THE SUNDAY MESSENGER
July 21, 2024

In the absence of Der Hakob who is leading the ASP trip in Armenia, we welcome Very Rev. Mamigon Kiledjian who will be our guest celebrant on Sunday. Hayr Mamigon is a good friend to our church family. Paree Yegar Hayr Soorp.  We hope many of our faithful will join us.

Third Sunday after Transfiguration

Scripture and Feast Day Notes

From Today’s Readings

Isaiah 5:1-10 The Song of the Vineyard is a famous parable of disobedience and disappointed love. A man lovingly plants and tends to a vineyard, building a watchtower and a winepress and waiting for the bounty of wine-worthy grapes. Yet he finds only wild grapes, symbols of a willful Israel and Judah, and warns of the ruin that will come to pass. Discuss/reflect: God asks his people what more he could have possibly done (v.4) for them to bear worthy fruit. How would you assess the spiritual fruit in your life?

1 Corinthians 6:18-7:11 St. Paul exhorts his listeners to shun sexual immorality and respect their bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit. He reminds husbands and wives that their bodies belong to each other and that where there are difficulties, reconciliation should be sought. Discuss/reflect: We are not our own – we are God’s, bought at a price! (6:19-20) How does this faith fact change how you look at your body? At the ways you might be abusing it with excess?

Matthew 19:3-12 The Pharisees challenge Jesus with the question of divorce. He responds by referring them to the creation of marriage as recounted in Genesis where “two become one” – an indissoluble sum. Speaking against the ease with which men legally terminated their marriages at the time, Jesus preached the importance of the marriage covenant. Discuss/reflect: The Armenian Church acknowledges divorce and remarriage although a second wedding ceremony carries a penitential message. As he so often did, Jesus was posing a radically different approach to covenants –honor them! How do the disciples see marriage? (19:10) While marriages where there is abuse, addiction, chronic infidelity, etc, require intervention, many marriages might be redeemed with committed effort. Could today’s high divorce rates benefit from Jesus’ hope?

Tuesday, July 23^rd Honors The Twelve Prophets

The 12 “minor” prophets are hardly unimportant (minor being a reference only to the shorter length of their books). Written between the 8^th and 5^th centuries BC, their work teems with powerful metaphors, all pointing us to the arrogance and hypocrisy of human behavior which God endures with patient love and, at times, angry frustration. In Hosea, God’s love for the wayward Israel is compared with that of a husband for a straying wife as he promises to restore his people to covenant faithfulness. In Jonah, a smugly self-confident prophet learns, to his dismay, that God’s mercy extends to all repentant sinners, even his enemies. In Amos, we are reminded that worship and reverence for God are meaningless without justice for the poor and oppressed; social justice is the foundation for true piety. Reflection: Read Amos 5:21-24. If Amos were preaching in your church, how would he assess your efforts on behalf of the poor and needy? What can you do personally and as a parishioner to be God’s merciful hands in the world?

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 greeting 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.

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.

Coffee Hour – as we approach the summer months, coffee hour will be abbreviated. Coffee and tea only will be provided. Please feel free to bring other treats to share during coffee hour.

Blessing of the Grapes: This year the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother-of-God will take place on Sunday, August 18^th.  Anyone wishing to make a donation toward grapes should contact the church office no later than August 7^th You may also make a donation with a designation on the church website at www.holty

Reminder – 2024 is half over…..have you paid your 2024 dues yet? According to the Diocesan Bylaws, membership dues are to be paid no later than December 31st each year in order to be a member in “good standing” and to be eligible to vote at the annual assembly.

Attention Graduates! – Looking for graduates to be included in an upcoming issue of the LOOYS (all levels). We invite you to submit your own details for inclusion. Write-up should include: full name, parents’ names, name of institution, grade level or degree achieved, activity involvement (church or school), and future plans (further education/work/other). Please include a picture (in high resolution color), if possible. Everything should be sent to choirboss@hotmail.com by July 30, 2024.

AYO – Spring is here and Ayo! has just launched its new project “Put Down Roots.” In partnership with the Yerevan Botanical Gardens, the project aims to create an educational-therapeutic horticulture space to provide opportunities for forcibly displaced children (and others) to get their hands dirty, de-stress and learn about the environment! Once built, this special section of the botanical gardens will be available for children and youth for years to come. You can directly support the initiative here: https://secure.qgiv.com/event/ayoisyou/.

Armenian Sisters Academy – The best way to learn about ASA is to experience it for yourself! Visit our campus to see how our deep appreciation for the Armenian language and culture empowers our students, promotes self-respect, and prepares future role models. All visitors must have a scheduled appointment and may not freely enter the building without prior notice. To schedule your private tour contact Legna Santerian at Lsanterian@asaphila.org or (610) 687-4100.

Stay Connected with our New Church Portal – Over the past several months Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church has changed to a new Church Management System called One Church.  The new software puts you in control of your information (email, phone number, giving information, etc.), allows us to communicate with you more effectively, facilitates online, text, and app donations, and provides greater connectivity throughout our community.  You should have received an email.  If you have not gotten one (please make sure to check your spam folder), then reach out to the church office.

Humanitarian Support for Artsakh Ongoing From The Knights And Daughters Of Vartan – As the Azeri government still cracks down on the Armenian people in the nation of Artsakh, the people are not giving up! Please consider making a donation to the Knights and Daughters of Vartan Call to Action Committee! Donations will go towards humanitarian aid. For further information please visit the Knights and Daughters of Vartan website at https://kofv.org/a-call-to-action-from-kdv-for-artsakh/

Mail your donations to Knights of Vartan, Mr. Ronald Nazeley, Treasurer, 558 Kentwood Bluffs Drive, Los Angeles 90045.

Checks should be made to Holy Trinity Armenian Church, Memo: Artsakh, and brought or mailed to church. Online donations can be made by going to www.holytrinity-pa.org, go to donations, scroll down to Open Donation and enter Artsakh.

Seeking Part-time Organists – the Choir of Holy Trinity continues to seek multiple talented musicians who would be seriously interested in playing the organ for the Sunday morning Divine Liturgy (Badarak) on a rotating schedule. Organ lessons will be provided to the interested candidates, along with one-on-one direction from a senior choir person.  For further information, contact Karinne Andonian at karinne.hov@gmail.com.

~~~~~~~~~~TODAY’S EVENTS~~~~~~~~~~

Guest Celebrant: Very Rev. Mamigon Kiledjian
Aug 18        Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother-Of-God (Grapes Blessing)
Aug 18        The Transgenerational Effects of Genocide – A presentation recommended for youth groups
Sep 02         Labor Day – Church Office Closed
Sep 15         Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Sep 21         Armenian Independence Day
Sep 29         Feast of the Holy Cross of Varak