THE SUNDAY MESSENGER
July 22, 2018

Third Sunday after Transfiguration

Sons & Grandsons of St. Gregory the Illuminator

Aristakes was St. Gregory the Illuminator’s youngest son. He led a monastic life from a very early age. He was consecrated a bishop by his father, and became one of St. Gregory’s most valued supporters. In 325 A.D. he participated in the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, representing the first Catholicos and the entire Armenian Church. Following St. Gregory the Illuminator, he became Catholicos of All Armenians.

He was killed in 333 A.D. by Arkeghayos, a prince of Greater Armenia, for criticizing some incorrigible behavior of the king, and was buried in the village Til.

Vrtanes was St. Gregory the Illuminator’s elder son. He was married and had two sons – Grigoris and Housik. Following the death of his brother, he ascended to the Catholicosal Throne.

Although Christianity was already fairly well accepted as the official religion, some remnants of paganism and heathenism continued in remote areas and smaller villages. One region that had substantial resistance was the province of Daron. Vrtanes organized annual festive Christian celebrations in this province to gradually eliminate their pagan beliefs and practices.

Vrtanes died in 341 A.D. and was buried in the village Tordan, near the relics of St. Gregory the Illuminator.

Grigoris was the elder son of Vrtanes. He was sent by the Armenian Church to spread Christianity among the neighboring nations of Armenia. He was martyred upon the order of King Sanesan, the head of the nomadic Mazkut tribe. His remains were buried by the deacons who served with him, in the village of Amaras, in Artsakh. In 489 A.D. upon the order of the Aghvan (Caucasian Albanian) King Vachagan, the Church of St. Gregory was built on this site.

Housik was the younger son of Vrtanes. He married with the daughter of the Armenian King Tiridates and had two sons – Pap and Antiochus. In 341 A.D. he was elected as the Catholicos of All Armenians.

He resisted and challenged the will of King Tiran, who wished to hang the portrait of Julianus the Betrayer in a church. He was severely beaten, martyred, and was buried in the village of Tordan, province of Daranaghi.

Bishop Daniel Assyrian was famous for his saintly way of life. As he grew older he led an ascetic and isolated life in the province of Daron. Following the martyrdom of Housik, he was invited to be the Catholicos of All Armenians.

During the very first meeting with King Tiran, he strictly castigated him on the murder of the Pontiff Housik. The king summarily ordered the death of Daniel by strangulation. His remains are buried in the Monastery of Hatsyats Drahkt.

The sons and grandsons of St. Gregory the Illuminator are remembered and commemorated by all Armenian Churches throughout the world for their service to the Church, their faithfulness to Christianity, and their commitment to the Armenian people.

TODAY’S BIBLE READINGS:

1 Corinthians 6: 18-7:11 (page 154) New Testament
Matthew 19: 3-12 (page 19) New Testament – (Please follow the Armenian Reading in your Bible)
Isaiah 5:1-10 (pages 685-686) Old Testament

REQUIEM SERVICES: Karasoonk (40th Day memorial Service) today will be for:

REV. FR. CARNIG HALLAJIAN on the 40th Day of His eternal life requested by The Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America.

Altar candles are donated by Jeanette Der Hagopian and Family in loving memory of sisters/aunts, Virginia Der Hagopian (12 years) and Melena Ayjian (5 years).

“Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant…” (Daniel 9:17a). Please pray for Doris Alahverde, Anto Vartanian, Butch Kumkumian, Annabelle Alexanian, Alice Charles, Pearl Jamgochian, & Albert Santerian for a return to better health and to feel the presence of God in their lives. Pray also for our country and her leaders during these trying times; and let us ask the Lord to keep our children in their schools free from further violence and hatred.

Upcoming Sunday Services – While the dome in the Sanctuary is being repaired and restored, Badarak will take place in Santerian Hall until further notice, beginning this Sunday, July 22nd. Access to the church will ONLY be through the lobby doors. The front doors of the church will not be accessible for any purpose. We ask that you enter the lobby quietly so that the services taking place will not be disrupted. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and also request that you share this information with others as we try to spread the word to everyone. Further notice will be sent when the church is once again ready for use.

FELLOWSHIP HOUR: Starting June 17 through Labor Day, our Coffee Hour will change for the Summer. We are going to have a “POT LUCK” Coffee Hour. The church will provide the coffee but we are going to rely on those who wish to enjoy refreshments with their coffee and chat with friends to please bring something for the buffet table (enough to serve 8 people), either homemade or store bought. You will not be asked to make a donation if you are kind enough to bring refreshment on any given Sunday. This is being done in order to relieve the burden of the same few people making sure that we have refreshments every Sunday. We hope you will take this opportunity to share your bounty with our church family on these Sundays.

(REMINDER) – Anyone bringing something to the Pot-Luck Table starting this Sunday, must bring it plated or plate it at church. All that will be supplied is the Coffee, tea, milk, and paper goods. Everyone is to do their own cleanup. Those who donate something will not be asked to donate to the basket; but for those who don’t participate, there will be a charge; so please bring something for 6-8 people to enhance our table this Summer. Thank you! Any questions please ask or call Merle Santerian at 215-947-3777.

FAR UPDATE: For the past 10 years, Hayk Khemchyan, 29, has worked at building a career in Armenian foreign policy. Currently, he works at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he’s achieved his present rank of Second Secretary. A prodigy, Hayk was just 14 when he entered Yerevan State University’s Department of International Relations in 2003. FAR’s Mathevosian Scholarship enabled him to afford the tuition. To read more about FAR’s scholarship program, go to: http://farusa.org/2018/07/11/far-scholarships-far-scholarship-student-profile-hayk-khemchyan-pursues-a-career-in-diplomacy/To support FAR’s projects, go to: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/armenianrelief/

ATTENTION GRADUATES: The September issue of the Looys will feature information about all graduates. Write-up should include: full name, parents’ names, name of institution, grade level or degree achieved, activity involvement, and future plans (further education/ work). If desired, please include a picture (in high resolution color). Everything should be sent to looys@holytrinity-pa.org no later than August 28th

SUMMER STUDY: SCRIPTURE AND SHNORHALI: The faithful are invited to join us for “Scripture and Shnorhali,” an introduction to the writings of one of the most celebrated saints in the Armenian Church—St. Nersess the Grace-filled. We will meet at church on four consecutive Tuesday mornings at 10:00 beginning on July 10 to explore excerpts from his well-known “I Confess with Faith” prayers and also a few of his hymns, among which is his beloved “Aravod Loosoh.” Participants will discover the many biblical images and references that come alive in his work; therefore, we cannot study Shnorhali without studying the Bible. Our guides will be Fr. Hakob Gevorgyan and Deacon Albert Keshgegian. We urge you to take advantage of this unique program and, as always, we encourage you to bring a friend. To register, contact Nancy Basmajian at 215-722-3369 or nancybasmajian@verizon.net.

CHURCH CALENDAR (please mark your calendars)

July
July 24 10:00 am Summer Study: Scripture and Shnorhali
July 31 10:00 am Summer Study: Scripture and Shnorhali

ATTIC TREASURES will return again to the Harvest Bazaar this fall. With limited storage space available at church, we are more focused on items we can accept to be sold at the Attic Treasures table. Gently Used Items must be CLEAN & UNDAMAGED. Desired items are jewelry, women’s accessories, housewares, and small furnishings. Toys, clothing, books straw baskets & florist vases will not be accepted this year . 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.

Using the Pew Book: In order to enrich understanding of the Divine Liturgy, we encourage our faithful to follow along in the large two-part Pew Book. Part One includes the classical Armenian used in the Liturgy; the facing page is the translation in modern Western Armenian. Part Two contains the transliteration of the classical Armenian; the right-hand page has the English translation. This Pew Book includes the prayers of the celebrant usually offered inaudibly. The prayers offered aloud are indicated in boldface type.

PARKING REMINDER –

Non-Disabled Persons parking spaces are designated with white lines.
Disabled Persons Parking spaces are designated with blue lines and are reserved for vehicles with a State-authorized disability placard or license plate.
No parking is allowed in the driveway nearest to the kitchen door.
THANK YOU for your cooperation!

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.

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.