In an uplifting Dedication Service following the Holy Liturgy on Sunday, October 5, the Sunday School teachers of St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia, PA committed themselves to God, before their students and the congregation to teach the message of the Gospel and the love of Christ according to the doctrine and creed of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church.   After reciting prayers, reading the Creed of Faith, hearing the Good News from the Book of Romans as it relates to teaching about Jesus and salvation, the teachers received blessings from Archpriest Fr. Nerses Manoogian, Pastor.  Der  Hayr then presented each teacher with a beautifully engraved cross, stating that "as the Cross is the symbol of the highest sacrifice made by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, may God accept your sacrifice and dedication as you continue with your teaching this year". 

To: St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church Members

From: Mike Injaian, Treasurer

Subject: Church Member Accounts at TD Bank

Saint Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church has had a mutually beneficial relationship with TD Bank for a number of years. The Church has recommended the services of the Bank to its members and Church members have responded by opening checking accounts at TD Bank.

The result of this relationship has been donations to the Church ranging from $4,500 to $6,500 over the last several years from TD Bank through their Affinity program. This program ended in 2014 and as a consequence TD Bank did not make a donation to the Church this year.  The Church had sought to reinstate the program, however TD Bank was unable to accommodate this request to our satisfaction.

Church members should not feel obligated to maintain accounts at TD Bank in order to help the Church meet the requirements of the Affinity program. Church members are not being requested to close TD Bank accounts, however if other banking opportunities arise members should feel free to take advantage of them.

Please contact me or other Board Members if you have questions or comments.

Thank you,

Mike Injaian, Treasurer

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EXALTATION

OF THE HOLY CROSS

Introduction: Psalm 65:1

Alleluia, Alleluia.  Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion;

and to you prayers shall be offered in Jerusalem.

The reading is from the Prophet Isaiah 19:1-11

            An oracle concerning Egypt.  Behold, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt; and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence, and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them.  And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians, and they will fight, every man against his brother and every man against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom; and the spirit of the Egyptians within them will be emptied out, and I will confound their plans; and they will consult the idols and the sorcerers, and the mediums and the wizards; and I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a hard master; and a fierce king will rule over them, says the Lord of hosts.

            And the waters of the Nile will be dried up, and the river will be parched and dry; and its canals will become foul, and the branches of Egypt's Nile will diminish and dry up, reeds and rushes will rot away.  There will be bare places by the Nile, on the brink of the Nile, and all that is sown by the Nile will dry up, be driven away, and be no more.  The fishermen will mourn and lament, all who cast hook in the Nile; and they will languish who spread nets upon the water.  The workers in combed flax will be in despair, and the weavers of white cotton.  Those who are the pillars of the land will be crushed, and all who work for hire will be grieved.

            The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish; the wise counselors of Pharaoh give stupid counsel.  How can you say to Pharaoh, "I am a son of the wise, a son of ancient kings"?                                        

The reading is from the Letter of Paul to the Galatians 2:1-10

            Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me.  I went up by revelation; and I laid before them (but privately before those who were of repute) the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, lest somehow I should be running or had run in vain.  But even Titus, who was with me, was not compelled to be circumcised, though he was a Greek.  But because of false brethren secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy out our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage-to them we did not yield submission even for a moment, that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.  And from those who were reputed to be something (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)-those, I say, who were of repute added nothing to me; but on the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised (for he who worked through Peter for the mission to the circumcised worked through me also for the Gentiles), and when they perceived the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to the pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised; only they would have us remember the poor, which very thing I was eager to do.                              

            Ալէլուիա, Ալէլուիա,  Յարեաւ Աստուած եւ ցրուեցան ամենայն թշնամիք նորա. փախեան ատելիք նորա յերեսաց նորա։

THE HOLY GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING TO MARK 12:35-44

Unto Our Lord Jesus Christ:

            And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, "How can the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?  David himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit, declared, `The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, till I put your enemies under your feet.'  David himself calls him Lord; so how is he his son?"  And the great throng heard him gladly.

            And in his teaching he said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to go about in long robes, and to have salutations in the market places and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers.  They will receive the greater condemnation."

            And he sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the multitude putting money into the treasury.  Many rich people put in large sums.  And a poor widow came, and put in two copper coins, which make a penny.  And he called his disciples to him, and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury.  For they all contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, her whole living."                                                                               

ՅԻՍՈՒՍ ՔՐԻՍՏՈՍԻ ԱՒԵՏԱՐԱՆԷՆ ԸՍՏ ՄԱՐԿՈՍԻ  12։35-44

Յիսուս տաճարին մէջ ուսուցանելու ընթացքին հարցուց ժողովուրդին. �Օրէնքի ուսուցիչները ի՞նչպէս կրնան ըսել թէ Քրիստոս, խոստացուած Փրկիչդ, Դաւիթի սերունդէն է, երբ Դաւիթ ինք Սուրբ Հոգիով ներշնչուած կ՚ըսէ.

            �Տէրը ըսաւ իմ Տիրոջս.-

            Աջ կողմս նստէ,

            Մինչեւ թշնամիներդ ոտքերուդ տակ դնեմ

            Որպէս պատուանդան�։

�Եթէ Դաւիթ զայն Տէր կը կոչէ, ինչպէ՞ս ուրեմն Քրիստոս անոր որդին է�։

Ժողովուրդը հաճոյքով մտիկ կ՚ընէր Յիսուսի, որ իր ուսուցումները շարունակելով կ՚ըսէր. �Զգո՛յշ եղէք օրէնքի ուսուցիչներէն որոնք կը սիրեն փառաւոր զգեստներով շրջիլ, հրապարակներու վրայ մարդոցմէ յարգալիր բարեւներ ընդունիլ, ժողովարաններու մէջ առաջին աթոռները գրաւել եւ ընթրիքներու ընթացքին՝ պատուոյ տեղերը։  Մէկ կողմէ այրիներուն տուները անոնց ձեռքէն կը յափշտակեն, իսկ միւս կողմէ կեղծաւորութեամբ իրենց աղօթքը կ՚երկարեն։  Ասոր համար աւելի խիստ դատապարտութիւն պիտի ընդունին�։

Յիսուս կեցած էր տաճարին գանձանակին մօտ եւ կը դիտէր ժողովուրդը, որ դրամ կը ներէր գանձանակին մէջ։  Շատ մը հարուստներ մեծ գումարներ նետեցին։  Աղքատ այրի մըն ալ եկաւ եւ նետեց երկու լումայ, որ հինգ դահեկան կ՚ընէ։  Յիսուս մօտը կանչեց իր աշակերտները եւ ըսաւ անոնց, �Վստա՛հ գիտցէք, որ այս թշուառ այրին բոլորէն շատ դրամ նետած եղաւ գանձանակին մէջ, որովհետեւ միւսները իրեմց աւելորդ գումարները նետեցին, մինչ ան՝ հակառակ չքաւոր ըլլալուն՝ ինչ որ ունէտ նետեց, իր ամբողջ ապրուստը�։

FEAST OF THE

HOLY TRANSLATORS

This Saturday, October 11, the Armenian Church commemorates the Feast of the Holy Translators, one of the most beloved feasts. There are, in fact, two such commemorations in our liturgical calendar. One is on the Thursday following the fourth Sunday after Pentecost, which can occur in June or July; the other is on the second Saturday of October.

The October commemoration 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, translated the Bible. Schools were opened and the works of world-renowned scholars were translated. Their work gave the Armenian Church a distinct national identity.

In modern times the entire month of October has been designated as a "Month of Culture." Armenians throughout the Diaspora and Armenia mark this with cultural events not only in remembrance of the past, but in celebration of modern-day scholars, theologians, writers, and translators.

Specifically remembered this Saturday along with Mesrob and Sahag, are: Yeghishe, a renowned student of Sahag and Mesrob, who served as secretary to Vartan Mamigonian and who wrote the great history of the Vartanantz wars; Movses of Khoren, another student of Sahag and Mesrob, who is revered as the father of Armenian history; David the Invincible, a student of Movses, received most of his education in Athens, where he was given the title "Invincible" because of his brilliance in philosophy; Gregory of Narek, who is considered the greatest poet of the Armenian nation and its first and greatest mystic; and Nerses Shnorhali, a great writer, musician, theologian, and ecumenist.

The holy translators, like stewards, were interpreters of the divine Scriptures by inventing letters by means of which are preserved on earth as living words for the shepherd flock of the New Israel, praise God with a sweet sounding hymn. They looked on the greatness of earthly glory as on darkness and having put their hope in the immortal bridegroom they were made worthy of the kingdom of heaven; praise God with a sweet-sounding song. By the power of the Father's wisdom the uncreated existing One by means of their translation they made firm the throne of Saint Gregory, praise God with a sweet-sounding song. Saint Sahag having dressed in the new word, the holy scriptures, adorned the Armenian churches, praise God with a sweet-sounding song.

(Canon to the Holy Translators, from the Liturgical Canons of the Armenian Church)

"After translating the book of Proverbs, Mesrop and his students began the translation of the New Testament. Translating the bible into any language is an enormous amount of work. It is especially daunting given the absence of any Armenian literature prior to the Bible. Contrast this with the translation of the Bible into English. The most famous English translation is the King James Version, completed in 1611. The earliest English Bible was produced by John  Wycliffe in 1382. But even before Wycliffe, there was a tradition of writing in English from which Wycliffe and subsequent translators could draw familiar expressions and phrases. The Armenian Bible, however, is the first work of Armenian literature. In translating the Bible, Sahak and Mesrop and their disciples did more than just a translation. They in essence created a new written language that would be a source and inspiration for all of the Armenian literature that would follow."

(Light from Light: An Introduction to the History and Theology of the Armenian Church, by Michael B. Papazian)

(Armenian Prelacy Crossroads, October 9, 2014 issue)