Entries by stjohn

DESIGNED TO SOAR

I read an interesting thing about the early days of golf balls. When manufacturers first made golf balls, they had smooth, flawless outer covers, kind of like a giant ping-pong ball. They were called feathery! But something strange happened out on the course. After the ball had been roughed up a little, knocked around, maybe even dented here and there, they noticed it started traveling farther. It flew straighter.

So, what did the manufacturers do? They started making golf balls with dimples already built in. That’s right, the imperfections were no accident. They were part of the design!

THE SCENT OF GOD’S PRESENCE

Recently, I visited the new Commodity Fragrances store in the SoHo neighborhood in New York City, opened by our dear friends Vicken and Rosette Arslanian. What a beautiful place it is! The design is modern, almost like an art gallery. As you walk in, you can feel the atmosphere shift. Every scent, every detail is designed to lift your senses and make you pause, reflect, and breathe in something refreshing.

As I walked through that boutique, sampling the different fragrances, a saying from one of the Desert Fathers came to mind. He said, “Whoever enters a perfume shop, even if they buy nothing, still leaves with the sweet fragrance.” What a powerful truth! …

BEAUTY BEYOND THE BREAK

Growing up, many of us have those sweet memories of Easter Sunday, lining up with our red eggs, tapping them against each other’s, seeing whose would stay strong the longest. Back then, I didn’t know that the eggs were dyed red to remind us of the blood of Christ, poured out in love for the world. And the cracking of the egg symbolized the breaking open of the tomb, the moment when death gave way to life.

Last Friday, I had the great joy of spending time with my good friend, Archbishop Elpidophoros of America. We met at the St. Nicholas National Shrine, with other Orthodox hierarchs right there at Ground Zero, a place that once stood for sorrow but now stands tall as a witness to hope.

GREEN SUNDAY, SUNDAY OF THE WORLD CHURCH

Easter Sunday is followed by a period of fifty days (Hinoonk). This period from the Resurrection to Pentecost (Hokekaloost) is dedicated to the glorification of the Resurrection. Each of the seven Sundays of Hinoonk has a special name. This Sunday, May 5th, is Green Sunday (Ganach Giragi), also called Sunday of the World Church (Ashkharhamadoor), that commemorates the establishment in Jerusalem of the first Christian church where Christ had the Last Supper and met with the Apostles in the upper room after the Resurrection.

Green Sunday most probably originates from an ancient holiday celebrating spring. Our forefathers, seeing mother earth bloom after long winter months, glorified the Creator with an act of thanksgiving and celebrated by decorating the church …

COMMEMORATION OF THE BEHEADING OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST

The Saturday following the Holy Feast of the Glorious Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Armenian Church commemorates the beheading of St. John the Baptist (also known as The Forerunner). The writers of the Gospels, St. Matthew and St. Mark, have explained the history of beheading of St. John the Baptist, who had baptized Christ, and gave the good news of His Coming …

DEATH OF KONSTANTIN ORBELIAN

Konstantin Orbelian, a music prodigy, became one of the mainstays of Armenian jazz in the twentieth century.

He was born on July 29, 1928, in the town of Armavir (North Caucasus). His musical talents became clear at an early age. He was sent to a school for gifted children at the Baku Conservatory, but he studied there for a short time. His father was arrested and shot during the Stalin purges in 1936. Two years later, his mother was arrested and sentenced to five years of exile. Their children Haroutioun and Konstantin became “children of people’s enemies” overnight.

Eleven-year-old Konstantin Orbelian was immediately expelled from the musical school and had to earn some living as a musical accompanist to gymnasts.

HONORING THE LEGACY OF THE HOLY MARTYRS

Today, we commemorate the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide. As we lift our hearts in prayer and remembrance, we declare to the world that faith is stronger than fear, that love outlasts hate, and that God’s light still shines through the darkest chapters of our history.

The Apostle Paul asked a bold question in the book of Romans: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” He was declaring a truth that generations have held on to in the darkest of times. And no one has held onto it quite like the Armenian people.

NO STONE TOO HEAVY FOR THE RISEN LORD

Before the sun had even risen… before the city had awakened… before the world knew what was about to happen, something miraculous was already underway. The Gospels tell us that on the first Easter morning, a few faithful women who cared for Jesus made their way to His tomb. It was a tomb cut into a solid rock, sealed with a massive stone.

Their hearts on that morning were heavy with grief. The tears of Good Friday were still fresh on their cheeks. They were still carrying the pain of loss, the sting of disappointment, the crushing weight of despair. It felt like the weight of the world was pressing down on their hearts like a heavy stone blocking out all hope.

FROM PALM SUNDAY THROUGH EASTER, ST. JOHN KEPT A FULL SCHEDULE

Palm Sunday is the celebratory bridge between two periods of profound reflection on the Armenian Church calendar, Lent and Holy Week. On Palm Sunday, the sanctuary curtain was opened, the gospel reading commemorated Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, Holy Communion was offered for the first time in 40 days and the Opening of the Doors ceremony was performed.

EASTER MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II

With the joyful tidings of Christ’s Holy Resurrection and with supplication for divine grace, we convey to all of you our Patriarchal love, blessings, and heartfelt wishes.

The Feast of the Holy Resurrection is the proclamation of the victory of life over death—a triumph for which the Son of God sacrificed Himself, a victory affirmed as a radiant testament to God’s boundless love for humanity. Our Lord was persecuted, subjected to suffering, crucified, and tasted death. Confronted with the sorrowful reality of the Son of God’s self-sacrifice, as attested by the Evangelists, the disciples and followers of the Lord were overcome by discouragement and despair.

Yet, amid the anguish of death’s seemingly triumphant grip, the angelic proclamation from Christ’s empty tomb, “He is not here, but is risen” (Luke 24:6), became a beacon of enduring hope, strength, and inspiration. Truly, this joyous message is the triumphant hymn of Christ’s salvific mission.