On the 41st day of the period of Great Lent, the Armenian Church commemorates Lazarus being raised from the dead. In the Armenian Church, Holy Week (Avak Shapat) begins not on Palm Sunday, but on Lazarus Saturday, the day before Palm Sunday. It is not a fasting day or a saints’ day, even though Lazarus…
Palm Sunday is celebrated with the Divine Liturgy, when the altar curtain reopens, after being closed for the period of Lent. The celebration marks the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem as he rode on a donkey. Crowds gathered to greet him spreading cloaks and branches before him, shouting “Hosanna in the highest” to welcome…
On Holy Monday, the scriptures help us remember the story of Creation, of man’s fall into sinfulness as well as the story of the barren fig tree, which Christ dried up because it bore no fruit. The Gospel readings tell us about the story of the “cursed fig tree.” Jesus was going from Bethany to…
On Holy Tuesday we read the story of the ten maidens (virgins), five of whom were wise enough to bring extra oil for their lamps while they were waiting for the bridegroom to come and take them to a wedding feast. Five foolish maids did not bring extra oil, and while they went out to…
Holy Wednesday commemorates the anointing of Jesus Christ by a woman in Bethany and the Betrayal of Christ. In the Gospel of St. Matthew, we learn that while Jesus was dining with his Apostles in Bethany, in the home of Simon the leper, a woman came in with an alabaster jar filled with valuable perfume.…
The Armenian Church has three services on Maundy Thursday, symbolising three different events in the last days of the earthly ministry of Christ. The morning service commemorates The Last Supper, at which Jesus instituted the sacrament of the Eucharist by giving Holy Communion to His disciples. During a Passover meal, Christ broke and distributed unleavened…
Good Friday (Holy Friday), commemorates Christ’s tortures, Crucifixion, Death and Burial. On Friday morning, Jesus, subjected to all kinds of humiliation, was forced personally to carry the heavy wooden cross to the heights of Golgotha. Suffering intensely, He reached Golgotha where the Crucifixion was accomplished. By midday He was already nailed to the Cross. Fixed…
The Feast of the Glorious Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ starts on the eve and continues after midnight. On Holy Saturday, in the evening, the Vigil Office of the Lighting of Lamps (Jrakalooyts) commences at sundown, the entry into Easter Sunday. During this service of scripture lessons, the faithful hear the prophecies proudly heralding…
The Feast of the Glorious Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ is one of the five major feasts of the Armenian Church. The Mystery of Easter is the mystery of Jesus Christ, His Holy Blood was shed and His Rising from the dead was for mankind. The Son of God should incarnate, be subjected to…
The liturgical season of Lent prepared us for the Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The fathers of the Church designated the 50 days following Easter (Hinoonk) for the celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord. Thus, from Easter until Pentecost, the liturgical services of the Church are indeed celebrations of the…
The Saturday following the Holy Feast of the Glorious Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Armenian Church commemorates the beheading of St John the Baptist (also known as The Forerunner). The writers of the Gospels, St Matthew and St Mark, have explained the history of beheading of St John the Baptist, who had baptised…
New Sunday or Renewal Sunday (Nor Giragi) is also called Second Easter (Grgnazadig), which means “Easter repeated” as it is the eighth day of Easter and a day similar to Easter in readings and hymns. The significance of the Resurrection of our Lord is essential to our faith, we are given a new life with…