Sunday Messenger
August 23, 2026

Second Sunday after Assumption

Scripture and Feast Day Notes

Luke 1:39-56 Upon hearing from the angel Gabriel that her cousin Elizabeth is pregnant, Mary hastens to visit her. At the sound of Mary’s voice, Elizabeth’s baby, who will be John the Baptist, “leaps in her womb” and Elizabeth herself is filled with the Holy Spirit and calls out in the surprise and overwhelming emotion of the moment: “Blessed are you and the child you will bear!!” Mary then joyfully sings a song celebrating God’s mercy, His exalting of the lowly, and His overturning of human pride. Discuss/reflect: What quality of Mary’s faith is described in verse 45? Perhaps this is the most important characteristic of an apostle, the very one that was the basis for God’s calling Mary and the Twelve.  Do you share in this quality?

Zechariah 2:10-13 Preaching after the Jews’ return from their exile in Babylon (he himself was born in that exile), Zechariah is an apocalyptic visionary, and his ministry hastened the rebuilding of the Temple. In these verses, he shares the Lord’s promise to dwell again among them, uniting land and people in holiness. Discuss/reflect: “Shout and be glad,” the Lord proclaims (v.10) as He declares His return. In v.13, Zechariah asks us to “be still!” before God. Do both of these responses to His presence make sense to you? When and where do they figure in your life?

2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1 St. Paul quotes directly from the Old Testament laws of purification (Leviticus 26:12) and the prophets (Isaiah 52:11, Jeremiah 32:38, Ezekiel 37:27) in advising the faithful of Corinth: Since God has promised his return to dwell among us in a covenant of love and belonging, we need to purify ourselves in preparation for that day. Discuss/reflect: What does it mean to you that you are the dwelling place of God, a temple of the living God (v.16)? How might this impact your behavior?

Tuesday, August 25, is the Feast of Sts. Joachim & Anna
Never mentioned by name in the Gospels, Mary’s parents’ story comes to us chiefly from an apocryphal gospel, the Infancy Gospel of James, written c. 145 AD. According to James, Joachim and Anna were a righteous and wealthy couple who were childless. The beautifully told account of their ordeal of rites and prayers to gain God’s favor and, finally, their daughter Mary, is one of passionate faith and touching human emotion. The couple promise her to the Temple out of gratitude and turn her childhood bedroom into a “sanctuary” (Infancy Gospel of James 6:4) keeping her food, drink and habits faithful to ancient tradition.  When Joachim advises they take her to the Temple when she is two, Anna convinces him (he promptly agrees) to wait a year so that they may be with her that much longer and their sweet girl not miss her parents. Theirs is a tender story, driven by love for and faith in God.

Reflection: Consider these two humbly faithful saints; pray for the difficult task of parents across the globe.

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.

Agape Hour – Please join us for fellowship and good conversation following Badarak today in our lovely hall for Christian fellowship, enjoy a cup of coffee or tea, and mingle with fellow parishioners. Please feel free to bring other treats to share during Agape Hour.

Correction To Grape Blessing Memorial List – I apologize for the omission of the following names in the 2026 Grape Blessing List. The list should have also included In memory of Mother Mary Panjarjian and Mother-In-Law Mari Aznavuryan by Armenoui Aznavuryan as well as a donation from David & Nadine Hoplamazian. I ask that the families accept my sincere apology for the omissions and to please charge it to my head and not my heart.

Renovations – In an effort to make the church safer and welcoming for our parishioners and guests, renovations have begun on the lower bathrooms. Please pardon our appearance during this time as the renovations will take a few weeks. While these restrooms are unavailable, please remember the restrooms near the elevator at the back of the Sunday School area are available. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this process.

Holy Badarak – Over the summer is a wonderful time to learn and familiarize yourself with the Badarak. If your children sing in the school choir, please encourage them to come sing in our church choir to continue developing their voice on Sundays during the summer. It’s ok if they don’t know many of the sharagans, they will learn. And if they can read music, they will be fine. Our senior choir members are here to help. We look forward to seeing your children upstairs with us!

~~~~~~~~~~TODAY’S EVENTS~~~~~~~~~~

Second Sunday after Assumption
Sep 07         Labor Day – Church Office Closed
Sep 13         Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Sep 17         Zoom Book Club Meets
Sep 21         Armenian Independence Day
Sep 27         Feast of the Holy Cross of Varak
Oct 24-25    Annual Harvest Bazaar