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Երկինք պատմեն զփառս Աստուծոյ, եւ զարարածս ձեռաց նորա պատմէ հաստատութիւն:Picture

Երկինք պատմեն զփառս Աստուծոյ, եւ զարարածս ձեռաց նորա պատմէ հաստատութիւն:


What a week it has been! We experienced an earthquake last Friday. Though it wasn't violent, it made me think about the devastating earthquakes that hit the Middle East last winter and how our brothers and sisters in that region must have felt. I also remembered the tragic earthquake in northern Armenia in 1988, which claimed the lives of twenty-five thousand Armenians. 

We also experienced a solar eclipse last Monday. I was fortunate to witness this rare natural phenomenon in 1999 in Beirut, Lebanon. However, this time, I was occupied with patients in my clinic and couldn't see the eclipse. Nevertheless, my good friend Victoria Mesrobian Yekhpairian sent me the photo below. The best caption for this photo would be Psalm 19:1, 'The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.' 

Last Friday, I attended an interesting event in Manhattan. It was a comedy show by an emerging Armenian comedian named Jack Jr. A few members of our parish were also present. My wife, our two older children, and I were interested in attending because Tonee Marino, a young artist from our community who also serves on the Altar of St. Sarkis Church, was going to perform. 

I had heard some of Mr. Jack's jokes on social media and knew he sometimes uses crude material in his sets. However, during his performance, he spoke about his experience at Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School in Los Angeles and how the staff and teachers would often speak to him in Armenian, not realizing that he didn't speak the language. Mr. Jack said that he kept making jokes about this on social media, and subsequently, the school has a program for non-Armenian-speaking students.

Mr. Jack also described his most horrible experience at Alex Pilibos, which was attending church services on special occasions, as a foreign and almost gibberish experience. The audience laughed hard when he imitated the church music and priests' gestures during Badarak. At that moment, I began to think that while Badarak is a life-giving experience for those who have immersed themselves in the mystical experience of it, it could be a completely unintelligible and almost gibberish experience for someone like Mr. Jack Jr. On the one hand, I understand that the mystical experience is not for everyone. I know that we are asking a lot of our people by telling them they need to understand classical Armenian (Krapar) to get anything from our Badarak (although the modern Armenian and English translations are provided on the pews). I know that in some of our churches, the celebration of Badarak has become very mechanical and dry, and congregants get no spiritual nourishment. I am well aware that reform in our church is way overdue, but on the other hand, there is a general apathy towards the church in our communities. Unfortunately, fixing this problem is not as easy as creating a program for non-Armenian-speaking students at Alex Pilibos. Our Church must evolve, and I pray that the Holy Spirit will guide our church leaders in this important task.

I left the show before Mr. Jack finished his set because he started picking on the audience and asking them to get on stage - a practice I detest in comedy shows. Was he running out of material? I don’t know, but I know that my friend Tonee Marino's performance was amazing, and I enjoyed it very much.

Speaking of comedy shows, I am excited to inform you that we are organizing a comedy event for Father’s Day in mid-June. Antic will be the day's comedian, and the event's main highlight will be honoring Mr. Louie Zakarian, a nine time primetime Emmy Award and ten time Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Award winner, and the head make-up artist for NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Mr. Zakarian is a member of the St. Sarkis Community. This is an event you surely wouldn't want to miss!

I just want to remind you about the upcoming events commemorating the Armenian Genocide on April 24. We have a Badarak (divine liturgy) at St. Illuminator's Cathedral in the afternoon of April 24, followed by a march organized by the AYF. Anoushavan Serpazan has asked me to celebrate Badarak on that day. I consider it a great honor to celebrate Badarak on the Altar at the Cathedral which contains sand from the Der-Zor desert and the relics (bones and skulls) of the Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide. Also, there will be a lecture in the main hall of our church on Sunday, April 28th. There will also be a gathering at Times Square on April 21.

In today's bulletin, we are releasing the application forms for the St. Sarkis Church Karnig Alajajian Scholarship. I encourage college students to apply as soon as possible. Additionally, we are providing a comprehensive list of Easter Donations. Last week, the Facebook donations were accidentally omitted, and I apologize for any confusion this may have caused.

I'm checking in with you about the video of last week's sermon I shared yesterday. I hope you had a chance to listen to it. This Sunday is known as Green Sunday in our church, and we will continue exploring the theme of spiritual renewal brought about by Christ's resurrection. During the liturgy, we will read about Jesus teaching Nicodemus, who came to him at night. As you may remember from the dichotomy of light and darkness discussed in the last sermon, this conversation is significant. It is during this conversation that Jesus tells Nicodemus, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again" (John 3:3). According to the Orthodox Study Bible, “The word again can also be translated “from above” and clearly refers to the heavenly birth from God through faith in Christ (John 1:12, 13). This heavenly birth is baptism (John 3:5) and our adoption by God as our Father (Gal 4:4–7). This new birth is but the beginning of our spiritual life, with its goal being entrance into the kingdom of God”. (Orthodox Study Bible Copyright © 2008 by St. Athanasius Academy of Orthodox Theology).

And finally, my youngest son, Avedis asked me to take him shopping at the newly opened Target store in Lakeville, NY. As I was deep in my negotiations with little Avedis that he could only buy one toy for himself at Target, a young parishioner of St. Sarkis church said hi to me. She used to be my student when I taught Saturday School as a deacon two decades ago. We made small talk, and then she told me that she, her mother, and her grandmother watch the live stream of Badarak every Sunday. I said that is really nice, but I would like to see her at church on Sundays.

I would like to say the same thing to you. Please do not abandon the church that your parents and grandparents worked so hard to build. Do not forsake the church that your forefathers shed their blood to safeguard. I encourage you to attend church on Sundays and be part of the community.

See you Sunday,

Der Nareg

PS. I am planning to provide you with weekly updates in our newsletter. They may not always be exciting, but they will be my genuine way of communicating with you. Thank you for reading.