THE SUNDAY MESSENGER
August 7, 2016

Paregentan of the Fast of the Assumption

200 Fathers of the Holy Council of Ephesus (A.D. 431)

The Ecumenical Council of Ephesus was convened in 431 A. D., during the reign of the King Theodosius Small. 200 Pontiffs participated in the Council with the goal to criticize the false teaching of Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople. According to his teaching there were two independent – divine and human natures in Christ, contrasting each other. Nestorius preached that Christ was born as a simple man and only later Divinity was settled in His Person, and therefore, the Holy Virgin Mary was not Godmother, but the mother of a simple man.

The Ecumenical Council of Ephesus condemns the teaching of Nestorius and adopts the teaching of St. Cyril of Alexandria as an orthodox teaching, according to which the divine and human natures of Christ do not exist separately, but are united unmixedly, without confusion – one Lord, one Jesus, one face and one united divine and human nature. St. Mary is not the mother of a simple man, but she is Godmother as she gave birth to the Son of God. So, the formulation of St. Cyril of Alexandria: “One is the nature of the Incarnate Word of God” was adopted.

The Armenian Church has not participated in that Ecumenical Council but has adopted its resolutions and ecumenical authority together with the previous Ecumenical Councils.

TODAY’S BIBLE READINGS:

• 1 Corinthians 13: 11-14:5 (page 159) New Testament
• Mark 2: 1-12 (pages 32-33) New Testament – (Please follow the Armenian Reading in your Bible)

Pray for one another and especially for: the victims and families of those killed or injured in the terrorist attack in Orlando, FL; healing for Patrick Killian, Mickey Sherian and Anita Mirijanian; the bereaved among us; the Armenian soldiers fighting the Azerbaijanis to defend the homeland in Nagorno-Karabagh (Artsakh); those who have been killed in the conflict, including relatives of our own church members who have volunteered and lost their lives to defend that region; the Syrian refugees; and all who are persecuted for their faith and forced from their homes during these uncertain times.

FELLOWSHIP HOUR: You are invited, long time parishioners, new members, and first time visitors, please join us after Badarak in our lovely hall for Christian fellowship, enjoy a cup of coffee or tea, and greet fellow parishioners and Der Hayr. The coffee hour begins when Der Hayr blesses the table. There are containers available to deposit your trash before leaving the hall. We appreciate your patience, cooperation, and support. Thank you.

Save The Date! The 50th anniversary of the consecration of our Church Building will be celebrated with a banquet on Sunday, September 18. Please contact Tom Torcomian at (610) 662-7879 if you would like to be a banquet sponsor.

Blessing of the Grapes: This year the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother-of-God will take place on Sunday, August 14. Anyone wishing to make a donation toward grapes should contact the church office no later than Monday, August 8.

The 50th Anniversary Committee is interested in memorabilia (documents, flyers, photos) related to church history during the past 50 years. And let us know if you would like these items returned after the banquet or if you would like to have the church retain them. We will need your memorabilia by Sunday August 14th. Please contact Michael (Mick) Paretchan for details or questions at 215-947-4394.

MEN’S CLUB RAFFLE – Tickets are now available – and selling fast – for the 200 Club Raffle. A one-time donation of $100 will entitle you to eight months of drawings, with five tickets drawn each month. The first drawing will take place in November and the last in June; the prizes in those two months will be $1000 / $400 / $200 / $200 / $ 200 !! And your chances are better than the lottery! Contact Larry Der Hagopian (215-672-4188) or Mickey Paretchan (215-947-4394) if you haven’t already purchased your ticket! The Men’s Club provides financial support for our church through this endeavor, and has been sponsoring two orphaned children via CASP for many years.

ATTIC TREASURES: If you’re cleaning out your closets, we would greatly appreciate donations of your CLEAN & UNDAMAGED gently used items to be sold at the Attic Treasures table during the Harvest Bazaar. No toys, clothing or books (except cookbooks). Desired items are jewelry, women’s accessories, housewares, small furnishings, and more, more, more. Attic treasures can be left in the 1st room on the right down the Sunday School hall. Call Ayshe Chakmaklian for more info. at 610-828-2411. If you need a New Jersey pick up call Grace Meranshian at 856-217-9333.

Personal Worship Guide: Do you sometimes lose your place in the Pew Book? Do you occasionally forget the response to the Kiss of Peace or find yourself standing when everyone else is kneeling? What you need is a refresher course on the Divine Liturgy! During the summer months, our Adult Christian Education ministry is offering the faithful personal hands-on, page-by-page guidance on using the Pew Book to enhance the worship experience. Simply sign-up, and we will assign you one of our “experts” to lead you through the Pew Book during Badarak. To set up an appointment with your personal guide, contact Nancy Basmajian at nancybasmajian@verizon.net or 215-722-3369.

CHURCH CALENDAR (please mark your calendars)
August

• Sunday August 14th: ASSUMPTION (Blessing of Grapes)

September

• Sunday September 11th: FEAST OF EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS
• & Church School Opening
  Sunday September 18th: 50th Consecration Anniversary

The Bookstore: The Bookstore is open every Sunday after Liturgy. Please stop in and browse.

COUNTRY STORE: The Country Store is open every Sunday after church services in the kitchen. All are welcome.

If you know of anyone who is a shut-in, or ill and would like a visit from Der Hayr, please call the office and give their name to Maggie our church secretary.

CHURCH ETIQUETTE: We wish to remind you, our faithful, to please maintain a quiet and contemplative manner as you approach the chancel for communion. We especially ask that you refrain from conversation while waiting your turn for communion as well as afterwards as you return to your pew. Thank you.

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.