Entries by stjohn

TRANSLATING GOD’S LOVE

Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Translators. When we hear the word “translator,” we might think of someone who takes words from one language and turns them into another, making sure the message is clear. But the work of our Holy Translators goes much deeper than that. They took the living, breathing Word of God and made it come alive, real and relevant in the hearts and lives of the Armenian people.

We remember and honor the giants—Saints Sahag and Mesrob Mashdots, along with their disciples—who, in the 5th century A.D., gave us the Armenian alphabet and opened the door for us to understand God’s Word in our own language. They made the Scriptures accessible, bringing faith into the hearts of our people.

BIRTH OF RAFAEL DE NOGALES MÉNDEZ

Rafael de Nogales Méndez was a soldier of fortune, adventurer, and witness of the Armenian Genocide.

He was born in San Cristóbal, Venezuela, on October 14, 1877. His father sent him to study in Europe, where he attended universities in Germany, Belgium, and Spain, and learned several languages. He was attracted to the military profession, and he began to travel where the news of war took him. He fought on the Spanish side during the Spanish–American War of 1898.

In 1902, he participated in a failed attempt to overthrow Venezuelan dictator Cipriano Castro involving an expedition aboard the schooner La Libertad.

SILENCING FALSE ALARMS

Have you ever reached for your phone because you were certain it vibrated—only to find your pocket empty?

Doctors have a name for this: phantom vibration syndrome. Our minds grow so accustomed to the hum of incoming messages that sometimes they invent one. The brain fires a false alarm because it has been trained to expect a signal.

It seems like a small, harmless quirk of modern life, but it points to something profound about the human heart: what we give our attention to most often will eventually shape us. We condition our hearts the same way we condition our thumbs to swipe across a screen.

INTO THE DEEP

Yesterday, I visited the ancient Haghartsin Monastery in the Tavush region of Armenia — a holy place where monks once prayed and sang, where faith has endured storms of history. I walked to a quiet corner where Khachadour Daronatsi Vartabed rests, the 12th-century monk who gave us the hymn we sing at the very beginning of the Badatak: Khoroord Khorin, “Deep Mystery.” Both words spring from the same root: khor, meaning “deep.”

Even the Armenian word for meditation — khorhel/խորհել — comes from that same place of depth. From the very first notes of the Badarak, Daronatsi whispers something essential to our souls: Go deep, meditate, step fully into the mystery. The Badarak is not meant to be rushed or skimmed like the headlines of our day; it is an invitation to sink into the mystery of God.

FEAST OF THE HOLY TRANSLATORS

The October commemoration of the Feast of the Holy Translators focuses on the creation of the Armenian alphabet (406) and on the accomplishments of the Holy Translators. Mesrob Mashdots, the founder of the alphabet, and Catholicos Sahag, together with some of their students…

DEATH OF ATABEK KHENKOYAN

Atabek Khenkoyan, also known with the pseudonym of Khenko–Aper, was considered one of the best authors of Eastern Armenian children literature after Ghazaros Aghayan and Hovhannes Tumanian.

He was born on October 19, 1870, in the village of Gharaboya (now Khenkoyan), in the district of Pambak. He first studied at the parish school, and in 1880 he continued his studies in Alexandropol. After graduating from high school, in 1890 he started working as a teacher for the next 35 years in different places of Armenia.

LEAVE YOUR MARK

There is a story told about a master craftsman who created a pencil and spoke to it before sending it out into the world. “There are five things,” he said, “that I want you to always remember to have a productive life.” His words, though meant for the pencil, echo God’s wisdom for our hearts.

First, the master said, “The most important part of you will always be what’s inside. Your true worth is within you.” A pencil’s value isn’t the painted wood on the outside, but the lead inside. So it is with us. Appearances, titles, or possessions don’t measure our true worth. It comes from the image of God imprinted deep in our souls (cf. Genesis 1:27).

72 HOLY DISCIPLES OF CHRIST

On Saturday, October 4, 2025, the Armenian Church commemorates the 72 Holy Disciples of Christ. The reference comes from the Gospel of Luke (Chapter 10, Verse 1): “After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself…

LOVE CARVED IN STONE

This morning I woke up at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin — the beating heart of our Armenian Church. (I’m visiting Armenia this week with the FAR board to see their programs firsthand). As the sun rose, I stepped outside to pray and walk around the Cathedral, just like I often do. But today, something stopped me in my tracks. Right there, in front of the ancient Cathedral, workers were installing a medieval khachkar — a cross-stone from the year 1279.

Now, most of the Armenian crosstones don’t show Christ on the cross; they proclaim victory, His resurrection, the triumph of life. But this one was different. It is called Amenaprkich — All-Savior. In its center, the crucified Christ. Not to dwell on defeat, but to declare unstoppable love. On its sides, in ancient script, were these breathtaking words: “The hands that created the heavens you spread on the cross.”

GOD NEVER FORGETS

Each weekend, I travel to different parishes to celebrate Badarak, ordinations, and milestones. But ministry is never confined to the altar alone. One of its greatest joys is going beyond church doors and stepping into homes and hearts. It means sitting beside those who cannot come to church because of age, illness, or limitation. It means carrying the Church to them, bringing Christ’s presence into quiet living rooms and hospital rooms.

Yesterday in Philadelphia, I had one of those beautiful moments. With Der Hagop Gevorgyan, we visited Ethel Terzian (shared here with her family’s permission), a lifelong member of Holy Trinity Armenian Church in Cheltenham. For decades, she poured her love into her parish — praying, serving, giving. Today her steps may be slower, but her faith is still vibrant; her heart still shines with God’s light. When I walked into her room, I felt the presence of the Lord there.