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On Saturday, February 8, the Armenian Church commemorates the sons and grandsons of St. Gregory the Illuminator, namely, Sts. Aristakes, Vrtanes, Housik, Grigoris, and Daniel (who was not related, but was a distinguished and favorite student of St. Gregory). All of them continued the work of St. Gregory, preaching the word of Christ to pagans at great personal peril. Gregory had two sons, Aristakes and Vrtanes. Aristakes, the younger son, succeeded…
One of the most memorable and fearful times that I remember when I attended school some thirty-five years ago in Yerevan was the day when I walked into the Algebra classroom, sat down, and heard those words: “Clear your desk, take out a sheet of paper and a pen. There will be a test today.”
Have you ever been there? You’re going about your week, everything feels smooth and steady, and then, out of nowhere, you’re hit with a surprise test. Maybe it’s a call from the doctor with news you weren’t ready for. Maybe it’s a challenge at work you didn’t anticipate. Or maybe it’s a disagreement with someone you care about deeply. Life has a way of surprising us with its tests.
Hovhannes Mirza-Vanandetsi was one of the exponents of Armenian classicism in the nineteenth century.
Mirza-Vanandetsi, whose actual name was Amirzade Mirzayan, was born in Van in 1772. He became an orphan at the age of four and was placed in the care of the brotherhood of the monastery of the island of Gduts, where he grew up and received his early education. He was a gifted student and became and deacon. At the age of twenty, he moved to Constantinople to further his education. He studied at the Tbradun School, under the sponsorship of the Armenian Patriarchate, where he studied grammar, rhetoric, and logic. He graduated in 1798 and the following year he was appointed teacher at the recently opened Mesrobian School of Smyrna, where he taught until 1816. He was ordained a married priest in 1817 and remained in Smyrna for the rest of his life. He passed away on February 3, 1841, after a long illness.
This Saturday, February 1, the Armenian Church commemorates Saint Gregory the Theologian, also known as St. Gregory of Nazianzus, who is considered to be one of the great fathers of the Eastern Church. He was the son of the bishop of Nazianzus in Cappadocia. A great orator, his famous Five Theological Orations were powerful statements of faith and an eloquent defense of orthodoxy that earned him the title “the Theologian.” He also wrote poetry, letters, and with St. Basil compiled a selection of writings by Origen.
There were three friends with big dreams and hearts full of passion, ready to change the world. One dreamed of being a peacemaker, bringing harmony to broken lives. Another had a heart for feeding the hungry, determined to erase poverty. The third chose a life of prayer as a monk, dedicating himself to seeking God’s presence. Each felt called by God to make an impact, to leave the world better than they found it.
But life didn’t unfold as planned. The peacemaker worked tirelessly, joining organizations and striving to stop conflict, yet the fighting continued. Despite his best efforts, he felt defeated and drained, his hope fading. The one feeding the poor gave all he had—setting up soup kitchens and distributing food—but the needs kept growing. He, too, felt overwhelmed, wondering if his work even mattered.
When you squeeze an orange, what comes out? Orange juice! Not apple juice, not grape juice—only orange juice. Why? Because that’s what’s inside. It’s consistent every single time. The pressure doesn’t create what comes out; it only reveals what’s already there.
Life has a way of squeezing us. We face pressures, challenges, and people who don’t always treat us the way we’d like. But here’s the question: What comes out of you when life puts the squeeze on you? When someone says something hurtful to you, when you’re criticized, overlooked, or mistreated, what comes out of you? Is it anger, frustration, bitterness? Is it anxiety or fear?
Saint Athanasius, pillar of Orthodoxy and Father of the Church, was born in Alexandria in 275, to pious Christian parents. Even as a child, his piety and devotion to the Faith were so notable that Alexander, the Patriarch of the city, took Athanasius under his protection.
With St Athanasius, the Church commemorates St Cyril (Kyrillos), also Archbishop of Alexandria (412-44). His lot was to defend the Faith against the heretic Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople, who denied that Christ in his Incarnation truly united the divine with the human nature. Cyril attempted in private correspondence to restore Nestorius to the Christian faith, and when this failed he, along with Pope Celestine of Rome, led the defense of Orthodoxy against Nestorius’ teaching.
Mher [Meher] Abeghian was a well-known in Soviet Armenian painting in the 1940s-1980s period.
He was born on January 26, 1909, in the city of Vagharshapat. He was the son of Manuk Abeghian, a renowned Armenian Studies scholar of the twentieth century. He received his professional education at the Yerevan Industrial and Technical School of Fine Arts (1922-1927), the Higher State Art and Technical Institute of Moscow (Vkhutein, 1927-1930), and the Institute of Proletarian Fine Art of Leningrad (nowadays St. Petersburg, 1930-1931).
Abeghian returned to Armenia and was a lecturer at the Panos Terlemezian Art College (1939-1945) and later at the Yerevan State Art and Theatre Institute (1954-1959). He was the president of the Board of the Union of Artists of Armenia in 1939-1945 and 1967-1968.
The apricot is a national symbol of Armenia. Our songs, our poems, even our dreams—they all draw inspiration from this golden fruit. In fact, the Latin name for the apricot is Prunus Armeniacus, meaning “Armenian fruit,” because it’s believed to have originated in the rich soil of Armenia.
But not everyone sees the apricot the way we do. In some places, it’s just another fruit. Maybe not even one they would pick first. Why? Because the apricots they’ve tasted weren’t grown in the sunlight of Armenia, weren’t nurtured in its rich soil. They don’t know the sweetness, the richness, the essence of the apricot that comes from being in the right environment.
St. Vahan of Goghtn was the son of an Armenian prince who was abducted at age four by the Arabs. He grew up in the royal court in Damascus and received instruction in Islam. Catholicos John of Odzoon negotiated an agreement with the Arab emir for the repatriation of many Armenians who were held captive. Vahan, who was aware of his Christian heritage, wished to return …
