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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240713
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240714
DTSTAMP:20240607T030424Z
CREATED:20240607T030424Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240607T030424Z
UID:1246-1720828800-1720915199@armenianchurchmelb.com.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of the Apostle Thaddeus and the Virgin Sandoukht (Santoukhd)
DESCRIPTION:St Thaddeus the Apostle and St Sandoukht the Virgin are two of the most venerated saints in the Armenian Church. The “Great Conversion” of the Armenian nation to Christianity is significantly connected with their names. \nFollowing the Ascension of Christ\, according to the Lord’s message: “Go then to all peoples everywhere and make them make them my disciples.” (Matthew 28:19)\, St Thaddeus and St Bartholomew were charged by St Peter to spread Christianity in Armenia in the 1st century A.D. \nIn his travels to Urfa\, St Thaddeus healed King Abgar\, king of the Armenians and Assyrians. This miracle\, witnessed by others\, led to the king’s conversion as well as the baptism and conversion of all the people of Edessa. Here St Thaddeus built a church and ordained priests and deacons. \nAfter leaving Urfa\, the apostle traveled to northern Armenia\, bearing the spear given him by Peter and a letter from King Abgar. He finally arrived at the town of Shavarshan\, where King Sanadroug lived in the province of Arda. He preached the Word of Life\, performed many astonishing miracles there and baptised many believers. \nOne night the young and beautiful Princess Santoukhd\, the king’s daughter\, went to see Thaddeus and find out about the new religion herself. According to accounts\, she changed her royal garments and dressed in ordinary clothes and was led by a servant to a house where these early Christian meetings were held. Santoukhd received instruction from Thaddeus\, and when she declared her belief in Christ and was baptised\, a sign from heaven designated her as a holy virgin. \nThose who witnessed this event immediately believed. The news enraged her father\, King Sanadroug\, who ordered all believers to be slain. As the soldiers were about to kill Thaddeus\, a tremor and bright light streaked across the sky\, frightening the unbelievers and sparing the apostle. Some time after this\, however\, the king’s soldiers came and arrested Thaddeus as well as Princess Santoukhd. \nDespite the king’s punitive actions\, the number of Christians increased. Even some of the king’s soldiers who witnessed the miracles of Thaddeus became believers and converted. Further enraged\, yet feeling some pity for his daughter\, the king summoned Santoukhd from prison to give her a last chance to renounce her new faith and to claim allegiance to her father and his pagan gods. \nSantoukhd was forced to choose between the crown and the sword. Because of her decision to stand firm in her Christian faith and reject her father’s false gods\, she was subjected to torture and ultimately ordered to be executed. During these times when she was weak and at her lowest\, she drew strength from St Thaddeus who encouraged her to hold fast\, reminding her that she was a holy virgin and would soon see Christ face to face. \nOne account of her death states that\, immediately after one of the soldiers thrust his sword into the holy virgin’s heart\, “a sweet fragrance filled the air and a light shone from heaven in the form of a fiery pillar that hovered over Santoukhd’s body for three days and three nights.” The more than 2\,000 people that witnessed these events\, it is said\, all converted and were baptised that night. St Santoukhd’s body was buried and entombed by St Thaddeus at the same site. \nRef: armenian church.us
URL:https://armenianchurchmelb.com.au/event/commemoration-of-the-apostle-thaddeus-and-the-virgin-sandoukht-santoukhd-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240711
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240712
DTSTAMP:20240607T030340Z
CREATED:20240607T030340Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240607T030340Z
UID:1244-1720656000-1720742399@armenianchurchmelb.com.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of the Prophet Isaiah
DESCRIPTION:The Prophet Isaiah is the first of the four major prophets of the Old Testament. He was born and spent almost his entire life in the city of Jerusalem\, in the eight century B.C. \nThe Armenian Church commemorates the prophet Isaiah\, who is best known for the longest prophetic book in the Old Testament (66 chapters)\, that bears his name. The Book of Isaiah is considered to be an ocean of wealth\, concerned with issues related to God\, justice\, sin\, religion and various social ills. Being an educated and intelligent man\, he was the spiritual guide to four kings of Jerusalem\, expressing God’s will on many national matters. His book\, written in an unsurpassed style and spirit\, is the link between the Old and the New Testaments. \nIsaiah is also called the “Evangelist Prophet” as he foretells the birth of the Messiah by a virgin and describes the suffering of the Messiah’s church. Many of the New Testament teachings of Jesus refer to the book of Isaiah. In Chapter 61\, the prophet comes forth as a servant sent by the Lord’s Soul “to bring the good news to the poor and to take care of the desperate and hopeless.”  Christ would later read the words of Isaiah in the synagogue in Nazareth\, as He became the realisation of that mission in the world (Luke 4:16-21). \nAlthough it is not recorded in the Bible\, it is believed that Isaiah died a martyr’s death by order of the Hebrew king\, Manasseh. Relics of the prophet are preserved at Mt. Athos in the Greek Orthodox Khilendaria Monastery in Greece.
URL:https://armenianchurchmelb.com.au/event/commemoration-of-the-prophet-isaiah/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240707
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240708
DTSTAMP:20240607T030307Z
CREATED:20240607T030307Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240607T030307Z
UID:1242-1720310400-1720396799@armenianchurchmelb.com.au
SUMMARY:Feast of Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Vartavar)
DESCRIPTION:The Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ is one of the five main “Tabernacle” feasts of the Armenian Apostolic Church. It commemorates the transformation or the “transfiguration” that came over Jesus while He was praying.  Christ’s face shone like the sun and his clothes became a radiant and gleaming white. The Apostles Peter\, James and John witnessed that event which occurred on a high mountain named Tabor. \nEvangelists St Matthew\, St Mark and St Luke testify about the Transfiguration of Jesus in the Gospels (Matthew 17:1-13; Mark 9:1-12; Luke 9:28-36).\n“… As they looked on\, a change came over Jesus: his face was shining like the sun and his clothes were dazzling white. Then the three disciples saw Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus. So Peter spoke up and said to Jesus\, “Lord\, how good it is that we are here!  If you wish I will make three tents here\, one for you\, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”  \nWhile he was talking\, a shining cloud came over them\, and a voice from the cloud said\, “This is my own dear Son\, with whom I am pleased – listen to him!” \nWhen the disciples heard the voice\, they were so terrified that they threw themselves face downward on the ground. Jesus came to them and touched them. “Get up\,” he said\, “Don’t be afraid!” So they looked up and saw no one there but Jesus. (Matthew 17:2-8) \nIn the Armenian Church\, the Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ is celebrated 98 days following Easter. \nThe Feast is also known by the common name of  Vartavar: Festival of the Roses. Armenians would decorate the temple of the goddess Asdghig (goddess of love\, beauty\, fertility\, and water) with roses\, release doves and engage in water games on this popular pre Christian holiday. In modern times\, it’s a festival in Armenia where people drench each other with water. \nSt Gregory the Illuminator combined Vartavar with the Transfiguration. The fifth century historian Yeghishe wrote the prayer that is recited in church on this feast: “O Lord\, bless the harvest of this year and defend from all the perils\, and may your right hand\, O Lord\, protect us for the whole year.”
URL:https://armenianchurchmelb.com.au/event/feast-of-transfiguration-of-our-lord-jesus-christ-vartavar-2/
CATEGORIES:Major Feasts (Daghavarner)
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240706
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240707
DTSTAMP:20240607T030158Z
CREATED:20240607T030158Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240607T030158Z
UID:1240-1720224000-1720310399@armenianchurchmelb.com.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of the Tabernacle of Old Testament (Ark of the Covenant) and the Feast of the New Holy Church
DESCRIPTION:The Ark of the Covenant is the most sacred sanctity of the Old Testament. It consisted of a pure gold covered wooden chest with an elaborate lid called the Mercy seat. The Ark is described in the Book of Exodus as containing the two stone tablets of the Ten Commandments. According to the New Testament Book of Hebrews\, it also contained Aaron’s crosier (rod) and a golden urn full of manna. \nMoses had the Ark of the Covenant built to hold the Ten Commandments at the command of God. Approximately one year after the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt\, the Ark was created according to the pattern given to Moses by God when the Israelites were encamped at the foot of Mount Sinai. The Israelites carried the Ark with them during their 40 years spent wandering in the desert\, and after the conquest of Canaan\, it was brought to Shiloh. King David later took the Ark to Jerusalem\, where his son and successor\, Solomon\, eventually installed it in the temple. Since its disappearance\, some 2\,000 years ago\, numerous theories have arisen about its fate. One of the most well known holds that Levitical priests moved the Ark to Egypt just before the Babylonians sacked Jerusalem in 586 B.C. From there it was supposedly moved to Ethiopia\, where it resides to this day in the town of Aksum\, in the St Mary of Zion cathedral. Only one man\, a monk known as “the Guardian\,” is allowed to see the Ark\, and church authorities have never allowed it to be studied to determine its authenticity. \nThe Christian Church is considered to be the prototype of the New Testament\, that is\, the Church of Christ (New Holy Church). \nThese two combined commemorations take place on the Saturday prior to the Feast of the Transfiguration. Celebrating the old and the new shows the perpetuity of the Church. God revealed Himself to humankind gradually through Adam\, Noah\, Abraham\, Moses and the prophets. The church existed from the beginning\, and that is why the Old Testament is accepted as part of the Holy Scriptures and recognised as a preamble to the New Testament. The hymn designated for this day proclaims\, “Who from the beginning established your church with wisdom\, O\, Father of Wisdom\, who revealed to Moses upon Sinai.”
URL:https://armenianchurchmelb.com.au/event/commemoration-of-the-tabernacle-of-old-testament-ark-of-the-covenant/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240630
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240701
DTSTAMP:20240607T030025Z
CREATED:20240607T030025Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240607T030025Z
UID:1238-1719705600-1719791999@armenianchurchmelb.com.au
SUMMARY:Eve of the Fast of Transfiguration
DESCRIPTION:This is the Sunday just before the week of the fasting period\, preceding the Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ’s Transfiguration. \nIn the Armenian Apostolic Church\, it’s called the Fast of Transfiguration\, lasting from Monday to Friday.
URL:https://armenianchurchmelb.com.au/event/eve-of-the-fast-of-transfiguration/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240629
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240630
DTSTAMP:20240607T025954Z
CREATED:20240607T025954Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240607T025954Z
UID:1236-1719619200-1719705599@armenianchurchmelb.com.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of Christ’s Twelve Apostles and the Thirteenth Apostle\, St Paul
DESCRIPTION:The Twelve Apostles elected by Our Lord Jesus Christ\, were Christ’s disciples and first preachers of His doctrine\, as well as the Incarnate Christ’s witnesses. \n“Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to drive out devil spirits and to heal every disease and every sickness.” Matthew 10:1 \nThese were the names of the twelve Apostles Simeon (called Peter)\, Andrew\, James\, John\, Philip\, Bartholomew\, Thomas\, Matthew\, James son of Alphaeus\, Thaddeus\, Simon the Patriot and Judas Iscariot\, who betrayed Jesus. Later instead of Judas Iscariot\, Apostle Matthias was chosen\, who was added to the group of eleven apostles. \nRemaining faithful to Incarnate Christ’s last message the apostles went to all peoples everywhere and preached and taught the Commandments of Jesus\, baptised them in the name of the Father\, the Son and the Holy Spirit\, thus becoming the founders of the Christ’s Church. One of the greatest preachers of Christ’s commandments is Apostle Paul\, who is recognised by the Christian Church as the thirteenth Apostle. \nThe section of the Bible called “The Acts of the Apostles” is dedicated to the apostles’ activity. There are references on Apostle Paul’s preaching\, his person and his activity in his fourteen (14) letters addressed to the church communities\, established by himself and individual Christians.
URL:https://armenianchurchmelb.com.au/event/commemoration-of-christs-twelve-apostles-and-the-thirteenth-apostle-st-paul/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240627
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240628
DTSTAMP:20240607T025915Z
CREATED:20240607T025915Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240607T025915Z
UID:1234-1719446400-1719532799@armenianchurchmelb.com.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of the Prophet Elisha
DESCRIPTION:Elisha the Prophet was a wonderworker whose miracles; healing the diseased\, the multiplication of loaves\, raising a child from death\, anticipated those of Christ.  \nIndeed\, Jesus explicitly referred to these during his own ministry. The Old Testament prophet became greatly honored in the Christian tradition\, and especially among the Armenians\, for whom the name “Yeghishe” is strongly associated with saintly figures—from ancient times down to the present day. \nLike his miracles\, the story of Elisha’s calling also brings to mind Gospel parallels. \nElisha was a simple farmer plowing the fields when the great prophet Elijah approached him and threw his “prophetic mantle” or cloak over Elisha’s back. The plowman understood at once that he was being called to serve God\, and poignantly begged Elijah a few moments to kiss his parents good bye. He then killed his oxen\, cooked them over the burning remains of his plow\, fed the meat to the local people and followed obediently in the footsteps of Elijah. \nHe became a prophet in the aftermath of the dark days under the wicked king Ahab and his wife Jezebel. Elisha’s story is one of restoration\, wherein the Man of God must minister to a nation scarred by war and the abuse of political power\, helping the people to reassert a wholesome relationship with each other and with God. \nAlthough he\, like Elijah\, played an influential role on the national stage\, to the extent of promoting a righteous king to the throne of Israel\, what is most striking about Elisha’s story is the “personal” nature of his ministry. As depicted in the bible\, the people Elisha meets in his travels are vivid characters in their own right\, with names\, professions\, and even “voices” that echo down through the ages. \nElisha himself is one of the rare biblical figures with a distinctive physical trait: baldness\, over which he showed a certain sensitivity. That personal quality is asserted in Elisha’s name\, which in Hebrew means “my God is salvation.” It reminds us that we are not mere abstractions to God; that He knows us in all our individuality\, from the depths of our hearts to our comic foibles. \nHonour this day by acquainting yourself with Elisha’s story\, which can be found in 1 and 2 Kings. And take a moment to consider how God may be calling to you\, in all your personal distinctiveness. \nRef: Christopher H. Zakian @ vemkar.us
URL:https://armenianchurchmelb.com.au/event/commemoration-of-the-prophet-elisha/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240627
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240628
DTSTAMP:20240607T025813Z
CREATED:20240607T025813Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240607T025813Z
UID:1231-1719446400-1719532799@armenianchurchmelb.com.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of Patriarchs St Athanasius and St Cyril of Alexandria
DESCRIPTION:Patriarchs St Athanasius and St Cyril are among the most prominent figures of the Universal Church\, who devoted their lives to the promulgation of the orthodoxy of Christianity\, and the struggle against false conceptions and erroneous teachings. \nSt. Athanasius (295-373 A.D.) was born in Alexandria\, to a Greek Christian family. He received his higher education in the famous Theological School of Alexandria. He was ordained to the diaconate by Patriarch Alexander of Alexandria and participated in the Ecumenical Council of Nicea in 325\, as the Patriarch’s personal secretary. During the council he decisively defeated Arius and his followers who denied the Divine nature of Christ and purported that He was a created being. In his argument\, St Athanasius stated the reality of Christ being God and explained the salvation in combining the human nature of Jesus with God\, which is possible only through His incarnation. According to the formulation of St Athanasius\, salvation is nothing else but theosis (Divination)– being adopted by God. Athanasius stated that God became incarnate “so that sons of mortal men should become sons of God.” \nIn 328\, St Athanasius became Bishop of Alexandria. He continued to struggle against Arianism and forcefully defended the Nicene Orthodox teaching. Having been subjected to repeated persecutions\, he spent 15 of his 47 year episcopal service in exile. His heroic efforts bore fruit\, and eight years following his death his teachings were adopted by the Ecumenical Council of Constantinople in 381. St Athanasius made very significant contributions to the development of monastic life as well. \nPatriarch St Cyril of Alexandria is one of the brilliant representatives of the Alexandrian Theological School. He was born in 380 AD\, and was the nephew of Patriarch Theophilus\, whom he succeeded in 412. He struggled against Nestorius\, the Patriarch of Constantinople\, for the preservation of orthodox teaching. It was for this purpose that Emperor Theodoros II convened the Third Ecumenical Council in Ephesus in 431. During the Council\, Nestorius and his teachings were criticised and condemned\, and the formulation of “Theotokos” (Birthgiver to God) was adopted by the Church as it related to St. Mary. The famous formulation of St. Cyril: “The one incarnate nature of God the Word” has become the cornerstone of the Armenian Church regarding the nature of Christ.
URL:https://armenianchurchmelb.com.au/event/commemoration-of-patriarchs-st-athanasius-and-st-cyril-of-alexandria/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240625
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240626
DTSTAMP:20240607T025720Z
CREATED:20240607T025720Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240607T025720Z
UID:1229-1719273600-1719359999@armenianchurchmelb.com.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of the Prophet Zechariah
DESCRIPTION:Every year\, the Armenian Church reserves a day in its liturgical calendar to remember one of the more obscure figures of the Old Testament: the Prophet Zechariah. \nZechariah’s collection of prophecies and oracles stands among the last books of the canonical Old Testament. In its opening verse\, Zechariah situates himself in time during the reign of the Persian King Darius the Great— some 500 years before the birth of Christ. It was a time when the Hebrews had returned to their ancestral homeland after the long\, enforced absence of the Babylonian Captivity. \nZechariah\, who seems to have descended from a priestly clan\, was deeply concerned with the re establishment of a holy\, Godly way of life for his people\, as they reclaimed their patrimony in Jerusalem and its surrounding regions. His name means “God remembered”; but it was clearly Zechariah himself who remembered the God of his fathers in his writing\, and who was trying\, with a certain desperation\, to awaken that memory in his forgetful countrymen. \nAs prophetic books go\, Zechariah’s is notoriously difficult to understand. It seems to lurch back and forth unpredictably between Zechariah’s living memory\, his experiences and observations\, and his ecstatic visions of a future when the Messiah would arrive to right the world’s wrongs and establish his everlasting rule. \nTo arrive at that day\, however\, the world would have to undergo a painful tribulation. It was Zechariah’s view that mankind’s own degeneracy would be the spur that invited the saving intervention of God’s Messiah\, and his prophetic oracles provided the vocabulary for the “apocalyptic” literature of later ages. Vivid images that we associate with the New Testament Revelation of John: the Four Horsemen and the Harlot of Babylon\, find their origins in Zechariah’s powerful visions. \nBut these are not the only New Testament echoes of Zechariah. The Gospel writers themselves seem to have been influenced by the prophet as they set down and made sense of the life of Jesus. Consider these extraordinary parallels with some of the most famous Gospel passages: \nFrom Zechariah 9:9: “Rejoice greatly\, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud\, O daughter of Jerusalem! Lo\, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he\, humble and riding on an ass\, on a colt the foal of an ass.” \nNow compare that to the story of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem\, at Matthew 21.5-7. “Say to Daughter Zion\,\n‘See\, your king comes to you\, gentle and riding on a donkey\, and on a colt\, the foal of a donkey.” \nFrom Zechariah 12:10: “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of compassion and supplication\, so that\, when they look on him whom they have pierced\, they shall mourn for him\, as one mourns for an only child\, and weep bitterly over him\, as one weeps over a first-born.” \nCompare that to John 19:34-37\, where the Roman centurion stabs Christ’s side following our Lord’s death on the cross: “Instead\, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear\, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.  The man who saw it has given testimony\, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth\, and he testifies so that you also may believe.These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled:“Not one of his bones will be broken\,” and\, as another scripture says\, “They will look on the one they have pierced.” \nFrom Zechariah 11:12-13: “Then I said to them\, ‘If it seems right to you\, give me my wages; but if not\, keep them.’ And they weighed out as my wages thirty shekels of silver. Then the Lord said to me\, ‘Cast it into the treasury’—the lordly price at which I was paid off by them. So I took the thirty shekels of silver and cast them into the treasury in the house of the Lord.” \nCompare that to Matthew 27:3-10\, the account of Judas’ guilt over his betrayal of Jesus: When Judas\, who had betrayed him\, saw that Jesus was condemned\, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned\,” he said\, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”  So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.  The chief priests picked up the coins and said\, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury\, since it is blood money.”  So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver\, the price set on him by the people of Israel\, 10 and they used them to buy the potter’s field\, as the Lord commanded me.” \nAll of these examples show the Gospel writers drawing on the language of Zechariah to remind their readers that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies—even in ways\, he couldn’t have controlled. \nElsewhere in the gospels\, however\, we see a conscious use of Zechariah by Jesus himself. On the night of his arrest\, camped out with the disciples on the Mount of Olives\, Jesus sadly predicted how his own friends would abandon him in his time of need. “You will all fall away because of me this night\,” Christ says at Matthew 26:31; “for it is written\, ‘I will strike the shepherd\, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’” \nThis is a direct allusion\, from the very lips of Jesus\, to Zechariah 13:7: “Awake\, O sword\, against my shepherd\, against the man who stands next to me\, says the Lord of hosts. Strike the shepherd\, that the sheep may be scattered…” \nIn these and other Scriptural moments\, we can see how an obscure\, misunderstood prophet affected the life of Jesus and his contemporaries\, and thus shaped the world that would arise on the Christian faith. \nThe deepest of Zechariah’s concerns was the purity of worship life\, especially as it was exemplified in the rituals of the Hebrew Temple. His ancestors had witnessed in horror the destruction of the original Temple of King Solomon; and his immediate forebears had erected a second\, less elaborate Temple when they returned to Jerusalem after their exile. \nIn this\, Zechariah’s experience was not so different from that of the Armenian people\, who at various times in their history would see their houses of worship seized and demolished; but who never gave up the hope of restoring them\, and revivifying them with the music and rituals of Holy Badarak. Perhaps this is why the Armenians took the unusual step of sanctifying one day each year in Zechariah’s memory. \nIn his own day\, however\, Zechariah could only dream of such a restoration to holiness. In his writings\, he laments the degraded worship life of his people. He rails against the commodification of the Hebrew Temple\, where material transactions had come to displace matters of the spirit. In the last line of his prophetic book\, he pictured a future time when worship would be purified\, and “there shall no longer be a trader in the house of the Lord of hosts on that day” (Zechariah 14:21). \nThough he did not live to see it\, Zechariah’s long-awaited Messiah did come\, to cleanse the Temple of the money changers and their wares. “Take these things away\,” said Jesus (at John 2:13-16)\, in what is arguably another nod to the Old Testament prophet. “You shall not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” \nRef: Christopher Zakian @ vemkar.us
URL:https://armenianchurchmelb.com.au/event/commemoration-of-the-prophet-zechariah/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240623
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240624
DTSTAMP:20240607T025636Z
CREATED:20240607T025636Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240607T025636Z
UID:1227-1719100800-1719187199@armenianchurchmelb.com.au
SUMMARY:Feast of the Discovery of St Mary’s Box
DESCRIPTION:According to tradition\, while on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem\, two Greek princes came across a chest that once belonged to St Mary. \nIn Galilee\, they saw a large crowd gathered in front of a Jewish woman’s house. On enquiring\, they found that the sick were being healed due to the inexplicable power of the chest. The princes took the box to Constantinople and presented it to the Patriarch\, who placed it in the Church of St Mary.  The Patriarch then established the Feast of the Discovery of St Mary’s Box. \nBecause there are no relics of the Holy Mother’s earthly body (she was assumed into Heaven)\, her personal belongings became the object of devotion and veneration. During the time of the early Church\, when Christians were persecuted\, her possessions were kept hidden and secret. \nThe Armenian Church celebrates this feast upon the order of the Catholicos Simeon from Yerevan\, who accepted this tradition from the Greek Orthodox Church in the late 18th century. \nThis feast day is celebrated on the fifth Sunday after Pentecost.
URL:https://armenianchurchmelb.com.au/event/feast-of-the-discovery-of-st-marys-box/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240622
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240623
DTSTAMP:20240607T025557Z
CREATED:20240607T025557Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240607T025557Z
UID:1225-1719014400-1719100799@armenianchurchmelb.com.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of Saints King Tiridates\, Queen Ashkhen and Princess Khosrovitoukht
DESCRIPTION:In 287 A.D. Tiridates (Drtad)\, from the royal house of Arshakouni\, assumed the throne which once belonged to his father and he became Tiridates III\, King of Armenia. His name is inextricably linked with the Patron Saint of the Armenian Church\, St Gregory the Illuminator. In 301 A.D\, the king released the Christian Gregory from imprisonment in the pit and proclaimed Christianity to be the State Religion of Armenia. In doing so\, he became the greatest advocate of the spread of Christianity throughout the country. \nThe names of Queen Ashkhen and the King’s sister\, Khosrovitoukht are closely related to the Great Conversion of Armenia as well. Princess Khosrovitoukht’s vision of a cure for the King’s incurable illness resulted in the deliverance of  St Gregory the Illuminator from the pit. St Gregory was then free to begin the process of spreading the light of Christianity\, which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. \nAccording to Greek historian Agathangelos\, St Gregory baptised the King\, the Queen and the Princess upon his return from Caesarea\, where he had travelled to receive episcopal ordination. St Gregory then baptised the the royal court and the nobles of Armenia. Through the baptism by St Gregory\, Tiridates became the first king in the world to rule over a Christian country. History also reveals that Tiridates\, Ashkhen and Khosrovitoukht personally participated in the construction of the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin. The stones they used to build the cathedral were brought to Vagharshapat from the slopes of Biblical Mount Ararat. \nAll three helped St Gregory spread Christianity throughout Armenia. In their later years the Queen and Princess lived in the fortress of Garni and the King retired to St Gregory’s retreat on Mount Sebouh.
URL:https://armenianchurchmelb.com.au/event/commemoration-of-saints-king-tiridates-queen-ashkhen-and-princess-khosrovitoukht/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240620
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240621
DTSTAMP:20240607T025525Z
CREATED:20240607T025525Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240607T025525Z
UID:1223-1718841600-1718927999@armenianchurchmelb.com.au
SUMMARY:Feast of the Holy Translators St Sahak (Sahag) and St Mesrop (Mesrob)
DESCRIPTION:Catholicos St Sahak Bartev (Partev) and Archimandrite St Mesrop (Vardapet) Mashtots are the founders of Armenian literature and ecclesiastical bibliography. \nSt Sahak Partev was the elder son of Catholicos St Nersess the Great. He was the last Catholicos of the Armenian Church who descended from the lineage of St Gregory the Illuminator. He became Catholicos of All Armenians in 387 A.D\, and reigned for an astounding 52 years. Being a talented musician and educated in the rhetorical arts\, philosophy and linguistics\, St Sahak greatly contributed to the development of the Armenian national culture. He was the strongest advocate for the creation of an Armenian Alphabet and became its chief patron. \nSt Mesrop Mashtots was born in 360 A.D. and studied the Greek and Persian languages from childhood. He initially served as a scribe in the royal court. Leaving secular life behind\, he became a monk and lived an ascetic life. During his preaching of the Gospel\, St Mesrop felt the necessity to create a distinct Armenian Alphabet and to have the Holy Bible translated into Armenian. During those years\, the Bible was only available in Greek and Syriac. In Armenia\, they used to use ciphers\, or symbols\, which were used by the former pagan priests. Following the Great Conversion of the Armenian nation to Christianity\, the symbols fell into disuse\, and the only remaining copy was in Mesopotamia with a bishop named Daniel the Syrian. Upon the order of King Vramshapouh\, the symbols were brought to Armenia. However\, as Mashtots taught his new students with these symbols\, he soon found them to be lacking\, as they were imperfect and defective. Together with his students\, he departed for Mesopotamia and visited the cities of Antioch\, Edessa and Samosata\, to conduct further research. \nIn 404-405 A.D\, St Mesrop created the Armenian Alphabet through Divine Grace. According to Koryun\, one day\, Mesrop received a vision from God\, who instructed and aided the saint in the modification of the ancient letters\, thus creating the 36 letters of the Armenian alphabet. For the first time in the history of the nation\, the Armenian people had a specific and distinctive alphabet. \nFollowing the creation of the Armenian Alphabet\, St Sahak and St Mesrop opened a school for translators in the city of Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin). There they began the translation of the Holy Bible into Armenian and did it so perfectly\, that centuries hence\, the Armenian Translation is called the “Queen Translation of the Breath of God”. \nThe first sentence translated from the Holy Bible is the opening verse of the Book of Proverbs: “To know wisdom and instruction\, to perceive the words of understanding”. \nSt Mesrop Mashtots passed away in Vagharshapat\, and was buried in his home village of Oshakan. According to tradition\, during the entire journey of transferring the remains of St Mesrop to Oshakan\, a canopy of light fell upon the pilgrims and accompanied them until they reached the tomb. The Church of St Mesrop Mashtots\, which exists to this day\, was built over his grave
URL:https://armenianchurchmelb.com.au/event/feast-of-the-holy-translators-st-sahak-sahag-and-st-mesrop-mesrob-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240618
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240619
DTSTAMP:20240607T025408Z
CREATED:20240607T025408Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240607T025408Z
UID:1221-1718668800-1718755199@armenianchurchmelb.com.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of the Prophet Daniel and his Companions Saints Setrak\, Misak and Apetnakov
DESCRIPTION:The Prophet Daniel (meaning God is my Judge)\, is one of the four great prophets of the Old Testament. Nearly all that is known concerning the Prophet is derived from the book ascribed to him\, which dates back to the VII-VI centuries B.C. \nDaniel and his youthful companions Shadrach (Setrak)\, Meshach (Misak) and Abednego (Apetnakov) were captured during the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah. They were taken to Babylon and found favour with the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. Soon after\, due to his intellect and talents\, he is given a high ranking position in the king’s chancellery. \nDaniel becomes famous when he rescues an innocent woman from the unfounded slander of two men. Having gained greater notoriety\, Daniel interprets a dream had by King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel’s successes create envy amongst the other servants in the royal court. They accuse him of worshipping false gods and demand that the King imprison the prophet. Daniel is thrown into a den of lions. The following day\, the king approaches the pit to mourn the death of his devoted and wise servant. He is surprised to hear the Prophet Daniel responding to his cries of sorrow. Daniel tells the king that God sealed the mouths of the lions to protect him from harm. Daniel continues\, saying that he is innocent\, and has not wronged the king by his worship of God. The king is overjoyed\, and orders that Daniel be released from the lions’ den. \nThree young men and companions of Daniel; Hananiah\, Mishael and Azariah\, were also taken to Babylon.  Upon their arrival they received new names\, Setrak\, Misak and Apetnakov. They were raised and educated in the royal court together with the prophet Daniel and were very protective of their faith. Once\, during a solemn festival\, as everyone worshipped King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue\, Setrak\, Misak and Apetnakov refused to bow down before it. The king ordered the three men to be thrown into a blazing furnace for their disobedience. Instead of burning\, however\, they continued to render glory to God and were protected by an angel of heaven. Witnessing the miracle\, the king released the three young men\, blessed them and worshipped God. \nRef: Book of Daniel\, chapters 1 to 3 
URL:https://armenianchurchmelb.com.au/event/commemoration-of-the-prophet-daniel-and-his-companions-saints-setrak-misak-and-apetnakov-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240615
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240616
DTSTAMP:20240607T025331Z
CREATED:20240607T025331Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240607T025331Z
UID:1219-1718409600-1718495999@armenianchurchmelb.com.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration Day of the Discovery of the Relics of St Gregory the Illuminator
DESCRIPTION:The relics of St Gregory the Illuminator (Lousavorich) are one of our most revered within the Armenian Church\, as well as all Christian Churches. \nThe discovery of the relics of St Gregory the Illuminator is one of the three significant feast days dedicated to the memory of the Patron Saint of Armenia and the impact of the holy father on the foundation of that which has become our National Church. \nAs St Gregory grew old and became more involved in solitary life\, King Tiridates III (Drtad) asked him to ordain Gregory’s younger son Arisdagés\, a bishop\, and to take him on as his assistant. Gregory had already retired by 325AD\, when the Holy Council of Nicea took place\, and thus he sent his son Arisdagés in his place to participate in this first ecumenical gathering of bishops of the Christian Church. In his retired state\, however\, Gregory continued his pastoral work by preaching and writing homilies\, employing a simple language so that people could understand. \nAccording to Holy Tradition\, following Armenia’s conversion to Christianity\, in his final years\, St Gregory led an ascetic life in the cave of Mane. The “Caves of Mane” were located on a mountain named Sebouh\, near Erzindjan (now in Eastern Turkey)\, where he died.  This place had previously been the residence of the Virgin Mané\, one of St Hripsime’s companions. It is unclear how long St Gregory lived there and when exactly he died. Shepherds found his body and buried him beneath a pile of stones\, not recognising the Armenian Pontiff. The St Krikor the Illuminator or Medz Lousavorich Monastery was founded on this site in the fifth century. \nDuring the fifth century\, a hermit named Karnig of Basen was guided by a vision to the grave of the saint and discovered his relics. It was customary in those days to distribute relics of saints to various churches in different parts\, and most probably\, the same practice was implemented in St Gregory’s case. Karnig took the body of the saint to the village of Tortan\, in the province of Daranagh\, located to the east of Mount Sebouh\, and buried some of the relics there; the rest were taken elsewhere. At some point\, on or near St Gregory’s unmarked grave\, a church was built\, which is now known as The Holy Saviour Monastery of Tortan (Grave of the Nine Saints).  The exact site of St Gregory’s grave in Tortan was not known\, even to visitors in the tenth century; but nine other graves existed inside the church and were said to belong to King Tiridates\, his queen Askhen\, his sister Khosrovitoukht and other members of St Gregory’s family. The church has been abandoned since the events of 1915. \nHoly Relics \nThe remaining relics of St Gregory were later taken to the Monastery of St John the Baptist in Pakavan (Bagavan)\, where St Gregory had baptised King Tiridates and the Armenian people in the Aradzani River. The relics were kept in a box and taken out on important occasions. In 450 AD\, a rumour arose in Armenia that St Vartan and the Armenian wealthy and influentials had accepted the Persian religion during their visit to Persia’s royal court. On returning\, they were met by a gathering of priests\, noblemen and common people who held forth the box of St Gregory’s relics as a reminder of their Christian roots. Similar incidents occurred at times of turmoil and joy. \nThe relics of St Gregory were later taken and laid beneath the massive columns of the Holy Zvartnots Church\, whose ruins are still visible near the airport of Yerevan. The saint’s skull was kept separately in a box. At some point the skull was transferred to the West and is now kept in the church of St Gregory the Armenian in Naples\, Italy. Recently\, some other relics of St Gregory\, deposited in Naples\, were recently transferred to the Armenian Church by the Roman Catholic Church\, as a tribute to the 1700th anniversary of Armenia’s conversion to Christianity. \nToday\, relics of St Gregory may be found at Holy Etchmiadzin\, Holy Jerusalem and Antilias. The relic at Holy Etchmiadzin\, encased in an arm shaped reliquary\, is used to bless the Holy Chrism (Muron) once every seven years. It is on display in the treasury of the Holy See. \nIn the calendar of the Armenian Church\, the discovery of the relics of St Gregory is an important feast and is commemorated on the Saturday before the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost. \nRef: Very Rev. Fr. Krikor Maskoudian\, adapted from his book “The Holy Feasts of Saint Gregory the Illuminator: Celebrating the Life & Lineage of Armenia’s Patron Saint” (2003). \nClick here for further information on the Churches and Monasteries of Erzindjan.
URL:https://armenianchurchmelb.com.au/event/commemoration-day-of-the-discovery-of-the-relics-of-st-gregory-the-illuminator-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240611
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240612
DTSTAMP:20240607T025238Z
CREATED:20240607T025238Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240607T025238Z
UID:1217-1718064000-1718150399@armenianchurchmelb.com.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of Sts Constantine (Kostandianos) the Emperor and his mother Helen (Helena)
DESCRIPTION:King Kostandianos (Constantine) was born in the city of Nish\, in the former Yugoslavia. He is one of the most prominent figures of the Roman Empire. It was he who officially released the Church from persecutions lasting more than 250 years and in 313 A.D. By the Encyclical of Milan he proclaimed Christianity to be a permitted religion. It was during the period of his reign that the first Ecumenical Council of 325 A.D. was convened\, which condemned Arius (and Arianism) and adopted the word “Birth” to show that the Holy Son has the same nature as the Holy Father and is God. King Kostandianos supported the construction of magnificent Churches and Cathedrals in the Holy Sites of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. \nKing Kostandianos was also a renowned and successful captain in battle. According to tradition\, before the decisive battle against the imposter\, King Maxentios\, he had the vision of the Holy Cross. With the sign of the Holy Cross he faced the battle and won. King Kostandianos passed away in 337 A.D\, and at death’s door he was baptised according to the Christian rite. \nQueen Helena (Heghineh)\, mother of the King Kostandianos\, supported the king’s pious activity. The discovery of the wooden Holy Cross\, is ascribed to the Queen. In 327AD\, the Queen\, who was in her mid seventies\, set out on a long journey to Jerusalem with the primary intention of finding the actual Cross upon which Jesus Christ had been crucified. Following a series of inquiries\, with the help of a local Jew named Judas in Golgotha (where Christ was crucified)\, the Cross was discovered\, and the authenticity of the relic was tested by a miracle. \nWhen the Cross was unearthed\, two other crosses were found in the same place. Jesus was crucified with two thieves\, and when the three crosses were discovered side by side\, it raised questions about which was the True Cross. Just then\, a funeral procession was passing by. The procession was stopped\, and the corpse of the deceased was placed upon the first cross. Nothing happened. The corpse was then placed upon the second cross. Again\, nothing happened. Finally\, the corpse was placed upon the third cross which happened to be the True Cross. Immediately\, the deceased came back to life having touched the very wood upon which Jesus had been crucified. \nAfter that miracle\, Judas Cyriacus is converted to Christianity and later becomes a bishop of Jerusalem. After the discovery of the Holy Cross\, Heghineh renovated the Holy Places of Jerusalem and built the Church of Holy Resurrection of Golgotha\, where later the Lord’s cross was installed. \nQueen Heghineh (Helena) passed away in 330 A.D.
URL:https://armenianchurchmelb.com.au/event/commemoration-of-sts-constantine-kostandianos-the-emperor-and-his-mother-helen-helena/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240609
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240610
DTSTAMP:20240607T025205Z
CREATED:20240607T025205Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240607T025205Z
UID:1215-1717891200-1717977599@armenianchurchmelb.com.au
SUMMARY:Eve of the Fast of St Gregory the Illuminator
DESCRIPTION:This is the Sunday preceding the week prior to the feast of Discovery of St Gregory the Illuminator’s relics\, in the 5th century. The week long fast lasts from Monday to Friday.
URL:https://armenianchurchmelb.com.au/event/eve-of-the-fast-of-st-gregory-the-illuminator/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240608
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240609
DTSTAMP:20240607T025039Z
CREATED:20240607T025039Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240607T025039Z
UID:1212-1717804800-1717891199@armenianchurchmelb.com.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of St Nersess the Great and St Bishop Khad
DESCRIPTION:St Nersess was an Armenian Catholicos (Patriarch) who lived in the 4th century and was the great grandson of St Gregory the Illuminator. His father\, Athenogenes\, and his uncle\, Bab\, who were next in line for the succession to the Throne of St Gregory\, were laymen and had no desire to become priests. As professional soldiers\, they showed no inclination to spirituality and their worldly behaviour convinced the Armenian bishops that neither of them were suitable for the position of chief bishop. \nTherefore\, the church turned its attention to Nersess\, the son of Athenogenes\, to assume the position. St Nersess had spent his youth in Caesarea where he married Sanducht\, (presumably the daughter of King Diran) and they had a son\, who later became the renowned Catholicos\, St Sahag the Parthian\, grandfather of St Vartan Mamigonian. St Nersess was a courtier and served as chamberlain of King Arshag II. \nHowever\, despite his secular background\, St Nersess was a pious Christian. His connection with St Gregory the Illuminator impressed the royal magnates who held council with the king and they advised the king to persuade St Nersess to become the spiritual leader of Armenia. A humble man by nature\, St Nersess refused their proposal\, feeling unworthy of such an honour. The king dismissed his arguments and insisted that St Nersess immediately be ordained a deacon\, then priest\, and ultimately chief bishop or Catholicos. He was ordained by Archbishop Eusebius of Caesarea in 353 A.D. \nSt Nersess’ patriarchate marked a new era in Armenian history. Previously\, the Church had been identified\, primarily\, with royal family and noblemen; St Nersess now brought the Church into a closer relationship with its people. St Nersess immediately undertook his duties of the chief bishop\, renovating old churches\, founding new ones and tending to the spiritual needs of his flock. In the early days of Christianity in Armenia however\, many of the people were not strong in their Christian practices. To that end\, St Nersess held a council of bishops in Ashdishad and introduced a number of reforms regarding divine worship\, laws on marriage and fast days in order to make the beliefs of the church more uniform. \nSt Nerses also became known for his concern for moral purity and preserving the sanctity of marriage and family life. He built schools and hospitals\, orphanages\, shelters for the poor and the lepers\, and he urged his people to maintain these institutions. Thus\, St Nersess has been described by many as the founder of Christian charity in Armenia and recognised as the clergyman who established the Church’s role as the guardian of the Armenian people in its spiritual\, social and educational aspects. \nAs a leader\, St Nersess also participated in the political life of his country and was among King Arshag’s chief advisors during the period 353-359 AD. Upon Nersess’ initiative\, a National Ecclesiastical Council was convened in Ashtishat in 354 AD. \nHowever\, King Arshag’s adherence to the religious policy (Arianism) of his ally\, the Roman emperor\, a policy which conflicted with St Nersess’ Christian Orthodox beliefs\, eventually necessitated the removal of St Nersess. He was exiled for nine years. When he returned\, King Bab\, Arshag’s son\, reigned. Due to the conflict in their beliefs\, the friction between the King and St Nersess intensified during the next few years. \nThe religious differences\, as well as St Nersess’ condemnation of King Bab’s moral depravity\, are cited as reasons for St Nersess’ sudden\, untimely death. At the king’s order\, St Nersess was poisoned in 373 A.D. He was buried in Til\, near the tomb of his great uncle St Aristakes (Arisdages). A cathedral built over the original grave site was destroyed in the 7th century. While the exact site is unknown\, relics were discovered and distributed in the 13th century between the church in Erzindjan and the nearby village of Kee\, where the Monastery of Dirashen stood. Another monastery near Til\, Chukhdag Hayrabedats\, also claimed to have discovered relics of St Nersess in the second half of the 7th century. \nFor his devout activity\, Nersess the Great is also called the “Illuminator of Hearts”. \nS Nersess is always commemorated with his associate Bishop Khad (Khat). Like Nersess\, Khat\, a native of the village of Marak near Karin (modern Erzurum) was a married man and had two daughters. He had been St Nersess’ pupil and deacon. Ultimately he rose to the rank of bishop and was placed in charge of two districts\, Pakrevant and Arsharunik. Through the marriage of his daughters\, he was associated with the noble Abahuni clan. During St Nersess’ tenure of office\, he was designated as supervisor of the poor and the charitable institutions founded by his mentor. The latter\, in his absence\, entrusted him with the care of church affairs\, officially naming him his vicar. Khat faithfully carried out his ministry. \nLike Nereses\, Khat was also an adamant supporter of orthodoxy against the royal court\, which adhered to the heretical teachings of Arius. For this reason\, he was in conflict with the king\, who tried to bribe him\, to no avail\, since Khat distributed the gifts bestowed on him among the poor. King Arshag had him driven from the royal camp and ordered his men to stone the bishop. He was spared the ordeal of a painful death thanks to his Abahuni clansmen\, related to him through marriage. One of his sons in law\, Asurk\, succeeded to his episcopal rank and office\, presumably after his own wife’s demise. \nKhat is not a martyr\, but his sufferings at the hands of King Arshag make him a confessor. \nBy the Very Rev. Fr. Krikor Maksoudian\, adapted from his volume\, “The Holy Feasts of St. Gregory the Illuminator” (St. Vartan Press\, 2002).
URL:https://armenianchurchmelb.com.au/event/commemoration-of-st-nersess-the-great-and-st-bishop-khad/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20240519T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20240519T000000
DTSTAMP:20240311T035212Z
CREATED:20240311T035212Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240311T035212Z
UID:1188-1716076800-1716076800@armenianchurchmelb.com.au
SUMMARY:Eve of the Fast of Elijah
DESCRIPTION:One of the four seasonal fasting periods\, defined by the Armenian Apostolic Church\, is the fasting period preceding the beginning of summer (northern hemisphere). This fasting period\, as well as the other ones preceding the other seasons of the year\, is not a preparation for any feast. According to tradition it is called Elijah’s fast\, as coincides with the Feast of the Commemoration the Prophet Elijah the next Sunday.\nThis fasting period starts the day following the Feast of Pentecost and lasts five days\, from Monday till Friday.
URL:https://armenianchurchmelb.com.au/event/eve-of-the-fast-of-elijah/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20240519T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20240519T000000
DTSTAMP:20240311T035212Z
CREATED:20240311T035212Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240311T035212Z
UID:1189-1716076800-1716076800@armenianchurchmelb.com.au
SUMMARY:The Feast of Pentecost: Hokekaloust
DESCRIPTION:“When the day of Pentecost came\, they were all together in one place.  Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.  They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.  All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:1-4). \nOn the day of Pentecost (Hokekaloust)\, tongues of fire filled the upper room resting upon the heads of Jesus’ disciples who had gathered together as had been instructed. In this dramatic scene\, the disciples felt the Holy Spirit descend upon them as they began speaking in other languages and could be understood by a crowd of believers from other nations. \nWith the tongues of fire came the ability for the spread of Christianity to other nations which would soon reach the land of Armenia by the Apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew. This would become the birth of the Armenian Church and the nation’s religion.\nTongues symbolise God’s purifying presence which burns away the undesirable elements of our lives and sets our hearts aflame to ignite the lives of others.\nThe coming of the Holy Spirit (or Hokekaloust in Armenian) is celebrated by the Armenian Church\, as in all Christian churches\, 50 days after Easter.\nAs possessors of this beautiful faith\, Pentecost points us to our personal Pentecost\, for just as the Holy Spirit came to the Apostles\, so too does the Holy Spirit come to each one of us at the time of our chrismation or confirmation with the anointing of the Holy Oil. As baptised infants\, if we are open to that gift\, it transforms us and inspires us to live a Christ centred existence\, in which the fruits of the Spirit — love\, joy\, peace\, patience\, kindness\, goodness\, faithfulness\, gentleness and self-control — can grow and thrive.\nBut the fruit of the Spirit is love\, joy\, peace\, forbearance\, kindness\, goodness\, faithfulness\,  gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.\n(Galatians 5:22-23)
URL:https://armenianchurchmelb.com.au/event/the-feast-of-pentecost-hokekaloust-2/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20240512T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20240512T000000
DTSTAMP:20240311T035212Z
CREATED:20240311T035212Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240311T035212Z
UID:1187-1715472000-1715472000@armenianchurchmelb.com.au
SUMMARY:Second Palm Sunday
DESCRIPTION:The name of the feast is derived from Palm Sunday\, which precedes Easter. The Second Palm Sunday is the commemoration of the triumphant entry of the Ascended Christ into the Heavenly Jerusalem\, where the angels meet him with great happiness and delight.\nAccording to old beliefs\, during St Gregory the Illuminator’s imprisonment in the pit\, he was visited every day by the same angel. However one day\, the angel did not come. The following morning\, St Gregory inquired as to the reason for his absence\, to which the angel responded that during the Ascension\, Christ had passed through the ranks of the Angels and thus they celebrate that feast each year. The angel visiting St Gregory was from the fourth class of angelic hosts\, and thus\, on the fourth day following the Ascension\, his rank of angels commemorates and celebrates Christ’s Ascension to heaven every year.\nSt Gregory of Datev\, one of the greatest theologians of the Armenian Church\, has his own famous interpretation of this event. Prior to His Ascension\, the ranks of angels\, except for the lowest class\, who served Christ during His earthly life\, were not aware of Christ’s incarnation for the salvation of man. St Gregory’s commentary states that when the Lord was passing through the ranks of angels\, they were surprised and asked\, “Who was that powerful king?” The angels accompanying Christ thus informed them.\nThis dialogue of angels is presented in the Holy Bible as follows:\n“Lift up your heads\, O ye gates; and be ye lifted up\, ye everlasting doors;\nand the King of glory shall come in.”\n“Who is this King of glory?  The LORD strong and mighty\, the LORD mighty in\nbattle.”\n“Lift up your heads\, O ye gates; even lift them up\, ye everlasting doors;\nand the King of glory shall come in.”\n“Who is this King of glory?”\n“The LORD of hosts\, he is the King of glory.”\n (Psalms 24:7-10)\nThis beautiful angelic dialogue is heard during the Divine Liturgy\, as the deacon approaches the celebrant priest with the chalice during the Great Entrance (Verapehroom).\nSecond Palm Sunday is one more reminder of the Ascension of Christ and grants us the hope for ascending to heaven after our deaths and being in the bliss of God’s presence.
URL:https://armenianchurchmelb.com.au/event/second-palm-sunday-2/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20240509T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20240509T000000
DTSTAMP:20240311T035212Z
CREATED:20240311T035212Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240311T035212Z
UID:1186-1715212800-1715212800@armenianchurchmelb.com.au
SUMMARY:Feast of Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ
DESCRIPTION:The Feast of Holy Ascension marks the ascent of our Lord Jesus Christ into heaven on the 40th day following His glorious Resurrection. The timing is clearly specified in the Acts of the Apostles\, where it is stated that Christ presented himself alive to the Apostles\, “appearing to them during forty days and speaking of the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3).\nOn the 40th day\, after he finished speaking to the Apostles\, “as they were looking on\, he was lifted up\, and a cloud took him out of their sight.” (Acts 1:9).  The Gospel according to Mark sums up the same story as follows: “So then the Lord Jesus\, after he had spoken to them\, was taken up into heaven\, and sat down at the right hand of God” (Mark 16: 19). The same account is also in the Gospel according to Luke: “While he blessed them\, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven” (Luke 24:51).  There are also several references to this event in some of the other books of the New Testament.\nThe Feast of the Ascension is an important Dominical feast (one relating to the life of Jesus Christ) that has been celebrated in the universal church since ancient times.  Modern scholarship traces its earliest observance to the 4th century.\nIt is always celebrated on the 40th day after Easter and falls on a Thursday; however\, in the Armenian Church\, the observance of the feast begins on Wednesday evening during vespers.\nFrom ancient tradition\, we know that the Ascension of the Lord took place on the Mount of Olives.  To this day the Armenian Brotherhood of St. James in Jerusalem holds vesper service and a vigil on the eve of the Feast of the Ascension at the sanctuary on the Mount of Olives.\nBesides being a Dominical feast (see below)\, the Ascension also marks the anniversary of the reestablishment of the Holy See at the monastery of Holy Etchmiadzin in 1441\, after a separation of almost 1\,000 years.\nAs with other feasts\, Ascension and the Resurrection of the Lord are celebrated over the following nine days until Pentecost.\nDominical Feasts are connected to Christ’s mission of redemption as well as feasts dedicated to the Holy Mother of God\, the Holy Cross and Holy Church.
URL:https://armenianchurchmelb.com.au/event/feast-of-ascension-of-our-lord-jesus-christ-2/
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DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20240428T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20240428T000000
DTSTAMP:20240311T035212Z
CREATED:20240311T035212Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240311T035212Z
UID:1185-1714262400-1714262400@armenianchurchmelb.com.au
SUMMARY:Feast of the Apparition of the Holy Cross
DESCRIPTION:This feast is celebrated 28 days after Easter Sunday and is dedicated to the Apparition of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. At noon on May 19\, 351AD\, a bright\, luminous cross appeared over the skies of Jerusalem\, centred over an area spanning from the Mount of Olives (where Christ was betrayed and arrested) to Golgotha (where Christ was crucified). Bishop Cyril (later St. Cyril of Jerusalem) subsequently wrote a letter to Emperor Constantine of Byzantium wherein he describes the miraculous and beautiful scene. St. Cyril tells Constantine that the apparition is a true testimony of the Orthodox faith of Christianity. Further\, St Cyril exhorts the Emperor that the appearance is a sign for him to remain steadfast in his faith and to stop defending the heretical movement of Arianism (Arianism holds that the Son is distinct from the Father and therefore subordinate to Him) and its lawmakers.\nThe Armenian translation of the Bishop’s letter has been preserved by the Church and is read each year on the Feast of the Apparition of the Holy Cross.
URL:https://armenianchurchmelb.com.au/event/feast-of-the-apparition-of-the-holy-cross-2/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20240424T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20240424T000000
DTSTAMP:20240311T035157Z
CREATED:20240311T035157Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240311T035157Z
UID:1184-1713916800-1713916800@armenianchurchmelb.com.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide
DESCRIPTION:The Armenian Genocide was the first genocide of the 20th century. The lives of 1.5 million Armenians were lost\, who were massacred by Ottoman Turkey’s “Young Turk” government beginning in 1915. The deportation and mass extermination of Armenians continued until 1923.\nPlanned and executed during World War I\, the Armenian Genocide saw the virtual elimination of Armenians from their ancestral homeland. Those who were not killed immediately\, were led on horrific death marches\, like the one through the Der Zor desert in Syria. The mass exodus of surviving Armenians from Anatolia resulted in the dispersal of the Armenian people to every corner of the world. Today\, the large Armenian diaspora comprises over 4 million people (roughly equal to the number of Armenians living in the modern Republic of Armenia).\nThe Armenian Genocide began on April 24\, 1915\, when Ottoman authorities arrested and killed some 250 Armenian intellectuals and community leaders in Constantinople. Those arrested included Armenian doctors\, lawyers\, parliamentarians\, authors\, and artists. Armenian civilians\, including the elderly\, women and children\, were then forcibly removed from their homes and sent on death marches for hundreds of miles\, with no food or water.\nArmenian communities around the world commemorate each April 24 as “Armenian Martyrs Day\,” which they observe with religious and cultural memorials.\nOn the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide\, the genocide martyrs were canonised during a special service at the Mother See of Holy Etchimiadzin as the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide on April 23\, 2015. This made the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide the first saints canonised in the Armenian Church in hundreds of years. With the canonisation\, the Armenian Church’s newest feast day\, the Commemoration of the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide\, is celebrated on April 24.
URL:https://armenianchurchmelb.com.au/event/commemoration-of-the-holy-martyrs-of-the-armenian-genocide/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20240421T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20240421T000000
DTSTAMP:20240325T092914Z
CREATED:20240311T035157Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240325T092914Z
UID:1183-1713657600-1713657600@armenianchurchmelb.com.au
SUMMARY:Red Sunday
DESCRIPTION:Although there seems to be no ecclesiastical origin or significance for Red Sunday\, the colour red recalls numerous themes within Christianity and the tradition of the Armenian Church. It is the blood of Jesus Christ that redeems and heals us\, the source of life which spilled into the ground from the Cross to give life and salvation to the entire created order. \nThe colour red also recalls the blood of the Church martyrs: those who follow the pattern of Jesus\, those men and women who demonstrated valiant faith\, unafraid to die for Jesus Christ\, confident in his words and promise to raise to new life for those who know and follow him.
URL:https://armenianchurchmelb.com.au/event/red-sunday/
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DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20240414T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20240414T000000
DTSTAMP:20240325T092854Z
CREATED:20240311T035157Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240325T092854Z
UID:1182-1713052800-1713052800@armenianchurchmelb.com.au
SUMMARY:Sunday of the World Church (Green Sunday)
DESCRIPTION:The second Sunday of Easter commemorates Sunday of the World Church (Ashkharhamadoor)\, the first Church of Jerusalem\, established by Christ. \nOn the first day of the Jewish festival of Passover\, Jesus instructs two of the Apostles\, Peter and John\, to go into Jerusalem and meet a man\, who would direct them to a house where Christ and His Apostles could celebrate the Passover Feast. Peter and John are led to the “Upper Room” of a house\, where they make the necessary preparations for the meal. Later that evening\, Christ and the Twelve Apostles sit together to eat supper. This “Last Supper” was the event where Jesus Christ established the Sacrament of Holy Communion\, which we celebrate every Sunday during the Divine Liturgy in Armenian Churches throughout the world. The Upper Room in Jerusalem is considered to be the first Church\, as founded by Christ. \nThe Sunday of the World Church is also called “Green” Sunday\, which most probably originates from an ancient holiday celebrating spring. Our forefathers\, seeing mother earth bloom after long winter months\, glorified the Creator with an act of thanksgiving and celebrated by decorating the church and themselves with greenery. The reawakening of nature is symbolic of the Resurrection. Green is the colour of life\, freshness\, and promise. After a barren winter and with the Resurrection we are filled with hope\, life and love. \nGreen Sunday is the perfect time for us to remember and strengthen our obligations as good stewards of the earth and caretakers of the gifts given to us by God.
URL:https://armenianchurchmelb.com.au/event/sunday-of-the-world-church-green-sunday/
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DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20240407T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20240407T000000
DTSTAMP:20240325T092834Z
CREATED:20240311T035157Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240325T092834Z
UID:1180-1712448000-1712448000@armenianchurchmelb.com.au
SUMMARY:Annunciation to the Virgin Mary
DESCRIPTION:On April 7\, the Armenian Church celebrates one of her greatest feasts: the Annunciation to St Mary. In the Gospel of Luke we learn that the Angel Gabriel brings the good news to the Virgin about the birth of the Saviour (Lk 1:26-38). \nAccording to Holy Tradition and the Evangelist\, the Angel Gabriel appears to St. Mary while reading a passage from the prophecy of Isaiah\, in which it is written about the birth of the Emmanuel from a Virgin. The Angel greets Mary\, telling her\, “Fear not\, Mary: for you have found favour with God. And behold\, you shall conceive in your womb\, and bring forth a son\, and shall call His Name JESUS.” \nThe Angel Gabriel further explains to Mary\, “The Holy Spirit shall come upon you\, and the Power of the Highest shall overshadow you\, therefore also that which is Holy which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God.” St Mary could foresee the torments and sufferings that she would endure. However\, by giving mankind an excellent example of obedience to the Divine Will\, she said\, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it happen to me as you have said.” Beginning from the moment when the Holy Virgin expressed these words\, she was with child. \nThis Gospel story is one expression of why the Armenian Church accords high honour to motherhood\, and appreciates the role of women in family life and the lives of mankind. \nUpon the Pontifical order of His Holiness Karekin II\, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians\, the Feast of the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary is proclaimed as a day of “Blessing of Motherhood and Beauty”. On that day\, a special blessing service is conducted in the Armenian Churches.
URL:https://armenianchurchmelb.com.au/event/annunciation-to-the-virgin-mary/
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DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20240407T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20240407T000000
DTSTAMP:20240325T092813Z
CREATED:20240311T035157Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240325T092813Z
UID:1181-1712448000-1712448000@armenianchurchmelb.com.au
SUMMARY:New (Renewal) Sunday
DESCRIPTION: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. \nThe significance of the Resurrection of our Lord is essential to our faith\, we are given a new life with our Risen Saviour. This message is conveyed and re-enforced visibly and liturgically also on Sunday following Easter. We are renewed as new creatures with Christ’s resurrection\, “So if anyone is in Christ\, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see\, everything has become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). \nOne of our Church fathers and a great theologian\, St Gregory of Tatev\, explains that there are three reasons for calling this feast New Sunday. The first one is liberation. We are free from all the chains of sin and renewed by the blood of God. The second reason is the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. With His Resurrection Christ conquered death making us new creatures redeemed by the grace of God. Lastly\, it is called a New Sunday for Salvation. We have a renewed hope for forgiveness of our sins. St. Gregory of Tatev elaborated further that New Sunday is a reminder of the joy and celebration of Easter that’s why it is called Grgnazadig\, Easter again. \nRef: Vemkar.us
URL:https://armenianchurchmelb.com.au/event/new-renewal-sunday/
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DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20240406T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20240406T000000
DTSTAMP:20240325T092739Z
CREATED:20240311T035143Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240325T092739Z
UID:1179-1712361600-1712361600@armenianchurchmelb.com.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of the Beheading of St John the Baptist
DESCRIPTION: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). \nThe writers of the Gospels\, St Matthew and St Mark\, have explained the history of beheading of St John the Baptist\, who had baptised Christ and gave the good news of His Coming (Mt 14:1-12; St. Mk 6:14-29).\nAccording to the Evangelists\, King Herod arrests and imprisons St John the Baptist\, as a result of John’s condemnation of the king’s marriage to Herodias\, the wife of his brother Philip. Herod wants to put John to death\, but fears the Jews because they considered John to be a prophet. \nOn Herod’s birthday\, fascinated by the dancing of the daughter of Herodias (Salome)\, the king makes an oath to give her anything for which she asks. Following her unforgiving mother’s instructions\, she asks for the head of St John the Baptist on a platter. The king\, realising he has been fooled\, grants the request. \nSt John the Baptist is one of the greatest saints in the Armenian Church. We entreat his name as an intercessor during the divine services\, generally following the name of St Mary. According to tradition\, St Gregory the Illuminator\, brought the relics of St John to Armenia from Caesarea\, and buried them near the town of Moush\, after which the famous Monastery of St John the Baptist was built. Tradition also tells us that the head of St John the Baptist is buried underneath the Holy Altar of the Gandzasar Monastery in Artsakh. St John the Baptist remains one of the most popular saints among the Armenian faithful.
URL:https://armenianchurchmelb.com.au/event/commemoration-of-the-beheading-of-st-john-the-baptist/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20240331T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20240331T000000
DTSTAMP:20240325T092616Z
CREATED:20240311T035143Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240325T092616Z
UID:1177-1711843200-1711843200@armenianchurchmelb.com.au
SUMMARY:Commencement of Hinoonk: Eastertide
DESCRIPTION: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 Risen Christ. \nApart from the specially designated Sundays\, two other feasts are commemorated during Hinoonk. \nThe Saturday following Easter\, the Armenian Church commemorates the Beheading of St John the Baptist (also known as the Forerunner). \nThe first 40 days end with the Feast of Ascension\, which is celebrated on the Thursday of the sixth week of Resurrection. \nDuring Hinoonk\, the Lectionary is arranged such that every day a passage is read from the Book of Acts of the Apostles to impress upon us the effect of the Resurrection of Christ on his disciples and the formation and the development of the Christian community. A passage from each Gospel is read everyday from the beginning until the Passion narratives: Luke at Matins\, John at the Divine Liturgy\, Matthew at the beginning and Mark at the end of Vespers. The Blessing of the Fields (The Four Corners of the World Antasdan) Service is offered every Sunday\, as it was on Easter Sunday. We thus continue to greet one another with the good news that:\nChrist is Risen from the Dead – Krisdos Haryav ee Merelots. \nEach of the Sundays following Easter have a special designation. \nNew Sunday\nNew 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.\nSunday of the World Church (Green Sunday) \nThe second Sunday of Easter commemorates the first Church of Jerusalem\, established by Christ. On the first day of the Jewish festival of Passover\, Jesus instructs two of the Apostles\, Peter and John\, to go into Jerusalem and meet a man\, who would direct them to a house where Christ and His Apostles could celebrate the Passover Feast. Peter and John are led to the “Upper Room” of a house\, where they make the necessary preparations for the meal. Later that evening\, Christ and the Twelve Apostles sit together to eat supper. \nThis “Last Supper” was the event where Jesus Christ established the Sacrament of Holy Communion\, which we celebrate every Sunday during the Divine Liturgy in Armenian Churches throughout the world. The Upper Room in Jerusalem is considered to be the first Church\, as founded by Christ. The Sunday of the World Church is also called “Green” Sunday\, which according to Archbishop Malachia Ormanian\, is the popular name of the feast and is linked with the awakening of nature in the Springtime. \nRed Sunday\nAlthough there seems to be no ecclesiastical origin or significance for Red Sunday\, the colour red recalls numerous themes within Christianity and the tradition of the Armenian Church. It is the blood of Jesus Christ that redeems and heals us\, the source of life which spilled into the ground from the Cross to give life and salvation to the entire created order.\nThe colour red also recalls the blood of the Church martyrs: those who follow the pattern of Jesus\, those men and women who demonstrated valiant faith\, unafraid to die for Jesus Christ\, confident in his words and promise to raise to new life for those who know and follow him. \nFeast of the Apparition of the Holy Cross\nThis feast is dedicated to the Apparition of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. \nSecond Palm Sunday\nThe name of the feast has been derived from Palm Sunday\, which precedes Easter. The Second Palm Sunday is the commemoration of the triumphant entry of the Ascended Christ into the Heavenly Jerusalem\, where the angels meet him with great happiness and delight. \nSecond Palm Sunday is a reminder of the hope to ascend to heaven after our deaths\, and being in the bliss of God’s presence. \nFeast of Pentecost (Hokekaloust)\nThe coming of the Holy Spirit (or Hokekaloust in Armenian) is celebrated by the Armenian Church\, as in all Christian churches\, 50 days after Easter.
URL:https://armenianchurchmelb.com.au/event/commencement-of-hinoonk-eastertide/
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DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20240331T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20240331T000000
DTSTAMP:20240325T093309Z
CREATED:20240311T035143Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240325T093309Z
UID:1178-1711843200-1711843200@armenianchurchmelb.com.au
SUMMARY:Feast of the Glorious Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Easter Sunday/Zadig)
DESCRIPTION:The Feast of the Glorious Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ is one of the five major feasts of the Armenian Church. \nThe 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 tortures\, be crucified\, buried and the third day raise from death (Ps 15:9-11\, 29:4\, 40:11-13\, 117:16-17\, Ho 6:2-3). \nFollowing the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ\, His body was taken off the cross and placed into the tomb and the entrance to the tomb was closed by a large stone. The soldiers were ordered to watch the entrance to the tomb. After three days\, the three women who had followed Jesus from Galilee\, Mary Magdalene\, Mary\, the Mother of James and Joseph and the wife of Zebedee\, brought spices and perfumes to anoint the body of Jesus. They found the stone rolled away from the entrance to the tomb\, so they went in but they didn’t see the body of the Lord. They stood there puzzled about this\, when suddenly two angels dressed in white appeared and said to them\, “Why are you looking among the dead for one who is alive? He is not here\, he has been raised” (Lk 24:5-6). The women returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven disciples and the people. According to Peter\, more than 500 people saw Christ\, who had risen from the dead. \nChrist rose from the dead\, He destroyed Death and granted eternal life. \nI am the Resurrection and I am the Life. Whoever believes in me will live\, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die (Jn 11:25). \nThe Resurrection of Christ became the basis of the Christian doctrine and faith. “If that is true\, it means that Christ has been raised from death\, then we have nothing to preach and you have nothing to believe” (1 Co 15:13-14). \nChrist died for the salvation of mankind and by His Blood took away the sin in the world\, so that we should inherit eternal life. \nOn Easter Sunday\, the Andastan Service (the blessing of the four corners of the world) is conducted in the Armenian Church\, and during Holy Mass the faithful greet each other\, conveying the great tiding: “Christ is Risen from the dead/ Kristos Haryav ee Merelotz” and receive the reply: “Blessed is the Resurrection of Christ/ Ornyal e Haroutyoun Kristosi” \nAt Easter we traditionally dye eggs red as a symbol of a fruitful life\, salvation and joy. St Gregory of Datev considers the egg to be the symbol of the world\, the shell of which is the sky\, the membrane is the air\, the white is the water and the yolk is the earth. Dyeing eggs red symbolises the salvation of the world by means of the Blood of Christ. \nThe Armenian Church celebrates the Easter Feast on the first Sunday following the full moon of the vernal equinox\, with 35 days moveability\, during the period from March 21 –April 26.
URL:https://armenianchurchmelb.com.au/event/feast-of-the-glorious-resurrection-of-our-lord-jesus-christ-easter-sunday-zadig/
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