Entries by stjohn

THE LONGING FOR A PERFECT HOME

Years ago, John Lennon of the Beatles wrote a very popular song entitled “Imagine.” This song encourages us to envision a world where there is neither heaven nor hell, no countries, and nothing to kill or die for—a world where all people live together as one, without selfishness.

Now, I can understand why this song resonates with so many. The idea of a world united in peace and harmony is truly beautiful. But, my friends, as attractive as this idea is, it overlooks a fundamental truth about human nature. The reality is, no matter how much we imagine, …

DEATH OF KEVORK CHAVOUSH

There were names that rose to legendary proportions at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century, when Turkish and Kurdish marauding of Armenian peasantry was met with armed resistance by fedayees (freedom fighters). Kevork Chavoush was among the most prominent figures leading that struggle.

He was born Kevork Atamian in 1870, in the village of Megtink, district of Psanats (Sasoun). In 1886 his family sent him to the school of the monastery of the Holy Apostles (Arakelots) in Moush. At school, he heard about Arabo (Arakel Mkhitarian, 1863-1893), one of the founders of the fedayee movement. He decided to join the movement in 1888. He left for Aleppo, where he spent two years working to buy a gun. In 1890 he returned to Sasoun. …

MEMORIAL DAY

Today is a special day—a day of remembrance, a day of gratitude, a day when we pause to honor the brave souls who made the ultimate sacrifice for our great nation and for our Homeland. Today is Memorial Day, a day when we reflect on the courage, dedication, and selflessness of those who laid down their lives so that we could enjoy the freedoms we hold dear.

In John 15:13, Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s …

WALKING BY FAITH

Did you know that the average pair of healthy human feet takes about 8,000 steps a day, 2.5 million steps a year, and walks about 115,000 miles over the course of a lifetime? Think about that for a moment. That’s a lot of steps! You thought you were tired, didn’t you? But here’s the thing—each of those steps represents a moment, an opportunity, a decision.

Scripture often refers to our lives as a walk, a journey that requires dedication, courage, and persistence. It’s not always easy, but it’s …

DEATH OF SOGHOMON TEHLIRIAN

“Tehlirian acted as the self-appointed legal officer for the conscience of mankind,” thought Polish law student Raphael Lemkin and started his quest to establish an universal jurisdiction to pursue the crime of what he would call “genocide.” Soghomon Tehlirian, who liquidated Talaat Pasha, one of the masterminds of the Armenian Genocide, is considered a national hero by Armenians.

Tehlirian was born on April 2, 1896, in the village of Nerkin Bagarij, in the region of Erzinga. He studied at the village school, then at the Protestant school of Erzinga (1905-1906) and at the Central School of Erzinga (1907-1912).

DEATH OF PARSEGH (GANATCHIAN) GANACHIAN

The best known of Gomidas Vartabed’s “five disciples” and an accomplished composer and choirmaster himself, Parsegh Ganachian is also known as the author of the arrangement for the Armenian national anthem “Mer Hayrenik.”

He was born in Rodosto (Oriental Thrace, today in Turkey) on April 17, 1885. He was the son of a shoemaker, and at the age of three, his family moved to Constantinople, where he received his primary education at the elementary school of Gedikpasha. During the massacres of 1896, the Ganachians moved to Varna, in Bulgaria, where the young Parsegh continued his studies at the local Armenian school and studied music theory, violin, and conducting with violinist Nathan Bey Amirkhanian.

PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

On this sacred day of Pentecost, we gather before You, humbled by Your divine presence and eager to receive Your abundant blessings. As we celebrate the wondrous descent of Your power upon the disciples, we open our hearts and minds to Your guiding light. Holy Spirit, fill us with Your wisdom and understanding. Grant us the clarity to discern Your will and the courage to follow Your path. Help us to shed our doubts and fears, and let Your flame ignite our souls with faith and fervor. …

DEATH OF H.H. CHAKMAKJIAN

Haroutioun Hovhannes (H.H.) Chakmakjian was a chemistry professor, an editor, the author of an extensive English-Armenian dictionary, and the father of a famous Armenian American composer.

Chakmakjian was born in Adana on October 20, 1879, in a family of farmers. He studied at the Apcarian school in Adana, and then at the Antoura French Missionary College in Beirut.

He began his career as a teacher in Caesarea (Kayseri) and Giresun. He taught in Beirut and then moved to Cyprus in 1901, emigrating to the United States in 1904. He eventually settled in Boston and studied at Harvard University (1905-1908). A member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, Haroutioun Chakmakjian served as the editor in chief of the Hairenik newspaper…

THE SONG OF GRATITUDE

The greatest hymn we can offer God is our life’s melody. And the key to singing life’s song with passion and skill, as the Holy Scriptures emphasize, is the profound sense of gratitude. When the primary melody of our song is our gratitude for God’s goodness, the hymn of our life will resonate like a joy-filled chorus.

St. Paul writes: “Be careful, then, how you live … understand what the will of the Lord is … be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns …

THE POTTER AND THE CLAY

The Bible frequently uses the beautiful imagery of the potter and the clay. It serves as a powerful reminder of our lives in God’s hands. In the book of Genesis, we read: “The Lord God created man from the dust of the earth” (Genesis 2:7). The first man, Adam, was formed by God from the clay found on the ground. Then God breathed life into him, and he became a living being.

Just as a potter molds a lump of clay, God shapes our lives. The prophet Isaiah reminds us, “Lord, you are our Father. We are clay, and you are our maker.