Entries by stjohn

25TH ANNIVERSARY OF ENTHRONEMENT OF HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II

Today, at the heart of our faith, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, we gathered in prayer, lifting up His Holiness Karekin II on his 25th anniversary of the enthronement to the Catholicosate of All Armenians. For a quarter of a century, His Holiness has served as a shepherd and father, guiding us through the trials and triumphs of our age. Through times of hardship and moments of celebration, he has been a vessel of our enduring faith.

It’s easy to take spiritual leadership for granted. Often, we look to our leaders as if their strength, wisdom, and presence in our lives had just appeared. But Scripture reminds us, in Hebrews 13:17, that leaders are appointed by God Himself. It says, “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account.”

ARCHANGELS MICHAEL AND GABRIEL

Archangel is a title given to an angel of high rank in the celestial hierarchy. Michael, which means “who is like God,” is one of the principal angels. Gabriel, which means “strength of God,” is one of God’s chief messengers…

BUILDING WITH VISION

Last weekend [Nov. 25-26, 2024], I had the blessing to consecrate the Holy Archangels Armenian Church in Hye Pointe, Massachusetts. It was a culmination of years of dedication, faith, and vision. Over the years, I’ve visited this place many times, watching it grow from just a construction site to a sanctuary. I remember standing on that concrete slab with Der Vart, the devoted pastor of this church. He would point with such clarity and say, “This is where the altar will be,” or “This is where the baptismal font will stand.”

If you were there in those early days, you might have looked around and seen nothing but an empty structure—a framework. But Der Vart saw with eyes of faith. Through his vision, the altar, the font, the pews, the aisles—they were already there.

DEATH OF ASHOT NAVASARDIAN

Ashot Navasardian was a Soviet Armenian dissident who founded the Republican Party of Armenia on the eve of the second independence of Armenia.

He was born in Yerevan on March 28, 1950, and graduated from the Faculty of Law of Yerevan State University. In 1968 he became a member of the underground National Unity Party, which advocated for the secession of Armenia from the Soviet Union. He was imprisoned three times for his criticism of the Soviet regime and the promotion of his ideas and sentenced to a total of 17 years of prison and 5 years of exile, of which he spent 12 years in prison and exile, having been released before the sentence terms of his second and third imprisonments. He was finally freed in 1987, and he continued his activities as a member of the council of the Union for National-Self Determination (1988-1989).

BUMPS AND BLESSINGS

When I was younger, I’d always complained about the bumps on the road. I’d think, “Why do they have to put these here?” They’d slow me down and mess up my rhythm, and I just wanted to get where I was going faster. But one day, I realized that those bumps weren’t there to annoy me but to protect me. They were there to make sure I didn’t go too fast around a corner or miss something important. They were there to keep me safe.

In life, we all hit bumps in the road. Maybe you’re facing a challenge right now. Maybe you lost a job, had a relationship that didn’t work out, or you’ve been praying for a breakthrough, and it hasn’t come yet. It’s easy to think, “Why this bump, God? Why is this slowing me down?”

CREATING A SYMPHONY OF FAITH

A British weekly magazine has conducted a psychological survey of players in symphony orchestras. This shows that brass and string players usually have bad opinions of each other. Woodwind players, especially oboists, are considered as neurotics by their colleagues in the orchestra. Violin and viola players have uneasy, mutually deprecatory attitudes.

The wonder is that people who tend to be mutually hostile to each other can produce an effect of order and harmony. The moment the conductor lifts his baton, all these emotions are set apart. At that moment, only one thing counts: the success of the concert.

EMBRACE YOUR CROSS

The cross is a path to becoming all that God has designed you to be. It is your calling. It’s the place where your gifts and talents meet the world’s needs, where your struggles are transformed into blessings, and where God’s strength shines through your weaknesses.

Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Discovery of the Holy Cross. Back in the fourth century, Queen St. Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, journeyed to Jerusalem and uncovered the very cross on which our Lord was crucified. As we reflect on her journey, I believe God is calling us to make a discovery of our own. He’s calling us not to find a physical cross but to uncover the cross, He has uniquely designed for each one of us—the cross that reflects His purpose for our lives.

ARMENIAN WINES FOR TASTING AND SALE IN MILWAUKEE

On Sunday, Oct. 27, Victoria Aslanian from ArmAs Estate gave a presentation and a wine tasting at St. John the Baptist Armenian Church in suburban Milwaukee. ArmAs Estate has become a leader in Armenia’s “wine renaissance,” earning some 50 awards worldwide including gold and silver medals at the Mundus Vini wine festival in Germany, silver and bronze at London’s Decanter World Wine Awards and silver and bronze at the Vyno Dienos International Wine Competition in Lithuania. ArmAs has been favorably mentioned in publications ranging from Wine Enthusiast to Forbes and Foreign Affairs.

BIRTH OF HOVHANNES PARSEGHIAN

He was born on October 25, 1920, in the village of Mastara (Aragatsotn province). After graduating from the seven-year school in Mastara and the high school in Talin, he was admitted to the Linguistics and Literature Faculty of Yerevan State University in 1938.

He was drafted into the army in 1941 and participated in World War II until 1943, when he was seriously injured for the first time and demobilized. He graduated from the university in 1944 and completed his post–graduate studies in 1948. Barseghian defended his candidate (first Ph.D.) thesis in 1952 and his second Ph.D. thesis in 1981. He became an associate professor in 1981 and full professor in 1984.

FROM PAIN TO PEARL

In the silent depths of the ocean, the oyster rests peacefully until a tiny grain of sand slips inside its shell. This minuscule intruder causes irritation and pain. It doesn’t belong there; it’s not supposed to be there. But instead of pushing it away, the oyster begins to coat that sand with layers of nacre, turning it into a radiant, shimmering pearl.

This natural marvel mirrors our own experiences with life’s trials. There are moments when a problem slips into our world—something unexpected, something that throws us off balance. Maybe it’s a health issue, a financial struggle, or a broken relationship. We didn’t ask for it, and we certainly don’t want it. But if we allow God to work through those trials, he can take that grain of sand, that thing causing you pain, and I can turn it into something beautiful.