The Feast of Shoghakat of Holy Etchmiadzin that is always observed on the Saturday prior to the Feast of the Assumption. Shoghakat refers to the vision of the rays of light seen by St Gregory when God chose the site for the Mother Cathedral. The feast is celebrated at the time of Assumption because the…
Each year on the Sunday closest to the date of August 15, the Armenian Church celebrates the Feast of the Assumption of St. Mary, the Holy Mother of God. In the calendar of the Armenian Church, this feast is the fourth of five major feasts that are commemorated, and is the oldest one dedicated to…
St Anna and St Joachim, the parents of St Mary, are not mentioned by name in Holy Scripture. There is, however, a wealth of oral tradition concerning them. St Anna was a descendant of the royal line of King David. As she grew up, she was espoused to a God fearing, God loving man named…
St Jeremiah is one of the major prophets of the Bible. He was the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests of the town Anathoth, not far from Jerusalem. He lived and preached in Jerusalem. Feeling the calling to serve God he devoutly served, refusing to marry and have his own family. His life straddled…
St Thomas was born a Jew and was called to be one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. His name in Aramaic (Te’oma) and Greek (Didymos) means “twin”. John 11:16 identifies him as “Thomas, called the Twin”. However, we do not know of his twin or how he came to have this name. He…
St James is one of three people named James mentioned in the New Testament. He was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and is referred to as James son of Alphaeus to distinguish him from James son of Zebedee, one of Jesus’ closest disciples, who was martyred in Acts 12:2. The New Testament only…
The Belt (Girdle) of the Blessed Virgin Mary, today divided into three pieces, is the only remaining relic of her earthly life. According to tradition, the belt was made out of camel hair by the Virgin Mary herself, and at her Assumption, she gave it to the Apostle Thomas. According to Tradition, the Apostle Thomas…
Prophecy is one of the most important phenomena of the Old Testament. A Prophet is the person who has had a close relationship with God, that is, he “has spoken” with God, or has received a message from God, or has been sent by God to a person or a nation to transfer His message.…
John the Baptist is one of the most significant and well known figures in the Bible.While John was known as “the Baptist,” he was in fact the first prophet called by God since Malachi some 400 years earlier. John’s coming was foretold over 700 years previously by another prophet: “A voice of one calling: ‘In…
This council is the First Ecumenical Council in the history of the Church. It was the great religious discussion of the 4th century: a gathering of Christian bishops from throughout the world, convened by no less than on authority than the Roman Emperor Constantine I. The reason for convening the council was because of the viewpoints…
This is the Sunday preceding the week prior to the Exaltation of the life giving Cross of the Lord. Fasting period is from Monday to Friday.
The Saturday preceding the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy cross is called The Eve of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. This day, and the following Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are also known as the Feast of the Holy Churches. Each of these days celebrate four different churches. The commemoration on the…