new" sons of Zion [Arm. Sioni Vortik], being the Body of Christ [the Church = Arm. Ecceghetsi = Grk. Ecclesia] is in fact the "new" Israel. Therefore, in its role of Israel, the people of the covenant [Christian Church] are the heirs to or recipients of the promise of salvation through Christ's death and resurrection.

By virtue of its being the eighth day of Easter [octave] and a day similar to Easter it has been called Grgnazadig [Easter Repeated].

The Church has wisely chosen the Gospel of John's prologue as its reading for "New Sunday" because it powerfully proclaims Jesus as the Son of God, the Word made flesh. Although Jesus took upon Himself full humanity and lived as a man, he never ceased to be the eternal God who has always existed, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, and the source of eternal life. This is the foundation of all truth.

What are the different requiem services in the Armenian Church?

• the morning after the internment, when the ritual is held at the grave site; (For deceased clergymen, services are held at the grave site for six consecutive days.)
• the morning of the seventh day [yotnorek] of the internment, when the ritual is held at the grave site; (For deceased clergymen, services are also held on the 15th day.)
• the fortieth day [karasoonk] of the internment:
  • for laymen the fortieth-day requiem is the same as the seventh day service
  • for clergy there is a special fortieth-day service
  • in the case of both deceased laymen and a clergymen the fortieth-day requiem is usually held on the closest (Saturday or) Sunday, when the name of the deceased is mentioned by the celebrant during the Divine Liturgy, particularly during the special prayers offered for the deceased;
• the first anniversary [darleets] of the internment:
  • for laymen the first anniversary requiem is the same as the seventh-day service
  • for clergy there is a special first anniversary service
  • the requiem is usually held on a (Saturday or) Sunday that is the closest to the date of the first anniversary, when the name of the deceased is mentioned by the celebrant priest during the Divine Liturgy, especially during the special prayers offered for the deceased;
• memorial days: the common requiem service [hokehankeesd], which follows the Divine Liturgy on five memorial days that follow the five major feasts during the year; the requiem for memorial days at the grave site can also be held on any day.
• In most modern Armenian cemeteries, the Divine Liturgy is celebrated in the cemetery chapels.

In the past, all the requiem services required the preparation of food and its distribution to the poor. This was the Armenian Christian way of providing for the deprived. This tradition has evolved today and is partially observed in the form of the hokejash. The blessing of Madagh is in most cases a requiem service, and the blessed food or meat is distributed to the poor and the public at large in memory of the deceased person/persons, whose name is/are mentioned in the prayer read by the clergyman. Blessed these, it must be noted that prayers for the deceased are said during the liturgical hours and the Divine Liturgy, and a short requiem service is required during the Night Hour, if the Divine Liturgy will be celebrated on that day.

These services, practices and traditions give us an opportunity to pray for our deceased dear ones and the receive consolation through the grace of the Holy Spirit.

What is the proper mourning period for a deceased?

Before examining the duration of the mourning period and the services following the internment, another question frequently raised by parishioners must be answered. Does one start calculating the time of mourning from the day when the deceased has died or from the day of his internment? This was never an issue in the old days, since the deceased was buried on the day he died. If the death occurred later in the day, the burial took place on the following day. Today, in countries where there is a wake prior to the burial, time should be calculated from the day of the burial services and the internment.

The forty-day mourning period

The forty days of mourning [karasoonk], says St. Gregory of Datev, has as precedent the wailing over Jacob/Israel. But his comment and our tradition are based neither on the Hebrew Scriptures nor on the present reading of the Septuagint, but on the ancient Armenian version of the Bible, which reads: and the embalmers embalmed [literally, covered] Israel. And his forty days were fulfilled; for so were the days numbered of those who were buried.

We see in the Old Testament, and know from various Armenian writers that besides wailing for the dead and other similar expressions of grief, the bereaved abstained from eating rich food, drinking and even bathing. The association of mourning with fasting and the example of Jacob presumably led to the present practice of observing a forty-day mourning period we observe today. The practice was probably further developed under the influence of the forty-day Lenten period, during which the Church requires absolute abstinence from rich foods. The fortieth day of the internment marks the end of mourning, when the bereaved make a request for and participate in the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, then go to the graveside for a requiem service. Today the requiem service is held in the church, with a shorter service at the graveside.

First anniversary requiem

The significance of the first anniversary [dareleets] of the internment, and the annual observance of the burial is not clear, but the Book or Rituals does mention the dareleets and the tradition has been retained. At the first anniversary the family of the deceased makes a request for and participates in the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, and proceeds to the graveside for a requiem service. Today the requiem service is held in the church, with a shorter service at the graveside.

"NOR SEROUNT"

"NEW GENERATION"

Saturday, May 3 at 6:00PM

performance followed by dinner

$20 adults and children (dinner included)

For tickets call Annie Kerkonian: 847.830.3881

AGBU Center 7248 N. Harlem Ave. Chicago

Easter  season is the time when homes are blessed by the Pastor. All parishioners who wish to have their homes blessed on the occasion of Easter should call Der Hovhan (847) 644-7389 to make arrangements.

Have a piece of bread, dish of salt and glass of water available for the blessing.

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.