St. John Armenian Church of Milwaukee, WI, cordially invites you to the ordination of its pastor Rev. Deacon Albert Hambardzumyan. Saturday, April 10, 2021@10:00am. Celebratory Banquet @ 3:00 pm. The service will be livestreamed on church’s Facebook page.
On Saturday before Palm Sunday, we commemorate the Resurrection of Lazarus, the seventh and last sign of our Lord Jesus Christ described in the Gospel of John (John 11:1-46).
Jesus Christ freed Lazarus, who had been dead for four days, from the grasp of death and restored him to life through the power of His word: “Lazarus, come out!” The same voice that brought the universe to life now called Lazarus from the darkness of death to the light of life.
Recently, when I was at the newly renovated Holy Etchmiadzin Cathedral, my eyes caught sight of three simple crosses carved into the eastern wall. These weren’t carved by famous artists or important people but by ordinary pilgrims who made their way here many centuries ago.
These crosses, along with several others found throughout the cathedral, are known as Pilgrim’s Crosses. They don’t carry the intricate designs or beauty we might see on our traditional khachkars, those ornate cross-stones. These crosses weren’t about impressing anyone; they were about expression—an outpouring of love, a prayer etched in stone, a hope left in the walls of God’s house.
Rupen Chilingirian was born on February 28, 1885, in the village of Silivri (Eastern Thrace), near Constantinople. He received his elementary education at the Askanazian school and then at the lyceum of Bardizag until 1901, when he moved to Constantinople. He graduated from the prestigious Berberian School in 1905, when he published his first poem, “Parting Words,” and adopted the pen name Rupen Sevag (sevag meaning “black eyes”). He would become mostly known as a lyrical poet, characterized by freshness and precision of language. He contributed to many publications in the Ottoman capital and abroad.
Sevag pursued medical studies at the University of Lausanne (Switzerland). The double massacre of Adana, with 30,000 victims in April 1909, influenced the work of the young poet, who also issued warnings about the impending danger over his compatriots. In 1910, he published his first collection of poetry, aptly entitled The Red Book, where he also touched upon the themes of social injustice, complaint, and rebellion.
