THE SUNDAY MESSENGER
May 12, 2019

Red Sunday
Mother’s Day

DIVINE LITURGY CELEBRANT – We welcome as Celebrant of the Divine Liturgy today Rev. Fr. Ghevond Temkin, who is from Etchmiadzin and came to our country to attend the Diocesan Assembly. Orhnya Der, Hayr Ghevond yev Paree Yegak.

The Blood of Christ

Although there seems to be no ecclesiastical origin or significance for Red Sunday (Կարմիր Կիրակի), the color red recalls numerous themes within Christianity and the tradition of the Armenian Church. It is the blood of Jesus Christ that redeems and heals us, the source of life which spilled into the ground from the Cross to give life and salvation to the entire created order. As the people sing Առաջի քո Տէր during Badarak:

Son of God, who are sacrificed to the Father for reconciliation, bread of life distributed among us, through the shedding of your holy blood, we beseech you, have mercy on your flock saved by your blood. (p. 33)

But bringing about a renewed creation, one that is made whole, requires the corruption which ails us be judged. And so the Father gives the Son, as the Son of man (see Daniel 7:13-14) authority to bring judgment on the forces of sin and evil that have plagued us, diverted us, mislead us, oppressed us, and lead us to believe that this world and what it has to offer is satisfactory and sufficient. And so the Cross and the resurrection call us to live in him, in holy communion with Jesus Christ, just as we were created to live. Jesus invites us to pass from death to life, into a resurrection of life rather than the path that leads to a resurrection of judgment. As. St. Gregory of Nazianzus writes,

Some will be welcomed by the unspeakable light and the vision of the holy and royal Trinity, which now shines on them with greater brilliance and purity and unites itself wholly to the whole soul…the others…must endure being outcast from God and the shame of conscience which has no limit.

Built into the Gospel is a sense of urgency, a matter of life and death. And so Jesus calls us to hear his word and believe in him. What is the number one concern of our existence?

Jesus isn’t looking to be fourth or fifth place or even second place. His desire is not to be someone who is only called upon when we are in need. He didn’t take on flesh, shed his blood, and rise from the dead just so we could relate to his ideas and principles and imitate his style of life as one among many religious figures. The Son of God called us friends (see John 15:15)! And so he wants to spend time with us. He wants our love in return, our entire being. So what do we do with the time and life given to us by God? How do we fill our schedules? How often do we pray, participate in Badarak? Do we live as though we are dependent on him daily, momentarily as Savior? Do we really believe we need him, that we are utterly lost without him?

TODAY’S BIBLE READINGS:

1Peter 5: 1-14 (page 211) New Testament
John 5: 19-30 (page 88) New Testament – (Please follow the Armenian Reading in your Bible)

“Now, my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place” (2 Chron 6:40). Please pray for Alice Charles, Pearl Jamgochian and Ani Navasartian for a return to improved health and to feel the presence of God in their lives. Pray for the families affected by those who were killed and injured in another synagogue attack in a small town near San Diego, California. Please continue to pray for our country and her leaders so that peace and kindness can prevail.

NO COFFEE HOUR TODAY ….HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!

PARISH DIRECTORY: The 2019 update of the Parish Directory is available in the Narthex and the Parish Office. Please pick up a copy. If you find that your information is not what you expected, please submit corrections to brianj.hoyle@outlook.com or call at 301-351-7669 and copy the Parish Office.

SAVE THE DATE: Ladies, Save the date for our annual spring lunch, Saturday, May 11 at 11:30AM. We are going to the Denim American Bistro located in Cherry Hill, NJ. Reservations are limited. Check the flyer in the hall & contact Liz Barone.

CHURCH SCHOOL GRADUATION: With much joy and eager anticipation, we announce that five of our 11th grade Church School students will receive their graduation diplomas on Sunday, May 19. The faithful are invited to witness the anointing ceremony immediately following Badarak and afterwards join our parish community in a celebratory brunch in honor of our newest graduates. Please use the sign-up sheet in the church lobby to reserve your spot.

Direct Outreach To Armenia – The time is drawing near when Der Hakob will leading a pilgrimage to Armenia. When he travels there, one of his priorities is to visit families who have suffered hardship and/or are living in difficult circumstances. He spends time with them in prayer and provides them with monetary assistance. If you would like to contribute to this worthy outreach for our brethren in Armenia, please mail or bring a check to church made out to Holy Trinity Armenian Church; Memo: Armenia. You will be blessed many times over for “…whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine” (Matt 25:40). Deadline is June 15.

FAR UPDATE: A Struggling Family Finds Support in Two FAR Projects The Zargaryan family of seven know firsthand what it’s like to feel everyday hardship. They were homeless for a time after their house was destroyed by an Azeri rocket during the Nagorno-Karabakh War in the early 1990s. Today, their only source of sustainable income is 69-year-old Serozh’s pension and his wife Anahit’s income as a cleaner. They grow their own vegetables on a small plot of land, but it’s not enough to feed everyone. As beneficiaries of FAR’s Breaking the Cycle of Poverty Program (BCPP), FAR developed an individual support plan for this family. They were given hens, which still provide them with fresh eggs, and two pigs. For the past five years, the Zargaryans have also relied on FAR’s Berd Soup Kitchen for their main meal during the week. To learn more, go to: https://farusa.org/2019/04/26/far-soup-kitchens-bcpp-a-struggling-family-finds-support-in-two-far-projects/To support programs like BCPP and the FAR Soup Kitchens, go to : https://farusa.org/donate/

2019 Attendance: Plate/Candle Collection:

February
3 – 82 people $290.00
10 – 70 people $340.00
17 – 94 people $427.00
24 – 122 people $669.00

March
3 – 91 people $510.00
10 – 94 people $529.00
17 – 80 people $327.00
24 – 83 people $388.00
31 – 74 people $447.00

Weekly Expenses: $6,000.00

CHURCH CALENDAR (please mark your calendars)

May
Saturday May 11th: Mother’s Day Luncheon
Sunday May 19th: Church School Closing

June
Sunday June 2nd: Armenian Dishes of our Youth
Sunday June 9th: Armenian School Hantess

Outreach Volunteers Needed: An in-service day has been scheduled for Saturday, June 1 @ 10 am to prepare and package meals for Aid for Friends, the organization that provides meals to the elderly and isolated shut-ins in the Delaware Valley. See flyer around the church & contact Jeanette Der Hagopian (choirboss@hotmail.com or 215-672-4188) by May 20 so that we know how many “cooks” we’ll have! We hope you will reserve this date on your calendar to join us in being part of a rewarding experience.

Using the Pew Book: In order to enrich understanding of the Divine Liturgy, we encourage our faithful to follow along in the large two-part Pew Book. Part One includes the classical Armenian used in the Liturgy; the facing page is the translation in modern Western Armenian. Part Two contains the transliteration of the classical Armenian; the right-hand page has the English translation. This Pew Book includes the prayers of the celebrant usually offered inaudibly. The prayers offered aloud are indicated in boldface type.

THE NICENE CREED/ HAVADAMK – This is the Profession of our Faith which is recited every Sunday moments after the Gospel is read from the altar. Sometimes it is sung, but more often it is recited by the Deacons and/or the Choir. We invite you to affirm your own “Profession of Faith” by reciting along with us. God longs for all of us to express our faith and devotion to Him.

THE KISS OF PEACE: After the gifts of the Eucharist are brought to the Altar Table, the deacon proclaims, “Greet one another with a holy kiss.” The person giving the greetings says, Kristos ee mech mer Haydnetsav – Christ is revealed amongst us. The recipient would respond, Orhnial eh Haydnootiunun Kristosee – Blessed is the revelation of Christ.

Anyone who wishes to request any Requiem Services MUST inform the office by 1:30pm Wednesday the week before. If you also want to sponsor the Fellowship Hour you MUST call Merle Santerian at 215-947-3777.

Would you like to:
– receive this Bulletin on Friday via email?
– request a Hokehankist, house blessing or hall rental information?
– find in-depth information on our faith, our parish and our activities?
– sign up for an event online?
– If the answer to any of these questions is YES, please visit our parish website at www.holytrinity-pa.org

WE ASK THAT EVERYONE KINDLY TURN OFF ALL CELL PHONES and all other such electronic devices prior to entering the sanctuary out of respect for the sanctity of our services.