Captain St. Sarkis

  By  the  order  of  His holiness  Karekin II ,  Supreme  Patriarch  and  Catholicos  of  All  Armenians, the  Feast  of  St.  Sarkis  the  and  his  soldiers-companions  is  proclaimed  day  of blessing  of the youth.  This year  the  feast  is celebrated  on  26.                                                                 Captain    St.  Saris  is  one  of the most  beloved  saints among  the  Armenian  nation.  Together  with  his  14 soldiers- companions   he was   martyred  for  the sake  of Christian  faith.                              During  the  period  of  region  of  the  king  Kostandianos   the  Great (285-337)  St. Sarkis,  being  very  courageous,  was  appointed   the  prince  and  General  in chief  of  the  region  of  Cappadocia  bordering  Armenia.  When    during  the  period  region   of    the   king    Julianos  the  Betrayer  (360-363)  the  persecutions  against  Christians  started  by  God’s  will  St.  Sar kis  and  his  only   son—Martyros,  came   to  live   in Armenia,  and  the   Armenian  King   Tiran,  grandson  of   Tiridates,  received  them   very  well.  From   Armenian  St.  Sarkis  and  his  son  went  to  Persia,  and  started  serving  in  the   army   of the   Persian  King  Shapouh   as  the   captain   of    regiments.  Become  aware  of  the  fact   that  Sarkis   was   Christian  the king  Shapouh  ordered  him   to  worship  the   fire   and  offer  sacrifice  to  the   heathen  gods.  But the   captain   immediately  refused   to  obey   the  order  saying,  “We   should   worship  one    God—the  Holy   Trinity,  which  has  created   the   earth  and  the  heaven.  Whereas  fire  idols  are  not  gods  and   the   human   being   may   destroy  them.”  After  these  words  the  saint   destroyed  the  temple.   The   annoyed  crowd  fell   on  the  saint  and  his  son.    First  the  son  of the  saint  was  martyred.  The  saint  was  put  into  prison  and  remaining   unshaken  in  his  faith  was  beheaded. After  the  martyrdom  of  the  saint  light  appeared  over  his  body.  14  soldiers-companions  of the  saint  also  were martyred for the  sake  of  Christian  faith.                                                                                                                                                Later  St.  Mesrop  Mashtots  brought   the  relics  of  the  saint  to  the  village  Karbi  and  the  Church  of   St.  Sarkis  was  built  over  his  relics.                                                                                                    According   to  one  of  the  folk  stories  upon  return  of  their  victorious  battle  Captain  st.   Sarkis  and  his  39  soldiers- companions  celebrated  their  victory  in  the  royal  palace  all  of  them  were  drunk  and  went  to  sleep,  the  king   ordered   40  young  women  to  kill  the  brave  soldiers.  39   of  the woman  obeyed  the  order  and  killed  soldiers,  whereas  one  of   them   seeing  the  handsome  and  peaceful  face  of  sleeping  Sarkis  fell  in  love  him  and  instead  of  killing  kissed  him.  Getting    up   and  seeing  what  had  happened  St.  Sarkis  straddled  his  white  horse  and  taking  the  young  woman  with  him smashed  the  gates  of  the  city,  brought  up  violent  snow-storm  and  left  the city.  It  is  because  of  this   folk  story  people  in  love  started    to  consider  St.  Sarkis  their  intercessor  and  protector.  St. Sarkis  always   helps  and  supports  all  young  people  asking  his   help  and  support.                                                      According  to  the   studies  of   Academician   Karapet   Melik-Ohanjanyan ,  St.  Sarkis   was  the  patron  of  David  of   Sassoon  and  all   heroes  of  Sassoon  not  only      in  the  field  of  battle, but  also in  love.                                                                                                                                                                                        The   feast   of  St.  Sarkis  the  Captain  and his   soldiers-companions  is  celebrated  not  only  by  means  of  church  rites  and    prayer ,  but  also  folk  traditions.                                                            Wonders  are  worked  by  the  mediation  of  St.  Sarkis .  on  the day  of the  feast  young people  pray  asking  the  saint  to make   their  pryers  audible  to  God.  The  day  before  the  young  people  eat  salty  cookies  and  relate  the  appearance   of   their   future  bride  or bridegroom  in their   dream   to eating  of  the  salty  cookie.  After  eating  the salty  cookie  they eat   nothing  thanks  to  sincere  faith.                                                                                                               There   are  many miracles  and  folk   traditions  related  to the  saint.  On  the night preceding  the  feast  of  St.  Sarkis   the   faithful  people  place a   tray  full  of  gruel  before  the  door  believing  that  while  passing  near  their   door  at dawn  St. Sarkis   will  leave  his  footprint  on the  grul  symbolizing  the  fulfillment  of their  dreams. 

People  in  love  present each  other cards, flowers or sweets  on the  occasion of the feast.  

  

This material has  been  courteously  provided by the press service of the  Ararat Patriarchal  Diocese at    qahana.am/

NEW YEAR IN ARMENIA

    In reality Santa Claus  has been  a clergyman. He  is one of  the most beloved  saints  of the Universal Church-Pontiff Nikoghayos( Nicholas the bishop). In   his time Greek pontiff  Nikoghayos  used  to  go  from  home to  home  and to  put  money  or  gifts on the windowsills   of the houses of the poor.  The  image of Santa Claus  derives  just from  that fact.  The translation  of Santa  Claus  means  St. Nikoghayos ( Nicholas ) .  That’s why  children  admit  the  gifts  of  Santa Claus  as God-granted  gifts.   For the  Armenian  nation the New  Year  is an appeal,  an  invitation  to  celebrate  a  feast.

  In  Christian sense  the new Year  is  a day  of special  analyses  when  all  deeds  done during  the year are  summarized  and  thought  over.

  The Feast  of the Holy Nativity  and Theophany  of Our  Lord  Jesus Christ  ( Christmas) ,  which  is the commemoration of the  Birth  and Baptism  of  Jesus  Christ,  is one  of the most important and beloved  feasts of  Christians throughout  the world. Both  by its essence  and sacrament Christmas  is  more  important  than  the  New year.  The New  Year is merely a change  of calendar  year  and has no sacrament. Whereas Christmas  itself  is the sacrament  of the Birth of the son of   god which  becomes a new and endless  beginning  for the mankind.  That’s why  it is already more than  2000  years  that  all  calendar  calculations are conditioned  by the Birth  of Christ  and are  divided into BC ( before the  birth  of Christ )  and AD ( Anno Domani  in the year since the  birth of Christ).

  The Feast of the Holy Nativity and Theophany  of Our Lord  Jesus  Christ ( Christmas ) is preceded  by  a fasting period starting  on December 30and  ending  in the evening of  January  5, when  a Candlelight  Divine  Liturgy  is  celebrated.  Any food of animal origin is  forbidden  during  that period.  Clergy  exhort the faithful  to  meet  the New Year in the Church, to  ponder over  the spiritual state and  to receive  God’s  blessing.

  By the order of His Eminence  Archbishop Navasard  Ktchoyan, Vicar  of  Araratian  Patriarchal  Diocese,  on the night from  December 1 to January 1  all  central  churches  of Yerevan  will be open till 2.00 a. m.

This material has  been  courteously  provided by the press service of the  Ararat Patriarchal  Diocese at    qahana.am/

Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God

  This  year  the  Armenian Church  celebrates  the  Feast of the Assumption  of  St. Mary, the Holy  Mother of God, on August12.  In the Calendar of the Armenian Church,  this  feast is the fourth of  five  major  feasts  that are commemorated,  and is the  oldest one dedicated to St. Mary. The feast is usually  celebrated  on the  Sunday closest to the  date of August 15 ( on  august 12-18).  The feast  starts  on the eve, in the  evening  of August  16 is preceded by a 5-day  fasting  period  ending  on the eve of the feast, and the Monday  following  the feast day is a  Memorial Day.

  According  to the Sacred  Tradition  of the Apostolic  Church,  following the crucifixion  of Jesus Christ, the Holy Virgin  remained in Jerusalem, and lived  under the care of St. John the Evangelist.  For nearly 12 years,  St. Mary lives by  praying, fasting,  and  often  visiting the empty  tomb  of  her  beloved  Son. During  one such  visit to the  tomb,  the Archangel  Gabriel  appeared  and gave  her the  news of her imminent assumption to  heaven.  St. Mary  relayed the news to her relatives and all  Christians,  asking  them to  bury her  in  the valley  of Gethsemane.  St. Mary  also asks the Apostle  John  to  celebrate  a Divine  Liturgy,  so  she  could  receive  Holy Communion  one final  time. After  receiving  Holy Communion,  St. Mary  returned  to her room. As the Apostles prepared to  mourn her death, St. John asks the Mother of God to leave an image of her face on a board of wood.  St.  Mary  tode  the board,  crosses  herself  and brought  it close to her face.  Moistening the  board  with her tears,  she asked  God  that by  means of the board, people  would  be  cured from  disease.  As  the Apostles  surrounded St. Mary, an indescribable light  appeaed. The   Son of God and the angels  of heaven  appeared in the room.  Seeing  Christ,  St.  Mary  died. The   Armenian Apostolic  Church  uses the word « sleep»  instead  of the  word « death» in relation to the end of St. Mary's  earthly  life  thus emphasizing  her being  taken to the heaven. 

  St.  Bartholomew  the Apostle was  absent  and  did not participate in the burial  service of St. Mary. Upon  his return to Jerusalem,  he  wished to see  St. Mary  for the last time. Per his  request,  the  Apostles  opened  the tomb,  yet  they do not  find the  remains  of St. Mary.  According  to His  promise,  Jesus  Christ  had delivered  His mother  to  His heavenly  kingdom.  The   Apostles  gave  the  board  of St.  Mary  to  st.  Bartholomew   for  consolation.

  According  to  Moses  of Khoren,  st.  Bartholomew  brought  the board  to  Armenia. It  is  kept  in the  Province  of  Andzav,  in a location  called  Darbnots.  Years  later,  a  church  is  built  there in honor  of St. Mary,  and  a convent  is  opened. 

  Over  the  centuries  the  traces  of the  icon  have  been  lost,  however,  the feast  has   been  preserved  and  each  year,  on  the day  of  the  feast,  the  faithful  make  pilgrimages  and  go the  churches  bearing  the name  of St.  Mary,  and  offer  sacrifice  ( Matagh).

    The  Armenian  Church  has a deep  and  abiding  respect  towards  St. Mary.  Special  emphasis  is  placed  on her  being  a mother, her honesty,  her  unique  spirit  of  humility,  her  virtuous  behavior  and  her  unselfish  dedication.  For Armenian  woman,  the Holy  Virgin  is the   embodiment  of  virtue,  pious  motherhood,  and  the protector  of   family  sacredness.

   One of the  peculiarities  of the  feast  is  that on the  day  of the feast  the  Ceremony  of the Blessing  of the Grapes  is  conducted,  and the harvest for the entire  year is  blessed in  that  day.

 

 

 

 This material has  been  courteously  provided by the press service of the  Ararat Patriarchal  Diocese at       www.qahana.am