THE SUNDAY MESSENGER
August 25, 2024

Second Sunday after Assumption

Scripture and Feast Day Notes

From Today’s Readings

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 27, 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.

Requiem Services: For Armen Mirakian, on the fourth anniversary of his eternal rest. Requested in loving memory by Marta & David Brann and family and friends who loved Armen.

Coffee Hour and Altar Flowers are sponsored and donated today in loving memory of Armen Mirakian by Marta & David Brann.

Church School Registration – Sept 15^th – Register your child for Church School Religious Education Classes and Armenian Language Classes. No charge. Church School students enjoy the benefits of a wonderful faith and cultural education with free attendance at Church School parties. We hope you will join us!

Bringing Water (and Hope!) to Berkaber
The beautiful village of Berkaber is located in Armenia’s far eastern Tavush region. Its name directly translates to “bring the harvest,” and that’s just what the villagers are doing thanks to their new irrigation system! FAR, along with the Pan-Armenian Fund, supported the community with the initial investment to apply for a government grant to install the vital infrastructure. Robert Aghamyan, who used to rely on animal husbandry for income, has been able to transform his 3,000 square meters of land—just 500 meters from Azeri military posts—into his main source of livelihood. “Last year, we planted 9 kg of green peas and harvested 100 kg. That was amazing,” he shares. Prior to the irrigation system, Robert and his wife Taguhi had no plans or intention to cultivate the land, simply because there was no way to water it. “Two years ago, it was just grass… We plowed the land for the first time last year, and the first harvest was excellent.” Over the years, FAR has invested in community projects that create essential infrastructure for economic development in Tavush villages through the Breaking the Cycle of Poverty Program (BCPP). These initiatives have profoundly impacted the daily lives and future prospects of the villagers. Read more here: https://www.farusa.org/post/new-irrigation-system-sparks-orchard-boom-in-berkaber

AYO – “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.

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.

Sep 02         Labor Day – Church Office Closed
Sep 15         Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Sep 15         Church School Registration
Sep 19         Zoom Book Club Returns (see flyer in narthex)
Sep 21         Armenian Independence Day
Sep 29         Feast of the Holy Cross of Varak
Oct 26-27    Annual Harvest Bazaar