BEARING WITNESS THROUGH STEWARDSHIP: A TESTIMONY OF FAITH, COMMUNITY, AND GRATITUDE

I was honored when Der Guregh asked me to share a Stewardship Testimony. In our faith, a testimony is about bearing witness to God’s truth, His character, and His work in our lives. I have been part of the Armenian Church my entire life, and I truly believe that God has a unique plan for each of us. He places people in our lives to guide us, teach us, and love us—and He leads us exactly where we are meant to be. Though our journeys are different and our paths are unique, we come together at St. John the Baptist Armenian Church united by a shared faith and by gratitude for the gifts God has entrusted to each of us…

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THE CHRISTMAS DATE DILEMMA

For those who observe Christmas on January 6, particularly in the West, it can feel disheartening to see festive decorations, events, and celebrations leading up to December 25 while they patiently await their own celebration. By the time their Holy Nativity arrives, most decorations have already been taken down, and the holiday excitement has faded.

Additionally, many Armenians find themselves unsure whether to extend Christmas greetings and say “Merry Christmas” when, according to the Armenian calendar, Jesus has not yet been born. This seasonal dilemma can be quite confusing. Despite this, I know many Armenian Orthodox families who faithfully celebrate the Holy Nativity on January 6 but still gather with friends and loved ones on December 25 to partake in the broader holiday spirit.

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MAY 28, A GLORIOUS ANNIVERSARY

Almost nine centuries after the fall of the Bakradouni Kingdom in Armenia and six centuries after the collapse of the Armenian Kingdom in Cilicia, the birth of the Republic of Armenia was a miracle. The dimmest moment in our history became the brightest, when the Armenian nation, like the mythological phoenix, rose renewed from its ashes and established a state on the plains of Mount Ararat. With Western Armenia obliterated by the Armenian Genocide, Eastern Armenia forged its own destiny, ready to participate as a sovereign member in the family of nations, leading the Armenian people to new horizons.

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HOLY WEEK 2024 AT ST. JOHN

The Milwaukee Armenian community began its celebration of Holy Week on Sunday, March 24 with the Opening of the Doors (Turun-Patsek), marking the end of the Lenten closed curtain season in the church sanctuary. Following the Palm Sunday liturgy, parishioners gathered in the church hall for St. John’s annual Palm Sunday brunch, a fundraiser prepared by Sunday School teachers and parents. For the first time in memory, St. John observed the full Holy Week schedule, including the Commemoration of the Ten Maidens on Tuesday, March 26. Ten young girls from the community took part in the evening service.

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VARTANANTS: FROM AVARAYR TO NVARSAG

Every year, on the Thursday preceding the Great Lent, Armenians throughout the world celebrate Vartanants Day in commemoration of one of their most heroic struggles. It was a war of human rights between Zoroastrian Persia and Christian Armenia in the year 451. The cause was freedom of conscience, freedom of religion. In 387, Armenia came under the control of the then-two superpowers: the Byzantine and Persian empires. The Persian Empire had ambitions for world domination. It wanted …

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THE MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II ON THE NEW YEAR:2024

On this New Year’s Eve, from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, we bring our pontifical love and best wishes to you all. The New Year is the borderline of the days that have become history and the hopeful future.
We welcome the dominical year of 2024 with deep concerns, filled with the relentless pain of immense losses in our hearts. We experienced a challenging year, but relying on the Lord, we look to the future of our nation with hope and optimism. In the face …

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THANKSGIVING 2023: THANKING GOD

Thanksgiving Day is an American national festival of thanksgiving, first celebrated by the Pilgrims in 1621, and proclaimed annually by the President of the United States on the fourth Thursday in November.
The roots of the Thanksgiving celebration are deep within the Bible. The Hebrew people observed a thanksgiving holiday called Sukkoth, as a reminder of God’s protection and care during their sojourn in the Sinai dessert on their way to the Promised Land.

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THE GIFT OF CHRISTMAS

I don’t need to tell anyone that Christmas is on display in all major outlets and markets as if the celebration were only a week or so away. Whatever you need, it’s there waiting for you: trees, lights, ornaments, toys, stockings, . . . The only thing missing is for some enterprising young “preacher” to set up a booth to “sell” you the Spirit of Christmas, all neatly packaged in brightly colored wrapping.

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THE SACRAMENT OF THE ORDINATION OF A BISHOP ACCORDING TO THE ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC ORTHODOX CHURCH

The ceremony for the ordination of a bishop (also known as “consecration”) is one of the more opulent ceremonies of the Armenian Church. It reflects the magnitude of the bishop’s unique ministry in the church. In the Armenian Church the Catholicos presides at all bishops’ ordinations with the participation of at least two additional bishops. The Armenian word for bishop, yebeesgobos, comes directly from the Greek word episkopos, which appears numerous times in the New Testament.

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ՁԵՌԱՑ ՄԱՇՏՈՑ | TSERATS MASHDOTS

There are three classes of Mashdots, called Ձեռաց Մաշտոց (Tserats Mashdots), or “Manual Mashdots”; Մայր Մաշտոց (Mayr Mashdots) օr “Mother Mashdots,” and Հայր Մաշտոց (Hayr Mashdots) or “Father Mashdots.”
The Tserats Mashdots is the one used by priests and contains all texts required for sacraments and other rituals, including prayers for different occasions (home blessing, well blessing, new book blessing, et cetera). The Mayr Mashdots is for the special …

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