In recognition of Armenian Cultural Month, the Inter-Communal Committee of Philadelphia sponsored yet another unique event on Sunday, October 12 at Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church, Cheltenham, PA.  Professor Diana Der-Hovanessian, poet, author, and translator of Armenian poetry, was the guest speaker.  Giving a brief synopsis of the day's theme, Our Martyred Poets - Why the Intellectuals were First - she then gave several poetry readings from her personal collections.  The program was complimented with a slide presentation, musical performance by Ashot Petrosyan and recitation by Anton Balasanyan. 

  LR: Sister Hovanna Aroyan,  Fr. Mikael Bassale, Archpriest Fr. Nerses    Manoogian, Fr. Oshagan Gulgulian, His Eminence Khajag Barsamian,  Primate, Diana Der Hovhannesian, Fr. Hagop Gevorkyan, Hrant Jilozian,  Badveli Nshan Bakalian, and Sister Emma Mousaian.

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

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EXALTATION

OF THE HOLY CROSS

The reading is from the Prophet Isaiah 20:2-21:6

            At that time the Lord had spoken by Isaiah the son of Amos, saying, "Go, and loose the sackcloth from your loins and take off your shoes from your feet," and he had done so, walking naked and barefoot-the Lord said, "As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Ethiopia, so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians captives and the Ethiopians exiles, both the young and the old, naked and barefoot, with buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.  Then they shall be dismayed and confounded because of Ethiopia their hope and of Egypt their boast.  And the inhabitants of this coastland will say in that day, `Behold, this is what has happened to those in whom we hoped and to whom we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria!  And we, how shall we escape?'"

            The oracle concerning the wilderness of the sea.  As whirlwinds in the Negeb sweep on, it comes from the desert, from the terrible land.  A stern vision is told to me; the plunderer plunders, and the destroyer destroys.  Go up, O Elam, lay siege, O Media; all the sighing she has caused I bring to an end.  Therefore my loins are filled with anguish; pangs have seized me, like the pangs of a woman in travail; I am bowed down so that I cannot hear, I am dismayed so that I cannot see.  My mind reels, horror has appalled me; the twilight I longed for has been turned for me into trembling.  They prepare the table, they spread the rugs, they eat, they drink.  Arise, O princes, oil the shield!  For thus the Lord said to me:  "Go, set a watchman, let him announce what he sees."                                                                              

The reading is from the Letter of Paul to the Galatians 4:3-18

            So with us; when we were children, we were slaves to the elemental spirits of the universe.  But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.  And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"  So through God you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then an heir.

            Formerly, when you did not know God, you were in bondage to beings that by nature are no gods; but now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and beggarly elemental spirits, whose slaves you want to be once more?  You observe days, and months, and seasons, and years!  I am afraid I have labored over you in vain.

            Brethren, I beseech you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are.  You did me no wrong; you know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first; and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but receive me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus.  What has become of the satisfaction you felt?  For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.  Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?  They make much of you, but for no good purpose; they want to shut you out, that you may make much of them.  For a good purpose it is always good to be made much of, and not only when I am present with you."                                                                                                                    

THE HOLY GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING TO LUKE 4:14-23

Our Lord Jesus Christ:

            And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and a report concerning him went out through all the surrounding country.  And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. 

            And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and he went to the synagogue, as his custom was, on the sabbath day.  And he stood up to read; and there was given to him the book of the prophet Isaiah.  He opened the book and found the place where it was written, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."

            And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.  And he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."  And all spoke well of him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth; and they said, "Is not this Joseph's son?"  And he said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, `Physician, heal yourself; what we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here also in your own country.'"                                                                       

ՅԻՍՈՒՍ ՔՐԻՍՏՈՍԻ ԱՒԵՏԱՐԱՆԷՆ ԸՍՏ ՂՈՒԿԱՍԻ

Գլուխ 4։14-23

Յիսուս Գալիլիա վերադարձաւ Սուրբ Հոգիին զօրութեամբ, եւ ամբողջ գաւառին մէջ իր համբաւը տարածուեցաւ։  Անոնց ժողովարաններուն մէջ կ՚ուսուցանէր՝ արժանանալով բոլորին հիացումին եւ գովասանքին։

Եկաւ Նազարէթ քաղաքը, ուր մեծցած էր, եւ իր սովորութեան համաձայն Շաբաթ օրը ժողովարան գնաց։  Երբ ոտքի ելաւ կարդալու օրուան ընթերցուածը, իրեն տուին Եսայի Մարգարէին գիրքը։  Բացաւ եւ գտաւ այն տեղը ուր կ՚ըսէր.

            �Տիրոջ Հոգին վրաս է.

            որովհետեւ օծեց զիս

            եւ ղրկեց՝ աղքատներուն փրկութեան աւետիս տալու,

            սրտաբեկները մխիթարելու,

            աւետելու՝ թէ

            գերիները պիտի ազատագրուին,

            կոյրերուն աչքերը պիտի բացուին.

            հարստահարուածները պիտի ազատին.

            եւ յայտարարելու թէ ահա հասած է ժամանակը

            երբ Տէրը պիտի փրկէ իր ժողովուրդը�։

Ապա գիրքը գոցեց. Տուաւ պաշտօնեային եւ նստաւ։ Ժողովարանին մէջ գտնուողներուն բոլորին աչքերը իրեն սեւեռած էին, երբ ըսաւ. �Այս մարգարէութիւնը որ դուք լսեցիք, ահա այսօր իրականացաւ�։ Ամէնքն ալ տպաւորուած էին իրմէ, եւ հիանալով անոր շնորհալի խօսքերուն վրայ, կ՚ըսէին. �Այս մարդը Յովսէփի որդին չէ՞�։  Յիսուս ըսաւ. �Անտարակոյս ինծի պիտի ըսէք հետեւեալ առածը�. �Բժի՛շկ, դուն քեզ բժշկէ�։ Եւ պիտի ըսէք. �Ինչ որ լսեցիք թէ գործեր ես Կափառնայումի մէջ, այստեղ՝ քու քաղաքիդ մէջ ալ կատարէ�։  Եւ աւելցուց. �Բայց դուք ալ գիտէք, որ մարգարէն իր ծննդավայրին մէջ յարգ չունի�։