FEAST OF THE DISCOVERY OF THE HOLY CROSS

THE SUNDAY MESSENGER
October 26, 2025

Feast of the Discovery of the Holy Cross

Scripture and Feast Day Notes

From Today’s Readings:

Matthew 24:27-36 Although no one but the Father knows the exact day or hour, Jesus speaks of His return as unmistakable, as clear as the fig tree’s transformation when summer draws near. He will appear in the sky with power and great glory and will send His angels with a loud trumpet blast to gather the elect from the four corners of the world. Discuss/reflect: What does it mean, practically, to be ready for Jesus’ return if we do not know when that will be? If it were tomorrow, are you ready to eagerly present yourself to Him, or hang back in embarrassment?

I Corinthians 1:18-24 St. Paul talks about the different reactions to the message of the cross. Some believed it to be foolish; others believed it to be offensive; it was a stumbling block to those who sought a sign of worldly power and wisdom. God’s foolishness and weakness are wiser and stronger than anything non-believers could readily understand! Discuss/reflect: Where do you derive the wisdom and strength to be happy? Pray for God’s wisdom that you might understand the true, life-transforming message of the cross.

Isaiah 33:22-34:1 Isaiah encourages God’s people to place their trust in Him. As in today’s reading from Wisdom, we encounter images of a ship in disarray. Discuss/reflect: With what four roles is Jesus (Lord) identified in verse 22? (Judge, lawgiver, king, savior). How can each guide your behavior?

Wis.14:1-8 On the Feast of the Discovery of the Holy Cross as well as the earlier Feast of the Exaltation, this reading (which can only be found in the Armenian Bible or a Bible that includes the Deuterocanonical books) offers an image of a floundering ship and the raft that brings people to safety. “The people trust their lives to the smallest piece of wood …for blessed is the wood by which righteousness comes…” (14:5-7) – a reference for Christians to the Cross of Christ and the true path to salvation (as opposed to wooden idols). Discuss/reflect: Do you trust your life to God’s sovereignty? If not, what idols are your gods?

Feast of the Discovery of the Holy Cross
In the 4^th century, the Emperor Constantine sent his mother Queen Helena to find the actual cross upon which Christ was crucified. She found the site (c.326), but three crosses were there. To authenticate the true cross of Christ, the body of a young man who had recently died was placed on each cross. The Holy Cross of Christ was ‘discovered’ when the deceased youth came back to life! Christians in Jerusalem began to venerate that cross, and since then it has been broken into fragments and dispersed among various churches. There is a fragment of the cross in Etchmiadzin, as well as in St. Vartan Cathedral in New York City. Discuss/Reflect: Although this was a discovery made long ago, even today we are called to discover the mystery of the cross in our daily lives. Are you willing to transform your life by taking up the cross, and allowing its power to give you new life in Christ?

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 tasty treats and enlightening conversations and browse and enjoy the Harvest Bazaar after Divine Liturgy.

200 Club News: The 1st drawing of the 2025-26 season of the “200 Club Raffle” will take place in a few weeks. There are 10 tickets available for purchase. We are hoping to sell these tickets so that we can make a full donation to the church. There are 40 opportunities to win during the season with one ticket. If you already have a ticket, please consider splitting one with another person at $50 each. If you need more information, please contact the church office. Thank you.

Caring for Friends Service Day: Are you able to put aside a Saturday morning to feed isolated individuals, shut-ins who are hungry and lonely? Then join us on Saturday, November 1 to prepare meals for the “Caring for Friends” organization that distributes nutritious meals to those in need. We’ll begin our day at 10:00 a.m. in the church kitchen with a light breakfast, then we’ll work until 1:00. We’ll need to purchase food items in advance, so please contact us at nancybasmajian@verizon.net.(11/26)

Finding Meaning in Photography – Join us for an IN-PERSON visual presentation by photographer Gary Altoonian on his extraordinary ability to capture the ordinary and the sublime with his camera. The gathering will be held on Sunday, November 9 following Liturgy. Gary will share and talk about the technical and artistic elements of his photography in laymen language! What inspires him? What moves us when we gaze upon his creations? He promises to answer questions on our own efforts as amateur photographers.(11/09)

Operation Christmas Child begins again, and we invite you to be a part of this amazing outreach by filling shoeboxes for underprivileged children all over the world including Armenia, through Samaritan’s Purse. This worthy organization provided thirty tons of humanitarian aid and set up triage centers staffed with medical professionals to help our Artsakh brothers and sisters when they were tragically forced to leave their homes. Shipping fees are once again being underwritten by the generosity of the Adult Christian Education (ACE) Ministry. We hope you will help us reciprocate in this small way by filling a box or two or more!

Additionally, we kindly request that you write the number corresponding to your name on the sign-up sheet on the bottom of your shoebox. This will allow us to discreetly identify returned shoeboxes.

For those unable to participate, donations will be gratefully accepted! Donation checks should be made payable to Holy Trinity Armenian Church, memo: OCC. Drop your boxes off early! Absolutely no boxes can be accepted after November 16. Any questions can be referred to Gena DerHagopian or Alyssa Santerian.

Pastor’s Bible Study: Our Adult Christian Education (ACE) ministry team is pleased to announce a five-week Bible Study via Zoom on the Letter of St. James. Our guide will be Fr. Hakob, whose understanding of Scripture and our human frailties has inspired and comforted participants for several years. We will meet on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 from October 15 to November 12. All are welcome. To receive the Zoom link, send an email request to nancybasmajian@verizon.net.

Discover the Beauty of the Armenian Language! – Learn Eastern Armenian with Mariam, a native speaker, through engaging and personalized classes that focus on the alphabet, vocabulary, cultural insights, and practical communication. Sign up now and start your Armenian language journey with Mariam! For more information, please contact Mariam via Email at marpoghosyan17@gmail.com or call her at 445-256-3966.

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 for the interested candidates, along with one-on-one direction from a senior choir person. For more information, please contact Karinne Andonian at karinne.hov@gmail.com.

~~~~~~~~~~TODAY’S SPECIAL EVENT~~~~~~~~~~