Entries by stjohn

GUARD YOUR HEART

When you squeeze an orange, what comes out? Orange juice! Not apple juice, not grape juice—only orange juice. Why? Because that’s what’s inside. It’s consistent every single time. The pressure doesn’t create what comes out; it only reveals what’s already there.

Life has a way of squeezing us. We face pressures, challenges, and people who don’t always treat us the way we’d like. But here’s the question: What comes out of you when life puts the squeeze on you? When someone says something hurtful to you, when you’re criticized, overlooked, or mistreated, what comes out of you? Is it anger, frustration, bitterness? Is it anxiety or fear?

HOLY FATHERS ATHANASIUS THE GREAT AND CYRIL, PATRIARCHS OF ALEXANDRIA

Saint Athanasius, pillar of Orthodoxy and Father of the Church, was born in Alexandria in 275, to pious Christian parents. Even as a child, his piety and devotion to the Faith were so notable that Alexander, the Patriarch of the city, took Athanasius under his protection.

With St Athanasius, the Church commemorates St Cyril (Kyrillos), also Archbishop of Alexandria (412-44). His lot was to defend the Faith against the heretic Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople, who denied that Christ in his Incarnation truly united the divine with the human nature. Cyril attempted in private correspondence to restore Nestorius to the Christian faith, and when this failed he, along with Pope Celestine of Rome, led the defense of Orthodoxy against Nestorius’ teaching.

BIRTH OF MHER AMAGHIAN

Mher [Meher] Abeghian was a well-known in Soviet Armenian painting in the 1940s-1980s period.

He was born on January 26, 1909, in the city of Vagharshapat. He was the son of Manuk Abeghian, a renowned Armenian Studies scholar of the twentieth century. He received his professional education at the Yerevan Industrial and Technical School of Fine Arts (1922-1927), the Higher State Art and Technical Institute of Moscow (Vkhutein, 1927-1930), and the Institute of Proletarian Fine Art of Leningrad (nowadays St. Petersburg, 1930-1931).

Abeghian returned to Armenia and was a lecturer at the Panos Terlemezian Art College (1939-1945) and later at the Yerevan State Art and Theatre Institute (1954-1959). He was the president of the Board of the Union of Artists of Armenia in 1939-1945 and 1967-1968.

ROOTED IN THE RIGHT SOIL

The apricot is a national symbol of Armenia. Our songs, our poems, even our dreams—they all draw inspiration from this golden fruit. In fact, the Latin name for the apricot is Prunus Armeniacus, meaning “Armenian fruit,” because it’s believed to have originated in the rich soil of Armenia.

But not everyone sees the apricot the way we do. In some places, it’s just another fruit. Maybe not even one they would pick first. Why? Because the apricots they’ve tasted weren’t grown in the sunlight of Armenia, weren’t nurtured in its rich soil. They don’t know the sweetness, the richness, the essence of the apricot that comes from being in the right environment.

ST. VAHAN OF GOGHTN

St. Vahan of Goghtn was the son of an Armenian prince who was abducted at age four by the Arabs. He grew up in the royal court in Damascus and received instruction in Islam. Catholicos John of Odzoon negotiated an agreement with the Arab emir for the repatriation of many Armenians who were held captive. Vahan, who was aware of his Christian heritage, wished to return …

DEATH OF BEDROS TOURIAN

It has been said that Armenian literature had two great foes whose names started with the letter թ (t): tuberculosis (թոքախտ, tokakhd) and Turks (թուրքեր). Five famous poets were among the victims of the terrible illness, related to poverty and malnourishment. One of them was Bedros Tourian, the great name of Armenian romanticism.

Tourian was born in Scutari, a suburb of Constantinople, on May 20, 1851 (Julian calendar, equivalent to June 1 in the Gregorian calendar). His father, Abraham Zmbayan, was a struggling blacksmith in a poverty stricken family, named after his profession (Turkish zımba “chisel”), from which his son derived the Armenian translation Tourian (Armenian դուր[tour]“chisel”).

HOLY FATHERS STS. ATHANASIUS AND CYRIL

In January, the Armenian Church commemorates the Holy Fathers Athanasius and Cyril. Athanasius is known as the “champion of orthodoxy” and “Father of Orthodoxy.” He served as bishop of Alexandria for 45 years . He attended the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. He is respected and revered in the Armenian Church. Cyril of Alexandria succeeded his uncle, Theophilus…

THE TRILOGY OF GRACE

Trilogies capture our imagination. Whether it’s “The Lord of the Rings,” “The Godfather,” or “Back to the Future,” there’s something special about a story that unfolds in parts. Each chapter pulls us deeper into the narrative, revealing more about the characters, their struggles, and their triumphs. By the end, we’re not just watching a story—we’re part of it.

Did you know Jesus gave us a trilogy of His own? It’s found in Luke 15, where He tells three parables: the story of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. It’s a masterpiece of storytelling, and each part adds another layer to the heart of God’s love. This isn’t just entertainment; it’s the very essence of who God is. He’s showing us how far He’ll go to bring us back when we’re lost.

BIRTH OF ARNO BABAJANIAN

Arno Babajanian was one of the most important composers of Soviet Armenia, but also was very well-known in the Soviet Union, especially as a brilliant pianist.

He was born in Yerevan on January 22, 1921. His childhood friend, composer Alexander Harutiunian, recalled that at the age of five or six, the future musician attempted to play the old piano of the kindergarten. Babajanian himself used to tell about his first meeting with Aram Khachatourian: “When I was a kindergartener, a man once visited us and asked us to sing to get to know who had music ear among us. I was singing and kicking the floor at the same time. Listening to me, that man said that I should be engaged in music. In the future, I would learn that he was Aram Khachatourian.”

BIRTH OF MANYA GHAZARYAN

Manya Ghazaryan, a prolific art historian, was born on January 20, 1924, in Tbilisi (Georgia). She graduated from the Institute of Art and Theater of Yerevan (now Academy of Fine Arts) in 1948. She worked at the National Gallery of Art of Armenia between 1953 and 1959, and afterwards became a researcher at the Institute of Art of the National Academy of Sciences. In 1983 she earned the title of Emeritus Worker of Art of Armenia, and in 1996 she defended her dissertation of Ph.D. in Art.

Manya Ghazaryan’s studies were devoted to plastic arts in the Middle Ages, and the modern and contemporary periods. She authored the following books in Armenian: Vardges Sureniants (1960), Armenian Plastic Arts…