Entries by stjohn

BIRTH OF ANTHONY KRAFFT-BONNARD

Pastor Krafft-Bonnard was among the first to delve into aid for Armenia following the news about the Hamidian massacres in 1895-1896. In fall 1896, the different committees organized in many Swiss cantons united to form the Conference of Swiss Committees of Aid to Armenians, presided by Prof. Georges Godet, and send assistance to be distributed in place by American missionaries. In the same meeting, another initiative saw the light, which would last about half a century: to move Armenian orphans to Switzerland, where they would be received by families who would take care of the financial and educational burden. Krafft-Bonnard, who chaired the committee in charge, received the first orphan in 1897.

THE IMPERFECT HEROES OF SCRIPTURE

One of the reasons we find the Bible so believable and so relatable is because it refuses to gloss over its heroes. It doesn’t present them as flawless, unattainable icons of virtue. Instead, it shows us their humanity, their struggles, their mistakes. And in that, we find hope for our own lives.

Think about Moses, for example. Here was a man chosen by God to lead His people out of slavery. But Moses was also a murderer. He made a terrible decision that haunted him.

LISTENING WITH THE HEART

There’s an Armenian proverb that says, “We have three ears: one on the left side of the head, the other on the right, and the third in the heart.” We often forget about listening with the heart, while this kind of listening can make all the difference in our relationship with God.

We all go to church, sit side by side, and participate in the same Badarak, but some of us leave feeling the presence of God deeply in our hearts, while others feel nothing. Why is that? It’s because some hear with the heart, and others only with the ears.

SOARING ON GOD’S WINGS

An eagle is a majestic and powerful bird soaring high in the sky. It returns to its nest, where its young ones are nestled. The eagle begins to stir up the nest, encouraging its young to take flight. At first, they might be afraid and unsure of their own abilities. But the eagle knows something they don’t—within them lies the power to soar.

In the same way, our almighty God is like that eagle. He stirs up our nests and our comfort zones and leads us to the edge of new challenges and opportunities. Sometimes, it feels like we’re being pushed off a cliff into nothing but air.

HOPE FOR TOMORROW, STRENGTH FOR TODAY

Iguazu Falls, located on the border of Brazil and Argentina, is one of the most breathtaking natural wonders. It consists of 275 separate waterfalls that span over 1.67 miles along the Iguazu River. The name “Iguazu” comes from the Guarani or Tupi words “y” (water) and “ûasú” (big), meaning “big water.”

Carved into a wall on the Brazilian side of the falls is a verse from the Bible, “Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty!” (Psalm 93:4).

TRUSTING GOD’S STORY

When we are learning to read as children, we quickly discover that the opening chapters of a novel are often a little confusing. New characters would pop up, strange events would unfold, and nothing seemed to make much sense. But we learned something important: to keep reading. Because we knew, deep down, that a good author would eventually weave all those scattered pieces into a beautiful, coherent story.

Our lives of faith are much the same. Sometimes, we encounter people and …

BUILDING THE ALTAR OF LIGHT

Over seventeen centuries ago, in the heart of Armenia, a vision changed the course of our faith. St. Gregory saw a brilliant light descending from heaven, marking the very spot where the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin would be built. This was no ordinary light; it was the light of Christ Himself, illuminating the path for a nation and its people.

St. Gregory called out to the Armenian people with a message that resonates with us today: “Come, let us build the Altar of Light, for it is here that the Light has dawned upon us.” …

RISING FROM THE PIT

Today, we celebrate the Feast of St. Gregory the Illuminator’s Deliverance from the Pit. Over 1,700 years ago, King Trdat threw St. Gregory into a dark pit near Mount Ararat. It was a prison, a place of suffering, meant to break his spirit. St. Gregory endured unimaginable hardship for thirteen long years, but he never lost his faith. He trusted that God had a plan, even in his darkest moments.

This is a powerful story that resonates with each of us because, at some point in our lives, we’ve all found…

SAINT JOHN THE FORERUNNER

St. John the Baptist is prominent in each of the four Gospels. He is associated with the beginning of the ministry of Jesus and is considered to be the “forerunner” to Jesus the Messiah. He baptized those who repented their sins, and he preached the coming of one after him who is greater than he and would baptize not with water but with the Spirit.

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.