Entries by stjohn

ARMENIAN CHRISTMAS CELEBRATED AT ST. JOHN

St. John the Baptist Armenian Church celebrated the Feast of the Nativity and Theophany of Our Lord (“Armenian Christmas”) on January 7, in keeping with the community’s longstanding custom of observing the holiday on the Sunday closest to January 6. In his Nativity homily, St. John’s parish priest, Rev. Fr. Guregh Hambardzumyan, spoke of the mystery of the Incarnation: Why did God become human? One answer is that through his birth in Bethlehem, Jesus, the Son of God, lowered Himself to …

HOLY NATIVITY 2024 MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II

Today, on the feast of Holy Nativity and Epiphany, our Armenian nation, although grieving and heartbroken, but with unshaken faith, unbreakable in will and full of hope, bows down before Christ the child, who from the cave of Bethlehem shines as light and salvation to the entire world. With beautiful words of praise, the soul-stirring canticle conveys to us the wonder of the Holy Nativity. “O Birth-giver of God, tabernacle of light, you became the dawn of the Sun of righteousness and gave light to those of us who sit in darkness.”

DEATH OF ARMENAG SALMASLIAN

Armenag Salmaslian was born on December 10, 1888, in Mkhalich, a village near Brusa (Bursa), in Turkey. He studied at the Berberian College in Constantinople between 1900 and 1906, followed by his studies at the Robert College (1906–1911).
He pursued higher education at the School of Law of the University of Paris and graduated in 1914. He published his book The Clause of the Most Favored Nation (1921, in French) and obtained a doctorate in jurisprudence in 1922.

LET US LOOK TO JESUS

Two boys were playing in the snow and decided to see who could walk in the straightest line in the snow. One boy fixed his eyes on a distant tree and walked straight towards it without looking back. The other boy kept checking his path, turning around every few steps. The first boy’s path was perfectly straight when they reached their goal, while the second’s was zigzagged. The second boy asked how the first managed such a straight line. The first replied, “I just kept my eyes on the tree and didn’t look …

STEPAN LISITSIAN

Stepan Lisitsian was a pioneering name in several fields at the turn of the twentieth century. He is particularly remembered for his work as an educator and ethnographer.
He was born on September 22, 1865, in Tiflis, in a doctor’s family. After graduating from the Russian gymnasium (high school) in 1884 with highest grades, he entered the school of History and Philology of Odessa University (Crimea) the following year.

WELCOMING THE NEW YEAR WITH GOD’S LOVE

Today is the last day of the year. Standing on the threshold of a new beginning, we are naturally filled with mixed emotions. There is excitement and hope but also an undeniable undercurrent of fear, primarily driven by the fear of uncertainty. The fear of uncertainty is a profoundly human experience. It’s the quiet voice that asks, “What’s going to happen next?” It’s the anxiety that keeps us awake with questions: What will happen to the financial markets? How will our personal finances be affected? …

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 …

UNDERSTANDING OUR DIVINE PURPOSE

Imagine this: Before the stars twinkled in the night sky, before the mountains rose in majesty, God thought of you. Before the universe burst into existence, you were in God’s heart. This is not just poetic imagery; it is the reality of God’s love. The entire cosmos, in all its vastness and beauty, was crafted as a home for us, the pinnacle of His creation, solely so He could express His love for us. Understanding this truth transforms us. When this profound reality sinks into our souls, it eradicates any …

THE JOURNEY OF LIFE

One of the main themes throughout the Scriptures is that of a journey. It is difficult to find the story of someone in the Holy Scriptures who is in a serious dialogue with God and is not on a journey. It appears to be the case that God is not found sitting still. Perhaps the explanation is that faith is always revealed along the way on the journey. The Book of Acts testifies that the original name of the Church was called “The Way”, and the first Christians were called “The Followers of the Way” (Acts 9:2).

DEATH OF REV. FR. HOVHANNES HUNKEARBEYENDIAN

Hunkearbeyendian was a teacher in various Armenian schools of Constantinople in the neighborhoods of Gedikpasa, Haskeuy and Pera (nowadays Beyoglu). He married in 1849 and Patriarch Hagopos Seropian (1839-1840, 1848–1856) consecrated him priest in 1852. The future dictionary author was born on November 25, 1818, in the Ottoman capital. His given name was Tateos. His father was also a priest and called Hovhannes Hunkearbeyendian too. He was educated at the school of the Armenian Cathedral of …