Entries by stjohn

AS A MUSTARD SEED

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus expands on the mustard seed metaphor, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a person took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all the other seeds, but when it is fully grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.” (Matthew 13:32). It is one of the fastest-growing plants, the height of which reaches 3 to 4 meters in just a few months. The mustard seed is …

PERSISTANCE IN FAITH

St. James is known for his divine vision on Mount Ararat. According to tradition, while preaching near Nisibis, St. James learned that some doubted Noah’s Ark’s story. Determined to show proof, he embarked on a journey to Mount Ararat’s peak to find the ark’s remains. Saint James’ journey up the mountain is a metaphor for our own spiritual journey. He faced obstacles and challenges, yet he never gave up. His goal was not just to reach the summit but to seek a closer communion with God.

BIRTH OF VIGEN KHECHUMIAN

Vigen Khechumian was one of the most original and less known prose writers of Soviet Armenian literature. His lengthy career in contact with old Armenian manuscripts gave Khechumian the opportunity to get acquianted with many episodes of the past that had remained on the margins of the texts and colophons. He also wrote on contemporary issues, but his most successful works were devoted to medieval times: “What I write is a dialogue of day and night with the ancient Armenian manuscripts, a book of books about them…

FAITH OVER DOUBT

Often, when facing a difficult choice, immediately after making our decision, we begin to hesitate, doubt, and worry, constantly asking ourselves whether we have done the right thing. We also experience doubt during prayer, questioning whether God hears us and will fulfill our requests. The Holy Scriptures say that in those moments, we are like the waves of the sea tossed and turned by the wind.

BIRTH OF FRIEDRICH WINDISCHMANN

Friedrich Windischmann, a Roman Catholic theologian, was noted as one of the best authorities on Armenian linguistics in Germany during the first half of the nineteenth century. He was very well-versed in the Armenian and Old Persian languages, and in the various Sanskrit dialects. Besides many articles, he published the books Explanation of the Letter to the Galatians (1843), Mithra: A Contribution to the Religious History of the Orient (1857), and the posthumous Zoroastrian Studies (1863).

LET US THINK ABOUT OTHERS

Everyone has their own point of view on a given issue, but sometimes it seems that no one wants to hear and understand another’s point of view. We look at matters only from our point of view. However, if we do not make the effort to hear and understand others, then we cannot see their pain, suffering, or fears, nor can we see the injustices that they may have experienced. Apostle Paul advised the Philippians: “Let each of you look not to your own interests but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:4-5.

FEAST OF THE CONCEPTION OF THE HOLY VIRGIN MARY 

The Feast of the Conception of the Holy Virgin Mary is one of the eight feast days devoted to the Holy Virgin in the Armenian Church’s liturgical calendar. This feast is always celebrated on December 9 and is part of the Church’s preparation for Christmas. The faithful rejoice in the event that celebrates Mary’s conception in …

BISHOP MESROP CELEBRATES ST. JOHN’S ANNIVERSARY

Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan intended to celebrate St. John the Baptist Armenian Church’s 80th anniversary in fall 2022 but was still recovering from serious injuries sustained in a car crash. On Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023, Bishop Mesrop, fully recovered after five surgeries, presided over the parish’s 81st anniversary liturgy and banquet. In his sermon, Bishop Mesrop linked St. John’s commemoration with the 125th anniversary of the Armenian Diocese in North America. The two events are inseparable, …

DEATH OF LOUISE NALBANDIAN

Louise Nalbandian was born in San Francisco on September 12, 1926. She taught junior high and high school, and she was a lecturer of Armenian history at UCLA (1960-1961). She had completed her doctorate at Stanford University (1959), where she wrote her thesis on Armenian political parties, which was later published by the University of California Press under the title The Armenian Revolutionary Movement: The Development of Armenian Political Parties through the Nineteenth Century …

THANKSGIVING 2023: THANKING GOD

Thanksgiving Day is an American national festival of thanksgiving, first celebrated by the Pilgrims in 1621, and proclaimed annually by the President of the United States on the fourth Thursday in November.
The roots of the Thanksgiving celebration are deep within the Bible. The Hebrew people observed a thanksgiving holiday called Sukkoth, as a reminder of God’s protection and care during their sojourn in the Sinai dessert on their way to the Promised Land.