The Mountain of Varak, on which was built the Monastery of Varak and the Monastery of the Holy Sign, is at the centre of the uniquely Armenian feast of the Cross we celebrate as the Feast of the Holy Cross of Varak (Varague). The Armenian Church celebrates this feast two weeks after the Feast... Read More »
Besides the 12 Apostles, Jesus also had Seventy Two (72) disciples, whom he sent to “preach the Good News to all nations”. The Seventy Two Disciples are firmly rooted in Scripture, but only the Gospel of Luke mentions them. Unfortunately, those disciples’ names are not mentioned in the Gospels. In the New Testament the... Read More »
For the Armenian people the Feast of the Holy Translators is one of the most favourite and beloved national-ecclesiastical feasts.
Ananais of Damascus (favoured of the Lord), was a disciple of Jesus at Damascus. He is mentioned in Acts 9:10, when the Lord speaks to him and asks him to go to Saul, place his hands on him and restore Saul's sight. When Ananias placed his hands on Saul, he was filled with the... Read More »
Dionysius the Areopagite was an Athenian judge at the Areopagus Court in Athens. He is thus also known as protector of judges and the judiciary. At the time of Jesus’ crucifixion, Dionysius was in Egypt in a town called Heliopolis (the City of the Sun) near today’s capital of Cairo. On Good Friday, the very... Read More »
