Entries by stjohn

THE SACRAMENT OF THE ORDINATION OF A BISHOP ACCORDING TO THE ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC ORTHODOX CHURCH

The ceremony for the ordination of a bishop (also known as “consecration”) is one of the more opulent ceremonies of the Armenian Church. It reflects the magnitude of the bishop’s unique ministry in the church. In the Armenian Church the Catholicos presides at all bishops’ ordinations with the participation of at least two additional bishops. The Armenian word for bishop, yebeesgobos, comes directly from the Greek word episkopos, which appears numerous times in the New Testament.

BIRTH OF RETEOS BERBERIAN

Reteos Berberian was the most influential and best regarded Armenian educator in Constantinople for three decades.
He was born in the neighborhood of Haskeuy, in Constantinople, on October 10, 1851. He graduated from the local Nersesian school in 1866. He had innate qualities to be an educator, and he cherished the ambition of founding a school from his youngest years. At the age of sixteen he started tutoring people of his age.

DEATH OF HOVHANNES HOVHANNISIAN

Hovhannisian was born on April 26, 1864, into a peasant family in Vagharshapat. He attended the parochial school in Armenia before studying in Moscow at the Lazarian Language Institute (1877-1883) and Moscow State University (1884-88). In 1889 he traveled around Europe visiting Constantinople, London, Paris, and Vienna. He returned to Vagharshapat and began his teaching career as a Russian language and literature, general literature, and Greek language at …

HE KNOWS YOUR WORTH

Have you ever questioned your worth? Have you ever felt rejected, overlooked, or underestimated by the world? In society, value is often determined by material wealth or societal status. We are continually appraised by the size of our bank accounts, the labels on our clothes, or the number of followers we have on social media. But God’s economy is different. He’s not looking at your bank account or your list of accomplishments; He’s looking at you—the real you,..

BIRTH OF CHARLES ATAMIAN

Charles Garabed Atamian was born on September 18, 1872, in Constantinople. He completed his early education at the Mekhitarist School in the district of Pera (now Beyoglu) and then attended the Lycée de Saint-Benoit, a French school. He continued his education at the Moorat-Raphaël College of the Mekhitarist Congregation (Venice) between 1887 and 1893. He studied for a short while at the Academy of Fine Arts in the Italian city, but then returned to Constantinople and worked at …

REMEMBERING 9/11

On this day, September 11, my thoughts naturally drift back to where I was years ago—within the walls of Sevan Seminary in Armenia. It was a place where I was surrounded by the pursuit of spiritual knowledge and a deeper understanding of God. Yet, as news broke of the horrifying events, a silence that was unlike any other fell over us. The contrast between our peaceful environment and the chaos unfolding in the world was jarring.

EPHPHATHA: A SPIRITUAL ROADMAP

In the Gospel of Mark 7:34, Lord Jesus performs a miraculous healing; He heals a man who is deaf and has a speech impediment. This miracle is more than an episode of history frozen in time. For us, as Christians, it is an invitation to a spiritual life, an entire roadmap pointing us toward the sacred journey we’re all meant to undertake. Let’s explore this invitation, this spiritual program, step by step together.

BIRTH OF CLARENCE USSHER

American physician and missionary Clarence Ussher was an eyewitness of the Armenian self-defense of Van and author of one of the most important testimonies about the Turkish attack and the massacre of tens of thousands of Armenians in the Van region. He was born on September 9, 1870, in Aurora, Illinois. His father was posted to Montreal as a bishop of the Reformed Episcopal Church and eventually moved with the family to Canada.

HONORING THE BIRTH OF MARY

We remember the birthdays of those who are significant in our lives. We also remember the birthdays of significant people in our spiritual lives. The most crucial figure for Christians is undoubtedly our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, whose birth we commemorate on Christmas Day.
Next in importance to Jesus in the spiritual lives of many Christians is Mary, His mother. While we can’t ascertain her exact birth date, September 8th is traditionally the day to celebrate her birth.

FROM DESPAIR TO HOPE

There are moments in life when it feels as though nothing will ever be the same again. One might feel shattered, too afraid to even hold on to hope. While we may intellectually understand that brighter days will come, our overwhelming despair makes it nearly impossible to move beyond our grief and sorrow. In such times, the music of the soul ceases, and the heart loses its joy.

The Prophet Jeremiah encapsulated such despair in his book of “Lamentations,” a collection of sorrowful songs dedicated to Jerusalem after its destruction by the Babylonians. While acknowledging God’s power and justice, Jeremiah …v